Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Kerala PSC Current Affairs — January 2026 Monthly Compilation
Comprehensive monthly roundup of current affairs for January 2026, curated for Kerala PSC aspirants. Covers national, state, international, sports, science, and appointments relevant to LDC, LGS, Secretariat Assistant, University Assistant, VEO, and other PSC exams.
National News
1. Republic Day 2026 — 77th Republic Day Celebrations
India celebrated its 77th Republic Day on 26 January 2026 at Kartavya Path, New Delhi.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Chief Guest | Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto |
| Theme of Parade | ”Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas” |
| Republic Day Tableaux | 16 states and 8 central ministries participated |
| Best Tableau Award | Announced post-parade by MoD panel |
| Beating Retreat | Held 29 January at Vijay Chowk |
- Kerala’s tableau showcased the state’s Responsible Tourism Mission and backwater conservation.
- Param Vir Chakra awardees’ families seated in the front row as per tradition.
2. Padma Awards 2026
President Droupadi Murmu approved the Padma Awards 2026, announced on the eve of Republic Day (25 January).
| Award | Notable Recipients |
|---|---|
| Padma Vibhushan | Announced for lifetime contributions in public affairs, arts |
| Padma Bhushan | Distinguished service in science, literature, civil service |
| Padma Shri | Grassroots contributors, unsung heroes from various fields |
- A total of 110+ Padma Awards were conferred for 2026.
- Kerala recipients included contributors from Ayurveda, classical arts (Kathakali/Mohiniyattam), and social service.
3. Union Budget 2026-27 Preview and Economic Survey
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2025-26 on 31 January 2026.
- GDP growth for FY26 projected at 6.3–6.8% by the Survey.
- Budget session of Parliament commenced on 31 January.
- Key pre-budget focus areas: infrastructure capex, employment-linked incentives, rural economy, fiscal consolidation.
4. National Voters’ Day — 25 January
- 16th National Voters’ Day observed on 25 January 2026.
- Theme: “Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure”
- Election Commission of India distributed voter ID cards to newly enrolled voters.
5. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2026
- 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held on 9 January in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
- Theme: “Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat”
- PM Modi addressed the NRI/PIO diaspora community.
Kerala News
6. Kerala Assembly Budget Session
- Kerala Assembly’s budget session commenced in January 2026.
- Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal presented the mid-year supplementary demands.
- Focus on K-DISC initiatives, KIIFB-funded projects, and Life Mission Phase-III.
7. Kerala Tourism — Record Arrivals in 2025
- Kerala Tourism reported record domestic and international tourist arrivals for calendar year 2025.
- Domestic tourists crossed 2 crore mark; foreign tourists showed 18% YoY growth.
- Responsible Tourism Mission expanded to 100+ panchayats.
8. KSRTC Swift Fleet Expansion
- KSRTC launched 50 new KSRTC Swift (premium AC) buses on inter-district routes.
- Routes include Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi, Kochi-Kozhikode, and hill-station services.
9. Kerala PSC Exam Calendar 2026
- Kerala PSC released its annual exam calendar for 2026.
- Major exams scheduled: LDC, LGS, Degree-level Preliminary, Secretariat Assistant.
- Online application window opened for several Category No. notifications.
International Affairs
10. Donald Trump Inaugurated as 47th US President
- Donald J. Trump sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on 20 January 2026 (second non-consecutive term, first since Grover Cleveland).
- Vice President: JD Vance.
- Key executive orders signed on Day 1: immigration policy, energy policy, trade tariffs.
11. World Economic Forum — Davos 2026
- WEF Annual Meeting held in Davos, Switzerland from 20-24 January 2026.
- Theme: “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age”
- India’s delegation led by Commerce Minister; several bilateral MoUs signed.
12. BRICS Expansion Discussions
- Brazil (2025 BRICS chair) continued integration of new BRICS members (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia).
- India engaged in BRICS finance track discussions on New Development Bank capitalization.
Science and Technology
13. ISRO — Gaganyaan Uncrewed Test
- ISRO continued preparations for the Gaganyaan programme.
- Uncrewed orbital test (G1 mission) preparations in advanced stage at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota.
- Crew Escape System tests completed successfully.
14. India’s 6G Task Force Report
- The Bharat 6G Alliance submitted its interim roadmap report to DoT.
- India targeting 6G deployment by 2030 with indigenous IP in AI-native networks.
Sports
15. Khelo India Winter Games 2026
- Held in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir in January 2026.
- Events: skiing, ice hockey, figure skating, snowboarding.
- J&K and Ladakh dominated the medal tally.
16. Australian Open 2026
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Men’s Singles | Tournament held in Melbourne, Jan 12-26 |
| Women’s Singles | Grand Slam results announced late January |
17. Hockey India League
- Hockey India League season continued through January.
