Daily Current Affairs: Defence, Environment & Governance

📅 Date: 13 January 2026 (Tuesday)

Welcome to your comprehensive daily digest. Today, we cover a significant stride in India's defence capabilities with the new Bhairav Battalions, key environmental discussions at IRENA, major agricultural reforms, and breakthrough scientific discoveries in AI and materials science. Let's dive deep into these developments.

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1. Defence: Army's New 'Bhairav Battalions'

In a historic first, the Indian Army’s newly raised Bhairav Battalion is set to march down the Kartavya Path during the Republic Day parade. This marks the public debut of a unit designed for modern, high-speed warfare.

What makes them unique?

The Bhairav Battalions represent a shift towards compact, high-tech combat units. Unlike traditional large infantry formations, these are agile and built for speed.

• Composition: Each battalion is a mix of approximately 250 soldiers drawn from various arms like infantry, artillery, air defence, and signals. This ensures they are self-sufficient in combat.
• Role: They are not Para Special Forces (who operate deep behind enemy lines). Instead, Bhairav units are positioned closer to the border to handle "tactical, fast-breaking situations."
• "Fight Tonight": The Army describes their readiness motto as "fight tonight," meaning they can be deployed immediately without the logistical lag of larger formations. They act as a bridge between Special Forces and regular infantry.

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2. Energy: International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

India reaffirmed its commitment to green energy at the 16th Assembly of IRENA in Abu Dhabi. The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy delivered India’s national statement, highlighting the country's rapid strides in solar and wind energy.

About IRENA

IRENA is the global intergovernmental organisation mandated to facilitate the adoption of renewable energy.

• Founded: 2009. India is a founding member.
• Headquarters: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• Membership: It has 170 Members (169 States + the EU).
• Governance: The Assembly is the ultimate decision-making authority, while a Council of 21 Member States handles operations.

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3. Agriculture: Pradhan Mantri-Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY)

In a major administrative reform, the Union Ministry of Agriculture has proposed merging three separate ongoing schemes into its flagship PM-RKVY. This consolidation aims to streamline funding and improve execution efficiency.

Scheme Overview

• Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
• Objective: To achieve a sustained annual growth rate of around 4% in agriculture and allied sectors.
• Flexibility: Unlike rigid central schemes, PM-RKVY gives States the flexibility to plan projects according to local needs (e.g., a state can prioritize fisheries while another focuses on organic farming).
• Funding Pattern:
  • 60:40 (Centre:State) for General States.
  • 90:10 for North-Eastern and Hilly States.
  • 100% for Union Territories.

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4. Technology: Understanding 'Context Window' in AI

As Artificial Intelligence models like GPT-5 and Claude become more powerful, a key term often discussed is the "Context Window."

AI models don't read words; they read chunks of characters called tokens. A larger context window allows the AI to read entire books, analyze massive codebases, or carry out long conversations without "forgetting" what was said at the beginning. If the input exceeds this window, the model has to truncate or summarize the data, losing detail.

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5. Health: Breakthrough in Osteoarthritis

Scientists at Stanford University have identified a protein called 15-PGDH which is linked to cartilage loss during aging. This discovery offers hope for new treatments for Osteoarthritis.

What is Osteoarthritis (OA)?

• Definition: It is the most common form of arthritis, often called "wear-and-tear" arthritis.
• Cause: It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time.
• Affected Areas: It most commonly damages joints in the hands, knees, hips, and spine.

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6. Environment: Charophytes (Green Algae)

Research in German lakes has shown an increase in the abundance of Charophytes. These are not just ordinary plants; they are evolutionary milestones.

• Evolutionary Link: Charophytes are green algae considered the closest living relatives to land plants. Fossils date back 443 million years (Silurian Period) when plants first moved from water to land.
• Characteristics: They lack true leaves, stems, or fruits. They anchor themselves to the sediment using root-like structures called 'holdfasts'.
• Ecological Role: They act as "ecosystem engineers" in lakes—stabilizing the lake bed, producing oxygen, and keeping the water clear.

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7. Culture: Hatti Tribe's 'Boda Tyohar'

The Hatti tribe of Himachal Pradesh recently celebrated their biggest annual festival, "Boda Tyohar".

• Location: The community resides along the Himachal-Uttarakhand border (Giri and Tons river basins).
• Name Origin: Derived from their traditional practice of selling homegrown crops at small markets called 'Haat'.
• Governance: They have a unique traditional council called 'Khumbli' which governs community affairs.

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8. Science: Graphene Sensors

Researchers have developed a flexible capacitive sensor using Graphene on a paper substrate. Graphene is often called a "wonder material."

Properties of Graphene

• Structure: A single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal (honeycomb) lattice. It is an allotrope of carbon.
• Strength: It is 200 times stronger than steel but six times lighter.
• Conductivity: It is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity.
• Thickness: It is the world's thinnest material (one atom thick).

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9. Water Resources: Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) Report

The CGWB has released its Annual Ground Water Quality Report-2025, flagging widespread contamination in Andhra Pradesh.

• About CGWB: It is the National Apex Agency for groundwater management.
• Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Headquarters: Bhujal Bhawan, Faridabad, Haryana.
• Mandate: Exploration, monitoring, assessment, and regulation of groundwater resources in India.

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That concludes today's comprehensive analysis. From advanced army battalions to the microscopic world of graphene, staying informed is key. Happy Learning!