1. SUPREME COURT STAYS UGC EQUITY REGULATIONS AMID CASTE-BIAS CONTROVERSY
SUBJECT: POLITY
- Judicial Intervention: The Supreme Court has stayed the University Grants Commission (UGC) Equity Regulations 2026, which were recently introduced to address discrimination in higher education.
- Controversy over Definitions: The stay follows widespread social tension regarding the regulation’s specific definition of “caste-based discrimination,” which critics argued was either too broad or incorrectly framed.
- Election Commission Directive: In a separate significant ruling, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to publicly display the list of names excluded from the Tamil Nadu electoral rolls along with specific reasons for their removal to ensure transparency.
- ED’s Legal Standing: A constitutional debate has intensified in the Madras and Kerala High Courts regarding whether the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is a “juristic person” capable of filing writ petitions under Article 226, or merely a department of the Union.
- Federalism Concerns: State governments (including Tamil Nadu) have raised concerns over the ED bypassing Article 131, which gives the Supreme Court exclusive jurisdiction over disputes between the Centre and States.
- Concepts to Focus: Article 226 vs Article 131 (Jurisdiction of High Courts and Supreme Court); UGC Act, 1956 (Regulatory powers of the commission); Federal Balance (Investigative autonomy vs State rights).
2. GOVERNMENT NOTIFIES COKING COAL AS CRITICAL AND STRATEGIC MINERAL
SUBJECT: NATIONAL ISSUES
- Strategic Shift: The Government of India has officially notified Coking Coal as a “Critical and Strategic Mineral” under the MMDR Act, 1957, aiming to reduce the nation’s 95% import dependence.
- Digital Addiction Policy: The latest government surveys have identified ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and digital addiction as primary public health risks for children, urging for a “safe-by-design” digital ecosystem.
- Gram Swaraj Themes: The 2025-26 Economic Survey highlights the resurgence of Gandhian Gram Swaraj principles, emphasizing rural self-reliance and the role of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).
- Aviation Safety Scrutiny: Following a tragic plane crash in Baramati involving a private aircraft, the DGCA is under institutional strain to mandate functional Safety Management Systems (SMS) for all non-scheduled operators.
- Space Spinoffs for Health: New guidelines focus on commercializing space technologies for civilian use, such as using miniaturized spacecraft sensors for rapid medical diagnostics in rural ambulances.
- Concepts to Focus: MMDR Act, 1957 (Classification of minerals); DGCA Regulatory Framework (Aviation safety protocols); National Health Mission (Addressing non-communicable diseases).
3. INDIA HOSTS 2ND INDIA-ARAB FOREIGN MINISTERS’ MEETING IN NEW DELHI
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL
- Diplomatic Balancing Act: India is hosting the 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (Jan 30-31), marking a crucial engagement with the 22-member Arab League to balance ties ahead of PM Modi’s upcoming visit to Israel.
- Strategic Investment: Bilateral trade with the Arab League has crossed $240 billion, with major investment commitments including $75 billion from the UAE and $100 billion from Saudi Arabia for Indian infrastructure.
- Energy Security: New agreements with UAE and Qatar have been finalized to enhance India’s strategic oil reserves and LNG imports, reinforcing the region’s role as a primary energy partner.
- India-EU Summit Wrap: Following the 16th India-EU Summit (Jan 27), both sides have agreed to move forward on a new Security and Defence Partnership, focusing on cybersecurity and maritime safety in the Indian Ocean.
- Connectivity Corridors: Discussions advanced on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), aiming to integrate digital transactions and RuPay card acceptance across UAE and Saudi ports.
- Concepts to Focus: Arab League (LAS) (History and India’s MOU since 2002); India-EU FTA (Current status of trade negotiations); Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR).
4. ECONOMIC SURVEY PROJECTS FY26 GDP GROWTH AT 7.4%
SUBJECT: ECONOMY
- Advance Estimates: The Economic Survey 2025-26 placed the First Advance Estimates for real GDP growth at 7.4%, maintaining India’s position as the fastest-growing major economy.
- Forex Resilience: India’s foreign exchange reserves increased to $701.4 billion (as of Jan 16, 2026), providing a robust cushion for 11 months of imports and covering 94% of external debt.
- Remittance Leadership: India remains the world’s largest recipient of remittances, with inflows reaching a record $135.4 billion in the previous fiscal year.
- Inflation Control: Domestic inflation averaged a low 1.7% for the April-December 2025 period, significantly boosting private final consumption expenditure to 61.5% of the GDP.
- Banking Health: The asset quality of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) showed a historic recovery, with the recovery rate in NPAs doubling from 13.2% in FY18 to 26.2% in FY25.
- Concepts to Focus: GVA vs GDP (Methodology of national income); NPA Recovery Mechanisms (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code impact); Foreign Exchange Cover (Import-debt ratios).
5. DEFENCE SECTOR TRANSITIONS TO “HIGH-OCTANE EXECUTION” PHASE
SUBJECT: DEFENCE
- Indigenization Momentum: The Ministry of Defence reported that the capital outlay for domestic projects rose to 48% of the total budget in FY26, targeting 70% indigenization by the end of the year.
- Private Sector Milestone: Adani Defence & Aerospace signed a landmark MoU with Brazil’s Embraer to manufacture military aircraft in India, marking a shift toward private-sector-led aerospace dominance.
- Order Pipeline: India’s defence order pipeline reached a record ₹3.3 trillion in FY26, focusing on munitions, air defence systems, and surveillance technology.
- Emergency Procurements: The government extended the Emergency Procurement Window until mid-January 2026 to fast-track critical equipment purchases for border security amid ongoing LAC tensions.
- DeepTech Adoption: The ADITI 3.0 scheme has delivered 30 new deep-tech solutions (AI and Anti-Drone systems) for immediate deployment by the volunteer forces.
- Concepts to Focus: Positive Indigenization Lists (Import substitution strategy); Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020; iDEX Prime (Support for defence start-ups).
