DAILY GK 30 -31 JAN 2026
1.
UNEP’S REPORT
STATE OF FINANCES FOR NATURE 2026
·
The United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the 4th edition of the report titled ‘State of Finances for Nature: Nature in the Red –
Powering the Trillion Dollar Nature Transition Economy’, based on global financial data from 2023, which highlights that for every USD 1 invested in protecting nature,
roughly USD 30 is spent on activities that harm it.
·
The report
shows that in 2023, global spending on
activities harmful to nature totaled around USD 7.3 trillion.
·
Out of this
amount, USD 4.9 Tn was contributed by the private sector, primarily concentrated in sectors such as
energy, utilities, industrial manufacturing and basic materials.
·
In 2024, this
rose further to USD 5.5 Tn, increasing by 12%.
·
The resulting ratio of more than 30:1
in favour of nature-negative activities,
the report warns, is fuelling the ‘triple planetary crisis’ of climate
change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
·
Public and private finance for NbS reached USD
220 billion (Bn) in 2023, a 5 % increase from 2022.
·
Public Finance of USD 197 Bn was
the main source of NbS investment
and private finance of USD 23.4 Bn remained comparatively limited.
·
Regionally, Asia
led government spending on NbS in 2023, with investments totaling
USD 93 billion.
·
North America recorded the largest Year-on-Year (YoY) increase in NbS
spending, at more than 19%.
2.
6TH KHELO
INDIA WINTER GAMES 2026
·
The sixth edition
of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG)
2026 was inauguratedin Leh, Union Territory (UT) Ladakh.
·
Haryana emerged on
top with 5 Gold, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze
medals, followed by Ladakh with 2 Gold, 5 Silver, and 4
Bronze, while Maharashtra secured third place with 2 Gold, 3 Silver, and 2 Bronze medals.
·
Structure: Two-leg
format - Phase 1 (ice sports) in
Leh, Phase 2 (snow sports) at Kangdoori
and Gulmarg,J&K.
·
Mascot: Sheen-E-She (Shan) - the Snow Leopard,
representing resilience, agility, and the Himalayan legacy.
3.
UNCTAD: FDI
INFLOWS TO INDIA JUMP 73%
·
The United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) released the latest edition of the Global Investment Trends Monitor report.
·
The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows to
India surged by 73% to USD 47 billion in 2025.
·
The report
highlighted that this increase in FDI
inflows is mainly attributed to large investments in services such as:
Information Technology (IT), Research & Development (R&D); and
manufacturing, supported by policies aimed at integrating the country into
global supply chains.
·
The report
revealed that global FDI reached USD 1.61 trillion in 2025, marking an
increase of 14% compared to 1.4 trillion recorded in 2024.
·
The report
highlighted that over USD 140 billion increase in global FDI was mainly driven
by global financial centres led by countries like: the United
Kingdom (UK), Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Ireland.
·
Excluding these ‘conduit flows’, global
FDI would increase by only about 5%.
·
The large share of global FDI inflows went to developed
economies, which saw an increase of 43% amounting to USD 728 billion,
driven by Europe and financial hubs for instance, the European Union (EU)
registered 56% increase, supported by large cross-border acquisitions
and a rebound in major economies like Germany, France and Italy.
·
In contrast,
the FDI inflows of developing economies
decreased by 2% to an estimated USD 877 billion (which accounted for 55%
of global flows).
·
UNCTAD Headquarters
- Geneva, Switzerland.
·
Established- 1964.
4.
IRDAI RECONSTITUTES
REINSURANCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
·
The Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India (IRDAI), under the Ministry of Finance (MoF), reconstituted its Reinsurance Advisory Committee (RAC) with immediate effect, and the committee
will serve a three-year tenure.
·
A.V. Girija Kumar, former Chairman and Managing Director
(CMD) of Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OICL) was appointed as the chairman of the RAC.
·
The reconstitution is aimed at
strengthening IRDAI’s advisory support on reinsurance-related matters by
bringing together senior experts from the insurance and reinsurance ecosystem.
·
Aruna Bowrampet, Deputy General Manager
(Reinsurance), IRDAI was appointed as
the Secretary to the Committee.
·
The new committee includes Praveen
Vashishta, Roopam Asthana, T.L. Alamelu as members
·
IRDAI is the statutory regulatory
body established to oversee and regulate the insurance sector in India,
ensuring fair practices, financial stability, and consumer protection.
·
It was established in 1999 in
Hyderabad (Telangana), under the Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority (IRDA) Act, 1999, under the MoF.
·
IRDAI was established following the
recommendations of the Malhotra Committee to reform and liberalize the insurance sector. In 2000, it became
fully operational.
·
IRDAI consists of a chairperson, 5
whole-time members, and 4 part-time members, who are appointed by the
Government of India (GoI).
