Daily Current Affairs- 17th January 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 17th January 2026

Supreme Court Rules Unreserved Seats Open to All Candidates on Merit

In the News: The Supreme Court of India has delivered a landmark judgment clarifying that unreserved seats in educational institutions and employment are open to all candidates, including those from reserved categories, based purely on merit. The ruling reinforces the principle of merit-based selection while protecting the reservation system for designated categories.

Key Points:

• Court's Ruling: The Supreme Court held that unreserved or general category seats must remain open to all candidates regardless of their caste or community background. Candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) can compete for unreserved seats based on merit.
• Merit-Based Selection: The judgment emphasizes that if candidates from reserved categories qualify for unreserved seats on merit, they must be allocated those seats, and their reserved category quota remains available for other candidates from their community. This prevents wastage of reserved seats while ensuring meritorious candidates are not denied opportunities.
• Constitutional Framework: The Court reiterated that reservation is a tool for affirmative action under Articles 15(4), 15(5), and 16(4) of the Constitution, designed to ensure representation for historically disadvantaged groups. However, unreserved seats represent open competition where only merit determines selection, upholding equality under Article 14.
• Impact on Admissions and Recruitment: The ruling provides clarity for educational institutions, public sector undertakings, and government departments conducting admissions and recruitments. It ensures transparent implementation of reservation policies while maintaining the integrity of merit-based selection processes.

Dr Jitendra Singh Releases 'Gen V Bano' and 'Mahatma' at India's First NAMO Book Fest

In the News: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh released two books, 'Gen V Bano' and 'Mahatma', at India's first NAMO Book Fest held in New Delhi. The two-day festival showcases books on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and promotes dialogue among authors, thinkers, and youth on contemporary governance and leadership.

Key Points:

• Book Releases: Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, released two significant books at the festival. 'Gen V Bano' and 'Mahatma' were unveiled as part of the literary event celebrating PM Modi's leadership and vision.
• About NAMO Book Fest: India's first NAMO Book Fest is a two-day literary festival dedicated to books written on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's life, leadership, policies, and governance model. The festival was organized in New Delhi to bring together authors, scholars, and readers interested in contemporary political leadership.
• Book Showcasing: The festival features a comprehensive display of books written about PM Modi in various languages, covering topics ranging from his early life and political journey to policy initiatives like Digital India, Swachh Bharat, and Atmanirbhar Bharat. The collection includes biographies, policy analyses, and leadership studies.
• Participant Engagement: The two-day event includes panel discussions, author interactions, book readings, and sessions with writers, journalists, and subject matter experts. Youth participation is particularly encouraged to foster understanding of contemporary governance and nation-building efforts.

GAIL’s 694-km Expressway Gas Pipeline: A New Model for India’s Infrastructure

In the News: GAIL (India) Limited has completed the 694-km Mumbai–Nagpur Natural Gas Pipeline built inside a narrow 3-metre corridor along Maharashtra's Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway. This innovative project represents a pioneering model for integrating energy infrastructure with highway development in India.

Key Points:

• Project Completion: GAIL has successfully constructed the 694-kilometer Mumbai–Nagpur Natural Gas Pipeline running parallel to the Samruddhi Mahamarg (Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg). The pipeline represents India's first major gas infrastructure built within an expressway corridor.
• Innovative Design Model: The pipeline has been laid within a narrow 3-metre Right of Way (RoW) corridor alongside the expressway, demonstrating space-efficient infrastructure development. This integrated approach minimizes land acquisition challenges, reduces environmental impact, and optimizes resource utilization.
• Land Acquisition Benefits: By utilizing the expressway corridor, the project avoided the complex and time-consuming process of acquiring separate agricultural or private land for the pipeline. This approach significantly reduced project costs, expedited completion timelines, and minimized displacement of local communities.
• About Samruddhi Mahamarg: The Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg is a 701-km expressway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur. Completed in phases, it reduces travel time between the two cities to approximately 8 hours and promotes regional economic development.

Jharkhand Implements PESA After 25 Years, Sparks Tribal Debate

In the News: Jharkhand has finally implemented the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) after a delay of 25 years since the state's formation. The move aims to empower tribal communities with self-governance rights but has sparked intense debate over its provisions and implementation challenges.

Key Points:

• Historic Implementation: Jharkhand has enacted PESA rules 25 years after the state's creation in 2000, despite the central Act being passed in 1996. The implementation grants constitutional recognition to tribal self-governance in scheduled areas covering significant portions of the state.
• About PESA Act: The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 extends the provisions of Part IX of the Constitution to Fifth Schedule areas. It empowers Gram Sabhas with authority over natural resources, minor forest produce, local governance, and resolution of disputes through traditional customs.
• Key Provisions: PESA grants Gram Sabhas mandatory consultation rights before land acquisition, power to manage minor water bodies and minor minerals, control over intoxicants, ownership of minor forest produce, and authority to prevent land alienation. The Act recognizes traditional tribal governance systems.
• Coverage in Jharkhand: The legislation applies to scheduled areas across multiple districts in Jharkhand where tribal populations are concentrated. These areas have significant forest resources and mineral wealth, making land and resource rights particularly crucial.
• Tribal Perspectives: While tribal rights activists welcome PESA as a tool for self-determination and resource control, some groups express concerns about dilution of provisions in state rules.

