DAILY GK 16-18 JAN 2026
1. KHELO INDIA BEACH GAMES 2026
·
Karnataka emerged as the overall
champions of the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) 2026,
the second edition of India’s national
multi-sport beach competition, held at Ghoghla Beach in Diu, Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman
& Diu.
·
KIBG 2026 Featured six medal
events, including Beach Volleyball, Beach Soccer, Sepak Takraw, Beach
Kabaddi, Pencak Silat, and Open Water Swimming, alongside demonstration events
such as Mallakhamb and Tug-of-War.
·
Mascot- ‘Pearl’, a cheerful and energetic dolphin.
·
Karnataka emerged as the overall
champions of the KIBG 2026, securing a total of 11 medals, including 3 gold, 2 silver, and 6 bronze.
·
Tamil Nadu (TN) finished in
second place with 8 medals (3 gold,
2 silver, and 3 bronze).
·
Manipur claimed
the third spot with 7 medals (3
gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze).
·
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) Union Minister – Mansukh Mandaviya (Constituency-Porbandar,
Gujarat).
·
Minister of State (MoS) –
Raksha Khadse (Constituency- Raver, Maharashtra).
2.
INDIA’S
92ND CHESS GRAND MASTER
·
21-year
old Aaryan Varshney from Delhi, became the 92nd Indian
to earn Chess Grand Master (GM) title after winning
the 16th Andranik Margaryan
Memorial title held in Armenia.
·
The
GM title is awarded by Federation Internationale des Eches/International Chess
Federation (FIDE).
·
GM
is the highest and most prestigious title in chess that requires a minimum FIDE rating of 2500 and three GM norms.
·
FIDE
Headquarters- Lausanne,
Switzerland.
·
Established- 1924.
3.
INDIAN ARMY CONDUCTS MCF EXERCISE ‘SANJHA SHAKTI’
·
The
Indian Army (IA) conducted the first-ever two-day
joint Military–Civil Fusion (MCF) exercise ‘Sanjha Shakti’ at
the Diggi Range, Khadki Military Station, in Pune (Maharashtra).
·
IA
and 16 key civilian agencies, including Maharashtra Police, Force One, and fire
and emergency services, participated with over 350 civilian personnel.
4.
INDIA’S 1ST SOLAR-POWERED ATM VAN
·
Tripura Gramin Bank (TGB) achieved
a national milestone by becoming the 1st
Regional Rural Bank (RRB) in India to introduce India’s 1st
fully solar-powered mobile Automatic Teller Machine (ATM)
van, ‘TGB on Wheels’.
·
TGB
launched this project with the support of the National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development (NABARD).
·
As
of now, TGB operates 3 solar-powered ATM vans in Tripura.
·
Due
to this innovative initiative, TGB was honoured with SKOCH
Silver Award, one of India’s most respected awards for excellence
in governance and innovation.
5.
PFRDA COMMITTEE FOR ASSURED PAYOUTS UNDER NPS
·
The Pension Fund Regulatory and
Development Authority
(PFRDA), a statutory
body under the Ministry of Finance (MoF),
constituted a 15-member high-level expert committee, chaired
by M. S. Sahoo, former Chairperson of the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), to formulate
a regulatory framework for assured payouts under the National Pension
System (NPS).
·
This step is aimed at strengthening the security of retirement income for NPS subscribers.
·
PFRDA was established by the Government
of India (GoI) in 2003, and later accorded statutory status under the PFRDA
Act, 2013. Operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance (MoF), it aims to develop and regulate the
National Pension System (NPS) and the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) to ensure
old-age income security for Indian citizens.
·
Chairperson – Sivasubramanian Ramann.
·
Headquarters – New Delhi.
6.
WORLD BANK PROJECTS INDIA’S GDP GROWTH RATE AT 7.2%
·
World Bank Group (WBG) released its flagship report titled ‘Global
Economic Prospects (GEP): January 2026 report’.
·
The
report has projected India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth
rate at 7.2% for Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26), revised upward
from 6.3% forecast in June 2025.
·
As
per the report, India’s GDP growth rate
is further projected to moderate to 6.5% in FY27 compared
to its previous estimate of 7.2%,
·
However, India’s GDP is expected to edge up to 6.6% in
FY28, aided by robust services activity, as well as a recovery in
exports and a pickup in investment.
·
The
report highlighted that India’s
inflation is expected to converge to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s
inflation target i.e. at 4%.
·
The
report projected that the global growth
rate will slow down marginally by 10 basis points (bps) i.e. from 2.7% in
Calendar Year 2025 (CY25) to 2.6% (in CY26).
