PD MAY: 2014 NATIONAL

PD  –  MAY:  2014  

NATIONAL

§ ELECTIONS TO 16TH LOK SABHA FROM April 7, 2014: The election commission set in motion the process for

what promises to be a politically boisterous general election with all the parties gearing up for the big battle.The elections for the 16th Lok Sabha along with the Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim, will be held on nine different dates. The first day is April 7 and the last day is May 12. The entire process is spread over 73 days, against 75 days in the last elections. Counting of votes will be held on May 16.

§ INDIA TO GET WORLD’S FIRST SOLAR-POWERED, WATERLESS TOILET: A revolutionary waterless toilet powered by the sun, developed to help some of the 2.5 billion people lacking safe and sustainable sanitation around the world stood to be unveiled in March 2014.

§ PM MANMOHAN SINGH’S VISIT TO MYANMAR: In Myanmarese capital Nay Pyi Taw where the third regional summit of the BIMSTEC was held in the first week of March 2014, Indian Prime Minister urged the seven member BIMSTEC grouping to fast track trade and economic cooperation. On March 4,2014 he called for early conclusion of the BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and said that it should be extended to invest and services.

§ INDIA TO ‘EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE’ WITH ASEAN ON SEA-LANE SECURITY: India is concerned about the possible effect of competing territorial claims in the South China Sea on trade and investment and would like more ‘effective engagement’ with the ASEAN to keep the sea-lanes and communication lines open.

§ ELECTION COMMISSION (EC) TARGETS 75% TURN OUT THROUGH APPS, PRABHAT FERIS: under its systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) the EC aims at organising prabhat feris in rural areas and launch apps and caller tunes for urban voters. Upbeat by the assembly polls turn out, the EC has targeted for over 75% voting. Street plays and puppet shows are also planned in series of campaigns.

§ INDIA ABSTAINS FROM VOTING AGAINST LANKA ON WAR CRIMES CHARGES: In a significant development, India for the first time abstained from voting on the US sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka on alleged human rights violations, which was passed by 23 votes in favour as against 12 in opposition and 12 abstentions in the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva.

§ GUJARAT ACHIEVES TOP SPOT IN ECONOMIC FREEDOM INDEX: Narendra Modi led Gujarat successfully maintained its position as one of the most developed states of India as the state was placed on the top spot in terms of ‘economic freedom’ in the recently released ‘the Economic freedom of the states of India 2013 report’.

§ ONE-MAN EXPERT COMMITTEE TO STUDY DEMAND FOR BODOLAND STATE CONSTITUTED: Government of India constituted one man expert committee to study and examine the demand of separate Bodoland state, which will be carved out from Assam. The One man committee will be headed by former Union Home Secretary G. K. Pillai and will submit its report in nine months after consulting all section of the society on the viability of a separate state. § UTTAR PRADESH GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES YASH BHARTI AWARD: 23 renowned personalities have been

selected for the Yash Barti award, the highest award of UP for the year 2014.

§ INDIA 111TH AMONG NATIONS WITH WOMEN MPs: India is placed at the 111th position out of 189 countries in a list prepared by an international organisation that ranks nations on the number women representative in Parliament. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) , an international organisation of Parliaments, said in its annual analysis that more women that never before are being elected to Parliaments around the world, with gender parity likely achievable in less than a generation if the current tend countries.

§ INDIA 3RD AMONG MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES: It seems that you are likely to die in a bomb blast in India

than in Afghanistan. Strange as this may sound, government data show that India is among the most dangerous places in the world in terms of bomb blasts per year.

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§ NEW INDIA ASSURANCE HALVES HEALTH INSURANCE RATE FOR GIRL CHILD: The country’s largest insurer India Assurance has cut health insurance rates for girl children by half, but the discount is restricted to families with only girl children. Launching its girl child policy Asha Kiran, the company also announced health policies with good added benefits for women that are being sold through a tie-up with Bhartiya Mahila Bank.

WORLD

§ BOOST FOR UN INITIATIVE ON GREEN ECONOMIES: Donors at a Dubai Conference pledged over $ 1 million in support for a UN led initiative to push for green economies through sharing of expertise and technology with developing nations. The partnership for Action on a Green Economy (PAGE), launched by the UN in 2013, tries to help countries ‘transition towards greener and more inclusive economies’ as per the RIO +20 Declaration two years ago.

§ SOUTHEAST ASIA REGION INCLUDING INDIA IS DECLARED POLIO FREE BY WHO: With India having finally eradicated polio, the entire World Health Organisation (WHO) Southeast Asia region was formally certified polio free on March 27,2014.

§ HIMALAYAS LOST 13% GLACIERS IN 40 YEARS: Amid controversy and debate over the precise impact of global warming on the Himalayas, the glaciologists analysed a massive cache of data on the mountain range and have concluded that it lost 13% of its glaciers in just four decades.

§ ASTRONOMERS REVEAL ‘LARGEST’ EVER YELLOW STAR: Astronomers have spotted the largest yellow star ever observed in our galaxy and 1,300 times larger than the sun. The yellow hyper giant stars HR 5172 A is also in the top-10 of the largest star known and about one million times brighter than the sun.

§ COLD WAR BREWS ON UKRAINE: Russian President Vladimir Putin, defying Ukrainian protests and Western sanctions signed a treaty making Crimea part of Russia but said he did not want to seize any other region of Ukraine. President Barack Obama and top economic powers cancelled an upcoming G8 Summit at Sochi in Russia, seeking to deepen Moscow’s isolation over its intervention in the Ukraine crisis.

§ DEFIANT NORTH KOREA FIRES TWO MISSILES: North Korea test-fired two medium range ballistic missiles a defiant challenge to a rare three way summit of its rivals Seoul, Tokyo and Washington that focused on the North’s security threat. The launch of the Rodong missiles- for the first time since 2009- violates the UN Security Council resolutions and marks a big escalation from a series of shorter range rocket launches the north has staged recently to protest against the ongoing annual military drills by the US and South Korea that North Korea claims are invasion preparations.

