🏛️ Polity & Governance

🔷 PM Inaugurates 28th Commonwealth Speakers' Conference

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) today in New Delhi.
The event is being held at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan (Old Parliament House).
It is chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and attended by representatives from 42 Commonwealth countries.
Key topics include the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in parliaments and the impact of social media on democratic institutions.

💰 Economy & Banking

🔷 New Appointment at Kotak Mahindra Bank

Anup Kumar Saha has been appointed as the Whole-time Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank.
He will lead the Consumer Banking vertical, including marketing and data analytics.
Before this, he held senior leadership roles at ICICI Bank and Bajaj Finance.

🪖 Defence & Security

🔷 78th Indian Army Day Celebrated in Jaipur

India is celebrating the 78th Army Day today, January 15, 2026.
Venue Change: For the first time, the main public parade is being held in Jaipur (Rajasthan), hosted by the Sapta Shakti Command.
Theme 2026: "Year of Networking and Data Centricity", focusing on digital transformation and AI-driven warfare.
Major Highlights: Debut of the Bhairav Battalion (specialized infantry) and a flypast by AH-64E Apache and indigenous Prachand helicopters.
History: This day honors Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, who became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief in 1949.

🌐 International Relations & Agreements

🔷 India Launches Logo and Website for BRICS Presidency 2026

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar officially launched the logo and website for India’s BRICS Presidency 2026.
Theme for BRICS 2026: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability."
2026 marks 20 years since the formation of the BRICS grouping.
India will host the BRICS Summit 2026, focusing on a "people-centric" approach for global welfare.

📢 PIB / Government Reports & Schemes

🔷 Launch of 9 New Amrit Bharat Express Trains

The Government announced the addition of 9 new Amrit Bharat Express trains to improve rail connectivity.
These trains are "push-pull" semi-high-speed trains designed for better speed and passenger comfort on long routes.
This is part of the ongoing Railway Modernization Plan to replace older ICF coaches with modern LHB technology.

🏅 Sports

🔷 India Open 2026: PV Sindhu Exits; Prannoy and Srikanth Advance

At the India Open Super 750 Badminton tournament in New Delhi, PV Sindhu suffered a shocking first-round defeat against Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh.
HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth won their respective matches to move into the second round.
The top doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received a walkover to progress further.

🎭 Culture & Important Events

🔷 Nation Celebrates Harvest Festivals: Pongal and Makar Sankranti

Thousands of people across India are celebrating Makar Sankranti, Pongal (Tamil Nadu), and Magh Bihu (Assam) today.
Prime Minister Modi attended a special Pongal celebration in New Delhi to highlight India's cultural unity.
The traditional bull-taming sport Jallikattu has officially started in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

📌 January 15 General Knowledge

Indian Army Day: Celebrated annually on January 15 to mark the takeover of the Indian Army by K.M. Cariappa from British General Francis Roy Bucher in 1949.
Birth of K.D. Jadhav (1926): Today is the birth anniversary of Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, who won India’s first individual Olympic medal (Bronze in Wrestling) post-independence at the 1952 Helsinki Games.
Wikipedia Day: The world’s largest free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, was founded on January 15, 2001, by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Born on this day in 1929, he was a leader in the American civil rights movement and was deeply inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence.