Current Affairs - January 30, 2026 Current Affairs

Assam introduced the ‘Mukhya Mantrir Eti Koli Duti Paat’ scheme as a commemorative initiative marking 200 years of Assam Tea while recognising the vital role played by tea garden workers. Under this scheme, each registered tea garden worker, excluding those in management roles, receives a one-time financial assistance of ₹5,000. The amount is transferred directly to beneficiaries through Aadhaar-linked bank accounts, ensuring transparency and efficiency. The initiative is aimed at improving socio-economic security, promoting financial inclusion, and strengthening support for the tea-growing community that forms the backbone of Assam’s tea industry.

Tamil Nadu initiated the ambitious 872-acre Knowledge City project near Chennai with the vision of building a world-class education and innovation ecosystem. Launched by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in Tiruvallur, the project is designed to host campuses of eight international universities along with advanced research and infrastructure facilities. The initiative aims to strengthen higher education, promote cutting-edge research, and encourage global academic collaboration. By positioning itself as a premier destination for education and innovation, Tamil Nadu seeks to attract international institutions, foster talent development, and boost long-term socio-economic growth.

The 12th edition of the Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth was held in New Delhi, marking an important cultural and social event focused on young audiences. Organised by the Smile Foundation in collaboration with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, the festival emphasised themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion. It showcased films created by disabled children and highlighted socially relevant issues through cinema. By hosting the festival in New Delhi, the organizers aimed to reach a wide and diverse audience, using films as a powerful medium to educate, inspire, and encourage positive action among children and youth.

QNu Labs entered into a partnership with BISAG-N to advance India’s quantum-resilient cybersecurity capabilities. The collaboration focuses on integrating indigenous software solutions such as “Vedic Kavach” with quantum hardware platforms to protect critical digital systems. The initiative aims to develop and deploy quantum-safe cybersecurity frameworks for defence, the public sector, and key infrastructure. It also involves technology transfer and the use of Quantum Random Number Generation (RNG), supporting India’s strategic objective of building secure, self-reliant, and future-ready digital infrastructure in the face of emerging quantum computing threats.

NITI Aayog partnered with the NIIT Foundation by signing a Statement of Intent aimed at improving digital literacy and skill development in India’s Aspirational Blocks. The initiative targets around 1.2 lakh beneficiaries and emphasizes inclusivity, with at least 40% participation from women. The collaboration focuses on providing digital skills training, enhancing financial awareness, and offering vocational and employability programs. By concentrating on underserved and backward regions, the effort seeks to create equitable growth opportunities, reduce the digital divide, and empower communities with skills essential for participation in the modern digital economy.

Slice introduced India’s first savings account directly linked to the RBI repo rate, marking a significant innovation in digital banking. The account calculates interest on a daily basis and credits it in line with real market rates, ensuring transparency and fairness for customers. With features such as instant UPI access, no minimum balance requirement, and immediate liquidity, the solution is designed for convenience and efficiency. Powered by a cost-efficient digital model, Slice’s offering aligns consumer profitability with equitable banking practices, setting a new benchmark for modern, UPI-first financial products in India.

Juspay achieved unicorn status in 2026 after raising $50 million in a Series D follow-on round led by WestBridge Capital, reaching a valuation of $1.2 billion. This milestone made it the first company in India to enter the unicorn club that year and the 127th unicorn overall in the country. The company specializes in enterprise payment solutions such as UPI, payment orchestration, and infrastructure, processing nearly 300 million transactions daily with an annual total payment value of about $1 trillion. The funding also supported global expansion and provided liquidity to early investors and ESOP holders.

Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, was introduced through the 2018 amendment with the objective of protecting honest public servants from frivolous and vexatious investigations related to decisions taken in good faith. It mandates that investigative agencies obtain prior approval from the competent authority before initiating an inquiry or investigation into official acts of a public servant. The provision has sparked intense legal debate, as reflected in the Supreme Court’s split verdict balancing the need to safeguard bureaucratic decision-making while ensuring that anti-corruption investigations remain independent, effective, and consistent with the constitutional principle of equality before law.

Meghalaya’s living root bridges have been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status, recognising their outstanding cultural and ecological significance. These bridges are naturally grown from the aerial roots of rubber fig trees and have been carefully shaped over generations by the Khasi and Jaintia communities. They represent a remarkable example of sustainable bioengineering, showcasing a deep-rooted harmony between humans and nature. The nomination highlights centuries-old indigenous knowledge systems and emphasises the bridges’ resilience, functionality, and role as living symbols of sustainability and environmental stewardship on a global platform.

IIM Ahmedabad entered into a memorandum of understanding with its alumna, Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and Ranjan Tandon to set up the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of AI, backed by a substantial ₹100 crore endowment. The initiative is designed to strengthen India’s artificial intelligence ecosystem by promoting responsible and inclusive AI development. It focuses on addressing nation-scale challenges, encouraging innovation at the intersection of technology and societal impact, and creating employment opportunities. This move further reinforces IIM Ahmedabad’s leadership role in management education and emerging technology-driven research in India.