Kokborok, celebrated annually on Kokborok Day (19 January), is the native language of which community?
Kokborok Day is observed annually on 19 January to celebrate the language and culture of the Tripuri community.
2026 marks the 48th anniversary of Kokborok being recognized as an official language of Tripura.
Kokborok, also called Tripuri or Tiprakok, is the native language of the Tripuri people.
It belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language family and is spoken mainly in Tripura and the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.
Kokborok is among the fastest-developing indigenous languages in Northeast India.
Speakers of Kokborok identify as Tripuris, and the language is central to their cultural identity.
Official recognition of Kokborok as a state language occurred in 1979, alongside Bengali and English.
Historically, Kokborok was widely spoken during the rule of the Tripuri kings in the ancient Kingdom of Tipra.
Kokborok Day symbolizes the struggle for tribal self-expression and protection of indigenous languages.
The language once used the Koloma script, which is now being revived; today, the Latin script is commonly used.
Initiatives like the “Kokborok tei Hukumu Mission” promote Kokborok literature, music, films, and education.
The language was earlier called Tipra, with the term Kokborok gaining popularity in the 20th century.
Major Kokborok-speaking clans include Debbarma, Reang, Jamatia, Tripura, Noatia, Rupini, Murasing, and Uchoi.
Radhamohan Thakur published the first Kokborok grammar book, Kokborokma, in 1900.
Which two countries have emerged as the fastest-growing export destinations for Indian pharmaceutical products in April–November 2025-26?
India’s pharmaceutical exports grew by 6.5% in the first eight months of FY 2025-26.
Total pharma exports reached $20.48 billion during April–November 2025-26.
Brazil and Nigeria have emerged as important new markets for Indian pharma products.
Nigeria contributed about $179 million to India’s pharma export growth.
Brazil’s imports from India increased by nearly $100 million due to rising healthcare demand.
India’s pharmaceutical exports benefit from strong demand for affordable generics globally.
The United States remains India’s largest pharma export destination, accounting for over 31% of total exports.
Other stable export markets include France, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, and South Africa.
India is one of the largest global suppliers of generic medicines, exporting to over 200 countries.
Indian pharmaceutical exports contribute significantly to global healthcare by supplying affordable drugs and vaccines.
Historical key export destinations include US, UK, Brazil, France, and South Africa.
The growth highlights the resilience and expanding global footprint of the Indian pharma industry.
From which city/state did the second range wide Dolphin Survey under Project Dolphin start?
India has launched the second range wide Dolphin Survey under Project Dolphin.
The survey began from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.
The nationwide survey aims to estimate dolphin populations in rivers and coastal regions.
The survey will be conducted in two phases.
The first phase covers the Ganga from Bijnor to Ganga Sagar and the Indus River.
The second phase will include the Brahmaputra, Ganga tributaries, Sundarbans, and parts of Odisha.
Project Dolphin is a national conservation initiative by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
The project focuses on protecting riverine and marine dolphins, including the Gangetic River Dolphin, India’s national aquatic animal.
The survey will assess multiple dolphin species, including the Gangetic, Indus, and Irrawaddy Dolphins.
Dolphins are indicator species, reflecting the health of river and coastal ecosystems.
Where is the Spituk Gustor Festival held annually?
The annual Spituk Gustor Festival has begun in Ladakh.
The festival is held at the historic Spituk Monastery, one of Ladakh’s oldest Buddhist monasteries.
It follows a week-long period of prayers for world peace and prosperity.
The festival symbolically marks the end of the first and coldest phase of winter in Ladakh.
Spituk Gustor is the first monastic festival of the year in the region.
Ladakh observes around 16 major monastic festivals annually.
The festival marks the seasonal transition from extreme winter to gradual change.
Which state government announced the institution of the Semmozhi National Literary Award?
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin announced a new national-level literary award by the state government.
The announcement was made at the closing ceremony of the Chennai International Book Fair 2026.
The event was held at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai.
The new award is named the Semmozhi National Literary Award.
The award will be presented annually for outstanding literary works.
In the first phase, the award will cover seven Indian languages.
The selected languages are Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Bengali, and Marathi.
Each Semmozhi National Literary Award carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh.
Separate independent juries will be constituted for each language.
Jury panels will include eminent writers and award-winning authors.
The award aims to ensure transparency, literary merit, and credibility.
M K Stalin criticised alleged political interference in the Sahitya Akademi.
Reports suggested the 2025 Sahitya Akademi Awards announcement was cancelled.
Which Indian chess player recently became India’s 92nd Grandmaster?
Indian chess player Aaryan Varshney became India’s 92nd Grandmaster in January 2026.
He achieved the final GM norm at the Andranik Margaryan Memorial Tournament held in Armenia.
Aaryan Varshney won the tournament with one round remaining, confirming his GM title early.
He secured his third GM norm after drawing against FM Tyhran Ambartsumian.
At 21 years of age, Varshney entered the elite list of Indian Grandmasters.
Aaryan Varshney is the 8th Grandmaster from Delhi.
India currently has 92 Grandmasters, reflecting rapid growth in international chess.
The Grandmaster (GM) title is awarded by FIDE (International Chess Federation).
To earn the GM title, a player must achieve three GM norms and meet the minimum Elo rating requirement.
Who has been awarded the ’Padmapani Award’ at the 11th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival?
Veteran music composer Ilaiyaraaja has been selected for the Padmapani Award.
The Padmapani Award is conferred at the 11th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival.
Ilaiyaraaja was honoured for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.
The Padmapani Award includes a memento, citation certificate, and a cash prize of ₹2 lakh.
The 11th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival will be held from 28 January to 1 February.
The festival venue is Mahatma Gandhi Mission, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Maharashtra).
The festival is supported by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
The Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra is also supporting the festival.
The festival is co-presented by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
The Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation is a co-presenting organisation.
The GeM–WTC Mumbai MoU aims to strengthen participation of which group in public procurement?
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) signed an MoU with World Trade Centre (WTC) Mumbai to enhance MSME participation in public procurement.
The GeM–WTC Mumbai partnership aims to expand outreach and market access for MSMEs.
The collaboration seeks to strengthen GeM’s global presence as a digital procurement platform.
Satya Narayan Meena is the Additional CEO and Chief Financial Officer of GeM.
The GeM portal has over one crore registered users, indicating wide adoption.
Dr. Vijay Kalantri is the Chairman of World Trade Centre Mumbai.
The initiative supports the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The MoU is expected to improve ease of doing business in public procurement.
Who chaired the 88th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) held in New Delhi?
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav chaired the 88th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) in New Delhi.
The SC-NBWL considered 70 proposals related to public utilities, defence needs, and infrastructure development.
All proposals were examined under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Infrastructure projects such as primary and community health centres, road widening, 4G mobile towers, and transmission lines were reviewed.
A medium irrigation project in Madhya Pradesh was deliberated to provide drinking and irrigation water in the Bundelkhand region.
The SC-NBWL examined 17 defence-related proposals.
Most defence proposals were located in Ladakh and Sikkim, focusing on border and high-altitude infrastructure.
The Action Taken Report (ATR) of previous SC-NBWL meetings was reviewed.
The SC-NBWL is a statutory body constituted under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Committee’s mandate is to advise the Government on wildlife conservation while enabling sustainable development near protected areas.
In January 2026, researchers from Nagaland University developed carbon quantum dots from which agricultural waste to combat metal corrosion?
Researchers from Nagaland University and the University of Science and Technology Beijing developed eco-friendly carbon quantum dots to prevent metal corrosion.
The carbon quantum dots were synthesized from discarded apple leaves, an agricultural waste material.
The newly developed apple-leaf carbon quantum dots (ACDs) act as a sustainable alternative to toxic conventional corrosion inhibitors.
The ACDs demonstrated 94.0% corrosion inhibition efficiency for copper at low concentrations in acidic environments.
Corrosion protection efficiency improved to 96.2% with longer exposure duration, indicating long-term effectiveness.
The research specifically targets copper corrosion in acidic conditions, common in industrial settings.