ACRONYMS

§ GMAC – Graduate Management Admission Council § IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change § JAC - Judicial Appointments Commission

§ PAGE- Partnership for Action on a Green Economy § PMG- Project Monitoring Group

§ SVEEP – Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation

BOOKS

§ 12 YEARS A SLAVE: Solomon Northup Pirates § IDRIS- keeper of the light : Anita Nair

§ GRAND DELUSIONS- A short of Biography of Kolkata: Indrajit Hazra

APPOINTMENTS

§ BANGLADESH GETS 1ST WOMAN V-C IN PUBLIC VARSITY: For the first time, Bangladesh appointed a woman

as the Vice Chancellor of a major public university as part of its campaign for woman empowerment in the country, where two ladies alternatively have headed the government since 1991. The President has signed the file appointing

Prof Farzana Islam as the vice- chancellor of Jahangirnagar University.

§ SHEILA IS KERALA GOVERNOR: President Pranab Mukherjee appointed Sheila Dikshit, former Delhi Chief Minister , as Kerala Governor. He also approved as second term for Uttar Pradesh Governor H.L.Joshi.

DEATHS

§ KUSHWANT SINGH PASSES AWAY AT 99: Kushwant Singh , one of India’s best known writers, who won fame for a searing book on partition of the subcontinent as well as his once daring description of sex, died on March 20,2014 aged 99.

§ TONY BENN: A committed British socialist who irritated and fascinated Britons through a political career spanning more than five decades and who renounced his aristocratic title rather than leave the House of commons died at the of 88.

AWARDS

§ INDIAN ACID ATTACK VICTIM LAXMI GETS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE AWARD: US honoured Laxmi, an acid attack victim with the prestigious International women of Courage award 2013. She has been honoured for being a standard-bearer for the movement to end acid attacks in India.

§ STREE SHAKTI PURASKAR 2013: The president of India conferred the coveted Stree Shakti Puraskar for the year 2013 to six individuals for their outstanding efforts and services for upliftment and empowerment of women on International Women’s Day (March 8) in New Delhi. The Government of India has instituted six nation awards in 1991 to recognize the outstanding efforts for women empowerment.

§ RAJESH GOPAKUMAR SELECTED FOR G.D. BIRLA AWARD 2013: Rajesh Gopakumar , a theoretical physicist at the Harish Chandra Research Institute in Allahabad has been selected for the prestigious G.D. Birla award for scientific research for 2013.

§ BILL GATES TOPS WORLD BILLIONAIRE ANNUAL LIST OF FORBES: Bill Gates, Microsoft Co-founder is the world’s richest billionaire with worth of 76 billion dollars according to Forbes magazine’s 28th annual World billionaires list. Gates is back on the top rank after four years, reclaiming the title from the telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico. Indian Business Tycoon Mukesh Ambani may have retained his title as India’s richest person for 7th year in a row, but his place among the world’s richest people had dropped to the lowest in eight years. The other Indian billionaires in the list are Arcelor Mittal Chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal (52), Wipro Chairman Azim Premji (61), co-founder of Sun Pharma Dilip Shanghvi (82),HCL co-co-founder Shiv Nadar (102), Hinduja brothers(122)

§ PROF. SHARIB AND MUDRA RAKSHASA HONOURED WITH KAIFI AZMI AWARD: Prof. Sharib Rudaulvi, formerly head of the Urdu department at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and renowned literature Mudra Rakshasa were honoured with the Kaifi Azmi award in Lucknow.

§ SARASWATI SAMMAN 2013: Noted Hindi author Govind Mishra has been selected for the prestigious Saraswati Samman for the year 2013 for his book ‘Dhool Paudho Par’. K.K.Birla Foundation announced his name as the winner of Saraswati Samman for ‘Dhool Paudho Par’ which was published in 2008.

§ SHIGERU BAN SELECTED FOR PRITZKER PRIZE: Shigeru Ban, a Japanese architect has been selected for the Pritzker Architecture Prize, 2014 for his exceptional services in developing inexpensive and easy to construct and dismantle structures for disaster-hit areas.

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SPORTS

§ LAUREUS SPORTS AWARDS: Four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany and American swimming sensation Missy Franklin were honoured with the coveted Laureus World Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year Awards respectively at a glittering award ceremony at the Istana Budaya centre in Kuala Lumpur.

§ UAE TO HOST FIRST PHASE OF IPL-VII: The first phase of the seventh edition of the IPL will be organised in the UAE from April 16 to 30. The IPL’s governing council and the franchises took the decision in a meeting in Chennai. The first phase of IPL-VII will have 20 matches to be held in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

§ WEST ZONE EMERGES CHAMPION OF DEODHAR TROPHY: Defending Champion West Zone continued its dominance on the Deodhar Trophy by winning it for the third time in a row.

§ SRI LANKA CLICHES 2014 ASIA CUP: Sri Lanka regained the Asia Cup trophy with a comfortable five wicket victory over defending champions Pakistan.

§ GRAEME SMITH TAKES RETIREMENT FROM CRICKET: Graeme Smith, one of the most successful Captains of South African cricket took retirement from international cricket after the end of the third test match against Australia at New Lands.

§ SUNIL GAVASKAR APPOINTED INTERIM PRESIDENT OF BCCI TO RUN IPL 2014: The Supreme Court of India appointed the former Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar as the interim working president of the BCCI to discharge the functions of the seventh edition of IPL.

§ MIZORAM CLICHES ITS MAIDEN SANTOSH TROPHY: Mizoram won the 68th senior national football championship or Santosh Trophy by defeating Railways 3-0 in the final played at Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri,W.B.

§ HOCKEY INDIA ACCORDED STATUS OF NATIONAL SPORTS FEDERATION: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports declared Hockey India as the sole body responsible towards promoting the sport in India. With this Hockey India has been accorded with the status of a National Sports Federation (NSF) for governing the sport of hockey in India.

§ JUDE FELIX BECOMES NATIONAL MEN’S HOCKEY COACH: Jude Felix, former Indian hockey team captain and a star centre-half player has been appointed the coach of the national men’s hockey team.

§ SERENA WILLIAMS SWEEPS TITLE AT MIAMI: America’s Serena Williams thrashed China’s Li Na in the final in Miami to clinch a record seventh Sony open, also known as Miami WTA title.

§ HAMILTON WINS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX: The 2008 Formula One World Champion and Mercedes’ driver Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) won the Malaysian Grand Prix.

§ LAURA MASSARO WINS WOMEN’S SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP: World No.2 Laura Massaro clinched the World Women’s Squash Championship beating Egypt’s Nour El Sherbini in the final at George Town in Malaysia.

§ HEENA SIDHU CLAIMS SILVER IN SHOOTING WORLD CUP: World No. 2 air pistol shooter Heena Sidhu continued her fabulous form as she claimed a silver medal at women’s air pistol competition in the ISSF World Cup in Fort Benning, USA.

ECONOMIC SCENARIO

§ GDP GROWTH AT 4.7 % IN THIRD QUARTER IN FY 2013-14: During the third quarter of 2013-14 , GDP expanded 4.7 % over the same period of the previous year. In second quarter of the year the GDP growth stood at 4.8%.The quarterly deceleration reflected deterioration in almost all sectors of the economy.

§ CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT DECLINED TO 0.9 % OF GDP IN Q3 OF 2013-14: According to the report on development in India’s Balance of Payments released by RBI country’s Current Account Deficit has declined to 0.9 % of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the third quarter (October-December) of 2013-14.

Ø Rising exports and moderation in gold imports have pulled down India’s current account deficit sharply to 4.2 billion dollar in Q3 of 2013-14

Ø The export was increased due to the significant growth especially in the exports of engineering goods, readymade garments, iron ore, marine products and chemicals.

Ø The CAD reflects the difference between inflow and outflow of foreign currency. It stood at 31.9 billion dollar or 6.5 % of GDP in October-December quarter of 2012-13.

§ FACEBOOK ACQUIRES WHATSAPP FOR $ 19 BILLION: Facebook announced its purchase of the mobile messaging service WhatsApp for $ 19 billion in cash and stock. The deal is a big bet for Facebook, which has until recently-not been able to convince investors of its strategy for mobile.

§ INDIA BECAME THIRD LARGEST CRUDE OIL IMPORTER IN THE WORLD: Due to country’s growing population with growing energy demands, India has led to greater oil imports in 2013, as per a report published by a leading news agency. India has overtaken Japan as the world’s third largest crude oil importer during the year 2013.

§ ENNORE PORT RENAMED AS KAMARAJ PORT: The Union Cabinet has given its approval for renaming Ennore Port Ltd (EPL) after freedom fighter and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Kamaraj.

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INTERNATIONAL

§ ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT: A two day Arab League Summit was held in Kuwait. Arab leaders discussed the current developments in, and relations between the members’ states.

§ UK TO GET WORLD’S MOST SECURE COIN: Britain has announced plans to produce and introduce a new 1 pound coin with 12 sides and two different coloured metals as a part of new anticounterfeiting technology that will ensure that it is the most secure circulating coin in the world to date.

NATIONAL

§ RANI-KI-VAV AND HIMALAYAN PARK NOMINATED FOR HERITAGE STATUS: India has nominated Rani-ki-Vav a 11th century step will located on Patan, Gujarat and the Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh as candidates for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site status this year.

§ REVISED FOOD SCHEME IN DELHI: The Delhi government has decided to merge the Sheila Dikshit government’s ambitious food security project, annshree, with the National Food Security Scheme.

SPORTS

§ SOCHI 2014 WINTER PARALYMPICS: The eleventh Paralympics Winter Games, and also more generally known as the Sochi 2014 Paralympics Winter Games, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) , held in Sochi, Russia from 7- 16 march 2014.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

§ INDUSTRY-FRIENDLY STATES: A study sponsored by the Planning Commission shows that Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are the top three industry friendly states in the country. Odisha is at the fourth position, and Andhra Pradesh the fifth. Bihar ranks sixth, while Kerala, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu are in the seventh, eighth and ninth positions respectively.

§ WORLD WIDE WEB TURNS 25 YEARS: Twenty five years ago, the World Wide Web was just an idea in a technical paper from an obscure, young computer scientist at a European physics lab. That idea from Tim Berners-Lee at the CERN lab in Switzerland, outlining a way to easily access files on linked computers, paved the way for a global phenomenon that has touched the lives of billions of people.

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AWARDS

§ TEMPLETON PRIZE: Czech priest and intellectual Tomas Halik has won the 2014 Templeton Prize, the John Templeton Foundation announced in London.

§ US SENNING BEE CONTEST: A 13 year old Indian origin boy- Kush Sharma has emerged as the winner of a spelling bee contest in the US in a epic verbal duel that lasted a total of 25 rounds, after judges ran out of words in a previous marathon round.

APPOINTMENTS

§ SAARC SECY-GENERAL: Nepal’s former foreign secretary, Arjun Bahadur Thapa, has assumed charge as the secretary General of the SAARC.

§ NATO CHIEF: Former Norwegian Premier Jens Stroltenberg was named the next NATO chief , stepping in to take over from current secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen at a key moment in Europe.

§ ONGC CHIEF: Dinesh K.Sarraf has taken over as CMD of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) , consequent to superannuation of Sudhir Vasudeva.

MAGAZINE  –  3  

ECONOMY

§ ICICI LAUCHES PORTABLE POS: In order to do away with inconvenience around entering secret PIN number for card transactions in hotels , a point-of-sale operator backed by the country’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has launched a portable machine. RBI has made it mandatory to enter the secret PIN for all debit card payments at merchant establishments. With the exiting machines, customers are being made to walk to the centrally –located POS machine and enter their PIN number or worse, share it with the hotel staff attending to them.

§ MAHILA BANK OPENS ACROSS THE COUNTRY : Bhartiya Mahila Bank Limited , first women’s bank in India and a wholly owned Government institution, willhave 25 branches across the main cities of the country by the end of this year and go for additional 55 branches in 2014-15 in other cities of the country. Chairman and MD of the bank Usha Ananthasubramanian, who was in Panaji to inaugurate bank’s 14th branch, described the bank as a channel for women’s education, employment and empowerment.

§ DATE OF EXCHANGING PRE-2005 NOTES EXTENDED: The RBI has extended the date for exchanging pre 2005 banknotes to 1 Jan 2005.It has advised banks to facilitate the exchange of these notes for full value and without causing any inconvenience to the public.

§ GOVERNMENT NOTIFIES RULES FOR CSR SPENDING: Much-awaited rules for the new ‘ corporate social responsibility (CSR)’ regime were notified recently, under which companies with sizable businesses would need to spend minimum 2 % of net profit of society.

Highlights:

Ø The CSR activities will have to be within India, and the new rules will also apply to foreign companies registered here. Ø Funds given to political parties and the money spent for the benefit for the benefit of the company’s own employees

(and their families) will not count as CSR.

Ø CSR needs to be undertaken as per the approval of the company’s board in accordance with its CSR Policy and the decision of its CSR committee.

Ø The CSR rules came into effect form 1 April as part of the companies Act.

§ VNL OFFERS GREEN MOBILE IN GHANA: Indian telecom equipment-maker Vihaan Networks Ltd (VNL) is powering a communications revolution in Africa, particularly in villages and remote locations, through its innovative,

green mobile-tower solutions. The latest to join its client list is Ghana, which has chosen VNL’s solar-powered ‘WorldGSM’ mobile-tower architecture, an environment-friendly and cost-effective mobile system, to deliver affordable services in villages.

NATIONAL

§ NEW PLASTIC VOTER IDENTITY CARDS: The laminated voter identity card made of paper with black and white photograph is all set to undergo a change with the Election Commission planning to replace it with a driving licence like hard plastic card, which is more durable. The new voter card will be first issued in Assam and Nagaland free of cost. Nearly 95% of India’s over 700 mn voters are covered by Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) except in Assam and Nagaland.

§ POLL EXPENDITURE CEILING RAISED:

Ø The government agreed to amend Rule 90 of the Conduct of Election Rules.1961.

Ø The ceiling for Lok Sabha poll has been increased to Rs 70 lakh per candidate from the existing Rs 40 lakh, and for the Assembly poll to Rs 28 lakh from Rs 16 lakh.

Ø This is applicable only in the bigger States

Ø Increase in the number of electors and polling stations ,and increase in the cost inflation index were some of the reasons cited for hiking the expenditure ceiling

Ø In Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh , Dadra and Nagar Haveli , Dam and Diu, Lakshdweep and Puducherry, the ceiling for LS poll is Rs 54 lakh.

WORLD

§ WORLD BANK POSTPONES UGANDA AID: The World bank has suspended a planned $ 90 m loan to Uganda meant to strengthen its healthcare system after its president Yoweri Museveni signed into law a bill prescribing harsh jail terms for homosexual offences.

§ INDIA, ISRAEL SIGN HOMELAND SECURITY PACT: India and Israel have signed three agreements to strengthen the efforts in the war against terror and beef up bilateral security relations. The agreements relate to Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters, Agreement on Protection of Classified Material and Agreement on cooperation in Homeland and Public Security.

§ BROTHERHOOD DESIGNATED AS TERRORIST GROUP: Saudi Arabia has formally designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation, in a move that could increase pressure on Qatar, whose backing for the group has sparked a row with fellow Gulf Monarchies.

APPOINTEMENT

§ SOMA MONDAL: She has been appointed as the new director (commercial) of Navratna PSU National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO).

§ SHIKHAR DHAWAN: Public Sector lender Canara Bank named the cricketer as its Brand Ambassador.

§ B N SRIKRISHNA: The Financial Planning Standards Boards India (FPSB) , the professional standards setting body for financial planners.

§ RAJIV: The former CISF Director General has taken over as the new Vigilance Commissioner in Central Vigilance Commission.

§ AAMIR KHAN : The perfectionist actor has been roped in by the Election Commission to promote ethical voting across India.

§ MICHELLE BACHELET: She has been sworn in as the president of Chile, her second time in office after a short stint at the United Nations.

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SPORTS

§ TENDULKAR VOTED CRICKETER OF THE GENERATION: The annual ESPNcricinfo Awards, which are now in their seventh year, were presented to mark the first generation of the existence of ESPNcricinfo recently.

§ SOUTH AFRICA LIFT ICC U-19 WORLD CUP: South Africa lifted the ICC U-19 World Cup, defeating Pakistan by six wickets in a low-scoring final encounter in Dubai.

§ PANKAJ ADVANI WINS SNOOKER NATIONAL: Eight-time world champion Pankaj Advani of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) outclassed Kamal Chawla of Railways to bag the men’s snooker title in the Manisha Billiards and Snooker Nationals, in Lucknow.

AWARDS

§ 86TH OSCAR ACADEMY AWARDS 2014 :

Ø Best Picture : 12 years a Slave

Ø Best Actor : Mathew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club Ø Best Actress: Cate Blanchett

Ø Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity Ø Best Editing : Gravity

Ø Best Original Score: Gravity

§ HIGHEST BSF HONOUR FOR WOMAN DOCTOR: Dr. P Hima Bindu of Border Security Force (BSF) has been conferred Director General’s Commendation Role award, the highest BSF honour, for her contribution to relief work during Uttarakhand floods.

MAGAZINE  –  4  

APPOINTMENT

§ NISHI VASUDEVA: Nishi Vasudeva became the first women to head a blue-chip PSU when she took over as the Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL)

§ R.K.TEWARI : Senior IRS officer R.K.Tewari took charge as the new chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) , the apex authority of the Income-Tax Department.

§ B.L. JOSHI: B.L.Joshi , who has been getting gubernatorial postings since 2004, was appointed as Governor of Uttar Pradesh for a second term.

AWARDS

§ GANDHI PEACE PRIZE: Noted Gandhian and Environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt has been selected for the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2013.

§ S.K. SINGH AWARD: Vice President M.Hamid Ansari presented 3rd S.K.Singh Award for Excellence in Indian Foreign Service to Sibi George, the 1993 batch officer of IFS at a function.

NATIONAL

§ MULTI-CRORE HEALTHCARE PLAN FOR PARAMILITARY FORCES UNVEILED: An ambitious Rs. 1,368 crore project to set up the first-ever Army patterned Research and Referral hospital and an AIIMS like college to render tertiary and specialised treatment to paramilitary personnel and their families .

