Daily Current Affairs – 28 January 2026

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 28 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 1 & 3:

1. Sonamarg Avalanche

GS Paper 2:

2. India–EU Free Trade Agreement

 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):

1. 4B Movement

2. Maharashtra launches country’s first menopause clinics

Facts for Prelims (FFP):

1. Buddhist Diamond Triangle Joins UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

2. First National Coordinators Meeting in Beijing & SCO

3. Smart Fishing Harbour at Mayabunder

4. The Economic Survey of India 2026

5. New plant species: Hoya nagaensis

 Mapping:

1. Rojava Region

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 28 January 2026

GS Paper 1 & 3:

Sonamarg Avalanche

Source:  ABP

Subject:  Geography/Disaster Management

Context: Massive avalanches struck the Sonamarg tourist resort in Jammu and Kashmir, engulfing buildings and vehicles following heavy snowfall that disrupted the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and forced the cancellation of all flights.

About Sonamarg Avalanche:

What is an Avalanche?

• An avalanche is a rapid downslope movement of a large detached mass of snow, ice, and associated debris, such as rocks and vegetation.
• It occurs when the force of gravity on the snow cover exceeds its mechanical strength, causing the snowpack to fracture and descend rapidly down a mountainside.

Types of Avalanches:

• Slab Avalanches: The most dangerous type, where a cohesive layer of snow reacts as a single entity and breaks free along a distinct fracture line.
• Loose Snow Avalanches (Sluffs): Formed in snow with little internal cohesion; they originate at a point and grow wider as they descend (inverted-V shape).
• Powder Snow Avalanches: Composed of dry snow that generates a turbulent dust cloud (aerosol) capable of reaching speeds up to 300 km/h.
• Wet Snow Avalanches: Triggered by melting or rain, these move more slowly but possess enormous destructive force due to high snow density.
• Ice/Rock/Debris Avalanches: Involve the sliding of massive chunks of ice (often from glaciers), rocks, or a mix of soil and loose stones.

Factors Causing Avalanches:

1. Steep Slopes: Most dangerous avalanches originate on slopes with inclinations between 30° and 45°.
2. Heavy Snowfall: Rapid accumulation (e.g., 1m in one day) overloads the snowpack faster than it can stabilize.
3. Snowpack Layering: The presence of a weak layer beneath a cohesive slab creates a glide surface for potential release.
4. Weather Changes: Rapid temperature rises or rain-on-snow events lubricate layers and decrease the mechanical strength of the snow.
5. External Triggers: Seismic activity (earthquakes), human actions (skiing, construction), or loud vibrations (machine noise) can dislodge unstable snow.

Implications of Avalanches:

Primary Impacts:

• Loss of Life:Victims often die from suffocation, trauma, or hypothermia if not rescued quickly.
• Structural Destruction:Impact forces can crush buildings, power lines, and bridges not designed for such loads.
• Transport Disruption:Avalanches frequently block vital highways and railroads, sweeping away or burying vehicles.

• Secondary Impacts:
  • Communication Isolation:Severed power and telephone lines can leave mountain communities disconnected for days.
  • Economic Losses:Disruption to tourism, agriculture, and high-altitude developmental projects causes significant financial strain.
  • Environmental Damage:Massive slides can result in the destruction of entire forests and alter local ecosystems.

Initiatives Taken by the Government of India (GoI):

• Specialized Institutions: The Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE)—now under the Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE)—conducts cutting-edge research and provides daily forecasting.
• Advanced Monitoring: Deployment of 72 Snow Meteorological Observatories and over 100 Automated Weather Stations (AWS) to track snow stability in real-time.
• Modern Technology: Installation of India’s first Avalanche Monitoring Radar in North Sikkim, which can detect a trigger within three seconds.
• Strategic Infrastructure: Construction of avalanche-resistant tunnels like the Atal Tunnel and Zojila Tunnel to ensure all-weather connectivity.

