Daily Current Affairs – 09-01-2026
Tamil Nadu News
Plaintive Cuckoo Spotted for First Time in South Tamil Nadu
During the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC), the Plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus), a species generally found in Southeast Asia and Northeast India, was recorded for the first time in South Tamil Nadu at Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu. The species had earlier been recorded in North Tamil Nadu at Chennai in November 2025. The sighting was documented on the eBird platform by bird enthusiasts during the ongoing AWC, which has so far covered 160 wetlands across the state. The census, which commenced on December 1, is scheduled to continue until February 28, with a special focus period between January 3 and January 18 to record migratory birds. Although the Plaintive cuckoo is not a waterbird, it was noted during the census, which has also recorded several rare wetland bird species across Tamil Nadu.
Satellite Tagging of Olive Ridley Turtles off Chennai Coast
Satellite tagging of Olive Ridley turtles began along the Chennai coast on Thursday as part of a two-year scientific study to track fine-scale movements and near-shore habitat use of this endangered marine species. The project is jointly implemented by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC). As per a Government Order (G.O.), the study titled “Tracking fine-scale movements and near-shore use of Olive Ridley turtles of the Tamil Nadu coast” will be conducted during the 2025–26 and 2026–27 nesting seasons with a sanctioned outlay of ₹84 lakh. The research aims to identify critical breeding, foraging and congregation areas, map migratory routes, and generate data to regulate fisheries-related activities during the nesting period. The G.O. also states that 20 Olive Ridley turtles will be satellite-tagged along the Tamil Nadu coast, including 10 turtles off the Chennai coast, along with near-shore boat surveys, fisherfolk interviews, and flipper tagging of 5,000 turtles to study nest-site fidelity and survivorship.
₹9,820 Crore IT Investments and Job Creation in Tamil Nadu
Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for industrial investments worth ₹9,820 crore were signed in the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin at the Information Technology Summit 2026, organised by the Information Technology and Digital Services Department, and inaugurated at the Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai. These investment agreements are expected to generate 4,250 jobs in Tamil Nadu. During the two-day summit, the ‘Tamil Nadu Deep Tech Technology Policy 2025–26’ was released. The event was attended by Finance and Human Resources Management Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan, Member of Parliament T.R. Baalu, Information Technology and Digital Services Minister Mano Thangaraj, Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Minister T.R.B. Rajaa, and Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena. Official data highlighted at the summit indicated that software exports take place from 32 out of 38 districts of Tamil Nadu, and the expansion of the IT sector to Tier-II and Tier-III cities such as Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, and Tirunelveli.
‘Ungal Kanavai Sollungal’ Scheme Launched in Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched a new public outreach scheme titled ‘Ungal Kanavai Sollungal’ (Tell Us Your Dream) at Pappanpakkam village, Ponneri, in Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu. The scheme has been introduced to verify beneficiary data of social welfare schemes implemented since 2021, assess the current implementation status of these schemes, and identify the future needs and aspirations of the people through direct household-level interaction. Under this initiative, the Tamil Nadu Government plans to deploy 50,000 volunteers to survey approximately 1.91 crore rural and urban families, record details of welfare benefits received, and issue a Dream Card with a unique identification number to each family. Beneficiaries can track the status of their requests through the official portal www.uks.tn.gov.in
Projects Worth ₹235 Crore at Chennai and Kamarajar Ports
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated and laid foundation stones for infrastructure projects worth ₹235 crore at Chennai Port and Kamarajar (Ennore) Port in Chennai, during the ‘Vibrant Port, Vibrant Bharat’ event held at Tiruvottiyur. The completed projects include the Enterprise Business System (EBS) at Chennai Port costing ₹45 crore and the reconstructed Northern Breakwater at Kamarajar Port costing ₹105 crore. Foundation stones were laid for projects worth ₹85 crore, including a breakwater at Chennai Port (₹33 crore), modernisation of the Port Hospital (₹8 crore), a new Fire Station with infrastructure facilities (₹43 crore) at Chennai Port, and a peripheral wall along the approach road at Kamarajar Port (₹1.40 crore). It was also reported that domestic coastal cargo trade has doubled, and Kamarajar Port has earned revenue exceeding ₹1,000 crore continuously for the last three years. Additionally, a special school for children with autism was established at Tondiarpet, Chennai, at a cost of ₹2 crore through the joint initiative of Chennai Port and Kamarajar Port in collaboration with the Spacepony charitable foundation.
National News
IIT Madras Launches ‘Param Shakti’ Supercomputer
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) launched an indigenously developed supercomputing facility named Param Shakti to strengthen India’s High-Performance Computing (HPC) capabilities. The facility has been established under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), jointly steered by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and was inaugurated by S Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY. Param Shakti is powered by the Param Rudra supercomputing cluster, fully designed, developed, and manufactured in India by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), using Rudra series servers and operating on open-source platforms including AlmaLinux with indigenously developed system software. With a peak performance of 3.1 petaflops, the system can perform over 3.1 quadrillion calculations per second, placing it among the most powerful supercomputers in India.
