🗞️ Why in News January 28, 2026 saw an extraordinary convergence of major developments: Republic Day 2026 after-news dominated headlines with Padma Awards (131 recipients), gallantry awards, and DRDO’s hypersonic missile unveiling; the India-EU Free Trade Agreement was concluded; and Maharashtra was in shock following the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a Learjet crash at Baramati Airport.

77th Republic Day 2026 — Highlights

India celebrated its 77th Republic Day on January 26, 2026 at Kartavya Path, New Delhi.

Theme: “150 Years of Vande Mataram” — commemorating 150 years since Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay composed the national song in 1876 (published in his novel Anandmath, 1882).

Chief Guests: In a historic first, both top EU leaders attended together:

  • António Costa — President of the European Council
  • Ursula von der Leyen — President of the European Commission
  • First time an EU military contingent participated in a Republic Day parade

Parade facts: President Droupadi Murmu unfurled the National Flag; 21-gun salute by 105mm Light Field Guns; 30 tableaux from States/UTs/Ministries; debut of the newly raised Bhairav Battalion; Oscar-winning composer M.M. Keeravani composed a special musical piece.

DRDO display: Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) made its first public appearance at the parade (see separate article).

Related events: Bharat Parv held January 26–31 at Red Fort; Beating Retreat on January 29 at Vijay Chowk.

DRDO Unveils LR-AShM Hypersonic Missile

The Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) was publicly displayed for the first time at Republic Day 2026.

Key specs:

  • Speed: Mach 5+ cruise (average); initial acceleration to Mach 10
  • Range: ~1,500 km (future variants up to 3,500 km)
  • Propulsion: Two-stage solid rocket motor
  • Flight profile: Quasi-ballistic with atmospheric “skips” + low-altitude terminal phase
  • Purpose: Sea-denial weapon for Indian Navy; effective against all warship classes

India joins the elite club of hypersonic missile nations (currently USA, Russia, China, North Korea).

Padma Awards 2026 — 131 Recipients

Announced on January 25, 2026 (Republic Day eve — standard practice). Awarded by the President of India; governed by Padma Awards Committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary. Not “titles” under Article 18 of the Constitution (clarified by Supreme Court).

Breakdown: 5 Padma Vibhushan | 13 Padma Bhushan | 113 Padma Shri Women: 19 | International (foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI): 6 | Posthumous: 16

Padma Vibhushan (5):

  • Dharmendra Singh Deol — Actor (posthumous)
  • V.S. Achuthanandan — Former Chief Minister, Kerala (posthumous)
  • Justice K.T. Thomas — Former Supreme Court Judge
  • P. Narayanan — Educationist
  • N. Rajam — Violinist

Notable Padma Bhushan (13 total): Shibhu Soren (JMM founder, posthumous), Bhagat Singh Koshyari (Former Maharashtra Governor), Mammootty (Actor), Alka Yagnik (Singer), Uday Kotak (Businessperson, Kotak Mahindra Bank).

Notable Padma Shri: Rohit Sharma (cricket), Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar (women’s cricket captain), Praveen Kumar (Para-high jump, Paris 2024 gold medallist), Savita Punia (women’s hockey goalkeeper), Baldev Singh (women’s hockey coach).

State representation: Maharashtra 15 (highest) | Tamil Nadu 13 | UP 11 | West Bengal 11 | Kerala 8.

Gallantry Awards 2026 — Shubhanshu Shukla Receives Ashoka Chakra

Total: 70 Armed Forces personnel received gallantry awards (6 posthumous); 301 defence decorations overall.

Ashoka Chakra (India’s highest peacetime gallantry award) awarded to:

  • Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (IAF) — For being the first Indian to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axiom Mission 4 (Axiom-4); only the second Indian to go to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (1984, Soyuz T-11)

Other notable awards:

  • Kirti Chakra: Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair (Gaganyaan astronaut)
  • Shaurya Chakra: Lt Cdr Dilna K. and Lt Cdr Roopa A. — first women naval officers to receive Shaurya Chakra

India and EU Conclude Free Trade Agreement

India and the European Union formally concluded FTA negotiations (announced around January 28, 2026) — a landmark after nearly two decades of on-and-off negotiations (started 2007, suspended 2013, relaunched 2022).

