Daily Current Affairs and GK | 11 and 12 January 2026

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

1. India and Fiji agreed to extend their existing agriculture cooperation MoU for another five years.

• The two countries also decided to create a Joint Working Group to strengthen engagement in the agriculture sector.
• The bilateral talks were held in New Delhi between India’s Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Fiji’s Agriculture and Waterways Minister Tomasi Tunabuna.
• Agriculture and food security were identified as priority areas of cooperation between the two sides.
• Both countries explored student exchange programmes and specialised training modules.
• Key focus of the discussions was cooperation in small-scale farm machinery and digital agriculture solutions.
• Collaboration in agricultural research was also discussed.
• India’s links with Fiji go back to 1879. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Fiji in September 1981.
• The diplomatic journey goes back to time before Fiji’s independence in 1970. India established a commissioner’s post in 1948.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

2. Prasar Bharati launched a new segment called “Creator’s Corner” on DD News.

• The initiative aims to provide a national platform for emerging digital content creators.
• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the launch reflects ongoing reforms in the media sector.
• He described 2026 as a year of major institutional reforms for Prasar Bharati.
• The initiative supports the government’s vision for strengthening India’s Orange Economy (also known as the creative economy).
• The WAVES platform was cited as enabling opportunities for around one crore creators.
• It has also contributed nearly ₹5,000 crore in economic activity.
• The programme will empower creators from small towns and support creators from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
• “Creator’s Corner” will air on DD News from Monday to Friday at 7 PM.
• Each episode will feature short videos across themes such as culture, education, health, science, and entertainment.
• The Creator’s Corner initiative seeks to build a ecosystem that recognises creators as full-fledged content producers.
• Prasar Bharati is an autonomous statutory body. It was established by an Act of Parliament. It serves as India’s public broadcaster. It was formed in 1997.

Topic: National News

3. Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the National IED Data Management System (NIDMS) of the National Security Guard through video conferencing.

• The launch of NIDMS is an important step towards strengthening India’s counter-terrorism framework.
• NIDMS will assist in investigating terrorist incidents and analysing patterns of explosions.
• It will also help in formulating effective strategies to counter terrorism.
• It will provide real-time, integrated access to IED and blast-related data.
• Security data earlier remained fragmented across departments. NIDMS will unify it using AI-based analytical tools.
• The system will function as a two-way online platform.
• It will be accessible to National Investigation Agency, Anti-Terrorism Squads, state police forces and all Central Armed Police Forces.
• Data related to explosion or IED incident across the country can be uploaded and analysed
• A comprehensive database of bomb explosions since 1999 was maintained by NSG.
• This will now be made available to law enforcement agencies nationwide through NIDMS.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

4. In 2025, oceans absorbed more heat than in any year since the beginning of modern record-keeping.

• A new international study published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences found that ocean heat content increased sharply last year.
• The study found that ocean heat content increased by about 23 zettajoules of energy. A zettajoule is equal to one sextillion (10²¹) joules.
• This amount is equivalent to nearly 37 years of global energy consumption at 2023 levels.
• Over 50 scientists from 31 institutions carried out the research.
• The research team combined data from major international centres and independent research groups across Asia, Europe and the Americas.
• As per the research team, the heat stored in the upper 2,000 metres of the ocean increased to its highest level on record in 2025.
• About 16% of the global ocean surface recorded its warmest year ever in 2025.
• Another 33 per cent ranked among the three warmest years in historical records.
• Tropical and South Atlantic, the North Pacific and the Southern Ocean showed the most rapid warming.
• In 2025, the global average sea-surface temperature was the third highest on record.
• The global average sea-surface temperature remained around 0.5 degrees Celsius above the recent baseline.
• The study warned that ongoing ocean warming contributes to sea-level rise and intensifies marine heatwaves.
• It also adds heat and moisture to the atmosphere. It increases the likelihood of storms and extreme weather events.

Topic: Important Days

5. Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas: 09 January

• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is observed on 9 January every two years.
• This day honors the contributions of the Indian diaspora to the nation.
• The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa in 1915.
• The inaugural Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was observed in 2003.
• From 2003 till 2015, the PBD Convention was held every year. After 2015, its format was changed to once in two years.
• The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Convention took place in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from January 8 to 10, 2025.
• Its theme was “Diaspora’s contribution to a Viksit Bharat” (Developed India).

Topic: Important Days

6. World Hindi Day 2026: 10 January

• Every year on 10 January, World Hindi Day is celebrated.
• It is celebrated to mark the anniversary of the first World Hindi Conference organized in Nagpur on 10 January 1975.
• In the year 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi organized the first World Hindi Conference in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
• 122 representatives from 30 countries participated in this conference.
• In 2006, the first World Hindi Day was celebrated by the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
• Its main aim is to promote the Hindi language across the world.
• Hindi is the third most-spoken language in the world.
• In India, National Hindi Diwas is observed every year on 14th September.

Topic: Books and Authors

7. A book on the life and journey of President Droupadi Murmu was released in Visakhapatnam.

• In Visakhapatnam, a woman sanitation worker named Laxmamma, who cleans the streets at Andhra University, released a book written about the life of President Draupadi Murmu.
• The release event was organised on the Andhra University campus in an open setting under a tree.
• The book has been titled ‘Agni Sarassulo Vikasinchina Kamalam Droupadi Murmu’.
• The book has been authored by Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, former Member of Parliament and President of the Viswa Hindi Parishad.
• The title symbolically reflects President Murmu’s rise from hardship to the highest constitutional post in India.
• The selection of a sanitation worker to release the book was intended to highlight social equality and dignity of labour.
• The author stated that President Murmu’s life story serves as an inspiration, particularly for women, tribal communities and marginalised groups.

Topic: National Appointments

8. Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court.

• The appointment was made on January 8, 2026.
• Previously, he served as a judge of the Allahabad High Court.
• He assumed office after Justice Guhanathan Narendra retired on January 9, 2026, upon reaching the age of 62.
• The recommendation for Justice Gupta’s elevation was made by the Supreme Court Collegium last month.
• Justice Gupta was appointed as a judge of the Allahabad High Court on April 12, 2013.
• He is scheduled to retire on October 8, 2026.