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June 2013 Current Affairs Study Material

INTERNATIONAL

Egypt’s Top Court Rules Parliament Invalid

On 2 June Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court invalidated the nation’s upper house of parliament and a panel that drew up the constitution.The upper house, or Shura Council, holds legislative powers. It will be dissolved after a new lower house is elected.The court dissolved the lower house of parliament 2012 June.The constitution was drafted by an Islamist-dominated assembly in 2012 November and approved by voters in December.

Nigeria’s Parliament Passed a Bill Criminalising Gay Marriage

On 2 June Nigeria’s parliament has passed a bill criminalising gay marriage, making it punishable with a 14-year prison term.The country’s lower house, House of Representatives, followed the action of the Senate and endorsed the bill.

UN Finds Evidence Of Toxic Chemicals and a Worsening War in Syria

On 3 June A United Nation’s (UN) human rights investigation report ,finds some kind of chemical has probably been used on Syria’s battlefield.Paulo Pinheiro, chairperson of the UN commission of inquiry submitted their latest report at the UN in Geneva .

Obesity and Poor Nutrition Report Released by UN FAO

On 4 June According to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) report ,obesity and poor nutrition weigh heavily on the global economy and told governments that investing in food health would bring big economic as well as social returns.Lost productivity and spiralling health care bills linked to malnutrition “could account for as much as five per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP),” equivalent to US$3.5 trillion (S$4.4 trillion) a year.In its yearly report, the Rome-based agency said 12.5 percent of the world’s population (some 868 million people) are undernourished in terms of energy intake, while 26 percent of children worldwide are stunted by malnutrition.Some two billion people suffer from micronutrient deficiencies and 1.4 billion people are overweight – of which 500 million are obese.

US Slapped Economic Sanction on Iran

On 4 June The US has slapped new sanctions on Iran ,targetting the country’s already-devalued currency and automobile industry.This is the ninth set of sanctions that the Obama administration has imposed against Iran.The executive order also empower the imposition of new sanctions against those who intentionally engage in major financial or other transactions for the sale, supply, or transfer to Iran of significant goods or services used in connection with Iran’s automotive sector. Similar sanctions were earlier imposed on Iran’s shipping, shipbuilding, and energy sectors.It is for the first time that the US has directly targeted the Iranian currency.

U.S. and China Hold Bilateral Talks

On 7 June The U.S. President Barack Obama and China President Xi Jinping concluded their latest round of high-level trade talks.In the meeting both countries agreed to inject new vitality to bilateral trade and economic relations.The US and China will work together and with other countries to use the expertise and institutions of the Montreal Protocol to phase down the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), among other forms of multilateral cooperation.Both nations agreed to work together on the crucial cyber security issues that have spiraled tensions between the two nations.

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Bangladesh Amends Anti-Terror Law

On 12 June Bangladesh’s parliament amended the tough anti-terrorism law re-defining terrorism and allowing courts to accept internet.The (anti-terror) bill suggests provisions to effectively control terrorism through inter-state cooperation.It offers the central bank the authority to freeze suspicious accounts without court orders.The law was first enacted in 2009 after the December 2008 elections while it was amended last year incorporating some provisions.The law was first enacted in 2009 when the incumbent Awami League assumed office after the December 2008 elections while it was amended last year incorporating some provisions.

EU Launched New Nuclear Safety Rules

On 12 June The European Commission released a new set of nuclear power safety rules aimed at eliminating the risk of a Fukushima-type disaster in the region.The directive will require countries to submit to an international review of their nuclear power systems every six years, and fix any shortcomings discovered.There are 132 nuclear reactors in operation in Europe.

Hasan Rowhani Elected As Iran’s New President

On 15 June moderate cleric Hasan Rowhani elected as Iran’s new President.Rowhani has won the country’s presidential election.Rowhani won with 50.7 percent of the more than 36 million votes cast.Other contenders such as Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf got 16.5 percent and Hard-line nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili came in third with 11.3 percent of votes. Another conservative Mohsen Rezaei got 10.6 percent votes.

Kuwait’s Constitutional Court Dissolved Parliament

On 16 June The Kuwait Constitutional Court has dissolved the Kuwaiti parliament and ordered new elections.The Constitutional Court had decided not to make a ruling on the constitutionality of the Emir Sheik Al-Sabah’s change to the electoral laws after they had examined and rejected the challenge.

Afghanistan Rejects Talks With Taliban And U.S

On 19 June Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai rejected peace talks with the Taliban in a new office in Qatar .Karzai also suspended talks on a new U.S.-Afghan security deal that would allow some American troops to remain in the country after the international combat mission ends in 2014 to protest the fact that his government was being left out of the initial process.

China – Russia “Cooperation 2013″ Held in Beijing

Chinese Armed Police Force and the Russian internal security force’s “Cooperation -2013″ Joint training was held from 11th to 20th June in Beijing at Armed Special Police Academy.46 personnel from the Snow Leopard Commandoes, an elite anti-terrorism force under the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force (PAPF), and 29 from a special task force unit of Russia’s domestic security force.Before this joint training held in Beijing, the two sides previously conducted a joint anti-terrorism drill, “Cooperation 2007,” in Moscow .

Russia and China Signed $270bn Oil Deal

On 21 June Russia’s oil giant Rosneft and Chinese state firm CNPC signed a agreement to supply China with $270bn worth of oil over the next 25 years.The agreement was signed by Rosneft chief executive Igor Sechin and CNPC head Zhou Jiping in the presence of Putin and visiting Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.

UK and China Signed Currency Swap Agreement

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On 23 June UK and China have signed a three-year agreement worth 200bn to establish a renminbi currency swap to promote trade between the two countries.The agreement was signed by The Bank of England and the People’s Bank of China.Currency-swap agreements basically allow central banks to swap currencies which can be used by firms to settle trade in local currencies rather than in US dollars.

Kevin Rudd Re-elected As Australian PM

On 26 June Kevin Rudd re-elected as Australian Prime Minister.In these election Kevin Rudd defeated the present Leader of the Labor Party and Prime Minister Julia Gillard.Kevin Rudd won 57 and Julia Gillard got 45 votes.Before three years Julia Gillard became a Prime Minister of Australia in place Kevin Rudd is the first Woman Prime Minister of Australia.Now Kevin Michael Rudd is the Prime Minister of Australia, as well as Leader of the Labor Party.He was previously Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, and Labor Leader from 2006 to 2010.

Qatar’s Emir Transfers Power To Son

On 25 June Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has handed power to his son, Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim.On 26 June Qatar’s new Emir formed a government from which he excluded powerful former Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani , replaced him with the former minister of state for internal affairs.Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani was named both the Prime Minister and Interior Minister.Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani is a Qatari politician.In 2005,Nasser Al-Thani he became the minister of state for internal affairs.

INDIA & WORLD

China, Pakistan, India Increased Nuclear Arsenals

On 3 June According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute annual report ,China, India, and Pakistan have increased their nuclear arsenals over the past year.India and Pakistan have each added around 10 new warheads to bring their totals to between 90 and 110 and between 100 and 120 respectively. China now has 250 nuclear warheads, compared to 240 in 2012.Only the two old superpowers have cut their arsenals, with the United States reducing its warheads from 8000 to 7700, and Russia from 10,000 to 8,500.

65 Countries Signed Arms Trade Treaty

On 3 June More than 65 countries of the world signed signed the Arms Trade Treaty and the United States announced it will sign soon. key arms exporters including Russia and China and major importers including India, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Egypt abstained and have given no indication yet that they will sign it.The treaty will require countries that ratify it to establish national regulations to control the transfer of conventional arms and components and to regulate arms brokers, but it will not control the domestic use of weapons in any country. It prohibits the transfer of conventional weapons if they violate arms embargoes or if they promote acts of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.

India – Singapore Signed Agreement On Joint Army Training

On 4 June India and Singapore have signed a fresh agreement to extend the use of training and exercise facilities in India by the Singapore Army for a further period of five years from August this year.The agreement was signed between Defence Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur and his Singaporean counterpart Chiang Chie Foo.A bilateral agreement for utilisation of facilities in India by the Singapore Air Force and Army was signed in October 2007 and August 2008 respectively.

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348 Million Internet Users Expected In India By 2017

On 5 June According to the Cisco’s Visuals Networking Index (VNI) forecast (2012-17) report , India has the fastest Internet traffic growth globally and is expected to have 348 million users by 2017.In India, there will be 348 million Internet users in 2017, up from 138 million in 2012.Internet traffic in India will reach 2.5 Exabytes per month in 2017.Worldwide, by 2017, the number of Internet users will rise to 3.6 billion, which will be more than 48 per cent of the world’s estimated population of 7.6 billion.

US exempted India & Eight Other Countries for Importing Oil from Iran

On 6 June United States exempted India and eight other countries from sanctions for importing oil from Iran, noting that these countries have significantly reduced their dependence on Iranian oil in the last six months.US Secretary of State John Kerry announced ,India, China, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Taiwan have qualified for an exception to sanctions under America’s Iran Sanctions Act.

India & Germany Signed Development Cooperation Agreement

On 6 June India and Germany have signed an umbrella agreement on financial and technical cooperation in the field of energy, environment and management of natural resources.The agreement was signed by German Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Cord Meier-Klodt and India’s Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs Rajesh Khullar.

India Ranked 141 in Global Peace Index 2013

On 11 June According to the ” Global Peace Index (GPI) 2013″ released by Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) , India ranks 141st out of 162 in this year’s Global Peace Index (GPI).Iceland (First Rank) ,Denamark (2nd rank) , Austria (3rd rank) ,Switzerland (5th rank).Other important countries ranks in Global Peace Index (GPI) :- Japan (6th rank) ,US (100th rank) ,China (101 rank) ,Bangladesh (105 rank) , Srilanka (110 rank) ,Iran (137th rank) ,Russia (155th rank) ,Pakistan (157th rank) , Iraq (159th rank) and Afganistan (162 rank) ranks at bottom.The Global Peace Index (GPI) is an attempt to measure the relative position of nations and regions peacefulness.

World Population Projected To Reach 9.6 Billion By 2050

On 14 According to the United Nations (UN) “World Population Prospects: the 2012 Revision” report ,The current world population of 7.2 billion is projected to increase by 1 billion over the next 12 years and reach 9.6 billion by 2050.India is expected to become the world’s largest country, passing China around 2028, when both countries will have populations of 1.45 billion. After that, India’s population will continue to grow and China’s is expected to start decreasing.

India, UK Signed MoU On Cooperation In Healthcare Sector

On 14 June India and the United Kingdom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for strategic and technical cooperation on health care policy and practice.The MoU was signed by Department of Health Research (DHR) Secretary V M Katoch and UK-based National Institute for Health and Care (NICE) Excellence chief executive Andrew Dillon in London.

33% Of Women Suffer Domestic Violence

On 20 June According to the World Health Organization (WHO) survey ,In the first major global review of violence against women, a series of reports released found that about a third of women have been physically or sexually assaulted by a former or current partner.The rate of domestic violence against women was highest in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where 37 percent of women experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner at some point in their lifetimes. The rate was 30 percent in Latin America and 23 percent in North America. In Europe and Asia, it was 25

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percent.More than 38 percent of slain women are killed by a former or current partner, six times higher than the rate of men killed by their partners.

US Senate Passed Landmark Immigration Bill

On 27 June The U.S. Senate has passe the landmark comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill ,which provides a pathway to citizenship to more than 11 million undocumented people, including over 240,000 Indians.The immigration reform received a bipartisan support in the US Senate; the bill received 88 votes in favour and 32 votes in against.For further approval, the Bill has been sent to House of Representatives and after being approved in the house it will be sent to US President, Barack Obama to be signed into a law.

China – India Hold Border Talks

On 28 June China and India held their 16th round of border talks in Beijing.State Councilor and Special Representative Yang Jiechi and Indian National Security Adviser and Special Representative Shiv Shankar Menon attended the boundary talks, exchanging ideas for solving border problems and developing bilateral relations.The China-India special representative mechanism was established in 2003 and serves as an important platform for solving border disputes between both sides.

NATIONAL

Union Cabinet Approved Real Estate Regulatory Bill

On 04 June The Union Cabinet approved the (Regulation and Development) Bill 2013.The bill seeks to make it mandatory for developers to launch projects only after acquiring all the statutory clearances from the relevant authorities.The Bill has provisions under which all relevant clearances for real estate projects would have to be submitted to the regulator and also displayed on a website before starting the construction.The proposed legislation has tough provisions to deter builders from putting out misleading advertisements related to the projects carrying photographs of the actual site.

Union Cabinet Approved Extension Of The RSBY Scheme

On 4 June Union Cabinet has approved the extension of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), to rikshaw pullers, rag pickers, mine workers, sanitation workers and auto rickshaw drivers and taxi drivers.The scheme became operational from 1 April 2008.

“Roshni” Scheme Launched In Naxal Affected Districts

On 7 June Union Government of India launched a placement linked skill development scheme ‘Roshni’ targeting 50,000 rural men and women, mostly tribals, in 24 worst affected districts.Under the scheme, national-level agencies will be designated to act as monitoring and coordinating agencies in the Naxal-hit districts.The three-year initiative aims at skilling and placement of 50,000 youth from 24 Naxalite-affected districts in nine states.The funding for the ‘Roshni’ scheme would be in the ratio of 75:25 to be shared between the Centre and the states.

National Skill Development Agency Constituted

On 7 June The Government has constituted the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) by subsuming the Prime Minister’s National Council on Skill Development (PMNCSD), the National Skill Development Coordination Board (NSDCB) and the Office of the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Skill Development.The NSDA will endeavour to bridge the social, regional, gender and economic divide by ensuring that the skilling needs of the disadvantaged and marginalised groups like SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities.The NSDA will be an autonomous body chaired by a person of the rank and status of a

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Cabinet Minister supported by a Director General and other staff. The office of the NSDA is located in the Ministry of Finance.

India’s First Dedicated Air Ambulance Launched

On 8 June India’s first state-of-the art Air Ambulance, Flying Doctors India, was launched in NewDelhi.The new aircraft is tailor-made and equipped with a state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit on a dedicated chartered aircraft. The goal is to provide critical care even when a patient is in transit.

50 Lakh Child Labours In India

On 12 June According to the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) report , nearly 50 lakh children are eking out their livelihood in the country, of whom 17.5 lakh are in Uttarakhand.The second-largest share of child labourers comes from West Bengal (5.5 lakh), Rajasthan (4.05 lakh) and Gujarat (3.9 lakh).The NSSO estimated this figures on the eve of the World Day against Child Labour.

Central Cabinet Reshuffled

On 17 June Eight new ministers were inducted into Union council of ministers headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.4 Cabinet ministers and 4 Ministers of State were administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Pranab Mukherjee in the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan.Mallikarjun Kharge was given the charge of Railways Ministry.With the new induction, the strength of the Union Council of Ministers has gone up to 77.

List of Four newly appointed Cabinet Ministers and their Departments:-

* Sis Ram Ola - Labour and Employment Ministry

* Oscar Fernandes - Road Transport and Highways Ministry

* Girija Vyas - Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation

* Kavuru Sambasiva Rao - Textiles Ministry

List of Four newly appointed State Ministers and their departments:-

* Manikrao Gavit - Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment

* Santosh Chowdhury - Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare

* Jesudasu Seelam - Minister of State for Finance and

* E.M.S. Natchiappan - Minister of State for Commerce and Industry

40 Percent Indian Women Use Internet

On 20 June According to the Google study report ,About 40 percent of the 150 million internet users in the country are women and close to 24 million of them log in everyday to check emails, interact on social networking sites and shop online.Around 60 million women in India are now online and use the Internet to manage their day-to-day life.75 percent are in the 15-34 age group with over 24 million women accessing the Internet daily.

Union Government Launched New Scheme For Pregnant Women

On 22 June The Union Minister for Health Ghulam Nabi Azad launched a new scheme for the pregnant women across the country that would cover all expenses of women from birth of a baby to

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treatment of the sick child. Free medicines will be provided to new-born babies up to the age of one month while expecting mothers, who deliver baby at government hospital, will receive assistance as provided under the scheme.

Union Govt Banned Anti-Diabetes Drug Pioglitazone and Painkiller Analgin

On 26 June The Union government has banned three major medicines – the widely prescribed anti-diabetes drug pioglitazone, painkiller analgin and anti-depressant deanxit.The decision to ban the drug was taken in wake of health risks associated with them.

Union Cabinet Approved For Setting Up Of Coal Regulatory Authority

On 28 June the Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of a Coal Regulatory Authority meant to address controversial issues like supply and quality.The coal authority would be empowered to specify methodology for determining coal prices.Union Cabinet also approved Mumbai metro line 3.The estimated cost for the metro project has been pegged at Rs 23,136 crore.

STATES

First All Women Police Station Opens In Arunachal Pradesh

On 4 June the first all-women police station in Arunachal Pradesh has started functioning in Itanagar to specifically deal with crimes against women.To tackle crime against women, the state cabinet has also approved the creation of separate cells in all the seventeen district headquarters and the Police headquarters of the state.

Haryana Govt. Launched “Priyadarshni Awaas Yojna”

On 8 June Haryana Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda launched “Priyadarshni Awaas Yojna” in the state at Karnal to provide affordable housing facility to the people living in rural areas.People eligible under Indira Awaas Yojna and those who get 100 square yard plot under Mahatma Gandhi Gramin Basti Yojna would also be included in the scheme.

West Bengal Tops Chart For Crime Against Women

On 14 June According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics ,West Bengal is the most unsafe place for women in India.West Bengal tops the list with 30,942 such cases, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 28,171 cases, UP 23,569, Rajasthan 21,106, Madhya Pradesh 16,832 and Maharashtra 16,353.

PM announced Rs 1000 crore Relief Fund For Uttarakhand

On 19 June Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced Rs 1,000 crore for disaster relief in Uttarakhand .Prime Minister also announced an ex-gratia assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of those killed in the devastating floods and Rs 50,000 each to those injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). He also announced ex-gratia assistance of Rs 100,000 each to those whose houses have been completely destroyed and Rs 50,000 each to those whose houses have been damaged from the PMNRF.

Maharashtra Govt To Set Up Education Commissionerates For Tribals

In Month of June 2013 Maharashtra government has decided setting up separate education commisionerates in order to provide education to students of the tribal community.The

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Commissionerates for tribals will be named by ” Adivasi Shikshan Ayuktalay ” and will first come up in four divisons of the state and the head office will be in Nashik.

President Inaugurated Gas-based Power Plant in Tripura

On 21 June The President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated first Gas based Power Plant at Palatana in Tripura.The Palatana Gas Based Power Project is the first such Power Company in India to be awarded with the Clean Development Mechanism by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change .The Rs 9000 crore project set up by ONGC.

Nitish Kumar Won Confidence Vote In Bihar Assembly

On 19 June Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar won the confidence vote in the state assembly, with the support of 126 MLAs ,after parting away with BJP. The trust motion was opposed by 24 MLAs.Four members of congress and one of CPI voted in favour of the trust motion. Four independent MLAs also supported the motion. In the 243 member assembly, the ruling party JD(U) has 118 MLAs and it needed just four MLAs to prove its majority.

PM Lays Foundation Stone For GVK’s Ratle Hydel Plant In J&K

On 25 June Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid foundation stone for GVK Power’s 850 mw Ratle hydro-electric power plant on the River Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir.The 850 MW Ratle project, which is the nation’s first hydroelectric project that was bid out through tariff based international competitive bidding, will cost Rs 5,500 crore.The project was awarded to GVK Power which offered the lowest tariff for generating power.

Prime Minister Inaugurated Banihal-Qazigund Rail Link In J&K

On 26 June Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the newly constructed railway line between Banihal (Jammu region)-Qazigund (Kashmir valley) section.The Banihal- Qazigund rail link is the 18 km long rail link, which also includes the 11km long tunnel across Pir Panchal range. This is the longest tunnel of India and second longest tunnel of Asia.The tunnel was constructed by making use of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). It is for the first time that the method of this kind was used on a large scale in India. The project was implemented by Hindustan Construction Company.

Rajasthan Launched A Scheme For Energy Conservation

On 27 June the Rajasthan government launched a unique scheme called “Mukhyamantri Bijli Bachat Lamp Yojna ” for energy conservation. The State government will provide 2 CFL bulb free of cost to all electricity consumers of villages and BPL consumers in urban areas. This unique scheme will continue till August 2013.The state Government will spent 100 crore rupees on this scheme.The purpose of this scheme is to save energy and conservation of environment.

Karnataka Govt Launched Helpline ” Arogyavani “

On 30 June The Karnataka government has launched a health information help line service ” Arogya Vani ” .The Call Centre has to provide information on the nearest Government Hospital, before providing a private-sector alternative.The main objective of this facility is to assist people living in rural or remote areas who face difficulty in accessing the service of qualified doctors and to provide information on any health problem.

CONFERENCES

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Chief Minister’s Conference on Internal Security held in New Delhi

Chief minister’s Conference on Internal Security held in NewDelhi on 5th June 2013.The conference chaired by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.In his address, the Prime Minister called for effective coordination between the Centre and the States to face the challenges of Internal Security.The Prime minister stated that the government has instituted several measures in 34 Naxal-hit areas to combat the Naxal menace.The key agenda of the chief ministers’ conference organised by Home Minister P Chidambaram is the strengthening of anti-terror capabilities and intelligence, Maoist violence, police reforms and capacity building.

39th G8 Summit Held in North Ireland

The 39th G8 summit was held on 17 and 18 June 2013 at Lough Erne county, Northern Ireland .The leaders of the G8 countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the US, the UK ,attended the summit.In the G8 countries Summit discussed on syria crisis and advancement of trade, ensuring tax compliance and promoting greater transparency in the use of natural resources among countries.At the end of the two day summit, the leaders of G8 nations agreed on the seven point document and released a joint statement on Syria.The G8 leaders also agreed on providing new fund of nearly 1.5 billion US dollar to help the people affected by the raging conflict. Future of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was not made clear in the released statement.Russia to hold next G8 Summit in Sochi on 4 – 5 June 2014.The Group of Eight (G8) is a group made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Commission is also represented in the committee.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Sulabh Founder Pathak Received French Award

On 4 June Environmentalist Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the famed Sulabh project that provides basic and affordable toilet access to India’s poor, has been presented with the “Legend of Planet” award in Paris.The award was presented to Pathak by the Vice-President of the French Senate, Chantal Jourdan, at Palais du Luxembourg.

Hugo Chavez Awarded “Simon Bolivar National Award of Journalism 2013 “

On 5 June The late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been awarded the “”Simon Bolivar National Award of Journalism 2013 “”even though he was accused of persecuting the press during his 14 years in power.Chavez family will be given the award on June 27 at a ceremony in Miraflores Palace, in Caracas.

Kiran Bedi Received ” Nomura Award “

On 11 June Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi was honoured with USD 10,000 ‘Nomura Award’ at Singapore for her outstanding humanitarian works.Bedi was given the award constituted by Nomura Group of Japan for improving the world for future generations. The group is one of the leading financial services group.

Bill Clinton Awarded ‘Father of the Year’

On 11 June Former President of the United States Bill Clinton was honored as “” 2013 Father of the Year “” award from the National Father’s Day Committee at a New York City , which benefitted international NGO Save the Children.

Shabana Azmi Received Fourth Doctorate

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On 12 June National award-winning actress Shabana Azmi received her fourth doctorate from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver .Shabana has received doctorates from Leeds University in Britain, the Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi and the Jadavpur University in Kolkata, previously.

Delhi’s IGI Airport Get’s World’s Second Best Airport Award

On 14 June Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has been named the world’s second best airport in the 25-40 million passengers category by the Airport Council International. The airport also has been adjudged as the fourth best in the world among 199 airports across all categories.IGI has managed to retain its position of second best airport in the 25-40 million passengers per annum category for 2012 year.

Anish Kapoor Honoured With Knighthood

On 15 June Indian-origin sculptor Anish Kapoor has been honoured with knighthood, one of the highest honours in Britain, by Queen Elizabeth II in her birthday honours list 2013 for services to Visual Arts.Kapoor is famous for his monumental public sculptures and his enigmatic sculptural forms that have been exhibited all over the world.

Tan Twan Eng Wins The “2013 Walter Scott prize”

On 14 June Malaysian writer author Tan Twan Eng has won the “2013 Walter Scott prize” for Historical Fiction for his second novel “The Garden of Evening Mists”.The Walter Scott Prize for the historical fiction was founded in the year 2010.

Indian Artist Selected For Dubai Art Prize

On 16 June Bangalore-based artist Anup Mathew Thomas, whose works featured at the Kochi biennale, is among five winners of Dubai Abraaj Group Art Prize.The Abraaj Group Art Prize was established in 2008.

Three Biotechnology Scientists Awarded “2013 World Food Prize “

On 20 June Three biotechnology researchers were named the winners of the 2013 World Food Prize for their independent, individual breakthrough achievements in founding, developing, and applying modern agricultural biotechnology.The three scientist are – Marc Van Montagu of Belgium, and Mary-Dell Chilton and Robert T. Fraley .The Iowa based award is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for agriculture.The World Food Prize was created in 1987 by the late Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Norman Borlaug, and is the foremost international award recognizing individuals who have contributed landmark achievements in increasing the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.

Taj Mahal Ranked Third Among Top Land Marks In The World

On 30 June According to the Trip Advisor’s 2013 Travellers Choice Attractions Awards,Travellers from across the globe have ranked India’s Taj Mahal among the top three landmarks in the world, a leading travel website has announced. Taj Mahal was ranked third in the list of Top 25 landmarks.The top two places were taken by Machu Picchu in Peru and Angkor Wat in Cambodia respectively.

SPORTS & GAMES

Indian Won Six Medals In Slovakia Junior Table Tennis

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On 3 June Indian paddlers annexed four gold and two silver medals in the Slovak Junior ITTF Open table tennis championship in Slovakia.In the girls singles Sutirtha Mukherjee won the title.

Dhoni receives ICC ODI Championship Shield

On 3 June India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni received the prestigious ICC ODI Championship Shield for finishing as the No. 1 ODI team in the Championship table on the April 1, 2013 cut-off date.

French Open 2013 Tennis Title Winners

Women’s Singles :- On 8 June Serena Williams from US won the Women’s Singles title of French Open Tennis tournament. In the final, she defeated Maria Sharapova .This is Serena’s second French Open title and 16th grand slam. It was the 31-year-old American’s 16th Grand Slam title win.At 31 years, 247 days she is the oldest women in the Open Era to win the French Open title.

Men’s Singles :- On 9 June Rafael Nadal won his 8th Men’s Singles Tittle of the French Open Tennis Tournament. In the final at Paris, Nadal defeated Spanish compatriot David Ferrer . With this, he became the first player to win 8 Singles Titles at the same Grand Slam Tournament. It was his 12th Grand Slam title overall.

Women’s Doubles :- Russian fourth seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina won the French Open women’s doubles title by defeating top seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy in the final.It was a first Grand Slam title for the Russian pair.

Men’s Doubles :- American twins Bob and Mike Bryan won the Men’s doubles .American twins extended their record by clinching their 14th Grand Slam trophy after defeated Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut of France in the men’s doubles final.

Sebastian Vettel Won Canadian Grand Prix Title

On 9 June Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso took the second position followed by Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, who conquered the third position. This is the third win of the Garman F1 driver, before the Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel won the Malaysia and Bahrain Grand Prix of the year.

Srikanth Won Thailand Open Badminton

On 9 June Indian shuttler Srikanth has won the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton trophy.In the Men’s Singles final Srikanth defeated Boonsak Ponsana from Thailand.

Indonesia Badminton Tournament 2013 Winner

Men’s Singles :- On 16 June Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) won the Indonesia Badminton Tournament Men’s Singles title after defeated Germany’s Marc Zwiebler in the final.

Women’s Singles :- Li Xuerui of China won the title.In the women’s singles final Li Xuerui defeated Juliane Schenk from Germany.

Singapore Open Badminton 2013 Winners

Men’s Singles :- On 23 June Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto has won the Singapore Open badminton championship Men’s singles title .Sugiarto defeated Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand in the final in Singapore.

Women’s Singles :- China’s Wang Yihan won the women’s singles title , after defeated Li Xuerui in the final.

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India Won ICC Champions Trophy 2013

On 23 June India has won the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 after defeated England at Edgbaston in Birmingham with a five-run victory.Ravindra Jadeja was declared as the Man of the Match .He was also awarded with the Golden Ball for grabbing maximum number of wickets in the series.Sikhar Dhawan was declared as the Man of the Series. This was the second Champions Trophy title of India.

Koneru Humpy Won FIDE Womens Grand Prix

On 28 June Koneru Humpy won the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix chess tournament at Dilijan, Armenia.Koneru Humpy finished her campaign with a flourish, defeated Mongolia’s Tuvshintugs Batchimeg in the final .Slovenia’s Anna Muzychuk finished second and Georgia’s Nana Dzagnidze finished third.

Nico Rosberg Won British Grand Prix

On 30 June Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has won the British Formula One Grand Prix.Red Bull’s Mark Webber got second position and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso claim third position.

ECONOMY

India 4th In World Steel Production

On 5 June According to the World Steel Association (WSA) data , India’s rank in the world order of steel production remained unchanged at fourth slot with an output of 77.06 MT (million tonnes) steel produced in 2012.China gets first ranked in world steel production .China produced 716.05 MT in 2012.Japan produced (2nd rank) 107.02 MT and US (3rd rank) 88.07 Mt in 2012.

Dhoni Ranked 16th On Forbes List Of Highest Paid Athletes

According to the Forbes “List Of Highest Paid Athletes “Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni,with earnings of $31.5 million, has been ranked at 16th place.Sachin Tendulukar got 51st place.This list is prepared based on last year annual income.The annual income of MS Dhoni is $31.5 million.But he earned $3.5 million from matches and remaining amount from advertisements and other business.Sachin Tendulkar’s annual income is $22 million . The Golfer Tiger Wood(America) got a 1st place in this list with annual income of $78.1 million followed by tennis star Roger Federer at $71.5 million. Kobe Bryant, American professional basketball player, is third at $61.9 million.

World’s Highest Density Of Millionaires In Qatar

On 10 June According to the Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) 13th Annual Global Wealth Management Report ,Qatar has the highest density of millionaires in the world, with 14.3 pc of the oil-rich Gulf nation’s population holding private wealth of $1 mn.The figure shows 143 out of every 1,000 households in Qatar holding private wealth of at least $1 million, much higher than the global average.Kuwait ranks third with 11.5%, while Bahrain (4.9%) and the UAE (4.0%) rank seventh and ninth, respectively.

World Bank Expected India To Grow 5.7% In FY 13

On 13 June According to the World Bank “”Global Economic Prospects (GEP) “” report ,Growth in India is projected to rise to 5.7 percent in the 2013 fiscal year and firm to 6.5 percent and 6.7 percent in FY2014 and FY2015, respectively.Global GDP is expected to expand about 2.2 percent this year and strengthen to 3.0 percent and 3.3 percent in 2014 and 2015.

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2011-12 Poverty and Household Consumer Expenditure Indicators Released

On 20 June The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in its 68th round survey has released the poverty and key indicators of household consumer expenditure in India, generated from the data collected during July 2011–June 2012 .The National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO) 68th round of survey is based on samples consisting of 7,496 villages in rural India and 5,263 urban blocks except some remote areas.

Highlights of the Poverty and Household Consumer Expenditure Indicators Data Report :-

* 5 per cent population on the bottom rung had an average monthly per capita expenditure (MCPE) of Rs 521.44 in rural areas and Rs 700.50 in urban areas.

* Poorest of poor in the country survive on barely Rs 17 per day in villages and Rs 23 a day in cities.

* On the other end of the spectrum, top five per cent of the population had an MPCE of Rs 4,481 in rural areas and Rs 10,282 in urban areas.

* On an average on the all-India basis, MPCE was around Rs 1,430 for rural India and about Rs 2,630 for urban India.

* For the average rural Indian, food accounted for 52.9 per cent of the value of consumption during 2011-12.Among non-food item categories, fuel and light for household purposes (excluding transportation) accounted for 8 per cent, clothing and footwear 7 per cent, medical expenses 6.7 per cent, education 3.5 per cent, conveyance 4.2 per cent, other consumer services (excluding conveyance) 4 per cent, and consumer durables 4.5 per cent.

* For the average urban Indian, 42.6 per cent of the value of household consumption was accounted for food, including 9 per cent by beverages, refreshments and processed food, 7 per cent by milk and milk products, and 6.7 per cent by cereals and cereal substitutes.Education accounted for 6.9 per cent, fuel and light 6.7 per cent, conveyance 6.5 per cent, and clothing and footwear 6.4 per cent.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Lightest Alien Planet Outside Solar System

On 3 June European scientists have discovered a new alien planet orbiting a young star about 300 light years from Earth.The exoplanet, ” HD 95086 b “, was observed directly by the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope in Chile.Nearly 1,000 exoplanets have been detected indirectly through various means such as radical velocity and transmit method.Of the 12 exoplanets ,the newly discovered HD 95086 b is the least massive planet to have been directly observed outside the solar system .HD 95086 b orbiting its parent star, HD 95086, is estimated to have a mass of four to five times that of Jupiter.

Japan Unveiled 500 kmph Bullet Train

On 5 June Japan has unveiled its new levitating bullet train, designed to travel at speeds of upto 500 kmph.The track is being extended to 43 kilometres to enable full-fledged test runs.Commercial runs of the maglev train are scheduled to start between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027.The train magnetic levitation (maglev) as opposed to conventional wheels.The train will travel at speeds of up to 500 kilometres per hour and will link the 2 cities in 40 minutes.

Researchers Leads To Discovery To Create Early Warning System For Tsunamis

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On 7 June Researchers from Stanford University have identified key acoustic characteristics of the 2011 Japan earthquake that indicated it would cause a large tsunami.In 2011, a magnitude 9.0 undersea earthquake occurred 43 miles off the shore of Japan. The earthquake generated an unexpectedly massive tsunami that washed over eastern Japan roughly 30 minutes later.Now, computer simulations by Stanford scientists reveal that sound waves in the ocean produced by the earthquake probably reached land tens of minutes before the tsunami. If correctly interpreted, they could have offered a warning that a large tsunami was on the way.

China Successfully Launches Fifth Manned Space Mission

On 11 June China successfully launched its fifth and longest manned space mission with three astronauts, including a woman, on board ‘Shenzhou-10′ as part of the Communist giant’s efforts to build a permanent space lab of its own by 2020. Shenzhou-10 (Divine Craft) spaceship carried the three astronauts blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu province for a 15-day-long mission during which it would dock with Tiangong-1 space lab orbiting round the Earth and conduct a host of experiments.Now China’s fifth manned mission and would last a fortnight compared to last year’s 13 days.Wang Yaping the second Chinese woman to go into space after Liu Yang last year.

India and US Launched Space Solar Power Initiative

In the month of June India and a top US science body have forged an international organisation to develop space solar power ,an initiative that has the potential of solving humanity’s energy needs and greatly mitigating climate change.In his Address to the 2013 National Space Society’s International Space Development Conference (ISDC 2013) Mark Hopkins asserted to include specific mechanisms such as the Global Space Knowledge Platform, the International Virtual Laboratory, and the International Advisory Committee that Abdul Kalam has elaborated through discussion papers.

New Human Cornea Layer Discovered

On 12 June Indian researcher Harminder Dua, Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Nottingham University, has found a previously undetected layer in the cornea , the clear window at the front of the human eye – and named Dua’s layer.Scientists previously believed the cornea to be composed of five layers, from front to back, the corneal epithelium, Bowman’s layer, the corneal stroma, Descemet’s membrane and the corneal endothelium.The new layer that has been discovered is located at the back of the cornea between the corneal stroma and Descemet’s membrane.Although it is just 15 microns thick – the entire cornea is around 550 microns thick .

Andaman Tsunami Warning System Can Alert In 3 Minutes

On 12 June The Early Tsunami Warning System installed at Rangachang in Andaman and Nicobar Islands can predict a tsunami immediately after an earthquake.The system can predict tsunami within 3 minutes after the occurrence of the initial tremors and send alerts.Following the alerts sent from the Tsunami Warning System, the tsunami alerts can be issued to the risk zones via Centre in consultation with Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, INCOIS at Hyderabad.

IAF Gets “C-17 Globemaster-III ” Airlifters

On 12 June The Indian Air Force (IAF) inducted the first of the 10 “”C-17 Globemaster-III “” heavy airlifters it has purchased from the US, and then order six more.Now the Indian Air Force on this milestone as India joins the worldwide community of C-17 operators.Boeing is on track to deliver four more C-17s to the IAF this year and five in 2014.India signed an agreement with the U.S. in 2011, to acquire 10 C-17 airlifters, making India the largest C-17 customer outside the U.S.

China Super Computer “Tianhe-2″ Named World’s Fastest Computer

On 17 June China’s National University of Defense Technology developed world’s fastest supercomputer “Tianhe-2″. The Tianhe-2 has a peak performance speed of 54.9 quadrillion

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operations per second.”Tianhe-2″ means Milky Way-2.This Chinese supercomputer Tianhe-2 and it replaced US machine called Titan, which was earlier said to be the fastest computer of the world.

World Bank Released ‘Global Warming In India ‘ Report

On 19 June According to the World Bank new report prepared by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics, the report warns that global warming could lead to more extreme droughts across large parts of India,over the next few decades.The impact of a possible global temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius in the next few decades threatened to trap millions of people in poverty.Depicting life in a not-too-distant future shaped by already present warming trends, the new report warns that by the 2040s, India will see a significant reduction in crop yields because of extreme heat.The warming will impact significant reduction in crop yields and some 63 million people may no longer be able to meet their caloric demand.

Scientists Discovered New Language In Australia

On 19 June Scientists have discovered a new language in northern Australia which contains rare grammatical innovations and a unique combination of elements from other languages.The language, now known as Light Warlpiri, is spoken by approximately 300 people in a remote desert community about 644 kilometres from Katherine, a town located in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Japan To Send Kirobo The Talking Robot Into Space

Japan announced a humanoid robot named ” Kirobo “will be used in the world’s first communication experiments between a human and a robot in space.The pint-sized robot developed by Toyota Motor Corp ,the University of Tokyo and venture firm Robo Garage.Just 13 inches tall and weighing 2.2 pounds, Kirobo will launch aboard an H-IIB rocket in August from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture and head for the International Space Station.

NASA Launched ” IRIS ” Spacecraft To Study Sun’s Atmosphere

On 27 June NASA has launched ” Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) ” spacecraft from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.The mission to study the solar atmosphere was placed in orbit by an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL rocket.The Pegasus XL carrying IRIS was deployed from an Orbital L-1011 carrier aircraft over the Pacific Ocean at an altitude of 39,000 feet, off the central coast of California about 100 miles northwest of Vandenberg. The rocket placed IRIS into a sun-synchronous polar orbit that will allow it to make almost continuous solar observations during its two-year mission.

‘INS Trikand’ Commissioned Into Indian Navy

On 30 June INS Trikand, the last of the three Follow on Talwar Class frigates built in the Russian Federation, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 29th June at Kaliningrad, Russia by Vice Admiral R. K. Dhowan, the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy.The commissioning of INS Trikand marks the culmination of a three ship contract for Follow on Talwar Class ships built in Russia. Her sister ships INS Teg and INS Tarkash were commissioned in 2012.INS Trikand carries a state-of-the-art combat suite which includes the supersonic BRAHMOS missile system, advanced Surface to Air missiles Shtil, upgraded A190 medium range gun, Electro-optical 30 mm Close-in Weapon System, Anti-Submarine weapons such as torpedoes and rockets and an advanced Electronic Warfare system.

PERSONS IN NEWS

A) APPOINTMENTS

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Justice Kaul Sworn in as Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief

On 1st June Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia administered the oath of office to Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court at Haryana Raj Bhavan.Justice Kaul, 54, earlier served as the senior most judge of the Delhi High Court and was the acting Chief Justice there in September last year.the strength of judges of Punjab and Haryana High Court has reached 41 as against the sanctioned strength of 68 judges. Shortage of judges leads to pendency in the cases and the ideal strength should be between 50 to 55.

Jagmohan Dalmiya is new Interim President of BCC

On 1 June Cricket Association of Bengal president Jagmohan Dalmiya , a former president of the BCCI and ICC, has been appointed as the new interim president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).BCCI chief N. Srinivasan agreed to step aside, with Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya took over as the board’s interim president.

Narayana Murthy Re-elected as Executive Chairman in Infosys

On 1 June NR Narayana Murthy has been re-elected as Executive Executive Chairman of the Board in Infosys.He would serve as board chairman for 5 years.Narayan Murthy was appointed as the chairman for the second time.Murthy, who founded Infosys in 1981, had stepped down from the Board and became Chairman Emeritus in 2011. He has served as company’s CEO from 1981 to 2002.

Indian-Origin Diplomat is New Australian Envoy to Israel

On 2 June 2013 Indian – origin diplomat appointed Devanand Sharma appointed as a Australian envoy to Israel.Devanand Sharma has made history by becoming the country’s youngest Ambassador after he was appointed Canberra’s envoy to Israel.He got Medicine degree from Sydney University.Mr Sharma’s prior international service includes postings as Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Washington.

Nawaz Sharif Sworn in as Pakistan’s PM

On 5 June Nawaz Sharif has been sworn-in for a record third term as Pakistan`s Prime Minister, after he was elected with 244 votes in the 342-seat Parliament.He was sworn-in by the President Asif Ali Zardari at a function in an ornate hall at the Presidency.Sharif has served as the Pakistani Premier during 1990-1993 and 1997-1999 but was ousted from office before he could complete his term, once on corruption charges and later because of a military coup led by Pervez Musharraf.

Virginius Xaxa is new National Advisory Council Member

On 6 June Union government has reconstituted the National Advisory Council by including prominent sociologist Virginius Xaxa into the 12-member panel chaired by Sonia Gandhi.Virginius Xaxa was inducted with the exit of Aruna Roy from the panel.Virginius Xaxa is a Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati and has worked extensively on tribal communities of the country.The NAC comprises distinguished professionals drawn from diverse fields of development activity who serve in their individual capacities.

TCA Raghavan is India’s new High Commissioner To Pakistan

On 6 June TCA Raghavan has been appointed as the new High Commissioner to Pakistan.A 1982-batch IFS officer, Raghavan is currently serving as India’s high commissioner to Singapore.Raghavan will replace Sharat Sabharwal, who was on an extension after he retired last year.

K R Kamath Re-elected as IBA chairman

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On 6 June Punjab National Bank’s (PNB) Chairman and Managing Director K. R. Kamath was re-elected as Chairman of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) for 2013-14 tenure.Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) was formed on 26 September 1946.It is an association of Indian banks and financial institutions. It is based in Mumbai.

Justice Usha Mehra Becomes Full Time Member Of Law Commission

On 13 June Justice Usha Mehra, retired Judge of the High Court of Delhi, has been appointed as full-time Member of the 20th Law Commission of India.Bijai Narain Mani, eminent law author, and Gurjeet Singh, Director General of the National Law School and Judicial Academy Assam, were appointed part-time members of the panel.The panel, which advices government on complex legal issues, is headed by Justice D K Jain, former judge of the Supreme Court.

S K Roy Appointed New Chairman of LIC

S K Roy has been appointed as the Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).Roy succeed D.K. Mehrotra, and get a five-year term as chairman.On May 31, 2013, he assumed charge as Managing Director of LIC along with Thomas Mathew and Sarkar.Roy joined the largest insurance company in the country in 1981.

John Ashe Elected UN General Assembly President

On 15 June John Ashe, the ambassador to the United Nations for Antigua and Barbuda has been elected President of the United Nations General Assembly.He selected as the President of UN General Assembly for its 68th session.

Ratan Tata is new Chief Advisor of AirAsia India Board

On 16 June Ratan Tata has been appointed as the chief Advisor to the board of AirAsia Indian, the joint venture between the Tata Group and Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia.AirAsia has also named Mittu Chandilya as the CEO of its Indian venture.

Manmohan Singh Takes Oath as Rajya Sabha Member

On 17 June Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took oath as member of Rajya Sabha.Manmohan Singh was re-elected a member of Rajya Sabha from Assam for the fifth consecutive term on 30 May 2013.Another Congress member from Assam Santius Kujur also took oath as member of Rajya Sabha.

Indian Named Editor Of “The Independent”

On 17 June Indian-origin journalist Amol Rajan was named the editor of The Independent,becoming the first non-white editorial head of a UK national paper. Amol Rajan will replace Chris Blackhurst, becoming Fleet Street’s first non-white newspaper editor.

S Ramadorai is AirAsia India new Chairman

On 17 June Subramanian Ramadorai, former head of the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has been appointed as the Chairman of AirAsia India.Subramanian Ramadorai, holds the rank of cabinet minister in the Government of India.

Indian-American Sri Srinivasan Sworn In As Top US Court Judge

On 18 June Indian-American legal luminary Sri Srinivasan was sworn in as a judge in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, the second most powerful court in the United States after the Supreme Court.Srinivasan from Chandigarh has become the first Indian American judge in the second most powerful court of the country.

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Krishna Chaudhary is new NDRF chief

On 25 June Senior IPS officer Krishna Chaudhary has been appointed as Director General, National Disaster Response Force and Civil Defence.His appointment will take effect from the date he assumes charge of the post and until his superannuation on June 30, 2017.

Kevin Rudd Sworns As Australian PM For Second Time

On 27 June Kevin Rudd was sworn in as Australia’s prime minister for second time ,replaced Julia Gillard who was removed in a Labor Party caucus vote.He was sworn in at Government House in Canberra by Governor General Quentin Bryce.Now Kevin Michael Rudd is the 28th Prime Minister of Australia, as well as Leader of the Labor Party.

Justice P Sadasivam Appointed As New Chief Justice Of India

On 29 June P. Sathasivam was appointed as the 40th Chief Justice of India . He will take over the charge on completion of the tenure of present incumbent Altamas Kabir which will end on July 18, 2013.As the 40th CJI, Sathasivam will serve the nation till his 26 April 2014.Sathasivam joined as a permanent judge of the Madras high court in January 1996 after which he was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana high court in April 2007.He was appointed as a Supreme Court judge on August 21, 2007.

B)RESIGNS

Rajiv Shukla Resigned as IPL chairman

On 1st June 2013,Rajiv Shukla has resigned as the Chairman of the Indian Premiere League.He has decided to quit in the wake of recent controversies in the IPL Spot Fixing Scandal.

Union MinistersAjay Maken and CP Joshi Resigned

On 15 June Union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation minister Ajay Maken ,Surface Transport and Highways Minister as well as Railway Minister CP Joshi, resigned from their offices.Their resignation was accepted by the President Pranab Mukherjee.

Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Necas Resigned

On 17 June Czech Republic prime minister Petr Necas has resigned ,after a fraud and spying scandal involving his closest aide, pitching the European Union member state into a period of uncertainty.Petr Necas is a former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and leader of the Civic Democratic Party. He was sworn into office in 2010.

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah Resigned

On 23 June Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah announced his resignation ,following a dispute between the prime minister and his two deputies, Mohammed Mustafa and Ziad Abu Amru, who also serve as senior advisors to President Abbas.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accepted the resignation of newly appointed Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah takes charges on 2 June and he had served only 20 days.

C)DEATHS

British Comic Author Tom Sharpe Died

On 6 June British comic novelist Tom Sharpe has died in the coastal town of Llafranc in north-eastern Spain.His first two books were satires about South Africa’s apartheid regime.Sharpe travelled to

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South Africa in 1951 after leaving Cambridge, to work as a teacher and photographer. Sharpe’s other books include “Riotous Assembly, “Indecent Exposure” and “Porterhouse Blue,” all written in the 1970s.

World’s ‘Oldest Person Luo Meizhen Died

World’s oldest person Luo Meizhen from China has died on 11 June.Meizhen was born in 1885 and was 127 years old.But the Guinness Book of World Records never recognized her claim.

Former Union Minister VC Shukla Died

VC Shukla, a former Union minister and Congress veteran from Chhattisgarh, died on 11 June in Gurgaon.Shukla was injured in 2013 May Chhattisgarh Maoist attack.He was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times.He first became a minister in 1966, when he was 37 years old, in Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s cabinet.He held many important portfolios in his long career span which includes Communications, Home, Defence, Finance, Planning, Information & Broadcasting, Civil Supplies, External Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources.

World’s Oldest Person Jiroemon Kimura Died

On 12 June The world’s oldest person Jiroemon Kimura has died in Japan.116-year-old Jiroemon Kimura was born on 19 April 1897.He became the world’s oldest person on December 17, 2012, following the death of 115-year-old Dina Manfredini, who lived in the US state of Iowa.

Veteran Communist Leader Satyapal Dang Died

On 15 June Veteran Veteran communist party leader Satyapal Dang died in Amritsar.Satya Pal Dang was Born in 1920 in Gujranwala in Pakistan and had married to Vimla, another CPI leader, in 1952. Vimla died in 2009.Dang had contested his first Vidhan Sabha election in 1966-67 from Amritsar west constituency.He was elected four times to Punjab assembly from Amritsar.Satypal Dang was awarded Padma Shri in 1998 for his contribution to the social sphere, as he, along with Vimla, had fought many relentless battles for the cause of the downtrodden.However, Satyapal Dang had returned the Padma Bhushan and demanded abolition of all such awards contending a person’s contribution to society is judged by his deeds and not by honours.

Former Union Minister Bhavna Chikhalia Died

Former Union minister of state and the first woman to get elected to the Lower House (Lok Sabha) from Gujarat for four consecutive terms, Bhavna Chikhalia died on 28 June.She was union minister of state for tourism, culture and parliamentary affairs from 1998-2003 in the NDA government headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee. She was also the chairperson of the Railway Convention Committee from 1999-02.Bhavnaben Chikhalia first got elected to the Lok Sabha from 1991, before registering victories again in 1996, 1998 and 1999.

D)VISITORS

Union External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Visited Iraq

Salman Khurshid, the Union External Affairs Minister visited Iraq from 19 to 20 June 2013.During the visit Khurshid met with the Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki and the two nations discussed issues of bilateral and mutual interests including import of oil for energy security along with the avenues of partnership.This is the first visit of any Minister from Indian Union to Iraq after 23 years in the war-raved country.Former Prime Minister of India, Inder Kumar Gujral visited Iraq in 1990 during his tenure as an External Affairs Minister of Indian Union.

U.S. Secretary Of State John Kerry Visited India

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited India from 23 – 25 June 2013.During the visit Kerry co-chaired the fourth India-US Strategic Dialogue with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and discussed on bilateral trade, defence and security cooperation besides energy and higher education ,including India’s relations with Pakistan.On 24 June Kerry also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.Both have discussed issues of mutual interest.This is Kerry’s first visit in India after his appointment as the US Secretary of State.

E)MISCELLANEOUS

Raghav Joneja Becomes Youngest Indian To Climb Mt Everest

Raghav Joneja youngest Indian to climbed the Mount Everest .He is one of the member in Laren’s school youngest team of mountaineers in the world.Climbing at the age of 15 years and seven months Raghav Joneja broke the record set by Nameirakpam Chingkheinganba of Manipur’s, who climed the everest at the age 16 years seven months and 11 days.Lawrence School in Kasuali became the first school in the world to send a team to the highest peak .

China Woman Astronaut Astronaut Delivers First Space Lecture

On 20 June China’s second woman astronaut Wang Yaping, who is currently orbiting the earth in an experimental space lab, has become the country’s first space teacher as she delivered a lecture to over 60 million Chinese students about various aspects life in space.In a 45 minutes lecture, Wang, an air force pilot assisted by her two male colleagues demonstrated weightlessness and how it affects the Newton laws of gravity.

Ancient Chinese Documents On Tibet Won UNESCO Recognition

On 21 June Historical Chinese documents describing Tibet during China’s Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and showing the ancient financial and messaging service of the period, have won a major UNESCO recognition.The documents showing how finances and messages were exchanged between overseas Chinese and their domestic relatives in that era, were stored and recommended for the UNESCO honour by the archives bureaus of Guangdong and Fujian provinces, from which the first batch of overseas Chinese originated.

Italy’s Ex-Prime Minister Berlusconi Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison

On 24 June Italy’s Ex-Prime Minister Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was sentenced to seven years in prison and banned from public office for corruption and underage prostitution case.

Two Year Old Boy Becomes Youngest Ever To Join Mensa

On 27 June A two-year-old boy Adam Kirby in UK has become the youngest ever member of the genius club Mensa, after he scored an incredible 141 on an IQ test.Adam Kirby scored 141 in the IQ test that reportedly ranked him smarter than US President Barack Obama and British Premier David Cameron.Adam Kirby was invited to join the elite group after demonstrating his ability to read Shakespeare and understand Japanese, Spanish and French.

PLACES IN NEWS

Bangkok Ranked World’s Top Travel Spot

On 2 June According to a ranking by the MasterCard Index of Global Destination Cities study report ,Bangkok is this year’s number one city for air travel.While London reached the top spot in 2012.Now Bangkok becoming the first Asian city to earn the distinction.Visits to Bangkok were expected to grow

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by 9.8 percent this year.If all of the top 10 cities maintained their current growth rates, the index predicted that by 2016 Bangkok and London would be followed by Istanbul in the No. 3 spot, with Paris at No. 4 and Dubai at No.5, with Singapore and New York behind them.The ranking was based on a city’s expected international air travel arrivals and the amount of money spent in the city by those arrivals.

Dubai Inaugurated World’s Tallest ‘Twisted’ Tower

On 13 June Dubai has inaugurated the world’s tallest twisted tower named “”Cayan”" Tower built at a cost of 272 million US dollar, setting a yet another record for skyscrapers and other engineering marvels. Earlier it was named the Infinity Tower.The tower was inaugurated in Dubai Marina.The 310-metre (1,017-foot), 75-storey residential “”Cayan”" Tower is twisted at 90 degrees from top to bottom.The developer of this tower is Cayan Real Estate Investment and Development Company.

World’s Longest and Widest Cable Bridge Inaugurated In China

On 18 June The world’s longest and widest multi-pylon cable-stayed bridge named “Jiaxing-Shaoxing Sea Bridge” with a span of 10km has opened in China after seven years of construction work.The Jiaxing-Shaoxing Sea Bridge stretches 6.2miles (10 kilometres) over the Hangzhou Bay, in Shaoxing, China.It is mainly supported by two cable-towers, both of which reach 745ft in the air, and has a main body stretching 2,560ft wide.The high speed bridge is designed for vehicles travelling exclusively above 60mph and pedestrians, motorbikes and cars with a maximum speed below 45mph are not allowed to cross.

Earth Quake Hits Northern Italy

On 21 June 2013 a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Italy,causing some minor damage in Casola in Liguana. The tremors were felt across central and northern Italy. According to the national geophysics institute,the epicenter of earthquake was between the towns of Massa and Lucca in Tuscany and La Spezia in the Liguria region.

UNESCO Declared Six Rajasthan Forts World Heritage Sites

On 22 June Six hill forts in Rajasthan have been selected to be included in the Unesco’s World Heritage List. The hill forts are Amber, Chittorgarh, Gangron, Jaisalmer, Kumbhalgarh and Ranthambore.

Thousand’s Of People Are Died In Uttarakhand Floods

In the month of June 2013 the North Indian states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, some regions of Western Nepal and their adjoining areas experienced heavy rainfall that triggered devastating floods and landslides.More than thousand’s of people are died in Uttarakhand state floods and landslides.This year’s early monsoon rains in the Uttarakhand region are believed to be the heaviest in 80 years.Damage to bridges and roads left over 70,000 pilgrims and tourists trapped in various places of whom, many were rescued.

ABBREVIATIONS

BCCI ——– Board of Control for Cricket in India

UNDP ——- United Nations Development Programme

RSBY ——- Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna

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FIFA – ——- Federation Internationale de Football Association

WSA ——- World Steel Association

FCI ——— Food Corporation of India

APEC ——— – Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation

FICCI ————– Federation of India Chambers of Commerce and Industry

BOOKS IN NEWS

” Dard-E-Dil Likhun Kab Tak ” Book Released by Vice President of India

“On 6 June The Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari released a book entitled “Dard-e-Dil Likhun Kab Tak” (in Urdu and Hindi) authored by Rukhsar Amrohvi. The book is a compilation of poems composed by poetess Rukhsar Amrohvi and some rare pictures of the historic moments of Indian Cinema. This book is a valuable addition to the Urdu Literature.

” Ambedkar Speaks ” Book Released

On 20 June M Hamid Ansari, vice president of India released a book titled ” Ambedkar Speaks ” in New Delhi.The book was authored by by Dr. Narendra Jadhav.The book has been published by Konark Publishers.”Ambedkar Speaks” is the first ever attempt at a systematic study of Dr Ambedkar’s 537 speeches.The series is available in four languages – Marathi, English, Hindi and Gujarati. The first series was first launched in Marathi.

” 1857-1947: Forgotten Heroes and Martyrs of India’s Freedom Movement ” Book Released

On 24 June The book titled, “1857-1947: Forgotten Heroes and Martyrs of India’s Freedom Movement”, is written by journalist Shivnath Jha was launched on 24 June 2013 in Mumbai by former Bombay High Court chief justice C S Dharmadhikari.The book will act as a campaign to highlight the miserable conditions of descendants and families of freedom fighters as well as an attempt to bring about a change.

“Distressing Encounters – Real Life Stories ” Book Released

On 30 June Indian Ambassador to the UAE M. K. Lokesh released a book titled Distressing Encounters – Real Life Stories from a Reporter’s Diary by Dubai-based Indian journalist V. M. Sathish.The book narrates real-life stories of distressed and marginalised expatriates from different countries and cultures and the role played by the media, especially the English media, in extending a helping hand to such people.

COMMITTEES

Anil Swarup Committee Set Up To Re-start Stalled Projects

On 7 June Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced a committee has been appointed to identify and help re-start as many as 215 large projects worth over Rs 7 lakh crore which have been

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stalled for years and assured that each of these projects will be off the ground at the earliest.A committee headed by Anil Swarup.

Chandrashekhar Committee To Frame Rules For Foreign Investors

The Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) Committee under the chairmanship of Cabinet secretary KM Chandrashekhar,submitted its report on 12 June.The committee has recommended doing away with prior direct registration of foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and sub accounts with Sebi. It also recommended merging FIIs, sub accounts and qualified foreign investors (QFIs) into a new investor class to be called the foreign portfolio investor.

Arvind Mayaram Committee Recommends Rise In FDI Limit In Various Sectors

On 23 June The Union Government constituted a committee to clearly define the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Foreign Institutional Investment (FII). The report of this committee was submitted to the Ministry of Finance (FinMin) . The committee that was headed by the Arvind Mayaram recommended raising the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit to 49 percent from 26 percent at present in almost all sectors through automatic route.

IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES

International Olympic Day Celebrated Across the World on 23 June 2013 On 23 June International Olympic Day was celebrated across the world . The day is celebrated for promotion of participation of people in the sports all across the world, irrespective of athletic, gender or age ability.

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking Observed

On 26 June The United Nations General Assembly declared 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in the year 1987. The objective of observing this day is to strengthen the action as well as cooperation in order to achieve the aim of a society free of drug abuse.The General Assembly however found out that inspite of increasing efforts by the international community to curb this menace, the world problem of drug abuse increased. Drug abuse poses serious threat to safety as well as well being of humanity as well as to the public health. Eventually, the Commission and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was directed to continue its work towards international drug control.

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May 2013 Current Affairs Study Material

INTERNATIONAL

Every year 2,70,000 Pedestrains are died in the World

On May 2 , World Health Organization (WHO) announced that every year 2,70,000 pedestrains are died in road accidents. In case of pedestrains protection is ignored by goverments.So,every week 5 thousands of pedestrains are died.

Maryland became the First southern US state to Abolish Death Penalty

Maryland, the U.S. state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, on 2 May 2013 became the first southern US state to abolish the death penalty.The measure on it was signed by Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley on 2 May 2013.The person who was attended was former Maryland death row inmate Kirk Bloodsworth.He will be the first person in the country freed from death penalty because of DNA evidence after being convicted in a death penalty case.On the global level, Maryland is the 18th state to abolish the death penalty.

UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Released Somalia Famine Conditions Report

On 3 May According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) study report, nearly 260,000 people died during the famine that hit Somalia from 2010 to 2012.Half of them were children under the age of five.The number of deaths was higher than the estimated 220,000 people who died during the 1992 famine.An estimated 4.6% of the total population and 10% of children under five died in southern and central Somalia.In Lower Shabelle, 18% of children under five died and in Mogadishu 17%.Somalia was worst hit by the extreme drought in 2011 that affected more than 13 million people across the Horn of Africa.Tens of thousands of people fled their homes in search of food.

Japan – UAE signed Nuclear Agreement

On 3 May Japan and the United Arab Emirates signed on the transfer of nuclear cooperation agreement .It was the first bilateral nuclear agreement signed by Japan since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis triggered by the devastating earthquake and tsunami.The agreements was signed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Amazonian Countries Signed Strengthen Regional Cooperation Agreement

On 4 May The representatives of the member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) agreed to widen and strengthen regional cooperation to promote the integral development of those territories.Foreign ministers and representatives of Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam and Ecuador signed the Coca Declaration, by which they agreed to support initiatives as that presented by Ecuador and the establishment of the Regional Observatory for the Amazon.The countries that signed the document also intend to facilitate the coordination between OTCA, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Andean Community (CAN), the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional wins parliamentary election

The National Front coalition or Barisan Nasional (BN) led by Prime Minister Najib Razak triumphed in Malaysia’s general parliamentary election on 05 May 2013. The BN won 133 seats in the 222-seat parliament, taking 60% of the votes, while the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) party secured 89

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seats.80% of Malaysia’s 13.3 million voters cast their ballots in what is being called the closest race ever in Malaysia.

Russia and U.S. Agreed on Syria Peace Process

On 7 May Russia and the United States agreed to work together to bring the warring sides in Syria to the negotiating table raising hopes for an end to carnage in the war-torn country and a thaw in frosty relations between Moscow and Washington.U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Russian President Vladimir Putin and bid to narrow the differences between Moscow and Washington on the conflict.

73 Million Youth Will Be Unemployed By 2013

On 8 May According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) ‘Global Unemployment Trends 2007-13 ‘ report , more than 73 million young people are unemployed around the world .The situation is particularly grim in the European Union, West Asia and North Africa.73.4 million people aged between 15 and 24 would be out of work at the end of the year an increase of 3.5 million since 2007.The youth unemployment rate in South Asia decreased in 2011 by 0.4 percentage points to reach 9.2 per cent, but increased to 9.3 per cent in 2012.The current jobless rate for the young of 12.6% was expected to keep swelling to 12.8% by 2018, when more than two million more youths would likely be out of work

Brazil, Argentina Signed Agreement To Build Nuclear Reactors

On 8 May Brazil and Argentina have agreed to extend their nuclear cooperation by jointly commission will jointly build two research reactors.The agreement, signed by the Brazilian National Commission for Nuclear Energy (CNEN) and the National Commission of Atomic Energy (CNEA), is centred on the construction of two reactors.

Argentine Passed Judicial Reform Bill

On 8 May Argentina’s Senate passed a Judicial Reform Law, by 38 votes in favor to 30.According to Argentine President Cristina Fernandez it aims at democratizing the judiciary.

Nawaz Sharif Re-elected for Third term as Pakistan PM

On 14 May Two time former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif re-elected as Pakistan Prime Minister for the third time after won the general elections with a thumping majority.The Election Commission of Pakistan announced results of 272 National Assembly seats, with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz heading the count with 126 seats, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party with 31 seats.The Sharif, belongs to Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (N) party. Pakistan Muslim League-N attained an overpowering lead with 130 seats. The first runner up is Imran Khan`s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with 37 seats and the last is Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 31 seats.Nawaz Sharif previously having been Pakistan’s 12th and 14th Prime Minister for two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993 and from February 1997 to October 1999. Sharif is the President of Pakistan Muslim League-N, one of Pakistan’s largest political parties.

France became the 14th Country in the World to legalise Gay Marriage

In France now onwards allow same-sex couples to marry. France’s President Francois Hollande on 17 May 2013 signed into law a controversial bill to legalise gay marriage. It makes France the ninth in Europe and 14th in the world to do so.

Zimbabwe’s President Signed New Constitution Into Law

On 22 Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe signed Zimbabwe’s new constitution into law. The new constitution was approved overwhelmingly in a referendum in March 2013.The constitution cut short

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the powers of the president, limits presidential tenures to two five-year terms and does away with the post of prime minister.

Afghanistan Parliament Approved new Election Law

On 22 May The Lower House of the Afghan Parliament approved two new Election laws , that will take effect in the elections next spring. The law contains 79 articles and 16 chapters.

EU Lifted Arms Embargo on Syrian Rebels

On 27 May European foreign ministers have lifted an arms embargo on Syria,, paving the way for individual EU member states to provide weapons to the Syrian rebels.After long and continuous hour of talk EU governments failed to agree on extending the arms embargo, which effectively ends the EU’s ban on supplying arms to the rebels.Some other restrictive measures against Syria , which include financing restrictions, travel bans and asset freezes is also supposed to be extended for a year, as there is a fear that the entire sanctions regime could fall over a failure to agree on the arms issue.

Australia the world’s happiest nation: OECD

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released its Better Life Index, which ranks the world’s most developed economies on jobs, income environment and health. Australia got first place for the third consecutive year.Sweden, Canada, Norway , Switzerland,United States, Denmark, The Netherland Iceland and United Kingdom were also in the top ten.In Australia 84 percent of the people accepted that their life is happy.So,Australia got the first place in Better Life Index.

INDIA & WORLD

US, India and Japan hold trilateral cooperation talks

On May 2 ,India, the United States and Japan held their fourth trilateral dialogue at the State Department in Washington, exchanging views on a wide range of regional and global issues of mutual interest.These discussions focused on the prospect of greater Indo-Pacific commercial connectivity and regional and maritime security, and cooperation in multilateral fora.The Indian delegation was headed by External Affairs Ministry joint secretaries D.B. Venkatesh Varma and Vikram Doraiswami.The group agreed to meet again in autumn in Tokyo to continue their deliberations.

17th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting

The 17th Session of the India-Iran Joint Commission was held in Tehran on May 4, 2013.The Session was co-chaired by Dr. Ali Akbar Salehi, Foreign Minister of Islamic Republic of Iran and by Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India.The two sides discussed bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.Both countries agreed to study the prospects of joint investment in both countries.The two sides also signed on MOU between the Government of India and the Government of Iran on cooperation in the field of water resources management.

India Tops ‘Born to Die same Day’ List

On 7 May According to the humanitarian organization Save the Children charity in an annual report entitled “State of the World’s Mothers ,India tops the list of babies that die on the day they are born.India has the dubious distinction of recording the most first-day deaths of children.Every year, 3,09,000 children die on the day they are born in India. It accounts for 29% of all the first-day deaths globally, the highest for any country.India is followed on this grim list by Nigeria (89,700 deaths, or 9

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percent); Pakistan (59,800, or 6 percent); China (50,600, or 5 percent); and Democratic Republic of Congo (48,400, or 5 percent).

Finland Top Ranked in World To Be a Mother

On 8 May According to the annual report called ‘State of World’s Mothers 2013′ was issued by an international NGO “Save the Children” , Finland has topped the list of countries where mothers enjoy the best conditions in the world, while India ranks a low 142nd, below China and Pakistan.The US places 30th this year while Pakistan was 139th on the list. China ranked at the 68th place.The top ten countries attained very high scores for mothers’ and children’s health, educational, economic and political status.The report was featured by a ranking list of Mothers’ index, showing the conditions of mothers in 176 countries .Among the reviewed countries, Finland was ranked the best country for being mothers followed by Sweden, Norway, Iceland while Democratic Republic of Congo was considered to be the toughest place.

Karnataka, Israel Signed Bilateral Agreement

On 8 May Israel and the Indian state of Karnataka have signed an R&D cooperation agreement. This is the first-ever such agreement between Israel and an Indian state. The agreement aims to further bilateral business, technology, and economic relations and sees Israel benefiting from Karnataka’s human resources and the Indian state benefitting from Israel’s innovations.

India Tops Cervical Cancer Deaths

On 10 May According to the Cervical Cancer Global Crisis Card report released by the Cervical Cancer-Free Coalition, with nearly 73,000 women dying every year, India now tops the world in cervical cancer deaths .India represents 26.4 per cent of all women dying of cervical cancer globally, with China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand also showing high death incidence.The cervical cancer kills an estimated 275,000 women every year .Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) report in 2009 the number of cervical cancer cases were 101938 which has increased to 107690 in 2012.It is being estimated that the number of cervical cancer cases and deaths are estimated to increase by 2025 to 203,757 and 115,171, respectively.

Britain launched Super Priority Visa Service for Travellers from India

On 12 May 2013, Britain launched super priority same-day visa service for urgent travellers from India. Britain launched this kind of service first time for India only . The super priority visa service was announced by British Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit to India in February 2013.

Google signs MoU to train engineering students in Andhra Pradesh

On May 14,Google India Private Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to train engineering students of Jawahar Knowledge Centres (JKC) in latest technologies like mobile and cloud computing.The MoU was signed between the IT minister and Nelson Mattos, vice president (Europe & Emerging Markets), Google Hyderabad. Google will also train the trainers/mentors of AP Society for Knowledge Networks (APSFKNW) and provide required software, services and training material free of cost.

India and Netherlands Signed MoU on Urban Planning

On 14 May India and Netherlands signed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Technical Cooperation in the field of Spatial Planning, Water Management, and Mobility Management .The agreement was signed by Kamal Nath, Minister for Urban Development & Parliamentary Affairs, and Ms Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Minister for Infrastructure and Environment, Netherlands

UN General Assembly Approved Syria Resolution

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On 15 May The U.N. General Assembly approved an Arab-backed resolution calling for a political transition in Syria and condemning President Bashar al-Assad Government for its increasing use of heavy weapons. A majority of 107 states voted to adopt the resolution. There were 12 votes against and 59 abstentions.Russia was fiercely opposed to the resolution, termed it as unbalanced and inadequate to address adequately atrocities allegedly committed by rebel groups.The resolution was drafted by Arab states who have supported the rebels.India abstained from voting on the non-binding resolution on Syria.Pakistan voted in favour of the resolution.

India Granted Observer Status in Arctic Council

On 15 May India granted observer status in the Arctic Council was successful along with that of five other countries, China, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Singapore at a meeting in Kiruna, Sweden.The council is made up of the eight Arctic nations are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.This membership will give India chances of navigation and oil and gas exploration.The European Union also applied as an observer, but its final status remained unresolved pending resolution of a dispute with Canada over trade in seal products.

India, UK Signed Agreement on Health Sector

On 19 May India and Britain have signed an agreement for cooperation in the health sector with specific focus on strengthening primary health care and technological development.The agreement was signed by Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare India, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Secretary of State for Health, UK, Jeremy Richard Hunt.

Indians Largest Foreign Born Group in London

On 20 May According to the Oxford University’s Migration Observatory latest study report , Indians have become the largest foreign-born group in London, followed by residents born in Poland and Ireland.Migration Observatory, 262,247 persons born in India were living in London in 2011, which represents 8.8 per cent of all foreign-born residents in London.This accounts for 37.8 per cent of all residents that had been born in India resident in England and Wales in 2011.Other important foreign-born groups in London, with more than 100,000 residents, include those born in Ireland (129,807), Nigeria (114,718), Pakistan (112,457) and Bangladesh (109,948).

India – China Signed 8 Agreements

On 20 May India and Chine signed eight important agreements covering a wide range of issues like trade, culture and water resources. The agreements were finalised after delegation-level talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese counterpart Le Keqiang.

The list of eight agreements/memoranda of undrstanding (MoUs):-

(i) Protocol between India’s external affairs ministry and China’s foreign affairs ministry on Indian Official Pilgrimage (the Kailash Mansoarovar Yatra) to the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

(ii) Work Programmes of the Three Working Groups under Joint Economic Group (JEG) between India’s commerce and industry ministry and China’s commerce ministry.

(iii) MoU on Buffalo meat, fishery products and Agreement on feed and feed ingredients between Indis’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority and The Marine Products Export Development Authority and Export Inspection Council and China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

(iv) MoU between India’s urban development ministry and China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on cooperation in sewage treatment.

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(v) MoU between India’s water resources ministry and NDRC on cooperation in water-efficient irrigation.

(vi) MoU between the external affairs ministry and China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) on cooperation in mutual translation and publication of works, both classic and contemporary.

(vii) MoU between the water resources ministries of both countries for provision of hydrological information by China to india on the Yaluzangbu/Brahmaputra River during the flood season.

(viii) MoU between the foreign ministries of both countries to promote cooperation and linkages between the cities and states/provinces of the two countries.

Visa on Arrival facility to passengers travelling through RGIA

The central government has extended Visa-On-Arrival facility to international passengers travelling through Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad managed by the GMR Group.Visitors from 11 countries will be eligible to get a VoA from May 31 at RGIA.The Centre had introduced an Indian tourist VoA scheme on January 1, 2010 at certain airports which was initiated for citizens of five countries. Subsequently, a year later, the facility was extended to a total of 11 countries viz Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia.

US Senate Committee Approves Immigration Reform Bill

On 22 May The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a massive immigration reform bill that grants 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the country an earned path to citizenship.The legislation was passed by a vote of 13 to 5 with three Republicans joining 10 Democrats to approve it.The bill, which requires major advances in border security and expansion of a comprehensive e-verify system for employers before any undocumented worker is allowed to pursue citizenship, will need 60 votes to pass the 100-seat Senate.

US and India Pledge To Collaborate on Combating Terrorism

On 22 May The US has pledged to collaborate with India on developing global approach to combat increasing terror threats and asked international community to take effective steps to eliminate sanctuaries and infrastructure that support terrorism.After talks between Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, a joint communique said the two countries also agreed to enhance bilateral co-operation to combat terror financing and currency counterfeiting.

India, Japan to speed up talks on civil nuclear deal

On 29 May 2013,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe decided to speed up talks on a civil nuclear deal to allow Japan to export nuclear reactors to India and to bolster maritime security cooperation at a time when China’s postures in the seas of the regional have caused concerns.A joint statement issued at the end of exhaustive talks between Singh and Abe said the two Prime Ministers reaffirmed the importance of civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries, while recognising that nuclear safety is a priority for both governments.In this context, they directed their officials to accelerate the negotiations of an Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy towards an early conclusion

India and Thailand sign extradition treaty

On 30 May 2013,in a major boost to bilateral security cooperation, India and Thailand signed the much awaited extradition treaty after 20 years of negotiations.The MoU was signed by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Thai Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Surapong

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Tovichakchaikul.The treaty was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra.The treaty provides the legal framework for seeking extradition of fugitive offenders, including those involved in terrorism, transnational crimes and economic offences among others.The two countries totally signed on seven pacts. They are extradition, education,financial intelligence mapping , geospatial technology applications , investigation of persons suspected of money laundering and criminal activity related to money laundering and terrorism financing.

UNESCO Declares Nicobar Islands as World Biosphere Reserve

On 31 May The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has declared and designated the Nicobar Islands in India as a world biosphere reserve .The International Coordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme added the Nicobar Islands to the list of eleven other sites which are designated as world biosphere reserves.Great Nicobar now 9th Indian reserve in Unesco world network.Member countries establish such reserves. UNESCO recognizes them under the programme to promote sustainable development based on local community efforts and sound science.

NATIONAL

National Urban Health Mission Approved By Cabinet

On 1 May The Union Cabinet approved the launch of the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) to reduce rates of infant mortality, maternal mortality and for universal access to reproductive health care.The cost of the National Urban Health Mission for 5 years is 22507 crore rupees and the Central government will share 16955 crore rupees.The mission will be implemented in 779 cities and towns each with the population of more than 50,000 has expected to cover about 7.75 crore people.The Cabinet also gave its nod to a bill which provides for confiscating property illegally acquired by corrupt public servants.

19.57 lakh Hectares of Forest Land Encroached

On 1 May According to the latest figures compiled by the Ministry of Environment and Forests reveal that unchecked encroachment on forest land is on the rise.According to the figures, over 19.57 lakh hectares of forest land is under encroachment in various parts of the country.Madhya Pradesh tops the list with 4.87 lakh hectares under encroachment. Followed by Assam (3.30 lakh ha), Andhra Pradesh (2.57 lakh ha) and Maharashtra (1.83 lakh ha).

Mobile subscribers largest in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu

The country’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, accounts for the largest number of mobile subscribers in the country followed by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, which together account for almost half of the total wireless connections.India, which is the world’s second largest mobile phone market in terms of subscribers, had a total of 861.66 million mobile connections as on February 2013, data from telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) showed.Uttar Pradesh has a total of 121.60 million mobile phone connections, while, Tamil Nadu has 71.81 million subscribers, according to the TRAI data.Maharashtra is at the third position, with a subscriber base of 67.73 million followed by Andhra Pradesh and Bihar at 64.12 million and 60.73 million, respectively.

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant got Approval for Operations by the Supreme Court of India

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On 06 May, the Supreme Court of India directed that the Kudankulam nuclear plant situated in Tamil Nadu could start its operations now. A bench of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra issued the directions to the government on safety as well as security of the plant, along with its operations.

Govt Sets Up 39 Special NIA Courts Across The Country

On 7 May Minister of State for Home R P N Singh announced in the Parliament that under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, the central government has set up the 39 special courts to take up terror-related cases.

Cabinet Approved Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission

On 16 May The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of the Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission with the objective of conserving and restoring the heritage sites associated with ‘Father of the Nation’.Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission will be assigned with the identification, collation and assessment of the information on Gandhi Heritage material, its management and deployment.

India’s First Yoga University in Gujarat

On 23 May Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country’s first yoga university in Ahmedabad.Lakulish Yoga University, established by Life Mission Trust of Gujarat, is claimed to be the first ever such private sector self-financed institution in the country.

STATES

Congress Won in Karnataka Assembly Elections

On 8 May Congress has won 121 seats of the 223 seats on which polls were contested in Karnataka Assembly Elections , the elections were held on 5 May 2013. The ruling BJP and the JD-S won 40 seats each.The Karnataka Janata Party led by former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa bagged a mere six seats.The assembly has 224 elected and one nominated members. The election took place for 223 seats.

Tamil Nadu Bans Gutka Products

On 8 May The Tamil Nadu government banned the production, possession, distribution and sale of tobacco products such as pan masala and gutka in the state.Tamilnadu Government had constituted a separate department ‘Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Medical Administration,’ after the Centre announced the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Cabinet Approved 2 Major Ports in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh

On 9 May the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposal of the Ministry of Shipping for setting up of two major ports.The ports will come up in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh each, through a Public-Private-Partnership mode. As per the proposal, one port will be developed at Dugarajapatnam, Nellore district, in Andhra Pradesh and second port will come up at Sagar Island in West Bengal.

CONFERENCES

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ADB’s 46th Annual Meeting Held in New Delhi

46th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors, held in Delhi, India, from 2 to 5 May 2013.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh , Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and ADB member board of directors and related financial institutions were attended the meeting.Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that it is going to provide about 6 billion dollars loan to India over the next three years which was decided at the concluding day of the 46th annual meeting of the funding agency.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Indian Wildlife Biologist Aparajita Datta Honoured with the Whitley Award 2013

On 2 May An Indian wildlife biologist Dr. Aparajita Datta was honoured with the Whitley award, also known as Green Oscar, in London . Aparajita Datta, the Indian wildlife biologist was conferred with the award by Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth, at the Royal Geographical Society in London for her efforts in order to save the endangered hornbills in Eastern Himalayas.Aparajita Datta is the head of the program for conservation of the hornbills in dense tropical forests of Arunachal Pradesh, at Nature Conservation Foundation. The tropical forests of Arunachal Pradesh are an abode to five hornbill species.

Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi Awarded with ‘ Judy Wilkenfeld ‘

On 2 May An Indian doctor of Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital has been awarded with the prestigious Judy Wilkenfeld Award for International Tobacco Control Excellence for his innovative efforts in reducing tobacco consumption in India.He received the award by the ‘Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids’ on at a function in Washington.

Indian Police Unit in Congo Gets UN medal

On 17 May An Indian police unit in the Democratic Republic of Congo has received the United Nations Peacekeeping Medal.The 135 Indian Formed Police Unit-2 (FPU) was honoured with the medal as an appreciation for their service in Goma/North Kivu.

Malala Yousufzai Selected For Prestigious Global Leadership Award

On 20 May Teenager Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot at last year by the Taliban for advocating education of girls, has been selected for the prestigious Global Leadership Award this year.Malala will receive the award for her role as a global activist in advocating for educating and empowering girls worldwide.She was targeted for her outspoken views and advocacy on behalf of girls’ education.

Indian-American Girl Won America’s Top Young Scientist Award

On 20 May An Indian-American girl has invented a super-capacitor device that could potentially charge a cellphone in less than 20 seconds. The California teen has attracted the attention of tech giants Google for her potentially revolutionary invention which charges a phone in 20 seconds flat.The super-fast charging device has been dubbed a supercapacitor by 18-year-old Esha Khare, of Saratoga – as she took home $50,000 from the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

American Writer Lydia Davis won ” 2013 Man Booker International Prize “

On 22 May American writer Lydia Davis won 2013 Man Booker International Prize for her innovative and influential writing.This was the fifth Man Booker International Prize.Lydia Davis is a professor of

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creative writing at the University of Albany. She is also an accomplished translator. Her works include ‘The End of the Story’ and ‘Varieties of Disturbance’.The Man Booker International Prize recognises one writer for his or her achievement in fiction.Worth 60000 ponds, the prize is awarded every two years to a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language.

Carole King Became the First Woman to Receive Gershwin Prize

US singer-songwriter Carole King became the first woman to receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.The President of America, Barack Obama conferred upon her, the Gershwin Prize that is given as a lifetime achievement in popular music.

APJ Abdul Kalam Received “Wernher Von Braun” Memorial Award

On 24 May United States based National Space Society’s (NSS) has conferred “Wrenher von Braun” Memorial Award upon former president APJ Abdul Kalam in San Diego .The award was conferred upon Kalam at International Space Development Conference. It was instituted by NSS, a non-profit organization and is dedicated to the creation of spacefaring civilization.The honour is given to recognize excellence in management and leadership in a space-related project, where the project holds significance.

Biological clock scientists share Shaw Prize

On 28 May ,three scientists whose groundbreaking studies using fruit flies helped to uncover the workings of the human biological clock were named the winners of the $1 million Shaw Prize .US scientists Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young received the award “for their discovery of molecular mechanisms underlying circadian rhythms”.Biological rhythms govern behaviour in plants, animals and humans, from flowers opening during the day and closing at night, to sleep patterns and the effect of jet lag.

SPORTS & GAMES

PV Sindhu won Malaysian Badminton Grand Prix Title

On 4 May,India’s shuttler PV Sindhu won Malaysian Badminton Grand Prix title after winning Malaysia Open women’s final match.In the final, top seed Sindhu defeated lower seed, Gu Juan of Singapore.This is the first Grand Prix title in her Career.

Aamir Won Asian Squash Championship Title

On 5 May Pakistan`s top seeded player, Aamir Atlas Khan won the Asian Squash individual championship for the first time in 14 years after he defeated Kuwait`s Abdullah Al Mezayan in straight sets in Islamabad.Pakistan had last won the Asian individual title in 1998, but since then has only been able to win the Asian team title in the last Asiad.

Ronnie O’Sullivan Won World Snooker Championship

On 7 May Ronnie O’Sullivan claimed his fifth World Snooker Championship crown after defeated Barry Hawkins at the Crucible in Sheffield.O’Sullivan is now a five-time Crucible champion after his wins in 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2012 to move within one of Steve Davis and Ray Reardon and two behind Stephen Hendry in the all-time list.

India Bagged 2 Silver and 7 Bronze Medals in Commonwealth Championship

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India on 10 May 2013 finished their candidature in the tournament with a record haul of 2 Silver and 7 Bronze in the 19th Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships that concluded in New Delhi.

Men’s Singles :- Zhan Jian (Singapore) won the title after defeated Li Hu from Singapore in the final at New Delhi

Women’s Singles :- Mo Zhang (Canada) won the Women’s Singles title after defeated Yu Mengyu (Singapore) in the final.

Alonso Won Spanish Grand Prix Title

On 12 May Fernando Alonso of Spain won the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona .Kimi Raikkonen second, Felipe Massa secured third position.It was Alonso’s second win in Barcelona ,the first coming in 2006 and his seventh career podium on the Circuit de Catalunya.

Madrid Open Tennis Tournament 2013 Winners

Women’s Singles :- On 12 May Serena Williams of the United States bagged her 50th career Singles title.In the final She defeated Russian Maria Sharapova and got the title .

Men’s Singles :-Rafael Nadal from Spain won the Men’s Singles title after defeated Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the final.

Women’s Doubles:-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova ,Lucie Safarova won the Women’s Doubles title.

Men’s Doubles : Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan won their fifth Mutua Madrid Open doubles title . It was their 87th career trophy and fifth crown of the 2013 ATP World Tour season.

Barcelona Won Spanish League Title

On 12 May Barcelona won the Spanish league title (football) for the 22nd time after closest rivals Real Madrid could only manage a 1-1 draw with Espanyol.The title is Barca’s fourth in five seasons and the 22nd of their history. The last team other than Barcelona or Madrid to win the title was Valencia in 2004.Barcelona’s Lionel Messi finished the Spanish League as the top-scorer.He has already 46 goals, 12 clear of Cristiano Ronaldo, who finished second.

Rome Masters Tennis Tournament 2013 Winners

Women’s Singles :- On 19 May Serena Williams (USA) won her fourth consecutive title of the year after defeated Victoria Azarenka from Belarus in the Rome Masters final.This is the second Rome Open title won by Serena, before this Serena won the Rome title 11 years ago in 2002.

Men’s Singles :- Rafael Nadal from spain claimed his seventh Rome Masters title after defeated Roger Federar (Switzerland ) in the final

Mumbai Indians Won 2013 IPL Title

On 26 May Mumbai Indians won the Indian Premier League title for the first time , after defeated Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs in the final at Eden Gardens.

* Man-of-the-Match – Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians)

* Most Valuable Player – Shane Watson (Rajasthan Royals)

* Orange Cap ( (Highest Run Getters) – Michael Hussey (Chennai) : 733 Runs

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* Purple Cap (Highest Wicket Takers) – Dwayne Bravo (Chennai) : 32 Wickets

* Best Youngest Player – Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals)

* Fair Play Award – Chennai Super Kings

* Best catch of the season – Gurkeerat Mann Singh (Kings Eleven Punjab)

Rosberg Won Monaco Grand Prix Title

On 26 May The Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg won the Monaco Grand Prix title.Rosberg’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton dropped from second to fourth after losing out through the safety car.Force India’s Adrian Sutil took fifth from McLaren’s Jenson Button.

China Won Sudirman Cup In Badminton

On 26 May China won their fifth consecutive Sudirman Cup and ninth overall, after defeated South Korea.At the Putra Stadium China’s World No. 1 Xu Chen and Ma Jin defeated their South Korean opponents Ko Sung Hyun and Kim Ha Na in straight games in the mixed doubles.In men’s singles, China’s Chen Long defeated South Korean Lee Dong Keun .In men’s doubles Chinese Liu Xiaolong and Qiu Zihan defeated South Korean players Ko Sung Hyun and Lee Yong Dae.Huser Ayla, of Switzerland won the Women’s Singles after defeated Rankin Anna, from New Zealand Sudirman Cup is the world mixed team badminton championship which takes place every two years.

ECONOMY

RBI Cuts Repo Rate By 25 Basis Points

On 3 May The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points, from 7.5 percent to 7.25 per cent with immediate effect as part of its annual monetary policy statement 2013-14.The reverse repo rate under the LAF also stands adjusted to 6.25 per cent. The RBI took this step to boost flagging economic growth.The cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks has however been retained at 4 per cent of their net demand and time liabilities.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) to provide about 6 billion dollars loan to India

Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 5 May 2013 announced that it is going to provide about 6 billion dollars loan to India over the next three years which was decided at the concluding day of the 46th annual meeting of the funding agency. The bank is working on partnership strategy and is planning to maintain the level of lending to India.It is important here to note that India is the biggest borrower of ADB and ADB had extended a 2.4 billion dollars loan to India in 2012 across sectors like transport, energy, commerce, industry, trade and finance.

Delhi Tops in the Creative Index Report 2013

On 6 May According to the Creative Index Report 2013 report ,Delhi has been ranked as the most creative state in India with the greatest potential for success in today’s creative economy. The ranking is based on the population of creative class. This class is of individuals are often engaged in either complex problem solving or in the generation of new ideas, new technology, and new creative content.Chandigarh, Punjab, Kerala, Goa, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and Maharashtra round out the top nine.

Mobile Phones To Out Number Human Population By 2014

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On 12 May According to the International Telecoms Union’s (ITU) report ,The number of mobile phone subscriptions are set to outnumber the world’s population by the end of 2014.Mobile phone subscriptions will pass a whopping seven billion early in 2014.Currently, there are 6.8 billion mobile phone subscriptions while the world’s population is 7.1 billion. More than a third of the global population are online, the ITU World in 2013 report also found. The Commonwealth of Independent States, the alliance of countries formerly in the Soviet Union, is believed to have the highest mobile penetration with 1.7 subscriptions for every person.Africa has the least, with 63 subscriptions per 100 people.The report also found that 2.7 billion people, almost 40 per cent of the world’s population, are online.

Government Raises OBC Creamy Layer Income Limit to Rs 6 Lakh

On 16 May The Union Cabinet gave its approval for increase in the present income criterion of Rs. 4.5 lakh per annum for applying the Creamy Layer restriction throughout the country, to avail benefits of reservations in government jobs and admissions to central educational institutions.The decision came up in a view to increase the income limits in tune with the increase of the consumer price index. This would enable more people to take an advantage of reservation benefits that are extended to OBCs. Creamy layer is the income limit beyond which OBCs are not eligible for quotas

Gujarat Tops in Port Development Projects

On 24 May According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) “”Ports Development in India “” report ,While 21 PPP projects in the port sector worth over Rs.43,000 crore are under construction, eight projects worth about Rs.14,000 crore are under bidding.Gujarat gets first place , accounting for more than 50 per cent of the port projects completed in India during the last Plan. It has wrapped up 12 projects valued at Rs 12,453 crore, consolidating its presence in the Indian maritime map.Gujarat is followed by Odisha (2nd place) and Maharashtra (3rd place ), which account for a share of 16.9 per cent and 15.3 per cent respectively in the completed projects.Odisha saw two projects worth Rs 4,169 crore getting completed, while Maharashtra finished five projects worth Rs 3,772 crore.Andhra Pradesh (4th place) and Tamil Nadu (5th place) each with three projects under operation have garnered a share between 5-6 percent followed by Kerala (2.8 percent).

Biocon Chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw in Forbes Philanthropy List

On 30 May According to the Forbes Asia magazine’s list of Asia-Pacific’s most remarkable “”givers”" , Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, P N C Menon, Vineet Nayar and Ronnie Screwvala named in 2013 year list of Asia-Pacific’s most remarkable givers.The annual list of Heroes of Philanthropy is compiled by Forbes Asia magazine. It features a total of 48 persons from the Asia-Pacific region which includes countries like China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia.Keeping into view Kiran Mazumdar’s work on improving cancer care and her pledge to give away 75 per cent of wealth she was listed as one of the major Philanthropist.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China Launched Zhongxing-11 Satellite

On 2 May China successfully launched a communications satellite called Zhongxing-11 from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest Sichuan province. The satellite was launched into its present orbit from Long March-3B rocket.

World’s First 3D Printed Gun Successfully Fired

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On 4 May The world’s first gun made with 3D printer technology has been successfully fired in the US.The anti-gun campaigners criticised this project, while the law enforcement of Europe is monitoring the developments of this project.All 16 parts of the controversial gun, called the Liberator, are made from a tough, heat-resistant plastic used in products such as musical instruments, kitchen appliances and vehicle bumper bars.

The new Navy patrol ship Rani Avantibayi

Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Rani Avantibai’, the second Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) built by the Hindustan Shipyard Ltd for the Coast Guard. This was commissioned into Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam on 9 May 2013 by Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh in the presence of Director-General of Indian Coast Guard Vice-Admiral Anurag G. ”Viranari Rani Avantibayi” is the inshore patrol vessels (IPV) in Madhya Pradesh for Ramgadh Coast Guard.This is used in Tracking thieves, coastal conservation, marine disaster relief efforts.This is the first in the series of five inshore patrol vessels (IPV) built by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited for the Coast Guard.

MiG-29K fighter planes commissions into Navy

On May 11,Defence Minister AK Antony commissioned warfare aircraft MiG-29K Black Panther squadron into the Indian Navy.The commissioning was held at INS Hansa which would be the base for Black Panther squadron along with other fighter aircraft squadrons of Indian Navy. The squadron initially comprising 16 aircraft would be known as IANS 303.

U.S. Launched First Unmanned Aircraft From Carrier Flight Deck

The United States Navy launched an unmanned aircraft from a modern carrier flight deck for the first time ever on 14 May.The unmanned aircraft was the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator, and its first-ever launch from a modern aircraft carrier represents how manned and unmanned aircraft on carrier flight decks will be merged in the future.A mission operator aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) controlled X-47B, showing off how well it works within a carrier environment. It landed back at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland.

Rotavirus Vaccine Developed in India

India developed a Rotavac Vaccine to eradicate the Rotavirus diarrhoea in infants.The Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Bharat Biotech announced positive results from a Phase III clinical trial of a rotavirus vaccine.

First Boeing P-8I Aircraft joins Indian Navy

Indian Naval Aviation received a major fillip with the arrival of the first of eight Boeing P-8I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance and Anti Submarine Warfare aircraft at Naval Air Station Rajali, Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu on 15 May 13. The P-8I aircraft, based on the Boeing 737-800(NG) airframe, is the Indian Naval variant of the P-8A Poseidon of the US Navy. The aircraft is equipped with both foreign as well as indigenous sensors for Maritime Reconnaissance, Anti Submarine operations and for Electronic Intelligence missions.

Scientists Converted Human Skin Cells Into Embryonic Stem Cells

On 15 May In a major medical breakthrough, researchers at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) have for the first time ever successfully converted human skin cells into embryonic stem cells , via a technique called nuclear transfer.Scientists for the first time converted human skin cells into embryonic stem cells.These embryonic stem cells are capable of transforming into any other cell type in the human body.This technique involves transplanting the nucleus of one cell, containing an individual’s DNA, into an egg cell that has had its genetic material removed.

BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile Successfully Test Fired

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On 22 May India successfully test fired the 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from Russian-built INS Tarkash off the coast of Goa.The launch was carried out by the Navy as part of Acceptance Test Firing (ATF) of the ship.INS Tarkash, which is an advanced Talwar Class frigate, was commissioned on 9th November, last year.The BrahMos missile jointly developed by India and Russia.

Indian Air Force Inducted Trainer AirCraft Pilatus PC-7

On 31 May Pilatus, PC 7 Mk II aircraft was formally inducted into the IAF by Jitendra Singh MoS, Defence at IAF’s premier Academy located at Dundigal, Hyderabad.This marked the first formal flight of the Basic Trainer Aircraft over the skies at the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad.The induction of PC-7Mk II as Basic Trainer Aircraft in Indian Air Force is a very important landmark in our nation’s quest to modernise its Armed Forces.

PERSONS IN NEWS

A) APPOINTMENTS

Sheikh Salman is New AFC President

On 2 May Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman Ebrahim Al-Khalifa was elected as the new president of Asian Football Confederation (AFC). He replaced disgraced ex-leader Mohamed Hammam.

Najib sworn in Malaysia’s PM

Najib Razak was sworn in as Malaysia’s Prime Minister for a second term on 06 May 2013 after his Barisan Nasional (BN, National Front) coalition won 133 of the 222 Parliament seats in 2013 election.Najib Razak became the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia in year 2009.

Roberto Azevedo Appointed as WTO new Director General

On 8 May Brazil’s Roberto Azevedo has been named as the new Director General of the World Trade Organisation, the first Latin American to hold the post.He will take charge of his office from Pascal Lamy of France in the Geneva-based Body in September 2013.

Siddaramaiah Sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka

On 13 May Congress leader Siddaramaiah was sworn in as the 22nd chief minister of Karnataka by the Governor H R Bharadwaj.In year 1992 Siddaramaiah was appointed as Secretary General of Janata Dal.In Year 1994 became the Minister for Finance in the Janata Dal government headed by Deve Gowda.He served as a Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka twice, first in 1996 when JH Patel became Chief Minister and again in 2004 when JDS formed a coalition government with Dharam Singh.

Nirbhay Sharma Appointed Governor of Arunachal Pradesh

On 16 May Lieutenant General (retd) Nirbhay Sharma has been appointed as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh as the term of present incumbent Gen (retd) J J Singh ended in January 2013. He was appointed as Member of UPSC in May 2008 and after completion of his five year stint .He was also a part of the Airborne Assault Group, the first Indian Army Unit to enter Dacca (Dhaka) during 1971 war.

Shashi Kant Sharma is the new CAG

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On 21 May Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma was appointed as the new Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) ,replaced outgoing Vinod Rai.Sharma, an IAS officer from 1976 batch of Bihar cadre, has earlier assumed various important offices during his tenure as Secretary in the Department of Financial Services and has spent over 10 years in the Defence Ministry in various capacities.The CAG is appointed for a term of six years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Indian Origin Srinivasan Appointed as Top US Court Judge

On 23 May The United States Senate voted 97-0 to appoint Srikanth Srinivasan as a Judge of the prestigious US Court of Appeals.It is the highest judicial appointment to an Indian -American . Srinivasan has become the first Indian-American to be appointed to the court.He is the Principle Deputy Solicitor General and defends the policies of US President Barack Obama before the Supreme Court

Radha Krishna Mathur is new Defence Secretary

On 25 May Senior IAS officer Radha Krishna Mathur has been appointed as new Defence Secretary.He succeeds Shashikant Sharma who has taken over as Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). A 1977-batch IAS officer of Manipur-Tripura cadre, Mathur was serving as Secretary (Defence Production) in the Defence Ministry.

Justice Raveendran is new NBSA Chief

On 25 May Former Supreme Court judge Justice R V Raveendran has been appointed as the new Chairman of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) , the self regulatory initiative of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA).He succeeds justice (Retd.) J.S. Verma, chairperson of the NBSA, who passed away on 2013 April.NBSA is an independent redressal body set up by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and has leading TV news channels as its members.

Kushal Singh Appointed as the Chairperson of NCPCR

On 27 May Mrs. Kushal Singh has been appointed as the Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.Mrs. Kushal Singh has held several high level posts in the Government of Rajasthan and the Central Government.She was the Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan.

PM Manmohan Singh elected to Rajya Sabha

On 30 May 2013 ,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam for fifth consecutive term.Dr Singh got 49 first preference votes, while the second Congress candidate bagged 45 votes and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)’s Aminul Islam, who polled 18 votes, lost in the 126-member state Assembly.

B)RESIGNS

Union Railway Minister and Law Minister of India Resigned

On 10 May Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Union Law Minister of India Ashwani Kumar resigned from their posts.Railway Minister PK Bansal resigned from his office since his nephew Vijay Singla was arrested for his alleged involvement of bribery of 90 lakh rupees from the Railway Board Member, with a promise of promotion. Ashwani Kumar the Union Law Minister submitted his resignation after being into attack by the opposition and the CBI affidavit submitted to Supreme Court for vetting up the CBI report in the Coal Block allocation scam.

C)DEATHS

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ATP chairman Brad Drewett died

Brad Drewett(54), the former tour player who led the ATP as executive chairman and president since January 2012 died on 3 May 2013 . He helped in increasing the prize money at Grand Slam tournaments.