Key terms:

  • EU opens 97% of tariff lines covering 99.5% of India’s exports by value; zero-duty for textiles, apparel, leather, gems, jewellery (worth ~$33 billion)
  • India opens 92.1% of tariff lines covering 97.5% of EU exports; dairy, cereals, poultry protected; automobiles: gradual liberalisation
  • EU commits across 144 services sub-sectors; India opens 102 services sub-sectors
  • TRIPS-compliant with safeguards for India’s generic pharmaceutical sector
  • Pending: Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) remain as non-tariff challenges
  • Requires ratification by all 27 EU member states + European Parliament

India is the EU’s 22nd FTA partner; combined India-EU GDP = ~25% of global GDP.

UNEP Finance for Nature 2026 Report

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its “State of Finance for Nature 2026” report (January 2026).

Key findings:

  • For every USD 1 invested in nature protection, USD 30 is spent on nature-destructive activities
  • Nature-negative spending (2023): USD 7.3 trillion globally (~7% of global GDP)
  • Government environmentally harmful subsidies: USD 2.4 trillion annually (primarily fossil fuel subsidies)
  • Private sector harmful flows: USD 5.5 trillion (2024) — up 12% from 2023
  • Nature-based Solutions (NbS) funding: USD 220 billion (2023); needed by 2030: USD 571 billion — 2.5x current level

CBD 30x30 target: Conserve 30% of land/waters and restore 30% degraded ecosystems by 2030 (Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, 2022).

BNHS–Jharkhand Vulture Conservation MoU

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) signed an MoU with the Jharkhand Forest Department for vulture conservation.

  • Duration: 5 years
  • Breeding centre: Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre at Muta, near Ranchi
  • Target species: Oriental White-backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus) — both Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List)
  • Background: South Asian vulture populations collapsed by 95–99% due to diclofenac (NSAID drug used in veterinary medicine; banned in India in 2006)
  • BNHS founded: 1883, Mumbai — India’s premier ornithological and wildlife conservation NGO

Rajasthan Launches Raj-UNNATI — First State PRAGATI Replication

The Government of Rajasthan launched Raj-UNNATI, a digital governance monitoring system modelled on the Centre’s PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) platform.

Rajasthan became the first Indian state to replicate the PRAGATI model at the state level. PRAGATI (est. 2015) is a monthly video-conferencing platform chaired by the Prime Minister aggregating data from 50+ central/state applications; reviewed projects worth Rs 14.5 lakh crore as of 2024.

International Data Privacy Day — Convention 108

January 28 is observed as International Data Privacy Day annually. It commemorates the signing of Convention 108 — the first binding international data protection treaty — by the Council of Europe on January 28, 1981.

India highlighted its Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025 on this occasion. The Data Protection Board of India is the enforcement body under the DPDP Act.

National Voters’ Day 2026 — ECINET Launched

National Voters’ Day (NVD) is observed on January 25 annually — marking the establishment of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on January 25, 1950 (Article 324 of the Constitution).

16th NVD (2026): Theme: “My India, My Vote” | Chief Guest: President Droupadi Murmu | CEC: Gyanesh Kumar

ECINET: New unified digital platform integrating 40+ ECI applications — launched at NVD 2026. India also hosted IICDEM 2026 (India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management), which adopted the Delhi Declaration 2026 (5 pillars: clean electoral rolls, free elections, research, technology sharing, capacity building).

Persons in News

Ajit Pawar (July 22, 1959 — January 28, 2026):

  • Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister died in a Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) aircraft crash at Baramati Airport, Pune, age 66
  • Six-term DyCM; held Finance, Planning, Energy portfolios; represented Baramati constituency for over 3 decades
  • NCP founder (with Sharad Pawar, 1999); led NCP faction split in 2023; ECI recognised his faction as “NCP” in February 2024
  • Nephew of Sharad Pawar; associated with Maharashtra’s cooperative (sugar) sector since 1982

Mark Tully (October 24, 1935 — January 2026):

  • BBC’s New Delhi Bureau Chief for 22 years; known as “BBC’s Voice of India”
  • Born in Kolkata; lived in India for decades after retirement; age 90
  • Knighthood: 2002 (KBE); Padma Shri (1992), Padma Bhushan (2005)
  • Covered: 1971 Bangladesh War, 1975–77 Emergency, Operation Blue Star (1984), Indira Gandhi assassination (1984), Babri Masjid demolition (1992), Bhopal gas tragedy (1984)

Inderjit Singh Bindra:

  • Former BCCI President (1993–96); Punjab Cricket Association President 1978–2014 (36 years — longest tenure); retired IAS officer (Punjab cadre)
  • Brought ICC Cricket World Cup 1987 (first outside England; India-Pakistan co-hosted) and 1996 (India-Pakistan-Sri Lanka) to the subcontinent
  • IS Bindra Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali named in his honour (2015)

📌 Facts Corner — Knowledgepedia

77th Republic Day 2026:

