Daily Current Affairs and GK | 9 January 2026

Topic: Corporates/Companies

1. Financial Software and Systems has secured ISO IEC 42001 Certification Lead status.

• It has the first payments company in India, the Middle East, APAC and South Africa to do so.
• The certification highlights FSS’s leadership in responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence.
• By securing ISO IEC 42001 Certification, FSS marks a shift from ad-hoc use of AI to a structured, enterprise-wide AI governance model.
• Artificial intelligence is deeply embedded across FSS platforms.
• The ISO IEC 42001 standard ensures oversight across the AI lifecycle.
• The standard is highly relevant for financial services. Only a limited number of organisations meet its requirements.
• ISO IEC 42001 defines ownership of AI systems and establishes clear governance structures.
• FSS’s AI governance framework was independently assessed by TUV SUD.
• TUV SUD is a globally recognised certification body.
• The Certification Lead status indicates higher organisational maturity.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

2. A landmark MoU signed between the Department of Posts and the Ministry of Rural Development to strengthen rural financial inclusion.

• On 7 January, an MoU has been signed between the Department of Posts (DoP) and the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to strengthen rural financial inclusion, livelihood promotion and logistics enablement.
• The MoU was signed to accelerate rural transformation and expand financial, digital and logistics services for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and rural households across the country.
• The collaboration aligns with the government’s vision of “Dak Sewa, Jan Sewa”, positioning India Post as a key driver of the rural economy.
• The initiative reflects the priorities of the Union Budget 2025–26, which emphasises leveraging India Post’s reach to promote financial inclusion and digital empowerment.
• The Department of Posts, with its vast network of over 1.5 lakh rural post offices, India Post Payments Bank, and approximately 2.4 lakh Gramin Dak Sevaks, will play a crucial role in ensuring last-mile delivery of financial and digital services.
• Under the MoU, IPPB will provide doorstep banking services, including savings, payments and remittances through a digitally enabled platform.
• Electronic tablets and PoS machines will be provided to SHG members to promote cashless transactions, digital record-keeping and formal financial participation.
• Market access for SHG products will be enhanced through Dak Ghar Niryat Kendras, enabling domestic and international marketing and export opportunities.

Topic: National News

3. The New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 is scheduled to start on January 10.

• The 53rd edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 is scheduled to be held from January 10 to January 18 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• The nine-day book fair is being organised to bring together publishers, authors, readers and cultural representatives from India and abroad.
• Participation of over 1,000 publishers from more than 35 countries is expected at the international event.
• For the first time, free entry has been announced for visitors to the New Delhi World Book Fair.
• Qatar has been designated as the Guest of Honour country, while Spain has been named the Focus Country for the 2026 edition.
• A dedicated Children’s Pavilion will be set up to promote reading habits among young readers.
• The book fair will pay tribute to the Indian Armed Forces through the theme “Indian Military History: Valour and Wisdom @ 75”.
• The theme will be showcased through a specially curated Theme Pavilion spread over 1,000 square metres.
• An exhibition of over 500 books on Indian military history, defence and strategy will be featured at the pavilion.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meeting

4. The conference of Chief Electoral Officers held by the Election Commission in New Delhi.

• On 8 January, a conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) was held by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi.
• The meeting was organised in preparation for the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026.
• The upcoming IICDEM 2026 is scheduled to be held from January 21 to January 23 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• The conference was addressed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi.
• The participants were briefed on the structure, objectives and operational roles related to IICDEM 2026.
• Discussions were held on 36 thematic groups, which will be led by CEOs during the global conference.
• The themes cover all aspects of election management and aim to develop a comprehensive knowledge base.
• IICDEM 2026 will be the largest global conference hosted by India in the field of democracy and election management.
• Nearly 100 international delegates representing Election Management Bodies from across the world will attend the event.
• Academic participation will include 4 IITs, 6 IIMs, 12 NLUs and IIMC, along with national and international experts.

