# Current Affairs January 2026 for UPSC: India-EU FTA, PSLV-C62 Failure, Economic Survey 2025-26, Solid Waste Rules, Padma Awards and UGC Equity Rules Source: https://tracknation.in/story/current-affairs-january-2026-for-upsc-india-eu-fta-pslv-c62-failure-economic-survey-2025-26-solid-waste-rules-padma-awards-and-ugc-equity-rules (TrackNation — free UPSC notes with PYQs) > Current affairs for 1 to 31 January 2026 for UPSC Prelims 2027: the India-EU FTA and Republic Day chief guests, Merz's visit, the Board of Peace and Gaza, US withdrawals from 66 organisations, the Economic Survey 2025-26, the Supreme Court's stay of the UGC equity regulations, Solid Waste Management Rules 2026, Nipah, PSLV-C62 and Padma Awards 2026, with practice questions. ## January 2026 at a Glance 🎯 **January 2026: 1 to 31 January.** This note covers the month in six boxes, each tagged by subject and each with the *static link* UPSC builds the question on. Facts come from official documents where they exist (the Economic Survey, the PMO outcomes list, WHO) and from named secondary sources where they do not; secondary facts are marked so you know what to re-check. ## January at a glance | **Date** | **Event** | **Subject** | **Exam angle** | | 3 Jan | US forces capture Venezuela's President Maduro (secondary) | IR | Venezuela's oil reserves, Latin America | | 7 Jan | US announces withdrawal from 66 international organisations | IR | UNFCCC, IPCC, ISA, IRENA | | 12 Jan | PSLV-C62 fails with 16 satellites | S&T | PSLV stages, EOS-N1 | | 12-13 Jan | German Chancellor Merz visits India | IR | Outcomes of state visits | | 13-26 Jan | Nipah virus in West Bengal | Health | Nipah, bats, containment | | 15 Jan | 78th Army Day, Jaipur | Defence | Army Day date | | 22 Jan | Trump launches the Board of Peace; India does not sign | IR | UNSC Resolution 2803, Gaza | | 25 Jan | Padma Awards 2026: 131 awardees | Awards | Number in each category | | 25-27 Jan | EU leaders are Republic Day chief guests; India-EU FTA concluded | IR, Economy | CBAM, FTAs | | 27 Jan | Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 notified | Environment | Bulk waste generators, EBWGR | | 30-31 Jan | Two new Ramsar sites take India's count to 98 | Environment | Patna Bird Sanctuary, Chhari-Dhand | | 29 Jan | Economic Survey 2025-26 tabled; Supreme Court stays UGC equity regulations | Economy, Polity | Growth projection; Article 142 | ## International Relations: Venezuela, US Withdrawals, Germany, Gaza and the India-EU FTA January's international news was dominated by US policy, Europe and Gaza. ## International relations (IR) - **Venezuela (3 January):** US forces seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Caracas; Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez became acting president, and Maduro faces US narco-terrorism charges. The legality was disputed (early reports, secondary). *Static:* Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves; it is in South America and has been in economic crisis since the mid-2010s. - **US withdrawals (7 January):** the US announced it was leaving **66 international organisations**, 31 of them UN bodies and 35 non-UN, including (reported) the UNFCCC, the IPCC, IRENA and the **International Solar Alliance**. *Static:* the ISA is the India-France initiative launched at COP21. - **Germany (12-13 January):** Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited India with **23 CEOs**. The PMO outcomes list covered defence and security, trade, critical minerals, emerging technologies, traditional medicines, renewable energy and culture, including a memorandum on the National Maritime Heritage Complex at **Lothal** (Gujarat). The 2026 PYQ asked which outcomes were incorrect, so memorise details of state visits. - **Gaza (14 and 22 January):** the US announced 'phase two' of the ceasefire on 14 January; on **22 January** President Trump launched the **Board of Peace** at Davos with more than 20 countries signing its charter (including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia). **India was invited but did not sign**; France, the UK, China and Germany stayed away. *Static:* UNSC Resolution 2803 (17 November 2025) backed a Board of Peace for Gaza. - **India-EU (25-27 January):** European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were **chief guests at the 77th Republic Day** and co-chaired the **16th India-EU Summit on 27 January**, where the **free trade agreement** was announced as concluded (talks ended 26 January). The summit also discussed a strategic defence partnership and a mobility agreement. Legal scrubbing (5-6 months) and ratification, including by the European Parliament, remain. *Static:* the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism was the main sticking point. ## Economy: the Economic Survey 2025-26 The Economic Survey is the big economy event of January; the Budget followed on 1 February. ## Economy - **Economic Survey 2025-26** was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on **29 January 2026**, a day after the Budget Session began (28 January to 2 April; the Budget was presented on Sunday, 1 February). - **Growth:** the First Advance Estimates put FY26 real GDP growth at **7.4 per cent** (GVA 7.3 per cent), the fourth straight year India is the fastest-growing major economy; the Survey projects **FY27 