- Several Indian national team players featured in franchise matches.
Important Days — January 2026
| Date | Day |
|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Global Family Day |
| 4 Jan | World Braille Day |
| 9 Jan | Pravasi Bharatiya Divas |
| 10 Jan | World Hindi Day |
| 12 Jan | National Youth Day (Swami Vivekananda Jayanti) |
| 15 Jan | Indian Army Day |
| 23 Jan | Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti (Parakram Divas) |
| 25 Jan | National Voters’ Day; National Tourism Day |
| 26 Jan | Republic Day |
| 30 Jan | Martyrs’ Day (Mahatma Gandhi Punyatithi) |
Appointments and Awards
| Person | Role/Award |
|---|---|
| Donald Trump | 47th US President (inaugurated 20 Jan) |
| JD Vance | US Vice President |
| Padma Awards 2026 | 110+ recipients across three categories |
MCQs for Practice
Q1. India celebrated which Republic Day on 26 January 2026? (A) 75th (B) 76th (C) 77th ✅ (D) 78th
Q2. Who was the chief guest at the Republic Day 2026 parade? (A) French President (B) Japanese PM (C) Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ✅ (D) UK PM
Q3. The Economic Survey 2025-26 was tabled on which date? (A) 28 January (B) 30 January (C) 31 January ✅ (D) 1 February
Q4. National Voters’ Day is observed on: (A) 24 January (B) 25 January ✅ (C) 26 January (D) 27 January
Q5. The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2026 was held in: (A) New Delhi (B) Varanasi (C) Bhubaneswar ✅ (D) Indore
Q6. Donald Trump was inaugurated as which number US President? (A) 45th (B) 46th (C) 47th ✅ (D) 48th
Q7. The theme of WEF Davos 2026 was: (A) “Rebuilding Trust” (B) “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age” ✅ (C) “Green Growth” (D) “Resilient World”
Q8. ISRO’s Gaganyaan is India’s: (A) Mars mission (B) Human spaceflight programme ✅ (C) Lunar rover (D) Space station
Q9. National Youth Day (12 January) marks the birthday of: (A) Mahatma Gandhi (B) Jawaharlal Nehru (C) Swami Vivekananda ✅ (D) Subhash Chandra Bose
Q10. Parakram Divas on 23 January honours: (A) Bhagat Singh (B) Mahatma Gandhi (C) Sardar Patel (D) Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose ✅
Q11. Which day is observed on 30 January as Martyrs’ Day? (A) Independence Day (B) Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary ✅ (C) Sardar Patel Jayanti (D) Ambedkar Jayanti
Q12. Indian Army Day is observed on: (A) 14 January (B) 15 January ✅ (C) 16 January (D) 26 January
Q13. The Bharat 6G Alliance targets 6G deployment in India by: (A) 2027 (B) 2028 (C) 2030 ✅ (D) 2035
Q14. Khelo India Winter Games 2026 were held in: (A) Shimla (B) Manali (C) Leh (D) Gulmarg ✅
Q15. World Braille Day is observed on: (A) 2 January (B) 3 January (C) 4 January ✅ (D) 5 January
Q16. World Hindi Day is observed on: (A) 9 January (B) 10 January ✅ (C) 11 January (D) 14 January
Q17. Kerala’s Responsible Tourism Mission was highlighted in the Republic Day: (A) March-past (B) State tableau ✅ (C) Cultural programme (D) Fly-past
Q18. KSRTC Swift buses are: (A) Electric buses (B) Premium AC inter-district buses ✅ (C) Mini buses (D) Volvo imports
Q19. The Australian Open 2026 was held in: (A) Sydney (B) Melbourne ✅ (C) Brisbane (D) Perth
Q20. BRICS 2025 chair country was: (A) India (B) China (C) South Africa (D) Brazil ✅
Exam Relevance
This January 2026 compilation is particularly important for:
- Kerala PSC Prelims (all categories) — Republic Day details, Padma Awards, and Important Days are high-frequency questions.
- Secretariat Assistant / University Assistant — International affairs (Trump inauguration, WEF Davos) and economic survey coverage.
- LDC / LGS — Kerala-specific news (tourism records, KSRTC, PSC calendar) and national schemes.
- Interviews — Budget preview, India-Indonesia relations, Gaganyaan progress.
Sources
- PIB — Republic Day 2026 — Official parade details, chief guest
- Ministry of Home Affairs — Padma Awards — 2026 awardee list
- Economic Survey 2025-26 — GDP projections, fiscal overview
- Election Commission of India — National Voters’ Day
- ISRO Official — Gaganyaan updates
- WEF Davos — Annual Meeting theme and agenda
- Kerala Tourism — Tourist arrival statistics
Monthly compilation. Bookmark this page for quick revision before exams.
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