Weekly Current Affairs: 1–8 January 2026 – UKPSC Upper PCS Notes

How to read this note

This note summarises Weekly Current Affairs for 1–8 January 2026 in roughly 8-10 minutes. Items marked VERIFIED were checked against an official or primary source. Items marked REPORTED come from credible media or secondary sources. They are fine for revision, but confirm figures before quoting them in an answer. Uttarakhand and science-and-technology coverage is thinner this week because few verifiable items were found. For the complete notes with static GK links, Mains angles, charts and sources, use the Download PDF button at the top of this page.

1. National affairs, judiciary and governance

Supreme Court denies bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam (VERIFIED)

On 5 Jan a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria refused bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the February 2020 north-east Delhi riots "larger conspiracy" case under the UAPA. It granted conditional bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Mohammad Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad. The court found a prima facie case and a "central and formative role" for Khalid and Imam, and examined each plea individually. Trial delay can justify closer scrutiny but is not an automatic ground for bail. The two may renew their bail pleas after protected witnesses are examined or after one year, whichever is earlier.

Static link: UAPA Sec 43D(5) (the bail bar), Article 21. Mains angle: national-security laws versus personal liberty and long pre-trial incarceration.

Adani Power v Union of India (REPORTED)

The Supreme Court held that customs duty on electricity supplied from an SEZ unit to the Domestic Tariff Area had no authority of law, and that later notifications were a colourable exercise of delegated power. Refunds were ordered after verification, without interest. It is reported as the first reported judgment of 2026 (2026 INSC 1). Static link: Article 265.

Uttar Pradesh draft electoral roll after SIR (REPORTED)

After the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), UP's draft roll was published on 6 Jan. Electors fell from 15.44 crore to 12.55 crore, with about 2.89 crore names removed (deceased 46.23 lakh, shifted or absent 2.17 crore, duplicates 25.47 lakh). Claims and objections ran from 6 Jan to 6 Feb 2026. Static link: Article 324 (ECI superintends elections), Representation of the People Act 1950. Mains angle: roll cleansing versus the risk of exclusion.

NATGRID linked with NPR (REPORTED)

The Hindu reported that NATGRID, the counter-terror data platform, has been integrated with the National Population Register, which covers about 119 crore residents. Authorised agencies can see family-linked demographic data in real time, and access has been extended to State police officers of SP rank. Mains angle: security versus privacy, and the absence of independent oversight (Puttaswamy proportionality test).

New Chief Justices for six High Courts (REPORTED)

On the Collegium's recommendation (18 Dec 2025, CJI Surya Kant), the Centre notified chief justices for the Meghalaya, Kerala, Patna, Jharkhand, Sikkim and Uttarakhand High Courts. For Uttarakhand, Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta of the Allahabad High Court was named on 8 Jan, succeeding Justice Guhanathan Narendar, who retires on 9 Jan. The oath falls on 10 Jan, outside this week. Static link: Articles 217, 222 and 223; High Court judges retire at 62.

2. Economy, banking and reports

First Advance Estimates of GDP, 2025-26 (VERIFIED)

MoSPI/NSO projected real GDP growth of 7.4% on 7 Jan 2026 (FY25: 6.5%). Nominal GDP is Rs 357.14 lakh crore (+8.0%), and real GVA grows 7.3%. Sector-wise: finance, real estate and professional services 9.9%; manufacturing 7.0%; construction 7.0%; agriculture and allied 3.1%; mining −0.7%. The Second Advance Estimates (27 Feb 2026) are due on a new base year, 2022-23.

GST collections, December 2025 (VERIFIED)

Gross GST was about Rs 1.75 lakh crore (+6.1% year on year). Net GST was about Rs 1.45 lakh crore (+2.2%) because refunds rose by about 31%. April–December FY26 gross collections were Rs 16.5 lakh crore (+8.6%).

GST compensation cess to end on 1 Feb 2026 (REPORTED)

Under the Central Excise (Amendment) Act 2025, the compensation cess is wound up on 1 Feb 2026 and replaced on most tobacco products by excise duty plus 40% GST. Exact rates come from a secondary source, so confirm them before quoting.

PMI, December 2025 (VERIFIED)

Manufacturing PMI eased to 55.0 (Nov: 56.6), a two-year low. Services PMI fell to 58.0 (Nov: 59.8) and the Composite Output Index to 57.8 (Nov: 59.7). A PMI above 50 means expansion. It is a private survey, unlike the official IIP.

UPI record and UN growth forecast (VERIFIED)

UPI recorded a record 21.63 billion transactions in December 2025, worth about Rs 27.97 lakh crore (volume +29%, value +20%). The daily average was about 698 million transactions, and calendar 2025 saw over 228 billion transactions. The UN's World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 projects India as the fastest-growing major economy at 6.6% in 2026 (est. 7.4% in 2025), against global growth of 2.7%. A key risk is higher US tariffs.

3. Government schemes and agriculture

• Integrated e-Bill System (VERIFIED): launched on 1 Jan by Union Minister J.P. Nadda to process fertiliser-subsidy claims end to end, with built-in validation and an audit trail. About Rs 2 lakh crore of subsidy flows through it.