§ TROPEX-2014: The Indian Navy’s major annual exercise ‘TROPEX’ (Theatre Level Operational readiness Exercise) concluded. The exercise involved large scale naval manoeuvres in all three dimensions viz, surface, air and underwater, across the Bay of Bengal , Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

§ R.C.BOSE CENTRE FOR CRYPTOLOGY AND SECURITY IN THE INDIAN STATISTICAL INSTITUTE, KOLKATA: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation announces the establishment of the R.C. Bose Centre for Cryptology and Security in the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, at a cost of Rs. 115 crores in the 12th Five Year Plan Period.

§ SPORTS MINISTER JATENDRA SINGH INAUGURATED NATIONAL CYCLING ACADEMY:The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Sports Authority of India National Cycling Academy (SAI NCA) .The Academy with complete back-up facilities has been set u following the decision taken in the 42nd meeting of the Governing Body of SAI.

§ JAI SAMAIKYNDHRA IS KIRAN KUMAR REDDY’S NEW PARTY: Former A.P chief minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy’s new political party will be Jai Samaikyndhra. ‘Jai Samaikyndhra’ of ‘Hail, united Andhra’ was the slogan of those who opposed bifurcation of the state.

§ ASSAM BECAME FIRST INDIAN STATE TO OBSERVE CHILD PROTECTION DAY: Assam became the first state in the country to observe Child Protection Day with about 1400 children participating in the central function in Guwahati. The day was observed across the state and a central function was organised under the aegis of Assam state Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) in collaboration with the UNICEF.

INTERNATIONAL

§ MAX BAUCUS SWORN IN AS NEW US AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: Former US Senator Max Baucus was sworn in by Vice President Joseph Biden as country’s new ambassador to China.

§ RUSSIA HONOURED BRAHMOS CHIEF WITH ‘ORDER OF FRIENDSHIP’ AWARD: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin presented the prestigious ‘Order of Friendship’ award to BrahMos chief a Sivathanu Pillai for his contribution towards Indo-Russian Friendship.

§ VINCE CHHABRIA TO BE FIRST INDIAN-AMERICAN JUDGE IN CALIFORNIA: Indian-American attorney Vince Chhabria, who has represented San Francisco in defence of its health insurance law, adoption rights of same sex couples and other major cases, has won Senate confirmation for a federal judgeship.

ECONOMY

§ INDIA AND ADB SIGNED $ 125.2 MILLION ADB LOAN FOR IMPROVING ROADS IN NORTH-EASTERN REGION

OF INDIA: The Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $ 125.2 million loan that will

continue upgrading roads in the North Eastern region of India. The North Eastern States Roads Investment Program is designed to reconstruct roads in the north-eastern states of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Sikkim , thereby reducing their isolation and opening up badly needed growth and development opportunities. Improvements include widening exiting sections of roads, strengthening pavements, raising embankments, and providing permanent structure at river crossings.

§ LAKSHMI SWAMINATHAN IS FIRST INDIAN TO BECOME ADB ADMIN TRIBUNAL PRESIDENT: Lakshmi Swaminathan has been elected president of administrative Tribunal of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for three years.

§ AGRICULTURE DEPENDENT POPULATION IN INDIA GREW BY 50 %: Agricultural population of India grew by a whopping 50% between 1980 and 2011, the highest for any country during this period, followed by China with 33 % , while that of the United States dropped by 37% as a result of large scale mechanisation.

§ COUNTRY’S FIRST POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK ATM IN CHENNAI: The country’s first Post Office Savings Bank ATM was inaugurated by Finance Minister P Chidambaram as a part of the government’s Rs 4,909 crore IT modernisation scheme for the Department of Posts.

§ GOVERNEMENT APPROVED RS 1000 MINIMUM MONTHLY PENSION UNDER EPS-95: Government approved the proposal to ensure Rs 1000 minimum monthly pension under a scheme of retirement fund body EPFO that would

10  

immediately benefit 28 lakh pensioners. The decision to provide the entitlement under Employees’ Pension Scheme-95, run by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, was taken by the Union Cabinet in its meeting.

§ CABINET APPROVED THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF 7TH CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION; REPORT TO BE SUBMITTED WITHIN 18 MONTHS: The Union Cabinet gave its approval to the terms of reference of the 7th Central Pay Commission .The Commission will examine, review, evolve and recommend changes that are to govern the emoluments structure as well as the specialized needs of various central government departments, agencies and services.

§ G.K.PILLAI QUIT AS MCX-SX CHAIRMAN: Former home Secretary G K Pillai resigned as Chairman of MCX stock exchange , even as the government and market regulator SEBI tried to assuage concerns arising out of the bourse coming under CBI scanner. Former LIC Chairman Thomas Mathew T has taken over as new Chairman.

§ INDIA OFFERED BANGLADESH A FRESH 1 BILLION US DOLLAR LINE OF CREDIT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF

TRADE FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE: India has offered Bangladesh a fresh 1 billion US Dollar line of credit

for the development of trade facilities and infrastructure .The offer was made at a meeting of the Joint Working Group on Trade that ended in Dhaka.

SPORTS

§ ANDY ROBERTS, CURTLY AMBROSE AND RICHIE RICHARDSON KNIGHTED: Former West Indies fast bowlers Andy Roberts and Curtly Ambrose and former captain and batsman Richie Richardson were knighted during the first one-day international between the West Indies and England.

§ GOALKEEPER CECH IS CZECH FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR: Chelsea’s goalkeeper Petr Cech won the Czech Footballer of the Year award for the seventh time in his career, leaving midfielders Tomas Rosicky and Vladimir Darida behind in second and third places.

§ RONALDO NAMED THE RICHEST FOOTBALLER: Critiano Ronaldo was named the world’s richest footballer after topping the annual list of players’ net worth compiled by a football website Goal.com. The Real Madrid forward held off Barcelona rival Lionel Messi in the Goal Rich list 2014 with estimated wealth of 148 million euros.

MISCELLANEOUS

§ RAHUL MISHRA WON INTERNATIONAL WOOLMARK PRIZE: Rahul Mishra has emerged as the first Indian fashion designer to win the International Woolmark Prize (IWP) , past recipients of which include icons like Yves saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld.

