Health Insurance

MoF Launches ‘Paripoorna Mediclaim Ayush Bima’ for CGHS Beneficiaries

• The Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance launched ‘Paripoorna Mediclaim Ayush Bima’ in January 2026, an optional health insurance scheme specifically designed for Central Government Health Scheme beneficiaries covering up to six family members with sum insured options of Rs 10 lakhs or Rs 20 lakhs.
• The policy is available as a retail product through New India Assurance Company Limited with no GST charged on premiums, offering cashless treatment across a wide hospital network throughout India with co-payment options of 70:30 or 50:50 between the insurance company and subscribers, providing discounts of 28% and 42% respectively compared to regular policies.
• AYUSH treatments including Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy are fully covered up to 100% of the sum insured for in-patient care, while modern medical procedures are covered up to 25% with an optional rider to enhance coverage to 100%, complementing existing CGHS facilities.
• The policy features room rent capped at 1% of sum insured for normal rooms and 2% for ICU stays per day, includes 30 days pre-hospitalisation and 60 days post-hospitalisation cover, and offers a cumulative bonus of 10% for each claim-free year up to a maximum of 100% of the sum insured.

Energy & Environment

AP CM Lays Foundation for World’s Largest Green Hydrogen & Ammonia Project at Kakinada

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Konidala Pawan Kalyan laid the foundation stone on January 17, 2026, for the world’s largest green hydrogen and green ammonia plants at Kakinada with an estimated investment of USD 10 billion (Rs 84,000 crore) being developed by AM Green, a company of the Greenko Group.
• The mega project will have a total planned capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum of green ammonia to be developed over 495 acres, with commissioning in stages beginning with 0.5 MTPA by 2027, scaling to 1.0 MTPA in 2028, and reaching full capacity of 1.5 MTPA by 2030, transforming an existing ammonia-urea complex into an integrated green hydrogen and green ammonia facility.
• The project features an integrated energy infrastructure comprising 7.5 Gigawatt of solar and wind capacity, 1,950 Megawatt of electrolyser capacity, and 2 GW of round-the-clock renewable power supported by pumped hydro storage including the Pinnapuram pumped storage project in Andhra Pradesh, aligning with the state’s Integrated Clean Energy Policy 2024.
• The facility will generate up to 8,000 jobs during construction phase and create high-skill employment during operations, with green ammonia serving as shipping fuel, power generation input, and feedstock for green hydrogen, enabling India’s first exports of green ammonia to markets including Germany, Japan, and Singapore.

Business & Economy

GeM Marks Seven Years of ‘Womaniya Initiative’ to Strengthen Women-Led MSE Participation

• The Government e-Marketplace under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry celebrated seven years of the ‘Womaniya Initiative’ on January 14, 2026, a flagship programme launched on January 14, 2019, to strengthen participation of women-led Micro and Small Enterprises in public procurement by enabling women entrepreneurs and Self Help Groups to sell products to government ministries, departments, and institutions.
• As of January 14, 2026, more than two lakh women-led MSEs are registered on the GeM portal and have secured public procurement orders exceeding Rs 80,000 crore, accounting for 4.7% of GeM’s total order value, significantly surpassing the mandated 3% procurement target for women-owned and women-led enterprises.
• The commemorative event held at Jeevan Bharti Building in New Delhi was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of MSME, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, and UN Women India, featuring testimonials, interactive sessions, and discussions on enterprise growth and local impact aligned with national priorities including Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, and Vocal for Local.
• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between GeM and the Women’s Collective Forum to strengthen institutional support, with the partnership aiming to support onboarding, compliance, product listing, and training for women entrepreneurs to further enhance their participation in public procurement ecosystem.

Economy

NITI Aayog Releases Report on Achieving Efficiencies in MSME Sector through Convergence of Schemes

• NITI Aayog released a comprehensive report titled “Achieving Efficiencies in Micro Small Medium Enterprises Sector through Convergence of Schemes” in January 2026, launched in New Delhi by Dr. Arvind Virmani, Member of NITI Aayog, and B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, providing a detailed framework to strengthen the effectiveness of government interventions in the sector.
• The report addresses the critical issue that the Ministry of MSME currently oversees 18 schemes with overlapping objectives and fragmented implementation across ministries that often lead to duplication, inefficiencies, and limited outreach, underscoring that effective convergence and rationalisation can simplify access for beneficiaries and improve resource conversion into outcomes.
• The framework recommends a dual approach comprising information convergence focusing on integrating government-generated data at central and state levels to improve coordination and enable informed decision-making, and process convergence aimed at merging similar schemes, combining common components, and fostering collaboration across ministries.
• The report’s objectives include evaluating various Government of India schemes and programmes in the MSME sector and examining the present level of convergence of MSME programmes to reduce duplication and better strengthen governance outcomes through enhanced coordination mechanisms.

Education & Professional Training

IICA Launches 8th Batch of PGIP and Signs MoU with IIIPI-ICAI

• The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs opened registrations for the 8th Batch of the Post Graduate Insolvency Programme in January 2026, a flagship national initiative aimed at developing highly skilled insolvency professionals in line with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code framework of India for capacity building of professionally trained insolvency practitioners.
• IICA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Institute of Insolvency Professionals of ICAI to strengthen collaboration in insolvency and bankruptcy education, research, and training, with the partnership focusing on capacity building, research, and academic exchange to strengthen India’s insolvency and bankruptcy framework.
• The PGIP programme aims to produce a skilled cadre of Insolvency Professionals to handle stressed assets under the IBC 2016, with the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection designated as the official examination partner for the PGIP entrance examination to ensure standardized assessment of candidates.
• The collaboration between IICA and IIIPI-ICAI is designed to create comprehensive training modules and research initiatives that will enhance the professional capabilities of insolvency practitioners across India, contributing to more effective resolution of corporate insolvencies and strengthening the overall financial ecosystem.

Government Policy

DFS Launches ‘Composite Salary Account Package’ for Central Government Employees

• The Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance officially launched the ‘Composite Salary Account Package for Central Government Employees’ in January 2026 in coordination with all Public Sector Banks, standardizing benefits for employees across Group A, B, and C cadres while excluding Group D employees.
• The package provides zero-balance salary accounts with no annual charges along with free RTGS, NEFT, and UPI facilities, concessional interest rates on housing, education, and vehicle loans with processing fee waivers, bank locker rental waivers, and exclusive family banking privileges to enhance financial accessibility for government employees.
• Enhanced insurance coverage includes comprehensive protection with personal and disability cover up to Rs 1.5 crore, air accident cover up to Rs 2 crore, term life insurance up to Rs 20 lakh, and health insurance for employees and their families with add-on options, ensuring comprehensive financial security for central government workforce.
• Digital and card features include availability of premium card variants with enhanced cashback and reward programs, and airport lounge access that varies based on cadre, with the initiative aligning with the Government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision and the national goal of achieving Insurance for All by 2047.

Technology

6th ASEAN-India Digital Ministers’ Meeting Virtually Hosted by Vietnam

• The 6th ASEAN-India Digital Ministers’ Meeting was hosted virtually by Vietnam under the theme “Adaptive ASEAN: From Connectivity to Connected Intelligence” and co-chaired by Amit Agrawal, Secretary of Department of Telecommunications under Ministry of Communications, and Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Science and Technology of Vietnam.
• The meeting adopted the Hanoi Declaration on Digital Cooperation stressing cooperation on Artificial Intelligence, broadband, resilient infrastructure, and digital inclusion, while endorsing the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2026-2030 and reaffirming commitment to regional digital transformation priorities.
• A comprehensive 2026 Digital Work Plan was approved centered on ICT training and capacity building programs, the India-ASEAN Regulators’ Conference, and deployment of telecom ICT solutions, with the meeting marking the official operationalization of the ASEAN-India Fund to finance digital transformation and innovation projects in ASEAN member states.
• The ADGMIN serves as an annual platform bringing together telecom and digital ministers from 11 ASEAN Member States along with ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners to deliberate on regional and global digital cooperation, facilitating knowledge exchange and collaborative initiatives for advancing digital economies across the region.

