Current Affairs Today — January 10, 2026

🗞️ Why in News World Hindi Day was observed on January 10. The 53rd New Delhi World Book Fair opened at Bharat Mandapam. UN-DESA projected India’s 2026 GDP growth at 6.6%, even as India remains the world’s fastest-growing major economy. MeitY inaugurated the Param Shakti 3.1 petaflop supercomputer at IIT Madras. India confirmed its position as the world’s 4th largest economy at USD 4.18 trillion. Home Minister Amit Shah also inaugurated NIDMS — NSG’s AI-powered IED database — and NDDB announced Pashu Aadhaar crossed 35.68 crore livestock IDs.

India Surpasses Japan — World’s 4th Largest Economy

India’s GDP crossed approximately $4.18 trillion in 2025–26, surpassing Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The ranking places India behind only the United States, China, and Germany.

GDP ranking (nominal, 2025–26 approximate):

India’s real GDP growth was reported at 8.2% in Q2 2025–26, reflecting continued strong domestic demand, manufacturing growth, and services exports. According to projections, India is expected to overtake Germany to become the 3rd largest economy by 2030.

India’s GDP trajectory:

• 10th largest in 2014
• 6th largest in 2019 (surpassed France and UK)
• 5th largest in 2022 (surpassed UK)
• 4th largest in 2025–26 (surpassed Japan)

India Surpasses China as World’s Largest Rice Producer

India surpassed China to become the world’s largest rice producer, recording total output of 150.18 million tonnes — exceeding China’s production. The achievement resulted from improved farming practices, high-yielding seed varieties, and government support for rice cultivation.

Key rice production facts:

• India is already the world’s largest rice exporter (accounting for approximately 40% of global rice exports in 2023–24 — though India imposed export restrictions in 2023–24 to protect domestic supply)
• Major rice-producing states: West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha
• MSP for paddy (Common): Rs 2,300 per quintal for Kharif 2025–26 (as set by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs)
• PM-KISAN: income support to farmers (Rs 6,000/year in three instalments)

Indian Army — 2026 as Year of Networking and Data Centricity

The Indian Army declared 2026 as the “Year of Networking and Data Centricity” — a strategic initiative to build a future-ready, digitally networked force. The declaration reflects India’s broader military modernisation agenda under the Agnipath scheme, iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence), and the DPP (Defence Procurement Procedure) framework.

Key objectives:

• Establishing network-centric warfare capabilities across all operational theatres
• Building a unified data infrastructure linking Army formations
• Integrating AI and big data analytics into military decision-making
• Enhancing interoperability with the Indian Air Force and Navy through joint data platforms

Context: The Indian Army’s modernisation has been guided by the Integrated Theatre Commands concept — creating unified theatre commands combining Army, Navy, and Air Force assets under a single operational commander for major theatres (Western, Northern, Maritime). This requires robust networking and data sharing.

Imoinu Eratpa Festival — Manipur

The Imoinu Eratpa festival is a significant religious festival of the Meitei community of Manipur, celebrated in the month of Wakching (corresponding to December–January in the Gregorian calendar). The festival honours Goddess Imoinu — the deity of household prosperity and well-being in Meitei tradition.

Meitei community:

• Meiteis constitute the majority community (approximately 44%) of Manipur’s population
• Predominantly valley-dwelling (Imphal valley)
• The Meitei language is one of the 22 Scheduled Languages of India
• The demand for Scheduled Tribe status for Meiteis has been a significant political issue in Manipur, linked to the ethnic tensions that erupted in May 2023

UPSC relevance: Festivals of northeastern India, the Meitei community’s linguistic and cultural identity, and Manipur’s ethnic composition are recurring GS-1 and GS-2 topics.

Puri Upgraded to Municipal Corporation — Odisha

Puri in Odisha was upgraded to a municipal corporation status in January 2026, becoming the 6th municipal corporation in Odisha. The five existing municipal corporations in Odisha are: Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, and Rourkela.

Puri is famous for the Jagannath Temple (one of the four dhams in Hindu pilgrimage) and the annual Rath Yatra (chariot festival), which draws millions of pilgrims. The upgrade to municipal corporation status reflects Puri’s growing importance as a tourism and religious destination.

IKDRC-ITS Ahmedabad — 500 Kidney Transplants in a Year

The Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC-ITS) at Ahmedabad Civil Medical Campus became the only public sector hospital in India to perform 500 kidney transplants in a single year (2025). The milestone demonstrates that public sector health institutions can match private sector volumes in complex transplant surgery when properly resourced.

