Authored by: K Shiva
Bulgaria Joins Eurozone: As of January 1, 2026, Bulgaria has officially adopted the Euro as its currency, becoming the 21st nation in the Eurozone.
Iran Tensions: U.S. President Donald Trump has warned he is "locked and loaded" to intervene in Iran if the government uses lethal force against economic protesters. Iranian officials responded that American bases in West Asia would become "legitimate targets" if Washington interferes.
China’s Contraceptive Tax: In an effort to boost declining birth rates, China has implemented a 13% "Contraceptive Tax".
World’s 4th Largest Economy: India has officially overtaken Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, with a GDP valued at $4.18 trillion.
Electronics Manufacturing Hub: The Central government has approved 22 new electronics manufacturing projects with a combined investment of ₹41,863 crore under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS).
India’s Export Push: The government operationalized two new credit-linked plans under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) to reduce the cost of credit for MSME exporters.
AI Regulation (Grok Chatbot): The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology directed the social media platform X to review its chatbot Grok. The directive follows reports that the AI was being misused to generate and share obscene morphed visuals of women.
Space Roadmap 2026: India is targeting March 2026 for the Gaganyaan G1 mission (uncrewed), which will carry the humanoid robot Vyommitra to test life support systems.
Connectivity Milestone: BSNL has officially launched its Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) services nationwide, allowing users to make calls via WiFi in areas with poor network coverage.
Tiger Mortality Report 2025: India recorded a record 166 tiger deaths in the year 2025, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of deaths.
Aravalli Range Protection: The Supreme Court recently stayed its previous order that limited the definition of the Aravalli hills, acting to prevent large-scale mining that threatened the range's ecological integrity.
Land Record Reform: CM N. Chandrababu Naidu launched the distribution of 22 lakh new pattadar passbooks featuring the State Emblem and QR codes, replacing documents that carried political imagery.
Investment Destination: Andhra Pradesh emerged as India's leading investment destination, capturing 25.30% of all proposed capital investments in the first nine months of FY26.
Infrastructure Approval: The state issued a G.O. for a new greenfield port and mega shipbuilding cluster at Dugarajapatnam in Tirupati District.
MGNREGA Resolution: The Telangana Assembly adopted an unopposed resolution demanding the Centre restore the original MGNREGA and withdraw the new VB-GRAM G law.
Musi River Rejuvenation: The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the first phase of the Musi River Rejuvenation project (covering 21 km) will be ready within days, with a proposed budget of ₹4,100 crore.
Road Safety Tax: The Telangana Assembly passed a bill to levy a road safety tax on new vehicles to fund safety initiatives.
Hockey India Coaching: Sjoerd Marijne has been reappointed as the head coach of the Indian women's hockey team.
Cricket Retirement: Australian opener Usman Khawaja announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket.
Badminton Victory: Rithvik Sanjeevi and Surya Charishma Tamiri were crowned the men’s and women’s singles champions at the 87th Senior National Badminton Championships in Vijayawada.
Trikarana Suddhi: A philosophical concept referring to the purity of thought, word, and deed (manasa, vacha, karmana).
Kavach System: An indigenously developed Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4) certified anti-collision technology for Indian Railways.
Frequency Comb: A specialized laser used as a reference to measure light frequencies with extreme precision, essential for calibrating atomic clocks.
Do you know why humans get goosebumps? Scientifically called piloerection, it is a vestigial reflex where muscles pull hairs upright to trap air for insulation or to look larger to predators.
Do you know why spicy food causes a runny nose? Capsaicin triggers neurogenic inflammation, which stimulates the body to produce mucus to "wash away" the irritant.
Do you know that nearly 65% of India’s population is currently below 35 years of age?.
Significance: Observed annually on January 3 to promote the importance of mental and physical harmony through practices like yoga, meditation, and healthy eating.
Wellness News: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Chandrachud recently inaugurated an Ayush Wellness Center at the Supreme Court premises to provide holistic health services to legal professionals.
State Initiatives: Uttarakhand CM released a book focused on student wellness, highlighting the need to address mental health challenges early in life.
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