Current Affairs One-liners — 19 January 2026

Mon, 19 Jan 2026

• UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited India on 19 January 2026; the two sides agreed to double bilateral trade to US$200 billion by 2032 and signed letters of intent on defence, space and Dholera.
• The three-day 86th All India Presiding Officers' Conference (AIPOC) was inaugurated in Lucknow on 19 January 2026 by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel.
• Public sector banks sanctioned over 3.96 lakh MSME loan applications worth more than ₹52,300 crore between 1 April and 31 December 2025 under their digital-footprint Credit Assessment Model, the Finance Ministry said on 19 January 2026.
• The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife, chaired by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, considered 70 proposals in and around protected areas at its 88th meeting in New Delhi on 19 January 2026.
• The Technology Development Board and BIRAC have been approved as the first Second-Level Fund Managers of the ₹1 lakh crore Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund, with industry project funding to start by the end of January 2026.
• Union Power Minister Manohar Lal inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Regulatory Affairs in the Power Sector at IIT Delhi on 19 January 2026.
• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) marked its Raising Day on 19 January 2026, with greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
• The Indian Navy concluded a contract on 16 January 2026 with Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, an MSME shipyard in Thane, for three 200-tonne Bottom Opening Non-Propelled Barges.
• The Railways Ministry said on 19 January 2026 that installation of overhead electrification (OHE) masts is progressing on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train corridor, with more than 20,000 masts planned.
• About 10,000 special guests from different walks of life were invited to watch the 77th Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path on 26 January 2026, the Defence Ministry said on 19 January.
• Indian Railways ran 244 special trains for the Mauni Amavasya period from 3 January 2026, carrying about 4.5 lakh passengers, with 40 special trains in Prayagraj on 18 January alone.
• The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) received the SKOCH Award 2025 for its Cell Broadcast Solution at the 104th SKOCH Summit, the Communications Ministry said on 19 January 2026.