Context:

• India performs approximately 7,500–8,000 kidney transplants per year (well below need)
• Transplant Waitlist: approximately 2 lakh patients on dialysis awaiting kidneys
• Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994: governs organ donation and transplantation in India
• NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation): apex body for organ transplantation coordination in India; under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

World Hindi Day — January 10

World Hindi Day (Vishwa Hindi Diwas) is observed annually on January 10:

• Commemorates: January 10, 1949 — the day Hindi was first used in the United Nations General Assembly
• First World Hindi Day: January 10, 1975 — First World Hindi Conference held in Nagpur, inaugurated by PM Indira Gandhi
• Official recognition: PM Manmohan Singh declared January 10 as World Hindi Day in 2006
• Constitutional basis: Article 343 of the Indian Constitution designates Hindi in Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Union of India (alongside English for official purposes)
• Significance: Promotes Hindi as a global language; Hindi is spoken by ~600 million people worldwide; 4th most-spoken language globally

UPSC Angle: GS-1 History/Culture — Constitution Article 343-351 (Official Language provisions); Official Languages Act 1963; Three-Language Formula; Hindi vs Scheduled Languages distinction; UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.

53rd New Delhi World Book Fair — Bharat Mandapam

The 53rd New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) opened at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (January 10–18, 2026):

• Organised by: National Book Trust (NBT) under Ministry of Education
• Entry: Free for all visitors
• Scale: Over 1,000 publishers; 600+ literary and cultural events
• NBT: Established 1957 under Ministry of Education; publishes and promotes Indian literature in all languages; organises NDWBF annually
• Significance: One of Asia’s largest book fairs; showcases India’s publishing diversity (22 Scheduled Languages); promotes reading culture
• Bharat Mandapam: International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Pragati Maidan; opened August 2023; capacity 7,000+

UPSC Angle: GS-1 Art & Culture — India’s publishing ecosystem; National Book Trust’s mandate; multilingual publishing in India; Scheduled Languages and literary culture; Copyright Act 1957.

Param Shakti Supercomputing Facility — IIT Madras

MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) inaugurated the Param Shakti supercomputing facility at IIT Madras (January 3, 2026):

• Capacity: 3.1 petaflops (3.1 × 10¹⁵ floating-point operations per second)
• Developer: C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing); Pune-based autonomous institution under MeitY
• National Supercomputing Mission (NSM): The facility is part of NSM — launched 2015 (revised 2021); goal: establish 70 supercomputers across India with 45 petaflops aggregate capacity by 2026
• Applications: AI research, climate modelling, drug discovery, materials science, defence simulations
• Previous Param machines: Param Shivay (IIT BHU), Param Shakti (IIT Kharagpur), Param Brahma (IISER Pune)
• Significance: Reduces India’s dependence on foreign supercomputing infrastructure; enables frontier research

UPSC Angle: GS-3 S&T — National Supercomputing Mission; C-DAC’s role; petaflop-scale computing applications; Digital India infrastructure; Atmanirbhar Bharat in technology; indigenisation of computing.

Port Infrastructure — Chennai and Kamarajar Ports

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways) launched major infrastructure projects at Tamil Nadu’s two major ports (January 8, 2026):

• Total investment: Rs 235 crore
  • Chennai Port Trust: Rs 129.36 crore
  • Kamarajar Port (formerly Ennore Port): Rs 105.64 crore
• Key initiative: Launched e-Port Clearance Portal under the “One Nation-One Port Process” — single digital gateway for port clearances, reducing time and multiple agency visits
• Chennai Port: One of India’s oldest major ports; handles ~67 MMTPA cargo; container hub for South India
• Kamarajar Port: India’s first corporatised major port; handles coal, POL (petroleum, oil, lubricants), ores
• Significance: Part of PM Gati Shakti and National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP) — Rs 23,000 crore port modernisation

UPSC Angle: GS-3 Infrastructure — Maritime India Vision 2030; National Maritime Development Programme; Major Port Authorities Act 2021; PM Gati Shakti; One Nation-One Port Process; container traffic growth.

NIDMS — NSG’s AI-Enabled IED Data Management System

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the National IED Data Management System (NIDMS) of the National Security Guard (NSG) in early January 2026.