  • Date: January 26, 2026 (Constitution came into force January 26, 1950)
  • Theme: “150 Years of Vande Mataram” (composed 1876; published in Anandmath 1882)
  • Chief Guests: António Costa (European Council President) + Ursula von der Leyen (European Commission President)
  • Venue: Kartavya Path (renamed from Rajpath in 2022)
  • Parade Commander: Lt Gen Bhavnish Kumar
  • New unit: Bhairav Battalion (debut)
  • Tableaux: 30 from States/UTs/Ministries
  • Beating Retreat: January 29, Vijay Chowk

DRDO LR-AShM:

  • Full form: Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile
  • Speed: Mach 5+ average cruise (Mach 10 initial)
  • Range: ~1,500 km (variants planned up to 3,500 km)
  • Propulsion: Two-stage solid rocket motor
  • First public display: Republic Day 2026 parade

Padma Awards 2026:

  • Total: 131 (5 Padma Vibhushan + 13 Padma Bhushan + 113 Padma Shri)
  • Posthumous: 16 | Women: 19 | International: 6
  • Padma Awards instituted: 1954; awarded by the President
  • Not “titles” under Article 18 (Supreme Court clarification)
  • Padma Vibhushan: Dharmendra Singh Deol (posthumous), V.S. Achuthanandan (posthumous), Justice K.T. Thomas, P. Narayanan, N. Rajam

Gallantry Awards 2026:

  • Ashoka Chakra: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (IAF; first Indian on ISS — Axiom Mission 4)
  • Ashoka Chakra = highest peacetime gallantry (Param Vir Chakra = highest wartime)
  • Kirti Chakra: Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair (Gaganyaan)
  • First Indian in space: Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (1984, Soyuz T-11)

India-EU FTA:

  • EU opens: 97% tariff lines (99.5% of India’s exports by value); zero-duty for textiles, apparel, leather, gems, jewellery
  • India opens: 92.1% tariff lines (97.5% EU exports); dairy, cereals, poultry protected
  • Services: EU — 144 sub-sectors; India — 102 sub-sectors
  • Negotiations: Started 2007; suspended 2013; relaunched 2022; concluded 2026
  • Pending: CBAM, EUDR, CSDDD (non-tariff measures)
  • India is EU’s 22nd FTA partner

UNEP Finance for Nature 2026:

  • Harmful : protective ratio = 30 : 1 (USD 30 spent destructively for every USD 1 in nature)
  • Nature-negative spending: USD 7.3 trillion (~7% global GDP)
  • Govt harmful subsidies: USD 2.4 trillion (fossil fuel)
  • NbS funding needed by 2030: USD 571 billion (current: USD 220 billion)
  • CBD 30x30: Conserve + restore 30% land/waters by 2030 (Kunming-Montreal, 2022)

BNHS Vulture Conservation:

  • BNHS founded: 1883, Mumbai
  • Species: Oriental White-backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) + Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus) — both Critically Endangered
  • Diclofenac ban in India: 2006 (caused 95–99% vulture population collapse)
  • Breeding centre: Muta, near Ranchi, Jharkhand

Raj-UNNATI:

  • State: Rajasthan — first state to replicate PRAGATI at state level
  • PRAGATI: Est. 2015; chaired by PM; 50+ apps aggregated; Rs 14.5 lakh crore projects reviewed

International Data Privacy Day:

  • Observed: January 28 (Convention 108 signed January 28, 1981, Council of Europe)
  • India: DPDP Act 2023; enforcement body: Data Protection Board of India

NVD + ECINET:

  • NVD: January 25 (ECI established January 25, 1950); Constitutional basis: Article 324
  • 16th NVD 2026; CEC: Gyanesh Kumar
  • ECINET: Unified platform integrating 40+ ECI applications

Other Relevant Facts:

  • Padma Vibhushan: Established 1954; Padma Bhushan: 1954; Padma Shri: 1954 — all three instituted together
  • Vande Mataram: National Song (not National Anthem — Jana Gana Mana is the anthem); Article 51A(a) — respect national song = Fundamental Duty
  • EU total GDP (27 members + India combined) = ~25% of global GDP
  • Axiom Space: US private space company; Axiom Mission 4 = 4th private ISS mission
  • NCP founded: 1999 by Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma, Tariq Anwar (after expulsion from Congress for challenging Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin)
  • BCCI founded: 1928; ICC founded: 1909 (as Imperial Cricket Conference); 1987 World Cup = first outside England (India-Pakistan co-hosted)

Sources: President of India, PIB, ECI, DRDO, UNEP, The Hindu, Indian Express