- Sania Mirza, Martina Hingis win 2016 WTA Apia International title of Tennis
- Ace Indian tennis player Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis have won the 2016 WTA Apia International title in the women’s doubles category.
- In the final match played at Sydney (Australia), the top seeded duo defeated French pair Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic by 1–6, 7–5, [10–5] score.
- It was their overall 11th title together from 2015 when they had won 9 titles and second title of season 2016. It was also their 30th match win together in a row.
- 61st Britannia Filmfare Awards announced
- RD Burman Award: Armaan Mallik
- Best Actor: Ranveer Singh for ‘Bajirao Mastani’
- Best Actress: Deepika Padukone for ‘Piku’
- Best Film: ‘Bajirao Mastani’
- Best Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali for ‘Bajirao Mastani’
- Lifetime Achievement: Moushumi Chatterjee
- Best Debut Director: Neeraj Ghaywan for ‘Massan’
- Best Debutant (Male): Sooraj Pancholi for ‘Hero’
- Best Debutant (Female): Bhumi Pednekar for ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’
- Critics Award for Best Film: Piku
- Critics Award for Best Actor (Male): Amitabh Bachchan for ‘Piku’
- Best Actor Female Critics Choice (Female): Kangana Ranaut for ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male): Anil Kapoor for ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female): Priyanka Chopra for ‘Bajirao Mastani’
- Best Story: V Vijayendra Prasad for ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’
- Best Music: Ankit Tiwari, Meet Bros. Anjjan and Amaal Mallik for ‘Roy’
- Best Lyrics: Irshad Kamil – ‘Agar tum saath ho’ (Tamasha)
- Best Playback Singer (Male) – Arijit Singh for ‘Sooraj dooba’ (Roy)
- Best Playback Singer (Female) – Shreya Ghoshal for ‘Deewani mastani’ (Bajirao Mastani)
- Moushumi Chatterjee receives the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award 2015
- India, Japan conduct joint exercise ‘Sahyog-Kaijin’ off Chennai coast
- Ships and aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard and the Japan Coast Guard came together to train for the 15th edition of ‘Sahyog-Kaijin’ joint exercise in the Bay of Bengal off the Chennai coast
- This is the second time in three months a ship from the Japanese military forces is participating in a military exercise along with India.
- Vice Admiral Hanamizu said he was “extremely satisfied” with the coordination of the forces and hoped that the exercise in the future would not only be wider but also deeper.
- Anuradha Roy wins DSC Prize for South Asian Literature
- India’s Anuradha Roy has won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2016 for her novel, Sleeping on Jupiter, which deals with the subject of violence against women.
- At the Fairway Galle Literary Festival in Galle, about 130 km south of Colombo, Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday presented her the prize, which carried a cash award of $50,000 and a trophy
- Now in its sixth edition, the DSC Prize received 74 entries this time with participation from publishers from the South Asian region as well as from countries such as the U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia and South Africa.
- PM Narendra Modi launches ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’ action plant
- The main aim of action plan is to give impetus to innovation and encourage the talent among young people and remove onerous government regulations and red tape.
- Start-up profits to be tax-free for 3 years and also no labour inspections for 3 years of launch of the venture.
- Compliance regime based on self-certification for labour and environmental laws. Easy exit policy for start-ups with 90 days.
- Government to create Rs. 10,000 crore corpus fund for development and growth of innovation driven enterprises. It will be Rs. 2500 crore a year for four years
- Liberalised Fast-track mechanism for start-up patent applications under intellectual property rights protection with 80% cost rebate.
- Mobile apps, portal for register start-ups in a day from 1st April 2016. Establishing Credit guarantee fund and special scheme for women entrepreneurs.
- Public-private partnership (PPP) model for 35 new incubators, 7 new research parks, 31 innovation centres at national institutes and 5 new Bio clusters will be set up to help Biotech Sector.
- Government to promote the provision of core innovation programmes in 5 lakh schools across the country.
- China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has opened for business
- A Chinese-led bank intended to finance railways and other cargo links throughout Asia opened for business at a ceremony led by President Xi Jinping.
- Representatives of 57 member countries of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank attended the ceremony Saturday, at which China pledged $50 million to a special fund to prepare less developed countries for infrastructure projects.
- The United States and Japan are not members of the AIIB, which some see as a potential rival to the Western-led World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
- Tsai Ing-wen elected Taiwan’s first female president
- Tsai Ing-wen has been elected Taiwan’s first female president.
- Ms Tsai, 59, leads the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that wants independence from China.
- In her victory speech, she vowed to preserve the status quo in relations with China, adding Beijing must respect Taiwan’s democracy and both sides must ensure there are no provocations.
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