• NIDMS: An AI-enabled database platform covering Improvised Explosive Device (IED) incidents across India since 1999
• Purpose: Centralised repository of IED-related intelligence — incident locations, bomb composition, modus operandi, perpetrator profiles — enabling pattern analysis and predictive threat assessment
• Developer: NSG in collaboration with DRDO and Ministry of Home Affairs
• NSG: National Security Guard; established 1984 under NSG Act; paramilitary force under Ministry of Home Affairs; primary counter-terrorism and hostage-rescue unit; headquarters: Manesar, Haryana
• UPSC significance: India faces IED threats primarily in J&K, Red Corridor (Maoist), and Northeast — NIDMS is a force-multiplier for preventive counter-terrorism

UPSC Angle: GS-3 Internal Security — counter-terrorism measures; IED threats in India; NSG’s role; AI in security apparatus; data-driven policing.

Pashu Aadhaar — NDDB Crosses 35.68 Crore Animal IDs

The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) announced that Pashu Aadhaar — India’s livestock identification system — crossed a milestone of 35.68 crore (356.8 million) individual animal IDs generated.

• Pashu Aadhaar: A 12-digit unique identification number for each bovine animal (cattle + buffalo), linked to the owner’s Aadhaar
• Technology: Each animal is tagged with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) ear tag; data linked to Integrated Livestock Health and Production Management (iLHPM) system
• Purpose: Animal traceability for disease surveillance, milk quality control, insurance, targeted subsidies; integrates with Automatic Milk Collection System (AMCS) at dairy cooperative units
• NDDB: National Dairy Development Board; established 1965 under NDDB Act; headquartered at Anand, Gujarat; implements Operation Flood successor programmes; under Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying
• Significance: India is the world’s largest milk producer (~240 million tonnes per year); Pashu Aadhaar underpins the Second White Revolution goals of improving livestock productivity, disease surveillance, and targeted subsidy delivery

UPSC Angle: GS-3 Economy — animal husbandry sector; NDDB and cooperative dairy model; digital governance in agriculture; livestock traceability for export certification; Second White Revolution.

TEC-IIT Kanpur MoU — 6G Technology Research

The Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) signed an MoU with IIT Kanpur for collaborative research in 6G and next-generation telecom technologies.

• TEC: Telecom Engineering Centre; technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT); develops standards, conducts testing, issues type approvals for telecom equipment
• IIT Kanpur: Premier technical institution; known for strong electronics and communications engineering (EE department); a key partner in India’s 5G and 6G research ecosystem
• Focus areas under MoU: 6G radio access network (RAN) architecture; AI/ML applications in telecom networks; spectrum management; quantum communications; Open RAN standards
• India’s 6G strategy: India launched its 6G Vision Document in March 2023 (PM Modi unveiled); target to develop and deploy 6G by 2030; India aims to hold IPR on 10% of global 6G patents
• Context: India successfully deployed 5G (2022–2023); 6G promises ~1 terabit/second speeds with sub-millisecond latency; critical for Industry 4.0, autonomous vehicles, smart cities

UPSC Angle: GS-3 S&T — India’s telecom technology roadmap; TEC’s regulatory role; 6G Vision Document 2023; Atmanirbhar Bharat in telecom; digital sovereignty; spectrum policy.

UN-DESA GDP Projection — India at 6.6% for 2026

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) released its annual world economic outlook:

• India 2026 GDP growth: Projected at 6.6% (calendar year 2026; UN methodology)
• India 2027 GDP growth: Projected at 6.7%
• India’s standing: Remains the world’s fastest-growing major economy despite the projection being lower than India’s own NSO estimates (7.4% for FY26)
• Note on methodology: UN-DESA uses calendar year (Jan–Dec) projections; India’s NSO uses fiscal year (Apr–Mar) — explains the difference from 7.4% FY26 estimate
• Global context: World GDP growth projected at ~2.8% for 2026; India outpaces all G20 economies

UPSC Angle: GS-3 Economy — Different GDP measurement methodologies (UN-DESA vs NSO); India’s growth outlook; comparison with IMF, World Bank, RBI projections; fastest-growing vs largest economy distinction.

📌 Facts Corner — Knowledgepedia

India’s GDP Ranking:

• India GDP ~$4.18 trillion; 4th largest globally (surpassed Japan)
• Ranking history: 10th (2014) → 6th (2019) → 5th (2022) → 4th (2025-26)
• Expected: 3rd largest by 2030 (surpassing Germany)
• India Q2 2025-26 real GDP growth: 8.2%

India Rice Production:

• India output: 150.18 million tonnes (surpassed China to become world’s largest producer)
• India: world’s largest rice exporter (~40% global rice exports in 2023-24)
• MSP paddy (Common) Kharif 2025-26: Rs 2,300/quintal

Indian Army — Year of Networking:

• 2026 declared: Year of Networking and Data Centricity
• Aim: network-centric warfare; unified data infrastructure; AI integration
• Related: Integrated Theatre Commands concept; iDEX; DPP