§ VIENNA TOPPED LIST OF HIGHEST QUALITY OF LIVING: Vienna is the city with the best quality of living in the world, while many Asian cities including Pune, are starting to emerge as important places of business for multinational companies.

§ TWO INDIAN WOMEN OF FORBES BILIONAIRE LIST: Two Indian women- Savitri Jindal and Indu Jain have made it to the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires that saw a record number of women this year. Savitri Jindal and Family had networth of USD 4.9 billion and Indu Jain USD 2.3 billion. Once Asia’s richest women Jindal, ranked 295 on the global list, has seen her fortune erode by USD 8.3 billion since 2011, amid continuing problems plaguing the O P Jindal Group, founded by her.

CURRENT  AFFAIRS  TEST  –PD  MAY  2014  

1.

Which  city  topped  list  of  highest  quality  of  living:  

a. Oslo    

 

b.  Sofia  

c   Vienna    

 

d.  Pune  

2.

Which   state   of   India   achieved   top   spot   in  

economic  Freedom  Index:  

a. Delhi    

 

b.  Maharashtra  

c   Karnataka  

 

d.  Gujarat  

3.

India’s   place   in   the   list   prepared   on   the   number  

of  women  representative  in  parliament:  

c   115  

 

 

d.  119  

4.

Which  country  topped  the  list  of  most  dangerous  

countries(in  terms  of  Bomb  Blasts):  

a. India    

 

b.  Pakistan  

c   Iraq  

 

 

d.  Afghanistan  

5.

Who  is    the  President  of  Ukraine:  

a. Vladimir  Putin    

b.  Damitry  Madev  

c   Oleksandr  Turchynov   d.  Shimon  Peres  

6.

JAC  stands  for:  

a. Judicial  Appointments  commission  

b. Judicial  Appointments  committee  

c. Judicial  Amendment  committee  

d. Judicial    Assent  commission  

7.

Bangladesh’s  first  woman  VC  in  public  university:  

a. Prof  Farzana  Islam  

b.  Prof.  Fatima  Islam  

c   Prof.Hasina  

 

d.  Dr.  Razia  Khan  

8.

Sheila  Dixit  has  become  Governor  of  which  state:  

a. Kerala    

 

b.  Karnataka  

c   Tamil  Nadu  

 

d.  Orisa  

9.

Which   one   of   the   following   books   is   not   written  

by  khushwant  Singh:  

a. The  company  of  a  women  

b. Truth  love  and  a  little  malice  

c. The  portrait  of  a  lady  

d. Life  is  what  you  make  it  

10.

Winner  of  Saraswati  Samman  2013:  

a. Harivanshrai  Bachchan    

b. Sugatha  Kumari  

c. Dalip  Kaur  Tiwana  

d. Govind  Mishra  

11.

Which  of  the  teams  has  won  Asia  Cup  2014:  

a. India    

 

b.  Sri  Lanka  

c    Pakistan  

 

d.  Bangladesh  

12.

Which  of  the  following  is  the  capital  of  Mizoram  :  

a. Dispur    

 

b.  Aizwal  

c   Kohima    

 

d.  Guwahati  

13.

India’s  place  in  crude  oil  importers  list:  

a. 1

st

   

 

 

b.  2

nd

   

c      3

rd

   

 

 

d.  4

th

   

14.

Which  country  has  world’s  most  secure  coin:  

a. USA    

 

b.  UK  

c   Russia    

 

d.  France  

15.

Winter   Paralympics   2014   is   to   be   held   in   which  

country:  

a. India    

 

b.  Russia  

c   Germany  

 

d.  Brazil  

16.

In  which  year  world  wide  web  was  started:  

a. 1991    

 

b.  1989    

c   1992    

 

d.  1987  

17.

How   many   members   countries   are   there   in  

SAARC:  

a. 6  

 

 

b.  7  

c   8  

 

 

d.  8  

18.

Who  is  appointed  as  CMD  of  ONGC:  

a. Dinesh  K  .  Sarrof    

b.  Sudhir  Vasudeva  

c   B  P  Rao    

d.  Shri  Shrivastva  

19.

Name   the   two   states   first   to   get   Plastic   voter  

cards:  

a. Assam  and  Manipur   b.  Assam  and  Nagaland  

c.    Assam   and   Mizoram       d.   Nagaland   and  

Mizoram  

20.

Which   of   these   actors   was   roped   by   Election  

Commission   to   promote   ethical   voting   across  

India:  

a. Ranbeer  Kapoor  

b.  Amir  Khan  

c   Shah  Rukh  Khan  d.  Ranveer  Singh  

21.  Who  among  the  following  cricketer  has  been  

declared  as  “CRICKETER”  of  the  GENERATION?  

a. Virender  sehwag  

b.  Sachin  tendular  

c. M.S  Dhoni  

 

d.  Virat  kohli  

22.  -­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐  Has  become  the  first  Indian  state    observe  

“Child  Protection  Day”.  

a. Assam    

 

b.  Manipur  

c. Mizoram  

 

c.  Sikkim  

 

CURRENT  AFAFIRS  FROM  1

st  

-­‐  8

th

 MAY  2014  

1 May 2014

• Paralympic swimmer Sharath Gayakwad won two Bronze and one Silver at the IDM Berlin :Paralympic swimmer Sharath Gayakwad won two Bronze and one Silver at the IDM Berlin 2014. He won Bronze Medals in the 200m Individual Medley (2:44.06 seconds) and the 100m Butterfly (1:09.67 seconds) and won the Silver Medal in the 100m Breaststroke. Niels Korfitz Mortensen of Denmark won the Gold Medal and Oliver Hynd of Britain won the Silver Medal respectively in the 100m Butterfly, S8 category.