Topic: Agriculture and Allied Sector

5. Livestock Sector reported to be strengthening India’s Agricultural Economy.

• The livestock sector has been reported to be strengthening India’s agricultural economy, according to government data.
• The sector has recorded a compound annual growth rate of 12.77% since 2014–15.
• The contribution of livestock to the Gross Value Added (GVA) of the total agriculture and allied sectors has increased from 24.38% in 2014-15 to 30.87% in 2023-24 (at current prices).
• The livestock sector accounted for 5.49% of total Gross Value Added in 2023–24 at current prices.
• India continues to rank first in global milk production, contributing 25% of world output.
• Milk production increased from 146.31 million tonnes to 247.87 million tonnes between 2014–15 and 2024–25.
• Per capita milk availability in India stood at 485 grams per day, higher than the global average of 328 grams.
• As per Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) production data for 2023, India ranks second in egg production and fourth in meat production globally.
• Egg production in the country increased from 78.48 billion in 2014-15 to 149.11 billion in 2024-25, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.63% over the past 11 years.
• The per capita availability of eggs is 106 per year in 2024-25, compared to 62 eggs in 2014-15.
• Meat production increased from 6.69 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 10.50 million tonnes in 2024-25, registering a CAGR of 4.61% over the past 11 years.

Topic: State News/Gujarat

6. Rs 1,078 crore approved by the Centre for Gujarat Road Projects under CRIF.

• An amount of Rs 1,078.13 crore has been approved by the Centre for Gujarat under the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF).
• The approval was granted following a high-level review meeting held in Gandhinagar on November 25, 2025.
• The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
• The funding will support 41 road development projects covering a total length of 564.57 kilometres.
• The projects include widening, strengthening, resurfacing and construction of road structures.
• An allocation of Rs 636 crore has been earmarked for 11 widening works on state highways across multiple districts.
• Rs 408.33 crore will be used for 23 strengthening and resurfacing works across 12 districts.
• An additional Rs 33.80 crore has been sanctioned for seven structural works in Tapi, Surat and Dang.
• The investment aligns with the Centre’s focus on infrastructure development under the PM Gati Shakti initiative.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

7. A new integrated digital portal has been launched by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi

• The portal is named PANKHUDI. It has been launched to improve the overall quality of life of women and children in India.
• The aim of PANKHUDI portal is to strengthen coordination among stakeholders involved in the women and child development sector.
• It encourages structured participation from various partners and contributors.
• It focuses on nutrition and healthcare, as well as on early childhood care and education.
• The central theme of the portal is child welfare and key priorities are women’s safety and empowerment.
• The portal will improve ease of living for women and children.
• The portal brings together individuals, Non-Resident Indians, and non-governmental organisations.
• It also brings together institutions to support women and children through Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
• All contributions on the portal are accepted only through non-cash modes.

Topic: National News

8. UIDAI has launched a new mascot, named Udai for Aadhaar.

• As per Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Udai will help in making Aadhaar-related information more relatable and people-friendly.
• It is expected to simplify communication of Aadhaar services.
• These services include updates, authentication, and offline verification.
• Last year, a nationwide Mascot Design Contest was launched by UIDAI on MyGov platform.
• It invited people to design an official mascot for Aadhaar.
• In the mascot design category, Arun Gokul from Thrissur, Kerala emerged as first prize winner.
• Riya Jain from Bhopal won the first prize in the naming category.
• UIDAI Chairman Neelkanth Mishra unveiled the mascot.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. The second edition of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026 will be held in New Delhi.

• The venue for the programme is Bharat Mandapam. It will continue until 12th January.
• Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced this.
• National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will attend the inaugural event.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present at the concluding ceremony on 12th January.
• More than 2,500 young people will take part in the dialogue. They will come from across India and from other countries.
• ISRO astronaut Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prasanth Nair will interact with the youth.
• Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur will join a fireside interaction.
• Other well-known experts, who will take part in the dialogue, include Pullela Gopichand, Leander Paes, Palki Sharma and Kaivalya Vohra.
• Young Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies will also attend the event.

Topic: National News

10. Notification for the first phase of the Census of India 2027 has been issued by the Home Ministry.

• In the first phase, house listing operations will be carried out between 1st April and 30 September 2025 across all States and Union Territories.
• Each State and Union Territory will conduct the exercise for a fixed 30-day period.
• Provision for self-enumeration has been included in the process. Self-enumeration will be available for 15 days.
• It will be offered before the start of door-to-door house listing.
• This will be the first Census by digital means in the country.
• Mobile applications will be available for both Android and iOS versions for data collection.
• The census will be conducted in two phases.
• The first phase will be the Houselisting and Housing Census from April to September 2026.
• The second phase will be population enumeration, scheduled for February 2027.
• In September 2025, the population enumeration will be carried out for Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• The Union Cabinet approved the Census of India 2027 scheme last month. The cost of the census is ₹11,718.24 crore.
• The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs had earlier decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census.