Daily Current Affairs and GK | 3 January 2026

Topic: National Appointments

1. Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor has taken over as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force on January 1, 2026.

• He succeeds Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari.
• Air Marshal Kapoor was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1986.
• He played a key role in introducing the PC-7 Mk II aircraft into the Air Force.
• He has served as Defence Attaché to Pakistan on a diplomatic assignment.
• He has served as Air Defence Commander at South Western Air Command.
• He has served as Senior Air Staff Officer at Central Air Command.
• He has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal.
• Air Marshal Seethepalli Shrinivas has assumed charge as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Training Command of the Indian Air Force on January 1.
• He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in June 1987.
• He is a Category ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor with over 4,200 hours of flying experience.
• He is qualified as a second pilot on Chetak and Cheetah helicopters.
• He is trained as an Operations Officer on the Pechora missile system.
• He was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.

Topic: Art and Culture

2. PM Modi inaugurated an international exhibition of the sacred Piprahwa relics of Gautama Buddha on January 3.

• The grand international exposition was held at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi.
• The exposition is titled “The Light & the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One.”
• It brought together repatriated Piprahwa relics with authenticated relics and archaeological items from the National Museum, New Delhi, and the Indian Museum, Kolkata.
• The Piprahwa relics were discovered in 1898. They are among the earliest relics linked directly to Gautama Buddha.
• They are considered historically significant. Archaeological evidence connects the Piprahwa site with ancient Kapilavastu.
• Kapilavastu is believed to be where Buddha spent his early life before renunciation.
• The exhibition highlights India’s long-standing connection to Buddhism.
• The repatriation of the relics was achieved through government initiatives, institutional collaboration, and public-private partnerships.
• The exhibition is organized into multiple thematic sections.
• One section features a reconstructed model inspired by the Sanchi stupa.
• Other sections explore Piprahwa’s history, Buddha’s life, Buddhist teachings, expansion of Buddhist art, and the repatriation of cultural artifacts.
• Piprahwa is a village in Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

Topic: State News/Assam

3. Assam became the first state to constitute 8th Pay Commission for state employees.

• The 8th State Pay Commission has been constituted by Assam, making it the first Indian state to take this step.
• The commission was formed ahead of the expiry of the 7th Pay Commission on January 1, 2026.
• Former Chief Secretary Subhas Das has been appointed as the head of the newly constituted panel.
• The decision was announced by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma amid rising expectations among employees and pensioners.
• No other state had constituted its 8th Pay Commission despite the Union Government planning a similar move.
• The 8th Pay Commission will revise salaries and pensions for government employees after the 7th Pay Commission ends.
• Economists have noted that the implementation of revised pay structures usually takes time even after a commission is formed.
• Experts suggest that implementation could take place in FY2027-28 or FY2028-29.
• Typically, a pay commission is given around 18 months to submit its recommendations.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. The Centre approved 22 new projects under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme.

• Twenty-two new proposals were approved by the Centre under the third tranche of the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme with a projected investment of ₹41,863 crore.
• The approvals were granted for manufacturing across eleven target segments including mobile manufacturing, telecom, consumer electronics, strategic electronics, automotive, and IT hardware.
• Production worth about ₹2.58 lakh crore is expected to be generated through these approved projects.
• Around 34,000 direct jobs are likely to be created as a result of the implementation of these projects.
• The Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme was launched to make India Atmanirbhar in the electronics supply chain.
• Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that major reforms and faster execution define the current government’s approach.
• Manufacturers were encouraged to establish design teams and contribute to a common design ecosystem for electronics components.
• The industry was advised to focus on local sourcing and maintain high quality standards to ensure global competitiveness.
• The Minister described 2026 as a landmark year and announced that four semiconductor units are set to begin commercial production during the year.
• The electronics industry is one of the most traded and fastest-growing industries globally and is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the global economy and driving the economic and technological development of a country.
• The projects approved today are spread across eight states: Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Topic: Indian Economy

5. India's nominal GDP growth is expected to increase to 11% in FY27.

• India’s nominal GDP growth is projected to rise to about 11% in FY27, while real GDP growth is expected at 7.2%.
• This improvement is likely to be driven by domestic credit-led consumption and continued policy support, according to an SBI Mutual Fund report.
• The growth outlook over the medium term has been described as constructive, driven by structural reforms and premiumisation trends.
• Global economic slowdown and geopolitical tensions have been identified as key risks to the growth outlook.
• In FY26, real GDP growth averaged around 8% year-on-year in the first half, while nominal growth remained at 8.8%.
• Inflation is expected to mean-revert to around 4% in FY27.
• The Reserve Bank of India is likely to maintain a prolonged policy pause unless global growth conditions worsen significantly.
• Recent liquidity measures include a ₹2 trillion Open Market Operations round and a $10 billion buy-sell swap conducted in mid-January.
• The fiscal deficit is projected to decrease from an estimated 4.4% of GDP in FY26 to 4.2% in FY27, although deficits remain elevated at the state level.
• Government bond supply is expected to increase to approximately ₹29 trillion, keeping the demand-supply balance tight.

