31st January 2015 Current Affairs Updates

1) Canister-based nuclear capable Agni-V missile test fired successfully:

--> India on 31 January 2015 successfully carried out the maiden canister-based trial of its most potent missile Agni-V.

--> It has a strike range of over 5000 kms and can carry a nuclear warhead of over one tonne.

--> The missile was launched from a canister mounted on a road-mobile launcher at Wheeler's Island off Odisha coast.

2) T Suvarna Raju took charge as Chairman of HAL:

--> T Suvarna Raju on 31 January 2015 took charge as chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), replacing R K Tyagi.

--> Raju, 56, is credited with securing the first patent for HAL, in January 2002.

--> He will be 17th chairman of HAL.

3) Serena won Australian Open women's singles title 2015:

--> Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova in straight sets in the women's singles final to win her sixth Australian Open title at Melbourne on January 31, 2015.

--> The No.1-seeded Williams recorded a 6-3, 7-6(5) over the No.2-seeded Russian for the 19th Grand Slam title of her illustrious career, separating herself from Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for second-most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era.

--> She is now just three titles away from Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slam titles.

4) Sergio Mattarella elected as new Italian president:

--> Sergio Mattarella, a constitutional court judge from Sicily who is seen as a symbol of Italy's battle against organised crime, was elected Italy's new president on 31 January 2015.

--> He will Italy’s 12th president and succeed Giorgio Napolitano who had resigned earlier in January 2015 citing reason of poor health before his 2020 expiry term.

--> He has tenure of 7 years. 

5) 35th National Games began in Kerala:

--> 35th National Games got underway at Thiruvananthapuram, Capital of Kerala on January 31, 2015 at the brand new state-of-the-art Greenfield Stadium with more than 40,000 spectators cheering every moment.

--> The biggest cheers as always were reserved for cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar who was the goodwill ambassador for the Games and one of the chief guests at the opening ceremony of the 35th National Games.

--> Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 35th National Games.

--> It is the second time that Kerala is hosting the national games (earlier it hosted the 27th National Games in the year 1987).

--> The mascot of the National Games 2015 is'''Ammu'' (Great Indian Hornbill, the State bird of Kerala).