Author by: K Shiva
Tarique Rahman’s Return: Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned to Dhaka from London after 17 years in exile. He arrived with a message of inclusion, calling for inter-communal and inter-ethnic harmony to move beyond "politics driven by vengeance".
H-1B Visa Interview Concerns: India has expressed serious concern to the U.S. regarding the mass cancellation of H-1B visa interviews for Indian applicants . The government is "actively engaged" with the U.S. side to minimize disruptions caused by these cancellations .
U.S. Strike on Islamic State: The U.S. military reported striking more than 70 Islamic State targets inside central Syria .
Chilean Presidential Election: José Antonio Kast won the presidential runoff in Chile with 58.2% of the vote, marking a right-wing shift focused on "order, security, and trust" .
Draft Electoral Roll Revisions: * Assam: Over 10.56 lakh voters were deleted from the draft rolls after a house-to-house verification; 4.79 lakh were dead and 5.23 lakh had shifted.
West Bengal: The SIR (Special Intensive Revision) led to the deletion of over 58 lakh names, including approximately 32 lakh "unmapped" electors.
Congress's 'MGNREGA Bachao' Campaign: The Congress party announced the launch of the MGNREGA Bachao Andolan on January 5, 2026, a nationwide agitation against the new Viksit Bharat G-RAM-G legislation that replaced the rural employment guarantee scheme.
Kavach System Update: The Railways aims to operationalize the indigenous automatic train protection system, Kavach, on the Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Kolkata routes by 2026 after missing the December 2025 deadline.
District Reorganisation: CM N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to proceed with district and mandal reorganisation based on public feedback. Notable changes include merging five mandals of Guntur with Nellore district and bifurcating Adoni into two mandals.
Coconut Development: CM Naidu sought ₹200 crore in central assistance for an Integrated Coconut Development Programme to position A.P. as a leading hub for coconut products and increase farmer incomes.
State Energy Efficiency: Andhra Pradesh topped the State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2025 with 89.25 points, winning the first prize in the Group-II category .
Vijayawada (Power Cut Row): Power supply to the Kanaka Durga temple was briefly disconnected by APCPDCL due to pending bills of ₹3.08 crore but was restored after discussions.
Parvathipuram (Garbage Vehicle Incident): Public outrage erupted after a tribal woman’s body was transported in a garbage vehicle in Gummalakshmipuram because the family could not afford the ₹2,500 demanded by a private ambulance.
East Godavari (Animal Sacrifice): Seven persons were arrested in Chodavaram for allegedly sacrificing a goat in public in front of a flex board of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Cricket (T20 World Cup): Ishan Kishan has returned to the Indian squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, while Shubman Gill was dropped .
Badminton Nationals: T. Surya Charishma will face Tanvi Patri in the women's final of the National Badminton Championships in Vijayawada.
U-19 Asia Cup: Pakistan won the title by defeating India by 191 runs in the final in Dubai .
Actor Sivaji’s Apology: Telugu actor Sivaji appeared before the Telangana State Commission for Women and apologized for remarks he made about women during a recent film event.
Malayalam Satirist Remembered: Tributes continue for actor-director Sreenivasan, who passed away, leaving a massive legacy in political satire .
Vikasit Bharat G-RAM-G: The new legislation that replaced the UPA-era MGNREGA scheme.
D-Voters: In Assam, "D voters" (Doubtful voters) are those whose citizenship cases are pending before Foreigners Tribunals.
Kavach System: An indigenously developed Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4) certified anti-collision system for Indian Railways.
Chillai Kalan: The harshest 40-day phase of winter in Kashmir, running from December 21 to January 31.
Do you know why humans get goosebumps? Scientifically called piloerection, it's an evolutionary reflex where tiny arrector pili muscles contract to pull hairs upright, a trait inherited from hairier ancestors where it served as insulation.
Do you know that nearly 32 lakh 'unmapped' electors in West Bengal have no recorded links to the 2002 voters' list?
Do you know that a fake anti-rabies vaccine batch (Abhayrab) was recently pulled from shelves in India after an Australian health advisory?
PES University Admissions: Registration is open for 2026 for various undergraduate and postgraduate streams .
NTR Educational Institutions: CM Naidu lauded the trust for nurturing students who have gone on to secure posts as junior civil judges and clear Group-I exams.
Railway Recruitment: RRB has invited applications for Junior Translator (Hindi) and Chief Law Assistant with a January 29 deadline .
🎗️ Ratan N. Tata Birth Anniversary
Significance: Today marks the birth anniversary of Padma Vibhushan Ratan N. Tata (1937–2024), an icon of Indian industry and a celebrated humanitarian.
Legacy: Known as the "Father of Modern Indian Industry," his leadership transformed the Tata Group into a global powerhouse while maintaining a steadfast commitment to philanthropy .
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