Current Affairs – January 19, 2026

{GS2 – Polity} Lok Sabha Speaker Can Act Unilaterally to Constitute Inquiry Committee **

Context (IE): The Supreme Court dismissed Justice Yashwant Varma’s plea challenging the legality of the Lok Sabha Speaker’s 3-member inquiry committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

Background of the Case

Accidental Discovery: A fire at Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma’s residence led to the accidental discovery of alleged unaccounted-for cash.
Simultaneous Motions: Removal motions against Justice Varma were introduced in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the same day.
Divergent Decisions: Lok Sabha Speaker admitted the motion, while Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman rejected the identical motion.
Unilateral Action: Despite Rajya Sabha rejection, the Lok Sabha Speaker constituted a three-member Inquiry Committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

Grounds Raised by Justice Varma

Joint Requirement: Simultaneous motions in both Houses require a joint inquiry committee; the Speaker cannot act unilaterally.
Mutual Dependence: Rejection of the motion by the Rajya Sabha automatically invalidates the Lok Sabha’s admission of the motion.
Authority Issue: Deputy Chairman lacks the statutory power to reject motions; only the Chairman can exercise such authority.

Rulings by the Supreme Court

House Autonomy: Rejection by one House does not bar the other from proceeding under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
- Section 3(2) mandates a joint committee only when both Houses admit the removal motions.
- Treating one House’s rejection as binding would create an unconstitutional veto.
Constitutional Power: Deputy Chairman is empowered under Article 91 to discharge the Chairman’s statutory duties during a vacancy.
Final Holding: Lok Sabha Speaker’s unilateral constitution of the Inquiry Committee was legally valid.

About Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968

Core Purpose: The Act lays down the procedure to investigate proven misbehaviour or incapacity of Supreme Court and High Court judges.
Removal Articles: It operationalises the removal of Supreme Court judges under Article 124(4) and of High Court judges under Article 218.
Motion Threshold: A removal motion needs signatures of 100 Lok Sabha members or 50 Rajya Sabha members to be introduced.
Admission Power: The Speaker or Chairman may admit or refuse the motion after examining available material; the decision can be challenged only under Article 32 or for gross illegality.
Committee Setup: Once admitted, the Speaker or Chairman constitutes a three-member judicial inquiry committee, comprising
1. A Supreme Court judge or Chief Justice of India
2. A High Court Chief Justice and
3. A distinguished jurist nominated by the Speaker/Chairman
Inquiry Powers: The committee functions as a civil court, with the authority to summon witnesses and record evidence; it reports its findings to the Speaker or Chairman.
Reporting Step: If charges are proved, the committee’s report is laid before the House(s) where the motion is pending.
Voting Rule: Each House must pass the motion in the same session by a special majority of the total membership and two-thirds of those present and voting.
Final Order: After parliamentary approval, an address is sent to the President, who then issues the removal order.
Past Outcome: No judge in India has been removed so far through the full statutory process.

Read More > Removal of Judges in India

{GS2 – MEITY} Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme

Context (PIB): The Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme has delivered measurable outcomes in strengthening India’s semiconductor ecosystem.

The C2S Programme is an umbrella capacity-building initiative launched in 2022 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Objective: To develop industry-ready chip-design talent and strengthen India’s indigenous semiconductor design ecosystem.
Nodal Agency: It is implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
Training Target: to train 85,000 professionals at the B.Tech, M.Tech, and PhD levels in Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) and Embedded System Design over 5-years.
Design Infrastructure: A centralised ChipIN Centre at C-DAC provides startups and students with remote access to expensive Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools.
Fabrication Support: The programme collaborates with Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Mohali, to offer Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) fabrication services for student designs.
Design Democratisation: The initiative expands chip design capabilities beyond top-tier institutes, broadening participation across India’s education ecosystem.
Key Achievements: Over 1,00,000 students have enrolled, with nearly 67,000 already trained in advanced chip design. Institutions filed 75+ patents, and 56 student-designed chips have been fabricated.

Read More > India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem

{GS2 – IR} Gaza Board of Peace **

Context (DH | NOA): US President Donald Trump invited PM Narendra Modi to join a proposed Gaza “Board of Peace”, launched as part of the second phase of the Israel–Hamas ceasefire.

What is Trump’s “Board of Peace”?

A proposed international body aimed at bringing lasting peace and stability in Gaza through a new transition framework, beyond short-term ceasefire management.
It is projected as a platform not just for Gaza but potentially for wider conflict-resolution, since it is framed as a “bold new approach” to resolve global conflict.

Core Mandates of the Board

Governance Transition: The Board is meant to guide Gaza’s transition towards stable, lawful governance after the war, reducing institutional vacuum risks.
Funding Coordination: It is expected to coordinate international funding and channel reconstruction resources in an organised manner, rebuilding sustained multi-year financing.

Structure & Membership Design

Heads-Only Top Tier: The top level is proposed to include only heads of state, signalling high political authority in decision-making.
Trump-Led Framework: It is projected as being led under Trump’s leadership, indicating a US-driven architecture rather than a neutral multilateral body.

Why the Invite Matters for India?

West Asia Leverage: India has high stakes in West Asia due to energy dependence, diaspora security and trade routes, so Gaza stability matters directly.
Global Standing Boost: The invite signals India’s acceptability as a responsible stakeholder, and it strengthens India’s profile as a “consensus builder” rather than a bloc-aligned power.
Diplomatic Balancing Test: Joining requires careful calibration between India’s ties with Israel and strong relations with Arab states and Iran.

Key Concerns About the Board

Multilateral Legitimacy Risk: A US-led peace mechanism can be viewed as bypassing established UN processes and frameworks, reducing acceptability among several stakeholders.
Representation Gap: If Gaza’s political representatives and regional actors are not meaningfully included, outcomes may lack local legitimacy.
Scope Creep Risk: The claim that it may address wider “global conflicts” risks mission expansion beyond Gaza’s practical needs dilute focus and delaying deliverables.

{GS2 – IR} 18^th India–Japan Strategic Dialogue **

Context (IE | TP): India and Japan concluded their 18^th Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi, co-chaired by the Indian External Affairs Minister and his Japanese counterpart.

Key Outcomes

AI Cooperation: Concurred to establish the “Japan–India AI Strategic Dialogue” under the Japan–India AI Cooperation Initiative (JAI).
- Japan will invite 500 highly skilled Indian AI professionals by 2030 to strengthen joint research.
Economic Security: Agreed to establish a Private-Sector Dialogue on Economic Security in early 2026, focusing on semiconductors, critical minerals, ICT, clean energy, and pharmaceuticals.
Critical Minerals: Decided to convene a Joint Working Group (JWG) on Critical Minerals to build resilient supply chains and reduce dependence on single-source imports.
Defence Technology: Discussed the transfer of Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) technology for the Indian Navy, marking progress in defence technology cooperation.
Diplomatic Milestone: Designated 2027 as the 75thAnniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and India, highlighting the long-standing bilateral ties.

About India-Japan Relations

Partnership Status: India and Japan elevated bilateral ties to a Special Strategic Partnership in 2014.
Strategic Frameworks: Cooperation rests on the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation (2008) and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA, 2020) for logistics support.
Defence Engagement: The 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue anchors security talks, complemented by regular military drills like JIMEX, Dharma Guardian, and Veer Guardian.
Trade Relations: The 2011 CEPA liberalised trade; bilateral trade reached about USD 25.15 billion (FY 2024–25), with a trade deficit favouring Japan.
Investments: Japan is India’s 5^th-largest FDI source, with investment of around USD 43 billion (2024).
- Building on a JPY 5 trillion target set in 2022, the ‘Joint Vision for the Next Decade’ (2025) aims for an additional JPY 10 trillion in private investment.
Development Cooperation: Japan has been India’s largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) donor since 1958; flagship projects include the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR).
Technology Linkages: Collaboration spans AI, semiconductors, ISRO–JAXA LUPEX mission, and the Clean Energy Partnership (2022).
Demographic Alignment: To balance Japan’s ageing population and India’s youth bulge, both sides agreed to facilitate the mobility of 500,000 skilled Indian workers over five years.

