Asia Current Affairs One-liners — Last 12 months

Tue, 20 Jan 2026

• The sixth Khelo India Winter Games opened at NDS Stadium, Leh, on 20 January 2026, with Ladakh hosting the ice-sports leg for the third time.
• The Competition Commission of India on 20 January 2026 approved Emirates NBD Bank's proposed acquisition of between 51% and 74% of RBL Bank.
• A rare 233-year-old Sanskrit manuscript of the Valmiki Ramayana, dated 1792 CE, was permanently gifted to the International Ram Katha Museum in Ayodhya, the Culture Ministry said on 20 January 2026.
• The National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS), constituted under Section 5 of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, held its 11th meeting in New Delhi on 20 January 2026.
• The Technology Development Board signed an agreement with Visakhapatnam-based Ramuka Global Eco Work Pvt Ltd for commercial production of ECOFIX, a ready-to-use pothole repair mix made from steel slag, on 20 January 2026.
• Ships of the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron — INS Tir, INS Shardul and INS Sujata, with ICGS Sarathi — made a port call at Belawan, Indonesia, on 20 January 2026.
• The Department of Posts said on 20 January 2026 that it has revamped its ATM network, with 887 ATMs now active at post offices across India.
• APEDA, with the Government of Assam, held an Organic Conclave-cum-Buyer Seller Meet in Guwahati to boost agri-exports from Assam, the Commerce Ministry said on 20 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.

Sun, 18 Jan 2026

• PM Narendra Modi performed the Bhoomi Pujan of the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project — 4-laning of the Kaliabor–Numaligarh section of NH-715, worth over ₹6,950 crore — at Kaliabor, Assam, on 18 January 2026.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a Medium Caliber Ammunition Manufacturing Facility at Solar Defence & Aerospace Ltd in Nagpur on 18 January 2026 and flagged off the first tranche of Guided Pinaka rockets to Armenia.
• PM Narendra Modi inaugurated, laid foundation stones for and flagged off projects worth more than ₹830 crore at Singur in Hooghly district, West Bengal, on 18 January 2026.
• DRDO's oceanographic research vessel INS Sagardhwani was flagged off from Kochi on 17 January 2026 for the fifth edition of the Sagar Maitri initiative, the Defence Ministry said on 18 January.
• Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched India's first open-sea marine fish farming project at North Bay, Sri Vijaya Puram, in the Andaman Sea on 18 January 2026.
• India's power distribution utilities collectively recorded a positive Profit After Tax of ₹2,701 crore in FY 2024-25, against a loss of ₹25,553 crore in FY 2023-24, the Power Ministry said on 18 January 2026.
• MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi inaugurated PM Vishwakarma Haat 2026 at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi, on 18 January 2026, with more than 117 artisans taking part.
• The Skill Development Ministry announced on 18 January 2026 that the North East Regional Competition of IndiaSkills 2025-26 — the first dedicated to the region — would be held at Gauhati University from 19 to 22 January.
• The Indian Navy concluded a five-day Joint Services Multi-Speciality Medical Camp across five Lakshadweep islands on 16 January 2026, with 4,719 patients receiving specialist consultations.
• Indian Railways said on 18 January 2026 that track fit for 110 km/h or more has grown from 31,445 km in 2014 to 84,244 km, covering about 80% of the network, and that 6,851 km of track was renewed in 2024-25.