4.5/5
Current Affairs 14th January 2026
IMPORTANT FACTS
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RBIGovernor: Shaktikanta Das (since Dec 2018).
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RBI HQ: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
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Repo Rate: 6.50%.
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Reverse Repo Rate: 3.35%.
1. Pawan Kalyan becomes 1st Samurai from AP
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Rare Lineage Induction: He was inducted into the historic Takeda Shingen Clan under the lineage of Soke Muramatsu Sensei. This is a rare honor typically reserved for Japanese practitioners and marks him as the first Telugu person to enter this ancient Samurai lineage.
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Prestigious "Fifth Dan" Rank: The Sogo Budo Kanri Kai, a global governing body for traditional Japanese martial arts, conferred upon him the Fifth Dan (5th Dan). This rank signifies advanced technical mastery and a lifelong commitment to the discipline of Budo (the martial code).
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Formal Recognition in Kenjutsu: Beyond his well-known black belt in Karate, he was formally inducted into Kenjutsu, the ancient Japanese art of swordsmanship. In recognition of his 30-year journey, the Golden Dragons organization also bestowed upon him the title "Tiger of Martial Arts."
Footnotes: AP's Governor: Syed Abdul Nazeer, CM: N. Chandrababu Naidu, Capital: Amaravati
2. Indian Mountaineer Aritra Roy Summits Mt. Aconcagua
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Solo Expedition Milestone: Roy reached the summit on January 7, 2026, at 2:00 PM local time. The expedition was conducted solo and fully sponsored by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), marking a major milestone in his quest to complete the "Seven Summits."
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Extreme Resilience: He braved brutal conditions, snowstorms, and heavy blizzards. Despite these challenges, he completed the grueling 44-km trek and reached the top well ahead of his original schedule.
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Continued Legacy: This achievement follows his historic 2024 "triathlon to the top," where he became the first person from Tripura to summit Mt. Everest. He has now successfully climbed four of the world's seven highest continental peaks: Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Everest, and now Aconcagua.
3. TGB Introduces Solar-powered ATM Van
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National Recognition and Award: The initiative earned the prestigious SKOCH Silver Award in early 2026, recognizing the bank's excellence in innovation and sustainable governance. It is credited as a first-of-its-kind project for any Gramin bank in India.
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Eco-Friendly Financial Inclusion: Supported by NABARD, the mobile units (currently three vans) are fully operated by solar power. This allows the bank to provide uninterrupted ATM and banking services—including cash withdrawals and account updates—in remote "last-mile" areas where electricity supply is often inconsistent.
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Comprehensive Mobile Services: Beyond a standard ATM, the van functions as a mobile branch. It features a Banking Correspondent (BC) on board to assist with services like opening new accounts, Aadhaar-based fund transfers, and enrollment in social security schemes like Atal Pension Yojana.
Footnotes: TGB's Chairman: Satyendra Singh, HQ: Agartala, Estd: 1976
4. KMB appointed Anup Kumar Saha as Director
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Strategic Oversight of Retail: Effective January 12, 2026, Saha was appointed to lead the bank’s Consumer Banking vertical. He will also oversee Marketing and Data Analytics, critical functions for the bank’s goal of driving customer-centric growth and digital innovation.
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Proven Track Record: Saha brings over 32 years of experience in financial services. He most recently served as the Managing Director of Bajaj Finance, where he was instrumental in transforming the company into one of India’s most profitable NBFCs. Prior to that, he spent 14 years at ICICI Bank in various senior leadership roles.
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Leadership Bench Strength: This appointment (subject to RBI approval) makes Saha the fourth Whole-Time Director on Kotak's board. His induction is seen as a key step in stabilizing the bank's senior leadership following several high-profile exits and is designed to accelerate Kotak's data-led retail strategy.
Footnotes: KMB's MD & CEO: Ashok Vaswani, HQ: Mumbai, Estd: 1985
5. Alyssa Healy Announces Retirement After India Series
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Strategic Farewell Series: Healy will officially retire at the conclusion of the home multi-format series against India in March 2026. While she will skip the T20I leg to allow the team to prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup with a new leader, she will captain the side in the ODIs and play her final international match in the one-off Test at the WACA in Perth (March 6–9).
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Reason for Departure: Citing a loss of her "competitive edge," mental fatigue, and recurring injuries, the 35-year-old stated that the time felt right to step away. She chose to announce it now to ensure the Australian team has a clear leadership transition ahead of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England.
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End of a Golden Era: Healy retires as one of the most decorated players in history, having won eight World Cups (six T20 and two ODI) and a Commonwealth Games gold medal. She leaves the game with over 7,000 international runs and 275 dismissals, widely regarded as the primary architect of Australia’s era of global dominance.
6. Punjabi Singer Kaka Launches ‘Friendo’ App
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Advanced Emergency Response: The app features a dedicated SOS button that sends instant alerts and real-time location tracking to trusted contacts. For situations where manual operation is impossible, it includes alternative triggers like shake detection and voice commands.
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Discreet Protection Tools: ‘Friendo’ includes a "Stealth Mode" for discreet monitoring and an automatic audio/video recording feature. This allows users to gather digital evidence during dangerous encounters that can later assist law enforcement.
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Community and Educational Support: Beyond immediate safety, the app offers a resource library containing self-defense tutorials and information on legal rights. It also provides a community forum for users to share experiences and seek support from others nearby.
7. Meta appoints Dina Powell McCormick as President
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Strategic AI & Infrastructure Focus: Reporting directly to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, she will spearhead Meta’s "next phase of growth," specifically overseeing multi-billion-dollar investments in AI infrastructure, data centers, and global connectivity. Her role is to build strategic capital partnerships and ensure these massive technical projects align with the company's financial and economic goals.
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Bridge Between Wall Street and Washington: McCormick brings a unique blend of experience from the highest levels of both finance and government. She spent 16 years at Goldman Sachs (leading their global sovereign business) and served as Deputy National Security Adviser under Donald Trump, as well as a senior official in the George W. Bush administration.
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Political and Diplomatic Alignment: Her appointment is widely seen as a move to strengthen Meta's ties with the Trump administration and global regulators. The move was publicly praised by President Trump, and follows other recent hires with conservative ties.
Footnotes: Meta's CEO: Mark Zuckerberg, HQ: U.S, Estd: 2004
8. Olympic Snowboarding Pioneer Ueli Kestenholz passed away
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Tragic Accident in the Swiss Alps: Kestenholz died on January 11, 2026, after being caught in an avalanche while snowboarding in the Lötschental valley of the Valais canton. Despite being rescued by a companion and airlifted to a hospital in Sion, he succumbed to his injuries.
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Olympic and X-Games Trailblazer: He was a true pioneer of the sport, winning a bronze medal in the Giant Slalom at the 1998 Nagano Games, the first-ever Olympics to include snowboarding. He also dominated the professional circuit, securing two gold medals in Boardercross at the Winter X-Games (2003 and 2004).
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Legacy as an Extreme Athlete: After retiring from competitive racing in 2006, Kestenholz became a world-renowned figure in freeriding and speedriding (a hybrid of skiing and paragliding). He was famous for filming daring descents of iconic peaks like the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, living by his personal motto: "Life’s too short—for one sport!
WHAT HAPPENNED TODAY?
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Third Battle of Panipat → 1761
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UPSC established → 1950
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Armed Forces Veterans Day → 14 January
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PSLV-D2 launch → 1995
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