UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 January 2026
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 January 2026 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 2:
• India–EU FTA
India–EU FTA
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
• India’s Bioeconomy
India’s Bioeconomy
• UGC’s new rules against caste discrimination
UGC’s new rules against caste discrimination
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
• Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024
Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024
• Nipah Virus
Nipah Virus
• US regional bases in the Middle East
US regional bases in the Middle East
• Vultures in India
Vultures in India
Mapping:
• Similipal National Park
Similipal National Park
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 January 2026
GS Paper 2:
India–EU FTA
Source: BT
Subject: International Relations
Context: India and the European Union are in the final stage of negotiating a long-pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which is expected to significantly boost India’s exports and diversify trade amid rising global protectionism.
About India–EU FTA:
What it is?
• The India–EU Free Trade Agreement is a comprehensive trade pact aimed at reducing or eliminating tariffs, aligning regulations, opening services markets, and facilitating investment between India and the 27-nation European Union.
• It also includes parallel negotiations on Investment Protection and Geographical Indications (GIs). Talks began in 2007, stalled in 2013, and were relaunched in June 2022.
Current India–EU Trade (2024–25)
• Largest goods trading partner: EU is India’s biggest trading partner for goods, with bilateral trade of billion.
• Export–import split: India exported billion and imported billion worth of goods from the EU.
• Services trade: India exported billion in services to the EU and imported billion, mainly in IT, IP, telecom and business services.
• EU share in India’s exports: The EU accounts for about 17% of India’s total exports, making it India’s largest export market bloc.
• Major partners within EU: Top destinations for Indian exports include Germany, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and Poland.
Opportunities from the India–EU FTA:
• Tariff removal for labour-intensive sectors: Removing 12–16% duties will help Indian textiles and leather compete with duty-free rivals like Vietnam and Bangladesh.
• Boost to manufacturing exports: Zero-duty access will propel India’s pharmaceutical and engineering goods into the 450-million-strong European market, fostering industrial growth.
• Growth in services exports: Regulatory alignment will facilitate smoother movement for Indian IT and telecom professionals, significantly expanding India’s billion services footprint.
• Supply-chain diversification: The pact secures India’s position as a reliable “China-plus-one” alternative, integrating domestic industries into sophisticated European manufacturing networks.
• FDI and technology inflows: Enhanced legal certainty will draw high-quality European investments in green hydrogen and semiconductors, boosting the Make-in-India initiative.
Challenges Associated with the FTA:
• EU demands on labour and environment: Stringent climate standards and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) act as non-tariff barriers that India views as protectionist.
• Data protection and digital trade: Tensions remain as India prioritizes sovereign data localization while the EU demands free data flows for its digital firms.
• Automobile and wine tariffs: India faces pressure to cut steep duties on European cars and spirits, which risks disrupting the sensitive domestic manufacturing ecosystem.
• Intellectual property rights (IPR): EU’s push for data exclusivity could delay the production of life-saving generics, threatening India’s status as the world’s pharmacy.
• Public procurement access: The EU’s demand to bid for government contracts clashes with India’s preference for local suppliers under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision.
Way Ahead:
• Balanced tariff reductions: Negotiations must focus on asymmetric liberalization, ensuring India gains early export access while opening its own markets in phases.
• Safeguard domestic manufacturing: Protective carve-outs for agriculture and dairy ensure that small-scale Indian producers are not overwhelmed by highly subsidized European imports.
• Protect digital sovereignty: India must leverage its digital public infrastructure (DPI) success to negotiate data-sharing rules that protect privacy while enabling global trade.
• Leverage EU market for Make-in-India: Strategic alignment with PLI schemes can turn the FTA into a catalyst for high-end manufacturing and global technology transfers.
• Use the FTA as a geopolitical hedge: Deepening trade with the EU provides a vital buffer against volatile global trade shifts and rising regional protectionism.
Conclusion:
The India–EU FTA is not just a trade deal but a strategic economic partnership with the world’s largest trading bloc. If concluded on balanced terms, it can accelerate India’s export-led growth, attract high-quality investment and integrate India into European supply chains, strengthening India’s position in a fragmented global economy.
Q. “The India–EU FTA is more than an economic negotiation, it is a test of India’s strategic alignment with Europe”. Analyse this statement. What broader implications does it hold for India’s global trade strategy? (10 M)
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 January 2026 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
India’s Bioeconomy
Context: India’s bioeconomy touched billion in 2024, up from billion in 2014, as announced by Union Minister while inaugurating a BSL-4 biocontainment facility in Gujarat.
About India’s Bioeconomy:
What it is?
• India’s bioeconomy refers to the economic value generated from biotechnology, biopharma, agriculture biotech, bio-industrial products, bio-energy, and health sciences.
