UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 30-01-2026

One Liners 30-01-2026

Geography

Coking Coal as a Critical and Strategic Mineral

Notified under – Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act).
Exercise of powers under – Section 11C of the MMDR Act, 1957, has amended the 1^st Schedule of the Act.
Accordingly, in Part A, the term “Coal” now reads as “Coal, including Coking Coal”, and “Coking Coal” has been included in Part D, which lists Critical and Strategic Minerals.
Expected outcome – To facilitate faster approvals, improve ease of doing business, and accelerate exploration and mining activities, including of deep-seated deposits.

Coking Coal

India has an estimated 37.37 billion tonnes of coking coal resources.
Largely located in – Jharkhand, with additional reserves in Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.
Imports – Despite this domestic availability, imports of coking coal have increased from 51.20 million tonnes in 2020–21 to 57.58 million tonnes in 2024–25.
Steel sector – Currently, around 95 % of the coking coal requirement is met through imports, leading to significant foreign exchange outgo.

Economy

Training Programme on “Legal Management & Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016”

Inaugurated by – Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS).
Objective – To strengthen the legal and institutional capacity of EPFO officers in dealing with insolvency-related matters and legal issues arising under the IBC framework.

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS)

PDUNASS – It is the apex training institute of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) under the Ministry of Labour & Employment.
Established in – 1990.
Objective – To undertake training, research and consultancy in the field of social security.

Amendments in IEPFA (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules, 2016

Public Comments invited on Proposed Amendments in IEPFA (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules, 2016.

Amendment focusses on –
Easing procedural requirements, reducing timelines, and improving efficiency in the processing of claims relating to unclaimed dividends, shares, matured deposits, debentures, and other eligible amounts transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund under the Companies Act, 2013.
Key feature – Introduction of a streamlined mechanism for low-value claims, based on verification by the concerned companies.
Low-value claims –
- Physical shares with a market value of up to Rs.5 lakh
- Dematerialised shares with a market value of up to Rs.15 lakh
- Dividend claims up to Rs.10,000
Objective – To reduce disposal timeline of 30 days based on company’s verification report to enable faster, hassle-free refunds to investors.

Environment

Stage IV restrictions

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revokes Stage IV restrictions across Delhi-NCR as AQI improves.

Restrictions under Stage IV –

Ban BS-IV truck entry into Delhi, except for essential goods/services; allow LNG, CNG, Electric, and BS-VI diesel trucks.
Prohibit Delhi-registered BS-IV and older diesel heavy goods vehicles, except for essential goods/services.
Suspend construction and demolition activities, including linear public projects like highways, flyovers, power lines, and pipelines.
Mandate hybrid (online + physical) classes for students from Class VI–IX and XI in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar; NCR states may extend this to other areas, with students/guardians choosing online mode where feasible.
Consider emergency measures such as closing colleges, shutting non-essential businesses, and implementing odd-even vehicle restrictions.

Science

World Leprosy Day

Annually observed on – Last Sunday of January.
In 2026, observed on – 25^th January.
Objective – To celebrate people who have experienced leprosy, raise awareness of the disease, and call for an end to leprosy-related stigma and discrimination.
Theme – "Leprosy is curable, the real challenge is stigma".

Miscellaneous

SAMPANN pension portal integrates with UMANG Portal

It facilitates pensioners in retrieving their Pension Payment Order (PPO) number and Life Certificate (LC) validity status via the UMANG web portal or mobile application.
Integrated with – DigiLocker, underscores the department’s commitment to providing prompt and transparent services to all pensioners.
Objective – To enhance ease of access for pensioners, promote transparency, and ensure the seamless delivery of pension-related information via a unified digital platform.

System for Accounting and Management of Pension (SAMPANN)

It has digitized the entire pension lifecycle, from initiation and processing of cases to issuance of e-Pension Payment Orders, disbursement, accounting, reconciliation, financial reporting, audit facilitation, and grievance redressal.
Developed, owned, & operated by – Office of the Controller General of Communication Accounts for pension administration and allied financial management functions.
Launched by – 2018.
Objective – To mark a shift from system-centric administration to pensioner-centric governance, freeing retirees and their families from visiting offices to claim their rightful benefits.

Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) platform

It is a single unified platform (mobile app + web portal).
Dedicated to – Access government services offered by Central, State, and Local bodies—anytime, anywhere.
Available on – Android, iOS, and the web.
Part of – Digital India initiative.