Daily Current Affairs Brief: January 21, 2026

Authored By: K Shiva

1. International Current Affairs

Greenland Standoff: Escalating tensions between the U.S. and Europe over the status of Greenland have pushed global markets deep into the red. U.S. President Trump suggested he is no longer "obliged to pursue peace" due to his past Nobel Peace Prize snub.

EU-India Trade Deal: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU and India are on the cusp of a "historic trade agreement" that could create a market of two billion people.

Spain Rail Tragedy: The death toll from a high-speed train collision in Cordoba, Spain, has reached 40, with investigators looking into the cause of the tail-end derailment.

Russia-India-China (RIC) Dialogue: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for the reactivation of the RIC trilateral format, asserting that "multipolarity is here to stay".

Global Tourism Record: UN Tourism reported that international tourist arrivals reached 1.52 billion last year, a 4% increase over 2024 and a new post-pandemic record.

2. National Current Affairs

New BJP Chief: Nitin Nabin (45) officially took charge as the youngest-ever National President of the BJP. PM Modi described him as a "millennial boss" in party matters.

Governor Address Controversies: Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi declined to read his customary address in the Assembly for the fourth consecutive time. Similarly, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan accused Governor Rajendra Arlekar of omitting critical paragraphs from the cabinet-approved speech.

Electoral Roll Concerns: The Supreme Court issued fresh directions to the Election Commission to "ease the strain" on millions of electors facing verification notices during the Special Intensive Revision.

NHAI Debt Management: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to retire over ₹35,000 crore of debt before maturity this fiscal year to bring total liabilities below ₹2 lakh crore.

India-UAE Partnership: Following a visit by the UAE President, India and the UAE signed a letter of intent for a strategic defense partnership and set a bilateral trade target of $200 billion by 2032.

3. Science & Technology

Stem Cell Excellence: A new Stem Cell Lab Centre of Excellence was inaugurated at NIMS, Hyderabad, to advance regenerative medicine and make therapies more accessible to the public.

Critical Mineral Extraction: NALCO is investing up to ₹2,000 crore in pilot projects to commercially extract gallium, iron, and rare earth elements from industrial waste like red mud and fly ash.

AI for Health Screening: Homegrown startups in Hyderabad unveiled AI tools for early health screening and diagnostics using smartphone photos at the AIC-CCMB program.

Quantum Communication: Researchers are making strides in long-distance quantum entanglement using optical fiber networks, moving closer to a functional "quantum internet".

SpaceTech Summit: The Andhra Pradesh Space Tech Summit-2026 is scheduled for January 22–24 at Vignan’s University, featuring the South India Rocketry Challenge.

4. States Current Affairs

AP Investment Milestone: CM Chandrababu Naidu announced in Davos that Andhra Pradesh has attracted 25% of India's total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Telangana AI Initiatives: CM Revanth Reddy detailed Telangana's use of AI for tracking farmer subsidies and property tax collections during the World Economic Forum in Davos.

AP-RMZ Partnership: The AP government and RMZ Corporation announced a $10 billion partnership for a hyperscale data center in Visakhapatnam and logistics parks in Rayalaseema.

EPFO 3.0 Reforms: The central government is preparing to launch "EPFO 3.0," featuring a new IT architecture, AI-powered language translation, and a core banking solution for 80 million members.

Kerala 'State Bacterium': Kerala plans to designate India's first "state bacterium" to promote the use of beneficial microbes.

5. District & Local News

Vijayawada (Banking): Coastal Bank opened its 52nd branch in One-Town, Vijayawada, focused on regional development.

Eluru (Tobacco Raids): Under "Operation Safe Campus Zone," Eluru police seized tobacco products from shops located near educational institutions.

APSRTC Revenue Record: The APSRTC achieved its highest-ever single-day revenue of ₹27.68 crore on January 19 due to Sankranti return travel.

Krishna (Cyber Probe): Police launched an investigation into a fake Facebook account created in the name of Krishna district SP V. Vidyasagar Naidu to solicit money.

Secunderabad (SCB Merger): MLA Sri Ganesh Narayanan began a hunger strike demanding the immediate merger of Secunderabad Cantonment Board civil areas with the GHMC.

6. Sports & Games

WPL Results: Delhi Capitals defeated Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets; Telugu player Sri Charani took a crucial wicket for the Capitals.

Australian Open: Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka advanced to the second round. Djokovic became the first player to reach 100 match wins at every Grand Slam.

Shooting Trials: Tilottama Sen won the women's 50m rifle 3 positions event, while Niraj Kumar of the Navy topped the men's event in the national trials.

BCCI Contract Changes: The BCCI is considering removing the 'A+' grade in player contracts, likely moving to a simplified A, B, and C grading system starting the 2025-26 season.

Hockey India League (HIL): Hyderabad Toofans defeated HIL GC 3-2 in a closely contested match.

7. Cinema & Entertainment

Varun Tej Update: On his birthday, Varun Tej’s next film was officially titled Korean Kanakaraju, described as a horror-comedy.

OTT News: The thriller Shambala is set to release on the Aha platform, while Space Zen Chandrayaan is coming to JioHotstar.

Visakha Utsav: The annual Visakha Utsav cultural celebrations are scheduled to begin on January 24.

In Memoriam: Senior photojournalist M. Vidyasagar, who passed away recently, was honored with financial aid for his family by the Indian Christian Journalists Collective.

8. General Knowledge (Competitive Exams)

Silver Price Surge: Silver reached an all-time high of ₹3,07,004 per kg in the Indian market on January 20.

Core Sector Growth: India's eight key infrastructure sectors grew by 3.7% in December 2025, driven largely by the electricity sector.

FDI Rankings: India remains among the top global investment destinations, ranking only behind the U.S. and in league with the UK and Germany according to a CEO survey.

Apple Pay in India: Apple Pay is reportedly preparing to enter the Indian digital payments market later this year.

9. Do You Know?

mBridge Project: This cross-border settlement system using CBDCs handled $55 billion in transactions by January 2026 and is designed to be "sanction-proof".

Spider Silk Quality: Scientific studies on bark spiders in Madagascar found that adult females produce exceptionally tough silk, absorbing more strain than silk from males or juveniles.

ISS Lifeboats: Spacecraft like the SpaceX Dragon or Soyuz are designated as 'lifeboats' for the ISS, capable of evacuating the crew to Earth within hours in case of emergencies.

10. Job & Educational Topics

RBI Recruitment: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) invited applications for 572 posts of Office Attendant. The deadline for online registration is February 4, 2026.

Kavach Training: IRISET Secunderabad signed a pact with CVR College of Engineering to introduce a B.Tech course on railway signaling and the 'Kavach' protection system.

Central Vacancies: Data shows over 75,000 vacancies in key central departments, including 32,567 in public sector banks and 21,721 in AIIMS and hospitals.

Internship Stipends: The government is considering increasing the PM Internship Scheme stipend to ₹11,800 per month.

NMDC Hiring: The Public Enterprises Selection Board invited applications for the post of Director (Commercial) in NMDC Limited, due by February 9, 2026.

11. Day Special: 21 January

Davos 2026: On January 21, the World Economic Forum continues in Davos with significant participation from Indian political and business leaders, focusing on AI and green energy.

Historical Milestone: Today marks the 50th anniversary of reports on the CIA's failure to predict India’s 1974 underground nuclear tests (from January 21, 1976 archives).

Engineering Feat: Exactly 100 years ago (January 21, 1926), the Makwar Dam on the Blue Nile in Sudan was officially opened, bringing 300,000 acres under cultivation.