Daily Current Affairs- 25th January 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 25th January 2026

Padma Awards 2026 Announced: Celebrating Service Beyond the Spotlight

In the News: The Government announced the Padma Awards 2026 awardees ahead of Republic Day highlighting individuals who have made sustained contributions across healthcare, education, social service, traditional arts, environment, and livelihood generation.

Key Points:

• About Padma Awards: The Padma Awards are among India's highest civilian honors, instituted in 1954 and announced annually on Republic Day. The awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (second-highest civilian award for exceptional service), Padma Bhushan (third-highest for distinguished service of high order), and Padma Shri (fourth-highest for distinguished service in any field).
• Padma Vibhushan 2026 Recipients: Five Padma Vibhushan awards were approved this year, including Dharmendra Singh Deol (posthumous) for Art, V.S. Achuthanandhan (posthumous) for Public Affairs, N. Rajam for Art, K.T. Thomas for Public Affairs, and P. Narayanan for Literature & Education.
• Padma Bhushan 2026 Recipients: The Padma Bhushan category features 13 awardees representing excellence across culture, economy, and public life. Notable recipients include actor Mammootty for Indian cinema, playback singer Alka Yagnik for Art, industrialist Uday Kotak for Trade and Industry, former tennis player Vijay Amritraj for Sports, advertising veteran Piyush Pandey (posthumous)for Art, and political leaders Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Shibu Soren, V.K. Malhotra, and Vellappally Natesan for Public Affairs.
• Padma Shri 2026 Recipients: The largest group with 113 Padma Shri awards showcases diversity and inclusion across India. Notable recipients include cricketer Rohit Sharma for Sports, actor R. Madhavan for Art, hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia for Sports, and cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur for Sports.
• History of Padma Awards: Padma Awards were instituted in 1954 along with Bharat Ratna. The three categories are Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. Awards do not confer a title and cannot be used as prefix or suffix to names. Government servants are not eligible except doctors and scientists. Posthumous awards are generally not given but allowed in highly deserving cases.

Wings India 2026 to Showcase India’s Aviation Rise

In the News: India's rapidly expanding civil aviation sector will take centre stage at Wings India 2026, Asia's largest civil aviation event, scheduled from January 28 to 31, 2026, at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad. The four-day mega event Wings India 2026 will be launched with an inaugural ceremony led by the minister by Union Minister of Civil Aviation Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, marking the start of a landmark global gathering that highlights India's emergence as a major aviation hub for connectivity, manufacturing, innovation and sustainability.

Key Points:

• Event Overview: Wings India 2026 is Asia's largest civil aviation event, organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation from January 28-31, 2026, at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad. The event will be formally launched by Union Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu and will showcase India's transformation into a major global aviation hub for connectivity, manufacturing, services, innovation and sustainability.
• Theme and Strategic Vision: The event is anchored around the theme "Indian Aviation: Paving the Future – From Design to Deployment, Manufacturing to Maintenance, Inclusivity to Innovation and Safety to Sustainability."
• India's Aviation Growth Story: India is also strengthening its presence in MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul), pilot training, aerospace manufacturing, cargo logistics and advanced air mobility, with sustainability initiatives like Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and green airports gaining momentum. Wings India is Asia's largest civil aviation event. UDAN aims to enhance regional air connectivity in India. MRO stands for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is key to reducing aviation emissions.

Governor's Address Walkouts and Constitutional Limits

In the News: Recent walkouts by Governors during inaugural State Legislative Assembly sessions in Opposition-ruled Karnataka, Tamil Nadu have triggered a constitutional debate on the scope of gubernatorial discretion.

Key Points:

• Constitutional Mandate – Article 176: Article 176(1) mandates that the Governor "shall" address the Legislative Assembly, or both Houses where a Legislative Council exists, at the commencement of the first session each year. The address is not a personal statement of the Governor but a formal articulation of the policies and programmes of the elected State government.
• Judicial Precedents on Gubernatorial Discretion: In Shamsher Singh vs State of Punjab (1974), a seven-judge Bench held that public stances critical of Cabinet policy by a Governor amount to an "unconstitutional faux pas." Later, in the Nabam Rebia judgment (2016), a Constitution Bench clarified that functions under Articles 175(1) and 176(1) are executive in nature and must be exercised strictly on ministerial advice.
• Constitutional Role of the Governor: Constituent Assembly debates, particularly remarks by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, described the Governor as a constitutional head with duties but no independent executive powers. The Governor was envisaged as a neutral representative of the people, not of any political party.
• Implications of Recent Walkouts: The Karnataka government may approach the Supreme Court seeking a judicial declaration on the constitutionality of such walkouts. Critics argue that selective or aborted addresses negate the authority of elected legislatures and blur constitutional conventions.
• Past cases: Article 176 deals with the Governor's address to the State Legislature. The Governor acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. Shamsher Singh case (1974) limited Governor's public criticism of government policy. Nabam Rebia case (2016) classified Articles 175 and 176 as executive functions.

Making new Inroads in railway

In the News: The INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) project, launched with financial backing of ₹100 crore, aims to enhance the quality of natural rubber produced in India's North-East region.

Key Points:

• Project Launch and Funding: INROAD was launched with ₹100 crore financial support from four major tyre companies—Apollo, Ceat, JK, and MRF—making it a pioneering initiative in the global tyre industry where manufacturers directly invest in improving raw material quality.
• Oversight and Implementation: The Rubber Board of India oversees the implementation of the INROAD project, ensuring coordination between tyre manufacturers and rubber farming communities.
• Geographic Coverage: The project spans across districts in the North-East region and parts of West Bengal, women empowerment initiatives; capacity building targeting areas with potential for natural rubber cultivation and existing rubber-growing communities.
• Women's Economic Empowerment: INROAD emphasizes economic empowerment of women in rubber cultivation. A model smokehouse was inaugurated for the Bhaishkhuli Pragatishil Mohila Samittee, a cooperative of 65 female rubber growers in Goalpara, Assam.
• Sustainable Model Development: INROAD seeks to create a sustainable model for rubber cultivation in India by combining capacity building, infrastructure development, and direct industry-farmer collaboration.

Migrant Voters and Political Outreach in Bihar Assembly Elections

In the News: As Bihari migrants return home for Diwali and Chhath festivals ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. Results were declared on November 14, 2025. The NDA won with 202 seats., they have emerged as a crucial voting bloc, particularly in northwestern Bihar constituencies.

Key Points:

• Migrant Population Scale: However, the 2011 census estimated 74.54 lakh migrants, with some reports suggesting up to one crore, and political parties claiming three crore migrants from the state. Estimates of Bihar’s out-migration vary widely across sources and political claims.
• High Remittance Districts: Three northwestern districts—Saran, Siwan, and Gopalganj—receive the highest remittances from migrants working in Gulf countries, making migrant voters particularly influential in these constituencies.
• Political Contest Prediction: Migrants predict the main contest will be between the NDA and maha gathbandhan (Opposition alliance), describing it as likely to be "a tough one."
• CPI(ML) Assessment: Dipankar Bhattacharya of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), part of the Opposition alliance, claims Jan Suraaj Party has greater traction among migrants from Bihar than among people actually living in the state.

From Rank to Cadre: The New UPSC Cadre Policy

In the News: On January 23, 2026, the Union government notified a revised cadre allocation policy for All India Services (IAS, IPS, and IFoS), replacing the zonal system that had been in place since 2017 with a new alphabetical grouping structure.

Key Points:

• Policy Notification: The DoPT notified the revised cadre allocation policy on January 23, 2026, introducing a four-group alphabetical structure to replace the earlier five-zone geographical clustering system that had been in place since 2017.
• What is Cadre Allocation: Cadre allocation is the administrative process that determines the State or Joint Cadre in which IAS, IPS, and IFoS officers serve, balancing national integration through inter-state exposure and respecting regional familiarity through limited home-state representation.
• Four New Groups (Alphabetical):  Group I: AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories), Andhra Pradesh, Assam-Meghalaya, Bihar, Chhattisgarh. Group II: Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh. Group III: Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu. Group IV: Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
• Insider-Outsider Rules: "Insider" candidates (home state cadre) will be allocated strictly based on merit rank and vacancy availability. Willingness to serve in the home state is now a mandatory condition for insider eligibility. EWS vacancies will be treated as part of the unreserved category in cadre rosters.
• Two-Stage Outsider Allocation: After insiders are placed, outsider candidate allocation follows the roster system in two stages—first for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), then for others—to introduce predictability and objectivity.
• Category-wise Distribution: Vacancies will be distributed among Unreserved (UR), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories following established roster procedures for reservation and insider/outsider distribution.