Finke River Recognised as the World’s Oldest Flowing River

In the News: Scientists have identified Australia's Finke River as the world's oldest surviving river system, dating back 300–400 million years to the Devonian or Carboniferous period. Flowing through the MacDonnell Ranges in central Australia, the river offers rare insights into Earth's deep geological history and represents a living remnant from before the age of dinosaurs.

Key Points:

• Age and Recognition: The Finke River is believed to be the world's oldest river system, with origins dating between 300 and 400 million years ago during the Devonian (419–359 million years ago) or Carboniferous (359–299 million years ago) period. Geological records, weathering profiles, and radionuclide measurements in surrounding sediments and rocks have enabled scientists to date this ancient river system.
• Indigenous Name and Location: Known to the Arrernte people as Larapinta, the river flows through Australia's Northern Territory and South Australia. It stretches for over 640 kilometers (approximately 600 km or 370 miles), running from the MacDonnell Ranges toward the Simpson Desert.
• Course and Origin: The river originates in the MacDonnell Ranges where two smaller creeks, Davenport and Ormiston, meet. Main tributaries include Ellery Creek and the Palmer and Hugh Rivers. During major floods, its water can reach the Macumba River and eventually Lake Eyre.
• Unique Geological Feature - Antecedence: The Finke River cuts straight through the hard rock MacDonnell Ranges rather than flowing around them, demonstrating a phenomenon called "antecedence." The river was already flowing before the mountains rose during the Alice Springs Orogeny (300–400 million years ago).
• Intermittent Flow Pattern: Unlike most rivers, the Finke does not flow continuously year-round. Most of the time, it appears as a series of scattered waterholes across the desert landscape. Only after heavy rainfall does it transform into a powerful, fast-flowing continuous river, demonstrating its ephemeral nature in one of Earth's most arid regions.

WEF Global Risks Report 2026

In the News: The World Economic Forum (WEF) released its Global Risks Report 2026 ahead of its annual event in Davos, identifying the world as entering an "Age of Competition" marked by intensifying geoeconomic rivalry, societal polarization, and technological disruption.

Key Points:

• Report Framework: The Global Risks Report 2026 assesses risks across three time horizons: immediate (2026), short-to-medium term (to 2028), and long term (to 2036). The report reveals a significant reprioritization of threats, with 50 per cent of respondents anticipating either a "turbulent" or "stormy" period globally, reflecting unprecedented uncertainty in the international landscape.
• Top Short-Term Risk - Geoeconomic Confrontation: Geoeconomic confrontation has emerged as the number one short-term global risk for 2026, with 18 per cent of survey respondents selecting it as most likely to trigger a material global crisis.
• Economic Instability Concerns: Economic risks have intensified sharply, with concerns about economic downturn, inflation, and potential asset bubbles recording the largest increases in ranking over the two-year horizon compared to last year. Despite International Monetary Fund projections of 3.1 per cent global GDP growth in 2026, the balance of risks tilts to the downside due to high public and private debt levels and volatile financial markets.
• Shifting Climate Risk Perception: Extreme weather events, ranked first or second as the most significant risk for four consecutive years, have fallen to fourth place for the upcoming two-year period. Climate action failure has not been perceived as a top global risk since 2024.
• Inequality as Interconnected Risk: Inequality was identified as the most interconnected global risk for the second consecutive year, closely linked to economic instability, misinformation, and declining trust in institutions.

Shri Praveen Vashista Appointed Vigilance Commissioner in Central Vigilance Commission

In the News: The President of India appointed Shri Praveen Vashista as Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) through a warrant dated December 12, 2025. He assumed charge on January 16, 2026, after taking the oath of office, marking a significant institutional development in India's anti-corruption framework.

Key Points:

• Appointment Details: Shri Praveen Vashista was appointed under Section 4(1) of the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, by the President of India. The appointment followed his voluntary retirement from the Indian Police Service, which was accepted by the competent authority.
• Oath-Taking Ceremony: Shri Vashista took oath before the Central Vigilance Commissioner on January 16, 2026, who was authorized by the President under Section 5(3) of the CVC Act, 2003. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Department of Personnel and Training, Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate, and the Central Vigilance Commission.
• About Central Vigilance Commission: The CVC is a statutory body established under the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003. It consists of a CVC and two Vigilance Commissioners. All members are appointed by the President appoints based on a committee recommendation.
• Role and Responsibilities: As Vigilance Commissioner, Shri Vashista will supervise vigilance administration across central government organizations, advise authorities on corruption-related matters, and exercise powers in relation to corruption prevention
• Tenure and Status: Vigilance Commissioners hold office for a term of four years or until attaining the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.