·
The
growth rate of the South Asia region
is projected to increase to 7.1% in CY25, supported by
robust economic activity in India that mitigates the impact of rising trade
tensions and heightened policy uncertainty.
·
However, it is expected to ease to
6.2% in CY26, indicating the impact of higher US tariffs on
India’s export.
·
The World Bank excludes Pakistan and Afghanistan from its South Asia region,
categorizing their economies under the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
division.
·
World Bank (WB): President- Ajay Banga.
·
Headquarters- Washington, DC.
·
Established- 1944.
7.
RBI
ISSUES ‘RESERVE BANK – INTEGRATED OMBUDSMAN SCHEME (RB-IOS), 2026’
·
The
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the Reserve Bank –
Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS) 2026, a revised grievance‑redress
framework designed to simplifying
complaint resolution for customers against banks and other finance institutions.
·
The
RB‑IOS 2026 supersedes the earlier Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme,
2021 (RB‑IOS 2021) and will come into effect from July 1,
2026.
·
A
single integrated scheme replacing
multiple legacy schemes, embodying a “One
Nation, One Ombudsman” approach.
·
There is no limit on the amount in a dispute that can be brought
before the RBI Ombudsman for which the RBI Ombudsman/ RBI Deputy Ombudsman can
facilitate a settlement or pass an Award.
·
For
any consequential loss suffered by the Complainant, the RBI Ombudsman shall
have the power to provide a compensation
up to Rs 30 lakh (previously Rs 20 lakh).
·
In
addition, the RBI Ombudsman shall also
have the power to provide a compensation up to Rs 3 lakh (previously
Rs 1 lakh) for the loss of the
Complainant’s time, expenses incurred, harassment/mental anguish suffered,
etc.
·
The
RBI will establish the Centralised
Receipt and Processing Centre (CRPC) at one or more places, to
receive the complaints filed under the scheme and process them.
·
The
RBI can appoint one or more of its
officers as RBI Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, to carry out the functions
entrusted to them under the Scheme.
·
The
appointment of RBI Ombudsman or Deputy Ombudsman, as the case may be, will be
made generally for a period of three years at a time.
8.
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK 2026 – JANUARY 11-17
·
National Road Safety Week is observed annually across India
from January 11-17 to raise awareness about road
safety by emphasizing responsible driving, pedestrian protection, and the
importance of improved road infrastructure.
·
The first National Road Safety Week was introduced by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
(MoRTH) in 1989.
·
National Road Safety Month (NRSM) 2026 introduced by MoRTH, was first
observed in 2021.
·
In
2026, NRSM is being observed from January 1 to 31, 2026 with
the theme “Sadak Suraksha
Jeevan Raksha(Road Safety, Life Safety)”.
9.
NATIONAL YOUTH DAY 2026 – JANUARY 12
·
National Youth Day, also known as Rashtriya Yuva Divas and Vivekananda Jayanti,
is observed across India on 12th January to
commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
·
In
1984, the Government of India (GoI) declared 12 January, the birth anniversary
of Swami Vivekananda, as National Youth Day.
·
National
Youth Day was first celebrated across India on 12 January 1985.
·
The
Department of Youth Affairs (DYA)
organised the 2nd edition of the Viksit
Bharat Young Leaders’ Dialogue (VBYLD 2026).
·
The
dialogue focused on ten national
priority themes such as Fit Bharat, Start-up India, Youth in Democracy,
Women-Led Development, Cultural Diplomacy, Innovation with Tradition,
Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Sustainable Agriculture, Green Viksit Bharat, and a
Future-Ready Workforce.
10.
ARMED FORCES VETERANS’ DAY 2026 – JANUARY 14
·
Armed Forces Veterans’ Day is observed annually across
India on 14 January to honour the courage, dedication,
and sacrifices of veterans of the Indian Army(IA), Indian Navy(IN), and Indian
Air Force(IAF) who have served the nation with distinction.
·
January 14, 2026, marks the observance of
the 10th Armed Forces Veterans’ Day.
·
January 14 was chosen to mark the
retirement of Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, the
first Indian Commander‑in‑Chief of the Army, on 14 January 1953.
11. NATIONAL STARTUP
DAY 2026 – JANUARY 16
·
National
Startup Day is
observed every year across India on January 16 to celebrate
the country’s progress in building a robust, dynamic, and inclusive
entrepreneurial ecosystem.
·
Startup
India, a
transformative initiative led by the Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I) was
launched in 2016.
·
In
2022, the Government of India (GoI) declared January 16 as National Startup Day to celebrate the nation’s stride
in promoting a robust and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.