• International labour observed: May Day, the first day of the month of May is celebrated all over the world with utmost importance. The day is also known as the International Worker’s Day which has a historic significance. The first day of the month of May is also a day of political protests. May Day is otherwise observed as a saint's feast day or a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a public holiday.In many countries including India, May Day is also celebrated as Labor Day. The day originates with the US labor movement in the late 19th century. The history of the movement dates back to May 1, 1886. On this day several labor unions across the US went on strike, demanding a standard workday of eight hours. On May 4th there was bloodshed in Chicago's Haymarket Square – A bomb thrown by a revolutionist led to the deaths of a dozen people (including several police officers) and the injury of over 100 people. The protests did not get an immediate outcome, but they proved effective subsequently, as eight-hour work days became the norm in many countries across the globe. • World's highest railway tunnel opens in China: The world's highest tunnel for high-speed trains in northwest

China became operational at an altitude of 3,607.4 metres. The 16.3-km-long was completely linked up, operationalising the line linking Gansu Province and Xinjiang provinces.

•

Rajeev Suri to head Nokia: Finnish telecommunications equipment maker Nokia appointed India-born Rajeev

Suri as its President and CEO. Earlier, the 46-year old was leading Nokia Solutions and Networks, the smaller network equipment unit of Nokia before the company sold its handset business to software giant Microsoft in a USD 7.2 billion deal. He replaces Stephen Elop, who has returned to Microsoft as the executive vice president of its devices group. Besides, Risto Siilasmaa, who was serving as an interim CEO, will return to focussing

exclusively on his role as Chairman of Nokia's Board of Directors from May 1.

 

2

nd

MAY

• SC reconstituted SIT headed by Justice MB Shah to probe into Black Money Cases: The Supreme Court of India on 1 May 2014 reconstituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to monitor the probe into the black money case. To provide guidance and direction to the SIT in investigation of all cases of black money in the country and abroad, the Court appointed retired judge MB Shah as its Chairman and retired Judge Arijit Pasayat as the Vice Chairman.

• Air India will join Star Alliance in July 2014: Air India announced on 1 May 2014 to join largest global airlines network Star Alliance in July 2014. Air India became the first airline from India to be part of a global chain of carriers. • India-made EVMs to be used in Namibia’s Presidential polls: Namibian government on 30 April 2014 purchased

3400 India-made Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for use in the countries Presidential Election, scheduled in November 2014. With this Namibia became the first African country that will use such machines in any of its Polls. • World’s highest tunnel for high-speed train opened in China: The world’s highest tunnel for high-speed train in

northwest China at an altitude of 3607.4 metres became operational on 1 May 2014. The 16.3 km long tunnel links Gansu province and Xinjiang provinces.

• India ranked no 1 in Twenty20 International Team ranking: India ranked no 1 in ICC Twenty20 International Team ranking announced in Dubai on 1 May 2014. India replaced Sri Lanka from the top position. Sri Lanka earned the top position on 8 April 2014 by replacing India after defeating it in the T20 world cup 2014 in Bangladesh. • India dropped to 78 in latest Freedom of the press 2014: India dropped to 78 in the latest Freedom of the press

2014. Press freedom score of India declined by a point to 39 and dropped it in the list of countries with partially free media. In 2013 Index, the rank of India was 20 with 38 points. Sweden topped the list and belongs to the world's most independent press. The world's eight worst-rated countries remain Belarus, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

• Election Queue Management System introduced in India: The Election Queue Management System, a first of its kind initiative was introduced in India. It was introduced by the District Election Authority in Burdwan district, West Bengal during Lok Sabha election held on 30 April 2014.The Election queue management system helped voters to find out the level of crowd in the polling booths in Burdwan district. This system will help the voter in receiving information about the crowd in the queue by sending an SMS with the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number to 9230085005. The information was also available on the website Burdwan.nic.in and PSQueue Info.

• India successfully test-fired Akash missile from ITR Complex in Chandipur: India on 2 May 2014 successfully test fired indigenously-developed surface-to-air Akash missile from the launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur. Missile has a strike range of 25 km and capability to carry warhead of 60 kgs. The trial was conducted by Indian Air Force personnel.

3

rd

MAY

• Trap Shooter, Manavjit Sandhu ranked at third spot in ISSF World Ranking: Manavjit Singh Sandhu, the Indian veteran trap shooter on 2 May 2014 jumped to the third spot in the world rankings. He achieved the rank after winning gold at the ISSF World Cup in Tucson, USA, in March 2014. He jumped thirteen positions in the ISSF ranking from his previous rank 16 in men’s trap category.

• World Press Freedom Day observed across the world: World Press Freedom Day was observed on 3 May 2014 across the world. The theme of 2014 year is: Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the post-2015 Development Agenda.

4

th

MAY

• Sania, Cara won WTA Portugal Open women's doubles title: The Indo-Zimbabwean tennis pair of Sania Mirza and Cara Black has won the WTA Portugal Open women's doubles title. In the final at Oeirason, the pair recorded a hard-fought 6-4, 6-3 win over the Czech-Russian team of Eva Hrdinova and Valeria Solovyeva.

• After UN award, Bihar woman gets Florence Nightingale award: After being honoured with the United Nations Foundation award, a Bihar health official has now been selected for the National Florence Nightingale Award 2014 for her extraordinary work to eradicate polio, officials here said . "I am happy that the president will honour me for my work in polio immunization campaign," Martha Dodray, a tribal native of Palamu district of neighbouring Jharkhand, said. Dodray, in her mid-40s, is a midwife posted at Kusheshwarsthan primary health centre in the state's Darbhanga district.

5

th

MAY

• First indigenous air-to-air missile Astra successfully test fired over Arabian Sea: First indigenously developed air-to-air missile Astra successfully test fired on 4 May 2014 from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet over the Arabian Sea off Goa. Astra is India's first Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air missile. It was designed and developed indigenously by the DRDO. India becomes the fifth country to have BVR missile. Only a few countries like the US, Russia, France and Israel have managed to develop BVR missiles till now. The 60-km plus range missile possesses high Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) which makes it highly reliable.

• Ahmet Sik won UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2014: Turkish investigative journalist Ahmet Sik won 2014 UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. He received the award worth of 25000 US dollars by the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova in Paris on 2 May 2014.

• Secretary of the DBT, K. VijayRaghavan elected a foreign associate of the USNAS: The Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan on 4 May 2014 elected a foreign associate of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (USNAS). Dr. VijayRaghavan is one of 21 new foreign associates elected in 2014.