Giulio Andreotti, the former Italian Prime Minister died

On 6th May, the former Italian Prime Minister ,Giulio Andreott(94) was dies in Rome.He was one of the most powerful figures in the politics of the country after World War II.

Islamic scholar Asghar Ali Engineer Died

On May 14,Leading Islamic scholar, author and activist Asghar Ali Engineer, 74, died at his Santacruz home in Mumbai. He was born in 1940 and completed his BSc in civil engineering from Vikram University.From 1980, he edited the journal named the Islamic Perspective and during 1980s he published a series of books on Islam and communal violence in India. His books were based on his investigations in the post-independent India. The USA International Student Assembly and the USA Indian Student Assembly honoured him with Distinguished Service Award in 1987.

Bengali filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh dead

On 30 May 2013,Award-winning Indian film director Rituparno Ghosh was died from a heart attack in the city of Calcutta.Ghosh directed 18 films in that 12 films got national awards.Ghosh began his remarkable journey by directing a children’s film “Hirer Angti” (“Diamond Ring”) in 1994, which won him an immediate recognition. He shot to fame after his next film “Unishe April” (“19 April”) won the national award in 1995.His other award-winning films include “Dahan”, “Asukh”, “Chokher Bali”, “Raincoat”, “Bariwali”, “Antarmahal”, “Noukadubi”, “Abohoman”, “Chitrangada” and Amitabh Bachchan starrer “The Last Lear”.

Academic Vina Mazumdar Dead

On 30 May 2013,Noted academic and a leading figure of India’s women’s movement, Dr Vina Mazumdar, died in New Delhi.Born in 1927 in a middle-class Bengali household in Kolkata, she did her schooling in the city and studied in Banaras Hindu University and Calcutta University, before going to Oxford in 1947, soon after independence. She went back to Oxford University later and received her D.Phil in 1962.

D)VISITORS

China Prime Minister Li Keqiang Visited India

China’s new Prime Minister Li Keqiang’s visited India on his first foreign trip to India from 19th to 21st May 2013 since taking his office in March 2013. During the visit he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed India-China border issues , bilateral, regional and global issues of common interest.After the both countries signed on 8 agreements.The Chinese have also agreed to provide greater facilitation to Indian pilgrims on the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai Visited India

Hamid Karzai , President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan visited India from 20-22 May, 2013.During the visit Hamid Karzai was on 20 May conferred an honorary doctorate degree by President Pranab Mukherjee at a professional university in Phagwara.He met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at New Delhi and discussed on various key bilateral and regional issues , the situation in the region in the backdrop of Afghanistan’s keenness to enhance defence cooperation with India and get supply of lethal and non-lethal weapons.

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E)MISCELLANEOUS

First Woman Named To FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist List

On 3 May Joanne Chesimard (also known as Assata Shakur), a member of the Black Liberation Army who killed a New Jersey state trooper 40 years ago and has since fled to Cuba,has been named as one of the FBI’s most wanted terrorists, making her the first woman ever to make the list.Chesimard was convicted for killing Foerster and sentenced to life in prison. In 1979 she escaped with the help of the Black Army Liberation and has been on the run ever since.The U.S. Justice Department announced a doubling of the reward for her capture to $2 million.

Ritankar Das is Century’s Youngest California University Topper

On 10 May An 18-year-old Indian-American has become the youngest graduate topper of the prestigious University of California in more than a century.Kolkata-born Ritankar Das, has been named as the University Medalist, the prize which is given to the year’s top graduating senior.Das has taken just three years to complete his studies with a double major in bioengineering and chemical biology and a minor in creative writing from the University of California, Berkeley.Further he is the first student from the College of Chemistry in 58 years, and the first ever from the Department of Bioengineering.

Sreesanth,Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested

S Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by the Delhi police on charges of spot fixing in the ongoing Indian Premier League.

First Saudi Woman Ever Climbs Mount Everest

On 18 May Raha Moharrak has become the first Saudi Arabian woman to climb Mount Everest. Moharrak also became the youngest Arab to reach the 8,850-meter peak (29,035 feet). She was part of a group that included the first Qatari man and the first Palestinian man to reach the summit.

Indian Sisters First Twins To Climb Mount Everest

On 19 May Two Indian girls have scripted history by becoming the first twins ever to climb Mount Everest together.Tashi and Nancy Malik from Dehra Dun achieved this feat by successfully reaching the world’s highest mountain peak at 8,848 meters.The duo were among other record-makers including the first women from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan who climbed the Everest on 18 May.

Arunima Becomes First Indian Amputee To Scale Mt Everest

On 21 May Arunima Sinha, a former national level volleyball player who had lost one of her legs after being thrown off a moving train by, created history by becoming the first Indian amputee to conquer Mount Everest. Sinha reached the 8,848 metre-high summit of the world’s highest peak as a member of the Eco Everest Expedition from the Tata Group.Sinha, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.Arunima successfully scaled the 6,622-metre-high Mount Chhamser Kangri of Ladakh last year, but her ultimate goal was to climb Mount Everest.

Yuichiro Miura, Became Oldest Man to Climb Mount Everest

Yuichiro Miura, the 80-year old mountaineer from Japan reached Mount Everest’s summit on 23 May 2013. With this, he became the oldest man to climb the highest mountain peak of the world. Yuichiro Miura climbed the Everest at the age of 70 and 75 as well.

Indian-origin Boy Won National Geographic Bee Contest

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On 23 May Sathwik Karnik, a 12-year-old Indian-American boy, has won the prestigious National Geographic Bee 2013 after gruelling rounds testing his geographic knowledge about lions in Botswana, mountain ranges in Asia and port cities in England.To clinch the title, Karnik, 12, correctly named Chimborazo as the mountain in Ecuador that represents the farthest point from the Earth’s center.US.Karnik took home the spoils of the Bee prize that include a USD 25,000 college scholarship, an all-expenses paid trip to the Galapagos Islands, and a lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society.

Jiroemon Kimura Becomes ‘Last Living Man Born in 19th Century’

The oldest person in the world, Japanese Jiroemon Kimura,116 years Japanese man became the last male of the 19th century in the world. Jiroemon Kimura was given the title of last male alive to be born in the 19th century after the death of Barbados in the month of May 2013 at the age of 113 years and 90 days.Gerontolgy Research Group at University of California, Los Angeles found out that as far as female were concerned, there are in all 21 women born before 1 January 1901 and they are still alive.But amongst the male, Jiroemon Kimura is the only alive person of 19th century.Jiroemon Kimura was born on 19 April 1897.

Premlata becomes the first Indian woman to complete seven summits

Asian woman mountaineer Premlata Agrawal has become the first Indian woman mountaineer to scale the seven continental peaks after climbing Alaska’s McKinley Peak.With this, she became the first Indian woman mountaineer to step on the highest peak of North America.

Arvind Mahankali Won National Spelling Bee 2013

On 31 May Arvind Mahankali, a 13-year old Indian-American won the Scripps National Spelling Bee contest, as children from the community scripted history by dominating the prestigious competition for the sixth year in a row, grabbing top three slots this year.Arvind, from New York, won the contest by correctly spelling the German word ‘knaidel’ which means a small mass of leavened dough, overcoming his fear of German-derived words during his past four appearances at the contest.This is the sixth consecutive year that an Indian-American has won the contest, which was watched live by millions of people in the United States.

PLACES IN NEWS

Cyclonic Storm ‘Mahasen’ Hits Bangladesh

On 16 May The cyclonic storm ‘Mahasen’ hit Bangladesh’s southern Patuakhali coast with wind speed up to 90 kilometers per hour.More than 48 persons were killed as inflated waters coupled with gusts started ravaging parts of Patuakhali alongside the other areas adjacent to the Bay of Bengal in the region.The system is now located in the west-central bay and is likely to intensify further, move in northeast direction and cross the Bangladesh coast close to Chittagong.

ABBREVIATIONS

NESAC ——- North Eastern Space Applications Centre

ACTO ——– Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization

ILO ——– International Labour Organization

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CNEN ——— National Commission for Nuclear Energy

CNEA ———- National Commission of Atomic Energy

IPV ———– Inshore Patrol Vessel

BWF ———- Badminton World Federation

BOOKS IN NEWS

Understanding Bhagat Singh ” by Prof. Chamanlal released

Understanding Bhagat Singh a book by Prof. Chamanlal was released in the on 3 May 2013.Professor Randhir Singh, Eminent Thinker released the book at School of Social Sciences (SSS- I) Auditorium, JNU in New Delhi.The book Understanding Bhagat Singh has tried to explain the soul or spirit of Bhagat Singh like his principle of achieving objectives with dignity, honesty and fearlessness.

Gandhi’s Outstanding Leadership’ Book Released

On 27 May “Gandhi’s Outstanding Leadership “, written by former Indian diplomat-turned-Gandhian Pascal Alan Nazareth, was released at the Peking University’s Centre.Prof Shang Quanyu, a history professor with the South China Normal University, translated the book into Madarin.

COMMITTEES

G Padmanabhan Committee on Services for the Exporters

On 6 May A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) committee recommended setting up of the Indian Bill Payment System (IBPS) in the country.The committee chaired by G. Padmanabhan, Executive Director, RBI, has recommended a cap on interest margins charged by banks lending to exporters.The committee also recommended that export credit be allowed to be a part of priority sector lending (PSL) for all commercial banks, including foreign banks, for a period of three to five years.

IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES

National Technology Day was Observed on 11 May 2013

National Technology Day was celebrated on 11 May 2013 as a symbol of quest for scientific inquiry, technological creativity and the translation of that quest in the integration of Science, Society and Industry. This day is also celebrated to honour technological innovations and their successful commercialization which makes fruits of research reach people at large.

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April 2013 Current Affairs Study Material

INTERNATIONAL

China, Russia, Pakistan discuss Afghanistan situation

Officials from China, Russia and Pakistan on 3 April 2013 held talks on the issue of coordination between their positions on Afghanistan.The officials from three nations backed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that is grouping to play a great role in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO Forces in 2014. These talks were held to enhance coordination. The talks followed a similar meeting India, China and Russia held in Moscow recently, reflecting the delicate balancing act — and increasingly complicated regional dynamics — as different countries look to push their interests in the lead up to 2014.

Malaysia PM Dissolves Parliament

On 3 April Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has dissolved the Parliament ahead of a general election.This dissolution will pave the way for the 13th general election.The elections have to be held before June 2.The Barisan Nasional coalition that has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957 is expected to face a stiff challenge in the polls from the opposition three-party Pakatan Rakyat (People’s Pact).

Tammam Salam named as Lebanon new Prime Minister

On 6 April well-known Sunni lawmaker Tammam Salam has been named Lebanon’s new prime minister , after receiving overwhelming parliamentary support.His appointment comes after previous prime minister Najib Mikati resigned and effectively brought down his Hezbollah-dominated government.

China, Australia Signed Direct Currency Exchange Agreement

On 10 China and Australia have signed a currency swap agreement in a bid to promote bilateral trade and investment.The agreement makes the Australian dollar the third major currency to directly trade in China’s mainland foreign exchange market, after the US dollar and the Japanese yen.Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard discussed bilateral security issues with China’s President Hu Jintao.

China Pledges $548 million Aid To Cambodia

On 10 April China has pledged $548 million in aid to Cambodia for infrastructure and irrigation systems.Agreements covering $500 million in soft loans and $48 million in grants were signed during Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen .

Nepal Peace Process Ends

On 13 April Nepal’s much delayed peace process with end of the decade long civil war has finally reached conclusion.Though the peace process had started on 2006, the Special Committee was formed in 2008 to oversee the army integration process.The last meeting of the cross-party Special Committee decided to accept application of 47 Maoist combatants to quit the Nepal Army training.

Nicolas Maduro Wins Venezuelan Presidential Election

Nicolas Maduro,Socilist Party member who became Hugo Chavez’s protege, was declared the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election on 14 April 2013.Maduro secured 50.8% of votes while opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski won 49.0%.Maduro got 3 lakhs votes of majority than Henrique.

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New Zealand Approved Gay-Marriage Bill

On 17 April New Zealand’s parliament has approved the bill to legalise same-sex marriage.New Zealand has become the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to do so. No other country in the Asia-Pacific region allows gay marriage.Cheers and applause ring out in parliament building after 77 of 121 members vote to allow gay couples to wed.New Zealand is now the 13th country to legalise gay marriage.

U.S Senate Rejects Gun Control Bill

On 18 April The US Senate has rejected a strong gun control bill.US Senators supported the measure with just 54-46 votes , falling short of the 60 votes required to pass the amendment.The legislation was considered the best hope for gun control sought by President Obama in the wake of the mass shooting at Newtown Elementary School last year.Among them, a vote to ban assault weapons was rejected by 40 votes to 60, while a measure to limit the size of gun clips received just 46 votes in its favor.

US House of Representatives Passed CISPA

On 18 April The US House of Representatives has passed the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protect Act (CISPA).The aim of CISPA is to fight with the cyber threats, by enabling the law enforcers to get access to the web data.This is the second time Cispa has been passed by the House.Senators threw out the first draft, saying it did not do enough to protect privacy.Senators had earlier rejected the first draft of this bill on the grounds that it wasn’t providing enough for protecting the privacy.

Napolitano Re-elected as Italy’s President

On 21 April Italy’s Parliament re-elected Giorgio Napolitano as the Italy’s President for second 7-year term .Giorgio Napolitano will be the first Italian president to be re-elected to serve a second term.He got 738 votes, far more than the 504 needed for victory.More than 1,000 national and regional lawmakers had convened to elect the next Italian president, with the overwhelming majority of them ultimately backing Napolitano.The People of Freedom party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi got second place in Italy elections.He is the first President of Italy to have been a member of the Italian Communist Party and the first to be elected to a second term as President.Giorgio Napolitano is the 11th President of the Italian Republic since 2006.

Horacio Cartes Elected as Paraguay’s new President

On 22 April Businessman Horacio Cartes of the Colorado Party has been declared Paraguay’s new president.The electoral board announced that Cartes had 46.1 percent of the vote and his main rival Senator Efrain Alegre of the ruling Liberal Party 36.9 percent.The conservative Colorados held Paraguay’s presidency for 60 years until leftist former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo was elected in 2008.

French Parliament Approved Gay Marriage Law

On 23 April France parliament approved a new law to allow gay marriage. Parliament passed the bill by 331 votes for and 225 against.France has become the 14th country to allow gay marriage..

UK Approved Caste Discrimination Bill

On 25 April Britain has outlawed caste discrimination, after the House of Lords voted for legal protection to be given to the most vulnerable, mainly in the Indian and Sikh communities.The UK now looks set to become the first country in Europe to outlaw discrimination based on caste.

Cuba and Venezuela Signed 51 Cooperation Projects

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On 28 April Cuba and Venezuela have signed at Havana accords for 51 joint projects worth two billion U.S. dollars.At the close of 13th Cuba-Venezuela Intergovernmental Meeting , Cuban President Raul Castro and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the deals for projects in such areas as education, health, sports, cultur, food production, construction, transport, communications, energy and support of social missions.Havana and Caracas agreed to jointly invest two billion dollars to develop these projects and also signed a memorandum to establish a bilateral medium- and long-term economic agenda.The investment also covers joint ventures in vital and strategic economic areas in both countries.

Pakistan court bans Musharraf from contesting polls for life

A four-judge bench of the Peshawar high court headed by chief justice Dost Muhammad Khan imposed the life ban while dismissing Musharraf’s appeal challenging the rejection of his nomination papers for May 11 general election.The lifetime ban was imposed because Musharraf had abrogated the Constitution twice and detained judges during the 2007 emergency.

INDIA & WORLD

India and Singapore Signed MoU on Air Services

On 2 April India and Singapore signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on bilateral air services arrangement in the presence of Civil Aviation Minister, Shri Ajit Singh and Minister of Transport of Singapore, Mr Lui Tuck Yew in Singapore.

India, Azerbaijan ink 3 key pacts

Aimed at creating the necessary legal framework in areas of extradition, India and Azerbaijan on 04 April 2013 inked three key pacts which also included treaties for mutual legal assistance in criminal and civil matters.Visiting Justice Minister of Azerbaijan Fikrat Mammadov held a meeting with Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde where the extradition treaty was signed.

India and Tanzania Signed Agreement To Explore Mineral Wealth

On 6 April India and Tanzania have signed an agreement for forging an alliance to explore mineral wealth in the African nation.The agreement was signed by the Union Minister of Steel, Beni Prasad Verma and Sospeter Muhongo, the Minister of Energy and Minerals, United Republic of Tanzania at Der es Salaam.

India and Russia signed Regulation of Co-operation Agreement

On 10 April India and Russia signed a Regulation defining the structure, functions and procedure of the Joint Commission at Moscow.The agreement was signed by Vladimir Puchkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters and Sushil kumar Shinde, the Union Minister of Home Affairs.

Two Day India-China Counter-Terrorism Dialogue on Afghanistan ended

The two-day India-China counter-terrorism dialogue ended on 12 April 2013 in Beijing China. The two nations discussed upon the ways to step up cooperation to counter terror in Afghanistan as a follow up plan after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2014.

India – Mauritius Signed MoU on Electoral Cooperation

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On 12 April India and Mauritius signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi on cooperation in the field of Election Management and Administration. The MoU was signed by Chief Election Commissioner of India, V.S. Sampath and the Electoral Commissioner of Mauritius, Mohammad Irfan Abdool Rahman.

India – Mauritius Signed MoU on Electoral Cooperation

On 12 April India and Mauritius signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi on cooperation in the field of Election Management and Administration. The MoU was signed by Chief Election Commissioner of India, V.S. Sampath and the Electoral Commissioner of Mauritius, Mohammad Irfan Abdool Rahman.

Bangladesh Inks $1.6 Billion Power Deal with India

On 20 April India and Bangladesh signed its biggest-ever joint venture agreement with India involving investment of $1.6 billion for 1,320 MW coal-fired power plant which is expected to be operational in the next five years.The two country’s signed three deals under a pact to run the plant at Rampal of Bagerhat while the two others were Power Purchase Agreement and Implementation Agreement.A supplementary joint venture agreement floating the company was signed by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) chairman Abdual Wahab Khan and NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Arup Roy Choudhury while the two others agreements were signed by officials concerned of the two countries.

Indian origin boy won spelling championship

12 years old Indian origin boy won the very popular spelling competition beating another 30 competitors, held at Singapore. The name of the competition was R.B.H- The Straight Times National Spelling Championship. The name of the boy is Ashwin Shiv Kumar, who won the top place in this championship on 27 April 2013 . He is the student of 6th grade at Anglo-Chinese school. He was awarded by 5000 Singapore Dollars, as a prize he got. He passed through 10 stages and won the competition.

NATIONAL

Prez Pranab Mukherjee clears anti-rape bill

President Pranab Mukherjee had given his assent to the anti-rape bill which provides for life term and even death sentence for rape convicts besides stringent punishment for offences like acid attacks, stalking and voyeurism.Mukherjee accorded his assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill-2013 on 03 April 2013.This is called as the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013.The law, passed by Lok Sabha on March 19 and by Rajya Sabha on March 21.

Union Government Approved Project for NOFN Creation in Gram Panchayats

On 12 April The Government of India approved the project for creation of National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) connecting all the 250000 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country through Optical Cable (OFC). The Union Government decided to fund the project through Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).

Government Approved For 13 Power Projects

On 22 April The Cabinet Committee on Investment cleared 13 power projects that involves investment of 33000 crore rupees. The projects on which the investments will be made include one hydro and two thermal project as well as ten transmission projects. 25 oil and gas blocks with investment

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commitment of about seven billion US dollars also got approval during the same meet. Of these 16 blocks were given conditional clearances, while nine blocks were approved without any condition. Approval of these projects was pending due to the objections raised by the Ministry of Defence over national security.

Mukherjee Gives Assent To Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Bill

On 25 April President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2013.Sexual harassment at workplace is a violation of women’s right to gender equality, life and liberty.It creates an insecure and hostile work environment, which discourages women’s participation in work, thereby adversely affecting their economic empowerment and the goal of inclusive growth. (ANI)

STATES

Andhra Pradesh Government launched Online Services named Parishkaram for Entrepreneurs

Andhra Pradesh Government on 1 April 2013 launched the AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation’s online services for entrepreneurs and grievance redressal system. The platform is proposed to be a link between the APIIC and entrepreneurs which would make the process of application and registration of land for setting up industries a paperless one.

EC issues notification for Karnataka assembly polls

The Election Commission on April 10 issued the notification for the Karnataka Assembly polls.The nomination papers will be scrutinised on April 18. The last day for withdrawing the nominations is April 20. The votes polled on May 5 will be counted on May 8.

Himachal Govt To Connect All Gram Panchayats With Broadband

On 12 April Himachal Pradesh government signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Department of Telecommunication, Govt of India (GOI) and Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) for providing broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats of the state by establishing of an optical fiber network.

Himachal celebrates 66th anniversary

On 15 April 2013 Himachal Pradesh celebrated 66th Himachal Day.Himachal Pradesh came into existence on 15 April 1948 with the merger of 30 princely states.During the function, the Chief Minister announced many schemes for the state which are under development phase like Mukhyamantri Adarsh Krishi Gaon Yojana, Skill Development Allowance. In the skill development Allowance, the government would provide 1000 rupees per month to educated unemployed youths and 1500 rupees to persons with disabilities of the state.

India’s first automatic toll collection system launched in Maharashtra

The country’s first interoperable RIFD(Radio Frequency Identification Device )-based electronic toll system was rolled out on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai National Highway and the system would allow vehicles fitted with electronic tags to sail through six toll plazas automatically.

Tamilnadu Planned Rs.7000 crore Underground Hydel Power Station

On 25 April Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa announced the government planned a Rs 7,000 crore underground hydel power station in Nilgiris district besides the ongoing related schemes,which

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in all will cost over Rs 20,000 crore.The first unit of North Chennai Thermal Power plant, third unit of Vallur project and 2x 500 MW each of Tuticorin Power project would start generating power between March 2014.The first unit of North Chennai Thermal Power plant, third unit of Vallur project and 2x 500 MW each of Tuticorin Power project would start generating power between this year May and March 2014

CONFERENCES

PM inaugurated CII national conference

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the two-day national conference and annual general meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi on 03 March 2013.Around 1,500 industrialists from across the country will attended the meeting. The theme for this year’s deliberations is “India tomorrow: Imperatives of growth, security and governance”.

Conference of CM’s of States & Chief Justices of High Courts held at New Delhi

Conference of Chief Ministers of States & Chief Justices of High Courts held at New Delhi on 7 April.The conference presided over by Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir, aims to address pressing issues related to the country’s justice delivery system that’s often criticised for being tardy.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the joint conference.Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has called upon the judiciary and executive to work together to make the Indian judicial system an arrear free.

Hyderabad will host ICSE conference in 2014

The 36th International Conference on Software Engineering, ICSE2014, will be held in Hyderabad, India from 1 June 2013 to 7 June 2013. India is home to some of the largest software companies in the world, and Hyderabad is one of the main centers for software development in India.This conference is going to be a premier software engineering conference that is going to provide a forum for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, experiences and concerns in the field of software engineering.This is the first time conducted in India.

UNWTO Conference Held in Hyderabad

United Nations World Tourism Organisation ( UNWTO) Commission’s Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development and 25th Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia, Pacific and South Asia will be held at Hyderabad from 12th to 14th of this month.The conference attended by dignitaries belonging to 29 countries spread across in East Asia & Pacific and South Asia, eight UNWTO affiliate members, two regional organizations as well as industry organizations. The UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai along with his team of senior delegates presented at the meeting .The delegates discussed the market trends of the region in the year 2012 and tourism prospects for the year 2013.The next Joint Meeting would be held in Philippines and the 21st Session of General Assembly of UNWTO will be held in Cambodia.

AWARDS & HONOURS

National Awards for State Industries

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On April 1st ,the state of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) got the National Awards .In the Research & Development Efforts in MSMEs category includes three Awards (First, Second and Third) for Micro and Small Enterprises and have gone to entrepreneurs from Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana respectively.Three National Awards (First, Second and Third) for Micro Enterprises in Outstanding Efforts in Entrepreneurship category Haryana , West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh got first,second and third respectively.Three National Awards (First, Second and Third) for Small Enterprises. First Award has gone to an entrepreneur from Himachal Pradesh. Second Award has been given jointly to four entrepreneurs from Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Third Award has been given jointly to three entrepreneurs from Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka.This awards will be presented by the President Pranab Mukherjee.

Desmond Tutu Won Prestigious “2013 Templeton Prize “

On 4 South Africa’s Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has won “”2013 Templeton Prize “” for his life-long work in promoting love and forgiveness.The prize was announced at the foundation’s headquarters in West Conshohocken in Pennsylvania and is valued at $1.7-million (about Rs.15.6-million).Last year’s prize was awarded to the exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance – 2012

Chairman of the Awards Jury of the ICSI (Institute of Company Secretaries of India) and former Chief Justice of India Shri Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah in New Delhi on 05 April 2013 presented the ‘ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance -2012’ to two ‘Best Governed Companies’:

1. Indian Oil Corporation Limited; and

2. HCL Technologies Limited.

The Awards were presented during the ongoing 2nd CSIA International Corporate Governance Conference.

ICSI Life Time Achievement Award for the year 2012 was presented to Shri Deepak S. Parekh, Chairman, Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. for translating excellence in Corporate Governance into reality.Certificates of Recognition were presented to the Top Five Companies. These are :

1. CMC Limited

2. Engineers India Limited

3. ONGC Limited

4. Persistent Systems Ltd.

5. Powergrid Corporation of India Limited

Barfi! wins top honours at The Times of India Film Awards

Barfi movie was the top winner at the maiden edition of The Times of India Film Awards, bagging the Best Film, Best Director (Anurag Basu), Best Actor (Ranbir Kapoor), Best Actress (Priyanka Chopra) and Best Debut Female (Ileana D’Cruz) trophies. The award for the Best Debut Male went to Ayushmann Khurrana for Vicky Donor, which also won the Best Supporting Actor award for Annu Kapoor and the Best Supporting Actress trophy for Dolly Ahluwalia. Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur got the Critics’ Choice award for Best Film. Abhishek Bachchan, who won the Best Actor in a Comic Role award for Bol Bachchan, dedicated the honour to his wife Aishwarya.

Pran gets Phalke Award

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On 12 April 2013,Hindi film actor Pran Krishan Sikand will be conferred with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2012. The 93-year-old actor, popularly known as Pran, will be the 44th recipient of the top-most film award in the country.Pran, who has acted in over 400 films in his six-decade-long career.The award, named after the father of Indian cinema Dada Saheb Phalke, will be conferred on Pran on May 3, which will also mark the 100 years of cinema this year.

New York Times won four Pulitzer Prizes

The New York Times won four Pulitzer Prizes on 15 April 2013, including the award for investigative reporting for stories that detailed how Wal-Mart used bribery to expand in Mexico.The Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was awarded the public service Pulitzer for its reporting on off-duty police officers’ reckless driving.The Pulitzer in breaking news photography went to The Associated Press for its coverage of the civil war in Syria.The Pulitzers, journalism’s highest honour, are given out each year by Columbia University on the recommendation of a board of journalists and others. Each award carries a $10,000 prize except for the public service award, which is a gold medal.

Raj Chetty won John Bates Clark young economist award

Delhi-born Raj Chetty, the professor in the Department of Economy at the Harvard University won John Bates Clark medal for 2013, also called Baby Nobel.John Bates Clark medal is conferred upon the American economist whose age is below 40 years and the one who has made crucial contribution to economic knowledge and thought.Baby Nobel is one of the most prestigious awards of economy. Infact, it is second only after Nobel Prize in economic science.Raj Chetty, 33, is the first Indian-origin person to win this high honour. His areas of work include social insurance, tax policy as well as education policy.

Telugu writer Ravuri Bharadwaja honoured with Jnanpith award

Telugu writer Dr Ravuri Bharadwaja got the country’s prestigious Jnanpith award for 2012 for his contributions to Telugu literature over 60 years.He got this award for his novel “Pakudurallu”.He is the third recipient of the country’s highest literary award from Andhra Pradesh, after Dr Viswanatha Satyanarayana in 1970 for his Srimad Ramayana Kalpavriksham and Dr C. Narayana Reddy in 1988 for his book Viswambhara. Eighty six-year-old Dr Bharadwaja was chosen for the award by a selection Board chaired by poet Sitakant Mahapatra, said a statement of the Jnanpith award committee.

RGIA is Named the Best Airport in India

On 17 April The GMR Group operated and managed Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has been rated as the No.1 airport in India, the fifth best regional airport in Asia and also as the eighth best airport in the 5 to 10 mppa capacity.The ratings were given at the recently concluded Skytrax-World Airport Awards held at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Geneva.

Manmohan Singh, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi Named Among Top 5 Most Influential Asians

On 17 April Congress president Sonia Gandhi (2nd Rank), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (4th Rank) and AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi (5th Rank) have been named among top 5 in the world’s 100 most influential list of Asians topped by China’s new President Xi Jinping.Among the other key Indians to make the grade included Reliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani for owning Indias most valuable company in ninth place, followed by President Pranab Mukherjee at 19th place and steel magnate Lakshmi N Mittal at 20th position.Indian entries dominated the Top 100 with 39 names, followed by 15 from China and six from the Philippines.While Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy was named Philanthropist of the Year, industrialist Adi Godrej bagged Entrepreneur of the Year award for his contribution to Indian industry and Ravi Ruia, vice-chairman of the Essar Group, won in the Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability category, for his company’s high sustainability ratings

NRI Kartar Lalvani Received Queen’s Award

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On 20 April Vitabiotics, a company founded by NRI entrepreneur Kartar Lalvani, has received the coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation for its research on vitamins.’Vitabiotics’, UK’s largest supplier of minerals and vitamin supplements to the retail trade, won the award for the development of its Pregnacare range and in recognition of its successful Pregnacare clinic research.

Saina Nehwal Selected for ‘Yudhvir ‘ Award

Yudhvir Foundation has selected ace badminton player Saina Nehwal for the 22nd Yudhvir Memorial Foundation Award for the year 2013, which was being given every year to honor the individuals who excel in some field of human endeavor. The award was established in the name of late Yudhvir, founder editor of the Hindi Milap daily in 1991 after his demise.Saina Nehwal was selected for the Award as she won a medal in Olympics in badminton and also the first to win the Asian Satellite Badminton tournament (India Chapter) twice keeping the country’s image high abroad.The previous Yudhvir awardees include Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Classical maestro Pandit Jasraj, Space Scientist Prof. UR Rao, Amar Chitra Katha founder late Anant Pai and eminent film maker Shyam Benegal and others.

Asha Bhosle, Mala Sinha to get Phalke Academy awards

The Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards will be bestowed on singer Asha Bhosle, actress Mala Sinha, late filmmaker Yash Chopra, and late superstar Rajesh Khanna among several others at a ceremony in Mumbai on April 30.Asha, who has regaled music lovers with her melodious voice in her over six decades old career, will receive the Phalke Ratna Award from the academy, while Mala Sinha, who has acted in “”Pyaasa”", “”Maryada”" and “”Hariyali Aur Rasta”" will get the Golden Era Award.

Major Anup Joseph awarded Kirti Chakra, 12 others get Shaurya Chakra

Major Anup Joseph Manjali was on Saturday awarded the second-highest peacetime gallantry award Kirti Chakra by President Pranab Mukherjee for killing three foreign militants in Jammu and Kashmir. 12 defence personnel were awarded the Shaurya Charkra for their acts of bravery including Captain A Rahul Ramesh and Naik Krishna Kumar who were given the honour posthumously.

Seven South African Indians get National Orders

The awards(National Orders)are presented on the Freedom Day of South Africa that is celebrated on April 27 to mark the day on which Nelson Mandela took over as the country’s first democratically-elected President in 1994. Among the recipients of the order was veteran Indian diplomat Enuga Sreenivasula Reddy who had led the fight against apartheid at the UN since 1963 received the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo(Silver).The second highest award called the Order of the Baobab was presented to Lenasia-based community worker Suraya Khan, popularly known to all as “Aunty Bibi”, while the same order in Silver went to journalist and community activist Yusuf Abramjee and pioneering skin cloning plastic surgeon Dr Ridwan Mia. Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim received the Order of Mapungubwe in Bronze for her internationally acclaimed research into HIV Aids.

SPORTS & GAMES

Rahi Sarnobat won a Gold medal in 25-M Pistol Event

Rahi Sarnobat clinched the first gold for India in International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Korea on 5 April 2013. She defeated Kyeongae Kim 8-6 in 25m pistol final. She is the first pistol shooter from India who won the Gold in World Cup.

Indian Women’s Cricket Team Won the Twenty20 International Series against Bangladesh

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The Indian women’s cricket team finished the Twenty20 International series against Bangladesh Women with 3-0 clean sweep in Vadodara in the final match on 5 April 2013. India won the final match by 10 runs against Bangladesh. The T-20 International series against Bangladesh began on 2 April 2013.

Nanjappa wins bronze in men’s 10m air pistol at World Cup

India’s Prakash Nanjappa won a bronze medal in the men’s 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup at Changwon, Korea on 06 April 2013.This is Nanjappa’s first ever medal in an ISSF competition. He had also finished eighth at the men’s 50 metre pistol final. He scored 180.2 points.The gold was won by Vietnam’s Xuan Vinh Hoang, the 2012 Asian champion, with a total score of 200.8 points while the silver went to China’s Wang Zhiwei, the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, who shot 200.1.

Narayanan Srinath Won Asian Junior Chess Title

On 6 April India’s International Master Narayanan Srinath won Asian Junior chess title that concluded at Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.Sahaj Grover of Delhi was second, as he also remained undefeated just like Srinath.Top seed Grandmaster Salem Saleh of UAE finished third losing to Srinath and to a Vietnamese.Vo Thi Kim Phung (Vietnam) won the Asian Junior girls blitz championship title.

Rupesh Shah Won ONGC 12th Asian Billiards championship

On April 7 the world champion Rupesh Shah won the 12th Asian Billiards championship at Indore Tennis Club,Indore.He defeated Alok Kumar .It is is the 10th Asian Billiards title for Rupesh Shah.Rupesh Shah already qualified for 2013 World Championship as the defending champion.

Serena Williams Won Family Circle Cup Tennis Title

On 7 April The top-ranked Serena Williams (USA) won the Family Circle Cup Tennis title after defeated Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) in the final at Charleston (South Carolina).Williams successfully defended her title by claiming her third overall Charleston crown.She earned her 49th career singles title.

India got Silver in World Youth Weightlifting Championships 2013

Jamjang Deru gave India the first medal in the World Youth Weightlifting Championships as he won a silver in the 50kg boys category at Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Deru won the silver in clean and jerk with an effort of 110 kg and finished fourth in the total lift with 195kg. He lifted 85kg in snatch.In the same category, Deepak Lather finished 12th in total lift with an effort of 174kg (80+94).

India Women Complete Clean Sweep Over Bangladesh

India Women completed a 3-0 One-Day International series clean sweep over Bangladesh Women with a 58-run victory in the final match in Ahmedabad.India batted first in the third match and posted 154.

Pakistan bans two umpires over spot-fixing

Pakistan cricket authorities on 13 April 2013 banned two umpires.The allegations against the umpires first came up after a television sting operation last year. The PCB set up an inquiry committee led by PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf soon after and passed on its findings to the board’s integrity committee to determine the punishments.Nadeem Ghauri, the Pakistan umpire, has been handed a four-year ban by the PCB after its integrity committee found him guilty of being willing to accept money for favourable umpiring decisions. His colleague Anis Siddiqi was banned for three years.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso wins Chinese Grand Prix 2013

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Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso won the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix on 14 April 2013.Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton got second and third positions respectively.Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel got a 4th position.But Force India’s Paul di Resta got 8th Position.

Adam Scott Won Augusta Masters Golf Tournament

Australia’s Adam Scott won the 77th Masters (2013 Masters Tournament), become the first Australian golfer to capture the green jacket.It was Scott’s first major championship and the first time an Australian has won the Masters.

Chandigarh win Hockey India sub-junior men’s national championship

Chandigarh defeated Punjab 2-1 to lift the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Championship (North Zone) title at Sonepat on 15 April 2013.Meanwhile, Haryana won the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Women’s National Championship (North Zone) after getting the better of Chandigarh, 3-1 in the final.

Amit won gold, three other Indians bag a bronze each

Amit Kumar clinched a gold medal in men`s 55kg category while three other grapplers bagged a bronze medal each for India in the Senior Asian Wrestling Championship in New Delhi on 20 April 2013.In the women`s category, Vinesh (51kg) and Babita Kumari (55kg) won their bronze medal bouts while Bajrang (men`s 60kg) pocketed a bronze, to end the day three of the championships on a high after two medal-less days.

Sebastian Vettel Won Bahrain Grand Prix Title

On 21 April The Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel from Germany won the Bahrain Grand Prix 2013 by defeating Lotus drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. Kimi Raikkonen got second postion.Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes took fifth position and Fernando Alonso of Ferrari was successful in grabbing the eighth position in the listings

Novak Djokovic Won Monte Carlo Masters Title

On 21 April World Number One Novak Djokovic won his first Monte Carlo Masters title.Djokovic defeated Spain’s Rafael Nadal in the final.The Serbian inflicted Nadal’s first defeat in Monte Carlo in 47 matches and avenged last year’s final defeat to lift his first Masters title.

Amit Kumar Dhankar won Gold

Amit Kumar Dhankar won India’s second gold medal of the championships in Men’s 66kg Freestyle at KD Jadhav Stadium in New Delhi on 22 April 2013. India topped the medals tally in Freestyle division with 2 gold and 2 bronze medals.India finished top of the Men’s freestyle rankings with 2 golds and 2 bronze medals. India got 48 points to br crowned champion for the first time in the history of the Asian Wrestling Championships.India finished with nine medals – 2 gold, 1 silver and 6 bronze.

Chris Gayle Hits Cricket’s Fastest-ever Century in IPL Match

On 23 April Chris Gayle, the West Indies opener, hit the fastest ever century in the history of cricket by reaching 100 in merely 30 balls during Royal Challengers Bangalore-Pune Warriors IPL match.Gayle scored a total run of 175 runs in merely 66 balls, which included 17 sixes and 13 boundaries. It is important to note that this is the most number of runs scored in any T20 innings. This was also his fourth century in the IPL career.

Lancashire’s Jordan Clark hits 6 sixes in 1 over

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Lancashire all-rounder Jordan Clark had become only the fifth professional player to hit six sixes in one over, achieving the feat in a second XI match against Yorkshire on 25 April 2013.

Clark joins an illustrious list that contains former West Indies all-rounder Garfield Sobers (1968), India’s Ravi Shastri (1985), South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs and India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh (both 2007).

Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championship in Patiala

Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championship in Patiala on 25 April 2013.

Men: 4x100M relay: Andhra Pradesh (K Pavan Kumar, E Gopi, Md Baba, M Manikanand Raj) 41.06 seconds, 1; Tamil Nadu ‘A’ (Silambarasan, Al Ameen, Vijayakumar, Balamurugan) 41.10, 2; Kerala ‘A (Anuroop John, Jeris Jose, Rahul G Pillai, Renjith KG) 41.39, 3.

Women: 4x100M relay: Chhattisgarh (Niksy Joseph, Shilpa, Priya PK, Sini S) 47.40 seconds, 1; ONGC ‘A’ (Mounika Gaddam, Meghna Shetty, Purnima Hembram, Duteechand) 47.78, 2; Kerala ‘A’ (Merlin K Joseph, Neethu Mathew, Neethu Rajan, Rengitha C) 48.24, 3.

Dhoni fined for slow over rate

Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was fined $20,000 for his team’s slow over rate in their 14-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in a Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter in Chennai on 28 April 2013.

India Open Super Series Badminton Tournament Winners

Men’s Singles:-On 28 April World number one Lee Chong (Malaysia) won the men’s singles title at India Open Super Series badminton tournament at NewDelhi.In the final Lee Chong defeated Kenichi Tago of Japan and got the title.

Women’s Singles:-Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand won the women`s singles title after defeated Juliane Schenk of Germany in the final .

Rafael Nadal Won Barcelona Open Tennis Title

On 28 April Rafael Nadal from Spain won the Barcelona Open Tennis title for the eighth time.In the final at Barcelona ,Nadal defeated Nicolas Almagro from Spain.It was Nadal’s 54th career title and fourth this year

Maria Sharapova Won Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Title

On 28 April Maria Sharapova from Russia won Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Title.She defeated China’s Li Na in the final at Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany.It was her 16th consecutive clay court title.

ECONOMY

India Joins The Madrid Protocol System

On 8 April India joined the International Registration of Marks at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) by depositing the instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol.India is the 90th member to join the international trademark system.India is the 90th member to join the international trademark system and the treaty will enter into force with respect to India on 8 July

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2013.The Madrid Protocol system provides for the international registration of trade marks by way of one application that can cover more than one country. The opportunity of having a single registration to cover a wide range of countries gives advantages, both in terms of portfolio management and cost savings, as opposed to a portfolio of independent national registrations.

Yamaha to Develop Cheapest Bike of the World in India

Yamaha, the Japanese two-wheeler company on 9 April 2013 announced that it will soon roll out the cheapest motorcycle of the world in India. The price of this bike would be around 500 US dollar or 27000 Rupees approximately.

WTO cuts 2013 global trade growth forecast to 3.3%

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 10 April 2013 cut its forecast for global trade growth in 2013 to 3.3 percent, from the previous prediction of 4.5 percent.

Gujarat Tops in Attracting Private Investment

According to the “”Composition of Outstanding Private Investments Across States “” report released by Assocham ,Gujarat has ranked on top for attracting investment across the country — cornering about 14 per cent of total outstanding private sector investment worth over Rs 75 lakh crore as of December 2012.Odisha ranks second with private investment commitments worth over Rs 8 lakh crore.With a share of about 9.4 per cent and 9.3 per cent, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra both have attracted private investments worth over Rs 7 lakh crore respectively.The private sector accounts for over 62 per cent of total outstanding investments worth about Rs 122 lakh crore attracted by India as of December 2012.Of the total investments from private sources worth over Rs 75 lakh crore, the domestic private sector accounts for a majority share of about 58 per cent.Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Assam account for a share of less than even one per cent in the total private investment commitments attracted by India.

IMF slashed Economic Growth Rate of India to 5.7 percent from 5.9 percent for 2013

IMF(International Monetary Fund) in its latest release on 16 April 2013 of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) slashed the growth projection of India from its earlier prediction of 5.9 percent to 5.7 percent for the calendar year 2013.

Ambani Brothers 20th Richest in World

Mukesh and Anil Ambani, India’s leading industrialist brothers, have been together listed as 20th richest in the world in the Sunday Times Rich List 2013.The Walton family of the US, who own Supermarkets (Walmart), are the richest in the world with a 90 billion pounds fortune in 2013 as against 51 billion pounds last year.The Hinduja brothers, Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, Chairman and Co-Chairman respectively of the Hinduja Group, are 47th richest in the world with a fortune worth 11 billion pounds in 2013 as against 9 billion pounds last year.

Spain Unemployment Rate Hits New Record

On 24 April According to the National Statistics Institute data ,Spain’s unemployment rate soared to a new record of 27.2% of the workforce in the first quarter of 2013.The total number of unemployed people in Spain has now passed the six million figure, although the rate of the increase has slowed.The jobless rate, which stood at 7.9% in mid-2007, has risen relentlessly since the collapse in 2008 of a Spain’s labour-intensive property boom.

India became the world’s eighth most powerful nation

According to Delhi-based Foundation for National Security Research (FSNR), the world’s 10 most powerful countries, India had been ranked 8th. India is ranked eighth in 27 countries. Professor Satish

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Kumar says that we study about the selection of powerful countries on several grounds. Some of these countries had to fulfill the necessary criteria. For instance, were the countries, whose population was more than 5 million. The level of GDP was over U.S. $ 500 billion. India is one of such countries.Study states that the United States is the world’s most powerful country and China stood in 2nd position.

India’s GDP likely to improve to 5.7% in 2013: IMF

According to International Monetary Fund’s(IMF) ‘Regional Economic Outlook: Asia and Pacific’ report ,the GDP of India in 2013 is 5.7% and in 2014 it is 6.2%.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Cicada’s Insect Wing’s Kills Bacteria

Human eye cells have been grown on cicadas’ wings after it was found that the wings’ surface kills bacteria and boosts cell growth.Dr Greg Watson, a researcher at James Cook University in Cairns, began looking more closely at cicadas after noticing, while out on a walk more than a decade ago, that their wings took much longer to decompose than their bodies.It is the first time scientists have found that tiny features found on a natural surface, rather than chemicals, kill bacteria.

Supreme Court of India Rejected Novartis’ Patent Plea for Cancer Drug Called Glivec

The Supreme Court of India on 1 April 2013 rejected the plea of Novartis, the Swiss drug maker, to patent the updated version of cancer drug called Glivec. A bench of justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai dismissed the patent plea to Novartis on the basis that there was no inventiveness or novelty in the new version of the drug. In its ruling, the Supreme Court of India declared that because the application for patent on beta-crystalline salt did not meet any inventiveness or novelty standard, therefore the company’s plea for patent was dismissed.

World’s first solar plane to fly across US

A first of its kind ultra-lightweight plane powered completely by the sun is set to fly coast-to-coast this spring.The Solar Impulse plane will stop in Dallas city in Texas during its historic cross-country journey that begins on May 1.The plane, which requires zero fuel and relies solely on solar panels and battery power, would be the world’s first plane powered purely by solar energy.

Obama Announced $100 Million “Brain Initiative” Project

On 2 April US President Barack Obama has announced the “BRAIN Initiative” a $100 million brain-mapping project.The BRAIN initiative will attempt to find ways to treat Alzheimer’s disease and strokes while also aiding in job growth.

Carbon aerogel world’s lightest material

Chinese scientists have developed the world’s lightest substance — carbon aerogel — with a density only one sixth of that of the air.Scientists at Zhejiang University produced the solid material which has a density of only 0.16 mg/cubic centimetre, breaking the previous record of the world’s lightest material held by graphite aerogel.The graphite aerogel was developed by German scientists last year with a density of 0.18 mg/cubic centimetre.

Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer Detected Evidence of Dark Matter

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On 3 April NASA scientists announced the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) placed on the International Space Station (ISS) may have detected the elusive dark matter. The scientists made the announcement after they observed an excess of positrons in the Cosmic Ray Flux, which can be the reason of the presence of elusive dark matter.

100 billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy

Scientists have proposed a new method for finding Earth-like planets in our Milky Way galaxy and they anticipate that their number may be up to a whopping 100 billion.The strategy devised by researchers at The University of Auckland uses a technique called gravitational microlensing, currently used by a Japan-New Zealand collaboration called MOA (Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics) at New Zealand’s Mt John Observatory.

German Shipyard Launches World’s Largest Private Yacht

On 5 April A German shipyard has launched “”Azzam”" , the world’s largest private yacht at 590-feet long, which also happens to be among the fastest vessels, costing a whopping USD 609 million.The luxury private vessel ‘Azzam’ – with a beam 68-feet high – overshadows previous longest superyacht, The Eclipse, by 57-feet. Designed by Nauta Yachts in Italy and constructed by German company Lurssen Yachts, Azzam is almost two football fields long and rivals the size of some cruise ships.It took four years to complete the superyacht from concept to construction.With 94,000 horsepower generated from two gas turbines and two diesel engines, the Azzam can reach speeds of over 55.5kph, which makes it one of the fastest yachts in the world.

New Camera System That Can Captured Images From 1 km Away

In the month of April the team of researchers from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh , developed a New Laser powered Camera System that can take image of any object from a distance of about one kilometer by creating high-resolution 3D images.The technique on which the camera is based is called ‘Time-of-Flight (ToF)’ navigation systems for autonomous vehicles. In this principle of photography, to capture the image of the far away object, a laser beam is bounced on the object and measure the time that is taken by the beam of light to be back to the detector.

India test-fires nuclear capable Agni-II missile

The medium-range, nuclear capable Agni-II missile was successfully test-fired with a strike range of more than 2,000 kms from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast on 07 April 2013.The trial of the surface-to-surface missile was conducted from a mobile launcher from the Launch Complex-4 of Integrated Test Range (ITR).The 20-metre-long Agni-II is a two-stage, solid-propelled ballistic missile. It has a launch weight of 17 tonnes and can carry a payload of 1,000 kgs over a distance of 2,000 kms.The state-of-the-art Agni-II missile was developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) and integrated by the Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in Hyderabad.Agni-II is part of the Agni series of missiles developed by DRDO which includes Agni-I with a 700 km range, Agni-III with a 3,000 km range, Agni-IV with 4,000 km range and Agni-V with a more than 5,000 km range.

NASA Approved “TESS” Project

NASA has approved a The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a $200 million mission to search for Earth-size planets orbiting the nearby stars.Led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with seed funding from Google, TESS was one of 11 proposals selected for NASA funding in September 2011, down from the original 22 submitted in February of that year.TESS, along with the Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER), had been selected for launch in 2017.

The project will come into full swing within the next four years.

Pakistan Tests Nuclear-Capable Hatf-IV Missile

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Pakistan successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Hatf-IV ballistic missile on 10 April 2013. The missile has a range of 900 km and it can also hit targets in India. Hatf- IV ballistic missile is also called Shaheen-1.

Indian Astronomer Discovered Blue Super-Giant Star

An Indian scientist Dr. duo Ananda Hota and his Taiwanese colleague Dr. Youichi Ohyama have discovered a blue super-giant star located in the constellation Virgo, far beyond our Milky Way Galaxy. Over 55 million years ago, the star emerged in an extremely wild environment, surrounded by intensely hot plasma (a million degrees centigrade) and amidst raging cyclone winds blowing at four million kilometres per hour.This star is in small IC 3418 Milky Way Galaxy and it is about 5.5 billion light-years away from Earth.

