Current Affairs 01 January 2026
IndiaAI Mission
- About: IndiaAI mission marks a defining step to position India as a global leader in Artificial Intelligence under the vision ‘Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India’.
- Implementation: It is implemented by IndiaAI, an independent business division under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to build a comprehensive AI ecosystem that promotes innovation, supports startups, improves data access, and ensures the responsible use of AI for public good.
- Objectives: To build sovereign indigenous AI capability, promote inclusive and affordable access to AI, reduce dependence on foreign platforms and use AI as a growth engine for social and economic development.
- Key Components: Expansion of high-end computing through 38,000 GPUs, development of Indian foundation models like BharatGen AI, creation of national datasets via AIKosh, and support to AI startups and India-specific applications.
Somaliland
- Historical Background: Previously, it was the British Somaliland Protectorate, and it formally became a British colony in 1920. Gained independence as the State of Somaliland in 1960 before voluntarily merging with Italian Somaliland to form Somalia.
- It declared independence in 1991 after the fall of Siad Barre’s regime, following large-scale human rights abuses against the Isaaq clan, which is dominant in Somaliland.
- Operates with de facto autonomy, having its own currency, passports, police, and capital (Hargeisa), but lacks international recognition until now.
- Strategic Location: Somaliland lies in the Horn of Africa, an East African peninsula extending into the Gulf of Aden, Somali Sea, and Guardafui Channel, comprising Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
- The region overlooks critical global shipping routes, with the Bab el-Mandeb Strait located near Djibouti and Eritrea, linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.
Parvati–Arga Bird Sanctuary Declared Eco-Sensitive Zone
- Eco-Sensitive Zones are notified around protected areas by the MoEFCC.
- Parvati–Arga Bird Sanctuary is located in Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh.
- The sanctuary is a Ramsar Site with international wetland importance.
- ESZs can extend up to 10 km from protected area boundaries.
Goa Announces Third District Kushavati
- Goa currently has two districts: North Goa and South Goa.
- Kushavati will be Goa’s third district, carved out of South Goa.
- The district is named after the ancient Kushavati river.
- Aspirational districts receive additional central funding for development.
Guinea Elects Mamady Doumbouya as President
- Guinea is rich in bauxite and iron ore, including the Simandou deposit.
- Mamady Doumbouya seized power in a 2021 military coup.
- A new constitution allowed junta leaders to contest elections.
- The president’s term is seven years under the current framework.