Topic: State News/Assam

6. A financial assistance scheme for Udasin Bhakats launched in Assam.

• On 2 January 2026, a Financial Assistance Scheme for Udasin Bhakats was launched by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati.
• Monthly financial support of ₹1,500 will be provided to celibate Vaishnavite monks associated with Satras across the state.
• The scheme had been announced in the previous year’s state budget and has now been implemented.
• The assistance amount will be credited directly to the bank accounts of the Udasin Bhakats every month.
• A total of 620 Udasin Bhakats have been identified as beneficiaries under the scheme.
• These include 10 from Barpeta, eight from Dhubri, eight from Goalpara, six from Golaghat, 54 from Jorhat, 14 from Kamrup, 22 from Lakhimpur, 474 from Majuli, seven from Nagaon, six from Nalbari, five from Sivasagar, three from Sonitpur and three from Udalguri.
• Satras serve as important religious and cultural centres in the Assamese Vaishnavite tradition.
• Udasin Satras are those where bhakats lead celibate lives in devotion.
• The Chief Minister highlighted the cultural and spiritual role of Satras in preserving Assam’s heritage.
• Majuli, the world’s largest river island, remains the core centre of Assamese Neo-Vaishnavism and the land of Satras.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

7. Two key interventions have been launched by the government under the initial roll-out of the Export Promotion Mission.

• This has been done to strengthen MSME exports and improve access to trade finance.
• First intervention is about interest subvention for pre and post shipment export credit.
• This intervention is aimed at reducing the cost of export credit and easing working-capital constraints that are faced by MSME exporters.
• The second intervention is collateral support for export credit.
• This is aimed at addressing collateral constraints faced by MSME exporters and improving access to bank finance.
• Government will implement two interventions on a pilot basis.
• Export Promotion Mission is a flagship initiative approved by the Union Cabinet in November 2025.
• The mission was approved with a total outlay of over 25 thousand crore rupees for the period from 2025-26 to 2030-31.
• The Mission aims to enhance India’s overall export competitiveness.
• It places strong emphasis on MSMEs and first-time exporters and labour-intensive sectors.

Topic: Important Days

8. The Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, celebrated the 9th Siddha Day on 3 January 2026 at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai.

• Ministry of Ayush held celebrations in association with National Institute of Siddha (NIS) and the Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS) along with the Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy, Government of Tamil Nadu.
• The celebrations were themed “Siddha for Global Health”.
• The celebrations commemorated the birth anniversary of Sage Agathiyar. 
• Sage Agathiyar is considered the father of Siddha medicine
• Siddha Day is annually observed on 6 January to mark the birth anniversary of Sage Agathiyar.
• 9th Siddha Day celebrations will be presided over and inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan.
• The celebration brings together Siddha practitioners, scientists, academicians, scholars, and students from across Tamil Nadu and other States.

Topic: Sports

9. The 11th India International Youth Sailing Championship 2026 will be held at Chennai Port.

• The event will take place from 4 January to 10 January.
• The championship was officially launched in Chennai on 1 January.
• It is India’s longest-running international youth sailing regatta.
• A total of 117 young sailors has registered for the competition.
• The participants will come from 13 different countries.
• The championship will include five elite youth sailing classes.
• The championship is an Intellectual Property of the Tamil Nadu Sailing Association (TNSA).

Topic: Personality in News

10. Birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule: 3 January

• Savitribai Phule was a poet and social reformer.
• She is widely recognised as the first female teacher of modern India.
• She was married to social activist Jyotirao Phule at the age of 10.
• She was born on 3 January 1831 in Satara. She died on 10 March 1897 in Pune.
• She played a crucial role in promoting women’s rights and education in Maharashtra.
• She established the country’s first girls’ school at the residence of Tatyasaheb Bhide.
• She worked to abolish discrimination against people based on caste and gender.
• She co-founded the Satyashodhak Samaj in 1873 and led its women's wing.