Astronomers find most Earth-like planets yet

NASA scientists announced on 19 April 2013 that they discovered two earths like plants which are 1200 light years far from earth. NASA discovered the five plants which are rotating around Kepler 62 star using the Kepler Space Telescope. Two of the five planets orbiting a sun-like star called Kepler-62 are squarely in what astronomers call the habitable zone — not too hot, not too cold and possibly bearing water. These two plants are named as a Kepler-63e and Kepler 62f.

China Tested Self Developed Biofuel Flight

On 24 April China successfully conducted a first test flight powered by self-developed biofuel made mainly from palm oil and recycled cooking oil.An Airbus A320 operated by China Eastern Airlines landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport ,after completing an 85-minute journey using aviation biofuel produced by Sinopec, the country’s top oil refiner.The success made China the fourth country after the United States, France and Finland to boast independent production of bio-jet-fuel.

PERSONS IN NEWS

A) APPOINTMENTS

Jonty Rhodes named South African tourism ambassador in India

Former cricketer Jonty Rhodes was named as the brand ambassador of South African Tourism in India.

Chitra Ramkrishna Took Over as NSE chief

On 1 April Chitra Ramkrishna took over as National Stock Exchange (NSE) new Managing Director and CEO .As MD and CEO of the NSE, Ramkrishna succeeds Ravi Narain who would assume the role of non-executive Vice Chairman .She is the first female head of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in its nearly 20-year history of operations as a bourse.

Rakesh Bhatia is Catholic Syrian Bank’s new MD & CEO

Rakesh Bhatia had taken over as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Syrian Bank.He was previously the Global Head of HSBC’s Trade and Receivables Finance Division.

2 Indians selected for Yale fellowship programme

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Abhik Sen, Managing Editor, The Economist Group, and Prodyut Bora, State General Secretary of BJP in Assam, have been selected as the two Indian representatives for 2013 Yale World Fellows Program.About 16 people have been selected for the programme.Since 2002, the university has welcomed a group of exemplary mid-career professionals from a wide range of fields and countries for an intensive four-month period of academic enrichment and leadership training.With the selection of Sen and Bora, the total number of Indian fellows stands at 13.

Infosys’ S Gopalakrishnan is the new CII President

S. Gopalakrishnan (Kris), co-founder and executive co-chairman, Infosys Technologies Limited, had been elected as the President of CII for the year 2013-14. He succeeds Mr Adi Godrej as the new President.

S.C. Sinha Appointed as NHRC Member

On 5 April National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief S.C. Sinha has been appointed as a member of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) .S C Sinha, a 1975 batch Haryana cadre officer.He will now get a five year term at NHRC.

Krishna Kumar Natrajan appointed as the New Chief of NASSCOM

Krishnakumar Natarajan, CEO and Director of Mindtree on 8 April 2013 was appointed as the Chairman of Nasscom for the year 2013-14. He succeeded N Chandrasekaran, MD and CEO of TCS, who was the Chairman for the year 2012-13.

First Woman director for IICT

On April 8,Dr. Mannepalli Lakshmi Kantam, had been appointed as Director of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), the first woman scientist to head any of the 37 laboratories belonging to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in the country.

Kenyatta sworn in as Kenya’s president

Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in as Kenya’s fourth president on 09 April 2013, becoming the second sitting president in the world to be indicted for crimes against humanity and creating a challenge for western governments keen to sustain links with a strategic east African ally.

PJ Kurien elected Chairman of Asian forum of Parliamentarians

On April 11 Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, PJ Kurien was unanimously elected as the Chairman of the prestigious Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) during the during the 73rd Executive Committee Meeting of AFPPD at Bangkok. He replaced Yasuo Fukuda, former Prime Minister of Japan as the Chairman of AFPPD. PJ Kurien at present is also the Chairman of the Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development.

Five new judges sworn-in

Five new judges to the Andhra Pradesh High Court were sworn-in by acting Chief Justice N.V. Ramana in Hyderabad on 12 April 2013.The new judges who were administered the oath of office and secrecy are: Challa Kodanda Ram, A. Rajasekhar Reddy, P. Naveen Rao, A.V. Sesha Sai and S.V. Bhatt.

Two Judges Sworn in Supreme Court

On 12 April with two more judges sworn in the strength of the Supreme Court has risen to 30.Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir.While Justice Sikri was the Chief Justice of Punjab and

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Haryana High Court, Justice Bobde was the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court. The sanctioned strength of the apex court is 31 judges including the CJI.

Sunil Kumar Takes over as Managing Director of CRIS

On 16 April 2013,Sunil Kumar took over as the Managing Director of Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).

Shri Asoke Kumar Mukerji appointed as the Permanent Representative of India to the UN

On April 17,Shri Asoke Kumar Mukerji, took charges as the Ambassador/Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations at New York.

CRPF gets first woman Special DG

On April 18, Senior IPS officer Aruna Bahuguna appointed as the Special Director General of the country’s largest paramilitary force CRPF. This is the first time a woman officer is occupying the second top post in the hierarchy of the force. She is a 1979-batch IPS officer. She was till now serving as the Chairman of the AP police housing corporation. Bahuguna is expected to take charge at the force headquarters in New Delhi within 15 days.

Abdul Hamid elected Bangladesh President uncontested

Abdul Hamid is to be Bangladesh’s 20th president after no other candidate was nominated in the poll to replace President Zilliur Rahman who died on 20 March 2013. Abdul Hamid was elected uncontested as the 20th President of Bangladesh.

Sunil Bharti Mittal Appointed as Vice Chairman of ICC

On 22 April Sunil Bharti Mittal , the Chairman and Group CEO of Bharti Enterprises appointed as the Vice-Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC),which is one of the world’s oldest global business organisations.With the appointment as the Vice Chairman of ICC, Mittal became the third business person from India in the history of ICC to be appointed on the ICC Executive Board.

Ajay Devgn, Runa Laila named SAARC ambassadors for HIV/AIDS

Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila and Oscar-winning Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy have been named as SAARC Goodwill Ambassadors for HIV/AIDS.A meeting of the selection committee was held recently at the SAARC Secretariat and of the 10 nominations received from the member states, the three celebrities were nominated.

Takehiko Nakao is new ADB President

On 27 April Takehiko Nakao has been unanimously elected president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) by the Board of Governors at New Delhi.He succeeds Haruhiko Kuroda, who resigned in March to take up his assignment as Bank of Japan governor.Nakao assumed office as ADB’s ninth president on 28 April.

Gulzar’s appointment as chancellor elates Assam University

Lyricist-writer and Padma Bhushan awardee, Gulzar has been appointed the new chancellor of Assam University.Established in 1994, the Assam University campus is situated in Dargakona, about 20 km from Silchar.

B)RESIGNS

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Kerala minister resigned following domestic violence complaint by wife

Kerala Forest minister K.B.Ganesh Kumar resigned his post on 02 April 2013 due to domestic violence complaint by wife in the local police station.He is only one Congress person in the Congress- UPF Coalition Alliance government in Kerala.

Cyprus Finance Minister Michalis Sarris Resigns

On 3 April Cyprus Finance Minister Michalis Sarris has resigned citing his role as chairman of Laiki Bank, whose failure was a major contributor to the island’s near financial meltdown, as one of the reasons behind his decision.

UP Goverment suspends cabinet minister Raja Ram Pandey

The Uttar Pradesh government on 13 April 2013 removed cabinet minister of Khadi and Gramudyog, Raja Ram Pandey for making sexist comments.Pandey had promised to “build roads as smooth as Hema Malini’s and Madhuri Dixit’s cheeks” besides giving the state’s roads “a facial” while addressing a function in Pratapgarh on 12 April 2013.UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, who is now in charge of 63 ministries, has taken charge of Pandey’s ministry.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad Resigned

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad resigned on 13 April 2013 after falling out with president Mahmud Abbas. Salam Fayyad was tasked with the role of caretaker for the current government until a new prime minister is appointed.

Supreme Court bids farewell to Justice Aftab Alam

On April 19,the Supreme Court bid farewell to Justice Aftab Alam marking the end of his five and a half year tenure at the Supreme Court. Justice Alam enrolled as an Advocate on March 27, 1973. He practised in the Patna High Court and was designated as Senior Advocate by the Patna High Court on February 1, 1984. He was appointed as Judge of the Patna High Court on July 27, 1990 and was later transferred to the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, where he was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice on June 06, 2007. He assumed office as Supreme Court judge on November 12, 2007.

C)DEATHS

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Oscar winner and novelist, died

Oscar, the Booker Prize winner novelist and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, author of “Heat and Dust” and many other books set in India, died on 03 April 2013.Jhabvala also worked on several movie adaptations with filmmakers James Ivory and Ismail Merchant, winning two Academy Awards for her screenplays for 1985 movie “A Room With a View” and “Howards End” in 1992.Jhabvala was born in Germany but emigrated with her family to Britain during the Nazi regime. She later married an Indian architect and moved to India, where she began to write about her life there.Jhabvala collaborated with Merchant and Ivory on more than 20 movies including “The Remains of the Day” and “Mr. And Mrs. Bridge.”

Bratindra Nath Mukherjee passes away

A Padmashri winner, Professor Bratindra Nath Mukherjee, renowned historian and an expert in epigraphy who deciphered several ancient scripts, died in Kolkata on 04 April 2013.

Britain’s First Female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Died

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Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first and still only female prime minister has died on 8 April at London.Thatcher was the Prime Minister of Britain from 1979 to 1990 from Conservative party of Britain and was the first lady to hold the post of Prime Minister.She was the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century and is the only woman to have held the office. A Soviet journalist called her the “”Iron Lady”", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style. “This first volume of Margaret Thatcher’s memoirs book(1993), which encompasses the entirety of her career as Prime Minister.

Test-tube baby pioneer dies

British scientist Robert Edwards, 87, who won the Nobel Prize for his pioneering work in in vitro fertilisation, leading to the birth of the first test- tube baby, died in London on 10 April 2013.He born in Yarkfire in North England on 27 September 1925.Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe both proceeded to achieve in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), resulting in the birth of Louise Brown, the first “test-tube baby”, on 25 July 1978..

Polio Vaccine Developer Koprowski Died

On 11 April Dr Hilary Koprowski , a Polish researcher who developed the first successful oral vaccination for polio died in Philadelphia. He was 96 years of age.He was a Polish virologist and immunologist and was known for developing the first effective polio vaccine. In 2006, he was conferred with the record 50th grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Justice Chinnappa Reddy dead

Justice O Chinnappa Reddy, one of the highly respected members of the Indian judiciary, died at his jubilee hills residence in Hyderabad on 13 April 2013. He was born at Gooty in Anantapur district on September 25, 1922.Justice Reddy was appointed as judge of the Supreme Court from January 17, 1978 and continued in the post for about 10 years.He retired on 24 September 1987.After his retirement he became chairman of the Karnataka BC commission.

Playback singer PB Srinivas passes away

Veteran playback singer PB Srinivas who rendered more than 3,000 songs in eight languages died in Chennai on 14 April 2013.He debuted as a singer with Hindi film Mr. Sampath in 1952. His last song was from the 2010 Tamil film Aayirathil Oruvan.

Ex-CEC, governor VS Rama Devi dead

Former Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh Governor V S Ramadevi, the only woman to head the Election Commission, died in Bangalore on 17 April 2013.Born on March 15, 1934, Ramadevi was the Chief Election Commissioner of India from November 26, 1990 to December 11, 1990. She was the only woman who became the CEC. She was succeeded by T N Seshan.She had served as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh from July 26, 1997 to December 1, 1999 and as the Governor of Karnataka from December 2, 1999 to May 20, 2002.

Dina Thanthi MD Sivanthi Adithan dead

Veteran journalist and managing director of Tamil daily Dina Thanthi B Sivanthi Adithan died in Chennai on 19 April 2013.He was also head of the Indian Olympic Association before Suresh Kalmadi took over and is the former vice president of Olympic Council of Asia. At the time of his death, Sivanthi Adithan was the life president of IOC and president of the Volleyball Federation of India.Sivanthi Adithan was honoured with Padmashree in 2008.

Mathematical Genius Shakuntala Devi Died

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On 21 April The ‘human computer’ ‘mental calculator’, mathematics whizard Shakuntala Devi died at Bangalore.Her name was recorded in Guinness Book of World Records for her ability of making calculations at lightning-speed.In the year 1977, she calculated the 23rd root of digit number 201 in just 50 seconds.Some of her books were Puzzles to Puzzle You, Mathablit, Astrology for You, Fun with Numbers and Awaken the Genius in Your Child.

Former England Captain Mike Denness Died

On 19 April Michael Henry Denness, popularly known as Mike Denness, the former England captain died in London.Mike Denness played county cricket for Essex and Kent. He scored over 25000 runs in the first-class career.He was the captain of Kent to six domestic trophies between 1972 and 1976.He was among first few inductees into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.He was also named as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1975.

Former Chief Justice of India J S Verma dead

Former Chief Justice of India J S Verma, who headed the government-appointed committee to frame a tough law to tackle crime against women in the wake of the December Delhi gangrape incident, died in Gurgaon on 22April 2013.Justice Verma was the 27th Chief Justice of India and served from March 25, 1997 until his retirement on January 18, 1998.He began his legal career in 1955 and became a Judge of Madhya Pradesh High Court in June-1973. He became Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court in June,1986 and also served as Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court from September, 1986 to mid-1989.Justice Verma was also a former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission.He was also the first Chairperson of News Broadcasting Standards Authority.

Veteran violinist Lalgudi Jayaraman died

Celebrated violinist and composer Lalgudi Jayaraman, who carved out a niche for himself in the Carnatic music with his unique style, died in Chennai on 22 April 2013. Jayaraman, who began his music career at the age of 12 as an accompanying artist, later achieved fame as a solo violinist and also had success as a composer in four languages – Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Sanskrit.Considering his contribution to the field of music, he was conferred with several awards including Padma Shri in 1972 and Padma Bhushan in 2001.He was also feted with state Vidhwan of Tamil Nadu and also fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Legendary Singer Shamshad Begum Died

On 23 April Legendary singer Shamshad Begum died in Mumbai . She was 94 years of age. She was one of the first few playback singers of the Hindi film industry. She was conferred with the O P Nayyar award for contribution to Hindi film music, in the year 2009.In 2009 again, she was conferred with the third-highest civilian honour of India, Padma Bhushan.

Sripathi Rajeswara Rao dead

Former Telugu Desam Minister Sripathi Rajeswara Rao who founded the All India NTR Fans Association several decades ago, died of kidney ailment at NIMS in Hydearabad on 28 April 2013.

Sailendra Nath Roy died In Zip-Line Ponytail Stunt

Sailendra Nath Roy, a 49-year-old police officer, was attempting to cross the River Teesta in the state of West Bengal on 28 April 2013 on a 180m (594ft) wire above the water.After attaching his shoulder-length hair to a pulley on the wire, Mr Roy had completed around half the distance but then became entangled and found himself unable to move.After sometime he dead. Mr Roy achieved the Guinness World Record after covering 82.5m (271ft) on a zip-line while attached by his hair in 2011 at the Neemrana Fort, a heritage hotel in the desert state of Rajasthan.

Nuthakki Bhanu Prasad Passes away

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On 29 April 2013 the Scientist, Padma Shri award recipient died in Hyderabad.He got Padma shri award in 1959 for his Contribution in field of India’s Atomic reactor.The Petrotech 2003 Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Padmashri Dr. Nuthakki Bhanu Prasad for his contribution to India’s Upstream Petroleum Industry.He is also worked as a Chairman of ONGC.

D)VISITORS

Indian PM schedules UAE visit in August

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will pay a “stand Alone visit” to the United Arab Emirates in early August, the first by an Indian prime minister to the Gulf nation since Indira Gandhi visited nearly three decades ago.

PM Manmohan Singh leaves for Germany on a three-day visit

On April 10, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had left India on a three-day official visit to Germany, where he will co-chair inter – governmental consultations and witness the signing of a series of agreements on education, science and technology and renewable energy.The PM is leading a high-level delegation to Berlin that includes five cabinet ministers: Salman Khurshid (external affairs), Anand Sharma (commerce), Farooq Abdullah (renewable energy), MM Pallam Raju (human resource development) and S Jaipal Reddy (science and technology).

Prime Minister of India Visited Germany: Important Documents Signed

Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh visited Germany from 10 April 2013 to 12 April 2013 for participating in second round of Inter Governmental Consultations with Germany.

During his visit, certain documents were signed. These documents are as follows:

1.Joint Declaration of Intent regarding promotion of German as a foreign language in India

2.Intergovernmental MoU between India & Germany on Cooperation in the field of Higher Education

3.Joint Declaration of Intent on Indo-German cooperation in the area of Civil Security Research

4.Joint Declaration for the bilateral “”Kooperations Program” of the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection and the National Seeds Association of India and the German Association of Plant Breeders

5.Joint Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of an Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure for Cooperation in Standardisation, Conformity Assessment and Product Safety

6.Joint Declaration of Intent on Indo-German Development Cooperation regarding the Establishment of Green Energy Corridors

Vice President Hamid Ansari Visited Tajakistan

The Vice-President of India, Hamid Ansari visited Tajikistan from 14 April to 17 April 2013.During the visit he was accompanied by a high-level delegation that included Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries and four Members of Parliament.On 15 April , the Vice President met the President Emomalii Rahmon and Oqil Oqilov the Prime Minister of Tajikistan.

E)MISCELLANEOUS

Down’s syndrome boy sets Everest record

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A 15-YEAR-OLD American had become the first teenager with Down’s syndrome to reach Everest Base Camp, according to his father, in an attempt to inspire different attitudes towards disabilities.Eli Reimer, from Oregon, reached the 5364-metres high camp in Nepal’s Himalayan mountains in mid-March after 10 days of trekking.Tom Whittaker, a British mountaineer, became the first person with a disability to summit the peak in 1998 after a car crash almost two decades earlier had forced him to have his foot amputated.

Abhilash Tomy Becomes First Indian To Sail Round The World

Indian Navy’s Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy became the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe, solo and non-stop, over a 150-day voyage.He was addressed a function after welcoming Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy whose boat INSV Mhadei reached the Gateway of India after commencing its historic journey from the same spot on November 1 last year.He has sailed around 23,100 nautical miles, crossing the Indian, Southern, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.Lt Cmdr Abhilash Tomy is the first Indian and the second Asian to do so. Lt Cdr Tomy, a maritime pilot, switched off his boat’s engine soon after leaving Mumbai harbour and switched it on again on 6 April to get the boat alongside the Gateway of India.

K Vishwanath Name in Limca Book Of Records

Legendary director K.Vishwanath is the only Telugu person in the ‘Person of the year – 2013′ announced by the famous Limca books of Records. This list which contained several other prominent names like Mani Ratnam, Kamal Haasan, Santosh Sivan, Prabhu Deva, Sreekar Prasad and Naseeruddin Shah was released on the occasion of Indian cinema completing 100 years. Tabu, Vidya Balan, Shabana Azmi, Kajol and Ranbir Kapoor are also on this list.

Nepali TV Anchor Made Guinness(World) Record for Longest Talk Show

A TV anchor in Nepal set a world record of longest television talk show by staying on air for 62 hours and 12 minutes.The 36 years old Rabi Lamichhane lived in America and came back to Nepal after hosting the program ‘Lord Buddha Was Born in Nepal’.Lamichhane broke the world record of Pavlo Kuzheyew and Tetiana Danylenko of 22 hours. They made that record in 2011 at the Independence Day anniversary of Ukraine. According to the rules of Guinness World Record Lamichhane got the break of five minutes after every hour.

Mahatma Gandhi figured among the Top Three Leaders of the World

As per the 16th Annual Global CEO survey, Mahatma Gandhi figured among the top three most admired leaders of the world.In this list Winston Churchill , Steve Jobs(Co-founder of Apple) and Mahatma Gandhi got the first,second and third places respectively .

Egypt PM sentenced to one-year jail

On April 17,Egypt’s Misdemeanor Dokki Court sentenced Prime Minister Hesham Qandil to one year in prison and ordered his removal from job, accusing him of failing to implement a verdict to return a privatised company to the state.

Chidambaram, Aamir in Time’s 100 most influential global list

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and actor Aamir Khan have been named by Time magazine among the 100 most influential people in the world in its annual list of global achievers that also includes teenaged Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai and US President Barack Obama.

pakistan former president musharraf arrested

The Islamabad High Court on 18 April 2013 ordered Musharraf’s arrest for detaining senior judges when he imposed emergency rule in 2007.So, Pakistani police arrested Musharraf on 19 April 2013.

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Gates’ foundation to put $1.8bn to eradicate polio

Bill Gates announced in Abu Dhabi on 25 April 2013 his foundation will contribute $1.8 billion to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a third of the total funds needed. He announced this contribution in Global Vaccine summit in Abu Dhabi.

8 killed as bomb targets Syria’s prime minister

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halki survived a bomb attack on his convoy in Damascus on 29 April 2013.8 members(including PM’s car driver and Personal security) are killed in the blast.

PLACES IN NEWS

7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Indonesia

A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Papua province in Indonesia on 06 April 2013.But there was no damage or injuries. It occurred in a north east to Capital of Papua province, about 75 kilometers (46 miles) in depth.

A Powerful earthquake in Iran

On April 9, A powerful earthquake was strucked close to Iran’s only nuclear power station, killing at least 37 people and injuring 850 as it destroyed homes and devastated two small villages.Its epicentre was 89 km south-east of the port of Bushehr.The magnitude of the earthquake on Richter scale is 6.3.

Strong earthquake hits Japan

A strong earthquake estimated at magnitude 6.3 strucked the western Japan, on 13 April 2013.In this event 23 people were injured in that 7 are serious.The earthquake was centered on Awaji Island, just south of Kobe, at a depth of 15 kilometres.The quake was in the area where a magnitude-7.2 temblor killed more than 6,400 people in 1995.

Musharraf disqualified from parliamentary polls

Courts in Pakistan have disqualified former president Pervez Musharraf for contesting parliamentary elections for suspending the constitution and imposing emergency in 2007 during his rule.

Earthquake of Magnitude 7.8 Jolted Iran and Pakistan

Earthquake that measured 7.8 on the Richter scale struck on 16 April 2013 in Iran killed more than 40 people leaving behind several injured. Epicenter of the quake was near Pakistan-Iran Border in the southeastern city of Khash. The tremors of the quake were felt across India, Middle East and Pakistan.

Fertiliser plant explosion in the US

On April 18, massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in the Town of West, in Central Texas. It is 120km far from Dallas town in the Texas state. In this explosion 15 were died and 200 people were injured

Delhi gets “Dildaar Delhi” tagline

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Delhi got its own tagline “Dildaar Delhi”. Penned by Amit Anand, a cashier in a small confectionery shop in Keshavpuram, the tagline was selected out of 12,000 entries of a competition organized by Delhi government and Delhi Tourism department.

German Bakery blast: Himayat Beg sentenced to death

On April 18, a Pune court sentenced Indian Mujahideen operative Mirza Himayat Inayat Baig to death in the German Bakery bomb blast case.The terror attack on the popular pune joint had killed 17 people and injured 64 in February 2010. On 15 April 2013, Pune sessions court special judge NP Dhote had held Baig guilty in the case.

China hit by strong earthquake

On 20 April ,China was hit by strong earthquake and killed at least 157 people and injured more than 5,700.The magnitude 7.0 quake hit a remote mountainous area of southwestern China’s Sichuan province at 8:02 a.m. (0002 GMT), close to where an earthquake killed almost 70,000 people in 2008.The quake struck in Lushan county, near the city of Ya’an, at a depth of 12 km (7.5 miles)

ABBREVIATIONS

CII —- Confederation of Indian Industry

MSME —- Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises

SCO —- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

AMS —- Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

ICSI —- Institute of Company Secretaries of India

TESS —- Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

WIPO —- World Intellectual Property Organisation

BOOKS IN NEWS

Vice President Released Book titled Religion, Law & Society-Across the Globe

On 12 April 2013,The Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari released a book titled Religion, Law & Society – Across the Globe. The book is authored by Prof. Tahir Mahmood.

COMMITTEES

Uday Kumar Committee To Act as Single Window Clearance for Film Projects

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On 15 April the Government of India announced creation of an inter-ministerial panel that will work as a ‘single window’ clearance system for international and domestic film projects.The committee will be headed by I&B Secretary Uday Kumar Varma .The constitution of the committee is expected to mainstream a proactive mechanism and coordination process of granting permissions through a single window provision. Apart from the I&B secretary, the committee will have joint secretaries from the ministries of I&B, Home Affairs, Tourism, External Affairs, Culture, Railways, Aviation and Defence on board.

IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES

World Health Day was Celebrated on 7th April

World Health Day is celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO).

National Safe Motherhood Day Observed across the Country

National Safe Motherhood day was observed across India on 11 April 2013 to create awareness on proper healthcare and maternity facilities to pregnant and lactating women.

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March 2013 Current Affairs Study Material

INTERNATIONAL

UN Imposed New Sanctions on North Korea

On 7 March The UN Security Council approved a new regimen of sanctions against North Korea for conducting an underground nuclear test recently, imposing penalties on North Korean banking, travel and trade in a unanimous vote that reflected the country’s increased international isolation. The resolution, which was drafted by the United States and China, was passed in a speedy vote hours after North Korea threatened for the first time to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States and South Korea.

Obama Signed ‘ Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act 2013 ‘

On 8 March the US President, Barack Obama signed the reauthorization of the ‘Violence Against Women Act 2013′ on the eve of International Women’s Day. The Violence Against Women Act was first passed in 1994. Reauthorised since then, the new Act offers support to the organisations which serve to the victims of domestic violence.

Uhuru Kenyatta Won Kenya Presidential Election

On 9 March In Kenya, Deputy Prime Minister Kenyatta has won presidential election with a slim margin of 50.03 percent of votes. He defeated his rival Raila Odinga.

Japan & Ten EU Countries Exempted from US ‘Iran Sanctions Act’

On 13 March The US has renewed the exemptions for Japan and ten European Union countries from tough American sanctions imposed on nations buying oil from Iran.The third six-monthly exemption to Japan, under the Iran Sanctions Act.The 10 European Union countries, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the UK, have also qualified for a renewal of the exemption from sanctions because they have not purchased Iranian oil since July , 2012.

Pakistan Parliament Completes Full 5 Year Term

On 16 March Pakistan’s Parliament has made history by becoming the first National Assembly in the country’s history to complete a full term of five years, with the conclusion of the House’s 50th session, setting the stage for the holding of elections.Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari announced that general elections would be held on 11 May 2013.

Cyprus Gets New Bailout Deal

Cyprus secured a 10 billion ($16.2 billion) bailout from its international creditors on 24 March 2013.Eurozone finance ministers had also approved a new bailout plan for Cyprus, putting an end to uncertainties over the fate of the Mediterranean island country in the euro area.The new bailout program includes deep restructuring of the country’s two biggest banks, Bank of Cyprus and Popular Bank of Cyprus.Under the new agreement, all bank deposits under •100,000 will be secured and guaranteed by the state.

South Africa, China Sign Deals To Boost Cooperation

On 26 March South African President Jacob Zuma and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in Pretoria ahead of the fifth BRICS Summit.The two leaders signed a number of agreements, focusing on trade, tourism, education and social cooperation.The two sides agreed on future collaboration on

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research and development initiatives, manufacturing, marketing and the construction of cross-border infrastructure throughout the continent.

North Korea Declares ‘State of War’ with South Korea

On 29 March North Korea declared that it had formally entered a “state of war” with South Korea.The announcement was made in a joint statement attributed to all government bodies and institutions.The two Koreas have thus technically remained at war for decades.

INDIA & WORLD

India, South Korea Hold Security Talks

On 1 March 2013 India and South Korea hold discussions over emerging dynamics of global and regional security, cooperation in cyber security, defense and space sectors and reviewing bilateral ties. Arvind Gupta,Director General of IDSA, led the Indian side while Lt.G (retd.) Bang, Hyo-Bok president of KIDA and former vice army chief,represented the Korean side in the talks.

India,UK Signed MOU To Strenghen Cooperation In Earth Sciences

On March 1, India and UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooperation in Earth Sciences and environmental research by sharing information on meteorology,hydrology and climate variability.The MoU between the Earth System Science Organisation of the Ministry of Earth Sciences and UK’s Natural Environment Research Council was inked in New Delhi in the presence of Science and Technology Minister S Jaipal Reddy .

India and Bhutan signed Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement

On 4 March India and Bhutan signed the double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA), a move that will facilitate exchange of information on banking between the two nations and help check tax evasion.This is the first ever DTAA for Bhutan with any country. The treaty was signed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram and his Bhutanese counterpart Lyonpo Wangdi Norbum, on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

India and Republic of Portugal Signed a Social Security Agreement

On 4 March A Social Security Agreement (SSA) was signed between India and Republic of Portugal ,after the both countries meeting end at NewDelhi.The agreement was signed by Vayalar Ravi, the Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and Paulo Sacadura Cabral Portas, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs of Portugal.

India World’s Third Largest ‘Spam Spewing Nation’

On 6 March According to statistics from SophosLabs ,India has been placed third on the list of the countries distributing spam across the world.US is still firmly on the top, distributing more spam than any other country in the world.China took the second spot and India the third, with 8.2 percent and 4.2 percent of the world’s spam.

India’s Tourism Industry Competitiveness 65th in World

According to the fifth Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report by the WEF, India has moved up by three notches to 65th out of 140 countries in terms of the competitiveness of the travel and tourism industry.India has been ranked in the 11th place in the region and 65th overall, gaining three positions since the last edition.

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India and Romania Signed Two Agreements

On 8 March India and Romania signed on Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income.The agreement was signed after External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid held talks with his Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean on the entire gamut of bilateral relations, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

India and Bhutan Signed $100m Currency Swap Agreement

On 8 March India and Bhutan signed a currency swap agreement for up to $100 million to further economic co-operation between the two countries.The currency swap arrangement was signed between the Reserve Bank of India and the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan (RMAB).

Iran and Pakistan Launched Gas Pipeline Project

On 11 March Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari was officially inaugurated the final construction phase of the multi-billiondollar Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.The 1,244-mile pipeline would each day transport more than 750 million cubic feet of natural gas to Pakistan from Iran’s South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf.This Project was started from Chabahar city in Iran to Karachi in Pakistan with $7.5 Billion. Initially they have an idea to extend this project to New Delhi in India but India was dropped from this project in 2009.

Britain & India Signed Agreement To Support R&D Projects

On 13 March Britain and India have signed an agreement to launch a joint programme to encourage industry and business in the two countries to work together towards commercialisation of research leads in a range of key areas, including energy and health care.As part of the deal, Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA) sponsored by the Indian government’s Department of Science and Technology and UK’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB) will support UK and Indian businesses and academics in joint R&D and innovation projects over a three-year period.

India Ranks 136 in Human Development Index

On 14 March According to the Human Development Report 2013 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ,India has been ranked 136 among 187 countries evaluated for human development index (HDI).Norway (1st rank), Australia (2nd rank) and the Netherlands (3rd rank) lead the Human Development Index (HDI).The other countries ranks are:- Netherlands (4th rank) , Japan (10th rank), Denmark (15th rank) , South Korea (12th rank).

China Unveils 5-Point Formula To Improve Ties With India

On 18 March China’s new President Xi Jinping has unveiled a five-point formula to improve relations with India, and that the resolution of the boundary dispute between the two nations won’t be easy and pending its final settlement ‘peace and tranquility’ should be maintained on the border without affecting the overall ties. The Xi Jinping 5 Points are :- 1. “First,to maintain strategic communication and keep bilateral relations on the right track. 2. Second, we should harness each other’s comparative strength and expand win winwin cooperation in infrastructure, mutual investment and other areas. 3. Third, we should strengthen cultural ties and constantly increase mutual understanding and friendship between our peoples. 4. Fourth, we should expand coordination and collaboration in multilateral affairs to jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries and tackle global challenges. 5. Fifth, we should accommodate each other’s core concerns and properly handle problems and differences existing between the two countries.

India – Egypt Signed Seven Agreements

On 19 March In a bid to deepen ties and strengthen economic bonds, India and Egypt signed 7 agreements after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy held

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bilateral talks in New Delhi.The seven agreements included a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of cyber security, cooperation in the field of protection of intellectual property rights and prevention of illicit traffic of antiquities besides others.The two leaders also agreed to enhance cooperation in Defence and in international forums like UN.

India Signed Social Security Agreements With 18 Countries

On 20 March India has signed Social Security Agreements (SSAs) with Belgium,France, Germany (social insurance for posted workers only), Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Hungary, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Republic of Korea, Norway, Germany, Finland, Canada, Japan, Sweden, Austria and Portugal.Bilateral labour Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have also been signed with United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia and Bahrain for ensuring protection and welfare of overseas Indian workers.

India Votes Against Sri Lanka at UNHRC

On 21 March India has voted for the resolution against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva.The UN Human Rights Council adopted a US-sponsored resolution on human rights violation in Sri Lanka.The 47-member Geneva forum adopted the resolution with 25 countries in favour, including India.13countries opposed it, including Pakistan. 8 abstained and one delegation was absent.The US-backed resolution that addresses alleged war crimes by Lankan forces during the country’s civil war with the Tamil Tigers.The 26-year civil war that ensued, which ended with the LTTE’s military defeat in 2009.

Japan Grants India $2.32 Billion Aid For Infrastructure Building

On 27 March India and Japan have agreed to promote their bilateral strategic and global partnership especially in economic and security areas, with Tokyo granting a $2.32 billion aid for infrastructure building. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida ,External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid discussed about both countries bilateral issues the meeting held at Tokyo .During the meeting Kishida unveiled a 220 billion yen (USD 2.32 billion) aid to India for infrastructure building and a 71-billion-yen loan ($753.17 million) for the subway project in India’s financial capital Mumbai.

NATIONAL

Cabinet Approves Bill for Time-Bound Services to Citizens

On 7 March the government gave its nod to a Bill aimed at providing time-bound delivery of services like passports, pensions and birth and death certificates, among others, to the citizens.The Right of Citizens for Time- Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011, was approved by the Union Cabinet at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh .

President Released the Commemorative Postage Stamp on Sahir Ludhianvi

On 8 March the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee released the Commemorative Postage Stamp on Sahir Ludhianvi on occasion of his birth anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.Sahir Ludhianvi died on 25 October 1980 and was a renowned Urdu poet.He fought for recognition of lyric writers through the Film Writers Association.

India’s First All-Women Post Office

After announcing India’s all women public bank, the central government on 08 March 2013 started an all women post office in New Delhi on the occasion of the International Women‘s Day. Communications & Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal inaugurated the post office at Shastri

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Bhawan – the hub of central government offices in central Delhi. All the employees in these post office are women only.

Cabinet Approved Electronic Delivery of Services Bill

On 18 March the Union Cabinet approved a bill that aims to provide access to all central and state government services such as passport, ration card and driving licences electronically.The Bill requires public authorities to deliver all public services electronically within a maximum period of 8 years.

Cabinet Approved Food Security Bill

On 19 March the union cabinet has approved the National Food Security Bill which aims to give the right to food to around 67% of India’s 1.2 billion people.The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2011 and had been sent to a parliamentary standing committee for further consideration.In the bill, the government had proposed 7 kg of grain per month per person to priority households and at least 3 kg of foodgrain at half the price for general households.

Rajya Sabha Passed Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2013

On 21 March the Rajya Sabha passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2013 that provides for capital punishment in cases of brutal rape, and also deals with several other crimes against women.On 19 March Lok Sabha passed the Bill with an aim of providing a strong deterrent against rapes and gang rapes, the Bill states that an offender can be sentenced to rigourous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 20 years, but which may extend to life, meaning imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life and with a fine.

Supreme Court upholds Death for Yakub Memon

On 21 March the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case that had claimed 257 lives and left 713 injured.The Supreme Court also upheld the conviction of actor Sanjay Dutt under the Arms Act in the terror attack and sent him to five years in prison.The capital punishment of the other 10 death row convicts was commuted to life sentence by a bench of justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan which also upheld the life term awarded to 16 out of 18 convicts.

68 million Indians Living in Slums

On 21 March According to the first such census report on slum households prepared by the Registrar General of India, approximately 68 million Indians are living in slums. In all 1.73 crore census houses have been reported in houselisting blocks, categorised as slums in India, comprising 1.37 crore slum households.The report also noted that in 19 cities with million-plus population, 25 per cent of households live in slums.A majority-71 per cent- of these are located in six states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, west Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.90 per cent of slum households use electricity, 70 per cent slum households have television, 72.7 per cent have telephone facility while 10.4 per cent households have computer or laptop in their house.

STATES

HPCL signed MoU for Rajasthan Refinery

On 14 March Min of Petroleum & Natural Gas Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Rajasthan Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Jaipur for setting up a Rs 37,320cr refinery-cum-petrochemical complex in Barmer, Rajasthan. The project will be a joint venture between HPCL and Rajasthan State Refinery Limited, apart from other equity partners.The MoU was

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signed by Subhash Pant, Secretary Mines and Petroleum, Government of Rajasthan and K.Murli, Director (Refineries) of HPCL.

Madhya Pradesh Spice Park Inaugurated in Guna

On 16 March In Madhya Pradesh, Union power ministry inaugurated a Spice Park in Mawan area of Guna district. This spice park has been built at a cost of fifty five crore rupees.

Delhi Launched a Comprehensive Five-In-One Vaccine

On 12 March the Chief Minister of Delhi,Sheila Dikshit launched a comprehensive five-in-one vaccine in order to provide protection to children against certain diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria and pertusis.The CM announced that instead of three injections, now there will be a requirement of only one injection for providing protection against the diseases.

Karnataka State Assembly Elections Schedule Released

On March 20 The Election Commission of India has announced the dates for Karnataka Assembly Elections 2013.The elections will be a single-phase election and counting would take place on May 8.The Polls would be held on May 5.

Three High Courts Opened in Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya

Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur on 23 March 2013 got their own High Courts. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre, Judge of Chhattisgarh High Court took oath as the first Chief Justice of Manipur High Court on 23 March 2013. Justice Deepak Gupta along with three other judges would be administered the oath to the High Court of Tripura .Justice Meena Kumari took oath as the first Chief Justice of Meghalaya. With the opening of the three high Courts in the North Eastern states of India, the total number of high Courts in India has gone up to 24 from previous 21.

Arunachal Pradesh Became the First State to Introduce e-GPF

Arunachal Pradesh became the first state to introduce e-GPF or electronic GPF.The state Finance Department facilitated the online access to 34000 GPF accounts through its redesigned Web site, which was launched by Chief Minister of Arunachal Pardesh Nabam Tuki.

Housing stock, Amenities and Assets in Slums Report

On 29 March Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation released the report on Housing stock, Amenities and Assets in slums based on Houselisting & House Census, 2011.Registrar General presented the important features of the report and outlined its importance.In all 1.73 Crore Census houses have been reported in the House listing Blocks categorized as Slums in India, comprising 1.37 Crore slum households.There are 19 cities with million plus population where more than 25% households live in slums.A majority (71%) of these are located in six States namely, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.Out of these 19 cities, five cities namely, Vishakhapatnam, Jabalpur, Mumbai, Vijayawada and Meerut have more than 40% slum households.Out of total slum houses, 92.7% are occupied and 7.3% are vacant.84.9% Census Houses are used for residence/residence-cum-other use.58.4% residential census houses are in good condition, 37.5% are livable and rest 4.0% are in dilapidated condition.70.2% Slum households are owned.

Punjab, Haryana, Delhi Top in Well Being Index

According to the Tata Strategic Management Group Survey report , Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have been ranked at the top of the Well Being Index,while southern states, Gujarat and most of the north-eastern states emerged as the most secure ones for women in the Female Security Index.The states of Punjab, Delhi, HP, Haryana and Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh were

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ranked at the top of the Well Being Index. On the Female Security Index, Chennai and Bangalore were at the top.

CONFERENCES

24th Arab League Summit Held in Doha

The 24th summit was held in Doha (Qatar) from 21 to 26 March 2013.A total of 15 heads of state of Arab countries attended the summit.The Arab League currently consist of 21 countries, after Syria was suspended form the league due to excessive violence during the Arab Spring. However, the Syrian opposition umbrella organization, the Syrian National Coalition, will attend this year’s summit and will be offered a seat formerly occupied by Damascus.The Arab League summit called for an international conference in the framework of the United Nations for Syria’s reconstruction. The Qatari leader meanwhile proposed a mini- Arab summit, led by Egypt and leaders of Fatah and Hamas, in Cairo as soon as possible to achieve Palestinian national reconciliation. He also called for Arab countries to establish a fund of 1 billion U.S.dollars to support the Palestinians, pledging that his country will offer a quarter of the amount. The Arab League was formed in 1945.

5th BRICS Summit Held in Durban

The 5th BRICS Summit was held in Durban, South Africa from 26 to 27 March 2013. The summit an international relations conference attended by the head of states or heads of government of the five member states Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.Theme of the summit was , “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialisation”.BRICS Leaders President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff ,Russian president Vladimir Putin,Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singhm,Chinese president Ji Xinping, South Africa’s president Jacob Zuma also discussed swap arrangements among the national currencies as well as reserve pooling. BRICS nations have decided to establish a new development bank to finance infrastructure projects and to create a USD 100 bn contingency fund to tackle any financial crisis in emerging economies, in what is seen as a major win for India’s campaign to reform global financial architecture. BRICS Summit took place in South Africa for the first time. BRICS, originally “BRIC” before the inclusion of South Africa in 2010, is the title of an association of emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS).

AWARDS & HONOURS

Indian-Origin Writer Anil Ananthaswamy Won “ British Physics Journalism “ Prize

On 1 March Anil Ananthaswamy, a London based Indian origin writer, has won the inaugural “Physics Journalism” Prize sponsored by the Institute of Physics (IOP) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The Edge of Physics”, has won the prize for his article “Hip Hip Array,” which focuses on the Square Kilometre Array, an international project to design and build the largest radio telescope ever conceived.

Pranab Mukherjee Honoured with the “Bangladesh Liberation War Award “

On 4 March The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee was conferred with the Liberation War Honour Award by the President of Bangladesh, Zillur Rahman. The award was given away to Pranab Mukherjee for contributions to the Liberation War.

Indian Women Selected For State Dept Award For Environment Awareness

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On 5 March Dr Shubhalaxmi Vaylure has been selected for the US State Department’s International Exchange Alumni Member of the Month for March for her dedication to build greater environmental awareness in India. Shubhalaxmi first came to the US in 2003 as part of the Fulbright Indo-American Environmental Leadership Programme which took her to the University of Montana to study educational nature centers.Upon eturning from this programme, she drew inspiration from her Fulbright programme as she implemented innovative educational programs at the Mumbai Conservation Education Center.

Arun Jaitley, Karan Singh, Sharad Yadav Best Parliamentarians

On 6 March Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, Congress veteran Karan Singh and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav have been selected for the ‘Outstanding Parliamentarian Award’.Jaitley, who is Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, gets the award for the year 2010, Karan Singh for 2011 and Sharad Yadav for 2012. The Indian Parliamentary Group had instituted the award in 1994 which is conferred each year.

Tagore Award For Ravi Shankar

President Pranab Mukherjee presented the first annual Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony to late Pandit Ravi Shankar at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 07 Marchi 2013.Sukanya Shankar, wife of Ravi Shankar, received the award.

Stree Shakti Award For ‘Nirbhaya’

President Pranab Mukherjee presented the ‘Stree Shakti’ award on International Women’s Day( 08 March 2013) for ‘Nirbhaya’. ‘Stree Shakti’ award as a tribute to her courage and strength.The award was recevied by her family members.As a measure of recognition of achievements in individual women in the field of social development, the government had instituted of 6 national awards which are called ‘Stree Shakti Puraskar’. The awards are in the name of the eminent women personalities namely Devi Ahalya Bai Holkar, Kannagi, Mata Jajabai, Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang, Rani Lakshmi Bai and Rani Rudramma Devi (which is open to both men and women). Nirbhaya was honoured with the Sree Shakti award of Rani Lakshmi Bai.The Rani Rudramma Devi Award for the year 2012 was awarded to Smt. Pranita Talukdar from Assam. She was honoured for her commendable work for the overall development of women.

US Bravery Award for Nirbhaya

The Delhi gang-rape victim, Nirbhaya was honoured by the US government with an International Women of Courage Award for 2013.In this year this award was given to 10 women in Washington on March 8, which is also International Women’s Day.

National Tourism Award Winners 2011-12

National Annual Tourism Awards for 2011-12 was announced by Tourism Ministry on 12 March 2013. The Ministry announced 86 awards in 36 Categories. The awards presented by President of India on 18th March. Winners of National Tourism Awards for 2011-12 :-

Best State/ UT Comprehensive Development of Tourism (Rest of India): – Andhra Pradesh (First Prize) – Rajasthan (Second Prize) – Gujarat (Third Prize)

Best State/ UT Comprehensive Development of Tourism –(North East, Jammu and Kashmir) – Jammu & Kashmir

Best Civic Management of a Destination Category ‘B’ City – Municipal Council of Mandav (Mandu),District Dhar, Madhya Pradesh

Best Heritage City – Warangal City, Andhra Pradesh

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Best Airport ( Class X Cities) – Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad

Best Airport (Rest of India) – VishakhapatnamAirport, Vishakhapatnam The special National Tourism Awards for Yann Martel, author of the book, Life of Pi, for promoting the county (Puducherry and Munnar) through the film as well.

Tan Twan Eng Declared Winner of 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize

Tan Twan Eng on 14 March 2013 was announced as a winner of the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize. With this, he became the first Malaysian author to win the most prestigious literary prize of Asia.Tan Twan Eng won the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize for his novel The Garden of Evening Mists.

Poetess Sugathakumari Selected For Saraswati Samman Award

On 17 March Sugathakumari, the Malayalam poetess was selected for the Saraswati Samman 2012 for the poetry collection Manalezhuthu, which means The Writing on the Sand in English. The Saraswati Samman is constituted by K. K. Birla Foundation.

60th National Film Awards

On 18 March The prestigious 60th National Film Awards for the year 2012 were announced in New Delhi.Irrfan has won the Best Actor award for his powerful performance in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ and Marathi actress Usha Jadhav has won the Best Actress award for ‘Dhag’.

The List of Award Winners :-

Best Feature Film: Paan Singh Tomar

Best Actor: Irrfan for Paan Singh Tomar and Vikram Gokhale for Anumati (Marathi)

Best Actress: Usha Jadhav for Marathi film Dhag

Best Child Artist: Virendra Pratap for Dekh Indian Circus (Hindi) and Minon for 101 Chodiyangal (Malayalam)

Best Popular Film for wholesome entertainment: Vicky Donor (Hindi), Ustad (Malayalam)

Best Animation Film: Delhi Safari

Best Children’s Film: Dekh Indian Circus

Best Film on Social Issues: Spirit (Malayalam)

Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film On National Integration: ThanichallaNjan (Malyalam)

Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director: Chittagong (Hindi) and 101 Chodiyangal (Malayalam)

Best Special Effects: Eega (Telugu)

Best Hindi Film: Filmistan Best Telugu Film: Eega

Reliance Industries Bags ‘Refiner of the Year Award’

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On 23 March Reliance Industries has been awarded the prestigious ‘International Refiner of the Year’ 2013 at HART Energy’s 27th World Refining & Fuel Conference at San Antonio, Texas, USA.This is the second time that RIL has received this Award for its Jamnagar Refinery, the first being in 2005.

Indian Manish Kumar Among 28 Naturalised at White House Ceremony

Manish Kapoor from India was one among the lucky 28 to be granted the American citizenship at the White House in the presence of the US President, Barack Obama.List of 28 service members, who were naturalised at the White House ceremony included three from South Asia Manish Kapoor, Nazo Raoufi from Afghanistan and Mohammed Hossain from Bangladesh.

Paris Honours Nelson Mandela

On 26 March the city of Paris made antiapartheid hero Nelson Mandela an honorary citizen, but refused to grant an honour to Venezuela’s late leftist firebrand leader Hugo Chavez.

2013 Abel Prize To Belgian Pierre Deligne

Belgian mathematician Pierre Deligne who is regarded as one of the most celebrated mathematicians of the 20th century, has been chosen for this year’s prestigious Abel Prize in Mathematics.Award is given to him for his “seminal contributions to algebraic geometry and for their transformative impact on number theory, representation theory and related fields.

Veteran Lensman Pranlal Patel Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award

On 28 March The 2nd National Photo Awards- 2011-12 were conferred by the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Ms. Meira Kumar to eminent photojournalists at a function held in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.The Life-Time Achievement Awards were given to eminent photographers Shri Pranlal Patel, Shri T.S. Nagarajan and Shri T.N.A. Perumal.In the Professional Category, the ‘Best Professional Photographer of the Year 2011-12’ has been given to Shri Salil Bera.

SPORTS & GAMES

Duty Free Dubai Tennis Championship-2013

Men’s Singles: On 2 March Serbian Novak Djokovic won the ATP Dubai Open Tennis Men’s singles title after defeated the Czech Republican Tomas Berdych in the final at Dubai .

Women’s Singles : This title was won by Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic). In final she defeated the Sara Errani(Italy).

ATP Mexican Open 2013 Tennis Tournament Winners

Men’s Singles: Rafael Nadal won ATP Mexican Open 2013 Tennis Title after he defeated the top seed and defending champion David Ferrer on 2 March 2013 in the final. This is the 38th clay court title of Nadal.

Women’s singles : In the women’s singles Italy’s Sara Errani won the title after defeated Carla Suarez-Navarro (Spain) in the final.

Services Won Santosh Trophy Title

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On 3 March Services team won the final of the 67th Santosh Trophy in Kochi at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium by beating hosts Kerala .The Man of the Match title was clinched by Services striker Lalian Mawia. The Services team bagged their third Santosh Trophy title

Delhi Won Vijay Hazare Trophy

On 3 March Delhi team won Vijay Hazare Trophy after defeated Assam in the final at the ACA-VDCA stadium.

