2 Minute Series_22 January 2026

22^nd January 2026

1. C-295 Aircraft: Recently, the External Affairs Minister announced that the first ‘Made in India’ C-295 transport aircraft will roll out from the Airbus–Tata Final Assembly Line in Vadodara.

• • The announcement was made during talks with the Spanish Foreign Minister, reflecting the strengthening momentum in India–Spain strategic and defence ties.

• About C-295 Aircraft: A medium-range, twin-engine turboprop tactical transport aircraft.

• Originally designed by CASA (Spain) and currently produced by Airbus Defence and Space.

• Primarily deployed for military and humanitarian operations, including: Troop transportation

  • Logistics and cargo movement

  • Medical evacuation missions

  • Disaster relief and humanitarian assistance

• India–Spain ties: India and Spain share democratic values, support multilateralism, and are working towards a Strategic Partnership.

• Spain is a major EU trade partner for India, with bilateral goods trade exceeding USD 8 billion.

• The 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties will be observed as a Dual Year of Culture, Tourism and Artificial Intelligence, combining heritage with future-focused cooperation.

2. Kaladi Cheese: Recently, aiming to integrate traditional food heritage with modern science, the technology-enabled upscaling of GI-tagged Kaladi cheese from Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir was announced.

• About Kaladi Cheese: Traditional indigenous dairy product of Udhampur district, Jammu

• Prepared from raw full-fat milk, using whey water as a natural coagulant

• Characterised by distinct milky flavour, stretchable texture and soft mouthfeel

• Popularly known as the “Mozzarella of Jammu” due to its melting and stretching properties

• GI tag recognition has enhanced local employment, rural youth income and artisan livelihoods

  • Why Upscaling Kaladi Matters: Very short shelf life (few days) restricts long-distance marketing

• Production and consumption remain largely localised

• Strong potential for value-added dairy products and niche exports

• Acts as a cultural medium to globalise Dogra cuisine and regional identity

• Kaladi has been designated as the One District One Product (ODOP) of Udhampur, recognising its cultural heritage and economic potential.

3. SAMPANN Pension Portal: Recently, the UMANG platform was integrated with the SAMPANN pension portal developed by the Office of Controller General of Communication Accounts.

• About Integration: Enables pensioners to retrieve their Pension Payment Order (PPO) number digitally

• Allows real-time checking of Life Certificate (LC) validity status

• Services accessible through UMANG mobile application and web portal

• Ensures 24×7, location-independent access to essential pension information

• About SAMPANN Portal: System for Accounting and Management of Pension

• Flagship digital pension platform of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)

  • Key Features: End-to-end digitisation of the entire pension lifecycle

• Issuance of e-Pension Payment Orders (e-PPOs)

• Direct pension disbursement to bank accounts

• About UMANG Platform: Single unified digital platform (app + web) for Central, State and Local Government services

• Launched under the Digital India Initiative

• Available on Android, iOS and Web

• Secure login via Aadhaar, MPIN, OTP or DigiLocker

4. Artemis II: Recently, February 6 was set by NASA as the target launch date for Artemis II, marking its first crewed lunar mission in over five decades.

• About Artemis II: The first crewed mission under the Artemis programme.

• Conducts a lunar flyby (no landing) to test deep-space systems with astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft.

  • Organisations Involved: NASA –Mission lead & Canadian Space Agency (CSA) – Key international partner

  • Objectives: Validate human-rated deep-space systems in real operational conditions.

• Lay groundwork for Artemis III lunar landing and eventual Mars missions.

• Advance the goal of a sustained human presence beyond Earth orbit.

• Why Artemis II Matters: Bridges Artemis I (uncrewed test) and Artemis III (lunar landing).

• Reignites human lunar exploration after 50+ years.

• Reinforces international cooperation in deep-space exploration.

5. Brandt’s Hedgehog: Recently, a new mammalian record for India was confirmed with the discovery of Brandt’s hedgehog in Jammu and Kashmir through DNA analysis and detailed morphological examination.

• About Brandt’s Hedgehog: A desert-adapted hedgehog species

• Scientific name: Paraechinus hypomelas

• Geographic Distribution: Naturally found in parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan

• Habitat Preferences: Occupies arid and semi-arid landscapes such as rocky deserts, scrublands, and dry mountain slopes

• Uses rock crevices, abandoned burrows, and dense shrubs for shelter

• Key Features: Size: 9–12 inches; Weight: 500–900 grams

• Large ears with a narrow base

• Five toes on each front paw, four toes on each hind paw, with continuously growing nails

• Light needle covering, enabling faster movement

• Primarily nocturnal in activity

• Conservation Status: Listed as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List

6. Parakaempferia Alba: Recently, a new ginger species, Parakaempferia alba, was discovered in the Siang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh and documented in the Nordic Journal of Botany.

