14 January 2016 Current Affairs
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis created world record by winning 29 matches in a row
India’s Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis broke a 22-year-old world record by winning their 29th women’s doubles match in a row en route to their entry into the women’s doubles final of the WTA Sydney International, in Sydney on 14 January 2016.They defeated the Romanian Raluca Olaru and Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 in the semi-final . The Sania-Hingis duo has now surpassed the pair of Puerto Rican Gigi Fernandez and Belarus’ Natasha Zvereva, who won 28 matches on the trot.
Prime Minister conferred the Times Now Amazing Indians Awards 2016
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 January 2016 conferred the Times Now Amazing Indians Awards 2016 to all the awardees. The awards were given in recognition of great achievements in the face of adversity.
List of Awardees
Name Category
Late Kallen Pokkudan The Eco Saviours
S Ramakrishnan Unstoppable Indians
Sunita Aralikar Stree Shakthi
Popatrao Pawar The Grass Roots Soldiers
Timothy Indian at Heart
Chintakindi Mallesham Incredible Innovators
Malavath Poorna Young Indians, Big Achievements
Damini Sen Young Indians, Big Achievements
Murugan S Ordinary Indians,Extraordinary Achievement
Mathews K Mathew Energising India
Yashraj Khaitan Global Indians
Ruma Roka Educators of India”
WHO Declares End to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
The World Health Organization on 14 January 2016 declared an end to the Ebola outbreak in Liberia — marking the first time since the outbreak began in 2014 that the three hardest hit countries (including Sierra Leone and Guinea) have been considered Ebola-free.To be declared Ebola-free, the countries had to have no cases for 42 days( or two 21-day incubation cycles of the virus).
Sikkim has become the first fully organic state in India
“Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic state by implementing organic practices on around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land.In Sikkim around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land was gradually converted to certified organic land by implementing organic practices and principles as per guidelines laid down in National Programme for Organic Production. It was 12 years ago in 2003 when the Pawan Chamling-led government decided to make Sikkim an organic farming state through a declaration in the legislative assembly.”
Anti-tank missile “Nag” successful test fired
“The indigenously-built third generation anti-tank missile Nag was successfully test fired at Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.Nag is a third generation “fire-and-forget” anti-tank missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).
HeliNa is a helicopter-launched version of Nag missile.
Weight – 42 kg (93 lb)
Length – 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Operational range – 500m to 4km (Land version), 7-10km (Air-launched).
Guidance system – Incorporated with advance Active Imaging infra-red (IIR) seeker.”
Severus Snape’ Alan Rickman passes away
British actor Alan Rickman, a classically trained stage star and screen villain in the Harry Potter saga and other films, died on 14 January 2016. He was 69.Born to a working-class London family in 1946 and trained at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Rickman was often cast as the bad guy; with his rich, languid voice he could invest evil with wicked, irresistible relish.Film roles included the psychopathic villain Hans Gruber who tormented Bruce Willis in Die Hard in 1988; a deceased lover who consoles his bereaved partner in 1990’s Truly Madly Deeply; the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood- Prince of Thieves in 1991; and a wayward husband in 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually.
SBI opens branch for startups, enters into wealth management space
“State Bank of India became the first public sector lender to launch wealth management service, a space dominated by private and foreign players, to cater to fast-growing affluent segment of the country. The bank also inaugurated a dedicated branch for startups which will provide advisory services to the budding entrepreneurs.The wealth management offering — ‘SBI Exclusif’ and the start-up branch — ‘SBI InCube’ were rolled out in Bengaluru on 14 January 2016.‘SBI Exclusif’ will offer many firsts in wealth banking like the first ‘e-Wealth Center’ that can deliver quality relationship management services remotely for extended hours.Its customers will be able to transact and invest on digital channels such as internet and mobile.The customers will have access to a dedicated relationship manager to take care of all their banking and investment needs.Through the ‘SBI InCube’, the bank will be helping, guiding and counselling the new entrepreneurs in starting a new company or business enterprise, which so far was not available in the banking industry.”