Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 January 2026

Topic: Miscellaneous

1. The official logo for India’s BRICS Presidency 2026 launched by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

• He also launched the official BRICS India website.
• Jaishankar said India’s BRICS chairship will focus on global welfare.
• India will assume the BRICS presidency in 2026. The year 2026 marks 20 years since the formation of BRICS.
• BRICS has expanded both its agenda and membership. It continues to focus on people-centric development.
• India will adopt a people-centric approach during its chairship.
• India's chairship theme is building for resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
• Jaishankar said the logo blends tradition with modernity and includes colours of all BRICS member nations.
• BRICS is an intergovernmental organization. It comprises ten countries.
• The ten countries are Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Topic: National Appointments

2. Anup Kumar Saha has been appointed as whole-time director of Kotak Mahindra Bank.

• His appointment is subject to regulatory approvals.
• Saha will oversee the bank’s consumer banking vertical.
• Saha is an industry veteran with prior experience at ICICI Bank.
• He served for over eight years at Bajaj Finance as managing director.
• At Kotak, he will manage consumer banking, marketing, and data analytics functions.
• Ashok Vaswani, Kotak’s MD and CEO, highlighted Saha’s expertise in retail finance and data-driven growth.

Topic: Banking/Finance

3. India’s First Solar-powered ATM van launched by Tripura Gramin Bank.

• A national milestone has been created with the introduction of India’s first solar-powered ATM van by Tripura Gramin Bank.
• The initiative has been positioned as a major step towards sustainable and inclusive banking services in rural areas.
• National recognition has been received with the conferring of the prestigious SKOCH Silver Award for innovative practices.
• Pride over the achievement was expressed by the bank’s Marketing Head, Jeet Bhattacharya, who described it as an honour for Tripura.
• The award has been granted by the SKOCH Group, one of the country’s most respected platforms for governance and innovation excellence.
• Tripura Gramin Bank currently operates around 150 branches across remote and interior regions of the state.
• The solar-powered ATM van has significantly strengthened banking access in hard-to-reach areas with limited electricity supply.
• The pioneering ATM van initiative was formally inaugurated by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 21, 2023.
• At present, three solar-powered ATM vans are being operated by the bank to provide uninterrupted and eco-friendly services.
• With this innovation, Tripura Gramin Bank has set a new benchmark in rural banking and enhanced Tripura’s presence on the national innovation map.

Topic: State News/Rajasthan

4. Rajasthan Panchayat certified as State’s first fully organic village body.

• A significant sustainability milestone has been achieved with Bamanwas Kankar panchayat becoming Rajasthan’s first fully organic village body.
• Certification has been granted following decisive steps taken to address soil degradation, groundwater depletion and health concerns.
• Chemical-free farming and ecologically responsible animal husbandry practices have been adopted across the panchayat.
• The panchayat comprises seven hamlets located in the newly formed Kotputli–Behror district of Rajasthan.
• All agricultural activities are being carried out without chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilisers.
• The shift towards organic farming was initiated through collective discussions among villagers over the past year.
• Farmers transitioned from chemical farming after observing declining soil fertility, rising costs and health issues.
• The transformation was supported by Cofarmin Federation of Organic Societies and Producer Companies (COFED).
• COFED is a group working in the areas of natural resource conservation, sustainable farming, and women’s empowerment.
• COFED provided technical guidance and institutional support, which helped farmers understand organic methods, certification processes, and market access.
• Increased biodiversity, improved soil health and access to premium markets have been observed after certification.

Topic: Reports and Indices

5. The Indian passport's ranking improved in the Henley Passport Index 2026.

• An improvement of five positions has been recorded by India in the Henley Passport Index 2026.
• The Indian passport has been ranked 80th, allowing visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 55 destinations.
• The ranking reflects a recovery from the 85th position recorded in 2025.
• The Henley Passport Index has evaluated 199 passports across 227 global destinations.
• The index is based on exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association.
• Asian countries have dominated the top rankings, with Singapore securing the first position.
• Japan and South Korea have jointly ranked second, offering visa-free access to 188 destinations.
• Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain and Luxembourg have shared the third rank globally.
• The United States has returned to the top 10 after dropping to 12th position last year.
• Afghanistan has remained at the bottom of the list, ranked 101st with access to only 24 destinations.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

6. 9th International Spice Conference scheduled to be hosted in Kochi.

• The 9th edition of the International Spice Conference (ISC 2026) is set to be hosted in Kochi from February 23 to 26, 2026.
• The conference is being organised by the All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF).
• The four-day event will be held under the theme “Spice 360 – Getting Future Ready.”
• Policymakers, industry leaders, researchers and innovators from across the world will participate in the deliberations.
• The conference will be inaugurated by former G20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and deliver keynote address on “Transforming Agro-Industry: Innovation, Inclusion & Global Leadership.” 
• Martin Sonntag, CEO of Oterra, will attend as the Guest of Honour and speak on “Shaping the Next Decade of Food & Nutrition: Collaboration, Trust, and Responsibility.”.
• Kerala’s historical role in the global spice trade adds special significance to hosting the conference.
• Discussions will focus on trade risks, climate challenges, innovation and resilient supply chains.
• Crops and Markets sessions will provide detailed insights into spices such as turmeric, pepper, chilli and cumin.
• The conference aims to support future-ready strategies for the global spice industry amid changing trade dynamics.

Topic: Reports and Indices

7. Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 has been released by NITI Aayog.

• This is the fourth edition and first edition was released in August 2020.
• It is a comprehensive assessment of export readiness across India’s States and Union Territories.
• The index is aligned with India’s objective of achieving USD 1 trillion in merchandise exports by 2030.
• The index has 4 pillars, 13 sub-pillars and 70 indicators.
• States and UTs have been classified into Large States & Small States, North East States and Union Territories.
• They are further categorised as Leaders (States/UTs demonstrating relatively high export preparedness), Challengers (States/UTs with moderate preparedness and scope for improvement), and Aspirers (States/UTs at early stages of export ecosystem development) withing each category.
• The four pillars of index are export infrastructure (20% weightage), business ecosystem (40% weightage), policy and governance (20% weightage) and export performance (20% weightage).
• Leading performers in Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 under large states category are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
• Leading performers in Small States, North Eastern States & Union Territories are Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu and Goa.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

8. The 16th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Expert Working Group Meeting (EWG) on Counter-Terrorism started in New Delhi on 14 January.

• The meeting is being co-chaired by India and Malaysia.
• Participants include delegations from 11 ASEAN members and 7 dialogue partners.
• The meeting serves as platform to discuss ongoing and planned activities under the three-year work plan to strengthen India’s multilateral cooperation on Counter-Terrorism.
• During the meeting, delegates will share best practices in counter-terrorism operations.
• ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Timor Leste.
• Dialogue partner countries are Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, China, USA and Russia.

Topic: Important Days

9. 10th Defence Forces Veterans’ Day: 14 January 2026

• Defence Forces Veterans’ Day is observed every year on January 14 to honour the legacy and service of K. M. Cariappa.
• K. M. Cariappa was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, who retired on this day in 1953.
• On the occasion of 10th Defence Forces Veterans’ Day, annual magazines SAMMAAN, SAGAR SAMVAD and VAYU SAMVEDNA were also released.
• The Defence Minister paid special tribute to ex-servicemen who were included in the Indian Peacekeeping Force during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka nearly four decades ago.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the main celebrations at the Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantt.
• Around 2,500 veterans from Delhi and the National Capital Region took part in the celebrations.

Topic: International News

10. France recorded more deaths than births in 2025.

• This happened for the first time since the end of World War Two.
• This change marks a major demographic turning point for the country.
• It weakens France’s population advantage within the European Union.
• Official figures were released by the national statistics institute, INSEE, which reported around 651,000 deaths last year.
• During the same period, about 645,000 births were recorded. This resulted in a natural population decline.
• France has traditionally maintained stronger demographics than most European countries.
• However, it is now affected by population ageing.
• INSEE reported that the fertility rate fell further last year to 1.56 children per woman.
• This is the lowest level since World War One.
• In 2023, France had the second-highest fertility rate in the European Union. Bulgaria ranked first with a higher fertility level.