India’s passport has moved up the global mobility ladder, climbing five places to rank 80th in the latest Henley Passport Index. Indian passport holders can now travel visa-free or obtain a visa on arrival in 55 destinations, reflecting a modest improvement in international access.

The ranking marks a recovery from 2025, when India had slipped to 85th place, even though passport holders then had visa-free or e-visa access to 57 destinations. In 2024, India had also ranked 80th, indicating a return to that position after last year’s decline. This year, India shares the 80th spot with Niger and Algeria.

The Henley Passport Index 2026 reveals that Asia continues to dominate the top of the table. Singapore retains the number one position, with its citizens enjoying visa-free access to 192 of the 227 countries and territories tracked by the index. Japan and South Korea are tied for second place, each offering visa-free travel to 188 destinations.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) on Wednesday announced oil discoveries in Abu Dhabi’s Onshore Block 1 through their joint venture Urja Bharat Pte Limited (UBPL), where the two companies hold equal stakes

UBPL, a 50:50 special purpose vehicle of Indian Oil and Bharat PetroResources Limited (BPRL), was awarded the Onshore Block 1 exploration concession in 2019 under Abu Dhabi’s bid round. The concession is operated by UBPL.

Indian Oil said the first oil discovery was made in early 2024 in the unconventional Shilaif play at the XN-76 exploratory well. “After successful hydrofracking operations, the well flowed light crude oil at surface from the Shilaif formation,” the company said, adding that the test results have “established the presence of unconventional oil resources in Onshore Block 1.”

The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) aims to bring a transformational change in the income levels of rural women by promoting diversified and sustainable livelihoods. Promotion of non-farm rural enterprises is a critical pathway to achieve this goal. Over the years, several non-farm livelihood schemes including Star-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme have demonstrated successful enterprise models supported by trained community cadres. These cadres act as grassroots-level catalysts by providing enterprise identification, start-up support, mentoring, and handholding.

The Ministry has committed to enabling at least 3 crore Lakhpati Didis, i.e., SHG women members earning ₹1 lakh or more per annum. The scale required to meet the Lakhpati Didi goals necessitates a massive upscaling of this cadre.

Keeping these priorities in focus a “National Campaign on Entrepreneurship” was launched by the Additional Secretary (RD) on 12th January 2026. Advisor NITI Aayog (RD&PR), Chairman NABARD and representatives of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IFMR LEAD (KREA University), EDII and IIM Calcutta innovation park and SMDs/CEOs of SRLMs along with their teams participated in the event.

Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on Thursday named ambassador of the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour.

India’s first international multi-stage professional road cycling race, scheduled to be held in Pune from January 19 to 23.

The five-day ‘Continental Road Cycling Race for Men’ will wind through a 437-km route across the Deccan Plateau and Sahyadri Range, featuring sharp bends and challenging elevations.

The event has attracted 171 riders from 29 teams across 35 countries.

Dhoni, who has been named the event’s goodwill ambassador, said the race would open new avenues for cycling in the country and wished the Indian team luck.

In a bid to intensify the crackdown on legal immigrants, the US has announced an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing in 75 countries, beginning January 21, the State Department announced on Wednesday (US time). However, some countries on the list of 75 nations have surprised people and led to questions regarding the criteria used to devise it.

While the inclusion of nations like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Libya, Iran, Myanmar, Sudan, and others embroiled in conflicts, or known for sending problematic migrants to the US seems logical, what has puzzled many is the presence of relatively prosperous countries such as Kuwait, or those with positive global reputations, like Thailand and Bhutan, along with some Balkan states. Even Brazil came as a surprise entry on the list to many.

Yemen's Saudi-backed presidential leadership council has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Salem bin Breik and appointed Foreign Minister Shaya Mohsen Zindani as the country's new prime minister, the state news agency Saba reported on Thursday.

Bin Breik formally submitted the resignation, which was approved by the council, before Zindani was named to form the next cabinet, Saba said.

Yemen has been a source of heightened tensions in recent months between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

A UAE-backed separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council, gained control of areas across southern and eastern Yemen in December, advancing to within reach of the Saudi border, which the kingdom considered a threat to its national security. Saudi-backed fighters have since largely retaken those areas.

Karnataka Bank has been honoured with multiple prestigious awards at the Indian

Banks' Association (IBA) Banking Technology Awards, recognizing the Bank's excellence in technology adoption and digital innovation.

The Bank emerged as the Winner in the 'Best Fintech & DPI Adoption' category, reflecting its strong focus on leveraging Digital Public Infrastructure and fintech-driven solutions.

In addition, Karnataka Bank was adjudged Runner-up in 'Best Tech Talent' and received Special Mention in the categories of Best Technology Bank, Best Digital Financial Inclusion & Best Digital Sales.

The Indian Railways authorities have introduced a One-Time Password (OTP) based ticketing system to enhance transparency and legal mobility of travellers on its routes across the country. Alerted by issues encountered due to the old ticketing system in the past, the Indian Railways has come up with an advanced tech procedure to verify the identity of those travelling.

The new OTP-based ticketing system came into effect on Monday, January 12. It has been made operational on 300 major trains across the country. According to the new regulation, tickets for these trains will no longer be issued without OTP verification on the Indian Railways’ portal. The move makes the booking process better, more secure and convenient for the passengers.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has taken a major step towards strengthening India's Olympic movement with the launch of the National Olympic Education and Development Programme (NOEDP) and the formal reactivation of the National Olympic Academy (NOA).

The decisions were made during the IOA Executive Council meeting on January 8 and were unanimously endorsed by the IOA General House at its Annual General Meeting on January 9, both held in Ahmedabad, according to an IOA release.

The initiatives reflect the IOA's renewed focus on athlete-centric development, Olympic education, and institutional capacity building, aligned with global best practices, the release said.

Tripura Gramin Bank has created a national milestone by becoming the first Gramin Bank in the country to introduce a solar-powered ATM van, marking a major step towards sustainable and inclusive banking services.

Expressing pride over the achievement, the bank's Marketing Head Jeet Bhattacharya said it was a moment of great honour not only for the institution but also for the people of Tripura.

He stated that the innovative initiative has earned the bank the prestigious SKOCH Silver Award, one of the most respected national-level recognitions for excellence in governance and innovation.