Current Affairs 13 January 2026

India–Germany deepen ties with MoUs & mobility boost.

• India–Germany signed 19 MoUs and made 8 announcements, deepening defence, trade, skills and green energy cooperation.
• Visa-free transit via Germany for Indian passport holders and a new framework to recruit Indian healthcare professionals were unveiled.
• Germany pledged €1.24 bn for renewables, green hydrogen and climate-resilient urban projects as ties mark 75 years.

NHAI sets four Guinness records on NH-544G corridor.

• NHAI set four Guinness World Records on the Bengaluru–Kadapa–Vijayawada NH-544G economic corridor for bituminous paving feats.
• On Jan 6, 2026, records were made for 28.89 lane-km paving and 10,655 MT bitumen laid in 24 hours near Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh.
• On Jan 11, 2026, 57,500 MT bitumen and 156 lane-km paving were achieved, beating the earlier global record.

Kerala launches ERONET for NRI voter verification.

• Kerala activated the ERONET system under the Special Intensive Revision to help NRI voters submit documents online.
• Chief Electoral Officer Dr Rathan U Kelkar said NRIs can now complete verification without appearing in person for hearings.
• The move aims to simplify overseas voter participation, reduce procedural barriers and ensure smoother, faster electoral roll corrections.

Zoubeir Jlassi wins $1M AI Film Award for Lily.

• Tunisian filmmaker Zoubeir Jlassi won the world’s largest AI Film Award for Lily, receiving a $1 million prize at Dubai’s 1 Billion Followers Summit.
• Organised with Google Gemini, the contest drew 3,500 films, with entries required to use at least 70% generative AI tools.
• Lily, about guilt and redemption after a hit-and-run, topped five finalists chosen through jury review and public voting.

ISRO launches PSLV-C62 with Anvesha spy satellite.

• ISRO launched PSLV-C62, placing DRDO’s Anvesha (EOS-N1) and 15 satellites into sun-synchronous orbit from Sriharikota.
• The defence satellite provides high-resolution imaging to accurately map enemy positions, boosting India’s surveillance capability.
• Run by NSIL, it marked India’s 9th commercial EO mission, with Dhruva Space contributing seven private satellites.