Lancet Report on Healthcare in India

In the News: The 2025 Lancet Countdown Report on Health and Climate Change has become a key reference document highlighting the intersection of climate change and public health globally. Additionally, a 2020 Lancet study on mental health reveals the growing burden of mental health disorders worldwide, with depression and anxiety disorders being major contributors to disability, underscoring the escalating challenge mental health issues pose to health systems globally, including in India.

Key Points:

• Mental Health as a Basic Human Right: Mental well-being encompasses mental-emotional, social, cognitive, and physical capabilities. Mental health is crucial for personal, community, and socio-economic development and is recognized as a basic human right.
• COVID-19 as a Catalyst: While mental health has received sharp attention for more than a decade among medical and counselling communities, the global COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for refocusing attention on mental health issues due to its widespread impact.
• Global Mental Health Burden: According to WHO, mental health conditions are among the leading causes of disability worldwide. In 2021, an estimated 1 in 7 people globally were living with a mental disorder, equating to over 1.1 billion people.
• Mental Health in India: In India, approximately 11 in 100 people (11%) suffer from mental health disorders, representing a significant public health challenge.
• Lancet Study Findings (2020): Mental health disorders account for 5.2% of the global disease burden. Depressive disorder alone contributes 6.2% of the total YLD, while anxiety disorder contributes 4.7% (Mental Health Atlas, 2024).
• Climate-Health Initiative at COP30: Based on Lancet Countdown findings, the Belem Health Action Plan (BHAP) was launched at COP30 in Belem, Brazil, with over 35 global philanthropies pledging $300 million under the Climate and Health Funders Coalition to tackle growing health impacts of climate change.

USA's NDAA 2026 and India

In the News: U.S. President Donald Trump signed the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) for Financial Year 2026 into law, emphasizing deeper U.S. engagement with India and the Quad to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Key Points:

• NDAA 2026 Signing: President Trump signed the NDAA for FY 2026 (October 2025 - September 2026) on December 18, 2025, enabling the Department of Defense to carry out the "Peace through Strength" agenda and protect against domestic and foreign threats.
• Indo-Pacific Focus: The Act urges strengthening U.S. defence alliances in the Indo-Pacific, with expanded cooperation with India through the Quad framework, including joint military exercises, defence trade, maritime security, and humanitarian assistance.
• India Recognized as Key Ally: India is explicitly recognized as a key U.S. ally under the law, marking a significant diplomatic acknowledgment in U.S. legislation.
• Nuclear Liability Provision: The NDAA mandates the U.S. Secretary of State to establish a joint consultative mechanism within the U.S.-India Strategic Security Dialogue to assess implementation of the 2008 Indo-U.S. nuclear deal and align India's domestic nuclear liability rules with international norms.
• India's SHANTI Bill (2025): Two days before the NDAA signing, India's Parliament cleared the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, which repeals the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.
• SHANTI Bill Provisions: The Bill caps operator liability for nuclear incidents at ₹3,000 crore, removes supplier liability clauses, aligns India with the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, and encourages private sector and foreign participation in India's nuclear sector.

With Record Oscar Nominations, 'Sinners' Spotlights Unique Film Ownership Model

In the News: Ryan Coogler's film Sinners made Oscar history by receiving a record-breaking 16 nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, surpassing the previous record of 14 held by La La Land (2016), Titanic (1997), and All About Eve (1950).

Key Points:

• Record Oscar Nominations: Sinners, a vampire-horror film starring Michael B. Jordan, received 16 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and multiple acting and technical categories—the most nominations in Oscar history.
• Groundbreaking Ownership Deal: Warner Bros. agreed to return ownership rights of Sinners to director Ryan Coogler after 25 years, potentially generating revenue for him in perpetuity—a rare arrangement in the film industry.
• Warner Bros.' Policy Reversal: This deal represents a dramatic shift from Warner Bros.' 2017 stance when they refused similar terms to director Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, ultimately losing that film to Sony, which granted Tarantino full copyright ownership after 10-30 years.
• Second Life Phenomenon: While DVD-era cult classics like Napoleon Dynamite (2004) and The Big Lebowski (1998) earned significant post-theatrical revenue, streaming has exponentially amplified this phenomenon through multiple licensing deals across territories and platforms.
• Other Notable 2026 Oscar Outcomes: One Battle After Another received 13 nominations; Wicked: For Good and its stars were completely shut out despite the first Wicked performing well previously; actor Chase Infiniti and Paul Mescal were notably snubbed.