NDMA Guidelines on Avalanche Management:

1. Hazard Zonation Mapping: Systematic identification and mapping of avalanche-prone areas to guide land-use planning.
2. Structural Control: Implementation of supporting structures in starting zones (nets, fences) and deflecting structures (walls, mounds) in run-out zones.
3. Early Warning Systems: Integration of satellite remote sensing and ground-based sensors to provide at least 24-hour advance warnings.
4. Community Preparedness: Educating local populations on self-survival techniques and equipping them with tools like beacons, probes, and shovels.
5. Institutional Coordination: Strengthening the roles of the NDMA, SASE, and BRO to ensure rapid snow clearance and rescue response.

Conclusion:

The increasing frequency of avalanches in the Himalayas, as evidenced by the Sonamarg event, underscores the critical intersection of climate change and mountain development. Effective management relies on a shift from relief-centric activities to science-based planning, including real-time radar monitoring and resilient infrastructure.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 28 January 2026 GS Paper 2:

India–EU Free Trade Agreement

Source:  ET

Subject:  Bilateral Relations

Context: India and the European Union (EU) made history by announcing the conclusion of their long-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at the 16th India–EU Summit in New Delhi.

• Dubbed the “mother of all deals,” this breakthrough ends nearly two decades of stop-start negotiations and establishes a strategic economic corridor.

About India–EU Free Trade Agreement:

What it is?

• The India–EU FTA is a comprehensive and modern trade pact designed to eliminate or significantly reduce tariffs on goods, liberalize trade in services, and enhance investment flows.
• Together, these two regions represent 25% of global GDP and nearly one-third of world trade. The agreement aims to double bilateral trade by 2032, providing a stable, rules-based framework that reduces dependence on volatile supply chains.

Key Features of the Agreement:

• Massive Tariff Elimination: The EU will provide duty-free access to over 99% of Indian exports by trade value. India will eliminate tariffs on roughly 92-97% of EU goods over a phased period.
• Labour-Intensive Sector Boost: Zero duties on USD 33 billion worth of Indian exports including textiles, apparel, leather, gems, jewellery, and marine products.
• Calibrated Auto Liberalization: A quota-based system allows EU luxury carmakers (e.g., Mercedes, BMW) access to the Indian market at reduced duties (dropping from 110% to as low as 10%) while protecting domestic manufacturing.
• Services and Mobility: India gains access to 144 EU sub-sectors (IT, finance, education). A new mobility framework facilitates visas for skilled professionals, intra-corporate transferees, and even practitioners of Indian Traditional Medicine (AYUSH).
• Sustainability & CBAM: Forward-looking provisions on the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) ensure technical support and dialogue to help Indian MSMEs comply with green standards.
• Agricultural Carve-outs: India has successfully safeguarded sensitive sectors like dairy, cereals, and poultry, which are excluded from the deal to protect local farmers.

Challenges to Implementation:

1. Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs): Stricter EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards remain a hurdle for Indian agri-exports.
2. Regulatory Alignment: Bridging the gap between Indian and EU regulations on digital trade, data privacy, and AI.
3. Intellectual Property (IP): EU’s demand for stronger IPR protections, such as data exclusivity, could challenge India’s generic pharmaceutical industry.
4. CBAM Compliance: Indian heavy industries (steel, cement) face the challenge of meeting high EU carbon-neutrality costs.
5. Domestic Sensitivities: Balancing the influx of high-tech EU services and products without displacing smaller Indian MSMEs.

Key Advantages:

For India:

• Export Explosion: Preferential access to a 450-million-consumer market, boosting Make in India.
• Global Talent Hub: Eased mobility rules allow Indian professionals and students (with 9-month post-study work rights) to integrate into the EU economy.
• Diversification: Reduces trade dependency on the US and China amid global geopolitical shifts.
• Rural Prosperity: Enhanced market access for tea, coffee, and spices will directly benefit farmers and rural artisans.

