These are the detailed notes from the daily news analysis for 8th January 2026, based on the editorial and news excerpts provided.

1. Indian Economy: GDP Growth and Trends

• GDP Growth Forecast: The government has estimated the real GDP growth at 7.4% for the current fiscal year (2025-26).

  
  

• Historical Trends: A review of growth from 2012-13 to the present shows no fixed pattern of consistent increase or decrease; for example, growth was negative during the 2020-21 pandemic year before recovering.

  
  

• Key Economic Concepts:

  • GDP (Gross Domestic Product): The final value of all goods and services produced within a country's borders, regardless of whether the firm is domestic or foreign.

    
    

  • Nominal vs. Real GDP: Nominal GDP is calculated at current prices, while Real GDP is adjusted for inflation using a base year.

    
    

  • Formulas:

    • $Nominal GDP = Real GDP \times GDP Deflator$.

    • $GDP = C (Consumption) + I (Investment) + G (Govt Expenditure) + (X - M) (Exports - Imports)$.

2. Art and Culture: "Awaazon के Jugnu"

• Project Launch: The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is launching a program called "Awaazon के Jugnu".

  
  

• Objective: To document and archive the real interviews and voices of India's most celebrated and historic figures (e.g., from All India Radio or FM records).

  
  

• Background of IGNCA: It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, established in 1987.

3. Science and Technology: ISRO's EOS-N1 Mission

• Mission Details: ISRO is scheduled to launch the Earth Observation Satellite N1 (EOS-N1) on 12th January using the PSLV-C62 mission.

  
  

• Purpose: It is an earth-imaging satellite intended for strategic purposes.

  
  

• Context: This follows the recent launch of the BlueBird Block 2 communication satellite (a US-based satellite) via the LVM3 launch vehicle.

4. Governance: Census 2027

• Timeline: The first phase, known as House Listing Operations (HLO), will run from 1st April to 30th September 2026.

  
  

• Historical Background:

  • The earliest references to a census are found in Kautilya’s Arthashastra and Abul Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari.

  • The first official modern census was conducted in 1881 under Lord Ripon.

  • 1951: First census with a "quality check" of data.

  • 1971: First census to track migration.

    
    

• Unique Features of the Upcoming Census:

  • It will be the first digital census (using mobile apps).

  • It will include caste enumeration for the first time.

  • It allows for self-enumeration online.

    
    

• Constitutional Provisions: Census is a Union Subject under Article 246 (7th Schedule) and is governed by the Census Act of 1948, which ensures data confidentiality.

5. Internal Security: NATGRID and Digital Rights

• Origin: The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) was conceptualised following the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to help intelligence agencies collaborate.

• Legal Standing: It was established via an executive order in 2012, not through an Act of Parliament.

• The "Digital Authoritarianism" Concern:

  • The editorial expresses concern over integrating National Population Register (NPR) data (covering ~120 crore residents) into an intelligence surveillance network.

  • GANDIV: This is a new analytical engine designed for data analytics within NATGRID.

  • Critics argue that algorithms can inherit human biases related to religion, caste, or geography, potentially leading to targeted surveillance.

  • Privacy: The scale of this surveillance is questioned in light of the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy case (2017), which declared the Right to Privacy a fundamental right.

6. Environment: India’s Climate Progress (Paris Agreement)

India set four primary quantified targets under the Paris Climate Deal:

1. Emission Intensity: Target to reduce intensity by 33–35% (from 2005 levels) by 2030. Status: India achieved a 36% reduction by 2020, meeting this goal early.

2. Renewable Energy (175 GW): The 2022 deadline for 175 GW was missed, but the new ambition is 500 GW by 2030.

   
   

3. Non-Fossil Fuel Power: Originally 40%, now increased to 50% capacity by 2030. Currently, non-fossil fuel sources account for 51% of cumulative installed capacity.

   
   

4. Carbon Sink: Target to create a sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of $CO_2$ through forest cover. Status: 2.29 billion tonnes have been achieved, with only 0.2 billion tonnes remaining.

• Key Challenge: While non-fossil capacity is high, actual generation is lower because solar and wind are dependent on weather, whereas coal provides stable 24/7 power.

7. International News Briefs

• Israel-Palestine: The UN has called on Israel to end apartheid (racial discrimination) against Palestinians in the West Bank.

• Geopolitics: The US has seized a Russia-linked oil tanker in the North Atlantic.