‘Uday’ Mascot for Aadhaar Services
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) introduced a new mascot named ‘Uday’ to help the public easily understand and access Aadhaar services. The mascot was selected through a competition conducted via the Makeover Ment website, which received about 875 proposals from students, academicians, and designers. The ‘Uday’ mascot was formally launched at an event held in Thiruvananthapuram by Nilkanth Mishra, Chairman of UIDAI. The mascot will be used to disseminate information related to periodic updates in Aadhaar services, use of modern technologies, and specific data exchange, with the objective of improving public awareness and accessibility.
Economy News
UN DESA Projects India’s Growth at 7.2% in FY 2025–26
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) has projected that India’s economic growth will be 7.2% in the financial year 2025–26, noting that consumption and public investment are expected to offset the impact of U.S.-imposed tariffs, as per the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 report released in New Delhi. The report highlighted that 18% of India’s exports are to the United States, which could expose the economy to tariff risks, while strong demand from Europe and West Asia may help limit the impact. It estimated India’s calendar-year growth at 7.4% in 2025, and on a fiscal-year basis projected 6.6% growth in 2026–27 and 6.8% in 2027–28. The report also stated that manufacturing and services sectors will remain key drivers of growth during the forecast period, and that electronics and smartphones are expected to remain exempt from tariffs.
Sports News
Tamil Nadu Wins Gold in Volleyball and Pencak Silat at Khelo India Beach Games
Khelo India Beach Games held at Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu won 2 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals in Volleyball and Pencak Silat, taking its overall tally to 7 medals (2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze) and securing the top position in the medal table. In women’s volleyball, the Tamil Nadu 1 team of Deepika and Pavithra won the gold medal, successfully defending the title they had won in the previous edition, while Tamil Nadu 2 (Swathi and Dharshini) secured bronze; in men’s volleyball, Tamil Nadu 1 (Bharath and Rajesh) won silver, and Tamil Nadu 2 (Bhumithamizhan and Amithen) won bronze. In men’s Pencak Silat, the Tamil Nadu team comprising M. Lokeshwaran, K. Sudarshan, and E. Sudarshan won the gold medal by defeating Maharashtra in the final. At the end of the fourth day of the competition, Tamil Nadu led the medal tally, followed by Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, and Manipur.
Ranchi Royals Finish Third in Hockey India Women’s League
Ranchi Royals secured third place in the Hockey India Women’s League by defeating SG Pipers with a 5–2 scoreline at Ranchi, Jharkhand. The league featured four women’s teams—Ranchi Royals, SG Pipers, JSPW Kurma, and Odisha Bengal Tigers—with SG Pipers and Odisha Bengal Tigers qualifying for the finals. For Ranchi Royals, goals were scored by Luciana Head (2nd, 47th minutes), Sangita Kumari (24th minute), and Janna Carter (55th, 60th minutes), while Navneet Kaur scored for SG Pipers (10th, 58th minutes).
Australia Wins the Ashes Series 4–1
Australia won the Ashes Test series against England by 4–1 after the five-match series held in Australia, with the final Test played at Sydney. Australia had already secured the series 3–1 before the last match. Travis Head was named Man of the Match, and Mitchell Starc was awarded Player of the Series. During the Sydney Test, Usman Khawaja announced his retirement after playing his 88th Test, finishing his career with 16 centuries, 40 half-centuries, and 9,420 Test runs.
Personalities, Awards and Events
Ecologist Madhav Gadgil Passes Away
Noted ecologist Madhav Gadgil (83) passed away due to illness at Pune, Maharashtra. Born in 1942 in Pune, he played a key role in shaping India’s ecological research and conservation policy and was the Chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, popularly known as the Gadgil Commission, constituted by the Central Government to study population pressure, climate change, and development activities in the Western Ghats. He founded the Centre for Ecological Sciences and was associated with the Indian Institute of Science. He earned a B.Sc. in Biology (1963) from Fergusson College, an M.Sc. in Zoology (1965) from the University of Bombay, and a Ph.D. (1969) from Harvard University. He joined IISc in 1973 and retired in 2004, after which he continued research with the Agharkar Research Institute and Goa University. In 2024, he received the ‘Champions of the Earth’ award from the United Nations, the UN’s highest environmental honour.
International News
US Withdraws from 66 International Organizations
The United States of America formally withdrew from 66 international organizations, including the International Solar Alliance, which is led by India and France, and several United Nations bodies. The withdrawal decision was approved through a resolution signed by Donald Trump, President of the United States, and covers 31 UN organizations and 35 other international organizations. The decision also involves the United States discontinuing its membership and legally permitted financial assistance to these organizations, marking a significant development in the country’s engagement with international institutions.
Bangladesh Temporarily Suspends Visa Services in India
Interim government of Bangladesh announced the temporary suspension of visa services at its major consulates in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Agartala, citing security reasons, as stated by M. Touhid Hossain, Foreign Affairs Advisor of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata had already curtailed visa services, while business and employment-related visas were exempted from these restrictions. Visa services at the Bangladeshi consulates in Mumbai and Chennai continue to function normally. The announcement followed earlier visa restrictions imposed by India in 2024 on Bangladeshi citizens after the regime change of Sheikh Hasina in 2024, which had affected bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh.