Current Affairs 01 January 2026

Gujarat Clears Indian AI Research Body at GIFT City.

• Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel approved the Indian AI Research Organisation to boost AI R&D under a public-private partnership model.
• IAIRO will be set up as a non-profit SPV at GIFT City from January 1 with ₹300 crore funding shared equally by the State, Centre and private partner.
• Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance joins as anchor partner; the hub will drive AI research, products, IP creation.

Centre Launches Land Stack, Revenue Terms Glossary.

• Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani launched Land Stack and released the Glossary of Revenue Terms (GoRT) on December 31, 2025, to modernise land governance.
• Rolled out under Digital India Land Record Modernisation Programme, the pilot covers Chandigarh and Tamil Nadu.
• Land Stack is a GIS-based, single-window digital platform enabling transparent, citizen-centric access to land and property data.

Goa Approves Third District with Quepem as HQ.

• Goa will get a 3rd district, carved out of South Goa, with headquarters at Quepem, as approved by the state Cabinet.
• The new district will include Sanguem, Dharbandora, Quepem & Canacona talukas to improve administrative reach and service delivery.
• Pramod Sawant said smaller districts aid governance; opposition sought disclosure of the committee report and clarity on financial implications.

BSNL Launches VoWiFi Services Nationwide.

• BSNL has rolled out Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) services across all telecom circles as part of its network modernisation drive.
• VoWiFi allows customers to make calls and send messages over Wi-Fi using existing numbers, ensuring reliable connectivity in weak-signal areas without extra charges.
• The IMS-based service supports seamless Wi-Fi–mobile handover, benefiting rural and remote regions.

NHAI–NTH MoU to Boost Quality in Highway Projects.

• National Highways Authority of India signed an MoU with National Test House to strengthen quality assurance in national highway development.
• NTH will conduct independent third-party testing of materials and systems as per MoRTH norms, BIS codes.
• The partnership will support NHAI with expert technical inputs, enhance road safety & reliability of safety-critical infrastructure.