·
IRDAI licenses insurers and agents,
frames insurance regulations, supervises company operations, protects
policyholders, promotes insurance awareness, and penalizes companies for
violations.
·
IRDAI Chairman – Ajay Seth.
5.
SHAHEED DIVAS OR MARTYRS’
DAY 2026 – JANUARY 30
·
Martyrs’ Day, also known as Sarvodaya Day or Shaheed Diwas, is observed across India
on January 30 to honour national
martyrs and commemorate the death anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi, the ‘Father of the Nation’.
·
Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on
January 30, 1948, by Nathuram Godse at Birla House (now Gandhi Smriti) in
New Delhi.
·
Martyrs’ Day was officially declared in 1949 to honour his legacy and the sacrifices of other freedom fighters.
·
Mahatma Gandhi was born as Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat.
·
Autobiography: “The Story of My Experiments with Truth”, Gandhi’s autobiography, chronicles his life up to 1921. It was originally written in Gujarati and
later translated into English by Mahadev
Desai.
·
His notable writings include ‘Gokhale:
My Political Guru’, ‘The Law and the
Lawyers’, and ‘Satyagraha in South
Africa’.
·
He also translated John Ruskin’s
“Unto This Last” into Gujarati under
the title “Sarvodaya”.
·
In 1930, he was named TIME
Magazine’s ‘Man of the Year’(now called Person of the Year), becoming the only Indian to receive this honour to date.
·
On the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary (October 2, 1995), the
Government of India (GoI) instituted the International
Gandhi Peace Prize in his honour.
6.
NATIONAL GIRL
CHILD DAY 2026 – JANUARY 24
·
National Girl
Child Day (NGCD) is observed annually across India on 24th January
to raise awareness about the rights, education, health, safety and empowerment
of the girl child.
·
NGCD was established in 2008 by
the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).
·
NGCD was
observed for the first time on 24 January 2008.
·
Mission
Shakti: Launched in 2022, Mission
Shakti is an integrated umbrella scheme (2021–26) of the MoWCD, that
advances women’s safety, security, and
empowerment through the Sambal and Samarthya sub-schemes.
·
Samagra
Shiksha: It is an integrated
school education scheme covering the entire spectrum from pre‑school to
Class XII, launched in 2018 by the
Ministry of Education(MoE) to treat school
education as a continuum.
·
Kasturba
Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV): It is a residential school scheme under Samagra
Shiksha that provides schooling and hostel facilities for girls aged 10–18 years (Classes VI to XII)
from disadvantaged groups.
·
NAVYA: Launched on
June 24, 2025, Nurturing Aspirations
through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls (NAVYA) is a joint
MWCD-Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) initiative training 3,850 girls across 27 districts
under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0 in
non-traditional sectors to promote independence and challenge gender
stereotypes.
7.
INTERNATIONAL
DAY OF EDUCATION 2026 – JANUARY 24
·
The United
Nations (UN)’s International Day of Education (IDE) is annually
observed across the globe on 24 January to highlight the importance of
education in promoting peace and sustainable development.
·
Theme: “The Power of
Youth in Co-Creating Education”.
·
The resolution
was co-authored by Nigeria along with 58
other UN Member States.
·
The inaugural
International Day of Education was observed
on 24 January 2019.
·
In September 2015, the world adopted the 2030 Agenda, recognising education as essential to achieving all 17
Sustainable Development Goals(SDG).
·
SDG 4 focused on inclusive, quality education and lifelong
learning by 2030.
·
Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees
the right to education.
8.
NATIONAL
VOTERS’ DAY 2026 – JANUARY 25
·
National
Voters’ Day (NVD) is observed annually across
India on 25 January to commemorate the establishment of the Election
Commission of India(ECI) in 1950.
·
2026
Theme: “My India, My Vote” with a tagline of ‘Citizen at the
Heart of Indian Democracy’.
·
The first NVD
was observed in 2011 to commemorate the foundation day of the ECI,
a permanent constitutional body established on 25 January 1950 under ,
under Article 324 of the Indian Constitution.
9.
NATIONAL
TOURISM DAY 2026 – JANUARY 25
·
National
Tourism Day is observed annually across India on January
25 to highlight the role of tourism in India’s economy.
·
The Tourist Traffic Committee, established in
1948, started the observance of National Tourism Day to promote tourism across
India.
·
On January
25, 1949, the Government of India (GoI) declared this day as National Tourism Day, coinciding with the formation of the Ministry of Tourism (MoT).
·
The United
Nations (UN) observes World Tourism Day every year on September 27
to commemorate the adoption of the UN
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Statutes in 1970.
·
Ministry of
Tourism (MoT):Union Minister – Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
(Constituency – Jodhpur, Rajasthan).
