Daily Current Affairs and GK | 14 January 2026

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

1. India and Germany made eight key announcements and signed 19 MoUs.

• The announcements include a joint declaration of intent to strengthen bilateral defence industrial cooperation.
• The establishment of a Chief Executive Officers’ Forum to improve trade and investment has also been announced.    
• During German Chancellor’s visit to India, two countries focused on enhancing cooperation in sectors such as defence, Trade, skill, green energy and people-to-people ties.
• Visa-free transit has been announced for Indian passport holders through Germany.
• A new framework for the recruitment of Indian healthcare professionals has also been announced.
• As per the announcement, Germany will also provide funding of  1.24 billion euros under the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership.
• This will support renewable energy, green hydrogen and climate-resilient urban infrastructure.
• India and Germany completed 25 years of strategic partnership last year.
• They are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations this year.
• India Germany Relations:
  • India and Germany have strategic partnership since May 2000.
  • In September 2006, bilateral Defence Cooperation Agreement was signed between India and Germany. It provides the framework for bilateral defence ties.
  • Germany was India's 12th largest trading partner in 2023-24. It was Indiaʼs 7th largest trading partner in 2020-21.

Topic: Sports

2. Telangana Government and Hockey India signed MoU to host Women’s 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers.

• The Women’s 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers will be held in Hyderabad from 8 to 14 March 2026.
• This event will highlight India's growing role in international hockey.
• The tournament will have eight teams, which include India, England, Scotland, Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales and Austria. 
• The top three teams will qualify for the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026.
• FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026 is scheduled from 15 August to 30.

Topic: National News

3. India's logistics transformation driven by the Gati Shakti cargo terminals.

• A major milestone has been achieved in India’s logistics sector, with logistics costs being reduced to 7.97% of GDP.
• This reduction has been attributed by the government to sustained reforms and integrated infrastructure planning.
• The progress has positioned India closer to global logistics efficiency benchmarks.
• A total of 306 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals have been approved by Indian Railways with a total capacity of 192 million tonnes per year.
• Since 2014, about 2,672 million tonnes of freight has shifted from road transport to railways.
• This modal shift has resulted in a saving of more than 143 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
• The Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal initiative has encouraged greater participation of the private sector.
• Private investment amounting to nearly ₹8,600 crore has been mobilised through the policy framework.
• Revenue from freight transportation by GCTs quadrupled between 2022-23 and 2024-25, reaching ₹12,608 crore.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

4. 13th Council Meeting of NITSER chaired by Education Minister in New Delhi.

• On 13 January, the 13th meeting of the Council of National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (NITSER) was chaired by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi.
• Key presentations on improving academic quality, research output and governance efficiency were reviewed during the meeting.
• The role of National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Engineering Science and Technology (IIESTs) in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship was emphasised in the discussions.
• Alignment of institutional curricula with national priorities and industry requirements was highlighted as essential.
• The Minister suggested the formation of industry-led curriculum committees to address emerging job roles and future skills.
• It was stated that NITs and IIESTs are well placed to emerge as centres of applied education and workforce readiness.
• The importance of bringing premier technical institutions under a robust accreditation framework was underlined.
• Reforms related to specialised postgraduate and M.Tech programmes were discussed by the council.
• Focus was also placed on building strong innovation ecosystems within the institutes.
• The use of Bharatiya Bhashas along with artificial intelligence for multilingual learning was encouraged during the meeting.

Topic: State News/New Delhi

5. 81 New Ayushman Arogya Mandirs inaugurated by Delhi Government.

• On 14 January, 81 new Ayushman Arogya Mandirs inaugurated by the Delhi government as part of the fifth phase of expansion.
• The expansion has been planned to strengthen neighbourhood-level primary healthcare across the national capital.
• A major boost to accessible and preventive healthcare services is expected through the inauguration.
• With the addition of these centres, the total number of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs will rise to 319 in Delhi.
• The initiative is aligned with Delhi’s long-term roadmap to establish more than 1,100 such centres.
• These centres are being developed to provide free doctor consultations, medicines and diagnostic services.
• Screening for diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and services related to maternal and child healthcare will be offered.
• Mental health support, lifestyle counselling, yoga and nutrition guidance will form part of preventive care services.
• "Along with the expansion of healthcare facilities, Delhi is strengthening coverage under both the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the Ayushman Bharat-Vaya Vandana Yojana (AB-VVY).
• As of January 13, 2026, a total of 6,91,530 health cards (combining PM-JAY and VVY) have been issued in Delhi, including 2,65,895 VVY cards."

Topic: Sports

6. Virat Kohli became second-highest run-scorer in International Cricket.

• Virat Kohli surpassed Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara.
• Kohli crossed the tally of Sangakkara’s 28,016 runs from 666 innings across the three formats in his 624th innings.
• Sachin Tendulkar continues to remain the highest run-scorer with 34,357 runs in international cricket.
• Tendulkar also holds the record for the most international centuries (100), followed by Kohli with 84 tons.

Topic: Art and Culture

7. Lohri celebrated across North India on 13 January 2026.

• The festival is mainly celebrated in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
• It is a celebration of happiness, warmth and brotherhood.
• Lohri is associated with the joy of ripened crops and the sun’s northward journey.
• People gather with family and friends around bonfires.
• It is a festival of harvest. Traditional folk songs sung in memory of Dulla Bhatti present a picture of the rich Punjabi folklore.
• Special programmes called ‘Dhiyaan di Lohri’ are being organised in Punjab.
• A state-level function has been held in Patiala to celebrate the birth of daughters.
• Dulla Bhatti was a Punjabi folk hero who led a revolt against Emperor Akbar.
• In Punjab, ‘Dhiyan Di Lohri’ (Lohri of Daughters) was celebrated in a Jalandhar village where 5100 newborn girls were honoured. 

Topic: Reports and Indices

8. The World Intellectual Foundation will launch the Responsible Nations Index on January 19.

• The Index will be launched in partnership with Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Indian Institute of Management Mumbai and the Dr Ambedkar International Centre.
• The launch event will be attended by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
• Three core dimensions of Index are given below.

• Internal responsibility focusing on dignity, justice, and the well-being of citizens
• Environmental responsibility covering stewardship of natural resources and climate action
• External responsibility measuring a country’s contribution to peace, cooperation, and global stability

• The Index covers 154 countries. The Index is built on transparent, globally sourced data.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. A workshop on BHASHINI Samudaye: Strengthening India’s Language AI Ecosystem was organised in New Delhi.

• The workshop was organised by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• The focus of the workshop was on consolidating India’s language AI ecosystem.
• During the workshop, there were discussions on expanding BHASHINI as a national platform.
• This should be done to support multilingual governance, education and public service delivery.
• The discussion also focused on ensuring that language does not become a barrier to digital access.
• During the discussions, there was emphasis on responsible data practices, quality standards, and long-term collaboration to ensure inclusivity.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. India and France hold 38th India-France Strategic Dialogue and reaffirm their strategic partnership.

• The dialogue was held in New Delhi. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Diplomatic Adviser to French President Emmanuel Bonne co-chaired the dialogue.
• Both sides reviewed ongoing bilateral cooperation and discussed security and defence issues, technology collaboration, space cooperation and civil nuclear partnership. 
• During the dialogue, the evolving geopolitical situation and regional issues of shared concern were discussed.
• Preparations for President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India were reviewed.
• Both sides stressed closer cooperation on global security challenges to promote peace and stability.
• Emmanuel Bonne met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. He also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The year 2023 marked 25 years of India-France Strategic Partnership.