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).