10. INTERNATIONAL
DAY OF CLEAN ENERGY 2026 – JANUARY 26
·
The United
Nations (UN’s) International Day of Clean Energy is annually
observed on 26 January across the globe to promote awareness
and inspire action toward a fair, inclusive transition to clean energy.
·
2026 Theme: “Clean
Energy for People and Planet”.
·
The
International Day of Clean Energy was observed for the first time on 26
January 2024.
·
The day
coincides with the establishment of the
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) on 26 January 2009, which
supports global renewable energy transitions through data, policy guidance, and
international cooperation.
·
IRENA Headquarters -Abu
Dhabi, UAE.
11. INTERNATIONAL
CUSTOMS DAY 2026 – JANUARY 26
·
International
Customs Day (ICD) is observed worldwide every year on January
26 to recognise the crucial role played by customs administrations and
officials in ensuring security, facilitating compliant trade, and combating
smuggling.
·
January 26,
2026, marks 73 years since the first meeting of the Customs Cooperation Council(CCC), now known as
the World Customs Organization (WCO), which was held in Brussels, Belgium,
in 1953.
·
2026 Theme: “Customs
protecting society through vigilance and commitment”.
·
The CCC was set up in 1952 as an
intergovernmental organisation.
·
The
inaugural session of the CCC was held on January 26, 1953, in Brussels, Belgium, marking the
start of its global operations.
·
In 1994, the
CCC was renamed the World Customs Organization (WCO) and
expanded its membership to 183 countries, collectively handling about 98% of
global trade.
·
At present,
the WCO works with 186 member states.
12. INTERNATIONAL
DAY OF COMMEMORATION IN MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST–JAN 27
·
The United
Nations (UN’s) International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the
Victims of the Holocaust (International Holocaust Remembrance Day) is
observed annually on 27 January, commemorates the victims of the
Holocaust (Shoah) worldwide.
·
2026 Theme:
“Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights”.
·
The first
International Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed on 27 January 2006.
·
27 January commemorates the liberation of the
Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi German Concentration and Extermination Camp by
Soviet troops in 1945.
·
The
Holocaust is also known as the “Shoah,”
a Hebrew term meaning “catastrophe.”
·
The
Holocaust was a state-sponsored genocide
by Nazi Germany and its allies that killed
six million Jews in Europe between 1933 and 1945.
13.
VETERAN
JOURNALIST MARK TULLY PASSED AWAY
·
Veteran
journalist and renowned broadcaster Sir William Mark Tully, who was
widely known as British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC)’s ‘voice of India’, passed away .
·
He was born on
October 24, 1935 at Tollygunge, Calcutta (now Kolkata, in West Bengal(WB)),
then part of British-ruled India.
·
He was honored
with the Padma Shri, India’s 4th highest civilian honor, in 1992 in the
field of Literature and Education and the Padma Bhushan, India’s 3rd
highest civilian honor, in 2005 in the field of Literature and Education.
·
He served
as Bureau Chief for BBC, New Delhi (India) for 22 years.
·
He was also a
renowned author and had written several books on India for instance: ‘No Full Stops in India’; ‘India in Slow
Motion’; and ‘The Heart of India’.
·
He was also
knighted (KBE) by the British government in 2002 for his exceptional services
to journalism.
14.
FORMER BCCI
PRESIDENT I.S. BINDRA PASSED AWAY
·
Inderjit Singh
Bindra, former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) passed away at the age of 84 in New Delhi.
·
He served as
the President of the Punjab Cricket
Association (PCA) from 1978 to 2014, marking one of the longest tenures in
cricket administration.
·
He served as BCCI President (1993–1996).
·
He retired
from cricket administration in 2014, also served as the Principal Adviser to
the International Cricket Council (ICC).
·
In 2015, the
PCA stadium was renamed IS Bindra Stadium to honour his outstanding
contributions as a cricket administrator.
15. MAHARASHTRA
DEPUTY CM AJIT PAWAR PASSED AWAY
·
Ajit
Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and chief of Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP), passed away at the age of 66, in the
Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) crash at Baramati
Airport in Pune, Maharashtra.
·
He was born
on July 22, 1959, in Deolali Pravara in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra.
·
He was
elected as a Member of Parliament (MP)
to the Lok Sabha from Baramati (Maharashtra) in 1991 before turning his
focus to state-level politics.
·
He became
the chief of the NCP faction in February 2024 after the party split, following
recognition of his group by the Election Commission (EC).
·
He is one of
the longest-serving Dy CM of Maharashtra.
·
He served as
Deputy CM six separate times between
2010 and 2026 under different CMs, including Prithviraj Chavan, Uddhav
Thackeray, Devendra Fadnavis, and Eknath Shinde.