Agriculture

India and Israel Sign Strategic Pact for Fisheries and Aquaculture Cooperation

• India and Israel signed a Joint Ministerial Declaration of Intent in January 2026 to deepen bilateral cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture during a high-level Indian visit to Israel led by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh of Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, who attended the Second Global Summit on “Blue Food Security: Sea the Future 2026” in Eilat, Israel from January 13-15, 2026.
• A key element of the cooperation involves exploring the establishment of new Indo-Israel Centres of Excellence for Fisheries and Aquaculture, with both countries undertaking joint research and development in advanced aquaculture technologies including Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, biofloc, cage culture, aquaponics, and aquarium systems such as oceanariums.
• The cooperation will cover high-yield species breeding, pathogen-free seed and broodstock development, genetic improvement programmes, mariculture and seaweed cultivation, and efficient water management using Israeli water-saving technologies to enhance productivity and sustainability in aquaculture operations.
• The declaration highlights sustainable fishing practices, technology-driven monitoring, capacity building, start-up exchanges, and fisher training to strengthen bilateral collaboration and promote innovation in the fisheries sector, leveraging Israel’s technological expertise and India’s large-scale aquaculture potential.

Financial Services

Piramal Finance Secures USD 350 Million from IFC and ADB

• Piramal Finance Limited, a diversified Non-Banking Financial Company, secured USD 350 million in multilateral funding in January 2026 from the International Finance Corporation (USD 200 million) and the Asian Development Bank (USD 150 million) under the Sustainable Finance Framework, marking its first borrowing from Development Finance Institutions.
• The facilities have a five-year maturity and will be drawn in tranches between January 2026 and March 2026, with Piramal Finance in advanced discussions to raise an additional USD 150 million from DFIs, targeting USD 500 million in total multilateral funding by Financial Year 2025-26, underscoring strong confidence in its governance and risk management.
• The capital will be deployed to expand affordable housing finance, scale MSME credit, and increase lending to women borrowers and women-led enterprises across Tier 2, Tier 3, semi-urban, and rural markets, supporting financial inclusion objectives and strengthening access to credit in underserved segments.
• This borrowing strengthens Piramal Finance’s long-term funding profile by reducing reliance on domestic markets and diversifying its funding sources, with the company being an RBI-regulated NBFC-ICC and wholly owned subsidiary of Piramal Enterprises formed after acquiring Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited in September 2021.

Banking & Finance

RBI Issues ‘Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2026’ to Simplify Complaint Resolution

• The Reserve Bank of India issued the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme 2026 in January 2026, a revised grievance-redress framework designed to simplify complaint resolution for customers against banks and other finance institutions, which will come into effect from July 1, 2026, superseding the earlier RB-IOS 2021.
• The scheme embodies a “One Nation, One Ombudsman” approach with no limit on the dispute amount that can be brought before the RBI Ombudsman, with the RBI establishing a Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre at one or more places to receive and process complaints filed under the scheme.
• Compensation limits have been significantly increased with the RBI Ombudsman having power to provide compensation up to Rs 30 lakh for consequential loss suffered by complainants (previously Rs 20 lakh), and up to Rs 3 lakh for loss of time, expenses incurred, and harassment or mental anguish (previously Rs 1 lakh).
• The RBI can appoint one or more of its officers as RBI Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman generally for a period of three years at a time to carry out functions entrusted under the scheme, creating a comprehensive single integrated framework replacing multiple legacy schemes for enhanced customer protection.

Technology

Wikipedia Partners with Microsoft, Meta, Amazon to Monetize AI Training

• The Wikimedia Foundation signed strategic partnerships in January 2026 with Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Mistral AI, and Perplexity to provide structured, paid access to Wikipedia content for Artificial Intelligence training, marking Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary and enabling these companies to access high-speed data through Wikimedia Enterprise to support development of Large Language Models and chatbots.
• Wikipedia’s content comprising over 65 million articles across 300+ languages is extensively used as training data for AI systems including chatbots, search engines, and virtual assistants, with these agreements falling under the Wikimedia Enterprise programme offering high-volume, structured API access specifically designed for commercial AI developers and technology platforms.
• This partnership signifies a transition from unauthorised free scraping of Wikipedia data by AI firms to formal licensing arrangements, aimed at ensuring sustainable revenue for the non-profit’s operations while maintaining the integrity and accessibility of the world’s largest free online encyclopedia.
• The new agreements build on earlier deals including the 2022 partnership with Google, bringing most major technology companies under the Wikimedia Enterprise licensing framework and establishing a precedent for fair compensation when encyclopedic knowledge is used to train commercial AI systems.

