Daily Current Affairs- 28th January 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 28th January 2026

What Is ‘ASC ARJUN’? Indian Railways’ New Humanoid Security Robot

In the News: Indian Railways deployed its first-ever humanoid robot, ASC ARJUN, at Visakhapatnam Railway Station in Andhra Pradesh. Developed by the Railway Protection Force using indigenous technology, the robot marks a milestone in technology-led passenger safety and station management, reflecting Indian Railways' commitment to artificial intelligence, automation, and indigenous innovation for safer public infrastructure.

Key Points:

• Historic Deployment: ASC ARJUN represents the first-ever deployment of a humanoid robot on the Indian Railways network, marking a significant step towards smart and technology-driven railway stations. The robot was unveiled by Inspector General (RPF) Shri Alok Bohra and Divisional Railway Manager Shri Lalit Bohra in the presence of Senior Divisional Security Commandant (RPF) Shri A.K. Dubey.
• Indigenous Development: The humanoid robot has been fully designed and developed in Visakhapatnam using home-grown technology by the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Visakhapatnam.
• Advanced Security Features: ASC ARJUN is equipped with a Face Recognition System (FRS) for intrusion detection, AI-based crowd monitoring during peak passenger hours, and real-time connectivity with RPF control rooms.
• Multilingual Passenger Assistance: The robot makes automated public announcements in English, Hindi, and Telugu, providing real-time information and guidance to passengers. It is designed with passenger interaction in mind, offering friendly gestures such as "Namaste" for passengers and salutes for RPF personnel, making stations more approachable and user-friendly.
• Autonomous Patrol Capabilities: ASC ARJUN has semi-autonomous navigation with obstacle avoidance capabilities along predefined paths, enabling 24×7 platform patrolling. This continuous monitoring optimizes deployment of RPF personnel and reduces pressure on manpower while maintaining round-the-clock surveillance.

Uttarakhand Implements Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026

In the News: The Uttarakhand Government implemented the Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, marking one year since the state became the first in India to enforce a Uniform Civil Code. The ordinance was promulgated by the Governor under Article 213 of the Constitution of India and came into force with immediate effect, introducing procedural, administrative, and penal refinements to ensure effective and transparent implementation of the UCC Act, 2024.

Key Points:

• Constitutional Framework: The Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, was promulgated by the Governor of Uttarakhand under Article 213 of the Constitution of India following approval from the Chief Minister's Office.
• UCC Day Celebrations: January 27, 2026, was observed statewide as "UCC Day" to mark the completion of one year since the Uniform Civil Code was enforced on January 27, 2025. Awareness programs and public interaction events were organized across urban and rural areas in all districts of the state to reinforce citizen engagement with the reformed civil framework.
• Historic Milestone: Uttarakhand is the first Indian State to implement a Uniform Civil Code. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that by implementing the UCC, Uttarakhand has shown the way for other states, building public trust through transparency and simplicity in its implementation over the past year.
• Digital Transformation of Marriage Registration: Prior to the UCC, marriages were registered under the Uttarakhand Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act, 2010, through an entirely offline process requiring physical presence at sub-registrar offices
• 2026 Amendments: The amendments align criminal procedures and penal provisions with India's new legal codes, strengthen registration-related powers, and enhance the appellate mechanism. The provisions of the Code have been made clearer and more practical to ensure effective and transparent implementation.

Dollar Slides to Four-Year Low After Trump Signals Comfort With Weakness

In the News: The U.S. dollar fell to its lowest level in four years after President Donald Trump described the currency's value as "great" when asked whether it had declined too much. The comments, made ahead of an economic speech in Iowa, were interpreted by markets as tacit approval of a weaker currency, triggering accelerated dollar selling and pushing the U.S. dollar index down 1.4% to 95.77, its lowest level since February 2022.

Key Points:

• Trump's Currency Stance: President Trump told reporters the dollar's value was "great" and stated he would want it to "just seek its own level" rather than seeking further decline.
• Dollar Index Performance: The dollar index, which measures the greenback's strength against a basket of six major currencies, hit a session low of 95.566 following Trump's comments. The decline reflects growing investor unease over trade tensions, political uncertainty, and questions surrounding U.S. monetary policy independence.
• Trade Policy Tensions: Trump accused South Korea of failing to honor trade commitments and announced plans to raise tariffs on South Korean imports, including automobiles, lumber, and pharmaceuticals, to 25%.
• Intervention Speculation: Attention in foreign exchange markets centered on the Japanese yen, which strengthened sharply amid speculation of coordinated U.S.–Japan intervention. The yen traded near 152 per dollar after reports that the New York Federal Reserve checked dollar-yen rates with market participants—often seen as a precursor to official intervention. The yen rallied by as much as 4% over two sessions.
• Broad-Based Dollar Decline: The euro rose above $1.20 for the first time since mid-2021, while sterling climbed to its strongest level since September 2021, underscoring the broad-based nature of the dollar's weakness across major currency pairs.

State of Finance for Nature 2026

In the News: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the "State of Finance for Nature 2026: Nature in the Red: Powering the Trillion Dollar Nature Transition Economy" report, revealing a critical financing imbalance where for every dollar invested in protecting nature, US$30 are spent destroying it. The fourth edition tracks global finance flows to Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and highlights the urgent need to redirect financial flows to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation.

Key Points:

• Alarming Financial Imbalance: In 2023, US$7.3 trillion flowed into nature-negative activities—including fossil fuel subsidies and investments in high-impact sectors like utilities and energy. Meanwhile, only US$220 billion supported Nature-based Solutions (NbS), with private finance contributing a mere US$23 billion, creating a 30:1 ratio of destruction versus protection.
• Investment Gap and Targets: To meet global biodiversity, climate, and land restoration targets, NbS investment must increase 2.5 times to US$571 billion annually by 2030—equivalent to just 0.5 percent of global GDP. This represents a significant scaling-up challenge for both public and private sectors.
• Trillion-Dollar Nature Transition Economy: The report highlights the potential to unlock a trillion-dollar nature transition economy by shifting financial flows from nature-negative to nature-positive activities, creating economic opportunities while addressing environmental challenges.
• Improved Methodology: The fourth edition uses enhanced data and more robust methods to track NbS finance flows in 2023, NbS investment needs and opportunities to 2030 and 2050, and nature-negative finance, building on established methods from previous editions.
• Comprehensive Resources: The report includes supplementary publications such as "The State of Finance for Nature in the G20," "State of Finance for Nature - Restoration Finance Report," and "State of Finance for Nature in Cities 2024," providing sector-specific and regional analyses.

Akashlabdhi Advances India’s Inflatable Space Habitat Mission

In the News: Bengaluru-based aerospace startup Akashlabdhi is preparing to launch India's first inflatable space habitat in July 2026, marking a significant milestone in the country's human spaceflight capabilities. The startup, incubated at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has completed critical safety and validation tests in Switzerland, paving the way for an in-orbit demonstration of its habitat technology later this year.

Key Points:

• AntarikshHAB Technology: The inflatable habitat named "AntarikshHAB" is designed to address challenges of cost, mass, and limited habitable volume faced by conventional space stations like the International Space Station (ISS).
• Mission Specifications: The July 2026 mission will deploy a 80-330 cubic meters module aboard a launch vehicle provided by the SpaceX. The final planned configuration aims for nearly 300 cubic metres, suitable for future human missions in low Earth orbit (LEO).
• India-Switzerland Research Partnership: Indian academic partners include IISc, IIT Roorkee, and IIT Delhi, contributing expertise in space structures, materials, systems engineering, and human-centric design. Swiss institutions such as ETH Zurich, EMPA, and the Paul Scherrer Institute are supporting materials science, radiation studies, and validation methodologies.
• Launch Timeline: The mission is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026, with specific plans for a July launch, representing a critical step toward India's capability in developing orbital infrastructure for future human spaceflight missions.

National Voters’ Day (NVD) 2026

In the News: The President of India presided over the National Voters' Day (NVD) celebrations, marking the 76th foundation day of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The day celebrates democracy and encourages citizen participation in the electoral process. NVD commemorates the establishment of the ECI on January 25, 1950, under Article 324 of the Indian Constitution.

Key Points:

• Theme and Vision: NVD 2026 adopted the theme "My India, My Vote" with the tagline "Citizen at the Heart of Indian Democracy." This symbolizes the ECI's commitment to designing citizen-centric electoral processes where voter convenience is paramount.
• Best Election District Awards: The President presented the Best Electoral Practices Awards to states including Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Delhi for excellence in technology use, election management, voter awareness, Model Code of Conduct enforcement, and training.
• Publications Released: Two publications were launched: "2025: A Year of Initiatives and Innovations" and "Chunav Ka Parv, Bihar Ka Garv," showcasing the ECI's leadership in electoral management and innovations.
• ECINET Platform Launch (2026): A user-friendly digital interface integrating more than 40 existing mobile and web applications of the ECI into a single "one-stop" platform for electors, election officials, political parties, and civil society.
• International Cooperation: India hosted the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 in New Delhi, leading to the adoption of the Delhi Declaration 2026
• Historical Electoral Reforms: Major ECI innovations include Photo Identity Cards (1993), Electronic Voting Machines (1998), SVEEP voter education program (2009), VVPAT for vote verification (2013), NERPAP for roll purification (2015), ERO-NET digital processing (2018), accessible elections for persons with disabilities (2018), and cVIGIL app for reporting violations (2018).