For the EU:

• Market Penetration: Unprecedented access to the world’s most populous nation and its rapidly growing middle class.
• Supply Chain De-risking: A China-plus-one strategy that secures stable partners for critical minerals, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.
• Investment Security: A predictable legal environment for European firms like Volkswagen and BASF to expand operations in India.
• Cost Savings: European businesses are expected to save approximately €4 billion annually in duties on exports to India.

Conclusion:

The conclusion of the India–EU FTA marks a decisive shift toward a resilient, multipolar global trade order. By bridging two diverse yet complementary giants, the pact moves beyond simple commerce to foster deep collaboration in technology, climate action, and security. It sets a robust foundation for India’s vision of becoming a “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) by 2047.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 28 January 2026 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

4B Movement

Context: The 4B movement, a radical feminist current originating in South Korea, has resurfaced in public debate amid renewed discussions on patriarchy, gender violence, and women’s autonomy.

About 4B Movement:

What it is?

• The 4B movement is a feminist resistance framework where women refuse participation in four core institutions associated with patriarchy:
• No marriage
• No childbirth
• No dating
• No sex

• It represents a political and social rejection, not merely a lifestyle choice, of traditional heterosexual norms.

Origin:

• Emerged in South Korea in the late 2010s
• Rooted in long-standing gender inequality, online misogyny, and institutional indifference
• Gained visibility through social media during South Korea’s #MeToo movement

Key features:

• Non-negotiation with patriarchy rather than reform from within.
• Rejection of unpaid care work, emotional labour, and reproductive expectations placed on women.
• Emphasis on bodily autonomy, consent, and self-determination.
• Collective resistance instead of individual coping strategies.

Significance:

• Challenges the assumption that marriage and motherhood are essential to womanhood.
• Highlights how structural misogyny, not isolated incidents, shapes women’s lives.
• Reframes abstention as a form of political agency.
• Sparks global debates on feminism, demography, social norms, and gender justice.

Relevance for UPSC syllabus

• • Role of women; social empowerment
  • Changing family structures and gender relations
  • Impact of patriarchy and social conditioning

• GS Paper II – Governance & Social Justice

• • Gender justice, violence against women
  • Institutional responses to discrimination
  • Comparative perspectives on global feminist movements

• Essay / Ethics / Interview

• • Feminism vs reformism
  • Individual autonomy versus social institutions
  • Resistance, consent, and dignity

Maharashtra launches country’s first menopause clinics

Context: Maharashtra has launched the country’s first dedicated menopause clinics across government hospitals and urban health facilities to address women’s physical and mental health needs.

About Maharashtra launches country’s first menopause clinics:

What it is?

• Dedicated menopause clinics within the public healthcare system that provide integrated medical and psychological care for women undergoing menopause, recognising it as a natural but health-sensitive life stage.

Aim:

• To provide holistic, dignified, and accessible healthcare to women during menopause.
• To address physical, hormonal, and mental health challenges associated with menopause.
• To mainstream menopause-related care into public health policy.

Key features:

• One-stop care model offering gynaecological consultation, counselling, screening, and medicines.
• Mental health counselling to address stress, anxiety, sleep disorders, and depression.
• Screening services for bone health (osteoporosis), heart health, and hormonal imbalance.
• Free or affordable services through government hospitals and urban health centres.
• Focus on awareness, guidance, and emotional support, not just clinical treatment.

Relevance for UPSC exam syllabus

• GS Paper II – Governance & Social Justice

• • Government policies and interventions for women’s health and welfare
  • Role of states in innovative public health delivery

• • Women’s issues, gendered health challenges, and life-cycle approach to healthcare
  • Social stigma and neglect surrounding menopause

• • Compassion, empathy, and dignity in public service delivery
  • Ethics of care and responsiveness to vulnerable groups

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 28 January 2026 Facts for Prelims (FFP)