Daily Current Affairs and GK | 20 January 2026

Topic: Defence

1. INS Sagardhwani was flagged off for the fifth edition of the Sagar Maitri initiative on 17 January 2026.

• INS Sagardhwani was flagged off from Southern Naval Command, Kochi by Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Honourable Member of Parliament and Chairperson, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence. 
• INS Sagardhwani is an oceanographic research vessel under DRDO’s Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory.
• Sagar Maitri is a collaborative initiative of the Indian Navy and DRDO.
• It aligns with India’s Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR) vision for regional security and growth.
• It promotes cooperation in socio-economic domains among Indian Ocean nations and strengthens scientific engagement in ocean research.
• Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory has been conducting regular oceanographic missions under the Sagar Maitri programme.
• DRDO introduced a scientific component called MAITRI under the programme.
• MAITRI stands for Marine and Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative.
• INS Sagardhwani will follow historic sea routes sailed by INS Kistna during participation in the International Indian Ocean Expedition between 1962 and 1965.
• The Sagar Maitri programme involves collaboration with eight Indian Ocean Rim countries.
• These are Oman, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
• INS Sagardhwani:
  • INS Sagardhwani is a specialised vessel for marine acoustic research.
  • It was designed by Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers.
  • INS Sagardhwani was commissioned in July 1994.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

2. Ilaiyaraaja will be honored with the prestigious Padmapani Award of 11th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival.

• The award recognises unparalleled contribution of veteran music composer Ilaiyaraaja to Indian cinema.
• The award includes a Padmapani memento, a citation certificate, and 2 lakh rupees as cash prize.
• The previous recipients of the award are lyricist Javed Akhtar, veteran director-writer Sai Paranjpye, actor Om Puri and others.
• The 11th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival will be organised from 28 January to 1 February at Mahatma Gandhi Mission, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
• The festival is being held with the support of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, and the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra.
• It is being held with co-presentation by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation, Government of Maharashtra.
• The festival is organized by Marathwada Art, Culture and Film Foundation, Nath Group and MGM Yashwantrao Chavan Centre.
• Ilaiyaraaja is popular for his work in Indian cinema, chiefly in Tamil in addition to Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. He is nicknamed "Isaignani" (the musical sage).

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

3. An MoU signed between Government e-Marketplace and WTC Mumbai to strengthen MSME participation in public procurement.

• On 19 January, an MoU has been signed between Government e-Marketplace and World Trade Centre Mumbai to boost outreach and strengthen MSME participation in public procurement.
• The partnership has been aimed at promoting inclusive access for startups, women entrepreneurs and smaller enterprises on the GeM platform.
• Through this collaboration, capacity building, supplier outreach and knowledge sharing will be strengthened in areas such as artificial intelligence, sustainability and green procurement.
• The global presence of Government e-Marketplace is expected to be enhanced through the support of WTC Mumbai.
• Additional CEO and Chief Financial Officer of GeM, Satya Narayan Meena, stated that the collaboration is an important step towards making GeM a globally benchmarked digital procurement platform.
• It was highlighted that with over one crore registered users on the GeM portal, wider exposure and improved market access have become crucial.
• The initiative is being positioned as a step towards supporting the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• Ease of doing business is expected to be improved through transparent and efficient public procurement practices.
• The agreement will help MSMEs gain better visibility and access to government buyers across India and abroad.
• The partnership reflects a shared commitment to inclusive growth, innovation and sustainable public procurement.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. India’s First Open-Sea Marine Fish Farming Project launched at Andaman Sea to boost Blue Economy.

• On 18 January, India’s first-ever open-sea Marine Fish Farming project has been launched at North Bay in the Andaman Sea by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh.
• The launch has been described as a major step towards realising the Blue Economy vision through India’s vast ocean resources.
• The project has been implemented through collaboration between the Ministry of Earth Sciences, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and the UT Administration of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Open-sea cultivation of marine finfish and seaweed is being carried out under natural ocean conditions using scientific innovation.
• Seaweed seeds and finfish seeds were handed over to local fishing communities to promote livelihood generation.
• The initiative aims to unlock the economic potential of India’s oceans, which remained largely underexplored for decades after Independence.
• A shift in national thinking since 2014 has recognised the maritime domain as a key driver of economic growth.
• The project integrates renewable livelihoods with marine science and technology.
• Public–private participation models are expected to be explored for scaling up such initiatives in the future.
• The launch reflects the Government of India’s commitment to making coastal and island communities active partners in ocean-led development.

Topic: Defence

5. ADG MV Pathak assumed charge as Coast Guard Commander of the Western Seaboard.

• Additional Director General MV Pathak has assumed charge as the Coast Guard Commander of the Western Seaboard.
• ADG Pathak is an officer of the 1989 batch and joined the Indian Coast Guard in July 1989.
• All classes of Coast Guard ships have been commanded by him during his service career.
• Several key shore appointments have been held by him, including Chief of Staff at Coast Guard Headquarters Mumbai.
• He has served as Commander Coast Guard Kerala and Mahe and Principal Director Administration in New Delhi.
• Command responsibilities were also carried out by him in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Northeast India regions.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. RPF Inspector Chandana Sinha awarded Ati Vishisht Rail Sewa Puruskar for rescuing trafficked children.

• Indian Railways’ highest service honour, the Ati Vishisht Rail Sewa Puruskar, has been awarded to Railway Protection Force Inspector Chandana Sinha.
• The award has been conferred in recognition of her sustained efforts to rescue children from trafficking and exploitative labour across Uttar Pradesh’s rail network.
• More than 1,500 vulnerable children have been rescued under her leadership during the past three years.
• A systematic approach for identifying traffickers was developed by her through observation of body language, travel patterns and behavioural mismatches.
• An informal network of informers and partnerships with NGOs was built to strengthen rapid-response child rescue operations.
• In June 2024, Operation Nanhe Farishte, the Indian Railways’ child rescue initiative, was led by her unit.
• The rescue teams focused on known trafficking routes from Bihar to Punjab and Haryana.
• The award recognised not a single incident but a consistent and quiet method of humanitarian policing.

Topic: Indian Economy

7. India’s growth forecast for the current fiscal year has been increased by IMF to 7.3 per cent.

• India’s growth forecast has been revised by 0.7 percentage point.
• As per IMF's World Economic Outlook update, the upward revision shows strong momentum in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year.
• For the 2026–27 financial year, IMF's projection for growth is 6.4%.
• IMF added that India still remains a key driver of growth among emerging market and developing economies.
• IMF projected global growth to be steady at 3.3% in 2026.
• This is supported by easing trade tensions and accommodative financial conditions.
• Increased investment in technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is also supporting global growth.
• India’s inflation is expected to return close to target levels after falling sharply in 2025.
• The main factor behind the decline in inflation is lower food prices.
• The IMF cautioned that AI-driven productivity improvements could reduce future investment and could have spillover effects on emerging economies.

Topic: Banking/Finance

8. Public sector banks have sanctioned over 3.96 lakh MSME loan applications.

• The total value of these loans is more than ₹52,300 crore.
• The sanctions were made under a new Credit Assessment Model (CAM) based on digital credit underwriting between April 1 and December 31, 2025.
• The digital credit assessment model was launched by PSBs in 2025.
• It uses borrowers’ digital footprints to allow faster and more objective assessment of MSME loan proposals.
• The model is integrated with credit guarantee schemes.
• It includes linkage with the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises.
• Loan applications are routed through the Jan Samarth Portal. Applications are accepted within limits set by individual banks.
• The initiative allows MSME promoters to apply for loans 24×7. Loan decisions are communicated online.
• The overall borrowing experience for MSMEs has improved significantly.

Topic: National Appointments

9. Sandeep Bakhshi’s reappointment as MD & CEO till 2028 has been approved by the ICICI Bank board.

• The reappointment has been approved for a further two-year term, beginning October 4, 2026 and ending October 3, 2028.
• The reappointment is subject to approvals from the RBI and shareholders. Bakhshi has led the bank since 2018.
• He took over as MD & CEO in October 2018.
• As per ICICI Bank board, the reappointment is in line with the RBI’s Commercial Banks: Governance Directions, 2025.
• ICICI Bank is the country’s second-largest private sector lender. It is headquartered in Mumbai with a registered office in Vadodara.

Topic: International News

10. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has won a seventh term in office.

• He secured 71.65 per cent of the total votes. The official election results were released on 17 January 2026.
• The election was held amid a nationwide internet shutdown for several days.
• The musician-turned politician, best known as Bobi Wine, was Museveni’s main challenger.
• Wine received 24.72 per cent of the vote. His real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.
• He rejected the officially declared results and accused authorities of conducting an unfair electoral process.
• He alleged that his polling agents were abducted.
• Wine urged citizens to engage in peaceful protests.
• Electoral officials faced criticism during the voting process.
• Biometric voter identification machines failed on polling day, causing delays in the start of voting.
• Delays were especially reported in urban areas, which are considered opposition strongholds.
• Voter turnout was recorded at 52 per cent. This was the lowest turnout since its return in 2006 to multi-party politics.
• Veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye remains in prison, facing treason charges.
• Uganda has not seen a peaceful transfer of presidential power since independence from British rule.