Sports

Aaryan Varshney Becomes India’s 92nd Chess Grand Master

• 21-year-old Aaryan Varshney from Delhi became India’s 92nd Chess Grand Master in January 2026 after winning the 16th Andranik Margaryan Memorial title held from January 9 to 16, 2026 in Armenia, drawing against FIDE Master Tyhran Ambartsumian in the 8th round to secure his third and final GM norm with 6.5 points out of 8 points.
• Aaryan became the 8th chess player from Delhi to secure the GM title after Parimarjan Negi, Abhijeet Gupta, Sriram Jha, Vaibhav Suri, Sahaj Grover, Aryan Chopra, and Prithu Gupta, achieving the highest and most prestigious title in chess awarded by FIDE which requires a minimum FIDE rating of 2500 and three GM norms.
• Varshney started playing chess at age 8 with his coach and father Gaurav Varshney, played his career’s first rated tournament in December 2014 securing an Elo rating of 1261, won the National Under-13 Championship in Ahmedabad in July 2018, earned FM title in 2018, and achieved IM title in 2024 with a live rating of 2,395.
• He secured his maiden GM norm at the 34th Vasilis Theodoridis Open in Kavala, Greece in August 2025, obtained his second GM norm by scoring 9 out of 9 to win the 3rd Leonine GM title in Dhaka, Bangladesh in December 2025, and completed his final norm at the Armenian tournament to achieve the coveted Grand Master status.

Business & Economy

National Startup Day 2026 – January 16

• National Startup Day is observed annually across India on January 16 to celebrate the country’s progress in building a robust, dynamic, and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem, with 2026 marking the completion of 10 years of Startup India, a transformative initiative led by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched in 2016.
• The Government of India declared January 16 as National Startup Day in 2022 to celebrate the nation’s stride in promoting a robust and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing startup founders, innovators, and young entrepreneurs at a programme held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi during the 2026 celebrations.
• During the event, DPIIT unveiled results of the 5th edition of the National Startup Awards spread across 20 categories recognizing startups from Tier-I and Tier-III cities covering deep-tech innovation and emerging sectors, alongside the Startup Ranking Framework 5.0 which evaluated performance of 34 States and UTs in enabling startup growth.
• The SRF 5.0 assessed states and union territories across 6 reform areas and 19 clearly defined action points covering policy and institutional support, physical and digital infrastructure, access to funding, market access and linkages, and capacity building, demonstrating comprehensive efforts to strengthen India’s startup ecosystem at ground level.

Technology

MP Government Signs MoU with BHASHINI to Strengthen Multilingual Digital Governance

• The Digital India BHASHINI Division under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Madhya Pradesh in January 2026 to enhance multilingual digital governance across the state, with the agreement formalized during the Regional Artificial Intelligence Impact Conference 2026 held in Bhopal.
• The collaboration aims to integrate BHASHINI’s AI-powered language tools and translation APIs into the state’s digital platforms to enable multilingual digital governance, ensuring public services are accessible in multiple Indian languages while strengthening last-mile service delivery and digital inclusivity across Madhya Pradesh.
• The state will deploy voice-first solutions and language technologies developed by BHASHINI to remove linguistic barriers in governance, making government services more accessible to citizens who prefer to interact in their native languages rather than English or Hindi, particularly benefiting rural and semi-urban populations.
• The initiative is supported by the IndiaAI Mission and the Department of Science and Technology of Madhya Pradesh, aligning with national objectives of digital inclusion and ensuring that technological advancement reaches all citizens regardless of their linguistic preferences or digital literacy levels.