Significance of India–Japan Relations

Indo-Pacific Stability: India and Japan anchor the Quad to uphold a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and a rules-based order, countering China’s regional assertiveness.
Global Governance: Both countries coordinate in forums like the G20, G4, and the UN to advocate reforms reflecting contemporary power realities.
Derisking Global Economy: The Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI), a trilateral framework with Australia, diversifies supply chains to reduce over-reliance on a single country.
Africa Engagement: Joint efforts for African development through the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) and the Japan–India Cooperation Initiative for Sustainable Economic Development in Africa.
Regional Connectivity: Through the Act East Forum, Japan partners in developing India’s Northeast, strengthening industrial linkages and cross-border connectivity with Bangladesh.

Read More > India-Japan Relations

{GS3 – IE} Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2026

Context (TH | ET): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2026, replacing the 2021 version to enhance complaint resolution.

About RB-IOS

RB-IOS is a free, grievance redressal mechanism to resolve customer complaints against RBI-Regulated Entities (REs) under the Alternate Grievance Redressal (AGR) framework.
The scheme adopts a jurisdiction-neutral, unified framework for all REs, under the “One Nation – One Ombudsman” principle.
Objective: To simplify complaint filing, standardise procedures, and ensure faster, transparent, and fair resolution of customer grievances.
Entities Covered: Commercial banks, regional rural banks, NBFCs with assets above ₹100 crore, system participants like UPI, Credit Information Companies, and State and District Central Co-operative Banks.

AGR Framework is a comprehensive system developed by RBI to manage internal and external dispute-resolution mechanisms across the financial sector.

Key Features of RB-IOS 2026

Tightened Timelines: REs must submit written replies within 15 days, while complainants must approach the Ombudsman within 90 days of response expiry (previously 1 year).
Appointments: RBI may appoint one or more of its officers as RBI Ombudsman or RBI Deputy Ombudsman, generally for a period of three years.
CRPC Mechanism: A permanent Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre to scrutinise all physical and email complaints, ensuring uniform handling.
Expanded Scope: The definition of “deficiency in service” now covers all services provided by regulated entities, not only financial services.
Enhanced Compensation: There is no cap on dispute value; the Ombudsman may award up to ₹30 lakh for financial loss and ₹3 lakh for non-financial harm.
Appeal Provision: Both complainants and REs may appeal to the Appellate Authority within 30 days.
Ombudsman Authority: The Ombudsman may implead third-party regulated entities whose negligence contributed to service deficiency and issue non-binding advisories for early settlement.
Increased Accountability: The RBI must publish an annual report on the functioning and activities under the scheme to enhance transparency.

{GS3 – Envi} Draft Guidelines to Regulate Religious Structures within Wildlife Sanctuaries

Context (TH): The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SCNBWL) issued draft guidelines to regulate religious structures inside wildlife sanctuaries.

Trigger: The guidelines followed the 2024-2025 Balaram Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary case in Gujarat.
- SCNBWL revoked land diversion clearance for a religious trust after finding it lacked documented legal rights.

SCNBWL is the specialised executive arm of NBWL responsible for reviewing development projects within or near protected areas; it is chaired by the Minister of MoEFCC.

Draft Regulatory Guidelines

New Structures: Any religious structure built on forest land after the enactment of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, is treated as encroachment.
Expansion: Expansion of the physical footprint of existing religious structures is generally prohibited.
- Exception: Small expansion may be allowed only to mitigate ecological conflicts or to provide essential public utilities.
Regularisation: Legalisation of pre-1980 religious structures requires a reasoned State Government order and final MoEFCC approval.
- Approach: Each proposal is examined individually, with no automatic or blanket approvals.
Faith Clause: Matters of faith alone are insufficient grounds for forest land diversion under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

Rules for Existing Religious Sites

Access Permit: Entry to such religious sites usually requires a valid permit under Section 28 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Movement Limits: Visitor movement is prohibited after sunset within sanctuary limits.
Construction Freeze: No new construction is allowed during maintenance activities or pilgrimage events.
Activity Prohibition: Use of horns, loud music, firearms, and non-biodegradable materials is strictly prohibited around these structures.