All England Open Badminton Championship Winners

Women’s Single’s : On 10 March Tine Baun (Denmark) won the women’s singles title after defeated Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the All England Open Badminton Championship at Birmingham.

Men’s Singles : Chen Long won the singles title after defeating Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia at Men’s singles final.

Laureus World Sports Awards 2013

“On 11 March Laureus World Sports Awards 2013 were organised in Rio de Janeiro.The Prestigious awards were claimed by sports stars- Jessica Ennis, Usain Bolt , Andy Murray and Sebastian Coe.

The List of the Awardees :- Laureus ‘World Sportsman of the Year ‘ -Usain Bolt Laureus ‘World Sportswoman of the Year ‘ – Jessica Ennis Laureus ‘World Team of the Year’ – European Ryder Cup Team Laureus ‘World Breakthrough of the Year ‘ – Andy Murray Laureus ‘ World Comeback of the Year’ – Feliz Sanchez Laureus ‘World Action Sportsperson of the Year’ – Felix Baumgartner Laureus ‘ World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability’ – Daniel Dias

Ukrainian Women Won World Chess Championship

On 13 March Women’s chess team of Ukraine won the World Chess Team Championship. The second place went to team from China, and the third to the Russian , Fifth place to India.

India Won Eight Medals in Asian Grand Prix Archery Championship

On 14 March India won a total of eight medals in the inaugural Asian Grand Prix Archery Championship at Bangkok . India won two gold, two Silver and four bronze.

Australia Won Azlan Shah Trophy

On 17 March Australia, the World Champions won the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament title for the seventh time after defeated defeated Malaysia in the final.

Kimi Raikkonen Won Australian Grand Prix

On 17 March Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen won the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne.It was the 20th Grand Prix win for Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion.

Indian Wells Tennis Tournament Winners

Mens Singles : On 18 March Rafael Nadal of spain won the Mens singles title after defeated Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina in the final at California .This is Nadal’s third Indian Wells ATP Masters title and first hard court title since 2010.

Women’s Singles :- Maria Sharapova defeated Caroline Wozniacki in the women’s final in straight sets to win her second Indian Wells ATP Masters title.

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Swiss Open Badminton 2013 Winners

Men’s Singles :- On 18 March Wang Zhengming from china won the Swiss Open Badminton Men’s singles title after defeated Du Pengyu in the final at basel.

Women’s Singles:- In the Women’s singles Wang Shixian from china got the title after defeating Ratchanok Inthanon (Thailand) in the final.

West Zone Won Deodhar Trophy

On 13 March Defending champion West Zone won the Prof. D.B. Deodhar Trophy for the 12th time after defeated North Zone’s challenge in the final at the Nehru Stadium.

Neha Tripathi Won Sixth Leg of Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour 2013

Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi won sixth leg of Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour 2013 in Panchkula on 21 March 2013. This is the third victory of Neha Tripathi in 2013 season. With this victory, Neha Tripathi overtook Smriti Mehra in the Hero Order of Merit 2013.

Sebastian Vettel Won F1’s Malaysian Grand Prix

On 24 March Three-time world champion Sebastian Vettel won the Malaysian Grand Prix 2013 at the Sepang International Circuit.

ECONOMY

Nine Indian Women in Forbes Asia Power Business Women List

On 1 March ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochchar, Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and film producer Ekta Kapoor are among the nine Indian women named in Forbes magazine’s inaugural ‘Asia Power Businesswomen list’.The list also includes Britannia Industries Managing Director Vinita Bali ; HT Media Chairman and Editorial Director Shobhana Bhartia ; AZB & Partners Founder and Senior Partner Zia Mody ; Axis Bank CEO and Managing Director Shikha Sharma ; and Tractors & Farm Equipment Chairman Mallika Srinivasa; Kapoor, TV and movie producer.

Mukesh Ambani Is Richest Indian on Forbes’ list

As per an annual ranking published on 4 March 2013 by business magazine Forbes,Mukesh Ambani has retained his title as India’s richest person for sixth year in a row,with networth of $ 21.5 billion.In the overall rich list of world’s billionaires, Mukesh Ambani is ranked 22nd, while the second-richest Indian Lakshmi Mittal is at 41st position with a networth of USD 16.5 billion.Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slim has topped the rankings with a networth of USD 73 billion, followed by Bill Gates (USD 67 billion), Spain’s Amancio Ortega (USD 57 billion), Warren Buffett (USD 53.5 billion) and Larry Ellison (USD 43 billion) in top five.

Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad Airports Among Top 5 in the World

Airports of Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad are among the top five airports in the world providing international standard services.Airports Council International (ACI),a global body of airports, has adjudged Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport as second best after Seoul’s Incheon airport in the category of airports handling 25-40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) for their service quality for the year 2012.Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport was adjudged the third best in this category.Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International airport (RGI) has bagged the second position for their service quality in the category of five to 15 MPPA. Japan’s Nagoya airport was

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adjudged the best in this category. Seoul’s Incheon ranked first, Singapore’s Changi second and Beijing was placed at the third spot.

RBI to Launch Plastic Currency Notes in 5 Cities

On 12 March The Union Government and RBI decided to introduce one billion pieces of 10 Rupees bank notes made of plastic on a field trial basis in five cities.A 10 Rupees note in polymer/plastic on a field trial basis will be introduced first; Minister of State for Finance .The field trail is supposed to be conducted in five cities of Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur, Bhubhaneswar and Shimla with varied geographical locations and climatic conditions.As per the RBI, the primary objective of introduction of polymer notes is to increase its life, it could also help in combating counterfeiting.

Gujarat Tops in FMCG Consumption

On 12 March According to the ‘Evolution of Indian Rural Markets During 2004-05 to 2009-10’ report released by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) , Gujarat has garnered maximum growth in per capita food and non-food consumption expenditure across the country between FY05 and FY10 with growth rate of about 28% and 33% respectively. Besides registering a growth of about 24.69%, Gujarat has also topped in terms of household consumption of fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) during the fiveyear period.West Bengal has seen least growth of just about 1.6% and about 8% in per-capita food and non-food consumption expenditure, respectively.The per capita food and non-food consumption expenditure across India has increased at over 14% and 17%, respectively, between FY05 and FY10.

India Top Rice Exporter in FY 2011-12

On 13 March As the export price of Indian rice was more competitive than the Thai rice, India has displaced Thailand from the position of top exporter of rice during 2011-12, Minister of State Commerce and Industry was informed to Rajya Sabha.In 2010-11, the rice exports stood at 24.71 lakh tonnes from 21.56 lakh tonnes in the previous fiscal.Rice exports were at 74.67 lakh tonnes during April-December 2012 against 71.75 lakh tonnes in the full fiscal year of 2011-12.

India 5th in World Billionaire Rich List

According to the Knight Frank “Wealth Report 2013”, India stands 5th among the top 10 countries with the largest number of billionaires with 122 and the number is expected double by 2022.Mumbai has secured the 7th spot in the list of top global cities with a High Net Worth Individual HNWI population.Presently, the city has 2,105 HNWIs and is expected to touch 4,988 with a 137 per cent rise by 2022. Delhi is not too far behind Mumbai; it ranks 11th with a current HNWI population of 1,945 which is likely to grow by 120 per cent and reach 4,278 by 2022. In the cities that that matter to HNWI’s , New York and London are the first two places in the list.

India May Become 5th Largest Manufacturing Nation

According to the Boston Consultancy Group (BCG) report titled ‘People productivity-Key to Indian manufacturing competitiveness’, India may become the 5th largest manufacturing nation from 9th position at present, if the country is able to increase the share of manufacturing in GDP to 25 per cent.The National Manufacturing Policy envisages that India’s manufacturing sector should increase its share of GDP from 15 percent at present to 25 percent by 2022, in line with global peers.It will help India become the fifth-largest manufacturing nation.

Hindujas are Britain’s Richest Asians

Leading NRI businessmen Srichand Hinduja and Gopi Hinduja, Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group, have emerged as the richest Asians in Britain in 2013.After playing second fiddle for years to steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, the Londonbased Hinduja brothers have come out top this year with net wealth assessed at 12.5 billion pounds – up 3 billion pounds on the 2012 figure.

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Mumbai Falls to 66th Rank Among Leading Global Financial Hubs

According to the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), Mumbai which is India’s financial capital has slipped to 66th rank in the list of leading financial centres around the world, with New Delhi failing to even make a mark.GFCI offers profiles,ratings and rankings for 79 financial centres around the world positioned Mumbai at the 66th place, which is down three places from last year when it was ranked 63rd on the much coveted list.Mumbai is the only Indian city on the list. London topped the list, followed by New York ranking second in the list. Hong Kong and Singapore in the third and fourth place respectively.

RBI Cuts Repo Rate by 25 Base Points

On 19 March The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.5 per cent from 7.75 percent in its midquarter review of the monetary policy. Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 6.5 per cent from the earlier 6.75 per cent and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 8.5 per cent with immediate effect.The Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) has been retained at 4 per cent.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Spinning Black Hole Observed for the First Time

The Spinning black holes are first identified by Paranal Observatory astronomers in Chile.The enormous black hole at the center of the spiral galaxy NGC 1365 is spinning about 84 percent as fast as Einstein’s general theory of relativity allows it to, researchers determined. NGC 1365, located about 56 million light-years from Earth.

Pinaka’ Rockets Successfully Test-Fired

On 1 March Indigenously developed ‘Pinaka’ rockets were successfully test-fired by Indian army from a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) by an armament establishment from a base at Chandipur-on-sea, about 15 km from Balasore.’’Pinaka’ is an area weapon system with a range of 40 km.’Pinaka’ system can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds ,adding that the battery of six launchers can neutralise at a time a target area of 3.9 sq km.

Large Meteorite Found in Antarctica

On 1 March the international group of researchers has discovered the18-kg meteorite in eastern Antarctica, the largest found in that area in 25 years.

Astronomer Measured Exact Distance to Our Closest Neighbouring Galaxy

On 7 March Astronomers have for the first time accurately measured the distance to one of the Milky Way’s neighbouring galaxy and it is just 163,000 light-years away.

Japan Pioneers Gas Extraction From Seafloor Methane Hydrate

On 12 March Japan has become the first country in the world to extract natural gas from frozen methane hydrate successfully off the central coast. According to the Japanese study, it was estimated that around 1.1tn cubic metres of methane hydrate existed in the offshore deposits. This is equal to the gas consumption of Japan in more than 10 years.

World’s Largest Telescope Inaugurated in Chile

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On 13 March The world’s largest radio telescope has been inaugurated in Chile on a mountain high above the Atacama Desert, wielding unprecedented power to peer into the remotest regions of the universe.The ceremony attended by President Sebastian Pinera and other dignitaries.The ALMA space observatory consists of 66 antennae creating a telescope array 16 kilometres in diameter.

UAE Inaugurated World’s Largest CSP Solar Power Plant

On 17 March United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan inaugurated the 100-megawatt solar plant “Shams 1 “ in the desert of Abu Dhabi,the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant in operation.Covering an area of 2.5 square km, the 600-million-U.S. dollars project incorporates the latest in parabolic trough technology and features more than 258,000 mirrors mounted on 768 tracking parabolic trough collectors, capable of delivering green electricity to 20,000 homes.

India Successfully Test Fired World’s First Underwater Supersonic Cruise Missile

On 20 March India has successfully test fired its submarine-launched version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile of the over 290 km-range in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of the southern port city of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).The launch of Missile is counted as the first test-firing of an underwater supersonic cruise missile anywhere in the world. The missile travelled its complete range of over 290 km.

Big Bang Radiation Map Unveiled

On 21 March The European Space Agency (ESA) has unveiled the most detailed map yet of relic radiation from the Big Bang,revealing new data it hopes will shed light on the creation and expansion of our Universe.The map results suggest the universe is expanding more slowly than scientists thought, and is 13.8 billion years old, 100 million years older than previous estimates.

India and US Agreed for Future Cooperation in Moon and Mars Missions

On 23 March India and the US agreed for cooperation on future missions to the Moon and Mars after successful collaboration in Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission. The highly successful Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission which was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in October 2008 led to strong evidence of the presence of lunar water.

Crew Reaches Space Station in Less than 6 Hours

On 29 March An astronaut from the U. S.with three Russian cosmonauts took a short cut to reach space station and saved around 45 hours of journey. The crew took only 5 hours and 45 minutes to reach the space station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.This is for the first time that any crew has used this express route to reach space station in the minimum possible time.Three members on this Russian Soyuz are Chris Cassidy from NASA, Alexander Misurkin and Pavel Vinogradov from Russia.

NTPC Commissioned New Solar Power Project in Andaman & Nicobar

On March 30,NTPC Ltd has commissioned a 5-MW solar photo-voltaic power project at Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.It is the first grid-connected solar photo-voltaic project in these islands and also the first greenfield renewable solar PV project of NTPC.

New Indian Ship ‘ASWC Kiltan’ Launched in Kolkata

INS Kiltan is an anti-submarine warfare corvette of the Indian Navy built under Project-28. It is the third of four Kamorta class corvettes under various stages of induction with the Indian Navy. The ship was built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata and launched on 26 March.The ship takes its name from the Kiltan island, a coral island that is part of India’s archipelagic Union

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Territory of Lakshadweep.The Kiltan is to be armed with a range of indigenously developed cutting edge weapons and sensors including a medium range gun, torpedo tube launchers, rocket launchers and a close-in weapon system.

PERSONS IN NEWS

A) APPOINTMENTS

Nagaland , Tripura , Meghalaya new CM’s

On 5 March Neiphiu Rio of Naga People’s Front (NPF) party was sworn in as Chief Minister of Nagaland for the third straight term. – On 5 March Mukul Manda Sangma of Congress party was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya for the second term. – On 6 March ManikSarkar of CPM party was sworn in as chief minister of Tripura for the fourth consecutive time .

Panabaka Lakshmi Assumes Additional Charge of Textiles

On 5 March Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Panabaka Lakshmi assumed additional charge as Union Minister of State for Textiles.Lakshmi was minister of state for textiles until she was shifted to petroleum and natural gas ministry in the same rank after the reshuffle in end October 2012.

IAEA Chief Amano Wins Second Term

The UN atomic agency’s board of governors on 06 March 2013 approved giving Japanese director general Yukiya Amano a new four-year term without even resorting to a vote.

Nicolas Maduro sworn in as Venezuela’s Interim President

On 8 March Venezuelan Vice- President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in as Venezuela’s acting president, despite the Opposition resistance as it is being considered to the violation of the country’s constitution.

New Governors For 5 States

On 9 March President Pranab Mukherjee appointed new Governors for 5 states – Former CBI Director, Ashwani Kumar appointed as Governor of Nagaland. – Congress veteran SC Jamir appointed as Governor of Odhisa . – Governor of Tripura DY Patil transferred to Bihar – Bihar Governor Devanand Konwar shifted to Tripura – Nikhil Kumar, who was serving as Governor of Nagaland, has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Kerala .

Aung Suu Kyi Re-elected As Opposition NLD Leader

On 10 March Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been re-elected head of the new executive board of the National League for Democracy at a landmark maiden party congress.

Jorge Bergoglio Elected As 266th Pope

On 13 March Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina is selected as the new leader for 120 crore Catholics across the world.George was the Buenos Aires Archbishop and he was chosen as the new Pope by 115 qcardinals.He changed his name as Francis- 1.He is the 266th Pope (head of the Roman Catholic Church).Francis-1 is the first Pope from the Jesuit community. He is also the first pope from

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Latin America. He is also the first pope to be selected from a non European country in the modern history.There are five Indian also among the cardinal electors.

Xi Jinping Took Over As China’s New President

On 14 March Xi was elected as President by 3000-strong National People’s Congress, which also endorsed his appointment as the Chairman of the Military Commission. China’s parliament formally elected Xi Jinping as president, four months after he took charge of the Communist Party.

Khil Raj Regmi Sworn as Nepal PM

On 14 March Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi was sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Nepal .Khil Raj Regmi will be the head of interim government which will have its elections by 21 June 2013. This is the first time in Nepalese political history that a sitting Chief Justice is being named as the Head of the Government.

Sundar Pichai To Take Over as Google’s Android Chief

Google on 13 March 2013 , announced that Andy Rubin, who was heading the company’s Android division, is stepping down. He will be replaced by SundarPichai, an IITian, who also heads Google’s Chrome division.

Li Keqiang Appointed as China’s new Prime Minister

On 14 March Li Keqiang was appointed prime minister at the annual session of China’s National People’s Congress.Mr. Li is the latest Communist Party leader. He succeeds Wen Jiabao in a position that entails steering the economy and government operations through the State Council, or cabinet.

Bobby Ghosh is Time International Editor

Eminent Indian journalist Bobby Ghosh had been named the new editor of Time International. Ghosh was appointed on 15 March 2013 as the first non-American world editor in TIME’s history.

Indian American Appointed Vice Chairman of Illinois Innovation Council

On 18 March Indian-American politician Raja Krishnamurthy has been appointed vice chair of the Illinois Innovation Council by the Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. Krishnamurthyis currently the president of Sivanathan Laboratories.

Mir Hazar Khan Khoso Sworn in as aretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan

On 25 March Justice Retd. Mir Hazar Khan Khoso took oath as the sixth caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan on 25 March 2013 in Islamabad.

Renee Ramaswamy Nominated to the National Council of the Arts

On 22 March Renee Ramaswamy, founder of the Ragamala Music and Dance Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to the National Council of the Arts for a fiveyear term.

Obama Appoints First Woman Secret Service Director

On 26 March President Barack Obama chose veteran agent Julia Pierson as Secret Service director, the first woman to lead the male-dominated agency.

Ralph Waters new World Cup 2015 Chairman

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Ralph Waters has been named new chairman of the local organizing committee for the 2015 World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Waters was previously the deputy chairman of the committee and succeeds James Strong, the previous chairman.

B)RESIGNS

UP minister Raja Bhaiya Resigned

UP’s food and civil supplies minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, who is an accused in the murder of a deputy superintendent of police, on 04 March 2013 met chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and tendered his resignation.

Odisha Law Minister Raghunath Mohanty Resigned

A senior Odisha minister, Raghunath Mohanty, resigned on 16 Marchi 2013, after his daughter-in-law accused him of torturing her for dowry.

Mukesh Ambani To Exit Board of Bank of America

Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani will step down as the board of director of Bank of America He has served on the Bank of America board since March 2011 and became a director prior to the establishment of the global advisory council.

Five Cabinet Ministers Resigned

On 20 March the 5 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party Cabinet ministers resigned from the Union Council of Ministers, which were accepted by the Pranab Mukherjee President of India. Pranab Mukherjee, also allocated the charge of Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry to Srikant Jena who is Minister of State in the same ministry.The five cabinet ministers are :- (i) M K Alagiri ( Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers) (ii) S S Palanimanickam (Minister of State (Finance) ) (iii) S. Gandhiselvan (Minister of state for Health and Family Welfare) (iv) S. Jagathrakshakan (Minister of State for Commerce & Industry) (v) D. Napoleon (Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment).

Italy Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi Resigned

Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi resigned on 26 March, over his government’s decision to return two marines to India to face trial for the murder of local fishermen while on anti-piracy duty.

C)DEATHS

Venezuelan President Chavez Died

On 5 March Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died at Caracas .Hugo Chavez was the President of Venezuela from 1999 till his death in 2013. He Served as the President of Venezuela for three times.A coup attempt was made in Venezuela in April 2002 to overthrow Hugo Chavez from his office.

Former West Bengal Governor Viren J Shah passed away in Jordan

On March 9th,the former West Bengal Governor and industrialist Viren J Shah died in Jordan. He was also member of the Rajya Sabha twice from 1975 to 1981 and from 1990 to 1996. He was the Governor of West Bengal from 1999 to 2004.

Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman Died

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On 20 March Bangladesh President Mohammad Zillur Rahman, died at Singapore .Rahman, was made the ceremonial head of the state in 2009 after Awami League was elected in the landmark December, 2008, general elections.

Pietro Mennea, the Italian Athlete Died

Pietro Mennea, the Italian athletics died in Rome on 21 March 2013. Pietro Mennea was the gold medal winner in the 200m at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Nigerian Author Chinua Achebe Died

On 22 March Renowned Nigerian author Chinua Achebe has died at the age of 82 .One of Africa’s best known authors, his 1958 debut novel Things Fall Apart, which dealt with the impact of colonialism in Africa, has sold more than 10 million copies.

Two Time Pulitzer Winner Anthony Lewis Dies

On 25 March Anthony Lewis, who has died aged 85, was a New York Times columnist and author who twice won a Pulitzer Prize, the highest award in American journalism.Anthony Lewis was a prominent public intellectual, who wrote for The New York Times op-ed page and The New York Review of Books, among other publications.

Grammy Award Winning Producer and Engineer Phil Ramone Died

On 30 March Phil Ramone, the Grammy Award-winning engineer and producer who applied his platinum touch to recordings with Ray Charles, Billy Joel and Paul Simon, has died at the age of 72.Ramone won 14 Grammy awards and worked with Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, Elton John and Tony Bennett.

D)VISITORS

President of India Visited Bangladesh

President of India, Pranab Mukherjee visited Bangladesh from 3 – 5 March .During the visit he met with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and discussed the Teesta and land border issues.

President Mukherjee Visited Mauritius

The President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, visited Mauritius from 11 to 13 March .During the visit he attended the Mauritius 45th Independence anniversary celebrations as a Chief Guest. He met the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Rajkeswur Purryag , Prime Minister, Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam and discussed the bilateral double taxation avoidance convention.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim Visited India

Jim Yong Kim the President of World Bank, visited India from 11th to 13th March.During the visit Jim Yong Kim met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P.Chidambaram and discussed India’s major initiatives aimed at fostering equitable growth. This is the Kim’s first visit to India after taking over as President of the World Bank Group 2012 July.

Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi Visited India

Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi visited India from 18 to 20 March .During the visit Morsi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in NewDelhi and discussed the forge closer cooperation in economic and other fields.

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Visited South Africa

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited South Africa from 25 to 28 March.During the visit he attended the BRICS Summit and met Russian president Vladimir Putin and discussed about the substantive progress being made on the other remaining phases of the joint nuclear energy programme between India and Russia at Kudankulam. Manmohan Singh also met China new president Xi Jinping and discussed the issue of Beijing’s proposal to construct three dams across the Brahmaputra river on its side.

E)MISCELLANEOUS

Salman Rushdie Named in Al-Qaida’s ‘Most-Wanted List

Indian-origin British author Salman Rushdie had been named in the ‘most-wanted list of Islam critics to kill’ released by al-Qaida in the new issue of its English online magazine. A fatwa was issued against Rushdie by Iran’s late leader Ayotollah Khomeini in 1989 over passages in his book The Satanic Verses.

Maldives Ex-President Nasheed Arrested

On March 5,Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed had been arrested, to face charges of abuse of power during his tenure, after he failed to appear for a hearing and evaded two arrest warrants. He is charged with illegally ordering the arrest of a senior judge, a move that led to his fall from power in 2012.

Czech Senate Accuses President Vaclav Klaus of High Treason

On 5 March Czech President Vaclav Klaus dismissed a decision by lawmakers to press high treason charges against him as politically motivated.The Senate’s actions were prompted by an amnesty granted by President Klaus , which will free over 6,000 prison inmates and halt the prosecution of prominent business executives and officials charged with asset stripping, bribes and fraud.

12 Year Old Neha Ramu has IQ Higher than Albert Einstein

On 5 March Neha Ramu, 12-year-old Indianorigin girl in UK has stunned everyone after she scored an incredible 162 on her IQ test – even higher than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.The score puts the tween in the top one per cent of brightest people in the UK and means she is more intelligent than physicist Hawking, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and scientist Albert Einstein, who are all thought to have an IQ of 160.

Navneet Kaur Dhillon Crowned Femina Miss India 2013

On 24 March Navneet Kaur Dhillon was crowned Femina Miss India 2013 in a star studded grand finale of the 50th edition of the beauty pageant.The first and second runners-up were Sobhita Dhulipala and Zoya Afroz respectively.

PLACES IN NEWS

Strong Earthquake in Taiwan

On 27 March a strong earthquake struck central Taiwan , killing at one person and injuring 19 as it damaged buildings on the quake-prone island.The Central Weather Bureau said the magnitude-6.1

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earthquake was felt throughout the island.The U.S. Geological Survey placed the magnitude at 6.0.Nantou is a rural county about 250 kilometres south of Taipei.

ABBREVIATIONS

BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa

NABARD - National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development

AWACS - Airborne Warning And Control System

CMIE - Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy

OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

AICTE - All India Council for Technical Education

NDMA - National Disaster Management Authority

DTC - Direct Taxes Code

AAPSO - Afro-Asian Peoples’Solidarity Organization

TIEA - Tax Information and Exchange Agreement

DTAA - Double taxation Avoidance Agreement

AFSPA - Armed Forces Special Powers Act

NOIDA - New Okhla Industrial Development Authority

IAAI - International Airports Authority of India.

FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation

BOOKS IN NEWS

Vice President of India Released Walking With Lions: Tales from a Diplomatic Past

The Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari released a book titled Walking with Lions: Tales from a Diplomatic Past, written by K. Natwar Singh, the former Union Minister for External Affairs on 1 March 2013. This was Published by Harper Collins India.

Yuvraj Singh “The Test of My Life” Book Released

On 19 March Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh launched his new memories Auto biography book ‘The Test of My Life’. The Test of My Life is a book that talks about Yuvraj Singh’s battle with cancer and his love for cricket. The book was launched in Mumbai where all his fellow cricketers came to show their support.

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Taliban Shooting Victim Is Publishing A Memoir : ‘I Am Malala’

Malala Yousafzai, the teenage girl shot by the Taliban for promoting girls’ education, is to tell her life story in a book due out later this year.In a deal reportedly worth around $3 million. The book will be entitled “I Am Malala”.

COMMITTEES

Govt Appoints Mukul Mudgal Committee To Probe Wal-Mart Lobbying Activities

On 5 March The union government has appointed a one-man Inquiry Committee, headed by former Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court Justice Mukul Mudgal, to inquire into reports on the US lobbying activities of Wal-Mart for access to India market. The Committee has to submit its report within three months and it is being provided administrative and functional support by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in its probe.

IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES

May 1 – International Labour Day

May 3 – World Press Freedom Day

May 3 – International Energy Day

May 3 – World Asthma Day

May 4 – Anti – Tobacco Day

May 4 – World Athletics Day

May 8 – World Red Cross Day

May 11 – National Technology Day

May 13 – National Solidarity Day

May 17 – World Telecommunication Day

May 20 – World Metrology Day

May 21 – Anti – Terrorism Day

May 24 – Commonwealth Day

May 31 – World No Tobacco Day

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February 2013 Current Affairs Study Material

INTERNATIONAL

UK, Afghan, Pakistan Leaders Hold Talks in Britain

On 4 February The leaders of Britain, Afghanistan and Pakistan pushed for the Taliban to come to the table for peace talks to end Afghanistan’s protracted conflict and gave themselves a six-month deadline to get a deal.British Prime Minister David Cameron hosted Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan’s President Asif Zardari for trilateral talks on Afghanistan’s floundering peace and reconciliation process.

UNICEF Syria Crisis Humanitarian Situation Report

On 8 February According to the UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund )Syria Crisis Humanitarian Situation Report, The vaccination effort in collaboration with the Ministry of Health is well underway, with over 53,000 children receiving measles vaccinations, over 44,000 receiving vitamin A supplements, and over 10,000 polio doses administered.

Pakistan to Renamed Sindh Province to ‘Sind’

On 12 February 2013, the Sindh Assembly approved a bill to rename the southern Pakistani province as Sind.The assembly approved the Sindh Laws Amendment Bill of 2012, whereby the letter “h” will be removed from the name of the province.

Russia Rejected U.S. Nuclear Warheads Proposals

On 14 February Russia rejected U.S. president Barack Obama proposals , which deployed nuclear warhead delivery systems including bombers, missile launchers and nuclear submarines – a cut of about 60%.In 2010 Russia and the United States signed on “New START” agreement.The New Start treaty limits each side to no more than 800 deployed nuclear warhead delivery systems including bombers, missile launchers and nuclear submarines – a cut of about 50%.

Rafael Correa Re-elected for 3rd term as Ecuador’s President

On 17 February Ecuadoreans president Rafael Correa has been re-elected for a third term with more than 50 percent of votes in his favour.As per the results, Rafael Correa got 56.7 percent while his closest competitor Guillermo could secure only 23.3 percent.Correa is a socialist leader who was first elected in 2006 December and he was sworn in on 15 January 2007 as the 56th president of Ecuador.Correa was re-elected to a second term in 2009.

Pakistan Hands Over Strategic Gwadar Port To China

On 18 February Pakistan and China signed an agreement to hand over control of the strategic Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea to a Chinese company.Under the agreement for transfer of concession rights, the deep sea port will remain the property of Pakistan while the Chinese company will share profits from its operation. China Overseas Port Holdings Limited will fully assume responsibility for Gwadar port in Balochistan province.

Israel’s Netanyahu Announced Coalition Deal with Tzipi Livni

On 19 Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has announced a coalition deal with former Foreign Minister and the rival centrist Hatnua Party Chairwomen Tzipi Livni, at Jerusalem. Under the deal agreement, Livni will serve as the new Justice Minister and will oversee the peace efforts with the Palestinians.Tzipi Livni is an Israeli Politician and the first women to be the leader of opposition in

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Israel. She is the leader of the new centrist party, Hatnuah. She served Israel as its Foreign Minister from 2006 to 2009.

Russia and Brazil Signed on Defence Cooperation Agreements

On 20 February Russia and Brazil signed a Defence, Energy and Agricultural agreements .Brazil agreed to negotiate the purchase of Russian anti-aircraft missile batteries on the condition that Russia transfer the technology to Brazilian defense companies without restrictions.The agreements are signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff .

Nicos Anastasiades Elected as Cyprus New President

On 24 February the centre-right DISY (the Democratic Rally) party leader Nicos Anastasiades, has won the presidential elections of Cyprus with 57.5 percent votes.Nicos Anastasiades had a very easy going victory over Communist-backed Stavros Malas who secured 42.5 percent votes in the election.

Raul Castro re-elected for Second Term as Cuba’s President

On 25 February Raul Castro has been re-elected as Cuba’s president officially to his last five-year term.The National Assembly of People’s Power approved, in the capital Havana, Army General Raul Castro Ruz as president of the Council of State, and elected Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, as its first vice president.Raul Castro became interim president when his brother, revolution icon Fidel, took ill in 2006. He then formally became president in 2008.

INDIA & WORLD

India-Malaysia Double Taxation Agreement in Force

On 2 February India and Malaysia signed on double-taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA). Dividends paid by Indian companies to Malaysian investors or entities will attract a lower withholding tax of 5 percent against 10 per cent earlier. The new agreement has also, in line with international practice, introduced a new article for taxing capital gains from alienation of property.

India Failed To Curb Sexual Violence Against Women

According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW) ‘ World Report 2013 ‘ India has been accused of failure to curb incidents of sexual violence against women and for restrictions on right to free speech, India “has a thriving civil society, free media, and an independent judiciary”, the city-based rights group said in its assessment of rights abuses in India.

Six Indian Institutes in Global 150 Top Think-Tanks

On 3 February Six Indian research institutes, including Centre for Civil Society (CCS), are among top 150 global think – tanks in the annual list released by the University of Pennsylvania for the year 2012.The list was topped by Brookings Institution (United States) followed by Chatham House (United Kingdom) and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (United States).Other Indian think-tanks featured in the list are:- Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis , Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations , The Energy and Resources Institute , Observer Research Foundation and Development Alternatives.

India and Austria Signed a Social Security Agreement

On 5 February India and Austria signed a social security agreement at Vienna, under which the Indian professionals working in Austria would be exempted from paying the social security contribution of the

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country, if such payments are already made in India. Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Austrian Minister for Labour and Social Security, Rudoulf Hundstorfer signed on the agreement.

India Pledges $100m For Mali Reconstruction

On 5 February India pledges $100m for Mali reconstruction .India has committed to giving $1 million for the upgrade of the Malian army with a pledge to ramp up contributions for reconstruction to $100 million after the situation stabilizes.

India and China Tourists Triple Australian Visits

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics report , Chinese and Indian visitors, with tourist numbers from those countries tripled in the past decade.630,000 visits from Chinese tourists in 2012 compared with 190,000 in 2002. Indian visits went from 45,000 to 160,000 in the same period.Despite a high Australian dollar, Australia’s short-term visitor numbers were up by nearly five percent since 2011 with 6.1 million short trips made to Australia 270,000 more than in 2011.

Special Purpose Vehicle Formed for TAPI Pipeline Project

On 7 February The Union Cabinet gave its approval for formation of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline Project and to permit GAIL India Ltd. to join the SPV. The four countries involved in the TAPI Gas pipeline project, signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement along with a Gas Pipeline Framework Agreement (GPFA).Turkmenistan and Pakistan agreed to the formation of TAPl Ltd. The 1,680 km pipeline will carry 90 million metric standard cubic metres a day (mmscmd) of gas, and is scheduled to become operational in 2018.

India and Japan to Strengthen Cooperation in Tourism Sector

India and Japan have resolved to strengthen cooperation in tourism sector. This was decided at a meeting between the visiting Japanese Senior Vice-Minister of Tourism, Mr. Hiroshi Kajiyama and Union Tourism Minister Shri K Chiranjeevi in New Delhi on 12 February 2013.

India and France Signed 22 Agreements

On 14 February France and India have signed on 22 agreements after French President Francois Hollande’s meetings with the Indian president and the prime minister in New Delhi.Both nations exchanged views on a number of bi-lateral, regional and multilateral issues and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in order to facilitate technical cooperation in Railways to each other.Chairman, Railway Board, India and Chairman and CEO SNCF from the French side signed this MoU.Both the nations also concluded negotiations on the short range surface to Air missile to be co-produced in India. They also agreed on the need to reinvigorate economic engagement between the two countries.

India and Bangladesh Signed Land Boundary Agreement

On 16 February India and Bangladesh held the second Joint Consultative Commission meeting in Dhaka .After the meeting , both countries exchanged one strip map as part of the process of the implementation of the agreement signed to resolve land boundary issues between them.In addition, two MOUs were also signed for the construction of a rail link to connect Akhaura in Bangladesh to Agartala in India and for setting up a thinktank to be called Bangladesh-India Foundation.The India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission is an interministerial body of the two countries headed by the Minister of External Affairs of India and Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.

CBI probe Ordered into Rs 3700 crore Italian Chopper Deal Scam

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In February 2010, India had inked the deal with Italain Finmeccanica to acquire the 12 three-engine AW-101 helicopters from AgustaWestland for IAF’s elite Communication Squadron ,which ferries around the President, PM and other VVIPs.The deal came under the scanner of Italian agencies after allegations of kickback given in India surfaced.The agencies arrested Giuseppe Orsi, the head of Italian defence and aerospace giant Finmeccanica as part of their probe related to international corruption.Around 50 million euros , about 10 per cent of the deal, were alleged to have been given as bribes to ensure that the company won the contract.On February The Defence Ministry has ordered CBI probe into alleged scam in a Rs 3600 crore defence helicopter deal after arrest of head of Italian firm Finmeccanica on charges of bribery.

India and Britain Discussed on Nuclear Cooperation

“On 19 February Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Britain Prime Minister David Cameron discussed on regional and global issues ,which included key issues of nuclear energy cooperation, security, terrorism and trade .The two sides have also decided to commence negotiations on a bilateral Civil Nuclear Agreement.Britain has assured that it will extend all cooperation to any Indian probe into the multi-million-dollar helicopter scam which involves Italian defense giant Finmeccanica’s UK-based subsidiary AgustaWestland.David Cameron announced that his country is going to introduce sameday visa service for Indian businessmen in a bid to accelerate the bilateral trade between the two sides.”

India won Kishanganga Case Against Pakistan

On 18 February the Court of Arbitration at the Hague allowed India to go ahead with the Construction of the Kishanganga hydroelectric project in Gurez valley near Bandipura in North Kashmir, the court rejected the plea of Pakistan that the construction was a violation of 1960 Indus Water Treaty.The Court of Arbitration, chaired by Stephen M. Schwebel in its orders stated that India can move ahead with the diversion of water plans of Kishanganga that is a tributary of Jhelum, for generation of hydro-electric power. But it restrained India from adoption of the drawdown technique of flushing for clearing the sedimentation of the run-of-the river project that had been designed and asked it to adopt a different technique for generation of 330 MW power facilities.

NATIONAL

President Gave Assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013

On 3 February President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 which provides for, amongst other things, stricter punishment for crimes against women. The Ordinance was to be largely based on the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee.However, the Ordinance will have to be passed by Parliament within six months otherwise the same shall lapse.

All Juvenile Crimes 64% by 16-18 yr Old Age Group

On 4 February According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that most juvenile crimes are committed by those in the age group of 16-18 years.In 2011 the growth in rape by juveniles (34%) over 2010 was again among the highest.In 2011, 64% of all juvenile criminals fall in the age group of 16-18. In 2011, 33,887 juveniles were arrested for 25,178 instances of crime.All together make for over 50% of all rape cases by juveniles.

Aero India 2013 “ Held in Bangalore

The Asia’s biggest airshow “Aero India 2013”, a biennial air show and aviation exhibition held from 6 – 10th February at the Yelehanka Air Force Station in Bangalore .In the event displays magnificent

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aerobatic skills and belongings that created a chance of winning potential business tieups and networking. Defence Minister of India, A K Antony inaugurated the Air Show on 6 February .In the event 53 civil and military aircraft and 27 countries participated and 78 delegations attended from US, Israel and Russia.The first Edition of the show was organised for the first time in 1996.The next Aero India show is scheduled to be held from 18 February to 22 February 2015 at Bangalore.

Cabinet Approved Rs.38500 cr Rural Road Development Plan

On 7 February The Union Cabinet approved a Rs 38,500 crore rupees for road connectivity under the Prime Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).The schemes approved were mainly for connectivity to villages in tribal areas, desert and hilly areas, with a population of at least 250 each.In 82 areas hit by Naxalite violence, villages with less than 250 people are also to be connected under the scheme.

Parliament Attack Case Convict Afzal Guru Hanged

On 9 February in a top secret operation , the 2001 Parliament attack case convict Mohammed Afzal Guru was hanged in Delhi’s Tihar jail.Afzal Guru was given the death sentence by the Supreme Court in 2004.The President rejected the Afzal Guru’s mercy petition on 23 January 2013.The code name of the secret operation was Operation “Three Star “ .

Centre Notified Cauvery Dispute Tribunal Award

After six years,on the directions of the Supreme Court, the Central Government of India has notified the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on sharing the waters of the Cauvery system among the basin States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala and Union territory of Puducherry on 20 February.The Tribunal, comprising chairman Justice N.P. Singh and members N.S. Rao and Sudhir Narain, in a unanimous award in February, 2007 had determined the total availability of water in the Cauvery basin at 740 thousand million cubic (TMC) feet at the Lower Coleroon Anicut site.In, what was then described as a balancing act, the Tribunal gave Tamil Nadu 419 TMC of water (as against the demand of 562 TMC); Karnataka 270 TMC (as against its demand of 465 TMC); Kerala 30 TMC and Puducherry 7 TMC.After the issuance of the notification, institutions like the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) chaired by the Prime Minister and the CMC will cease to exist.

STATES

Sonia Gandhi Launched “Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram “ Scheme

On 6 February Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched “ Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK)”, a new children health care project initiative in Palghar, a tribal block in Thane district of Maharashtra.The Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, is a part of the National Rural Health Mission of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The scheme is aimed at improving overall quality of life of children through early detection of birth defects, diseases and deficiencies, which are among key factors for child mortality.

Maharashtra Promulgates Ordinance To Amend Cooperative Societies Act

On 15 February the Maharashtra Government promulgated an ordinance to amend the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, which aims to promote voluntary formation, autonomous functioning, democratic control and professional management of co-operative societies.The ordinance is to amend the Act to make it in consonance with the 97th constitutional amendment by Parliament last year.

India’s First Geothermal Plant in Chhattisgarh

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On 17 February Chhattisgarh has signed an agreement with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to set up the country’s first geothermal power plant in its newlyformed Balrampur district.A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project was signed between the NTPC and the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA). The plant will come up at Tata Pani in Balrampur, a district located in extreme northern region of the state.

Rajasthan Constituted a Task Force to Check the Spread of Swine Flu in State

On 19 February the State Government of Rajasthan decided to constitute a task force to control Swine Flu effectively. Chief Secretary of the State, CK Matthew was appointed as the head of the task force constituted.The state had witnessed 148 cases of death and 834 positive cases since April 2012. A central team that constitutes of five doctors and microbiologist is on the state visit and would pay a visit to Jodhpur, Ajmer and Bikaner, areas worst affected from the disease.

Cabinet Approved NTPC Power Project in Jharkhand

On 20 February the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) approved the setting up of the 1,980 MW North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Plant in Jharkhand by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).The Cabinet committee of investment also agreed for restoring the original coal linkage for the project and declared that the project will be based on environment friendly super-critical technology. This supply will be made available in the 13th Five Year Plan.

Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland Assembly Elections Results

Northeastern states of Tripura ,Meghalaya and Nagaland Assembly election was released on 28 February .The Assembly elections in the three states, having 60 seats each, were held February 14 and February 23.In Tripura the CPI-M on its own won 49 seats out of the total 60 seats and stormed back to power in Tripura for the fifth straight term.Chief Minister Manik Sarkar won from Dhanpur by a margin of around 5,000 votes. It was Sarkar’s sixth win.Meghalaya – The Indian National Congress here has won 29 seats in the election to the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly with Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, winning with huge margins.Nagaland – Ruling Naga Peoples Front combine returned to power with an absolute majority in Nagaland winning 39 seats in the 60-member Assembly.The ruling NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) alliance will form government for a third consecutive term.Congress managed to win eight seats. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio won from Northern Angami II seat by defeating his nearest Congress rival Kevise Sogotsu of Congress by 12,671 votes.

Desalination Plant in Tamil Nadu Commissioned

On 22 February J. Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu inaugurated a desalination plant at Nemmeli in Kanchipuram district of the state.The plant which will benefit over 15 lakh residents in Velachery, Pallipattu and Tiruvanmiyur areas of south Chennai has been set up with an investment of Rs 871 crore. About 265 million ltrs of water will be drawn from the sea to realise 100 million ltrs per day of drinking water through the plant spread over 40 acre.

CONFERENCES

13th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS)

The 13th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) concluded on 2 February at NewDelhi.The theme of the summit is ‘The Global Challenge of Resource Efficient Growth and Development’.”Among from 30 countries Heads of Governments , research institutions, policy-makers, NGOs and corporates attended the summit.The Summit organized annually since 2001 by

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The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), is an international platform for exchange of knowledge on all nuances of sustainable development.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Malala Yousafzai nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Malala Yousafzai, who was shoot by the Talibans against the girl education was nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, as the deadline expired on 01 February 2013. French, Canadian and Norwegian MPs have all separately nominated Malala.This year’s award will be announced in early October, but speculation was already underway as the deadline for nominations ran out on 1 February .

L. N. Tallur won Skoda Art Prize 2012

On 1 February Karnataka artist L. N. Tallur, whose works depict majorly the underbelly of India, has won the Rs 1 million Skoda Prize 2012 for contemporary art, from among a shortlist of four artists including an artist collective.

13th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) Awards

Sustainable Development Leadership Award :- The Seychelles President, Mr James Michel has been awarded the Sustainable Development Leadership Award at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit . Georgescu roegen Award : The award is Kozo Mayumi (Professor at Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokushima). The co-winners of the Georgescu-Roegen Award (bioeconomic practice) are Accion Ecologica and Oilwatch.

South Sudan Bishop Taban won UN Peace Award

On 9 February A South Sudan’s Bishop Emeritus Paride Taban has won a coveted 2013 UN peace prize ( Sergio Viera de Mello Prize ) in recognition of his efforts to build trust among warring communities in the conflict-torn region.Vieira de Mello, the UN’s former human rights chief, was killed in a bombing in Iraq in 2003. The annual prize in his honour is awarded to a person, community or institution that has made an exceptional contribution to reconciliation of communities or groups in conflict, and whose example can be duplicated elsewhere.

Pandit Ravi Shankar honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Grammy award

Sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Grammy award, which was jointly accepted by his daughters Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones on 9 February 2013.He was posthumously awarded the best world music album trophy at the 55th Grammys, a day after being honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award by The Recording Academy.He got “55 Grammy award for his album ‘The Living Room Sessions Part 1’ .

National e-Governance award for Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh had been conferred upon the prestigious National e-Governance Gold Award for 2012-13, for its ‘Sparsh Abhiyan’ aimed towards the disabled and the aged.

Amartya Sen honoured with France’s highest civilian award

The French president Mr Francois Hollande honoured the Amartya Sen with the France’s highest civilian award, ‘Commandeur de la Legion d’Honneur’ (Legion of Honour) after delivering the Madhavrao Scindia Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on 15 February 2013.The prestigious honour is

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the reason for his enormous contribution to the field of economics and for his exchanges with French academic institutions would also be recognised.

Paul Hansen Won “2012 World Press Photo “ Award

On 15 February Swedish photographer Paul Hansen has won the “2012 World Press Photo award” with a picture of two Palestinian children killed in an Israeli missile strike being carried to their funeral.The picture shows a group of men marching the dead bodies through a narrow street in Gaza City.World Press Photo, one of photojournalism’s most prestigious contests, issued awards in nine categories to 54 photographers of 32 nationalities.

63rd Berlin Film Festival Awards

The awarding ceremony of the 63rd Berlinale ended on 16 February in Berlin.Romanian film “Child’s Pose” won the Golden Bear, the top jury prize awarded to the best film in the Berlin International Film Festival.

Best Film :- Child’s Pose ( Romania )

Best Actor :- Nazif Mujic in “Life of an Iron Picker” (Bosnia/France/Slovenia)

Best Actress :- Paulina Garcia in “Gloria” (Chile/Spain)

Best Director :- David Gordon Green for “Prince Avalanche” (US)

Best ScreenPlay :- Jafar Panahi for “Parde” (Closed Curtain) Iran.

Ela Bhatt honoured with Indira Gandhi Peace Prize

Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), was presented with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2011 by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on 18 February 2013.Ela Bhatt was honoured for her life time achievements in empowering women, promoting grassroot level entrepreneurship and for her contribution towards promoting equitable development and peace.

Ratan Tata receives E&Y lifetime award

Former Tata Group head Ratan Tata is this year’s recipient of the ‘life time achievement award’ instituted by Ernst & Young, for ‘asserting a greater role for Indian entrepreneurs on the global business landscape’.The entrepreneur of the year (2012) award went to Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej.The entrepreneur of the year is the only business award to be based on self-nomination.

Oscars Awards-2013

85th Oscar awards presentation ceremony held in Los Angels on 25 February 2013.In this ceremoney Life of Pi cinema got a 4 Oscar awards.

Best Picture: Argo

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

Best Supporting Actress:Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables)

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Best Directing: Ang Lee(Life of Pi)

Best Adapted Screenplay:Chris Terrio( Argo)

Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)

Best Documentary Feature: Searching for Sugar Man

Best Original Song:Skyfall” from Skyfall, music and lyrics by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth

Best Original Score: Life of Pi

Best Animated Feature: Brave

Best Cinematography:Life of Pi

Best Costume Design: Anna Karenina

Best Documentary Short Subject:Inocente

Best Film Editing:Argo

Best Foreign Language Film:Amour (Austria)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Les Misérables

Best Production Design:Lincoln

Best Short Film (Animated): Paperman

Best Short Film (Live Action): Curfew

Best Sound Editing: Skyfall (TIE), Zero Dark Thirty (TIE),

Best Sound Mixing: Les Misérables

Best Visual Effects: Life of Pi

SPORTS & GAMES

Leander Paes, Jaideep Mukherjee Received” Davis Cup Commitment “ Award

On 2 February Indian tennis legends Leander Paes and Jaideep Mukherjee were felicitated by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) at the RK Khanna Tennis Stadium , when they were presented with the Davis Cup Commitment Trophy.Mukherjee made his Davis Cup debut in 1960 against Thailand and had a 62-35 win-loss record while Paes is currently playing his 49th Davis Cup tie here against South Korea.

Graeme Smith Captains his 100th Test

On 4 February South African test cricket team captain Graeme Smith has created a unique record by leading the side in 100th test.As the South African captain Graeme Smith stepped on the field against

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Pakistan, he became the only captain in the world to have led the team in 100 test matches.Earlier, the record for captaining in most number of test matches was held by former Australian skipper Allan Border. Allan Border led the Australian test cricket team in 93 test matches. Sourav Ganguly holds the record of captaining Indian test team in most number of test matches. Sourav played as skipper in 49 test matches. Now, Graeme Smith is the only cricketer to play as captain in 100 test matches.

India Won Record 46 Medals in Special Olympics

On 6 February India’s differently-abled athletes returned with the largest haul of medals in the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games at Pyeong Chang, South Korea.The Indians won 46 medals – 13 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze – from among mentally-challenged 2200 athletes from over 120 nations in the Games .India doubled its medal tally from the World Winter Games 2009.The Games are being competed in eight sports .

Sachin Equaled Sunil Gavaskar’s First Class Cricket Record

On 8 February Sachin Tendulkar equaled the record of Sunil Gavaskar of 81 first class hundreds in first class cricket at Mumbai. He managed to equal Gavaskar’s record after scoring an unbeaten 140 runs in Irani Trophy against Rest of India in the first innings of the tournament of Mumbai team.When he reached 106, Tendulkar also completed 25,000 runs in first class cricket.

Wrestling Dropped From 2020 Olympic Games List

On 12 February the International Olympic Committee (IOC) leaders dropped wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games.Wrestling will be included at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.The IOC board acted after reviewing the 26 sports on the current Olympic program. Eliminating one sport allows the IOC to add a new sport to the program later this year.Wrestling will now join seven other sports in applying for inclusion in 2020. The others are a combined bid from baseball and softball, karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu. They will be vying for a single opening in 2020.The last sports removed from the Olympics were baseball and softball, voted out by the IOC in 2005 and off the program since the 2008 Beijing Games. Golf and Rugby will be joining the program at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Victoria Azarenka won Qatar Open Tennis Title

On 18 February Defending champion Victoria Azarenka from Belarus defeated Serena Williams (America) to won the Qatar Open tennis title in the final at Doha.

Sania Mirza won Dubai Tennis Championship Title

On 23 February India’s Sania Mirza and her American partner Bethanie-Mattek Sands won the Dubai Tennis Championship title. The Indo-American duo defeated the second seeded Russian-Slovenian combination of Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik. Sania bagged her second Doubles title of the season.

ECONOMY

BHEL and GAIL Granted Maharatna Status

On 1 February The Union Government of India granted Maharatna status to BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd ) and GAIL (Gas Authority of India Limited), a development which will provide them greater financial and functional autonomy and also ensure better valuation for shares of the two public sector undertakings.Ideally any Maharatna firm has a capacity to take investment decision of around 5000 crore Rupees without taking assistance from the government. On the other hand, forms with

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Navratna status have the capability of 1000 crore Rupees.For any company to qualify for Maharatna status, the annual turnover should be over 25000 crore Rupees in past three years, as per the guidelines issued by Department of Public Enterprises.

Per capita Monthly Income Growth Eases to 14% in 2011-12

On 1 February According to the the revised data of national accounts the per capita monthly income, a measure to assess standard of living, grew at a slower rate of 13.7 per cent to Rs 5,130 in 2011-12 at current prices compared to Rs 4,513 in 2010-11.On the Gross Domestic Saving (GDS) front, the data revealed that the growth at current prices in 2011-12 slowed to 30.8 per cent of GDP at market prices against 34 per cent in the previous year.The gross domestic capital formation has increased from “Rs 28,71,649 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 31,41,465 crore in 2011- 12 at current prices.It further revealed that the per capita private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) at current prices in 2011-12 is estimated at Rs 42,065 as against Rs 36,677 in the year 2010-11, showing an increase of 14.7 per cent against an increase of 15.7 per cent in the previous year.

Argentina Censured by the IMF for Economic Data

On 3 February The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has censured Argentina for the quality of its official inflation and GDP data.Inflation in Argentina is estimated by private economists to be at 25% a year and rising but the government reported it at 11% or less for last year.Argentina became the first country to be censured by the International Monetary Fund for not providing accurate data on inflation and economic growth under a procedure that can end in expulsion.

Mumbai Is World’s Cheapest City

Mumbai shares the title of the world’s cheapest city with Karachi, in Pakistan, according to the “Worldwide Cost of Living 2013” survey by the Economist Group’s Economic Intelligence Unit.After Mumbai and Pakistan comes Delhi ,Algiers, Bucharest, Colombo and Panama City.According to the report, the five most expensive cities in the world are Tokyo and Osaka in Japan, Sydney, Oslo and Melbourne.

Railway Budget 2013-14

On 26 February Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal presented the 2013-14 Railway Budget in the Loksabha . Railway Budget 2013-14 Highlights :-

2013-14 Railway Budget Estimates – Rs.42,210 crores

Highest ever plan outlay of Rs.63,363 crores in 2013-14

Good Earnings – Rs.93,554 crores

Good Traffic Receipts – Rs.1,43,742 crores

Total Revenue Receipts – Rs.1,46,626 crores

Ordinary Working Expenses – Rs.96,500 crores

Operating Ratio to be 87.8%. -

A new Forged Wheel Factory at Rae Bareli, Coach Manufacturing Unit in Sonepat District (Haryana) ,Midlife Rehabilitation Workshop at Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), new wagon maintenance workshop in Kalahandi (Odisha).

Highest ever plan outlay of Rs.63,363 crores

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5.2 per cent growth in passenger traffic expected in 2013-14

Freight loading of 1047 MT, 40 MT more than 2012-13.

67 new Express trains to be introduced.26 new passenger services, 8 DEMU services and 5 MEMU services to be introduced. Run of 57 trains to be extended. Frequency of 24 trains to be increased.22 new rail lines to be taken up in 2013-14

Proposal for setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority formulated and at inter-ministerial consultation stage. Fuel Adjustment Component (FAC) linked revision for freight tariff to be implemented from 1st April 2013.

72 additional suburban services in Mumbai and 18 in Kolkata

An independent Rail Tariff Authority has been formalised

ndian Railways Institute of Financial Management to be set up at Secunderabad

Recruitment to RPF with 10% vacancies reserved for women.Seek to fill 1.52 lakh vacancies in railways this year. 47000 vacancies for weaker sections and physically challenged to be filled up soon

By end of 2013-14, 1,500 km of contracts to be awarded for two dedicated rail corridors Economic Survey of contracts to be awarded for two dedicated rail corridors.

Union Budget 2013-14

On 28 February Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram Presented the Rs.16,65 279 Crore(Planed Expenditure Rs. 5,55,322 crore , Non Planed Expenditure Rs 11,09,975 crore) Union budget in the Lok Sabha for the financial year 2013-14.This is the 82’nd Budget for India and 8th Budget for the Finance Minister P Chidambaram.In the past, former Prime Minister Morarji Desai presented the Union Budget 8 times as Finance Minister. The Highlights of Union Budget 2013-14: Total budget expenditure seen at 16.65 trillion rupees in 2013-14.

on-plan expenditure estimated at about 11.1 trillion rupees in 2013-14.

India’s 2013-14 plan expenditure seen at 5.55 trillion rupees

Revised estimate for total expenditure is 14.3 trillion rupees in 2012-13, which is 96 point of budget estimate

Expect 133 billion rupees through direct tax proposals in 2013-14

Expect 47 billion rupees through indirect tax proposals in 2013-14

Target 558.14 billion rupees from stake sales in state-run firms in 2013-14

Expect revenue of 408.5 bln rupees from airwave surcharges, auction of telecom spectrum, licence fees in 2013-14

But will give some tax relief of Rs. 2000 for every person who has an annual income of up to Rs. 5 lakh

RBI expected GDP growth of 5.5% for Financial Year 2013-14

Rs.1000-crore Nirbhaya Fund announced for the empowerment of women

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Rs.6,000 crore to be allocated for rural housing fund

Defence allocation increased to Rs. 2.03 lakh crore

Rs. 6,275 crore to ministry of science and technology, Rs. 5,880 crore to Department of Atomic Energy

Rs.27,049 crore allocation to the Agriculture Ministry

Rs. 37,330 crore allocated for Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Rs.110 crore to be allocated to the department of disability affairs

Rs.37,330 crore allocated for Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Rs.14000 crore will be provided for PSB recapitalization. He will constitute a panel on transaction costs, and financial policies.

Rs.6,5867 crore for Education , an increase of 17 percent over RE for 2012- 13.

Rs 6275 crore to Ministry of Technology

Rs.2 trillion for defence sector

Rs.15,260 crore to be allocated to Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Rs.14,873 crore for JNNURM for urban transportation

Rs.80,194 crore allocation for Ministry of Rural Development

Rs.33,000 crore for MGNREGA

Rs.37,330 crore allocated for Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Rs.13215 crore for mid-day meal programme

Rs.41,561 crore for SC plan and Rs 24,598 crore for tribal plan.

3511 crore allocation to minorities which is 12 per cent hike over budget estimates, 110 crore rupees allotted for welfare of disabled.

65867 crore rupees have been allocated to the Ministry of Human resources development which is 17 per cent hike over the revised estimates.

A surcharge of 10 percent on persons (other than companies) whose taxable income exceeds Rs.1 crore have been levied.

Relief of Rs. 2000 for the tax payers in the first bracket of 2 to 5 lakhs.”

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Iran launches new fighter jet

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Iran had unveiled a new home-made combat aircraft on 02 February 2013.Iran announced that this is the most Sophisticated aircraft in the world.The name of this aircraft was Qaher F313 (Dominant F313).Qaher F313 was designed using the Advanced Electro-Aviation System.

World’s Largest Prime Number Discovered with 17,425,170 digits

Researchers from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg discovered the largest prime number of the world, Contains 17 Million Digits. This is the 48th Mersenne prime found so far. However there are certain rare kinds of prime numbers called Mersenne primes which have the form 2 multiplied by itself p times minus 1, where p denotes a prime number. The new largest prime is 2 multiplied by itself 57885161 times minus 1.

First Complete Bionic Man Unveiled in U.K

On 7 February The world’s first complete ‘Bionic Man’ named “ Rex ” was unveiled at London’s Science Museum. The bionic man was created using 1 million US dollar limbs as well as organs.Rex has a human face with brown eyes and a height of 6.5 feet. It was designed jointly with assistance from 18 universities and companies.

Rudra Inducted into the Army

On 8 February The first indigenously built Weapon System Integrated Advanced Light Helicopter, “Rudra” was handed over to the Indian Army by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) .Rudra is the Mk-IV variant of the Advanced Light Helicopter designed and manufactured by HAL. The helicopter is fitted with weapons, targeting systems, warning and counter-measure systems and survivability features.This is the first of the 60 armed helicopters provided to the army by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) after the Defence Ministry handed over the control of all attack helicopters to the land force.

Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Rajratan’ Commissioned

On 11 February Indian Coast Guard ship “ Rajratan “ , the fifth in a series of eight Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs), was commissioned by Indian Coast Guard.The vessel has been indigenously built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata.The 50m long IPV can achieve a maximum speed of 34 knots, with an endurance of 1,500 nautical miles at an economical speed of 16 knots.

North Korea conducted third nuclear test

On 12 February 2013,North Korea “successfully” conducted a third underground nuclear test with the violation of United Nations sanctions.In the past North Korea two times conducted nuclear tests but this is most powerful than those tests.North Korea announced that,a miniaturised nuclear device had been detonated successfully at the test site.The test was reported to have taken place at a test site in the North Hamgyeong province, where the Punggye-ri nuclear complex that conducted tests in 2006 and 2009 is located.

Asteroid “ 2012 DA14 “ Passed Very Near To Earth

The small Asteroid named “ 2012 DA14 “ with an estimated diameter of 50 meters (160 ft) and an estimated mass of 190,000 metric tons passed within about 3.5 Earth radii of the Earth’s surface on February 15.During its 2013 close passage, the asteroid passed 27,700 km (17,200 mi) from the surface of Earth. Scientists at NASA estimated that an asteroid the size of 2012 DA14 flies this close to Earth about once every 40 years. A 2012 DA14-size asteroid impacts Earth once every 1,200 years, on average.

PSLV-C20 Successfully Launched ‘SARAL’ and 6 Other Satellites

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On 25 February ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Satish Dawan Space centre at SPSR Nellore in Sriharikota , launched the Indo-French satellite “SARAL” along with six commercial payloads from Austria, Britain, Canada and Denmark into a 785-km polar sunsynchronous orbit.It was the 23rd mission of PSLV, which has an impeccable record of 21 consecutive successful flights.

About SARAL:- – The Saral mission results from the common interest of both ISRO and CNES in studying the ocean from space. For instance, it can provide information on seasonal forecasting, study on animal migration, locating ‘buoys’ and fishing vessels, collecting environmental data such as ocean temperature profiles and currents.

Besides Saral, the PSLV-C20 has put into orbit two micro-satellites UniBRITE and BRITE (both from Austria), AAUSAT3 from Denmark and STRaND from UK. It also carried one micro-satellite (NEOSSat) and one mini-satellite (SAPPHIRE) from Canada.With a lift-off mass of 407 kg, Saral is the 56th satellite to be launched by PSLV.The six commercial payloads from abroad together have a lift-off mass of 259.5 km.PSLV-C20 is the ninth PSLV in ‘core alone’ configuration (without solid strap-on motors).

PERSONS IN NEWS

A) APPOINTMENTS

Mo Yan and Jackie Chan Selected As Members of Chinese Parliament

On 3 February Mo Yan, the winner of Nobel Prize for literature, 2012 and Jackie Chan, the movie star were given a political role in China by being selected as members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, one of the houses of Chinese parliament.

Prachanda elected as Maoist president of ruling UCPN-Maoist party

Prachanda, the powerful Maoist leader who became prime minister after toppling the 239-year-old monarchy in Nepal, was elected as the president of the ruling UCPNMaoist party on 08 February 2013.58-yearold Prachanda, whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Indian American Subra Suresh Appointed as President of Carnegie Mellon

On 9 February US President Obama’s top science official and Indian American Padma Shri awardee Dr Subra Suresh has been appointed as the new president of Carnegie Mellon University. He will succeed Dr. Jared L. Cohon, who led the university to unprecedented growth during his 16-year tenure. Dr Suresh will assume office on July 1 after Dr Cohon would step down on June 30, this year.

Ratan Tata Elected To “National Academy of Engineering“

On 9 February Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of the Tata Group, has been elected as a member of the prestigious ‘ National Academy of Engineering ‘ of the US along with 10 new foreign members.This is the highest professional distinction accorded to an engineer in the US.Ratan Tata has been selected for his outstanding contributions to industrial development in India and the world.

B)RESIGNS

D.C.Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi To Resign

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Indian American, Natwar M. Gandhi, Chief Financial officer (CFO) of Washington DC ,announced his resignation on 1 February.He will resign on 1 June 2013.Gandhi has held the office since 2000 and was appointed to a new, five-year term last year.

Solicitor-General Rohinton Nariman resigns

Solicitor-General of India Rohinton Nariman resigned 04 February 2013.Mr. Nariman was appointed as the second most senior law official of the country on July 23, 2011 following the resignation of Gopal Subramanium on July 14, 2011.

Obama’s Top Science Official Suresh Resigned

On 6 February US President Barack Obama’s top science official and Padma Shri awardee Subra Suresh has resigned from his current position to join the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University as its chief.As director of National Science Foundation (NSF) since 2010, Suresh was responsible for driving scientific research of the country.Suresh has co-authored more than 240 journal articles, registered 21 patents and written three widely used materials science books.

Nagaland Home Minister resigns

Nagaland Home Minister Imkong L. Imchen was resigned from the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) government on 19 February 2013.Mr. Imchen put in his papers after the Election Commission authorities seized cash amounting to more than Rs.1 crore and weapons from his vehicle on 18 February by troopers of Assam Rifles at Sathupang area in Wokha district.

Pope Benedict XVI Resigned

On 28 February Pope Benedict XVI a position in which he serves dual roles as Sovereign of the Vatican City State and leader of the Catholic Church resigned his post.Pope Benedict XVI’s birth name is Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger.Benedict XVI was elected on 19 April 2005 in a papal conclave, celebrated his Papal Inauguration Mass on 24 April 2005, and took possession of his cathedral, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, on 7 May 2005. A native of Bavaria, he has both German and Vatican citizenship.

C)DEATHS

Former Puducherry CM Shanmugam passes away

Former Chief Minister of Puducherry P. Shanmugam passed away at the Karaikal Government Hospital on 02 February 2013.A bachelor, Shanmugam was the chief minister of Puducherry from March 22, 2000 to Oct 27, 2001 and represented the union territory in the Lok Sabha between 1980-1991.

China’s Table Tennis Legend Zhuang Zedong Died

On 10 February the china’s table tennis legend , Zhuang Zedong died in Beijing .Zhuang Zedong is a three-time world table tennis champion.Zhuang Zedong remained a crucial figure in ping-pong diplomacy of 1971 and is popularly also called the Architect of Ping-Pong Diplomacy. Pingpong diplomacy means exchange of the table tennis (ping-pong) players between China and US

American Philosopher and Legal Scholar Dworkin Died

Ronald Dworkin a renowned American philosopher and a Constitutional Law expert died on 14 February at London .He wrote books named A Matter of Principle, Law’s Empire and Justice for Hedgehogs.

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Radhakishan Malviya former Union Minister died

Former Union Minister and senior Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Radhakishan Malviya died on 19 February 2013 in Indore.Malviya was elected MLA from Sanver in Indore district in 1972. A three-time Rajya Sabha MP, he was Labour Minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government in mid-1980s. Malviya was Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president during 1998-2003 when Digvijay Singh was the chief minister.

D)VISITORS

Bhutan Prime Minister Jigmi Y. Thinley Visited India

Prime Minister of Bhutan Jigmi Y Thinley visited India from 7 – 9 February.During his three-days visit he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at NewDelhi and discussed on developmental issues of his country with the Indian leadership, and sought financial assistance for the 11th five year plan of his country.

France’s President Francois Hollande Visited India

France’s President Francois Hollande Visited India from 14th and 15th February.During the 2 day visit he met manmohan singh at NewDelhi and discussed the sale of Rafale fighter jets , bilateral issues , after signed the both nations on several agreements .

Britain’s PM David Cameron Visited India

David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , visited India from 18 – 20 February.During the visit on 18 February he attended India – Britain delegations meeting in Mumbai .On 19 February Cameron met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and discussed bilateral and global issues.The British Prime Minister last visited India in July 2010.

E)MISCELLANEOUS

Three Year Old Girl Joins Mensa After Taking IQ Test in Russian

A brainy 3 year old girl Clever Alice Amos has been unveiled as the youngest new member of Mensa with a higher IQ than Stephen Hawking.Amos has been granted full membership of the brain box society after scoring an incredible 162 on an IQ test – she took in Russian.Her IQ of 162 ranks her higher than a list of the world’s greatest luminaries – dead and living.Former US presidents Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin and Bill Clinton could only muster 128, 160 and 137 respectively.

Mohamed Nasheed Took Refuge In Indian High Commission

On 13 February the former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed took refuge in the Indian High Commission in Capital Male to evade arrest, a year after he was toppled.He turned up at the single-storey Indian mission around noon to evade arrest warrant issued by a court in a case concerning the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court during his Presidency in January last year.The Indian government has permitted him to stay in Mission.

Queen Elizabeth II named Britain’s Most Powerful

According to the BBC power list of Britain’s most influential women, Queen Elizabeth II has been named the most powerful woman in Britain, while two Indian-origin women also found a place in the list of UK’s 100 most powerful women. Two Indian-origin women who featured among the 100 most powerful British women were Kolkata-born Pinki Lilani, founder of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards in the UK, and human rights champion and director of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti.

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World’s oldest woman is Misao Ookawa

Misao Ookawa,the oldest woman in the world receives a Guinness World Records certificate in Osaka, Japan,on 27 February 2013.She will ready to celebrate its 115th birth anniversary on 5 March 2013. The oldest man in the world,Jiroemon Kimura(115) also belongs to Japan.

PLACES IN NEWS

Strong 6.6 Magnitude Quake Hits Solomon Islands

On 6 February a strong 6.6-magnitude tremor struck the Solomon Islands , the latest in a series of aftershocks from a powerful earthquake that triggered a tsunami The quake hit 36 kilometres south-southwest of Lata, the main town on the remote island of Ndende.At least six people were confirmed dead and some 3,000 left homeless but the national disaster management office has been struggling to get a clear picture of the scale of destruction on the island, more than 600 kilometres from the capital Honiara.The Solomons are part of the “Ring of Fire”, a zone of tectonic activity around the Pacific that is subject to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Snow Storm “ Nemo “ Hits US and Canada

On 8 February Seven people have been killed in the United States and Canada as the massive blizzard Winter Storm Nemo dumped nearly two feet of snow in New England and knocked out power to more than a half a million homes.Throughout the Northeast, more than 600,000 homes and businesses lost electricity. Airlines cancelled more than 5,300 flights today, and New York City’s three major airports and Boston’s Logan Airport closed.

Huge Meteorite Hits The Russia

On 15 February A huge meteor hits the Russia, injuring more than 1000 people, many hurt by broken glass, and causing explosions.Fragments of the meteor fell in a thinly populated area of the Chelyabinsk region.The meteorite, which weighed about 10 metric tons and may have been made of iron, entered Earth’s atmosphere and broke apart 30-50 km (19-31 miles) above ground.The meteorite explosion, a very rare spectacle, also unleashed a sonic boom.The energy released when it entered the Earth’s atmosphere was equivalent to a few kilotonnes, the power of a small atomic weapon exploding.

ABBREVIATIONS

DSDS – Delhi Sustainable Development Summit

BHEL – Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd

GAIL – Gas Authority of India Limited

TERI – The Energy and Resources Institute

EIU – Economist Intelligence Unit

NSF – National Science Foundation

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TAPI – Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India

POTA – Prevention of Terrorism Act

IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency

CAIR – Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

CITU – Centre of Indian Trade Unions

FAO – Food and Agriculture Organisation

HDI – Human Development Index

UNHCR – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

WIPO – World Intellectual Property Organisation

BOOKS IN NEWS

“Khushwantnama: The Lessons of My Life” Book Released

On 2 February The indomitable Khushwant Singh has released a new book named “Khushwantnama: The Lessons of My Life” on his 98th birthday in which he writes about his life, lessons it has taught him, politics, future of India and what religion means to him.The book, published by Penguin Books India, is dedicated to Kaur who is a close friend of the author.Khushwant Singh was a Member of Parliament from 1980 to 1986. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974 but returned the decoration in 1984 in protest against the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by the Indian Army. In 2007, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan.

“Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Germany” Book Released

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose new book named ‘Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Germany’ released on 6 February.The First copy of the book by Professor Anita B. Pfaff was given to the President of India Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan at NewDelhi. The book was brought out by the Federation of Indo-German Societies in India.The book is a collection of the records shared by Professor Anita Pfaff as well as other known biographers and writers.The book portrayed some interesting facets of the life of Netaji and his extraordinary contribution to India’s freedom struggle.

COMMITTEES

Padmanabhan Committee To Help Boost Bank Finance For Exports

On 3 February The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) constituted a technical advisory committee to iron out existing issues and boost bank finance for exports.The committee will be headed by RBI Executive Director G Padmanabhan.The committee look into the issues related to exporters, we have decided to constitute a technical working group which will also look non-cost issues like transaction costs, accounting norms, documentation required, procedural difficulties.

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January 2013 Current Affairs Study Material

INTERNATIONAL

Palestinian Authority to be Named ‘State of Palestine’

On 7 January Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has signed a decree changing the name of the Palestinian Authority to the “”State of Palestine,”" according to the organization’s official news agency.

Pakistani Supreme Court Orders Arrest of Prime Minister

On 15 January 2013 Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the prime minister in connection with a corruption case linked to power projects. The Supreme Court gave authorities 24 hours to arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and 16 others.This is the first in the history of Pakistan to arrest a Prime Minister. The orders of the Court came following the allegations in connection with a corruption case linked to power projects, done during his office of the Water and Power Minister.

Obama Signed 23 Executive Orders on Gun Safety

On 16 January President Barack Obama announced 23 executive actions on gun control laws, making them stricter,which would come into effect immediately after his signatures. One of these measures include requiring the target shooters to keep their guns locked and also to ban military-style assault weapons, high capacity magazine as well as to make the background check mandatory.Obama announced that this was his attempt to keep children safe, keeping in view the massacre of Newtown where 20 first grade children along with six adults were killed.

140 Nations Agreed On Global Mercury Limits

On 19 January , More than 140 nations have agreed on the first legally binding treaty to curb mercury pollution.Delegates at UN discussed in Geneva approved measures to control the use of the highly toxic metal, which is widely used in chemical production and small-scale mining, in order to limit mercury emissions.The governments agreed to ban the production, export and import of a range of products containing mercury by 2020.The treaty has been discussed for four years, but it is only now that the negotiators agreed over the final version of the document. The treaty, known as the Minamata Convention on Mercury, provides controls and reductions across a range of products and processes where mercury is used, released and emitted.

Milos Zeman Elected as Czech Republic new President

On 25 January A leftist candidate Milos Zeman won the Czech Republic’s first presidential election decided by direct vote.Milos Zeman, a former prime minister and head of the Citizens’ Rights Party, won with 54.8% of the vote.He defeated Karel Schwarzenberg, an aristocratic foreign minister with the TOP09 party, who garnered 45.2%.Zeman replaces Vaclav Klaus, who must step down after serving the maximum of two terms.

INDIA & WORLD

India – Pakistan Exchanged Nuclear Unit’s Lists

On 1 January India and Pakistan exchanged their nuclear units’ lists , as it is customary since 20 years. The list which contains the names of nuclear units of two countries, are exchanged between

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India and Pakistan as a custom and part of an agreement which prevents them from aiming the nuclear installations of each others’ nations.

Thousands of illegal Indian Migrants in UK

According to a 2012 UK Home Office report, India has been named along with Pakistan, China, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Brazil and Iran as the main sources of illegal immigration to Britain.What the report does not mention is how many of the 863,000 illegal migrants that it says are living in the UK are students. This is a contentious area because critics of the coalition government claim it is counting students among overall immigrants.

World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) report , India ranks lowest among the world’s major economies for its preparedness to tackle global environmental risks and second-lowest for economic risks.Switzerland is best placed among the world’s 10 major economies for adapting to or recovering from global economic and environmental risks.While India is ranked 9th in terms of its ability to tackle global economic risks, it comes last at 10th position for environmental risks.However, India fared relatively better at 6th position in terms of the government’s risk management effectiveness.The US and China were ranked fourth and fifth respectively.

Indians Top the List of Working in Dream Jobs

According to survey conducted by networking website LinkedIn,Indians have emerged at the top of the list of people working in their dream job.The dream job league table:1. India – 44 percent 2. Indonesia – 42 percent 3. United Arab Emirates – 35.7 percent 4. Germany – 33 percent 5. Brazil – 32 percent 6. Austria – 31 percent 7. Switzerland – 30 percent 8. USA – 29 percent 9. France, Canada, Sweden, South Africa – 28 percent 13. Singapore, Hong Kong – 27 percent 15. Australia – 26 percent 16. New Zealand – 25 percent 17. UK – 21 percent

India – Vietnam Signed on Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises

On 15 January India and Vietnam signed an MoU aimed at building capacity for developing institutional framework and identifying thrust areas and opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises in this country.The MoU was signed here between the Ministry of Planning and Investments of Vietnam and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) of India .

India and Sri Lanka signed Anti-terror, Tax evasion Agreements

On 22nd January India and Sri Lanka signed two separate agreements on combating international terrorism and avoidance of double taxation, eyeing elevation of “robust” bilateral ties to building of a special economic partnership.The two key accords were signed after the 8th India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting held at New Delhi , both countries discussed enhanced cooperation in a range of areas including civil nuclear energy.At the meeting, the Indian side was led by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid while the Lankans were led by his counterpart G.L. Peiris.During the meet, both the parties also decided setting up of the Special Economic Zone at Trincomali and a textile and pharmaceutical cluster in Sri Lanka.

International Tea Producers Forum formed

On 22 January India, along with five other tea producing countries, has formed the International Tea Producers Forum (ITPF) at Colombo.Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry D Purandesari signed the joint communique on behalf of India along with representatives of Kenya, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Rwanda and Malawi in Colombo.The ITPF will initially be an independent body but in future may get affiliated to Food & Agriculture Organisation of United Nations.

India , Bangladesh Signed Extradition and Visa Agreements

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On 28 January Bangladesh and India signed an extradition treaty and struck a deal to relax business visa restrictions between the neighbouring countries. However, refusal provisions were incorporated into the extradition treaty.Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde signed the agreement with his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir at the end of their bilateral talks.

India Dropped to 140th Rank in Press Freedom

According to the report Reporters Without Borders India has dropped nine places to the 140th rank in the list of 179 countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index.China (173rd, +1) shows no sign of improving. Its prisons still hold many journalists and netizens, while increasingly unpopular Internet censorship continues to be a major obstacle to access information.As last year, the list is topped by three European countries – Finland, Netherlands and Norway.Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea continue to be at the bottom of the list as has been in the last three years.

NATIONAL

Govt Launched Direct Cash Transfer Scheme in 20 Districts

On 1 January 2013 The government launched its scaled down Cash Transfer Benefit (CBT) in 20 districts,but food, fertiliser and fuel subsidies will not be covered in the initial phase. All 26 schemes are ready for rollout. On 1 January 2013 the seven schemes in which payout is due in the (20 selected) districts, the money will be transferred through the direct benefit transfer system using the UIDAI platform.The scheme is going to be rolled out in 43 districts by 1 March 2013, 20 districts from January 1, 11 districts from February 1 and 12 districts from March 1. By end of 2013, the direct cash benefit transfer will be rolled out in all the districts of the country.

PA Sangma launched National People’s Party

PA Sangma, who broke away with the NCP in 2012 to contest the presidential elections, though unsuccessfully, on 05 January 2013 launched National People’s Party (NPP), and chosen a book as its symbol. Sangma has chosen to align his party with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

President Released Stamps on Swami Vivekananda

On 12 January The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee released the Commemorative Postage Stamps, at the Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, in New Delhi .

Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012

On 17 January According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012 report has found that learning levels have dipped to an all-time low. So, almost half the 6-7 year-olds (Class I) in India cannot read even one letter in any language, over 57% cannot read any English while almost 40% cannot recognize numbers between 1 and 9.The 12.8% children between Class I and V could not read a single letter while 10.7% could not recognize numbers 1 to 9. The number of children in Class V who could read Class II text fell from 53.7% in 2010 to 46.8% in 2012. In 2010, seven out of 10 children could solve a two-digit subtraction problem with borrowing. This has come down to five out of 10 in 2012.

STATES

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Odisha Launched ‘ Public Service Delivery System ‘

On 2 January The Odisha government launched the much-sought after ” Public Service Delivery System ” for citizens under the Odisha Right to Public Service Act, 2012.Under the new act, people will get services like issue of driving license, birth and death certificates, passport and trade license within a stipulated time.Odisha is among the 12th state to implement the law.

Haryana Government announced Kanyadan Scheme for Bride participants of Mass Marriages

The Government of Haryana on 3 January 2012 announced its plan of launching a Kanyadan Scheme in the state for brides participating in the mass marriage ceremony, which would be organised by any of the registered NGO or the Red Cross Society. The scheme would carry an incentive amount of 11000 rupees and would come into effect from 1 April 2012. The incentive amount of 11000 rupees would be given to brides from all castes, creeds, race, religion and the income category to which the girl belongs.

Arunachal Pradesh Collaborated with NSDL for Adoption of National Pension Scheme

On 9 January The state of Arunachal Pradesh entered into an agreement with signing of MoU with National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL), permitting it to work as a Central Record Keeping Agency (CRA) for adoption of the National Pension System (NPS).National Pension Scheme NPS is an initiative of the Union Government of India and Arunachal Pradesh is the 26th State to adopt it.

Gujarat Tops List of Indian States on Economic Freedom Policy

According to the ‘ Economic Freedom of States in India ‘ report which was released by former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor and present Rajya Sabha Member Bimal Jalan.The top state in India in (terms of) economic freedom in 2011 was western Indian state Gujarat. It displaced southern Indian state Tamil Nadu which had been at the top in 2009.Gujarat freedom index has been rising fast and estimated at 0.64 points. The biggest improvement has been registered by Madhya Pradesh with freedom index score rose from 0.42 in 2009 to 0.56 in 2011 enabling it to move up from sixth to third position.

Assembly polls in Tripura,Meghalaya and Nagaland on Febrauary

Assembly elections in Tripura will be held on February 14 and in Meghalaya and Nagaland on February 23 and their results will be out on February 28, the Election Commission announced on 10 January 2013.The EC also announced byelections to nine assembly constituencies in Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab on February 23 and in Assam, Bihar and Maharashtra on February 24, but their results will be out together on February 28.

President’s Rule Imposed on Jharkhand

On 18 January Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India imposed President’s Rule in Jharkhand under Article 356(1) of the Constitution.The President’s Rule for the third time since its formation 12 years ago.The decision came as a follow up of the recommendation made by the Union Cabinet of India and fall of the state machinery in form of Government on 8 January after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha the supporting party to BJP led Coalition Government withdrew its support from it. The state was placed under President’s Rule in 2009 and 2010.

Three New High Courts for North East

The Centre has constituted three new High Courts in the northeast Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura taking the total number of High Courts in the country from 21 to 24.According to Law Ministry sources, the strength of judges in each High Court will be as follows: Tripura 4 (including the Chief Justice), and Meghalaya and Manipur: three each (including the Chief Justice).

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CONFERENCES

100th Indian Science Congress held in Kolkata

The 100th Indian Science Congress was held from 3 to 7 January in Kolkata (West Bengal) .The theme of the session is ” Science for Shaping the Future of India ” .The session was inaugurated by Pranab Mukherjee the President of India .In the session Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released ‘ The Science, Technology and Innovation Policy(STI) 2013 ’ .On 4 January Former President Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam inaugurated a Children Science Congress as part of the 100th Indian Science Congress .The 100th Indian Science Congress (ISC 2013) is also organized a special programme “ Women empowerment for the development of the country” to showcase the contribution of women in science and technology.This is the 13th time the Indian Science Congress is being hosted by Kolkata

11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in Kochi

11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) was held from 7- 9 January at Kochi (Kerala).Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag was the chief guest of this official inaugural session.2000 delegates from 40 countries attended the convention.The theme for this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is “Engaging Diaspora – the Indian Growth Story”.On 7th January in the event they discussed on problems that people from Kerala face in the region.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurated the annual flagship event and released the postage stamp on Ghadar Movement on 8 January and President Pranab Mukherjee will delivered the valedictory address on January 9 and also presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards.Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on January 9 every year to mark the contribution of overseas Indian community in the development of India.The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the first of its kind involving the Indian Diaspora, was held in 2003 at New Delhi.

Fourth Meeting of ASEAN and India Tourism Ministers held in Vientiane

The Fourth meeting of ASEAN and India Tourism Minister (4th M-ATM+ India) was held in Vientiane, Lao PDR from 21 to January in conjunction with the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2013 (ATF2013).The Meeting was jointly co-chaired by H.E. Prof. Dr. Bosengkham Vongdara, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lao PDR, and H.E. Dr. K. Chiranjeevi, Minister for Tourism, Government of India.In the meeting Both the Ministers have signed the Protocol to amend the Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and India on Strengthening Tourism Cooperation.

World Economic Forum Summit Held in Davos

The 43rd World Economic Forum Annual Meeting held from 23 – 27 January at Davos-Klosters in Switzerland.The annual forum, which has been running for over 40 years, provides a platform for decision-makers in politics, non-governmental organisations and businesses to gather and to exchange views on the world’s most pressing problems.The World Economic Forum (WEF) unites international political leaders, business leaders and journalists from across the globe to discussed and shape global, regional and industrial agendas with regards to economics, health and the environment.The WEF was founded in 1971 as a non-profit organization by the German Klaus Schwab, a business professor at the University of Geneva.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Malala won ” 2012 Tipperary International Peace Award “

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On 3 January Malala Yousafzai, the teenaged Pakistani school girl shot by a Taliban gunman last year , has been awarded the ” 2012 Tipperary International Peace Award ” from Ireland for her courage and determination to speak out in support of equal access to education for children.Malala is the second Pakistani to get the award. In 2007, it was given to late Benazir Bhutto.

Malala honored with the French ” Simone de Beauvoir ” Prize

On 9 January Malala Yousafzai (15), the schoolgirl from Pakistan shot by Taliban for campaigning girls’ education, received France’s Simone de Beauvoir Prize for Women’s Freedom in Paris. Malala’s father Ziaudin Yousafzai received the honour on her behalf. he award is accompanied with 2.5 million RupeTes honorarium.

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2013

On 9 January Pranab Mukherjee President of India presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Awards) 2013 to 14 people, included Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag, He was also the Chief Guest of 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2013. In accordance to Tradition, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Awards) 2013 have been given to notable Indians living abroad.

The other awardees are Prof Dr Gurusharan Singh Chhatwal of Germany for science, Dr Rasik Vihari Joshi (Mexico) for Literature, Gilbert Canabady Moutien (Reunion Island) and Mohammed Rabeeh Karuvanthodi (Saudi Arabia) for business, Patricia Maria Rozario(UK) for Music, Dr Narendra Ramakrishna Kumar (USA) for Healthcare, Subash Razdan (USA) and Islmail Ebrahim (South Afrcia) for Public service.

Dr Satendra Kumar Singh (New Zealand), Australia India Society of Victoria (Australia) and Bava Pandalingal (UAE), Ashok Shambhomal Vaswani (Guinea), Indian Doctors Forum, Kuwait for community service, Tan Sri Ravindran Menon from Malaysia for Community service, are among others on the list of awardees.

Mamata Banerjee gets gift from PCB

Overwhelmed’ by the hospitality at the Eden Gardens during India-Pakistan second ODI in Kolkata, the PCB sent the gift as a silver-coated Quran to the Cricket Association of Bengal who handed it over to the CM during a function at the Netaji Indoor in Kolkata on 10 January 2013.

Mahaveer Golechha Bags Award for Alzheimer’s Drug

On 17 January The London-based Indian researcher Mahaveer Golechha, was selected to be felicitated for an award that includes his work on a drug that can be a potential cure of Alzheimer’s disease.In the study conducted by Golechha, he found discovered that naringin has essential anti-Alzheimer activity.

70th Golden Globe Awards – 2013

On January 13 The 70th Golden Globe Awards honored the best in film and television of 2012, was presented in California .

Best Film – : Argo

Best Actor – : Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Best Actress – : Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Director - Ben Affleck (Argo)

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Best Musical or Comedy -: Les Miserables

Best Foreign Language Film – : Amour

Best Animated Feature Film -: Brave

Krishi Karman Awards 2011- 2012

On 15 January President Pranab Mukherjee presented the Krishi Karman awards for the year 2011-12 at an award ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The awards were presented to the State Governments for their excellent performance in increasing the production of food grains in their respective states.

Awards in Different Segments :-

- The Awards for Special Contribution to Total Food Grains Production - Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Manipur and Nagaland

- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Rice – Bihar

- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Wheat - Haryana

- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Pulses - Jharkhand

- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Coarse Cereals – Uttar Pradesh

58th Filmfare Awards

The 58th Filmfare Awards were held honoring the best films of 2012 from the Hindi-language film industry (commonly known as Bollywood). The ceremony was held on January 20, 2013 at Mumbai.

Best Movie :- Barfi!

Best Actor :- Ranbir Kapoor (Film -Barfi!)

Best Actress :- Vidya Balan (Film – Kahaani )

Best Director :- Sujoy Ghosh (Film – Kahaani )

Lifetime Achievement Award :- Yash Chopra (After Death)

Prof C N R Rao awarded by Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Chinese Academy of Sciences was awarded Prof C N R Rao, National Research Professor and Honorary President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCAR), the prestigious “International Scientific Cooperation Award 2012″. The award is designed to acknowledge outstanding scientists for their contribution to science and for promoting global networking of international science cooperation.

Padma Awards – 2013

President of India Approved the Conferment of 108 Padma Awards

On 25 January Pranab Mukherjee, the President of Union of India approved conferment of 108 Padma Awards. Four people have been conferred with Padma Vibhusan, twenty four are conferred

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with Padma Bhushan and 80 people would be receiving Padma Shree Awards. Out of all the awardees twenty-four are ladies and 11 people belong to categories like NRIs, PIOs, Foreigners and Posthumous awardees.

Padma Vibhushan

Raghunath Mohapatra, Art, Orissa

S Haider Raza, Art, Delhi

Prof Yash Pal, Science and Engineering, Uttar Pradesh

Prof Roddam Narasimha, Science and Engineering, Karnataka

Padma Bhushan

Sharmila Tagore, Art, Delhi

Dr (Smt) Saroja Vaidyanathan, Art, Delhi

Late Rajesh Khanna, Art, Maharashtra

Late Jaspal Singh Bhatti, Art, Punjab

Adi Burjor Godrej, Trade and Industry, Maharashtra

Prof Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Literature & Education USA

Rahul Dravid, Sports, Karnataka

H Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, Sports, Manipur

Padma Shri

Hosanagara Nagarajegowda Girisha, Sports, Karnataka ,

Subedar Major Vijay Kumar, Sports, Himachal Pradesh

Yogeshwar Dutt, Sports, Haryana

B Jayashree, Art, Karnataka

Sridevi Kapoor, Art, Maharashtra

Ramesh Gopaldas Sippy, Art, Maharashtra

359 Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced

On 26 January President Pranab Mukherjee has approved awards of 359 Gallantry and other Defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel and others on the eve of the 64th Republic Day Celebrations .This includes 01 Kirti Chakra, 11 Shaurya Chakra, 56 Sena Medal (Gallantry), 01 Bar to Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry), 03 Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry), 03 Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry), 28 Param Vishisht Seva Medal, 03 Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, 06 Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, 44 Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, 12 Yudh Seva Medal, 02 Bar to Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 37 Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 01 Bar to Nao Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 07 Nao Sena Medal (Devotion to

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Duty), 14 Vayu Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 04 Bar to Vishisht Seva Medal and 116 Vishisht Seva Medal..Major Abup J Manjali of the Rashtriya Rifles was selected for the award of Kirti Chakra for his extraordinary bravery efforts in counter- terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Taiwan Business Magnate Launched Tang Prize (Asian Noble Prize)

On 28 January Samuel Yin , A business magnate tycoon from Taiwan has launched the Tang Prize(Asian Noble prize) for outstanding achievements in natural and social sciences.He announced that he would establish Tang Prize Foundation which would have an initial donation of 103 million dollar.Tang Prize Foundation was decided that the prizes under the Tang Prize Foundation will be awarded every alternate year to the international leaders in sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, the rule of law as well as the study of China.

SPORTS & GAMES

Kohli is CEAT ” International Cricketer of the Year “

On 4 January Vice-captain of Indian Cricket team Virat Kohli was named the International Cricketer of the Year while Pakistan cricket team was named as the Best International Cricket Team in the 2011-2012 season at the CEAT cricket awards in New Delhi. Unmukt Chand, who led India to the U-19 World Cup win last year, got the inaugural Indian Youngster of the Year award.The Former Pakistan cricket captain Zaheer Abbas received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Uttarakhand won 63rd National Basketball Championship

On 4 January Uttarakhand won 63rd National basketball championship men’s title after defeated Punjab in the final at Ludhiana (Punjab).In the women’s section, Railways won the title against by first-time finalist Tamil Nadu in the final.

Tipsarevic won Chennai Open Tennis Title

On 6 January Second-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia has won the ATP Chennai Open Title after defeated Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain in the final at Chennai.Tipsarevic won the chennai open title for the first time in his career.

Nicol David won World Series Squash Title

On 6 January Nicol David won the World Series Squash Finals women’s title after defeated England’s Laura Massaro in the final at London.In the men’s final, Egypt’s Amr Shabana came from behind to beat England’s Nick Matthew .

Australia Won Test Against Sri Lanka

Australia secured a five-wicket won in the third and final Test match against Sri Lanka on 6 January at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) .

Brisbane International Tennis Winners – 2013

Womens Single’s :Serena Williams (USA) won the WTA Brisbane International womens single’s title on 5 January with a straight sets demolition of Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Men’s Singles : In the Men’s singles Category Andy Murray from scotland won the title after defeated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov .

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Women’s Doubles : Sania Mirza and her partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands won the women’s doubles trophy by winning against Kveta Peschke and Anna-Lena Groenefeld

Men’s Doubles : Marcelo Melo – Tommy Robredo won the doubles title after defeated Eric Butorac – Paul Hanley .

Pakistan won the Three – Match Series

On 6 January Pakistan won the three-match series by 2-1 against India.With this win over Pakistan, India lost the three matches one day series .Nasir Jamshed of Paksitan was declared as the Player of the tournament.MS Dhoni was once again chosen as the Player of the match.

Lionel Messi, the man of the four Golden Balls

Lionel Messi became the first four-time winner of the FIFA Player of the Year award after shattering the world record with 91 goals last year(2012) for Barcelona and Argentina.His 91 goals topped Gerd Mueller’s mark of 85 for Bayern Munich and Germany in 1972.

Bangar quits first-class cricket

Former India player and Railways captain Sanjay Bangar announced his retirement from first-class cricket after guiding his team to a 122-run victory over Bengal in the final league game of the Ranji Trophy on 01 January 2013 in Kolkata.He played 165 first class matches amassing 8342 runs at an average of 33.35 and has 300 wickets to his credit.

National Table Tennis Championship Winners

On 11 January Soumyajit Ghosh became the youngest national champion after he defeated six-time winner Achanta Sharath Kamal in the summit clash of the 74th National Table Tennis Championship mens singles final at Raipur.Shamini Kumaresan won the womens singles title.Sourav Chakraborty and Ganeshan Sathiyan won the doubles title.In the Women doubles category K. Spoorthy and Nikhat Banu (AP) defeated Madhurika Patkar and Pooja Sahasrabudhe in the final and got the title.

Haryana girls retain U-20 hockey title

Haryana defeated Uttar Pradesh 1-0 to retain their under-20 women hockey national championship at the Gachibowli Stadium on 16 January 2013.

Kerala won 61st National Volleyball Championship Title

On 16 January Kerala defeated Tamilnadu to retain the men’s title in the 61st Senior National Volleyball Championship at the Sawai Man Singh Indoor Stadium in Jaipur.In the women’s section, Railways defeated Kerala and won the title in the final.

Malaysian Open Badminton Championship Winners

Men’s Singles: Lee Chong Wei (Indonesia) won the Men’s singles title after defeated Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the final at Kuala Lumpur on 20 January.

Men’s Doubles: Mohd Ahsan (Indonesia) -Hendra Setiawan (China) defeated Ko Sung-hyun-Lee Yong-dae (Malaysia) in the final.

Women’s Singles: Tai Tzu-ying (Thailand) won the women’s singles title after defeated Yao Xue (Korea)

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Women’s Doubles: In the event Bao Yixin-Tian Qing (China) won the title after defeated Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Japan)

Lalith Babu takes top honours

Lalith Babu defeated Swapnil Dhopade in the final round to clinch the Chennai Super Kings International Grandmaster chess tournament that concluded at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai on 23 January 2013.Lalith Babu won Rs.200,000 and the trophy after becoming the first Indian player to claim the Chennai Open

Australian Open Tennis Tournament – 2013 Winners

Womens Single’s :- Victoria Azarenka of Belarus won the Women’s Singles title of the Australian Open Tennis tournament after defeated Li Na of China in the final at Melbourne on 26 January .

Men’s Singles:- Novak Djokovic (Serbia) has won the men’s singles title after defeating Andy Murray (Britain) in four sets. This is Djokovic’s fourth Australian Open and over all six Grand Slam single title.

Women’s Doubles:- Top seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci won the title, defeating wild cards Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua in the final.

Men’s Doubles : Top seeded American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan won the men’s doubles title. Americans Mike and Bob Bryan won their record 13th Grand Slam doubles title, defeating the Dutch team of Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling .

Magnus Carlsen Won Tata Steel Chess Championship

Magnus Carlsen won Tata Steel 2013 Chess tournament title in the final at Netherlands on 27 January .In the final round tournament, he scored 10 points , winning clear first ahead of second-place finisher Aronian (Armenia).World champion Viswanathan Anand at third position.

Mumbai won 40th Ranji Trophy Title

On 29 January Mumbai won its 40th Ranji Trophy title against Saurashtra by an inning and 125 runs in the final at Wankhede at Mumbai .Wasim Jaffar was declared Man of the Match. Ajit Agarkar was the captain of the winning team.

ECONOMY

Philippines introduced ‘sin tax’

A “sin tax” on cigarettes and alcohol was introduced in the Philippines on 01 January 2013, as part of a government bid to boost finances.Many stores started selling tobacco and drink at inflated prices before midnight , ahead of the official implementation of the tax hikes on January 01, hitting partygoers in the pocket.Tax on cigarettes will gradually be raised to 30 pesos ($0.72) per pack by 2017, roughly doubling the current price to around 52 pesos.Duty on alcohol will also increase gradually until 2017, increasing the price of a bottle of beer by 23.50 pesos, with varying levels for other drinks including wine and spirits.

LIC Launched New Jeewan Nidhi & Flexi Plus Policies

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The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India launched two new Insurence policies New Jeevan Nidhi, a pension scheme, and Flexi Plus on 3 January .New Jeewan Nidhi provides the facility of insurance coverage of full amount while the insured person keeps depositing premiums.The Flexi policy is a unit linked insurance product. The plan not only provides a lump sum benefit on death but also maturity benefit irrespective of survival of the policy holder

Mukesh Ambani 18th richest man in world

Indian business magnate Mukesh Ambani is the 18th richest person in the world with a personal wealth of $24.7 billion in 2012, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the world’s 100 wealthiest individuals. Mexican telecommunications magnate Carlos Slim remained the world’s richest person last year holding a personal fortune of more than $70 billion.Microsoft founder Bill Gates and the founder of fashion retailer Zara, Amancio Ortega, got a second and third places respectively.

Indian Companies Top Globally in R&D Investment

According to the European Commission report Indian companies have come on the top globally when it comes to growth in their research and development (R&D) investments, leaving their counterparts in the US and Europe far behind.Indian firms rank far below when it comes to absolute R&D investments made by them and the top-ranked company from the country.These are the only 14 Indian companies present in a list of top-1500 entities worldwide in terms of their annual R&D investments.The top-ranked Indian company is Infosys at 329th place and Japanese company Toyota Motor appears at the top of the ranking in the 2012 Scoreboard.

IMF forecasted Indian Economic Growth Rate to be 5.9 percent in 2013

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 23 January 2013 pegged India’s economic growth rate in 2013 at 5.9 per cent and projected a higher growth of 6.4 per cent next year in line with the gradual strengthening of global expansion.

World Bank’s “Global Economic Prospects 2013″ Report

According to the World Bank “Global Economic Prospects 2013″ report , India’s growth is expected to inch closer to that of China in near future, in which the economies of developing countries like India, China and Brazil are projected to be recovering and higher growth rate.The World Bank expects that by 2015, the growth rate of China would be 7.9% and that of India 7%.While the growth of the world economy growth is projected to inch up from 2.3% in 2012 to 2.4% in 2013, with the high-income countries remaining at the same level of growth of 1.3% in both 2012 and 2013, it is the emerging markets like India, China and Brazil that would show significant signs of recovery.They are expecting a recovery in India from 5.1% growth in 2012 to 6.1% growth in 2013.