Key facts & data:
• India’s bioeconomy has achieved a remarkable 16-fold growth over the last decade, surging from billion in 2014 to billion by 2026.
• As of 2026, the market is distributed across four critical segments:
• Bio-Industrial (47%): The largest share, led by the Ethanol Blending Program which achieved its 20% (E20) target in 2025, five years ahead of schedule. Bio-Pharma (35%): India remains the “Pharmacy of the World,” supplying 65% of the WHO’s vaccine requirements. Bio-Research & IT (9%): The fastest-growing segment, fuelled by AI-driven drug discovery. Bio-Agri (8%): Cantered on climate-resilient crops and bio-fertilizers.
• Bio-Industrial (47%): The largest share, led by the Ethanol Blending Program which achieved its 20% (E20) target in 2025, five years ahead of schedule.
• Bio-Pharma (35%): India remains the “Pharmacy of the World,” supplying 65% of the WHO’s vaccine requirements.
• Bio-Research & IT (9%): The fastest-growing segment, fuelled by AI-driven drug discovery.
• Bio-Agri (8%): Cantered on climate-resilient crops and bio-fertilizers.
• The number of biotech start-ups has skyrocketed from 50 in 2014 to over 11,000 in 2026.
• In addition to the NIV in Pune, 2026 marks the operationalization of state-led BSL-4 Bio-Containment facilities (such as the one in Gujarat).
Relevance for UPSC Examination:
• GS Paper II (Governance & Health): Biotech and BSL-4 labs strengthen public health preparedness, pandemic surveillance, and the One Health approach.
• Biotech and BSL-4 labs strengthen public health preparedness, pandemic surveillance, and the One Health approach.
• GS Paper III (Science, Technology & Economy): The bioeconomy links biotechnology, startups, and biomanufacturing with growth, while biosafety manages risks.
• The bioeconomy links biotechnology, startups, and biomanufacturing with growth, while biosafety manages risks.
• GS Paper IV (Ethics & Public Policy): Life-science research requires ethical conduct, bio-safety, and control of antimicrobial resistance.
• Life-science research requires ethical conduct, bio-safety, and control of antimicrobial resistance.
UGC’s new rules against caste discrimination
Context: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026 to curb caste-based discrimination on campuses.
About UGC’s new rules against caste discrimination:
What it is?
• The University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 is a revised legal framework to prevent caste-based discrimination in universities and colleges across India. It updates and strengthens the earlier 2012 anti-discrimination regulations.
Key features:
• Expanded definition of caste-based discrimination: Discrimination now explicitly includes acts against SCs, STs and OBCs, correcting the exclusion of OBCs in the draft rules.
• Broad definition of discrimination: Covers unfair or biased treatment based on caste, tribe, religion, gender, disability, place of birth, and includes actions that harm human dignity or equality in education.
• Mandatory Equal Opportunity Centres (EOCs): Every higher education institution must set up an EOC to promote equity, inclusion and access for disadvantaged groups.
• Equity Committees in each institution: Headed by the institution’s chief, with mandatory representation of SCs, STs, OBCs, women and persons with disabilities, to handle complaints and monitor inclusion.
• Regular monitoring and reporting: EOCs must submit bi-annual reports, and equity committees must meet at least twice a year.
• Strong penalties for violations: Institutions violating the rules can be debarred from offering degrees or academic programmes, and may even lose recognition.
• National-level oversight: A UGC monitoring committee with professional councils will oversee compliance across the country.
UPSC Syllabus Relevance
• GS Paper II – Polity & Governance
• Constitutional values: Equality, non-discrimination and dignity (Articles 14, 15, 21) Statutory bodies: Role and powers of UGC Government policies & interventions for social justice and inclusion
• Constitutional values: Equality, non-discrimination and dignity (Articles 14, 15, 21)
• Statutory bodies: Role and powers of UGC
• Government policies & interventions for social justice and inclusion
• GS Paper I – Indian Society
• Social stratification, caste system and discrimination Problems of vulnerable sections (SCs, STs, OBCs, women, PwDs)
• Social stratification, caste system and discrimination
• Problems of vulnerable sections (SCs, STs, OBCs, women, PwDs)
• GS Paper IV – Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
• Human dignity, fairness and justice Institutional ethics and accountability
• Human dignity, fairness and justice
• Institutional ethics and accountability
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 January 2026 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024
Source: PIB
Subject: Economy
Context: NITI Aayog has released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 to assess how ready Indian States and UTs are to drive India’s export-led growth.
About Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024:
What is it?
• The Export Preparedness Index (EPI) is a composite index that evaluates the export readiness, competitiveness, and institutional capacity of India’s States and Union Territories at the sub-national level.
Published by: NITI Aayog (Government of India)
History:
• First edition: August 2020
• EPI 2024: 4th edition of the Index
Aim: To create an evidence-based framework that helps States and districts identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities to boost exports, jobs, regional development, and global value-chain integration.
Criteria Used: EPI 2024 is based on:
• 13 Sub-pillars
• 70 indicators
Pillars:
Pillar | Focus
Export Infrastructure (20%) | Utilities, logistics, connectivity, industrial infrastructure
Business Ecosystem (40%) | Macroeconomy, cost competitiveness, human capital, finance, MSMEs, innovation
Policy & Governance (20%) | State export policies, institutions, regulatory environment
Export Performance (20%) | Export outcomes, diversification, market access, facilitation
Key Features of EPI 2024:
• Introduces new dimensions such as macroeconomic stability, cost competitiveness, MSME ecosystem, and financial access.
• Uses official data from Central Ministries, State Governments and public institutions.
• States and UTs are classified as Leaders, Challengers, and Aspirers.
• Strong focus on districts as the real units of export competitiveness.
• Helps in cluster-based, place-based and value-chain driven export strategies.
Top Performing States & UTs (EPI 2024):
Large States:
• Maharashtra
• Tamil Nadu
• Uttar Pradesh
• Andhra Pradesh
Small States / North-East / UTs
• Uttarakhand
• Jammu & Kashmir
• Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
Nipah Virus
Source: TH
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: Two nurses in West Bengal have tested positive for the Nipah virus, with one in coma and another on ventilator support, triggering emergency contact tracing and isolation of over 120 people.
About Nipah Virus:
What it is?
• Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus (animal-to-human) that can also spread between humans, causing illnesses ranging from mild fever to fatal encephalitis and severe respiratory disease.
Natural Host:
• Primary reservoir: Fruit bats (Pteropus species – flying foxes)
• Intermediate hosts: Pigs, horses, goats, dogs (can infect humans)
• Human transmission: Contact with bat-contaminated food (e.g., fruits, date-palm sap) Contact with infected animals Human-to-human via respiratory droplets, body fluids, or close care
• Contact with bat-contaminated food (e.g., fruits, date-palm sap)
• Contact with infected animals
• Human-to-human via respiratory droplets, body fluids, or close care
Symptoms:
• Early symptoms: Fever, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting
• Progressive symptoms: Dizziness, drowsiness, confusion
• Severe disease: Acute respiratory distress Encephalitis (brain inflammation) Seizures and coma within 24–48 hours
• Acute respiratory distress
• Encephalitis (brain inflammation)
• Seizures and coma within 24–48 hours
Key Features:
• Case fatality rate: 40%–75% (very high)
• Incubation period: 4–14 days (can extend up to 45 days)
• WHO Priority Pathogen: Listed under WHO R&D Blueprint for urgent vaccine and drug research.
Treatment:
• No specific antiviral drug or vaccine available.
• Supportive care is the mainstay: Oxygen and ventilator support Intensive care for brain and lung complications Symptom-based management
• Oxygen and ventilator support
• Intensive care for brain and lung complications
• Symptom-based management
• Early isolation, contact tracing, and infection control are critical to stop outbreaks.
US regional bases in the Middle East
Source: CNN
Subject: International Relations
Context: Iran has warned it will strike U.S. military bases in the Middle East if Washington intervenes in Iran’s internal unrest, after President Donald Trump publicly backed Iranian protesters.
About US regional bases in the Middle East:
What it is?
• The United States maintains a network of permanent and rotational military bases across the Middle East to secure oil routes, protect allies, counter terrorism, and deter Iran and other regional threats under the US Central Command (CENTCOM) framework.
Major US bases in the region
• Bahrain – Fifth Fleet Headquarters Hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which controls naval operations across the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean, ensuring maritime security and oil flow.
• Hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which controls naval operations across the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean, ensuring maritime security and oil flow.
• Qatar – Al Udeid Air Base The largest US base in the Middle East, serving as CENTCOM’s forward headquarters with around 10,000 troops, coordinating air, missile defence and regional military operations.
• The largest US base in the Middle East, serving as CENTCOM’s forward headquarters with around 10,000 troops, coordinating air, missile defence and regional military operations.
• Kuwait – Camp Arifjan & Ali Al Salem Air Base Camp Arifjan is the forward HQ of US Army Central, while Ali Al Salem is a key air logistics hub near the Iraq border, supporting deployments to Iraq and Syria.
• Camp Arifjan is the forward HQ of US Army Central, while Ali Al Salem is a key air logistics hub near the Iraq border, supporting deployments to Iraq and Syria.