Read More > Forest Governance in India

{GS3 – Envi} High Seas Treaty on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction

Context (EC): The High Seas Treaty formally called the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) entered into force on 17 Jan 2026,

It created the first comprehensive global framework to govern biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction covering about half of Earth’s surface and ~95% of ocean volume.

About High Seas Treaty

It is formally Agreement on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, and is often called the “Paris Agreement for the Ocean.”
It was adopted in 2023 and it aims to head off a biodiversity crisis in the open ocean.
It is the first legally binding international pact focused on protecting marine life in the high seas.
India signed the agreement in September 2024.

Key Provisions of the BBNJ Treaty

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): Enables creation of MPAs in high seas, allowing conservation zones beyond national Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
Marine Genetic Resources (MGRs): Regulates access and ensures fair, equitable benefit-sharing from bio-prospecting (pharma, enzymes, biotech).
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): Makes EIAs mandatory for activities impacting high seas biodiversity (shipping, deep-sea mining, fishing).
Capacity Building: Supports developing countries via marine technology transfer and technical capacity-building for implementation.

Status of Treaty

Signatories: Signed by 145 countries, showing broad political acceptance of the treaty idea.
Ratifiers: Ratified by 81 Parties, including the European Union and 16 EU Member States.

Significance of the High Seas Treaty

30×30 Target: Without protecting biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, the world cannot realistically meet the Kunming–Montreal target of protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030.
Ocean Services: A healthy high seas system sustains fisheries productivity, climate regulation and carbon sink functions, protecting food and livelihood security for millions dependent on ocean ecosystems.
Curb Resource Rush: The treaty helps prevent uncontrolled exploitation of future high-seas resources for food, medicine, energy and biomaterials by creating rules before extraction pressures intensify.
Protecting Global Commons: Safeguards international waters (constitute over 60% of world’s oceans).

Issues with the Treaty

Territorial Disputes: Overlapping maritime claims, e.g. in South China Sea, hinder consensus on MPAs.
Livelihood Concerns: Coastal communities dependent on marine resources fear economic restrictions.
Fragmented Regulations: Conflicts with existing treaties, like the Convention on Biological Diversity, create enforcement challenges.
EEZ Impacts: The treaty overlooks harmful activities within EEZs, such as oil and gas exploration.

Way Forward

COP Readiness: Conduct the first COP within one year with clear operational rules for MPAs, EIAs, decision-making and compliance to avoid a treaty without enforcement.
Equity Framework: Create transparent benefit-sharing rules for marine genetic resources so developing countries gain from high-seas bioeconomy.
Science Pipeline: Build global baseline mapping, open biodiversity databases and monitoring protocols so that provisions are science-based and defensible against disputes.
Capacity Support: Scale finance, technology transfer and training support to Global South.

Read More> High Seas Treaty

{Prelims – Eco} Tax Residency Certificate (TRC)

Context (BS): The Supreme Court ruled that possession of a Tax Residency Certificate alone does not preclude scrutiny where tax avoidance allegations exist.

About TRC: A Tax Residency Certificate (TRC) is an official document issued by a tax authority certifying residence for a specific financial year.
Purpose: Its primary purpose is to prevent double taxation of income earned in multiple countries.
Treaty Benefit: A TRC allows taxpayers to claim benefits under applicable Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) between countries.
Indian Criteria: In India, tax residency generally requires meeting the criteria under Section 6 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, including a 182-day stay in a financial year.

DTAAs are bilateral or multilateral treaties that prevent the same income from being taxed by both the source country (where the income originates) and the resident country (where the taxpayer resides).

Read More > Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA)

{Prelims – Species} Royle’s pika (Ochotona roylei)

Context (DTE): Rising temperatures and changing monsoon patterns are threatening the Royle’s pika’s survival by disrupting its specialised alpine habitat.

About Royle’s pika (Ochotona roylei)

About Species: Royle’s pika, also known as the Himalayan mouse-hare, is a small, high-altitude mammal in the order Lagomorpha (the same order as rabbits and hares).
Physical Traits: It has a greyish-brown body, a slightly arched head, and a distinctive chestnut-coloured head; in winter, its coat becomes duller.
Habitat Preference: It inhabits talus slopes, alpine meadows, and open rhododendron or conifer forests at elevations between 2,400 and 5,200 metres.
Geographic Range: Royle’s pika is endemic to the Himalayas across India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Tibet. In India, it is recorded in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim.
Nesting: Unlike burrowing pikas, it nests in natural crevices formed between rocks and boulders.
Winter Activity: The species does not hibernate; It continues to forage under the snow layers.
Diet Pattern: Royle’s pika is herbivorous, feeding on grasses, herbs, mosses, and lichens in alpine zones.
Ecological Role: It acts as an indicator species for climate change due to its high sensitivity to temperature rise.
Key Threats: Habitat fragmentation, climate change, population bottlenecks, invasive species, etc.
Conservation Status: IUCN: Least Concern; WPA: Schedule I

{Prelims – Species} Second Rangewide Estimation of River Dolphins in India *

Context (NOA | PIB): The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched the second range-wide estimation of riverine and estuarine dolphins under Project Dolphin.

Project Dolphin is a comprehensive conservation movement launched by the MoEFCC in 2020 to protect both riverine and marine dolphin species.

The survey includes the Irrawaddy dolphin for the first time, along with the Gangetic river dolphin and the Indus river dolphins.
It will be conducted in two phases across the Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems, covering the Sundarbans and Odisha.
The survey uses advanced tools like hydrophones for underwater acoustic monitoring.
It will be coordinated by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) with state forest departments and partners such as WWF-India.
The survey will generate robust scientific data to support conservation planning and policy for India’s river ecosystems.

First Survey Result: It estimated about 6,327 riverine dolphins across India, with only three Indus River Dolphins recorded in the Beas River, Punjab. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest dolphin population, followed by Bihar.

{Prelims – S&T} AI Tool for Predicting Intrinsically Disordered Protein

Context (TH): Researchers at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) created an AI tool, Disobind, to predict how intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) interact within cells.

About Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs)

IDPs are proteins that have a dynamic, flexible form, often called “shapeshifting” proteins.
They do not have a single folded 3D structure like traditional globular proteins.
IDPs constitute nearly 30–40% of the total eukaryotic proteome and play central roles in cellular communication, gene regulation, and complex signalling networks.
Disease Links: Dysfunctional IDPs are associated with cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.

About Disobind

Disobind is an open-source AI deep learning model that predicts how IDPs bind to partner proteins.
It only needs amino acid sequences and no prior 3D structural data to predict interactions, allowing quick mapping of nearly any protein in the genome.
High Accuracy: Disobind outperformed global giants like AlphaFold-Multimer and AlphaFold3 in identifying IDR binding interfaces.
Key Applications: It facilitates the development of more precise treatments by targeting previously “undruggable” flexible protein regions.

{Prelims – In News} 21^st Rising Day of the National Disaster Response Force *

Context (PIB): January 19, 2026, marks the 21^st Raising Day of the National Disaster Response Force, completing 20 years since its establishment.

NDRF is a specialised Indian paramilitary force created for response to natural & man-made disasters.
Legal Basis: It was constituted in 2006 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Administrative Control: NDRF functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is governed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Composition: It comprises 16 battalions drawn on deputation from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
Operational Role: NDRF conducts search and rescue, handles CBRN disasters, trains state forces (SDRF), and runs community awareness programmes.