Daily Current Affairs and GK | 10 January 2026

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

1. Port infrastructure and digital governance projects worth 235-crore rupees have been launched by centre in Tamil Nadu.

• The projects are intended to strengthen the state’s maritime capacity.
• The projects are also aimed at advancing India’s maritime-led growth strategy.
• The projects were launched by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.
• He launched the projects while addressing the “Viksit Bharat, Viksit Ports” programme in Chennai.
• Out of the total funds, 129.36 crore rupees are allocated for initiatives at the Chennai Port Authority.
• 105.64 crore rupees have been kept for projects at Kamarajar Port Limited.
• At Chennai Port, the union minister laid foundation stones for three projects. These include:
  • Repair and strengthening of the coastal revetment behind the Coastal Berth over an 850-metre stretch using climate-resilient designs
  • Construction of a new firefighting pump house at the Oil Dock Area to meet safety norms of Oil Industry Safety Directorate
  • Modernisation of the Chennai Port Hospital.
• At Kamarajar Port, he laid the foundation stone for a new boundary wall.
• He also launched the e-port clearance portal as part of a nationwide trade facilitation initiative under the One Nation-One Port Process.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

2. The government aims to end child marriage in India by 2030 as part of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign.

• The campaign aims to lower the prevalence of child marriage by 10% by 2026.
• It also makes India child marriage-free by 2030.
• The initiative was launched in November 2024 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• It focuses on eradicating child marriages across the country.
• Balod district in Chhattisgarh has become India's first child marriage-free district.
• For two continuous years, no case of child marriage has been reported from its 436 Gram Panchayats and 9 urban local bodies.
• In September 2025, district administration of Chhattisgarh's Surajpur district declared 75 village panchayats as Child Marriage-Free Panchayats.
• As per the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019–21), 23% of women aged 20–24 were married before they were 18 years old.
• According to Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006, child marriage is any marriage where the girl is below 18 years of age or the boy is below 21 years.