EduTips Daily CA Bullet Points (4 January 2026)

1) 🇮🇳National

• Mountain Tunnel Breakthrough: India achieved its first mountain tunnel breakthrough for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project at Tunnel-5 in Palghar, Maharashtra.

• Judicial Appointment: President Droupadi Murmu approved the appointment of Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.

• Operation Sagar Bandhu: The Indian Army launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu' to assist Sri Lanka in rebuilding infrastructure and restoring tourism following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

• NCERT University Status: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is expected to receive 'Deemed-to-be-University' status by the end of January 2026.

2) 🌍International

• Korea Conflict: South Korea's military reported that North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast.

• Japan-US Relations: President Trump invited the Japanese leader to the US to strengthen the "Japan-US alliance" ahead of the US 250th anniversary celebrations.

• Venezuela Unrest: Tensions escalated as the US launched large-scale strikes in Caracas, following claims regarding the status of Nicolas Maduro.

3) 💰Economy

• Forex Reserves: India's foreign exchange reserves rose by $3.3 billion to reach approximately $696.6 billion for the week ended 26 December.

• GDP Projection: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revised its GDP growth projection for FY 2025–26 upward to 7.3%, citing a "Goldilocks period" of high growth and low inflation.

• GST Collections: Gross GST collections for December recorded a 6.1% year-on-year increase, reaching ₹1.74 lakh crore.

• Digital Payments: UPI transactions scaled new heights in December, processing 21.63 billion transactions valued at ₹27.97 lakh crore.

4) 🗓️Date’s importance

• World Braille Day: Observed annually on 4 January to commemorate the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille script for the visually impaired.

5) 👱‍♂️👩 Person of the day

• Louis Braille: Born on 4 January 1809 in France, he revolutionized communication for the blind by developing the tactile system of raised dots used globally today.

6) 🏅Sports

• Tennis (Australian Open): Venus Williams, at age 45, is set to become the oldest woman to compete in the Australian Open main draw after being granted a wildcard entry.

• Cricket: Selection committees are finalising squads for the upcoming India vs New Zealand ODI series and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 schedule.

7) 🏆Awards

• Critics Choice Awards: The 31st edition of the Critics Choice Awards is scheduled to be held today in Santa Monica, California, hosted by Chelsea Handler.

• AIP Karl Compton Medal: John Holdren has been awarded the 2026 Karl Compton Medal for Leadership in Physics.

8) ⭐️Other important significance

• Sandalwood Leopard: Karnataka documented the first-ever sighting of an ultra-rare leopard colour morph, informally named the "Sandalwood Leopard."

• Mission Mausam: India developed indigenous 3D-printed Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) to be deployed across the country to improve meteorological forecasting.

📚Word of the day

• Ferret: To search out, discover, or bring to light by searching (often followed by "out").