Friday, January 30, 2015

Daily Current Affairs Updates: 29 January 2015

1) Shekhar Sen named chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademy: Eminent singer and theatre director Shekhar Sen was on 29 January 2015 appointed the new chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the country's premier institution for the performing arts. Mr. Sen was recently awarded the Padma Shri on Republic day for his contribution to the arts. According to an order issued by the Culture Ministry, Sen has been appointed for a term of five years with immediate effect. The Akademi has been without a head after earlier chairperson Leela Samson, who was appointed by the UPA government, quit on September 30 last year.

2) India to host next edition of ICC Twenty20 WC in 2016: ndia has been confirmed as host for the 2016 Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled to be held from March 11 to April 3, the ICC announced after ratifying its decision in the Board meeting in Dubai on 29 January 2015. This will be the first time that India will be hosting a World T20 tournament. So far there have been five editions of the event with India winning the inaugural one in 2007 in South Africa. Bangladesh had hosted the last edition of the tournament in 2014.

3) Hanumanthu Purushotham took charge as new NRDC Chairman: Eminent scientist Hanumanthu Purushotham has assumed charge as the new Chairman and Managing Director of National Research Development Corporation (NRDC). Prior to this assignment, he was Scientist-G and Head of Knowledge Management Centre of International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Department of Science and Technology at Hyderabad.

4) Col. MN Rai cremated with full military honours in Delhi: Rich tributes were paid on 29 January 2015 to Colonel M N Rai, who was martyred in an encounter with militants a day after he got his gallantry award on Republic Day, in New Delhi. His body was brought to the capital where his funeral was held with full military honours. An emotional farewell was given to the Martyred hero Col. M N Rai. Col. M N Rai was martyred on 27 Jan 2015 in an encounter with terrorists in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. The colonel was honoured with a gallantry medal on Republic Day just a day ahead of his fatal encounter that also claimed the life of a police constable.

5) GNLF founder Subhash Ghisingh died:  Gorkha National Liberation Front founder Subhash Ghisingh, who spearheaded the Gorkhaland movement in the 1980s, died on 29 January 2015 at the age of 78. Ghisingh had founded GNLF in 1980 and was the chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in West Bengal from 1988 to 2008. He had led the Gorkhaland movement to demand for a separate state for ethnic Gorkha people living in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. The GNLF led the movement, which disrupted the district with massive violence between 1986 and 1988.

6) Maharashtra's 'pilgrimage to wadi' won the best tableaux award in R-Day Parade: In the tableaux category in this year's Republic Day parade, the first position went to the Maharashtra tableau, which depicted 'Wari to Pandharpur' (the pilgrimage to Pandharpur). A total of 25 tableaux, including nine from Union ministries and departments, had taken part in the parade. While the Jharkhand tableau on Maluti temples was adjudged second, the third position was won by the Karnataka tableau on the Channapatna toys. 

7) Four-day long R-Day celebrations concluded with 'Beating Retreat' ceremony: The four-day long Republic Day celebrations concluded on Thursday with 'Beating Retreat' ceremony as splendid performances by military bands and musicians from all the three forces enthralled the gathering. Lilting martial tunes and massed pipes and drum bands reverberated the air as the majestic Raisina Hills was lit up as part of the Beating the Retreat ceremony in New Delhi, marking the end of Republic Day celebrations.

8) S. Jaishankar took charge as Foreign Secretary: Less than twelve hours after the government’s official notification appointing him, the new foreign secretary, Dr. S. Jaishankar took charge on 29 January 2015 morning.

9) Airtel tied up with Kotak Mahindra to apply for Payments Bank license: Bharti Airtel, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd. (AMSL), is applying for a Payments Bank licence with Kotak Mahindra Bank as a partner. AMSL, that offers mobile money services under the brand name Airtel Money, is proposing to convert the existing pre-paid payment instrument licence into a Payments Bank license as per the guidelines prescribed by the Reserve bank of India, Bharti Airtel said.

10) PM Modi becomes first global leader to tweet audio, video: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday became the world's first leader to send out an audio-video tweet, when he tweeted a conversation between him and US President Barack Obama during "Mann Ki Baat". The PM's twitter account Prime Minister @NarendraModi has become a fully audio-video enabled account. Twitter users heard the special episode on Twitter itself.


11) Kumar Sangakkara sets new ODI dismissals record: Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara broke the world record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in one-day internationals on 29 January 2015. Sangakkara reached 473 dismissals - 377 catches and 96 stumpings - when he caught Corey Anderson off the bowling of Shaminda Eranga in a 34-run win over New Zealand in Wellington. Retired Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist had held the earlier record.

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