• About Parakaempferia alba: Belongs to ginger plants, which are herbaceous perennials with aromatic, pungent rhizomes widely used as spice, food and medicine.

• Members of Zingiberaceae typically thrive in moist, shaded tropical habitats.

  • Discovery Details: Location: East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh

• Habitat: Shaded stream banks with humid, sandy soils

• Altitude range: 150–400 metres

  • Distribution: Found in moist tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia.

  • Distinctive Features: Displays a leaf shape distinct from its closest relative Parakaempferia synantha.

• Flower spikes and bracts show clear structural differences from related species.

• Possesses unique glands near the base of the flower (ovary region), absent in allied taxa.

  • Biodiversity Significance: The discovery reinforces Arunachal Pradesh’s position within the Eastern Himalayas, one of the world’s global biodiversity hotspots, underlining its exceptional ecological richness and conservation value.

7. NITI Aayog: Recently, aligned with India’s goals of Viksit Bharat by 2047 and net-zero emissions by 2070, NITI Aayog released three green transition reports for cement, aluminium, and MSMEs.

• Key Highlights: Macro vision: Target of USD 30 trillion economy by 2047 and manufacturing share in GDP to rise from 17% to 25%.

• Cement Sector: Production growth: From 391 MT (2023) to ~2100 MT by 2070 (≈7 times increase).

• Carbon intensity reduction: From 63 tCO₂e/tonne to 0.09–0.13 tCO₂e/tonne by 2070.

• Aluminium Sector: Production growth: From 4 MT (2023) to 37 MT by 2070.

• MSME Sector: ~30% of GDP; 250+ million employment and 46% of exports

• Green transition focus: Energy-efficient equipment, alternative fuels and green electricity integration.

8. Rare Ant Flies: Recently, Indian researchers discovered two new species of rare ant flies from Delhi and the Western Ghats.

• Key Highlights: The findings underline that even disturbed urban forests and well-known biodiversity hotspots continue to shelter fragile and previously undocumented life forms.

• New species identified: Metadon ghorpadei — Northern Ridge Forest, Delhi

• Metadon reemeri — Siruvani Hills, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu

• Taxonomy: Genus: Metadon; Subfamily: Microdontinae; Family: Syrphidae (hoverflies)

• Before this study, only six Metadon species were known from India.

• Why These Ant Flies Are Exceptionally Rare:

• Myrmecophilous life cycle: Larvae live inside ant nests and feed on ant brood and remain closely tied to host ants

• Microdontinae diversity: 454 species worldwide

• Only 27 species recorded from the Indian subcontinentTop of FormBottom of Form

9. Online Training Programme on AI in Medical Education: Recently, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare launched an online training programme on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medical Education, developed by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

• Key Highlights: Objective: Build foundational understanding of Artificial Intelligence and its use in clinical practice, diagnostics, decision-making, research, and medical education.

  • Enhance digital competencies of medical professionals.

  • Supports a shift from reactive to proactive and preventive healthcare, especially amid rising non-communicable diseases and persistent tuberculosis burden.

  • NBEMS commended for modernising medical education and proactively leveraging emerging technologies.

  • Broader significance: Aligns with the Government of India’s push for technology-enabled, ethical, and resilient healthcare systems.

10. India–Myanmar: Recently, in line with India’s Act East Policy and efforts to strengthen economic ties with Southeast Asia, the 9th meeting of the India–Myanmar Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was convened in Nay Pyi Taw.

• Key Highlights: Reviewed connectivity, trade facilitation, border infrastructure, financial transactions, and implementation of the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).

• Trade facilitation measures: Reopening of border trade posts

  • Upgradation of border infrastructure

  • Promotion of Rupee–Kyat trade settlement mechanism

  • Streamlining cross-border payments

• Market access: Myanmar appreciated India’s open and supportive policy for its exports, especially pulses and beans.

• Sectoral cooperation identified: Textiles, transport & connectivity, customs and border management, shipping, power, ICT, MSMEs, health, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and capacity building.

• Border trade significance: Reaffirmed strategic importance of Tamu–Moreh and Rhi–Zokhawthar trade posts.

  India sought early reopening and development of an Integrated Check Post at Tamu.

• Trade figures: Bilateral trade reached USD 2.15 billion (2024–25).
• Future target: Both sides agreed to scale trade to USD 5 billion by 2030.