16 January 2026: PRELIMS CURRENT AFFAIRS

Prelims Current Affairs includes National Startup Day, Centre Appoints New Itbp and BSF Chiefs, Henley Passport Index 2026, 4th Edition of Export Preparedness Index, Mycorrhizal Networks

IMPORTANT DAY

1. NATIONAL STARTUP DAY

Observed every year on 16 January

Purpose: To recognise and promote innovation, entrepreneurship and startups in India.
Declared By: Narendra Modi
Year of Declaration: 2021

APPOINTMENTS

2. CENTRE APPOINTS NEW ITBP AND BSF CHIEFS

Current Context: The Centre has appointed Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor as Director General of ITBP, while Praveen Kumar has been named Director General of BSF.

APPOINTMENT OF ITBP CHIEF

Officer: Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor
Service: 1990-batch IPS officer
Cadre: Haryana
Post: Director General, Indo-Tibetan Border Police
Tenure Till: 31 October 2026
Role of ITBP: Guards India’s sensitive Himalayan borders

APPOINTMENT OF BSF CHIEF

Officer: Praveen Kumar
Service: 1993-batch IPS officer
Cadre: West Bengal
Post: Director General, Border Security Force
Tenure Till: 30 September 2030

REPORT/INDEX

3. HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX 2026

Current Context: India’s passport has climbed five places to rank 80^th in the Henley Passport Index 2026.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Current Rank: 80th
Previous Rank (2025): 85th
Visa Access: 55 destinations (visa-free or visa-on-arrival)
Shared Rank: With Niger and Algeria

ABOUT HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX

Publisher: Henley Passport Index
Data Source: International Air Transport Association
Coverage: 199 passports and 227 destinations
Basis: Number of destinations accessible without prior visa

GLOBAL TOP PERFORMERS

Rank 1: Singapore
Rank 2: Japan and South Korea
Rank 3: Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Luxembourg
Notable Performer: United Arab Emirates

REPORT/INDEX

4. 4TH EDITION OF EXPORT PREPAREDNESS INDEX

Current Context: NITI Aayog has released the 4th edition of the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024.

Key Findings – Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024

Leaders

(States / Union Territories demonstrating relatively high export preparedness)

Category	Ranking of Large States	Ranking of Small States, North Eastern States & UTs
Rank 1	Maharashtra	Uttarakhand
Rank 2	Tamil Nadu	Jammu and Kashmir
Rank 3	Gujarat	Nagaland

Challengers

(States / Union Territories with moderate preparedness and scope for improvement)

Category	Ranking of Large States	Ranking of Small States, North Eastern States & UTs
Rank 1	Madhya Pradesh	Meghalaya
Rank 2	Haryana	Ladakh
Rank 3	Kerala	Delhi

Aspirers

(States / Union Territories at early stages of export ecosystem development)

Category	Ranking of Large States	Ranking of Small States, North Eastern States & UTs
Rank 1	Odisha	Arunachal Pradesh
Rank 2	Chhattisgarh	Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Rank 3	Rajasthan	Mizoram

ABOUT EXPORT PREPAREDNESS INDEX

Released By: NITI Aayog
Purpose: Assessment of export readiness of States and Union Territories.
Target Alignment: India’s USD 1 trillion merchandise exports by 2030.

STRUCTURE OF EPI

Pillars: Four pillars
Sub-pillars: 13
Indicators: 70

PILLARS AND WEIGHTAGE

Export Infrastructure: 20 percent
Business Ecosystem: 40 percent
Policy and Governance: 20 percent
Export Performance: 20 percent

SCIENCE

5. MYCORRHIZAL NETWORKS

Current Context: An American biologist has been awarded the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for work on mycorrhizal networks.

ABOUT MYCORRHIZAL NETWORKS

Definition: Underground fungal networks connecting roots of multiple plants.
Key Organism: Mycorrhizal fungi
Structure: Hyphae (fungal threads) form interconnected networks.

SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP

Plants Provide: Carbohydrates to fungi
Fungi Provide: Enhanced access to water and nutrients

ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Popular Name: Wood Wide Web
Carbon Role: Draws down about 13 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into soils annually.

TYLER PRIZE

Nickname: “Nobel Prize for the Environment”
Purpose: Recognises outstanding environmental achievements

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