Daily Current Affairs- 5th January 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 5th January 2026

India Emerges as World’s Top Rice Producer

In the News: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that India has surpassed China to become the world's largest rice producer, achieving a historic milestone with rice production reaching 150.18 million tonnes in 2025, compared to China's 145.28 million tonnes.

Key Points:

• Historic Achievement Announced: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared India the world's largest rice producer on January 5, 2026, at an event in New Delhi. India's rice production reached 150.18 million tonnes in 2025, surpassing China's output of 145.28 million tonnes.
• Global Production Share: India now accounts for more than 28% of total global rice production, establishing itself as the undisputed "rice king" of the world. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) acknowledged India's achievement in its December 2025 report, confirming India's rice production at 152 million metric tonnes, while China's output stands at 146 million metric tonnes.
• Release of New Crop Varieties: During the same event, Minister Chouhan released 184 high-yielding and climate-resilient seed varieties for 25 crops, developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in collaboration with universities and seed companies. The varieties include 122 cereals, 24 cotton, 13 oilseeds, 11 fodder crops, 6 sugarcane, 6 pulses, and 1 each of jute and tobacco, aimed at enhancing crop productivity and increasing farmers' incomes.
• Modern High-Yielding Varieties: Short-duration, high-yielding rice varieties have driven India's recent production increases. Varieties like PB126 (matures in 123 days), PR131, and PB121 are gaining popularity in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. These varieties are disease-resistant, require less water than traditional varieties, and have boosted yields while reducing water demand. PB126, for example, is particularly attractive to farmers as it completes its lifecycle faster while maintaining high productivity.

Integrated Security Hub Launched in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

In the News: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated an Integrated Command and Control Centre worth ₹229 crore in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during his two-day visit to Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair). The high-tech security facility, comparable to similar installations in developed Indian cities, strengthens the islands' security management, emergency response capabilities, and maritime surveillance infrastructure.

Key Points:

• Inauguration Event: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated nine development projects and laid foundation stones for two additional projects totaling ₹373 crore on January 3, 2026, at Sri Vijaya Puram. The event was attended by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, Lieutenant Governor Admiral D.K. Joshi (Retd.), Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and other senior officials.
• Key Features and Capabilities: The Command and Control Centre is designed to integrate surveillance systems, communication networks, and coordination mechanisms among multiple security agencies under one unified platform. It enables real-time monitoring of maritime activities, emergency response coordination, disaster management operations, and comprehensive security management across the strategically important island territory.
• Road Infrastructure Development: The projects include improvements under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to enhance road connectivity across the islands. Better road construction aims to improve accessibility for residents, boost the local economy, and facilitate tourism while connecting remote areas to administrative centers.
• Great Nicobar Project: Shah highlighted the upcoming Great Nicobar development project, stating it will position the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a major global trade hub, strategic security center, and world-class tourist destination within a decade. The ₹72,000 crore mega infrastructure project includes an International Container Trans-shipment Terminal (ICTT) and greenfield international airport.
• Blue Economy and Tourism Focus: The islands offer immense potential for the blue economy, fisheries, agriculture, MSMEs, clean energy, and tourism development. Shah said the government is promoting sustainable tourism while preserving heritage, protecting the environment, and strengthening security. The islands have been upgraded to ISO standards for scuba diving to establish them as a global destination for adventure water sports.

ICAR Releases 184 Improved Crop Varieties in New Delhi

In the News: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released 184 improved varieties of 25 field crops at an event in New Delhi. The varieties were developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in collaboration with state and central agricultural universities and private seed companies.

Key Points:

• Release Event Details: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled 184 improved crop varieties on January 5, 2026, at a function in New Delhi. The event coincided with the announcement of India surpassing China to become the world's largest rice producer.
• Comprehensive Crop Coverage: The 184 varieties span 25 different field crops, providing farmers with improved options across multiple agricultural categories. The breakdown includes: 122 cereals (including rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, and millets), 24 cotton varieties, 13 oilseed varieties, 11 fodder crop varieties, 6 sugarcane varieties, 6 pulse varieties, and 1 each of jute and tobacco. This diverse coverage ensures that farmers across different agro-climatic zones have access to improved germplasm suited to their specific conditions.
• ICAR's Collaborative Development: The varieties were developed through ICAR's All India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRP) in collaboration with state agricultural universities, central agricultural universities, and private seed companies.
• High-Yielding Characteristics: All released varieties are characterized as high-yielding, meaning they produce significantly more output per hectare compared to traditional varieties when provided with appropriate inputs and management practices. These varieties incorporate advanced breeding techniques to maximize genetic potential for productivity, helping farmers increase production from the same land area and contributing to national food security and agricultural growth.
• Climate Resilience Focus: A key feature of the new varieties is their climate resilience—the ability to maintain productivity under changing and adverse climatic conditions. The varieties are designed to withstand various climate-related stresses including droughts, floods, heat stress, cold tolerance, and resistance to emerging pest and disease pressures.

Suryastra Rocket Launcher 

In the News: The Indian Army signed a ₹292.69 crore emergency procurement contract with Pune-based NIBE Limited for the indigenous Suryastra long-range rocket launcher system. This marks a significant advancement in India's artillery modernization, representing the country's first Made-in-India universal multi-calibre rocket launcher capable of precision strikes at ranges up to 150 km and 300 km.

Key Points:

• Emergency Procurement Contract: The Indian Army signed the ₹292.69 crore (approximately $35 million) contract with NIBE Limited on January 3, 2026, under Emergency Procurement (EP) Powers. The contract covers the supply of launcher systems, ground equipment, accessories, Enhanced System Projectiles (ESP), and ammunition for the Universal Rocket Launcher System. Delivery is scheduled in phased tranches over a 12-month period from contract signing.
• Emergency Procurement Framework: Emergency Procurement Powers allow India's armed forces to fast-track acquisitions up to ₹300 crore without undergoing lengthy approval procedures when operational preparedness requires immediate augmentation. In December 2025, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) extended the validity of these powers for the armed forces until January 15, 2026.
• First Indigenous Universal Multi-Calibre Launcher: Suryastra is India's first Made-in-India universal multi-calibre long-range rocket launcher system. Unlike conventional rocket artillery that requires different launchers for different rocket types, Suryastra can fire multiple types of rockets and guided munitions from a single platform, offering exceptional operational flexibility. This multi-calibre capability reduces the logistical footprint while increasing battlefield responsiveness.
• Technology Collaboration with Israel: Suryastra is developed by NIBE Limited in collaboration with Israel's Elbit Systems. In July 2025, NIBE signed a Technology Collaboration Agreement with Elbit Systems for manufacturing the Advanced Universal Rocket Launcher in India. The system is based on Elbit's proven Precise and Universal Launching System (PULS) architecture, adapted and customized to Indian operational requirements and manufactured domestically.
• BEML Platform Integration: The launcher is mounted on a BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited) High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) 6×6 truck chassis. The BEML platform provides superior off-road performance and payload capacity suited to dispersed rocket artillery operations, allowing the system to operate across diverse terrains—from high-altitude mountainous regions to desert and plains—while maintaining quick repositioning capability.

In denying bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, how the SC expanded definition of ‘terrorist act’

In the News: The Supreme Court denied bail to student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case, while granting bail to five other co-accused. In a significant legal development, the Court expanded the interpretation of "terrorist act" under Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), holding that terrorist acts are not confined to conventional physical violence but encompass broader actions that disrupt essential services or threaten economic stability.

Key Points:

• Split Verdict on Bail: The Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria delivered a split verdict, denying bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam while granting conditional bail to five other accused—Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Mohammad Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed. The judgment was reserved on December 10, 2025, and delivered on January 5, 2026, after the Court's winter break.
• "By Any Other Means" Clause: The Court emphasized Parliament's use of the phrase "by any other means of whatever nature" in Section 15 of UAPA, stating this reflects a "deliberate legislative calibration to adopt a process-based conception of terrorism." This interpretation means that acts causing economic disruption, supply chain interference, or service disruptions can qualify as terrorist acts, even without physical violence or property destruction.
• Case Background - Delhi Riots: The case relates to communal violence that erupted in northeast Delhi in February 2020 during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). The riots left 53 people dead (38 of them Muslims) and over 700 injured. The violence occurred during the visit of then-US President Donald Trump to India.
• Section 43D(5) of UAPA - Statutory Bar on Bail: The Court held that Section 43D(5) of UAPA, which creates a stringent bar on granting bail, was attracted in the case of Khalid and Imam. This provision prevents courts from granting bail if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the accusations are prima facie true. The Court stated, "The statutory threshold stands attracted qua these appellants. This stage of proceedings does not justify their enlargement on bail."
• Rejecting Automatic Bail on Delay: While acknowledging the principle established in Union of India v. K.A. Najeeb that constitutional courts may grant bail under UAPA when there's no likelihood of speedy trial (to protect Article 21 rights to life and liberty), the Court clarified that "Najeeb is not a mechanical rule
• Article 21 Constitutional Balance: The Court attempted to balance the fundamental right to liberty under Article 21 with statutory restrictions imposed by UAPA. The judgment stated, "The constitutional inquiry into delay is not an inquiry into guilt. It is an inquiry into whether continued detention remains constitutionally permissible in the circumstances of the case." The Court held that "Article 21 requires the state to justify prolonged pre-trial custody."

10 Years of Paris Agreement

In the News: The world marked the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, a landmark global climate accord adopted by 195 countries at COP21 in Paris on December 12, 2015. The decade since has witnessed both significant progress in clean energy transitions and sobering realities about the pace of climate action, with global temperatures projected to exceed the Agreement's 1.5°C target within the next decade despite unprecedented growth in renewable energy.

Key Points:

• Historic Adoption: The Paris Agreement was adopted on December 12, 2015, at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, France. It was negotiated by 196 parties and entered into force on November 4, 2016. As of 2025, 195 UNFCCC member states are parties to the agreement, making it nearly universal in scope.
• Global Stocktake Mechanism: Article 14 establishes a Global Stocktake every five years to assess collective progress toward the Agreement's goals. The first Global Stocktake concluded at COP28 in Dubai (2023), calling on governments to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy in their next round of climate commitments.
• Sobering Temperature Projections: On the 10th anniversary, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report (November 2025) projects that global temperatures will likely exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels within the next decade (early 2030s). Current century projections show temperature rise between 2.3°C and 2.5°C, while projections based on current policies indicate 2.8°C warming by 2100.
• Net Zero Pledges Progress: When the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, no countries had pledged to cut emissions to net zero. By 2025, approximately 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions are covered by net-zero pledges. Countries have moved from a patchwork of targets to economy-wide, absolute emission-reduction goals, representing significant policy evolution.
• COP30 Outcomes (November 2025): The UN Climate Change Conference held in Belém, Brazil, avoided total failure but produced what experts called an "unambitious last-ditch deal" that "backpedaled on climate action." A proposal to start work on a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels failed due to opposition from nations heavily reliant on fossil fuel production. The Trump administration sent no formal delegation.