growth of 6.8 to 7.2 per cent**. (A rebased GDP series was released on 27 February: see the February note.) - **Fiscal:** the central fiscal-deficit target for FY26 is **4.4 per cent of GDP**; 62.3 per cent of the Budget Estimate had been reached by November 2025. - **External sector:** forex reserves covered **over 11 months of imports** on 16 January 2026 and about 94 per cent of external debt outstanding at the end of September 2025. - **Trade:** see the India-EU FTA above; the EU is India's biggest goods trading partner (MEA Annual Report 2025). ## Polity, Governance and Awards Two items matter for polity and one for governance. ## Polity, governance and awards - **UGC equity regulations:** the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 were notified in mid-January and drew nationwide protests. On **29 January** a Supreme Court bench led by **CJI Surya Kant** used **Article 142** to stay them, keeping **Rule 3(1)(c)** in abeyance (it limited the definition of caste-based discrimination to SC, ST and OBC students) and directing that the 2012 regulations continue until further orders; notice was returnable on 19 March. *Static:* Article 142 lets the Supreme Court pass any order necessary for 'complete justice'; the UGC is a statutory body under the UGC Act, 1956. - **Padma Awards 2026 (25 January):** **131 awardees** - 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri. The Vibhushan list includes actor Dharmendra and V.S. Achuthanandan (both posthumous), jurist K.T. Thomas, violinist N. Rajam and P. Narayanan; Padma Bhushan includes Mammootty and Alka Yagnik; cricketer Rohit Sharma and hockey player Savita Punia are among the Padma Shri names (secondary lists differ slightly: check the MHA list). *Static:* Padma Awards (Vibhushan, Bhushan, Shri) are announced on the eve of Republic Day; the Bharat Ratna is separate. ## Environment and Health January brought one rule change and one health scare for Environment and Health. ## Environment and health - **Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026:** notified by the Environment Ministry on about **27 January** under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to take effect on **1 April 2026**, replacing the 2016 rules. Key features: segregation into **four streams** (wet, dry, sanitary, special care); **Extended Bulk Waste Generator Responsibility** for entities with a floor area of 20,000 sq m or more, water use of 40,000 litres a day or more, or waste of 100 kg a day or more; buffer zones around facilities above five tonnes a day; polluter-pays compensation; a central online portal. - **Ramsar sites (30-31 January):** two more wetlands, **Patna Bird Sanctuary** (Etah district, Uttar Pradesh) and **Chhari-Dhand** (Kutch, Gujarat's only Conservation Reserve and a stopover on the western migratory flyway), were designated, taking India's tally from 96 to **98 Ramsar sites**, announced ahead of World Wetlands Day (2 February). *Static:* the Ramsar Convention (1971) protects wetlands of international importance; Ramsar sites are listed by the Convention, not by India's wetland rules. - **Nipah virus:** two health workers at a private Barasat hospital (West Bengal) tested positive, confirmed by the National Institute of Virology, Pune, on 13 January; WHO was notified on 26 January. Over 190 contacts tested negative. WHO rated the global risk low and West Bengal's sub-national risk moderate. *Static:* Nipah is a bat-borne zoonotic virus; the earlier Kerala outbreaks were 2018 onwards. ## Defence and Space Defence and space gave one parade and one setback. ## Defence and space - **Army Day (15 January):** the 78th Army Day parade was held in **Jaipur**, with the theme of networking and data-centric warfare; displays included the T-90 and Arjun tanks, K-9 Vajra and Dhanush guns, BrahMos, Pinaka and drones. *Static:* Army Day marks the day in 1949 when General K.M. Cariappa took over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief. - **PSLV-C62 failure (12 January):** ISRO's PSLV lifted off with the earth-observation satellite **EOS-N1** and 15 co-passengers (16 payloads). The first two stages were normal, but a **roll-rate disturbance near the end of the third stage** took the vehicle off its flight path and the satellites did not reach orbit. It was the **second PSLV failure in about eight months** after PSLV-C61 (May 2025, a drop in third-stage chamber pressure); a failure analysis committee was set up. *Static:* the PSLV has four alternately solid and liquid stages; its third stage is solid (HPS3). ## Further Reading - PIB press releases, ministry websites and annual reports, the Gazette of India, MEA and UN documents and the official sources named in each note — the primary sources behind every fact above. ## How UPSC Could Ask This Next Here is how UPSC could turn January into questions. ## How UPSC could ask this next - **Count and list questions:** the number of Padma Awards in each category; the outcomes of a state visit (which are not correct); the four waste streams of the SWM Rules 2026. - **Statement questions:** 'Article 142 was used by the Supreme Court to stay ...', 'India was a signatory of the Board of Peace charter' (false), 'the India-EU FTA has been signed and ratified' (false: concluded, awaiting signing). - **S&T:** PSLV stage structure and what happened in C61 and C62; Nipah's reservoir host. - **Economy:** the Survey's FY27 growth range and the base-year change that followed. ## Test Yourself: Practice Questions Sixteen practice questions on January 2026, each tied to a verified fact. ## Practice Questions **Q1.