• United Arab Emirates – Al Dhafra Air Base & Jebel Ali Port Al Dhafra supports US air operations, surveillance and anti-ISIS missions; Jebel Ali is the US Navy’s busiest port in the Middle East, hosting aircraft carriers and warships.
• Al Dhafra supports US air operations, surveillance and anti-ISIS missions; Jebel Ali is the US Navy’s busiest port in the Middle East, hosting aircraft carriers and warships.
• Iraq – Ain Al Asad & Erbil Air Base Ain Al Asad supports Iraqi and NATO missions and was hit by Iranian missiles in 2020; Erbil is a key logistics, intelligence and training hub in northern Iraq.
• Ain Al Asad supports Iraqi and NATO missions and was hit by Iranian missiles in 2020; Erbil is a key logistics, intelligence and training hub in northern Iraq.
• Saudi Arabia – Prince Sultan Air Base Hosts US air defence systems such as Patriot and THAAD to protect the Kingdom and regional US assets from missile attacks.
• Hosts US air defence systems such as Patriot and THAAD to protect the Kingdom and regional US assets from missile attacks.
• Jordan – Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base Base of the US 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, supporting air operations across Syria, Iraq and the Levant.
• Base of the US 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, supporting air operations across Syria, Iraq and the Levant.
• Turkey – Incirlik Air Base Jointly run by the US and Turkey, it hosts US nuclear weapons and supports NATO and anti-ISIS operations in West Asia.
• Jointly run by the US and Turkey, it hosts US nuclear weapons and supports NATO and anti-ISIS operations in West Asia.
Vultures in India
Source: TH
Subject: Species in News
Context: Tamil Nadu informed the Madras High Court that it is creating Vulture Safe Zones (VSZs), beginning with the Moyar River Valley in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, to protect vultures from toxic veterinary drugs like diclofenac.
About Vultures in India:
What they are?
• Vultures are large scavenging birds of prey that feed on animal carcasses, playing a crucial ecological role by preventing the spread of disease, recycling nutrients, and keeping landscapes clean.
Types of vulture:
Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus)
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
• Features: Medium-sized vulture with pale body and dark wings; nests on cliffs and tall trees; feeds mainly on livestock carcasses.
Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
• Features: Long thin bill and narrow neck; prefers forested river valleys and grasslands of north and east India; highly sensitive to NSAID poisoning.
White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
• Features: Dark body with a white rump patch; once common near villages and slaughterhouses; suffered the steepest decline due to diclofenac.
Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
• Features: Bare red head and black body; usually solitary; feeds on large carcasses in open forests and scrublands.
Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
• IUCN Status: Endangered
• Features: Small vulture with yellow face and white-black plumage; feeds on carrion, garbage and eggs; often found near human settlements.
Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus)
• IUCN Status: Least Concern
• Features: Large pale-brown vulture with white neck ruff; common in north-western India; strong flyer adapted to open and rocky habitats.
Himalayan Vulture (Gyps himalayensis)
• IUCN Status: Near Threatened
• Features: Very large vulture with pale plumage; inhabits high-altitude Himalayan cliffs and alpine zones; dominant scavenger in mountain ecosystems.
Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus)
• IUCN Status: Near Threatened
• Features: One of the heaviest vultures; dark brown-black body with massive beak; nests on trees and cliffs; feeds on large carcasses.
Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)
• IUCN Status: Near Threatened
• Features: Long tail, feathered face and red eye rings; feeds mainly on bones; found in rocky Himalayan terrain.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 January 2026 Mapping:
Similipal National Park
Source: News on Air
Subject: Mapping
Context: Similipal National Park in Odisha recorded a rise in its mugger crocodile population to 84 during the three-day census, reversing a declining trend seen in recent years.
About Similipal National Park:
What it is?
• Similipal is a National Park, Tiger Reserve and Biosphere Reserve forming part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve.
• It is one of India’s most biodiverse protected landscapes and is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (since 2009).
Location:
• Located in Mayurbhanj district of northern Odisha, it lies in the Eastern Ghats and spreads over about 2,750 sq km, making it one of India’s largest tiger reserves.
Key geographical features:
• Similipal is a high-plateau forested massif with an average elevation of about 900 m.
• It contains prominent peaks such as Meghasani (1,158 m) and Khairiburu (1,178 m) and famous waterfalls like Barehipani (217 m) and Joranda (181 m).
• The landscape is drained by rivers such as Budhabalanga, Salandi, Deo and Khairi, which create ideal wetland habitats for crocodiles and other wildlife.
Crocodile census and conservation:
• The 2026 census counted 84 mugger crocodiles, up from 81 in 2025, with West Deo River alone hosting around 60 individuals.
• The recovery is attributed to the Ramtirtha Mugger Crocodile Breeding Centre, which releases hatchlings annually into Similipal’s rivers.
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