Imoinu Eratpa:

• Community: Meitei (majority community, ~44% of Manipur)
• Deity: Goddess Imoinu (household prosperity)
• Month: Wakching (Dec-Jan Gregorian)
• Meitei language: one of 22 Scheduled Languages of India

Puri Municipal Corporation:

• Puri: 6th municipal corporation in Odisha
• Five existing: Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela
• Puri: site of Jagannath Temple (one of 4 dhams); annual Rath Yatra

IKDRC-ITS:

• Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre; Ahmedabad Civil Medical Campus
• Achievement: 500 kidney transplants in 2025 (first public hospital to do so)
• India annual kidney transplants: ~7,500-8,000
• NOTTO: National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation; Ministry of Health
• THOTA 1994: Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act

World Hindi Day:

• Observed: January 10 annually
• Commemorates: Jan 10, 1949 — first use of Hindi in UN General Assembly
• First World Hindi Conference: January 10, 1975; Nagpur; inaugurated by PM Indira Gandhi
• Officially declared by: PM Manmohan Singh (2006)
• Article 343: Hindi in Devanagari script = Official Language of Union of India
• Speakers: ~600 million worldwide (4th most-spoken language globally)
• Note: World Hindi Day ≠ Hindi Diwas (September 14) — Hindi Diwas marks adoption of Hindi as official language in Constituent Assembly (Sept 14, 1949)

National Supercomputing Mission / Param Shakti IIT Madras:

• Param Shakti IIT Madras: 3.1 petaflops; inaugurated Jan 3 2026; by MeitY; built by C-DAC
• C-DAC: Centre for Development of Advanced Computing; Pune; under MeitY; autonomous
• NSM: National Supercomputing Mission; launched 2015; target 45 petaflops across 70 machines
• 1 petaflop = 10¹⁵ floating-point operations per second
• Applications: Weather forecasting, drug discovery, AI research, material science

Port Infrastructure:

• One Nation-One Port Process: Single e-clearance portal for all Indian major ports; reduces dwell time
• Chennai Port: 128 years old (est. 1881); major container port South India; Chennai Port Authority
• Kamarajar Port (Ennore): India’s first corporatised major port; 2001; handles coal/POL
• Major Port Authorities Act 2021: Replaced Major Port Trusts Act 1963; greater autonomy to ports
• NMDP: National Maritime Development Programme; Rs 23,000 crore; 116 projects

NIDMS / NSG:

• NIDMS: National IED Data Management System; AI-enabled; covers IED incidents since 1999
• Inaugurated: Early January 2026 by Home Minister Amit Shah
• NSG (National Security Guard): established 1984; NSG Act 1986; HQ Manesar, Haryana; under MHA
• NSG roles: counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, VIP protection (SPG handles PM + former PMs)
• IED = Improvised Explosive Device; primary threat in J&K, Maoist Red Corridor, Northeast

Pashu Aadhaar:

• System: 12-digit unique ID for bovine animals; RFID ear tag + owner Aadhaar linking
• Milestone: 35.68 crore (356.8 million) IDs generated (January 2026)
• NDDB: National Dairy Development Board; est. 1965; HQ Anand, Gujarat; under MoFAHD
• Operation Flood (1970-1996): NDDB’s original cooperative dairy revolution; made India milk self-sufficient
• India: world’s largest milk producer (~240 million tonnes/year; ~24% global share)

TEC-IIT Kanpur 6G MoU:

• TEC: Telecom Engineering Centre; technical arm of DoT; does telecom standards + testing + type approval
• India 6G Vision Document: released March 2023; target 6G by 2030; aim to hold 10% global 6G patents
• 6G speeds: ~1 terabit/second; latency: sub-millisecond (vs 5G’s ~1 ms)
• India’s 5G launched: 2022; 6G R&D now underway via Bharat 6G Mission

Other Relevant Facts:

• Integrated Theatre Commands: joint Army-Navy-Air Force commands under single commander; proposed structure for Indian military
• iDEX: Innovations for Defence Excellence; defence startup accelerator; Ministry of Defence
• India currently has no Integrated Theatre Commands operational (as of early 2026); reorganisation in progress
• UN-DESA: Department of Economic and Social Affairs; annual World Economic Situation and Prospects report; India projected 6.6% (calendar 2026) — fastest growing major economy
• NDWBF 2026: 53rd New Delhi World Book Fair; January 10-18, Bharat Mandapam; organised by NBT (National Book Trust)

Sources: PIB, GKToday, Ministry of Finance, NDDB, DoT