News of The Day : 19th January 2026

News of The Day – 19th Jan 2026

The Hindu, Indian Express, Live Mint, Business Standard, Economic Times, PIB and AIR, etc

(with Syllabus Relevance)

• About Sammakka–Saralamma Jatara
• Major tribal festival in Telangana (biennial); honours Sammakka and Saralamma (mother-daughter folk deities).
• Involves rituals, processions; reflects tribal traditions, devotion, and cultural significance.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• Supreme Court issues 9 directions to Central/State governments in ongoing case on student suicides in higher education institutions (HEIs).
• Recognises massification of higher education (privatisation without quality) leading to distress (financial, social, academic).
• Key directives: Mandatory reporting/tracking of suicides, filling vacant faculty/VC/Registrar posts, full-time mental health services, free counselling.
• Emphasises systemic reforms for student well-being; HEIs accountable even for online students.

(GS-2: Polity and Governance)

• Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 (effective July 1, 2026).
• Covers banks, NBFCs, digital wallets, etc.; aims for cost-effective, expeditious, non-adversarial grievance redress.
• Key enhancements: Higher compensation (up to ₹30 lakh for losses + ₹3 lakh for stress/expenses), centralised processing centre (CRPC), improved efficiency/transparency.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• Former IPS officer Praveen Vashista appointed as Vigilance Commissioner.
• About Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)
  • Composition
  • Eligibility and Powers 
  • Role in anti-corruption oversight, vigilance administration.

• About Palermo Protocol
  • UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (2000), supplementing UNTOC.
• India aligns via BNS 2023 (Section 143); discussed in context of child trafficking cases, need for Centre-State coordination, sensitivity in judicial handling.

• PM Modi launches ₹6,957 crore elevated corridor project in Kaziranga National Park (Assam).
• Aims to reduce human-animal conflict, improve wildlife movement/safety, boost connectivity.
• Part of broader efforts for eco-sensitive infrastructure in protected areas.

(GS-3: Environment)

• BBNJ Agreement (High Seas Treaty) enters into force on January 17, 2026, after 60+ ratifications (threshold met in Sept 2025).
• About BBNJ Agreement (High Seas Treaty)
  • First legally binding global framework for marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (high seas, ~2/3 of ocean).
  • Enables Marine Protected Areas, fair benefit-sharing from ocean resources
• Key to achieving Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30×30 target (protect 30% of oceans by 2030).

• Gujarat’s first state-funded Biosafety Level-4 (BSL-4) laboratory for handling highly dangerous pathogens (e.g., Ebola, Nipah).
• Enhances India’s capacity for research, diagnostics, and outbreak response.
• Key milestone in bio-safety infrastructure and pandemic preparedness.

(GS-3: Science and Tech.)

• About coconut root wilt disease (prevalent in southern India).
• Emphasises community involvement, early detection, integrated management.
• Highlights role of citizen science in sustainable agriculture and disease control.

(GS-3:Science and Tech.)

• Recent Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) outbreak in Madhya Pradesh town.
• About GBS: 
  • GBS is a rare neurological disorder (often post-infection)
  • Underscores public health response to outbreaks.