India 119th on Economic Freedom Index

According to the ‘Heritage Foundation’ 2013 Index of Economic Freedom survey report , India has been ranked as the 119th freest country in the world and India’s economic freedom score stood at 55.2, as its institutional shortcomings continue to undermine the foundations for long-term economic development.The top ten countries in the list include Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Switzarland, canada, Chili, Mauritius, Denmark and US.

India second in steel production globally

India is second only to China in terms of steel production. In the last 5 years India’s production grew by 33 percent, thus making it behind China among the top 5 steel producing nation. World Steel Association (WSA) data has revealed that China’s production grew by 39 per cent during 2008-2012, India’s by 33 percent and India’s production grew constantly in the last five years from 57.8 MT in 2008 to 63.5 MT in 2009, 69 MT in 2010, 73.6 MT in 2011 and 76.7 MT in 2012

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RBI cuts CRR, Repo Rates

On 29 January The Reserve Bank of India slashed its key interest rates by 0.25 per cent and released 18000 crore rupees additional liquidity into the system to perk up growth through reduced cost of borrowing. RBI in its third quarter monetary policy review surprised the market by cutting short-term lending rate called repo, by 0.25 per cent to 7.75 per cent and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by similar margin to 4 per cent.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

US approved First new Tuberculosis Drug

On 1 January The US Food and Drug administration approved a Johnson & Johnson tuberculosis drug in 40 years .This is the first new medicine to fight the deadly infection in more than four decades.The disease is rare in the US, but kills about 1.4 million people a year worldwide.

Spiral galaxy IC 2233

Astronomers had captured one of the flattest galaxies known in the universe, sitting like a silver needle in the haystack of space. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope produced a beautiful image of the spiral galaxy IC 2233, one of the flattest galaxies. The IC 2233 is located about 40 million light-years away from Earth. This galaxy was earlier discovered by British astronomer Isaac Roberts in 1894.

“Immune system ‘booster’ may hit cancer”

Japanese research where stem cells were used to clone and produce large numbers of a specialized type of white blood cell. These cells, known as cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), are produced by the immune system and are able to recognize specific markers on the surface of various tumour cells, causing them to launch an attack to kill the tumour cells.The researchers are succeeded in using stem cells to “mass-produce” CTLs in laboratory conditions.

Chinese Biologists Discovered Antibiotic In Panda Blood

Chinese biologists have discovered that the blood of the endangered giant panda includes a compound called ” Cathelicidin-AM ” which acts as a natural antibiotic. The nature of the blood compound makes it an attractive treatment for so-called superbugs, those strains of disease that have become immune or resistant to traditional antibiotics.

India to make world’s largest solar telescope

India is likely to begin construction of the world’s largest solar telescope on the foothills of the Himalayas in Ladakh to understand the fundamental processes taking place on the Sun by year-end.A 2-metre class, state-of-the-art National Large Solar Telescope (NLST), built by Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), will permit Indian scientists to carry out cutting edge research aimed to study Sun’s atmosphere.

Internet emits 830 mt of carbon dioxide annually

According to Researchers from the Centre for Energy-Efficient Telecommunications (CEET) and Bell Labs, Internet and other components of information communication and technology (ICT) industry annually produces more than 830 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas, and is expected to double by 2020

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‘Lakshya’ Missile Successfully Tested

India’s indigenously developed, ‘Lakshya’ was sucessfully tested on 7 January .It was launched from the Integrated Test Range – ITR, at Odisha .25 meters in length, 100 km away from the target to the missile .

17 billion’ Earth-sized planets in Milky Way

The Milky Way contains at least 17 billion planets the size of Earth.Astronomers using NASA’s Kepler spacecraft found that about 17 percent of stars in our galaxy have a planet about the size of Earth in a close orbit.The Milky Way is known to host about 100 billion stars, meaning that about one of every six has an Earth-sized planet around it.

Brahmos cruise missile test fired in successfully

Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos scored once again in its 34th launch on 09 January 2013 off Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal, hitting a decommissioned vessel with accuracy.As it took off vertically from a naval warship, reached an altitude of 14 km, levelled out and started cruising at three times the speed of sound, it performed “a double manoeuvre in S-form” and hit the decommissioned ship, about 290 km away.

Astronomers Found ” NGC 6872 ” Largest known Spiral Galaxy

A team of astronomers from the United States, Chile and Brazil has crowned it the largest-known spiral galaxy, a spectacular behemoth five times bigger than our own Milky Way, based on archival data from NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) mission.The title-holder is now NGC 6872, a barred spiral found 212 million light-years away in the southern constellation Pavo. The distance between NGC 6872′s two huge spiral arms is 522,000 light-years, compared to about 100,000 light-years for the Milky Way.

Indian Scientists Discovered Molecule for Cancer Treatment

A team of Indian researchers, led by Dr Sathees C Raghavan of the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore, have identified a molecule which they claim will revolutionise the cure for cancer.The molecule has been named after “Sathees as SCR7” and a detailed account of it has been carried in the international scientific journal “Cell”".Scientists world over believe that the double strand break (DSB) of DNA is one of the most lethal form of DNA damage, resulting in drastic consequences such as genome instability, and cancer.

“Largest Space structure in the Universe:Large Quasar Group

An international team lead by astronomer Roger Clowes of the University of Central Lancashire in England discovered the largest known structure in the universe, a clump of active galactic cores that stretches 4 billion light-years from end to end.This is the largest Space structure in the Universe.This structure is known as a “Large Quasar Group(LQG)”.

Indian Scientists Discovered Molecule for Cancer Treatment

A team of Indian researchers, led by Dr Sathees C Raghavan of the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore, have identified a molecule which they claim will revolutionise the cure for cancer.The molecule has been named after “Sathees as SCR7” and a detailed account of it has been carried in the international scientific journal “Cell”".Scientists world over believe that the double strand break (DSB) of DNA is one of the most lethal form of DNA damage, resulting in drastic consequences such as genome instability, and cancer.

World’s First Global Renewable Energy Atlas Launched

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On 13 January Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) launched the world’s first clean energy atlas at IRENA’S General Assembly , currently offers open-access information on solar and wind power throughout the world and the creators plan to expand to other renewable energy resources over the next two years.The atlas includes information on clean energy resources in 37 countries, including those which have no diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates.The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is working in partnership with the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) to build a qualitative and quantitative data framework for renewable energy in developing countries.

Ancient River Found on Mars

On 17 January The European Space Agency scientists have revealed a 1500 km long and 7 kilometre wide river that once ran across Mars.The images which were captured by the ESA’s Mars Express showed Reull Vallis, the river-like structure, which is believed to have formed when water ran from the surface of Mars in distant past. The structure which surprised the astronomers stretches for around 900 miles or 1500 km across the Martian surface and also shows various tributaries. These structures, it is believed, were formed somewhere around 3.5 billion years ago.

India Increased Rafale Fighter Jets’ Order

India could buy up to 189 of the Rafale fighter jets currently being used by France to bomb Islamist militants in Mali, sources close to negotiations on the multi-billion dollar deal .The possibility of an additional 63 jets being added to an expected order for 126 was raised by India .The Indian press has estimated the value of the deal for 126 Rafales at $12 billion (nine billion euros).A 50 per cent increase in the number of planes ordered would take it to around $18 billion, in a huge boost for the French defence industry.

‘Japan to replace Fukushima plant with world’s largest wind farm’

In the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan had decided to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm to replace the crippled nuke plant.The country plans to build a total of 143 wind turbines on platforms 16 kilometres off the coast of Fukushima by 2020, which is home to the stricken Daiichi nuclear reactor that hit the headlines in March 2011 when it was damaged by a severe earthquake and tsunami.The wind farm will generate 1 gigawatt of power once completed, and is part of a national plan to increase renewable energy resources following the post-tsunami shutdown of the country’s 54 nuclear reactors.The wind farm will surpass the 504 megawatts generated by the 140 turbines at the Greater Gabbard farm off the coast of Suffolk, UK – currently the world’s largest farm.

India, US finalise Rs 3,000 crore deal for jet engines

India and the US have finalised a Rs 3000-crore deal for supplying 99 jet engines to be used in the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’ being developed by the DRDO.Around two years ago, India had selected the American company General Electric over its rival European Eurojet 2000 for the LCA Mark II programme expected to be ready around 2014-15.The deal worth Rs 3,000 crore has been finalised with the US for procuring 99 engines for the LCA Tejas MkII.As per the contract, the order could be for 99 engines initially but India will have the option of ordering another 100 engines in the future.

INS Saryu Inducted into Indian Navy

On 21 January Air Marshal PK Roy, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command, commissioned INS Saryu into the Indian Navy at Goa .INS Saryu is the lead ship of the indigenous Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) Project designed and built by Goa Shipyard Limited, the ship aptly demonstrates the immense potential of the country’s indigenous designing and ship building capabilities.Capable of carrying a helicopter (ALH) onboard, the ship’s weapon and sensor outfit includes a SRGM 76.2 mm gun with an electro-optic fire control system, two 30mm guns as close in weapon systems, latest navigational and early warning radars, chaff launchers for self protection and an integrated ESM system to undertake all assigned missions.

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MIT researchers Created Moisture – Powered Polymer

MIT ( Massachusetts Institute of Technology ) researchers have created a new polymer film that can generate electricity by drawing on a ubiquitous source: water vapor.The new material changes its shape after absorbing tiny amounts of evaporated water, allowing it to repeatedly curl up and down. Harnessing this continuous motion could drive robotic limbs or generate enough electricity to power micro- and nanoelectronic devices, such as environmental sensors.

India Sucessfully Test Fired K-5 Ballistic Missile

On 27 January India successfully test fired medium range K-5 ballistic missile ,with a strike range of around 1500 kilometres, from an underwater platform in Bay of Bengal.K-5 is part of the family of underwater missiles being developed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for the Indian strategic forces’ underwater platforms.

Iran ‘successfully sent monkey into space’

Iran on 28 January 2013 announced that it had successfully send a monkey to the space.It also declared that the monkey come back to the Earth successfully.The rocket called Pishgam (meaning Pioneer) reached at a height of 120 km (75 miles) for a sub-orbital flight before “returning its shipment intact”. The first country to launch the primate into space was US.

PERSONS IN NEWS

A) APPOINTMENTS

Asif Ibrahim appointed as chief Intelligence Bureau

Indian Police Service officer SA Ibrahim appointed as chief of the Intelligence Bureau on 01 January 2013 and he becoming the first from the country’s main minority community(Muslim Community) to hold the post. Ibrahim, an IPS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has taken over as from Nehchal Sandhu who retired December 31. He will hold the post for two years.

Urjit Patel appointed as RBI deputy governor

On 02 January 2013 Urjit Patel, a consultant at Boston Consulting Group, had been appointed a deputy governor at the Reserve Bank of India, succeeding Subir Gokarn who was aiding the governor in shaping the monetary policy.

YV Reddy to head 14th Finance Commission

On 02 January 2013 former RBI governor YV Reddy was appointed chairman of the 14th finance commission to suggest principles of sharing of revenues between the Centre and the states and insulate pricing of public utilities like electricity, water and public transport from policy fluctuations.

Ami Bera and Tulsi Gabbard Sworn In As US Lawmakers

On 4 January Indian American physician from California, Ami Bera, and the young Iraq war veteran from Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard, created history after being sworn in as new members of the US House of Representatives.Bera is only the third Indian American have ever been elected to the House of Representatives.Tulsi Gabbard is the first Hindu ever to won the Congressional election.

Malala’s Father Appointed as Education Attache in Birmingham

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On 3 January Malala’s father Ziauddin Yousafzai has been appointed as the education attache at the Pakistan consulate in Birmingham, England.The job is believed to be for up to three years.

Indian American Srinivasan re-nominated as Federal Judge

On 4 January Srikanth Srinivasan a brilliant Indian American legal mind has been re-nominated by US President Barack Obama to serve as Federal Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit.In June 2012 he was nominated by Obama to serve on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Justice D K Jain appointed new Law Commission chief

The Union Cabinet of India on 7 January 2013 appointed Justice D K Jain as Chairman of 20th Law Commission of India. He gives advice to the government on complex legal issues. Justice Jain, 64, will take over as the chief of the law panel on January 24 after retiring from the Supreme Court on the same day.

John Brennan as a CIA director

U.S. President Barack Obama announced on )7 January 2013 John Brennan wasnominated as director of the American Intelligence Agency(CIA) and Chuck Hagel as a Defense secretary. John Brennan played a key role in encounter the Osama Bin Laden.

Indian-origin politician to be Singapore’s first woman speaker

Indian-origin politician Halimah Yacob elected as the first woman Speaker of Singapore’s Parliament on 08 Janauary 2013.She take charges from 14 January 2013.Halimah, a former labour lawyer, is a member of Parliament from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).

Kulwant Singh Gill Took charge as new Commandant of NDA

On 8 January Air Marshal Kulwant Singh Gill took charge as the new commandant of the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla, Pune.The NDA provides three-year training in defence and academics to its cadets before they move on to their respective officers’ training academies for another one-year course and get commissioned into the armed forces.

R.K. Dubey Took Charge as Canara Bank’s new CMD

On 11 January R.K. Dubey has assumed charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Canara Bank .Mr. Dubey was previously worked as a Punjab National Bank General Manager in 2008 and was appointed as Executive Director of Central Bank of India in 2010.

Rajkumar Goyal Took Charge as Central Bank of India new ED

On 11 January Rajkumar Goyal has took charge as Executive Director (ED) of Central Bank of India (CBI).He was previously with the bank of India as the General Manager of Human Resources Department

Obama nominated Jack Lew as new Treasury Chief

On 11 January President Barack Obama nominated his chief of staff, Jack Lew, to become the next Treasury secretary and succeed Timothy Geithner.Last year, Lew was named Obama’s chief of staff, and before that he had served as the White House budget director.

First Gujarati in UK cabinet

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Lord Dolar Popat has appointed a minister in the UK cabinet .He become the first Gujarati taking his place in the UK cabinet .Popat was appointed minister for business, innovation & skills and transport.

Mohan Pieris assumes duties as 44th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka

On 15 January 2013 ,Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed his cabinet’s legal advisor as the country’s new Chief Justice to succeed Shirani Bandaranayake. Rajapaksa sworn in new Chief Justice Mohan Peiris to replace Sri Lanka’s first woman chief justice who was impeached by the parliament in a controversial move.Peiris, a British qualified solicitor who retired in 2011 as the Attorney General was serving as the legal advisor to the Cabinet.

Ved Prakash is UGC chairman

Ved Prakash, serving as acting chairman of the University Grants Commission, had been appointed as its chairman on 18 January 2013.The chairman’s post remained vacant ever since S. Thorat retired in February 2011. Since then Mr. Prakash had been the acting chairman.

Obama Sworn in as the US President for Second Term

On 20 January US President Barack Obama Barack Obama was sworn in as the President of the country for a second four-year term.Obama as the 44th president of the United States and also he is the third consecutive president to win two terms, after Bush and Clinton. Joe Biden sworn-in for second term as US vice-president.

Suchitra Ella, Founding Chairwoman of CII’s women wing

Suchitra K. Ella, Joint Managing Director, Bharat Biotech International, had been nominated as the Founding Chairwoman of the Indian Women Network of CII. The network aims to provide a platform for working women to come together and discuss issues and opportunities and share best practices. She is currently the Chairperson of CII Andhra Pradesh State Council for 2012-13. She had earlier been elected to the CII Andhra Pradesh State Council. She has been awarded the International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge award 2007 by the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and the FLO GR8 Women Achievers Award 2008 for entrepreneurial excellence.

B)RESIGNS

Jharkhand CM Arjun Munda resigned

Political uncertainty deepened in Jharkhand on 08 January 2013, with Chief Minister Arjun Munda submitted his resignation to Governor Syed Ahmed. On 07 January 2013, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) announced the withdrawal of its support to the BJP-led government.

Rajapaksa Dismissed First Woman Chief Justice of the Country

On 13 January Mahinda Rajapaksa, the President of Sri Lanka dismissed the first woman chief justice of the country, Shirani Bandarnayake after endorsing her impeachment by the Parliament that caught her guilty on the corruption charges.She appointed as a chief Justice on May 2011.

C)DEATHS

Violin maestro MSG passes away

M.S. Gopalakrishnan — legendary violinist known for his mastery of both the Carnatic and Hindustani systems of classical music — passed away on 03 January 2013 in Chennai.In his career spanning 75

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years, he not only broke new ground as an accompanist, but also rose to become one of the best solo violinists in the country, along with Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and T.N. Krishnan. The three are considered the ‘violin trinity’ of south Indian classical music.Despite enviable success and accolades that came in the form of national honours such as the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, and innumerable titles, including the ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ title awarded by The Music Academy, Chennai.

Pakistani singer Mehnaz Begum is no more

Renowned Pakistani singer Mehnaz Begum died on 19 January 2013.Mehnaz specialized in ghazal, thumri, dadra, khayal, drupad and reciting salam, noha and marsiya.Mehnaz was the daughter of popular sub-continental singer Kajjan Begum.She sang over 2,500 songs for radio‚ television and films in a variety of genres like ghazal, thumri, dadra, khayal and drupad.

D)VISITORS

Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag Visited India

Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag visited India from 3 – 10 January .During the visit Purryag met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee on 4 January in New Delhi. In Bihar , he visited his ancestral village , Bojeetpore near Patna.President Purryag also the chief guest of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas .He attended the 3 days event 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in Kochi (Kerala).

Vice President Hamid Ansari Visited Vietnam

Vice President Hamid Ansari visited Vietnam from 14 to 17 January.During the visit Ansari met Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh and discussed the both countries bilateral issues , signed several agreements .Ansari attended the closing ceremony of the celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the India-Vietnam diplomatic ties.

Bhutan King Wangchuck Visited India

The King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited India from 23-30 January.During the visit he attended the India’s Republic Day celebrations as a Chief Guest.Wangchuck met President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and the United Progressive Alliance’s Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi.This is the fourth time since 1954 that a Bhutanese King will be a Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations.

E)MISCELLANEOUS

Ex-Haryana CM Chautala, son get 10 years jail

Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay had been sentenced to 10 years in jail in connection with a teachers recruitment scam.Special CBI Judge Vinod Kumar sentenced the Chautalas and seven others to 10 years in jail while one convict was given five years in jail and 45 others four years in jail.

Swaminarayan sect opens $100-million quake-proof temple near Hollywood

One of the biggest Hindu temples in the US, built at a whopping cost of $100 million near the Hollywood city in Los Angeles .The 68th Swaminarayan temple of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) had been built using 35,000 pieces of meticulously hand carved Italian Carrara marble and Indian Pink Sandstone.

Premlata Conquers Summit of Mt Vinson in Antarctica

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On 17 January Premlata Agrawal, the oldest woman in India to have climbed Mt. Everest, has conquered Mt. Vinson in Antarctica in pursuit of the ‘Mountaineering Challenge’ of climbing the ‘Seven Summits’.She completed her Mt. Vinson expedition on January .The person successful in conquering all the seven summits is considered a member of the ‘Hall of Fame’ for mountaineers.Premlata will become the first Indian woman and one of the oldest in the world to conquer all seven summits.

Ex-ISRO chairman Inducted in to ‘ Satellite Hall of Fame ‘

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced its former chairman and Department of Space secretary Prof U R Rao by inducting him as the member of the prestigious ‘ Satellite Hall of Fame ‘ , Washington.Since 1987, the SSPI Hall of Fame has been recognising the invaluable contribution of the visionaries who have transformed life on planet earth for the better through satellite technology. Members of the Hall of Fame are recognised pioneers in communications, satellite related aerospace scientific research or development and delivery of applications for business, institutions and government via satellite.

David Headley sentenced for 35 years for 26/11 role(Mumbai attacks)

Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist David Headley was on 24 January 2013 sentenced to 35 years in jail by a Chicago court for his ‘unquestionable’ role in the massacre of 166 people in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Forbes India Celebrity 100 List

According to the Forbes India “” Celebrity 100 List “” The Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, topped the inaugural Forbes India Celebrity 100 list.Forbes India estimates, the total earning of Shah Rukh from October 2011 and September 2012 was 202.8 crore Rupees.The ranking was given based on the popularity as well as income of the biggest entertainers of India. Second on the list was Salman Khan and MS Dhoni followed in the third position.The special edition of Forbes India judged in eight different categories – directors, film actors, TV personailities, models, comedians, sports stars, authors and singers/musicians.The youngest celebrity in the list of Forbes India was Saina Nehwal, aged 23 years.

Switzerland best place to be born, India 66th

Switzerland has been called the best place in the world to be born in 2013 according to the The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company of The Economist. The worst place for a baby to start life was violence-hit African country Nigeria. The survey included 80 nations and Australia ranked second followed by Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Singapore, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Canada and New Zealand were also ranked among top 10. India was ranked 66th place.The survey included significant parameters to judge the best country to be born and these factors included demography, geography, cultural and social characteristics, state of economy, future income per head as well as public policy.

PLACES IN NEWS

Strong Quake in Indonesia

On 22nd January A strong, shallow earthquake rocked parts of western Indonesia early killed 30 persons and panicking residents and ruining homes. Several other people were injured.Indonesia’s meteorology and geophysics agency put the preliminary magnitude at 6.0 and said the inland quake caused no tsunami. It was centered southwest of the city of Banda Aceh and 10 miles (6 kilometers) beneath the earth’s crust, according to the U.S. Geological Survey..

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233 People Killed in Brazil Night Club Fire Accident

On 27 January The blaze in the university town of Santa Maria nightclub fire killed at least 233 people in southern Brazil .Most of those who died were suffocated by toxic fumes that rapidly filled the crowded club after sparks from pyrotechnics used by the band for visual effects set fire to soundproofing on the ceiling.

ABBREVIATIONS

CBT————-Cash Transfer Benefit

EIU————–Economist Intelligence Unit

CBS————Central Bureau of Statistics

NLST———-National Large Solar Telescope

CEET———-Centre for Energy-Efficient Telecommunications

CIA———–American Intelligence Agency

WEF———-World Economic Forum

PBS———Pravasi Bhartiya Divas

MSME——–Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

BWF———–Badminton World Federation

BOOKS IN NEWS

Swami Vivekananda “The Monk as Man ” Book Released

The renowned Bengali writer Shankar wrote a “The Monk as Man ” book on Swami Vivekananda ,who spread the message of India’s spiritual heritage across the world.In the book Shankar described Vivekananda used to emphasise greatly on physical strength and is known for the shocking statement ‘Better to play football than read the Gita’.

McChrystal “My Share of the Task: A Memoir ” Book Released

General Stanley McChrystal, the former American commander in Afghanistan, wrote a “My Share of the Task: A Memoir,” book which was released on 7 January .In the book Chrystal explained that tensions between the White House and the Pentagon were evident in the Obama administration from its opening months in office.This book is not just for aficionados of military history or for students of American foreign policy .

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COMMITTEES

Vijay Kelkar Committee for Fiscal Consolidation

The Vijay Kelkar Committee, which was appointed by Finance Ministry to suggest a roadmap for fiscal consolidation, has suggested immediate hike in fuel prices and complete deregulation of diesel prices by start of 2014-15 fiscal.It also suggested raising kerosene and LPG rates.Now the Kelkar committee recommendation is still at proposal stage.

Justice Verma Committee Submitted Report

On 23 January The three-member committee included former Chief Justice of India, J S Verma, who headed the committee, Justice (Retd.) Leila Seth, former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court and Gopal Subramanian, former Solicitor General of India , set up to suggest ways to make rape laws stronger in the country, has submitted its report with recommendations to enhance and amend existing laws dealing with cases of sexual crime.The Justice Verma panel recognised failure of governance as primary cause of sexual crimes.The Panel suggested Trafficking should be made punishable with imprisonment ranging from not less than 7 years to 10 years .There was a need for the separate Bill of Rights for women that will make sure that women would have their own rights for having sexual autonomy.

December 2012 Current Affairs Study Material

INTERNATIONAL

Mahama Re-elected as Ghana’s President

On 10 December Ghana’s incumbent President John Dramani Mahama of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has won the country’s presidential election.Mahama took 50.70 percent of the total valid votes cast, while his closest challenger, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) obtained 47.74 percent.With his re-election, Mahama becomes the fourth president to be elected under the Forth Republic.He had served as Ghana’s vice president since 2009.

UN, Pakistan Launched ‘Malala Fund’

Pakistan joined forces with the United Nations on 10 December 2012 to launch a fund aimed at boosting girls’ education throughout the world.The fund is named for Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani girl. Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari also announced a $10-million donation for a global war chest to educate all girls by 2015 set up in the name of Malala Yousafzai for campaigning for girls’ education.

Shinzo Abe Elected As Japan’s New PM

The former Prime Minister and the Leader of LDP Shinzo Abe elected as a Prime Minister with a clear victory over the Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Party of Japan(DPJ) Yoshihiko Noda in the Parliamentary Elections on 26 December 2012.The lawmakers in Japan voted in favour of Abe by 328 votes. Opponent Banri Kaieda, the newly chosen leader of DPJ received merely 57 votes.

Jacob Zuma re-elected as South Africa’s President

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress on 18 December 2012 re-elected President Jacob Zuma as the party chief with a thumping majority. Mr.Zuma received the support of over 75 per cent of

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the total voting delegates at the ANC National Conference held in Bloemfontein. Juma was Deputy President of South Africa from 1999 to 2005

Park elected South Korean President

Park Guen-hye, the daughter of former military dictator Park Chung-hee, beat her opponent on 19 December 2012 in the South Korean presidential elections. Park is the country’s first woman President. She is the former head of the ruling Conservative Saenuri Party, had secured the necessary votes and defeated Moon Jae-in, of the Democratic United Party.

Pak Cleared Anti-terror Bill

On 20 December Pakistan’s National Assembly passed a bill that will give intelligence and security agencies sweeping powers to conduct surveillance and collect data from SMS’s and emails.The National Assembly or lower house of parliament approved the “”Fair Trial Bill 2012 “” after incorporating amendments proposed by the main opposition PML-N and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which is part of the ruling coalition led by the Pakistan People’s Party.

U.S. House Passed Defense Bill

On 20 December US (United States) House of Representatives passed the Defence Authorization Act of 2013. The bill authorizing 633.3 billion – dollar in defense spending for 2013, easing limits on satellite exports and providing more Marines for embassy security.

Napolitano Dissolved Italian Parliament

On 22 December Italian President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved Parliament following the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Monti. Italian Government under the leadership of Mario Monti brought forward a series of austerity reforms backed by EU and business leaders.

Morsi signed on Egypt’s New Constitution

On 25 December Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi signed into law a new Islamist-drafted constitution. He signed a declaration enforcing the charter late after the official announcement of the result of a referendum approving the basic law. Two-thirds of the members of the 270-seat council were elected earlier this year in a vote in which only 12 per cent of registered voters participated. The remaining 90 were appointed by Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president.

Pakistan Recognised the Republic of Kosovo

On 26 December Pakistan Government officially recognised Kosovo as an independent state, almost five years after it declared independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. Pakistan is the 98th country among the 193 U.N-member states to recognise Kosovo .Kosovo is a small south east European state lies between Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

INDIA & WORLD

Nitish Kumar, Hazare, Malala Among “The Top 100 Global Thinkers” List

On 2 December According to the United States-based Foreign Policy magazine has released its list of the “100 Top Global Thinkers” from 2012. The magazine has placed the Indians in the list include Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who features way below at the 77th place, Anna Hazare who has been placed at the 37th position for his anti-corruption crusade in the country. 15-year-old Pakistani child rights activist Malala Yousafzai at 6th position, Aung San Suu Kyi is ranked first in list.

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Bangladesh Agreed on Zero Line Fencing along Tripura Border

On 2 December Bangladesh had agreed to set up barbed wire fencing along zero line in nine stretches on the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura. According to the MHA communique, fencing along zero line was to be allowed in 9 areas.

India & Japan Signed Currency Swap Agreement

India signed a bilateral swap arrangement (BSA) with the Bank of Japan to swap their local currencies for an amount of $15 billion for a three year period on 4 December 2012.The BSA will effect from 5 December 2012.

India is Among Top Five Terror-Hit Nations

The Australian think tank released The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) on 4 December 2012, according to this GTI, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan were among the nations most impacted by terrorism in 2011. In 2011, the Middle East, India, Pakistan and Russia were the areas most impacted by terrorism. India’s GTI rank was 4 out of the 159 countries surveyed. While Iraq stood at number1, Pakistan at number 2, Afghanistan at number 3 and Yemen was number 5.

Bangalore Best Indian City To Live

Bangalore ranks better than New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata amongst Indian cities in overall global quality of living index, according to a Mercer 2012 Quality of Living Survey.Bangalore’s overall quality of living rank went up from 141 in 2011 to 139 in 2012 and is highest amongst other Indian cities.

India Ranked 94th Position in Corruption

Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tied for the first place in watchdog Transparency International’s 2012 index of the least corrupt countries. India is on 94th position in the Corruption Perceptions Index. Most corrupted nations are Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia in 174th positions.

US Extends Exemptions For India to Iran Oil Sanctions

On 8 December the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has extended exemptions to India, China ,South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Taiwan from Iranian Sanctions Act mainly because of their significant reduction in oil import from Iran.The 9 countries have again qualified for an exception to sanctions outlined in Section 1245 of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012, based on additional reductions in the volume of their crude oil purchases from Iran.This is for the second time that countries including India has received waiver from US under the Iranian sanctions act.

3 Indian Projects among Strategic- Global Infrastructure Projects List

Three Indian projects have placed in the new york’s Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum “Top 100 Strategic Global Infrastructure Projects “ list. GIFT city (Gujarat International Financial Tech city), Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project (Maharashtra) and the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) project (Andhra Pradesh).

India, Ukraine Signed on Five Agreements

India and Ukraine on 10 December 2012 signed on five agreements in New Delhi to enhance cooperation including in areas of defence, Nuclear, Science and Technology and also to remove barriers in trade and commerce.

Indians ‘Largest Ethnic Minority Group in UK

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On 11 December According to the 2011 Britain population census record Indians are the largest ethnic minority group in the UK.With 1.5 percent of the Hindu religion became a third-largest religion in the nation’s. The Christian population in the country is also a drop in the statistics.. The Muslim community population in the country’s fastest growing increased by 3 percent to 4.8.

India& Pak Signed on New Visa Agreement

The new Visa Agreement between India and Pakistan on 14th December, 2012 at New Delhi. However, the Visa-on-Arrival will come into effect from 15th January, 2013. Shri Sushilkumar Shinde, Home Minister of India and Mr. A. Rehman Malik, Pakistan Interior Minister singed on the agreement.

Cell Phone Connections to exceed the World Population by 2014

The International Telecommunications Communication Union (ITU) to be designed and released Information Society 2012 – Observe report on 11 December. According to the report number of cell phone connections exceeding the world’s population by 2014. Now 6 billion (hundreds of millions) cell phone connections they will reach 730 Millions by 2014 .Then the world’s population is 700 crore.Already in Russia 1.8 times cell phone accounts more than 25 million people.

Indians now Live Longer but in Poor Health in Old Age

According to the the prestigious British medical journal, ‘The Lancet ‘ report the life expectancy (LE) at birth of an average Indian male has gone up by 15 years between 1970 and 2010. An average Chinese male is living 10 years longer than an Indian male, while a Chinese woman is living 11.5 years longer than her Indian counterpart. An average American lives nearly 13 years longer than an Indian.

World Malaria Report 2012

According to the WHO “ World Malaria Report 2012” India, the country most affected by malaria in the South East Asian Region, is projected to see a decrease of 50-75 per cent in malaria case incidence by 2015.In South East Asia Region, Bhutan, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand have registered decreases of 75 per cent or more in the incidence of microscopically confirmed malaria incidence rates between 2000 and 2011.

Hinduism Third Largest Religion of World

According to the ‘ Pew research ‘ survey report Hinduism is the third largest religion of the world after Christianity , Islam and 97 per cent of all Hindus live in the world’s three Hindu-majority countries (India, Mauritius and Nepal), and nearly nine-in-ten Christians (87 per cent) are found in the world’s 157 Christian majority countries.In the total world population 2.2 billion Christians (32 per cent of the world’s population), 1.6 billion Muslims (23 per cent) around the world as of 2010.

India & Russia signed Rs 22,000 crore Defence Deals

India and Russia signed defence deals worth around Rs. 22,000 crore ($4 billion) on 24 December. According to this pact Russia will sell India 71 military helicopters for $1.3 billion and technological kits to assemble 42 Sukhoi jet fighters for $1.6 billion.

NATIONAL

Sexual Assault a Gender-Neutral Offence Bill Passed by Lok Sabha

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The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, replacing the word ‘rape’ by the phrase ‘sexual assault’ and seeking to widen the scope of the offence passed by Lok Sabha on 4 December. Both men and women could soon be able to invoke the provisions of a criminal law in case of sexual assault .The amendment bill expands the definition so that cases of sexual assault where victims were male would fall under the same law along with cases where victims were women.

Cabinet Approved Naval Base Phase II of Project “Seabird “

On 7 December The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared a Rs 13,500 crore major expansion plan of the strategic Karwar naval base Phase II Alpha of the project “Seabird “in Karnataka is set to become the country’s biggest Naval base by 2025. The Karwar naval base is India’s third major naval base after Mumbai and Visakhapatnam on the east coast.

Over 7 Crore Unemployed Youth in India

According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) report an approximate 7 crore youth people in India are either unemployed or under-employed. The figures were revealed by Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha.”As per results of the latest survey conducted by NSSO during 2009-10, the number of unemployed or under-employed persons on usual status basis in the country was 95 lakhs and about six crore respectively.

Rajya Sabha Passed SC/ST Quota Bill

A Constitution 117th amendment bill providing for quota for SCs and STs in government job promotions was on December 17 passed by Rajya Sabha.

Unlawful Activities Amendment Bill Passed by Rajya Sabha

On 20 December Parliament passed a bill that makes economic offences, including circulation of high quality counterfeit currency, a terrorist act.The Rajya Sabha passed Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2012 by voice vote while several parties. The bill was already passed by Lok Sabha.

LokSabha Approved Company Bill 2011

On 18 December Lok Sabha passed the Companies Bill 2011 paving the way for a new modern company law.The Bill is aimed at improving corporate governance. It contains provisions to strengthen regulations for corporate as well as auditing firms.

Banking Bill passed by Lok Sabha

The Banking Laws Amendment Bill, 2011, have been passed in the Lok Sabha on 20 December .The amendments pave the way for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue new bank licences, and also opens door for more foreign investment into the sector.

Usha Mehra commission for Delhi incident victim Nirbhaya’s Case

A female physiotherapy intern student Nirbhaya beaten and gang raped in Delhi on 16 December and died on 29 December while undergoing emergency treatment in Singapore for brain and gastrointestinal damage from the assault.The government has formed a committee of enquiry under justice Usha Mehra to reconstruct the events leading to the incident identify lapses by police and other agencies and fix responsibility for the crime.

Microsoft Launches 14 Innovation Centres in India

Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd had launched 14 Microsoft Innovation Centres (MICs) in India. It has signed agreements with leading academic institutions across four States.As part of the global

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programme, which currently has 75 MICs, Microsoft aims to launch a 100 such centres in India in the next two years.

STATES

Delhi Government Launched “Delhi Annshri Yojna”

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was launched a major food security programme of Delhi Government “Delhi Annshri Yojna” on 15 December 2012.under which a monthly cash subsidy of Rs. 600 will be transferred directly into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of the senior-most female members of two lakh poor families.

BJP Won in Gujarat Assembly Elections

The BJP registered its fifth consecutive victory in Gujarat on 20 December 2012.This is the third victory under Modi leadership. BJP won the 115 seats. Congress won the 61 seats. Modi won by a landslide from Maninagar constituency in Gujarat, beating his nearest Congress party rival Shweta Bhatt by a margin of 86,373 votes.

Congress has won Himachal Pradesh Elections

The Congress returned to power in Himachal Pradesh after five years, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Himachal Pradesh State Assembly elections conduced on 4 November 2012.The Congress secured 36 seats and the BJP 26 seats. The Congress Leader Virbhadra Singh won from Shimla (Rural) constituency and defeated the rival from BJP Ishwar Rohal by 19033 Votes.

Meghalaya Passed Lokayukta Bill 2012

On 14 December the Meghalaya Lokayukta Bill, 2012 was passed in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and replaced the existing Lokayukta Act, 2002 amidst opposition from legislators. The new act under the lokayukta bill covered the chief minister, governor and all public servants, but allowed the state government through a clause to exclude the complaints by citing public interest.

Madhya Pradesh Government Set Up a Senior Citizen Commission

On 21 December the Madhya Pradesh Government has set up a Senior Citizen Commission to look into problems of the elderly in the State.

Assam Government Announced Special Health Scheme

On 12 December Assam government announced that 50 riverine public health centres would be set up in the state soon under the National Rural Health Mission.The public health centres would be located primarily in the districts of Barpeta, Dhubri, Goalpara and Darrang.

30% Reservation for Rural Candidates in Assam Govt. Jobs

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on 26 December 2012 announced that 30 per cent state government jobs will be reserved for candidates belonging to rural areas from 2013.

CONFERENCES

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UN Climate Change Conference (COP 18)

The United Nations Climate Change Conference , which is the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) and 8th session of the Conference of the Parties (serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol ) ends on 8 December in Qatar, Doha. United Nations climate talks in Doha had agreed to extend the Kyoto Protocol through 2020. Poland will host the next round of 19th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) UN climate talks in 2013.

World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12)

The First ever World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) from 3 -14 December held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.The conference reviewed the current International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs).The 193 member states of the ambassadors are attended this conference.While 89 states have signed the UN International Telecommunications agreement and another 55 countries have refused the deal.The new agreement will come into effect in January 2015.

ASEAN – India Commemorative Summit held in New Delhi

India is hosted the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit held from December 20-21 in New Delhi to mark the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN – India dialogue partnership and the 10th anniversary of ASEAN-India Summit-level partnership.The theme of the summit is “ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace and Shared Prosperity”. ASEAN and India have signed the awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on comprehensive economic cooperation as foundations for the establishment of an ASEAN-India Trade and Investment Area.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Katy Perry Honored With Billboard’s “Woman of the Year”

Pop Singer Katy Perry was honored with Billboard’s “Woman of the Year 2012” (The Star of the Women) award in New York.

Shah Rukh Khan Conferred With Morocco’s Medal of Honour

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan had given the prestigious Medal of Honour by the Prince of Morocco (Moulay Rachid) on 3 December 2012 in 12th Marrakech International Film Festival.

DRDO Scientist Gets Top Award

Brajnish Sitara scientist from Research Centre Imarat(RCI), a premier laboratory of DRDO’s missile complex was conferred with INAE(Indian National Academy of Engineering)Young Engineer Award for 2012 at the academy’s annual conventionheld at Roorkee on 6 December 2012.

Rajan and Sajan Mishra Conferred ‘National Tansen Samman’

On 14 December 2012 noted vocalist duo of Rajan and Sajan Mishra will be awarded prestigious ‘National Tansen Samman’ for year 2011-12 for their contribution to Hindustani classical music

Stephen Hawking Won Yuri Milner Award

A Russian billionaire’s foundation was awarded two special prizes of $3 million each to British cosmologist Stephen Hawking for his work on black holes and to seven scientists at the world’s biggest atom-smasher for their roles in the discovery of a new subatomic particle believed to be the

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long-sought Higgs boson. Yuri Milner’s Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation announced the awards on 11 December 2012.Hawking is honored for his discovery of Hawking radiation from black holes “and his deep contributions to quantum gravity and quantum aspects of the early universe.”

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for Ravi Shankar

Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar will be honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously.He becomes the first Indian to get the prestigious award. The decision to honour Ravi Shankar, a three-time Grammy winner, was made before his death.

Indian Journalist’s Association Honoured Sir Charles Wheeler

On 16 December Indian Journalists Association has conferred its Lifetime Achievement Award for 2012 posthumously to former BBC correspondent Sir Charles Wheeler.

Scientist Venkatesh Mannar honoured with Order of Canada Award

A Chennai born scientist of Indian origin, M.G Venkatesh Mannar and President, Micronutrient Initiative, Canada was awarded with Canada’s Highest Civilian Award – the “ Order of Canada “ on December .US, was honoured with the award for his forty years long contribution working towards reduction of debilitating micronutrient deficiencies among the worlds most vulnerable.

Arunachal CM Selected for “IAEWP” Award

On 18 December Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has been selected by the International Association of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP) for a Lifetime Achievement Award. IAEWP is a non-governmental organization affiliated to the United Nations and engaged in the promotion of world peace. Besides the individual award he would also receive the ‘Green State of the Year ‘ Award on behalf of the Arunachal Pradesh Government for maintaining greenery in the state.

Top Honour For 7-year-old South African Indian Rhino Campaigner

A seven-year-old Indian-origin girl Afeefah Patel won a prestigious a wildlife conservation award in South Africa for writing a letter to President Jacob Zuma asking for his assistance in saving endangered rhinos. Afeefah Patel, who has just finished Grade One, became the youngest winner ever of SANParks’s Corporate Contribution to Conservation Award in individual category at the 8th annual Kudu Awards.

P.Chidambaram received “Best Administrator” Award

On 20 December Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram received “”Best Administrator in India”” award instituted by K. Karunakaran Foundation.The award was presented to him by Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari.The award is being offered in the memory of renowned Congress leader as well as the former Kerala Chief minister K.Karunakaran. First Karunakaran Foundation Award was given to Pranab Mukherjee.

Archaeologist C.Govindarajanar Received Presidential Award

President Pranab Mukherjee on 21 December 2012 conferred the Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Prof. C. Govindarajanar was conferred Tolkappiyar Award for outstanding contribution in the field of Tamil studies.

Top U.S. Innovation Award For Indian-American

A renowned Indian-American inventor at IBM, Rangaswamy Srinivasan, was nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama for the prestigious National Medal of Technology and Innovation. He

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named the phenomenon Ablative Photo Decomposition (APD). He got this award for the discovery of APD.

Shihab Ghanem the First Arab to receive India’s Tagore Peace Prize

On 26 December The Asiatic society will award the Tagore Peace Prize to Emirati poet and translator Shihab Ghanem .Shihab Ghanem the first Arab to receive India’s Tagore Peace Prize.The peace prize is named after Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali creative talent and India’s first Nobel laureate.

Pratibha Ray Won 2011 Jnanpith Award

Leading Oriya novelist and academician Pratibha Ray, who has over 40 novels, travelogues and short stories to her credit, was named for the prestigious Jnanpith Award for the year 2011 on 27 December 2012.

Astronautical Society’s Aryabhatta award for Muthunayagam & Saraswat

The former secretary of the Department of Ocean Development, A.E. Muthunayagam, will received the prestigious Aryabhatta award, instituted by the Astronautical Society of India (ASI), for 2010 and V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, will receive the award for 2011.They have been selected for their achievements in rocketry.

SPORTS & GAMES

Lalith Babu Top in Commonwealth Chess Championship

Grandmasters M R Lalith Babu and Sergei Tiviakov scored final round victories to reached the top of the table with 9.5 points in the Commonwealth Chess Championship in Chennai on 01 December 2012. Lalith was crowned the Commonwealth Champion 2012 title.

Rory McIlroy named PGA “Tour Player of the Year”

On 2 December The PGA( Professional Golfers’ Association of America) Tour has announced Rory McIlroy as “Tour Player of the Year” after McIlroy won four times on Tour in 2012. McIlroy, becomes the youngest player to earn Player of the Year honors since Tiger Woods in 1998.

Anna Ushenina is World Women’s Chess Champion

Anna Ushenina of Ukraine 02 December 2012 won the women’s World Championship crown, defeating Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria in the first set of tie-break games.

Air India Won Lal Bahadur Shastri Tournament

Air India defeated Bharat Petroleum 3-1 to emerge champion in the 23rd Lal Bahadur Shastri hockey tournament at the Shivaji Stadium New Delhi on 4 December 2012.

Jadeja Created History Hitting 3rd Tripleton in FC Cricket

Ravindra Jadeja became first Indian and only eighth batsman in the First-Class (FC) cricket history of world to score three triple-centuries in the unbeaten 320 runs against Railways in the Ranji Trophy Group A match on 2 December 2012 in Rajkot.

International Olympic Committee Suspended India

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended India’s national Olympic committee on 4 December 2012 because of government interference in its election process.

Australia Won 5th Consecutive Champions Trophy Hockey

On 8 December Australia won fifth Consective Champions Trophy Hockey after defeated Netherlands in Melbourne.The bronze medal was claimed by Pakistan after they beated India on 9 december.

Indian Wrestlers Won Nine Gold Medals in Copa Brasil Tournament

The Indian wrestling contingent finished with a haul of nine gold and four bronze medals in the recent Copa Brasil-2012 tournament held at Rio in December 2012.

Magnus Carlsen won the 4th London Chess Classic Tournament

On 10 December Norway’s chess ace Magnus Carlsen won the 4th London Chess Classic Tournament in London .Carlsen defeated the World Champion Viswanathan Anand in the final round and claim the winner’s trophy.Kramnik is second place , Adams and Hikaru Nakamura share the third place and Viswanathan Anand fifth place.

India Won Blind Cricket T20 World Cup

India won the first T20 world cup for the Blind .In the final on 13 December 2012 India defeated the Pakistan by 29-runs.India did well to clinch the first ever blind cricket T20 World Cup on the home soil.

India Won the World Cup Kabaddi Tournament 2012

India won the 3rd World Cup Kabaddi Tournament for the third consecutive time in the Men’s category and second consecutive time in the Women’s category on15 December 2012. Indian men defeated the Pakistan and India Women defeated the Malaysia in the finals held at the Guru Nanak Dev Stadium in Ludhiana.

Jeev Honoured with Asia Pacific Lifetime Achievement Award

Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh (in pic) won the Asia Pacific Lifetime Achievement award along with Jack Nicklaus and Colin Montgomerie on 15 December 2012.

China Claimed All Titles at Junior World TT Championship

On 16 December China claimed the all titles at Volkswagen 2012 World Junior Table Tennis Championship after it won girls as well as boys trophies. Girls Singles : Zhu Yuling, Girls Doubles: Gu Yuting and Zhu Yuling, Boys Singles : Fan Zhendong, Boys Doubles : Gu Ruochen and Lin Gaoyuan, Mixed Doubles : Zhendong and Liu Gaoyang.

Federer & Nicola named “ Swiss Athlete’s of the Year 2012

Tennis star Roger Federer was named Swiss male athlete of the year at the 2012 Credit Suisse Sports Awards on 16 December in Zurich.Federer received the honour for the fifth time. The female Athlete of the year was Nicola Spirig, the Olympic triathlon champion of Switzerland.

England Won Test Series

On 17 December The last test match between India and England of the Tournament England Tour to India ended up as a draw and with this India lost the four-test match cricket series against England .With this win England succeeded in ending a 28 year long wait of winning a test series on Indian Soil.

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Syed Rahim Nabi Named “ AIFF Player of the Year 2012 “

Syed Rahim Nabi has been named the ‘AIFF (All India Football Federation) Player of the Year, 2012′ on 20 December.

Sachin Retired From One Day Cricket

On 23 December Sachin Tendulkar announced retirement from one day cricket. Sachin scored 18426 runs in 463 one-day matches and also made 49 hundreds in the one-day format, including a double hundred which is the first in this form of cricket and 96 half centuries. He became the first cricketer to score a double century in the history of One Day international Cricket against South Africa in February 2010.Tendulkar scored his 100th international century on 16 March 2012 against Bangladesh, where he scored 114 runs.

Kashyap Won First Grand Prix Title

Kashyap Parupalli defeated Thailand’s Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in a tight three game match to take his first Grand Prix title at the Shaheed Dr. KL Garg, Syed Modi India Grand Prix Gold 2012.

Apurvi Chandela Won Air Rifle Gold

On 24 December Apurvi Chandela of Rajasthan won Women’s Air Rifle Gold in the Sahara 56th National Shooting Championship.Former champion and National record holder, Pournima clinched the bronze.

Djokovic won World Tennis Championship

On 29 December Spanish tennis player Novak Djokovic won World Tennis Championship final after defeated Nicolas Almagro in Abu Dhabi.

Vijay Won Gold in National Shooting Championship

London Olympics silver medallist Vijay Kumar 30 december 2012 clinched the gold medal in the men’s rapid fire pistol event at the 56th National Shooting Championship in New Delhi.

McGrath inducted into ‘Hall of Fame’

The ICC announced on 30 December 2012 that McGrath, who took more Test wickets (563) than any other fast bowler and holds the record for most wickets in World Cups (71), will be inducted as the 68th male player in the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame.

ECONOMY

The ADB cut India’s Growth Forecast to 5.4 percent

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) cut India’s growth forecast to 5.4 per cent in 2012-13 fiscal, barely two months after it had made a projection of 5.6 per cent growth for the Asia’s third largest economy. India’s growth forecast is revised from 5.6 per cent to 5.4 per cent in fiscal year 2012 and from 6.7 per cent to 6.5 per cent in FY 2013.

Rich Gulf Families Own Wealth Worth USD 1.2 Trillion

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According to the ‘KFH-Research’ report said one million wealthy families in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries own investment assets worth about USD 1.2 trillion.The report about wealth and funds management said that the world’s population of high net worth individuals (HNWIs) grew by a marginal 0.8 per cent year on year to 11 million in 2011.

India Economy Would Dominate the Economy of the World by 2030

US intelligence counsel was released report on 10 December 2012 declared that India would straddle international commerce and will also dominate the economy of the whole world by 2030.

