Current Affars Jan 2015

Serena Williams of US won the women’s single title of Australian Open 2015

Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova 6-3, 7-6(5) in Melbourne, Australia to clinch sixth title of Australian Open. This was 19th career Grand Slam title for Williams who had never faced defeat by Sharapova since 2004


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India successfully test-fired canister-based ICBM Agni-5 missile

India test-fired the maiden canister-based most potent missile Agni-V with a strike range over 5000 kilometers. It is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of over one tonne

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PETA announced to create India's first fenced elephant sanctuary near Bengaluru

The model of the sanctuary was designed by the PETA consultant and elephant expert Carol Buckley and it will come up in an area of 49.5 hectare within the Biological Park which is an extension of the Bannerghatta National Park

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GTU launched e-Raksha Research Centre to fight cybercrime

The centre was launched to curb rising menace of cybercrimes. Centre will encourage research and enhance capability to provide solution for issues related to cyber security

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Union Government divested 10 percent stake in Coal India Limited

Government divested 63.16 crores shares (10 percent) of CIL through offer for sale (OFS) at a floor price of 358 rupees per share and realized an amount of 22557.63 crore rupees through the disinvestment process

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18th National Conference on e-Governance held in Gujarat

The main Theme of the Conference was Digital Governance – New Frontiers. The focus sector was Skill Development & Employability

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Maharashtra approved field trials for GM food

Maharashtra government on the basis of recommendations of Anil Kakodkar committee granted NOCs for open field trials of five genetically modified (GM) crops. The crops are rice, chana (chickpeas), maize, brinjal and cotton

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Churches in England opposed Mitochondria Donation Technique to produce babies

The British government was urged to block the technique of creation of babies from three people by Churches of England. The technique involves addition of a donor woman's mitochondria to another woman's egg

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Union Government approved a rehabilitation package of 1102-crore rupees for J&K

Rehabilitation package of 1102 crore rupees approved for flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir. The fund was sanctioned from the National Disaster Response Fund

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Union Government released Commemorative Postage stamps with Swachh Bharat Mission as theme

The Commemorative Postage stamps were released by the Union Ministry for Communications & Information Technology

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Paul van Ass appointed as coach of National Men’s Hockey team

Former Dutch National Hockey team coach Paul van Ass was on 30 January 2015 appointed as the head Coach of Indian men's hockey team. He succeeded Terry Walsh of Australia

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Kanagasabapathy J Sripavan sworn-in as 44th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka

Justice Sripavan succeeded Shirani Bandaranayake who resigned on 29 January 2015. She resigned one day after she was reinstated as Chief Justice by the Sri Lankan President on 28 January 2015

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RBI constituted High Powered Committee headed by R Gandhi on Urban Cooperative Banks

A high Powered Committee chaired by R Gandhi constituted to re-examine and recommend set of businesses, size, conversion and licensing terms for the Urban Cooperative Banking Sector

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AP Government decided to file a defamation suit against the State Bank of Hyderabad

State government will file a defamation suit as SBH has freezed account of Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education.

S Lakshminarayanan appointed as Chairman of Shriram Transport Finance Co Ltd

The decision to appoint S Lakshminarayanan as Chairman of STFC was taken during a board meeting of the company held at Colombo on 24 January 2015

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Krishna Chaudhary appointed as the Director General of ITBP

Krishna Chaudhary appointed as the DG of ITBP which was lying vacant since 1 January 2015 after retirement of Subhas Goswami. Chaudhary will be in office till June 2017

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DRDO received approval to build missile launch testing facility in the Krishna Delta Complex

The approval was granted by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife chaired by Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

UNCTAD released Global Investment Trends Monitor Report

The report highlights that Global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows declined by 8 percent in 2014 to an estimated 1.26 trillion US dollar

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Karnataka Government decided to amend Karnataka Compulsory Primary Education Act, 2012

The State Government decided to amend the Section 19(2) of the Act by inserting words Mother Tongue Kannada. This insertion guarantees that Kannada language will become compulsory for children from Class I to V

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Union Ministry of Defence announced 2015 Republic Day Parade Awards

The panels was appointed by the Defence Ministry for assessing the marching contingents from three Services, Para-Military Forces and tableaux from various States/ Ministries/Departments and School Children items from Schools of Delhi as well as outside Delhi

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Union Sports Ministry revised the Scheme of Special Awards to medal winners

The amount of award money for medal winners in Olympic Games (summer and winter) has been enhanced from existing 50 lakh rupees (gold medal), 30 lakh rupees (silver medal) and 20 lakh rupees (bronze medal)  to 75 lakh rupees, 50 lakh rupees and 30 lakh rupees respectively

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Zomato Media Pvt Ltd acquired Turkey-based firm Mekanist

Online restaurant search service provider Zomato Media Pvt Ltd on 29 January 2015 acquired Turkish company Mekanist for an undisclosed sum

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Subhash Ghising, the President of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), died

Subhash Ghising, the person who gave birth to Gorkhaland movement and raised voice for creation of a separate Gorkhaland state for ethnic Gorkha (Nepali) living in Darjeeling District of West Bengal died

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Hanumanthu Purushotham took charge as CMD of NRDC

Earlier, he was Scientist-G and Head of Knowledge Management Centre at International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Department of Science and Technology at Hyderabad

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Anti-Leprosy Day observed to focus Attention on Disease

The day is celebrated in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi in order to re-memorize his selfless efforts and care for the people affected by the infectious disease leprosy

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Malaysia declared MH370 flight disappearance an accident

The declaration was made by the Director General of Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) Azharuddin Abdul Rahman in accordance with standards of annexes 12 and 13 of the International Civil Aviation

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ErosNow tied up with RailTel to provide Streaming Services to Rail Passengers

With the help of this tie-up, the railway passengers will soon have access to movies, television content, music videos and audio tracks

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Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel launched Taluka Planning Atlas

The Taluka Planning Atlas seeks to enable the local administration in taking effective decisions about the development in respective regions

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20th Law Commission submitted 253rd Report titled Commercial Courts Bill 2015 to Union Government

20th Law Commission of India headed by Justice (retd) A P Shah submitted its 253rd report entitled Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts and Commercial Courts Bill, 2015 to Union Government

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ICC lifted the five-year ban imposed on Pakistan’s fast bowler Mohammad Amir

ICC lifted the five-year ban imposed on Mohammad Amir who was jailed and banned for a spot fixing scam along with Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt during Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010

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Shekhar Sen appointed as Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi

Shekhar Sen will succeed Leela Samson as the Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi.