Daily Current Affairs and GK | 13 January 2026

Topic: National News

1. Speed Post 24 and Speed Post 48 services launched by India Post.

• Two new postal services, Speed Post 24 and Speed Post 48, have been launched by India Post.
• The services were announced by Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia.
• Delivery within 24 hours and 48 hours has been assured under the newly launched services.
• The announcement was made during a programme held at Pichor in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh.
• The initiative is being viewed as a significant step towards modernisation of postal services.
• The new services are intended to set higher standards of punctuality, reliability and speed in delivery.
• During the visit, the renovated Pichhor sub-post office was inaugurated at a cost of ₹2 lakh.
• The foundation stone for a new sub-post office building costing ₹1.11 crore was also laid.
• On December 29, 2025, Mr. Scindia stated that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through the National Centre for Communication Security (NCCS), has implemented several major reforms to strengthen indigenous manufacturing and testing capabilities.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

2. India’s non-fossil fuel installed capacity has risen to 266.78 gigawatt in 2025.

• The achievement was highlighted by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi.
• A growth of 22.6% compared to 2024 has been recorded.
• Over 49 gigawatts of new non-fossil fuel capacity were added during 2025.
• Solar power led the expansion, with capacity increasing from 97.86 GW to 135.81 GW.
• Solar energy registered a growth rate of 38.8% during the year.
• Wind energy capacity also increased steadily from 48.16 GW to 54.51 GW.
• The growth has been attributed to consistent policy direction and long-term planning.
• The progress strengthens India’s pathway towards energy security and climate responsibility.
• The expansion supports the national target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

3. India-Israel cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture will be further strengthened.

• The collaboration between India and Israel in fisheries and aquaculture is set to be strengthened.
• Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh is scheduled to visit Israel from January 13 to 15.
• The visit has been planned in the context of growing strategic and economic engagement.
• During this visit, participation in the Second Global Summit on Blue Food Security: Sea the Future has been scheduled.
• The summit is being hosted at the invitation of Israel’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.
• The bilateral meetings with Israeli ministers and global counterparts are expected during the visit.
• Discussions will focus on sustainable fisheries management and modern aquaculture technologies.
• Cooperation in research, innovation, trade and investment is expected to be expanded.
• Engagements with Israeli companies and startups in fisheries and aquaculture have been planned.
• Meanwhile, India's seafood exports reached an all-time high of ₹62,408 crore during 2024-25, a 3.11% increase compared to ₹60,523.89 crore in 2023-24, and this growth is expected to continue in the current financial year (FY26).
• Fish production increased to 197.75 lakh tonnes in FY 2024-25, up from 95.79 lakh tonnes in FY 2013-14, representing a 106% increase.

Topic: Important Days

4. National Youth Day 2026: 12 January

• Every year on 12th January, National Youth Day is celebrated in India, which is also known as Rashtriya Yuva Diwas.
• The birth anniversary of India's greatest philosopher and spiritual leader, Swami Vivekananda, is celebrated every year as National Youth Day since 1985.
• In 1984, the government announced 12th January as National Youth Day.
• Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was his guru.
• Swami Vivekananda was born in Kolkata on January 12, 1863, as Narendranath Datta. He died in 1902.
• On the occasion of National Youth Day, PM Narendra Modi participated in the concluding session of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026 on 12 January in New Delhi.
• The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue is a national platform designed to facilitate structured engagement between India’s youth and national leadership.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

5. A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) has been signed between India and Oman.

• The agreement has been designed to deepen economic integration between the two countries.
• A unified framework for trade in goods and services, investment, professional mobility and regulatory cooperation has been created under the CEPA.
• This deal comes at a time when trade between the two countries is steadily increasing.
• Trade between the two countries increased to US$10.61 billion in the financial year 2024-25, up from US$8.94 billion in the financial year 2023-24.
• Trade in services has also grown, with India's exports rising from US$397 million in 2020 to US$617 million in 2023.
• This progress has provided a strong foundation for a deeper trade agreement.
• A major advantage for India under CEPA is that it will get 100% duty-free market access on 98.08% of tariff lines in Oman, covering 99.38% of India's exports by value.
• India has also offered market access, which includes tariff liberalization on 77.79% of tariff lines for 94.81% of imports from Oman.
• To protect domestic interests, India has maintained an exclusion list for sensitive sectors such as dairy, grains, spices, petroleum products, rubber, textiles, leather, certain chemicals, and several agricultural products.

Topic: Personality in News

6. Olympic gold medalist Davinder Singh Garcha passed away at the age of 73.

• On 10 January, Davinder Singh Garcha, Olympic gold medal-winning Indian hockey player, has passed away at his residence in Jalandhar, Punjab.
• He was a member of India’s gold medal-winning team at the Moscow 1980 Olympics.
• Born on December 7, 1952, he made his international debut in 1979.
• He scored eight goals in six matches at the 1980 Olympics final campaign.
• India’s eighth and last Olympic gold in men’s hockey was secured with his contribution.
• He represented India in over 30 international matches and scored 19 goals.
• He was honoured with the Dhyan Chand Award in 2021 for his achievements.
• Apart from sports, Davinder Singh Garcha was an IPS officer and served as a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in the Punjab Police.
• He also served as president of the Mohinder Singh Munshi Hockey Tournament, an annual all-India U-19 hockey competition held in Jalandhar.
• The tournament is organised in memory of Olympian Mohinder Singh Munshi, a key member of India’s 1975 World Cup–winning team.