IOC Retains Top in Fortune 500 India List

Government owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is ranked as the largest company in terms of revenue, the Fortune 500 list of Indian companies for 2012 . In this list Indian Oil Corporation got the first place with a full-year revenue of Rs 4,202 billion, Reliance Industries Limited got the second place with a full-year revenue of Rs 3,675 billion and Bharat Petroleum Corporation got the third place with a full -year revenue of Rs 2,148 billion

India’s Lost $123 bn in Black Money

According to the report of ‘Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries: 2001—2010,’ released by Global Financial Integrity (GFI) India lost $123 billion in black money during 2001-2010. However India’s loss is far less than that of China, which according to the report suffered a loss of $ 2.74 trillion during the same period (2001 to 2010). India is the eighth largest victim of black money loses.

India Lags Several Nations in Per Capita Income

India is lagging behind several countries in per capita income due to different levels of development and various other factors, the central government was informed on 19 December. India’s per capita GDP on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) basis was $3,403 in 2010 and is estimated at $3,662.69 in 2011 and $3,851.31 in 2012.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Canadian Scientists Created Artificial Brain

Software engineers as well as neuroscientists at University of Waterloo, Canada claimed that they have developed a closest model of the functioning human brain, known as Spaun which is advanced enough for passing the basic IQ tests. This is the virtual brain which functions on the supercomputer and comprises of a digital eye, which can be used for visual input. It also has the robotic arm which can be used for drawing the response.

Voyager 1 Drifts Into Unknown Region of Space

NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has discovered a new layer of the solar system that scientists hadn’t known was there, researchers announced on 4 December 2012. Voyager 1, in particular, has entered a new region of the heliosphere that scientists are calling a “magnetic highway,” which allows charged particles from inside the heliosphere to flow outward, and particles from the galaxy outside to come in.

New Anti-HIV Gel for HIV Transmission

Researchers led by Dereuddre-Bosquet from the European Combined Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Microbicides (CHAARM) Consortium describe the gel’s key ingredient, which are small peptides engineered to present a decoy to bind up the virus and prevent it from entering and infecting the body

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cells. Because this is a gel it can be topically applied and could represent a powerful preventative agent against sexual transmission of HIV. Bosquet and colleagues engineered peptides named ‘miniCD4s’ because they mimic the CD4 receptor used by HIV to gain entry into immune cells of the body.

NASA to Send New Rover to Mars in 2020

NASA was announced plans to send a new robotic explorer to the the Red Planet, Mars in 2020.

7 Planets Discovered In The Milky Way

New York Scientists have been discovered Seven planets in the Milky Way outside our solar system that could potentially harbour life and researchers from an ambitious project to catalogue all habitable worlds claim.

Russia Delivered MiG-29 Fighter Jets to India

Russia on 10 December 2012 delivered the first three upgraded MiG-29UPG fighter jets to India under a USD 900 million contract to modernise the ageing fleet of MiG-29 aircraft with the IAF.

Tata Group Developed new “Artillery Gun”

On 11 December In a step towards developing the indigenous private sector defence industry, the Tata group has created a new Artillery Gun. The 155mm 52 calibre gun developed by the Tata group is likely to have a strike range of 52 kms, which would probably be the longest in the Indian inventory.

India Successfully Test Fired Agni-I Ballistic Missile

India on 12 December 2012 successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Agni-I ballistic missile with a strike range of 700 km from a test range off Odisha coast. Weighing 12 tonnes, the 15-metre-long Agni-I, which is capable of carrying payloads up to 1000 kg and destroy the targets at a distance of 700 km.

North Korea Launched Unha-3 Rocket

On 12 December North Korea launched a long-range rocket Unha-3 despite international opposition and growing tensions in the region successfully delivering a scientific satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 into orbit.Unha-3 is the second version of satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 which is successfully lifted off from the Sohae Space Center by carrier rocket.The US and its allies view the launch as a disguised test of ballistic missile technology.

NASA’s Twin Probes Crashed Successfully onto Lunar Mountain

Ebb and Flow, the gravity mapping satellites of NASA ended the successful mission to Moon by crashing on the rim of crater. Lunar surface on which Ebb and Flow crashed will be given a name after Sally Ride, the first woman of America in the space who died earlier in 2012.

Rocket with 3 Astronauts Takes off for ISS

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying three astronauts took off atop a towering Russian rocket on 19 December 2012, headed for the International Space Station.It launched from Russia’s manned-space facility in the frigid steppes of Kazakhstan. American Tom Marshburn, Russian Roman Romanenko and Canadian Chris Hadfield are travelled in capsule.

Prithvi-II Flight- Tested Successfully

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The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully flight-tested nuclear weapons-capable Prithvi-II missile from Chandipur, off the Odisha coast on 20 December 2012. The surface-to-surface ballistic missile, was fired from a road mobile launcher and tested for its full range of 350 km.The single-stage, liquid propelled missile can carry a payload of 500 kg.

Astra Missile Successfully Test-fired

India on December 2012 test launched its indigenously developed beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air interceptor missile Astra at the interim test range(ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha.Astra which has the capability to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at a supersonic speed can be fitted into any fighter aircraft. Considered as one of the best of its kind in the world, the 3.8 metre long missile which weighs about 160 kg can carry explosive loaded conventional warheads up to 15 kg.

Scientists Discovered Mini Nile River on Saturn’s Moon Titan

Nasa scientists had spotted the longest extraterrestrial river system ever – on Saturn’s moon Titan – and it appears to be a miniature version of Earth’s Nile river.

Higgs Boson ‘ Tops Journal Science’s 2012 List

The discovery of the Higgs Boson, an invisible particle that explains the mystery of mass, leads a list of the top 10 scientific advances of 2012 released by the US journal Science on 22 December .

America Launched Reusable Rockets

US California based SpaceX’s industry successfully launched ‘Grasshopper’ reusable rockets.The rocket took a giant leap for commercial space flight and when it rose 131 feet and landed safely back on Earth. Grasshopper rocket rose to a height of 131 feet around ten storeys and hovered before landing safely on its launch pad using closed loop thrust vector and throttle control.

Hot Spots For World’s more Powerful Earthquakes Revealed

The locations of where the world’s largest earthquakes are most likely to take place had pinpointed with greater accuracy than ever before, by researchers from the University of Sydney.The coasts of Southern Chile and Peru, Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, and several regions along the eastern Eurasian coastline, are some of the regions prone to great earthquakes.

PERSONS IN NEWS

a) APPOINTMENTS

Visually-challenged Indian-American in key US post

On 1 December Obama administration was appointed a visually-challenged Indian-American Sachin Dev Pavithran as a Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board member.

Ajit Pawar sworn-in as Maharashtra Deputy CM

Ajith Pawar sworn-in as Maharashtra deputy chief minister on 7 December. After getting the clean chit from the government on corruption in irrigation projects.

Chautala Elected as IOA President

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Abhay Singh Chautala was on December 2012 unanimously elected president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) while Lalit Bhanot became the new secretary general.

Parthasarathy Shome Appointed Adviser to Finance Minister

The government of India appointed tax expert Parthasarthi Shome as adviser to Finance Minister P Chidambaram with minister of state rank, sending a strong signal that tax reforms may top its economic agenda in the remainder of the UPA government’s second term.

Malala’s Father Ziauddin Yousufzai Appointed UN Education Adviser

Ziauddin Yousufzai, the father of 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai, who was shot by the Taliban for advocating girls’ right to education, has been appointed as Special UN Adviser on Global Education on 10 December.

Vijay Kumar appointed Senior Security Adviser in Home Ministry

The Union government had appointed the former Director-General of the Central Reserve Police Force, K. Vijay Kumar, as Senior Security Adviser in the Home Ministry where he will advise on security and development in the Naxal-affected States.

Vinod Rai Re-elected as Chair of UN Auditors Panel

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Vinod Rai was re-elected Chair of the (UN) auditors Panel for the year 2013, while the CAG of the United Kingdom, Amyas Morse, was re-elected the vice-chair of the Panel.

Naina Lal Kidwai Becomes First Woman President of FICCI

Country Head of HSBC India, Naina Lal Kidwai, took over as President of FICCI on 15 December 2012. She become the first woman to head the leading industry body.

Rita Singh Elected Federation of Indian Associations President

Rita Singh, an Indian American businesswoman from Bihar was elected the first woman president of Chicago-based Federation of Indian Associations (FIA).

Subhash Joshi Appointed As New BSF Chief

Subhash Joshi was appointed as the new chief of Border Security Force (BSF) on 18 December 2012. Chadha, Special Secretary was appointed as Director General of ITBP(Indo-Tibetan Border Police).

Obama Nominates John Kerry to be Secretary of State

The senior senator John Kerry was nominated as America’s Foreign Minister by President Barack Obama on 21 December 2012.The John Kerry, who is the senior Senator from Massachusetts, now he became the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Smita Singh Appointed as member of Global Development Council

On 22 December The Obama administration has appointed Indian-American Smita Singh as member of the president’s Global Development Council.

Virbhadra Singh Sworn in as Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister

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On 25 December Former Union Minister Virbhadra Singh was sworn-in as Himachal Pradesh’s chief minister for a record sixth term in Shimla. He was Chief Minister five times between 1983 and 1985; 1985 and 1990; 1993 and 1998 and 2003 and 2007.

Narendra Modi Sworn in Gujarat CM for 4th time

Narendra Modi sworn in as Gujarat chief minister for the fourth consecutive time on 26 December 2012. He was sworn in along with seven ministers of Cabinet rank and nine ministers of state.

Cyrus Mistry took charge as Tata Group Chairman

Cyrus Mistry, the new chairman of the Tata Group, took charge of his office on 31 December.Mistry is the sixth chairman of the Tata empire.

b) RESIGNS

Mali Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra Resigned

On 11 December Malian Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra resigned and dissolved his government after he was arrested by the army in the West African nation.He was acting Prime Minister of Mali from April 2012

Singapore Parliament Speaker Resigned

Singapore’s parliament speaker Michael Palmer announced his resignation on 12 December 2012 over an extramarital affair with a staff member of the People’s Association, a statutory body leading efforts to reach out to members of the public.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Resigned

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman formally submitted his resignation on 16 December 2012 due to a pending indictment against him for fraud and breach of trust.

Japan Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda Resigned

On 16 December Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda resigned from his post to take responsibility for his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) defeat in Lower House Election .He was formally appointed by the Emperor on 2 September 2011.

c) DEATHS

Geophysicist Devendra Lal Died

Devendra Lal, geophysicist and visiting professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) of the university of california, has died on 1 December in San Diego.He was conferred with Padma Shri in 1971. Devendra Lal also won NASA Group Achievement Award.

World’s Oldest Woman and Tallest Woman Both Died

Besse Cooper, the woman listed as the world’s oldest person was died on 4 December 2012 in Georgia at the age of 116. Meanwhile, a Chinese woman, Yao Defen, was certified as the tallest in the world was also died. Mrs Cooper was declared the world’s oldest person in January 2011.Chinese woman Yao Defen was listed as the world’s tallest woman by Guinness World Records in 2010.

Jazz Pianist & Composer Dave Brubeck Died

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On 5 December Legendary Jazz composer and pianist Dave Brubeck died in Norwalk. He had also won various awards during his career which spanned over six decades.The Library of Congress designated him as the Living Legend.

British Astronomer Sir Patrick Moore Died

British astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore on 9 December 2012 in Selsey, West Sussex.Sir Patrick presented the BBC programme The Sky At Night for over 50 years, making him the longest-running host of the same television show ever.

Ex-Bangladesh President Ahmed Died

Former Bangladeshi President and Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP) leader Iajuddin Ahmed passed away on 10 December 2012. Iajuddin Ahmed was the 13th president of Bangladeshserving from Sept. 6, 2002 until Feb. 12, 2009.

Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar Died

Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar, whose mastery over the sitar helped rejuvenate the classical instrumental tradition in India and popularise Indian music in the West through concerts and collaborations with well known artists, died in San Diego, U.S. on 11 December 2012.

Former Ranji Cricketer Nimbalkar Died

Former Ranji cricketer B B Nimbalkar was passes away on 11 December 2012. BB Nimbalkar, who made an unbeaten 443 runs for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in a Ranji Trophy match in 1948-49. Yet this is the India’s highest scorer in first-class cricket.

First CM of Uttarakhand Nityanand Swami Passed Away

The first Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Nityanand Swami died at Dehra Dun on 12 December 2012.He worked as a first Chief Minister of Uttarakhand after dividing it from Uttar Pradesh in 2000.

Barcode Co-inventor Woodland Died

Norman Joseph Woodland, who co-created the barcode, was died on 9 December 2012 in New Jersey at the age of 91. Woodland was the co-inventor of bar code. He as well as his partner Bernard Silver (who died in 1963) patented this idea of bar code back in 1952.

Guinness World’s Oldest Person Dina Manfredini Died

Dina Manfredini (115 Years) the world’s oldest person and a resident of Iowa, has died on 17 December in Johnston .Guinness World Records identified Manfredini as the world’s oldest person on December 5, a day after the death of 116-year-old Besse Cooper of Georgia.

Former India Volleyball Captain Tilakam Gopal Died

Tilakam Gopal, former India captain died on 18 December 2012. Mr.Gopal’s achievements was being member of the silver medal winning Indian squad in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games and even led India in the five-Test series against the visiting Russians in 1966 which later on helped him to continue be captain in the Bangkok ASIAD in 1966 where India stood fourth.

Hockey Legend Leslie Claudius Died

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Legendary hockey player and one of India’s greatest Olympians Leslie Claudius, passed away in Kolkata on 20 December 2012. India won the silver medal in the Asian Games in 1978 in Bangkok, when he was the team manager.He got the Padma Shree award in 1971.

Former England Cricket Team Captain Tony Greig Died

Tony Greig, the South Africa-born cricketer who became England cricket team captain and later continued to make his mark on the game as a revered commentator in Australia, died on 29 December 2012.He played 58 tests for England and scored 3,599 runs at an average of 40.43 and took 141 wickets at 32.20.

d) VISITORS

Palestinian Hamas leader Meshaal Visited Gaza

The political leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal has visited Gaza on 6 December .He attended a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the founding of Hamas and a victory celebration .He visited southern Gaza strip through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing over for the first time in 45 years.

Ukrainian President Yanukovych Visited India

Viktor Yanukovych the President of Ukrainian visited India from 9th to 12th December. During this visit he signed 5 agreements .He met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan and the both nations discussed ways to improve bilateral relations.

Pak Minister Rehman Malik Visited India

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik visited India from 14th to 16th December .During the visit he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and both nations signed on new visa agreement.

Russian President Putin Visited India

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India on 24 December .During the visit he met Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and signed a series of pacts on defense cooperation and reached consensus to develop economic and trade relations.Putin last visited India as prime minister in 2010.

e) MISCELLANEOUS

China Launched First High Speed Train in Extremely Cold Areas

The world’s first high-speed train in areas with extremely low temperature started operation in China 01 December 2012.This train move with a speed of 350 Kmph in the areas of minus 40 degrees temperature. This is the fastest train world in this areas.

Forbes 2012 Most Powerful Persons List

On 6 December 2012 Forbes Magazine released the most powerful persons list in the world. In that list AICC President Sonia Gandhi got the 12th place and Prime Minister of India Man Mohan Singh got the 20th place. As usually this year also American President Barack Obama got 1st place. German chancellor Angela Merkel got the 2nd place. The list also includes Russian President Vladimir Putin at number three, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates (4), Richest Person in India Mukesh Ambani (37).

Mumbai Among World’s ‘Dirtiest’ Cities

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India’s commercial capital, Mumbai, was named among the world’s ‘dirtiest’ cities, ranking last in the “cleanest streets” category, a global survey of 40 key tourist cities has found. According to TripAdvisor’s Cities Survey, Tokyo grabbed the first place while Mumbai ranked last in the list of “cleanest streets”.

Jiroemon Kimura named ‘ World’s Oldest Person

On 18 December Jiroemon Kimura (115 years) has been named the world’s oldest person after the death of his predecessor, an American woman named Dina Manfredini who died on 17 December after receiving the title of oldest person of the world.Jiroemon Kimura was born on 19 April 1897 and is just 15 days younger than the deceased Dina Manfredini.

Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo (USA)

Miss USA Olivia Culpo is crowned Miss Universe 2012 on 19 December 2012, on the Las Vegas. Miss Philippines, Janine Tugonon, came in second, while Miss Venezuela, Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, placed third.

Obama is Time’s ‘Person of the Year’

President Barack Obama had been named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2012 on 19 December 2012. Obama also received the honour in 2008.

8 Indians Among World’s Best Performed CEOs

Eight Indian CEOs have made it to the list of 100 best performing global chief executives, compiled by Harvard Business Review (HBR). Deveshwar was first among the Indian CEOs featured in this list, and cornered the seventh place overall.Former chairman and MD, ONGC Subir Raha (Rank 13).Chairman and CEO, Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani (Rank 28).Chairman and Managing Director, Larsen & Toubro, AM Naik (Rank 32). Former CMD, Bharat Heavy Electricals, AK Puri (Rank 38). Chairman, Bharti Airtel, Sunil Bharti Mittal (Rank 65). CEO, Jindal Steel & Power, Naveen Jindal (Rank 87). Former Chairman, SAIL,VS Jain (Rank 89). Former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs (Rank 1). CEO, Amazon.com CEO, Jeff Bezos (Rank 2).

China Launched World’s Longest High-Speed Rail

China launched service on the world’s longest high-speed railway on 26 December 2012 with trains scheduled to run 2,298 kilometres between Beijing and Guangzhou in about eight hours.Travelling at an average speed of about 300 km per hour, the service would cut the journey time from more than 20 hours by conventional trains.

PLACES IN NEWS

Typhoon Bopha Killed Hundreds in Philippines

Bopha, the strongest typhoon hit the Philippines on 5 December 2012, was left at least 325 died. The typhoon with central winds of 115 kph and gusts of up to 145 kph was moved to west-northwest of the central Philippines on 6 December 2012.

Powerful Earthquake in Japan

The powerful earthquake had occurred in Japan on 7 December 2012.The magnitude of this earthquake was recorded as 7.3. This earthquake had occurred in 240 km beyond the Miyagi coast in the Pacific Oceanin a depth of 10m.

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ABBREVIATIONS

UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

WCCB – Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

TRAI – Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

SCI – Shipping Corporation of India

NSC – National Security Council

OIL – Oil India Limited

GAAR – General Anti Avoidance Rules

NCHRH – National Council for Human Resources in Health

IOA – Indian Olympic Association

GCC – Gulf Cooperation Council

NDAA – National Defence Authorisation Act

INAE – Indian National Academy of Engineering

ITSMA – Information Technology Services Marketing Association

GTI – Global Terrorism Index

BOOKS IN NEWS

“The Peak” Book Released on Sachin Tendulkar

On 2 December Indian Cricketer Yuvraj Singh was launched Sachin Tendulkar’s new book named ‘The Peak’ which is a unique photographed story on Tendulkar by photo-journalist Suman Chattopadhyay. The book captures some rare and memorable moments of Tendulkar’s life through Chattopadhyay’s lens and the stories behind them in the master’s own words

“Pankaj, Bengal’s Forgotten Hero” Book Released

On 3 December Senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar and former India captain Sourav Ganguly released a book on former India opener Late Pankaj Roy named ‘Pankaj, Bengal‘s Forgotten Hero‘ has been written by Bengali sports journalist Gautam Bhattacharya. Pankaj Roy had played 43 Tests for India in a span of 10 years scoring 2442 runs with five centuries.

“My Tryst with Justice” Book Released

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On 12 December President Pranab Mukherjee released a book “My Tryst with Justice” which was written by Former Chief Justice P.N.Bhagwati .The book would be a prized possession for every Indian who wants to make a difference to the world and who aspires for a world more just, he added.

’M.S. Subbulakshmi – Queen of Carnatic Music’ Book Launched

The life story of carnatic music legend M.S. Subbulakshmi, the first musician to be conferred the Bharat Ratna, is now detailed in a graphic illustrated book launched on December. The story of the nightingale of carnatic music, fondly known as MS. It is being told through Amar Chitra Katha’s new title “M S Subbulakshmi – Queen of Carnatic Music’’

COMMITTEES

Usha Thorat Committee for NBFCs

India’s majority of Non-Banking Finance companies (NBFCs) may be freed from the regulatory clutches provided Reserve Bank of India (RBI) implements one of the recommendations made by Usha Thorat Committee. The committee had submitted its recommendations to RBI. Currently, those recommendations are under RBI’s consideration.

Chandrashekhar Committee to Frame Rules for Foreign Investors

On 13 December The market regulator Sebi has appointed a committee under ex-Cabinet secretary K M Chandrashekhar to frame a single set of guidelines for all types of foreign investors.The committee will suggest ways to simplify the investment process for all overseas entities like foreign institutional investors, foreign venture capital investors (FVCIs), qualified financial, institutional investors (QFIs)

IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES

Feb 4 – World Cancer Day

Feb 20 – World Day of Social Justice

Feb 21 – International Mother Tongue Day

Feb 22 – World Scout Day

Feb 22 – World Thinking Day

Feb 23 – World Peaces and Understanding Day

Feb 24 – Central Excise Tax Day

Feb 28 – National Science Day

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November 2012 Current Affairs Study Material

INTERNATIONAL

Barack Obama re-elected as President of US

Barack Obama re-elected as President of US with a clear victory over Republican challenger Mitt Romney on 7th November 2012.

Hindu-American elected to US Congress for the first time

Tulsi Gabbard is the first Hindu-American elected as the US House of Representative from Hawaii in November 2012 elections.

Nepal elected to UN ECOSOC board

Nepal elected a board member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for a three-year term starting in January 2013. Nepal along with 17 other countries were elected board members of ECOSOC 8th November 2012 by the UN General Assembly.

Israel fires into Syria

Israel was drawn into the fighting in neighboring Syria for the first time on 11th November 2012, firing warning shots across the border after an errant mortar shell landed near an Israeli military installation in the Golan Heights.

China’s Communist Party selects new leadership

China elects the new President as Xi Jinping and Prime Minister as Li Keqiang on 14 November 2012.

Japan to go to polls on 16 December 2012

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolved the Lower House of Parliament on 16 November 2012 ,paving the way for elections in which his ruling party will likely give way to a weak coalition government divided over how to solve Japan’s myriad problems. Elections were set for 16 December 2012.

U.N. approves Palestinian ‘observer state’ bid

The United Nations General Assembly on 30 November 2012 endorsed an upgraded U.N. status for the Palestinian Authority, despite intense opposition from the United States and Israel.The vote was 138 delegates in favor of the measure including India, nine against including America, Brazil and Canada and 41 abstentions including Britain.

INDIA & WORLD

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) lift export ban on some milk products

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Amid surplus availability of milk powder in the country, the government is likely to decide on 1st November 2012 on lifting ban on export of milk products, especially whole milk powder, dairy whitener and infant milk foods.

US included as dialogue partner of Indian Ocean countries

The US was inducted as a sixth dialogue partner in the 20-nation Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) grouping on 3rd November 2012.The ministers of countries which are members of IOR-ARC decided unanimously to give the US the same status that they had earlier accorded to the United Kingdom, France, Egypt and Japan.

Agreement with World Bank for Assam road project

India has signed a 320-million dollar loan agreement with the World Bank for road projects in Assam on 5th November 2012.

Canada to allow civil nuclear trade with India

India and Canada signed an agreement on 6th November 2012 in New Delhi for bilateral Cooperation in civil nuclear trade. So, India imports Uranium from canada for civil nuclear reactors.

DRDO ties up with York University, Canada

Defence Research and Development Organisation and York University, Canada signed a memorandum of understanding for doing collaborative defence research in the areas of advanced materials, nanotechnology, life sciences, bio-informatics, chemical and biological defence, sensors, and others.

Indian-origin CEO of Datawind and MIT professor among Forbes’ top 15 education innovators list

Indian-origin CEO of Datawind, the maker of India’s low-cost tablet Aakash, Suneet Singh Tuli and Massachusettes Institute of Technology professor Anant Agarwal named by Forbes magazine among the 15 “classroom revolutionaries” who are using innovative technologies to reinvent education for students and teachers globally.

Mahatma Gandhi Grandson elected to Kansas State Assembly

Mahatma Gandhi grandson Shanti Gandhi elected to a State Assembly in the United States from Kansas’s 52nd Assembly District as a Republican Party candidate during the general elections held on 6 November 2012.

India and Afghanistan signed four agreements

India and Afghanistan signed four agreements to cooperate in areas of social welfare, fertilizer, coal mining and youth affairs on 12th November 2012.

Dr Ami Bera is the third Indian-American elected to the US House of Representatives

An Indian-American physician from California became only the third person of Indian-origin to be elected to the US House of Representatives by defeating Republican Dan Lungren with just 184 votes lead.

Japan signs pact to import rare earths from India

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India and Japan on 16 November 2012 inked a strategic agreement on ”Tokyo to import rare earth minerals from India”.

Maldivian Airlines inks pact with Apollo Hospitals

Maldivian Airlines on 19 November 2012 had signed a pact with the Chennai-headquartered Apollo Hospitals to give discounts to each others’ clients. For example, Apollo Hospitals will give a discount on its service charges for those who fly the airline, and the airline will give similar discounts to the hospital’s patients on the airfare.

India adds 22 items in the list of border trade with Myanmar

India had notified 22 additional items including agricultural tools, bicycles, coal and garments in the list of items for border trade with Myanmar.According to a study conducted by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), bilateral trade between India and Myanmar is expected to double by 2015 from $1.3 billion, on the back of free trade agreement between New Delhi and ASEAN region.

India votes against UN resolution on death penalty ban

India was among the 39 countries that voted against a UN General Assembly draft resolution which called for abolishing the death penalty, saying every nation had the “sovereign right” to determine its own legal system.

India, China joint economic strategy held at New Delhi

The Second India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 26 November 2012. In this meeting China and India discussed several topics including greater cooperation at the global level, strengthening communication on macroeconomic policies, deepening and expanding trade and investment and promoting bilateral cooperation in the financial and infrastructure sectors. The bilateral trade between these two countries enhanced from $74 billion to $100 billion.

India- Maldives joint military training exercises held at Belgaum

The fourth joint military training exercises between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) – EKUVERIN 2012 – was held in Belgaum from 12 to 25 November 2012.

NATIONAL

President Pranab Mukherjee released a commemorative postage stamp on late Ramgopal Maheshwari

President Pranab Mukherjee released a commemorative postage stamp on late Ramgopal Maheshwari on 20 November 2012.

Arvind Kejriwal launches Aam Admi Party

Arvind Kejriwal announced the name for his newly launched party as “Aam Admi Party” on 24 November 2012 in New Delhi.

Bangalore among top polluted megacities in the world

India’s silicone valley Bangalore was rated among top polluted megacities in the world, claims a new study, using data collected by NASA’s high-tech satellites.Scientists at Tel Aviv University tracked

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pollution trends for 189 megacities, including Mumbai, New York City and Tokyo, by analysing eight years’ worth of data from three of NASA’s high-tech aerosol monitoring satellites.

STATES

50% reservation for women in Assam Panchayat Elections

The Assam State Election Commission has announced 50 per cent reservation of seats for women in the forthcoming panchayat polls as stated by State Election Commissioner Biren Dutta on 9th November 2012

Chain of static sensors positioned along the coast of Andhra Pradesh

Union Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Kumar inaugurated a chain of static sensors positioned along the coast of Andhra Pradesh at a programme organised at the Coast Guard district headquarters Visakhapatnam on 23 November 2012.This will improve surveillance along coast.

Ban on plastic bags comes into force in New Delhi

The ban on manufacture, sale and use of most types of plastic bags in the Capital came into force on on 23 November 2012.

CONFERENCES

SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians Conference held at Islamabad

The sixth conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians held in Islamabad on 4th November 2012.From India, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha Professor P. J. Kurien are participated the conference.In this conference they discussed the role of women parliamentarians for social justice and the strengthening of democracy in South Asia.

Countries G20 finance ministers and central bankers summit held in Mexico

The G20 countries finance ministers and central bankers summit held in Mexico on 4th November 2012.In this summit the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the India’s economy should grow by 5.5 percent to 6.0 percent in the year 2012 and return to 7 percent growth in 2013.

E-9 countries review meeting held in New Delhi

E-9 countries review meeting held in New Delhi on 9th and 10th November 2012.The E-9 countries are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria and Mexico .

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Cambodia for South Asian summits

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on 18 November 2012 to attend the ASEAN and East Asia Summits.

Bangladesh Opted out of D-8 Summit Scheduled to be Held in Pakistan

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Bangladesh opted out of the key summit known as D-8 Summit in Pakistan which is scheduled to be held later in November, 2012. Bangladesh opted out because Pakistan refused to apologise for the deeds committed during 1971 war which eventually led to Bangladesh’s independence.

The 8th meeting of the India-UK Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter terrorism

The 8th meeting of the India-UK Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter terrorism was held on 20 November 2012 in New Delhi.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Aishwarya Rai was honoured with French Civilian Award

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachan was honoured with the second highest French civilian award “Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters” by French government for her contribution in promoting Indo-French cooperation in Cinema on 1st November 2012.

Tata Literature Live! First Book Award

Banker and New York based – author Ruchir Sharma was awarded the Tata Literature Live! First Book Award for his Breakout Nations:In Pursuit of the Next Economic Miracles at the Mumbai Lit-fest on 4 November 2012.

Durgabai Deshmukh Awards for Women’s Development Presented by President of India

President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 5 November 2012 presented the Durgabai Deshmukh awards for women’s development for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.The eighth Award for 2005 was jointly given to two winners, Mizoram Hmeithai (Widows) Association and People’s Forum, Bhubaneswar. The ninth Award for the year 2006 was awarded to Sumangali Seva Ashram of Bangalore.The tenth Award for the year 2007 was awarded to the Snehalaya of Ahmednagar.

Germany honoured the Baba Kalyani

The chairman and managing director of Bharat Forge, Babasaheb N. Kalyani honoured with ‘Cross of Order of Merit’ by Germany. This is the highest honour awarded to individuals for their services to the country in Germany.

Madhav Chavan wins education ‘Nobel prize’

Dr Madhav Chavan has won the WISE Prize, which has been likened to a “Nobel prize for education”.The award, announced on 13 November,2012 at the WISE summit in Qatar, recognises his education work in the slums of Mumbai.

‘Bitter Seeds’ won 18 international awards

‘Bitter Seeds’, a documentary film produced by US-based filmmaker Micha Peled on the agrarian crisis of cotton growers and their plight was being shown in Vidarbha region. “Every 30 minutes, a farmer in the country kills himself in despair because he no longer provide anything for his family. The film has won 18 international awards.

Urdu Scholar Gopi Chand Narang Awarded Moortidevi Award for 2010

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The Vice President of India Hamid Ansari presented the Moortidevi Award for 2010 to eminent Urdu scholar Gopi Chand Narang for his outstanding work on Urdu Ghazal aur Hindustani Zehan wa Tehzeeb at a function organized by Bhartiya Jnanpith.

Chinese movie `11 Flowers` wins award at Kolkata Film Fest

Chinese movie ‘11 Flowers’, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Wang Xiaoshuai has won the prestigious NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) award at the 18th Kolkata International Film festival (KIFF), which ended on 17 November 2012.

Liberian President got the Indira Gandhi peace prize for 2012

President of the Republic of Liberia Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf got the Indira Gandhi peace prize for 2012 for her Excellency, Peace,Disarmament and Development.

Malala chosen for bravery award

Malala Yousafzai,who became the face of Pakistan’s struggle against the Taliban was honoured with bravery award by the Peace and Prosperity Foundation Chairman Prince Ali Khan, at the Cholmondeley Room of the House of Lords on 19 November 2012.

Gavaskar conferred with CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was on 21 November 2012 conferred with BCCI’s prestigious Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award.

Indian Origin Autar Kaw is U.S. Professor of the Year

Autar Kaw, an Indian born professor of mechanical engineering at the University of South Florida was received the award of ’ 2012 US Professor of the Year ‘.

Indira Gandhi Peace Prize presented to former Brazilian President Lula

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the former President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, was conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 22 November 2012.

Punjabi film “Andhey Ghorey Da Daan” bags Golden Peacock Award 2012 in 43rd IFFI Goa

“Andhey Ghorey Da Daan” a Punjabi film directed by Gurvinder Singh and produced by National Film Development Cooperation was bagged the Golden Peacock award of the International Film Festival of India, IFFI. The award carries a Golden Peacock with a cash prize of 20 lakhs prize of20 lakh rupeex.

SPORTS & GAMES

Kimi Raikkonen won Abu Dhabi GP

Kimi Raikkonen won an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 4th November 2012.

Mahesh Bhupathi-Rohan Bopanna win Paris Masters

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Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna clinched the Paris Masters, their second title of the year, after scoring a hard-fought win over Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer in Paries on 4th November 2012.

Czech Republic lifted Fed Cup

The Czech Republic got the Fed Cup title after beating Serbia in the final on 4 November 2012.

National Anti-Doping Disciplinary panel suspendes 11 athletes for two years

The National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (NADDP) suspended all the 11 athletes for two years, who were tested positive with methyl hexane amine (MHA) in the run-up of the last Commonwealth Games.The suspended 11 athletes are :Two athletes, Saurabh Vij and Akash Antil; Six wrestlers, all of them internationals, Arjuna awardee Rajeev Tomar, Joginder Singh, Sumit Sehrawat, Rahul Maan, Gursharanpreet Kaur and Khatri; and three swimmers, Amar Muralidharan, Jyotsana Pansare and Richa

Pakistan won Second Asian Kabaddi Championship 2012

Pakistan won the Second Asian Kabaddi Championship 2012 against India on 6th November 2012.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, Youngest Indian on Elite Golfers’ League

Gaganjeet Bhullar, 24, became the youngest Indian to make it to the elite group of the world’s top-100 players in the latest rankings.

Hanoi to host 2019 Asian Games

Vietnam’s capital Hanoi will host the 2019 Asian Games.

India bags four medals in 14th Asian Youth (boys & girls) weightlifting championships

India won four medals on the opening day of the 14th Asian Youth (boys & girls) weightlifting championships at Yangon, Myanmar, on 8th November 2012.Santa won a bronze in snatch with a lift of 95 kg before securing a gold each in clean and jerk and total lift with efforts of 126 kg and 221 kg respectively. The other medal of the day for the Indians was won by Chandrika Tarafdar in youth girls’ 44 kg category. She won a silver with a total lift of 132 kg.

Rahul bags 3 more golds for India in Asian Youth Weightlifting

Ragala Venkat Rahul won three gold medals to help India increase their medals tally to seven on the second day of the 14th Asian Youth (Boys & Girls) Weightlifting Championships at Yangon, Myanmar on 9th November 2012.Competing in the 77kg weight category, Rahul secured the yellow metals in snatch, clean and jerk and overall with a total lift of 280 kgs.

International news agencies boycott India-England Test series

International news agencies on 15 November 2012 decided to boycott the high-profile Test series between India and England which began in Ahmedabad to protest against the restrictions imposed by the BCCI on some photo agencies covering the tour.

Saina Nehwal retains 3rd place in Badminton World Federation women’s rankings

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal retained her third place in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) women’s rankings released on 16 November,2012.

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Priyanka is Asian under-10 champion

Asian under-10 girls chess champion Nuthaki Priyanka bagged the world youth chess championship at Maribor, Slovenia on 18 November 2012. She completed with 9.5 points of 11 rounds.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won United States Grand Prix 2012

McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the 2012 United States Grand Prix race at Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas. It was the first F1 race in United States since 2007.

Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix named IAAF world athletes of the year

Usain Bolt won the IAAF(International Amateur Athletic Federation) World male Athlete of the Year award for the fourth time and United States sprinter Allyson Felix won the women’s World Athlete of the Year award on 24 November 2012.

Sebastian Vettel won third Formula One world title

Sebastian Vettel became the youngest triple champion in Formula One history on 25 November 2012.He stood sixth position in Brazilian Grand Prix with 8 points.But overall he got F1 world title for this season with 281 points. This is the third time consecutively he got the F1 title.

India to hold 3rd World cup Kabaddi in December

Punjab would host 3rd World Kabaddi Cup from 1 to 15 December 2012. 23 countries are participating in this world cup.The prize money for this world cup is Rs.4.54crores.

ECONOMY

Rs 6,000-cr fine on Tata Steel for illegal mining

The Odisha government imposed a fine Rs 6,000 crore on Tata Steel for its alleged involvement in “illegal and excess mining” at its captive mines.

India signs loan agreement with World Bank for USD 70 million

India signed a 70-million US Dollar loan agreement with World Bank for financing the Karnataka Health Systems Development as well as Reform Project on 22 November 2012.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Indian diamond fetches 16.9 million euros at auction

A 76-carat flawless diamond from India’s famous Golconda mines broke world record by fetching a whooping 16.9 million euros (Rs 1,18,16,98,700) at an auction in Geneva on 14 November 2012.

Scientists Created a Paper-thin material that can stop bullets

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A team of mechanical engineering and materials scientists from Rice University and MIT has created special nanomaterials that were able to stop bullets in the lab. The type of material, called a structured polymer composite, can actually self-assemble into alternating glassy and rubbery layers.

Solar System’s largest planet discovered

A team of astrophysicists had discovered an enormous gaseous planet that is 13 times more massive than Jupiter, earning the name “Super-Jupiter “ and is the largest planet in our own solar system.

India successfully test fires supersonic interceptor missile

India successfully test-fired an indigenously developed supersonic interceptor missile, capable of destroying a hostile ballistic missile, from a test range off the Odisha coast on 23 November 2012.

Drug that can halt cancer spread

Scientists was developed a new drug called Aflibercept, for stop the cancer cells from multiplying.

Pakistan tests nuclear-capable ballistic missile

Pakistan successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile called Hatf-V(Ghauri) on 28 November 2012 that can hit targets up to 1,300 km (807 miles) away.

Astronomers Discovered Giant black hole in tiny galaxy

Astronomers claim to have discovered the most massive black hole ever known in a small galaxy about 250 million light-years from Earth, holding a mass equivalent to 17 billion Suns.The super-massive black hole is located inside the galaxy NGC 1277 in the constellation Perseus.It makes up about 14 per cent of its host galaxy’s mass, compared with the 0.1 per cent a normal black hole would represent, scientists said, adding that it has a mass equivalent to 17 billion Suns.

PERSONS IN NEWS

a) Appointments

Rakesh Mohan appointed as executive director on IMF board

Former RBI Deputy Governor Rakesh Mohan appointed as executive director on the board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

VK Malhotra re-elected Archery Association President

Vijay Kumar Malhotra was on 9th November 2012 re-elected as President of the Archery Association of India after beating Assam unit vice-president BVP Rao in Archery Association presidents elections.

Obama appoints Indian-American Rajiv Shah to head USAID

Indian-Americans won one of their highest-ever appointments in the US government when President Obama on 13 November 2012 nominated Dr Rajiv Shah as administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Anil Dev Singh appointed new chief of IOA election panel

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Anil Dev Singh, retired Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, appointed as the new Chairman of The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on 19 November 2012.

Scott Flemming named India’s basketball coach

The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) had appointed Scott Flemming, who brings along with him over 30 years of collegiate and professional experience in the United States, as the head coach of the men’s national team on 19 November 2012.

BBC appointed Tony Hall as new director general

Royal Opera House chief executive Tony Hall had appointed as director general of the BBC on 22 November 2012,replacing George Entwistle who resigned earlier this month in a burgeoning scandal over the corporations’ reporting of sexual abuse.

Ranjit Sinha appointed new CBI Director

Senior IPS officer Ranjit Sinha was appointed the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation for two-year term on 22 November 2012.

Barbosa sworn in as first non-white President of Brazil’s Supreme Court

Joaquim Barbosa was sworn-in as Brazil’s Supreme Court’s first non-White President on 23 November 2012 at a packed ceremony in the capital Brazilia . Barbosa, became famous in Brazil after overseeing one of the country’s biggest corruption trials involving key members of the former President Lula Da Silva’s government.

Alok Joshi new RAW chief

The Haryana cadre IPS officer Alok Joshi was appointed head of India’s external intelligence gathering agency – Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) on 27 November 2012. Alok Joshi will take charge from S.K. Tripathi on December 30, 2012.

Luiz Felipe Scolari appointed new Brazil Football team coach

Brazilian Football Confederation have appointed Luiz Felipe Scolari as the new coach for Brazil Football team on 29 November 2012.

Mohan re-elected as vice president of IBSF

Capt Mohan, the president of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India, was re-elected as the vice president of the IBSF (International Billiard & Snooker Federation). The election took place at the Annual General Body meeting of International Billiards and Snooker Federation, at Sofia, Bulgaria on 29 November 2012.

b) Resigns

American CIA Director David Petraeus resigned

American Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) Director David Petraeus resigned on 10th November 2012 due illegal affair with Broadwell that was proved by the FBI in investigation.

BJP suspended Ram Jethmalani from party for ‘indiscipline’

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The BJP on 25 Novemebr 2012 suspended a Rajya Sabha member Ram Jethmalani from the party for ”gross indiscipline”. He recently attacked the for for criticizing the appointment of the new CBI chief.

Ricky Ponting retired from international cricket

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has announced he will retire from international cricket at the end of the third Test against South Africa.He is the second highest run scorer in Test history behind Sachin Tendulkar.Ponting has scored 13,366 runs at an average of 52.21 in his career.

Yeddyyurappa quits BJP, Assembly

The former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa quits the BJP and resigned to the Legislative Assembly on 30 November 2012. He started his political career when he was elected as President of the Shikaripura Taluk erstwhile Jana Sangha in 1972. He won his first Assembly election in 1983 as BJP candidate. He became the first BJP chief minister in South India.

c) Deaths

Yerram Naidu senior TDP leader dies in road accident

K. Yerran Naidu, Telugu Desam Party’s senior leader and former union minister for rural development died in a car accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district on 2nd November 2012.

Cartoonist,T.Samuel passes away

Veteran cartoonist, T Samuel, a pioneer of pocket cartoons in India, passed away on 2 November 2012. He worked for the famous newspapers like Times of India ,Indian Express and Nav Bharat Times etc.. He became famous as the creator of pocket cartoon “Babuji”.

BJP leader Kailashpati Mishra passes away

Veteran BJP leader and former governor of Gujarat and Rajasthan Kailashpati Mishra died in Patna on 3rd November 2012.

Veteran freedom fighter V P Murthy Raju passes away

Freedom fighter and former Andhra Pradesh minister Ch V P Murthy Raju passed away in West Godavari district on 12th November 2012.Raju had been MLA for six terms and served as a minister when late P V Narasimha Rao was Chief Minister.

Ex-Minister KC Pant passes away

India’s former defence minister and Planning Commission deputy chairman Krishna Chandra Pant died on 15 November 2012.Pant was India’s defence minister between 1987 and 1989, when the Congress party was in power under then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thackeray died

Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray died in Mumbai on 17 November 2012.

Ajmal Kasab hanged, buried at Pune’s Yerwada Jail

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist caught alive during the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai, was hanged at Pune’s Yerwada Jail on 21 November 2012.Two secret codes are used the

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government with respect to Kasab to maintain secrecy 1. Operation X:-Hanging code named Operation X. X stood for execution 2. C-7096 :-C-7096, the number by which Kasab was identified officially.

Nobel winner and organ transplant pioneer Joseph Murray passes away

Dr. Joseph Murray, the surgeon who carried out the first successful kidney transplant and later won a Nobel Prize for his work in medicine and physiology, died on 26 November 2012 in Boston.

India’s diplomatic politician and former PM IK Gujral passes away

“Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral passed away on 30 November 2012 in Gujral. Born on 4 December, 1919 in Jhelum.IK Gujral started as the Vice President in NDMC in the 1950s and later became a Union Minister. Later He became the India’s Ambassador to the USSR. Gujral, an intellectual who propounded the ‘Gujral Doctrine’ of five principles for maintaining good neighbourly relations, left the Congress to join the Janata Dal in the late-1980s. In the 1989 elections, Gujral was elected from Jalandhar parliamentary constituency in Punjab and he became Minister for External Affairs, first under V P Singh (in December 1989) and then under Deve Gowda (in June 1996). Later he became the 12th Prime Minister of India in April 1997 for one year. “

d) Visitors

William Hague on four day official visit to India

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of United Kingdom, Mr. William Hague will be on a four day official visit to India from 7th November 2012.During his visit Mr. Hague will discuss bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest with External Affairs Minister, Mr Salman Khurshid in New Delhi.

Canadian Prime Minister visited India

Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, visited the India from November 3rd to 9th, during his visit India and Canada signed several agreements including Civil Nuclear Deal, Social Security Agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Information Technology and electronics and an agreement to boost bilateral cooperation in Defense Science and Technology.

Hamid Karzai arrived to India on four day visit

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai arrived to India on 9th November 2012 on a four-day visit.

Aung San Suu Kyi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh In New Delhi on 14 November,2012 during her 6 day visit to India.She then visited Shantivan to pay tribute to Jawaharlal Nehru.Later in the day, she will deliver the Nehru Memorial Lecture on the occasion of the former PM’s birth anniversary.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Cambodia for South Asian summits

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on 18 November 2012 to attend the ASEAN and East Asia Summits.

Barack Obama makes first US presidential visit to Burma

Barack Obama became the first American president visited the Myanmar. He visited the Myanmar on 18 November 2012 and then went to Cambodia to attend the ASEAN and East Asia Summits.

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e) Miscellaneous

Sunita Williams embarks on record 7th space walk

Indian-American Sunita Williams along with Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide on 1st November 2012 ventured out of the International Space Station, adding to her record-setting space walking sojourns, to find an ammonia leak in the vital radiator system.

China invites Abdul Kalam to teach at Peking University

China invited APJ Abdul Kalam to teach at Peking University

Irom Sharmila, the Iron Lady of Manipur completed 12 Years of Fast

Iron Lady from Manipur, Irom Sharmila on 5 November 2012 completed 12 years of her fast demanding for cancellation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (AFSPA). She blames AFPSA as the main cause for violence in the state of Manipur and other parts of Northeastern India.

Life Ban on Mohammad Azharuddin Lifted by Andhra Pradesh High Court

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on 8 November 2012 lifted the life ban from playing Cricket on Mohammad Azharuddin which was imposed by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Year 2000.

Ramanujan’s genius Proved by US Mathematician

Ramanujan’s genius Proved to the world by Ken Ono of Emory University in Atlanta on the occasion 125th Birth Anniversary of Ramanujan.Ken Ono of Emory University proved the Ramanujan’s formula of outputs for the roots of 1 like the square root —1.

Cancer charity drops Armstrong name

Lance Armstrong’s cancer charity removed the former cycling champion Lance Armstrong’s name from its title. The Lance Armstrong Foundation now officially known as the Livestrong Foundation.

Burma’s Suu Kyi Named New UN Ambassador

The United Nations announced Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as an ambassador to its program on HIV/AIDS. Suu Kyi accepted the invitation to head the program during a meeting with UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibé.

PLACES IN NEWS

Earthquake in Guatemala

Guatemalans hit by A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 on 8th November 2012.

Mumbai’s Sufi shrine Haji Ali Dargah bans entry of women

The management of Mumbai’s iconic Sufi shrine Haji Ali Dargah, which is visited by thousands of devotees every year, has restricted the entry of women.

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Strong Earthquake strikes Myanmar

A strong earthquake with magnitude of 6.8 hit the Myanmar on 11th November 2012 .

North Island New Zealand volcano Mt Tongariro erupts

New Zealand’s Mount Tongariro volcano in the central North Island erupted on 21 November 2012.

ABBREVIATIONS IN NEWS

AITA—-All India Tennis Association.

IOR-ARC— Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation

SAARC—-South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation

USAID—-United States Agency for International Development

IAAF—–International Amateur Athletic Federation.

BOOKS IN NEWS

Vice President Releases Series of Books Granthavali

The Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari released a collection of writing and works -Granthavali of late Dr Dineshnandini Dalmia in New Delhi on 2nd November 2012.

Saina Nehwal autobiography book released by Gagan Narang

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal , Ace shooter Gagan Narang and badminton player Parupalli Kashyap released book autobiography of Saina Nehwal “Playing to win-My life on and off the court ” in Hyderabad on 7 November 2012.

Yuvi – book on Yuvraj released

“The book on Indian Cricketer Yuvraj Singh named Yuvi was released in third week of November 2012. Yuvi, the book on Yuvraj Singh is published by Harper Sport and written by Makarand Waingankar. The book illustrates the brilliance of cricket shown by Yuvraj Singh in his career as a cricketer and the way he recovered from Cancer.

Chief of the Air Staff and Chairman COSC Air Chief Marshal Nak Browne Releases Book

Chief of the Air Staff and Chairman COSC Air Chief Marshal Nak Browne Releases Book titled “VICTORY INDIA – A Key to Quality Military Leadership” on 20 November 2012.The book is a collection of well written contributory articles by military experts.The book focuses on the process of identification, selection and training of our dynamic youth to mould them into inspiring effective quality military leaders.

Amitav Ghosh, Jeet Thayil shortlisted for literature prize

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Six books including “River of Smoke” by Amitav Ghosh, “Narcopolis” by Jeet Thayil and “The Wandering” by Pakistan-based author Jamil Ahmad, have been shortlisted for the DSC South Asian Literature Prize 2013.The finalist will be announced at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival January 2013.

COMMITTEESS IN NEWS

Pope Benedict XVI appoints six non-European cardinals for Pope selection committee

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed six priests from non-European countries to be cardinals, at a service in the Vatican’s St Peter’s Basilica.From India Baselios Cleemis Thottumkal, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was selected as a one of the Cardinal for the pope selection committee.

DAYS & DATES

UN declared November 10th as “Malala Day”

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared November 10 as ‘Malala Day’

Celebration of “Water Conservation Day” on 19th November 2012

National Integration Day is celebrated on 19th November to mark the birth anniversary of late Mrs Indira Gandhi, the 1st woman Prime Minister of India. On this occasion Union Ministry of Water Resources has decided to celebrate “Water Conservation Day” on 19th November 2012 to create awareness regarding concern about depleting water resources & its vision for the water underlining the Ministry’s commitment to be an active contributor to the sustainability of this very important natural resource.