** The Economic Survey 2025-26 projected real GDP growth for FY27 in the range of - (a) 8.0 to 8.5 per cent - (b) 5.5 to 6.0 per cent - (c) 7.4 to 7.8 per cent - (d) 6.8 to 7.2 per cent **Answer: (d)** — The First Advance Estimate for FY26 was 7.4 per cent. **Q2.** The Economic Survey 2025-26 was tabled in Parliament on - (a) 28 January 2026 - (b) 29 January 2026 - (c) 31 January 2025 - (d) 1 February 2026 **Answer: (b)** — The Budget was presented on Sunday, 1 February. **Q3.** Which country's President was captured by US forces in Caracas in an operation in January 2026? - (a) Venezuela - (b) Nicaragua - (c) Colombia - (d) Cuba **Answer: (a)** — Delcy Rodríguez became acting president (early reports). **Q4.** Which of the following international bodies was reported to be among the 66 organisations the US announced it would leave on 7 January 2026? - (a) World Trade Organization - (b) G20 - (c) NATO - (d) International Solar Alliance **Answer: (d)** — The UNFCCC, IPCC and IRENA were also reported. **Q5.** The Board of Peace for Gaza was launched in January 2026 at - (a) Sharm el-Sheikh - (b) New York - (c) Doha - (d) Davos **Answer: (d)** — India was invited but did not sign the charter. **Q6.** The Chief Guests at India's 77th Republic Day were - (a) The Chancellor of Germany - (b) The President of France - (c) The Prime Minister of Japan - (d) The President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission **Answer: (d)** — They also co-chaired the 16th India-EU Summit on 27 January. **Q7.** Consider the following statements about the India-EU free trade agreement (January 2026): 1. Negotiations were announced as concluded at the 16th India-EU Summit. 2. It has been ratified by the European Parliament. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? - (a) Neither 1 nor 2 - (b) 1 only - (c) 2 only - (d) Both 1 and 2 **Answer: (b)** — Legal scrubbing, cabinet approval and ratification follow. **Q8.** The PSLV-C62 mission of January 2026 carried which earth-observation satellite as its main payload? - (a) RISAT-2B - (b) Cartosat-3 - (c) NISAR - (d) EOS-N1 **Answer: (d)** — The mission failed after a disturbance near the end of the third stage. **Q9.** Nipah virus is primarily transmitted to humans from - (a) mosquitoes of the genus Aedes - (b) ticks - (c) fruit bats, directly or through contaminated food - (d) migratory waterfowl **Answer: (c)** — Two health workers at Barasat, West Bengal, tested positive in January 2026. **Q10.** The Supreme Court stayed the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 by exercising its powers under - (a) Article 142 - (b) Article 136 - (c) Article 32 - (d) Article 226 **Answer: (a)** — The 2012 regulations continue until further orders. **Q11.** Under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, waste has to be segregated into how many streams? - (a) Three - (b) Two - (c) Five - (d) Four **Answer: (d)** — Wet, dry, sanitary and special care waste. **Q12.** The Padma Awards 2026 announced on 25 January had how many awardees in all? - (a) 100 - (b) 150 - (c) 131 - (d) 139 **Answer: (c)** — 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri. **Q13.** In the Army Day 2026 celebrations, the 78th Army Day parade was held at - (a) Bengaluru - (b) Pune - (c) Jaipur - (d) Lucknow **Answer: (c)** — Army Day is observed on 15 January. **Q14.** German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited India in January 2026. An outcome of the visit was a memorandum on - (a) the Chabahar port - (b) the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal - (c) a space station - (d) a nuclear submarine **Answer: (b)** — He was accompanied by 23 CEOs. **Q15.** India's Ramsar site count rose to 98 in January 2026 with the addition of - (a) Sundarbans and Bhitarkanika - (b) Patna Bird Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh) and Chhari-Dhand (Gujarat) - (c) Loktak Lake and Chilika Lake - (d) Kaziranga and Manas **Answer: (b)** — World Wetlands Day is observed on 2 February. **Q16.** Which of the following is a feature of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026? 1. Extended Bulk Waste Generator Responsibility 2. Environmental compensation on the polluter-pays principle 3. A mandatory ban on all plastic carry bags - (a) 1 and 2 only - (b) 1 and 3 only - (c) 1, 2 and 3 - (d) 2 and 3 only **Answer: (a)** — The rules replace those of 2016 and came into force on 1 April 2026. ### Mains Practice Questions Use these to frame full-length answers. You don't have to answer one exactly — they show the angles UPSC tests, so let them guide which points you cover. - Discuss the significance of the India-EU free trade agreement for India's trade diversification, and the issues, such as CBAM, that remain to be resolved. - Examine the constitutional questions raised by the Supreme Court's stay on the UGC equity regulations. - Why do PSLV failures matter for India's space programme and its private launch ecosystem? - Why did India not sign the Board of Peace charter, and what does this indicate about its approach to US-led initiatives?