• Panama Vice President Juan Carlos Varela won the Presidential Election: Vice-president of Panama Juan Carlos Varela on 4 May 2014 won the presidential election. Varela will assume the office on 1 July 2014. He will replace former President Ricardo Martinelli.

• Nobel Laureate economist Gary Becker died at 93: Nobel Laureate economist Gary Becker died at the age of 93 due to illness in Chicago on 3 May 2014. He was professor of economics and sociology at the University of Chicago. American economist, Becker received the Nobel Prize in 1992 in economics for using economics to analyse human behaviour and interaction topics such as crime (why people commit it)

• Government appointed R V Verma as Whole-Time Member (Finance) in Pension Fund Regulatory and

Development Authority: The government has appointed R V Verma as a member of the Pension Fund Regulatory

and Development Authority (PFRDA). Verma has been appointed as Whole-Time Member (Finance) in the PFRDA, the Finance Ministry said in a notification. He at present is Chairman and Managing Director of National Housing Bank, the regulator for housing finance companies. Verma is the first Whole-Time Member to be appointed by the government after PFRDA Act was notified last year

• Ahmed Maiteeg elected New PM of Libya: Businessman Ahmed Maiteeg was elected as Libya’s new prime minister after receiving 121 votes in parliament.

6

th

MAY

• New Element 117 named Ununseptium set to join the periodic table: New Element 117 which is temporarily called Ununseptium with 117 protons set to join periodic table. It is the second-heaviest element ever created by humans after ununoctium, or element 118. Elements beyond atomic number 104 are referred to as super-heavy elements.

• Royal Navy Submarine Service appointed first female submariners: Royal Navy Submarine Service of United Kingdom for the first time appointed female submariners. Pioneering lieutenants Maxine Stiles, Alex Olsson and Penny Thackray on 5 May 2014 have become the first women to serve in the Royal Navy Submarine Service.The move was taken for the first time in the 110-year history of the Submarine Service.

• New RCA president: Following the election of Lalit Modi as president of Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hits back by 'indefinitely' suspending the association. The cricket board also appointed an ad-hoc body to run RCA's cricket affairs. Modi was elected President of RCA, setting the stage for yet another round of legal tussle between him and the Board, which had threatened to ban the state association in anticipation of this result.

• Constitutional validity of RTE Act: The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional validity of Articles 15(5) and 21-A of the Constitution in so far as it relates to unaided educational institutions to provide compulsory education for children in the age group of 6 to 14 years. A five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice R.M. Lodha and Justices A.K. Patnaik, Dipak Misra, S.J. Mukhopadhaya and Ibrahim Kalifulla also upheld the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010. The Constitution 93rd Amendment Act, 2005, inserting clause (5) in Article 15 enables the State to make special provisions for members of the SCs, STs and socially and educationally backward classes, for admission to all educational institutions, including private unaided institutions, but except minority institutions.

7

th

MAY

• Delhi has the worst air pollution in world: WHO study : Delhi is the most polluted city in the world when it comes to air quality, according to a WHO study released. The 2014 version of the Ambient Air Pollution (AAP) database contains results of outdoor air pollution monitoring from almost 1600 cities in 91 countries. The national capital has the highest concentration of PM2.5 -- particulate matters less than 2.5 microns-- form of air pollution, which is considered most serious. This form of concentration consists of tiny particles that puts people at additional risk of respiratory diseases and other health problems, the World Health Organisation said.

• Switzerland, India and 45 others agree on tax information exchange : In another step towards shedding banking secrecy practices, 47 nations including Switzerland and India, have agreed upon automatic exchange of information on tax matters. The endorsement of the 'Declaration on Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters' by 47 countries under the aegis of OECD will come as a boost for India which is stepping up pressure on Switzerland to share details on alleged illicit funds stashed away by Indians there.

• SC allows TN to increase Mullaperiyar water level: In a major victory for Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional the law passed by Kerala in 2006, constituting the Dam Safety Authority to prevent the State from raising the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam from 136 ft to 142 ft.

•

RBI scraps pre-payment charges on floating rate loans: Now you can pre-pay your home loans with that extra

money in your hands without doing complex calculations on what your bank might charge you as penalty because you eat into their potential interest earnings. The RBI has told banks that they can longer charge any pre-payment charges to customers on floating rate term loans.

8

th

MAY

• India gives Rs 35.7 mn aid for schools, hospital in Nepal: India has provided Rs 35.7 million as financial assistance for the construction of two schools and a hospital in Nepal under a bilateral economic cooperation programme. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae yesterday inaugurated the newly-constructed school building for Shree Sharda Higher Secondary School, among the oldest government- recognised schools in the district.

•

New airline AirAsia India granted flying licence by DGCA: fter a long wait and legal hurdles, new airline

AirAsia India was granted the flying licence by aviation regulator DGCA, subject to the final outcome of cases opposing grant of the permit in the Delhi High Court.

 

 

CURRENT  AFFAIRS  TEST  FROM  1

st  

-­‐  8

th

 MAY  2014  

1.

SIT   headed   by   Justice   MB   Shah,   is   in   relation  

with:  

a. Rape  Law  Revision  

b.  Financial  Inclusion  

c   Black  Money  Cases  

d.  None  of  these  

2.

Presently,  which  team  is  at  1

st

 position  in  Twenty  

20  rankings:  

a. Australia  

 

b.  India  

c   South  Africa  

 

d.  Sri  Lanka  

3.

Which  country  topped  the  list  of  Freedom  of  the  

press,2014:    

a. Iran    

 

b.  India  

c   Sweden    

d.  Uzbekistan  

4.

The   integrated   Test   Range   of   Missiles   is   at:

   

a.  Chandipur,  Odisha  

b.  Sriharikota,  A.P  

c.  Pune,  Maharashtra  

d.  None  of  these  

5.

World  Press  Freedom  Day  was  observed  on:  

a. 2

nd

 May  

 

b.  3

rd

 May  

c   4

th

 May    

 

d.  5

th

 May  

6.

‘Florence  Nightingale’  belongs  to  which  country:  

a. Italy    

 

b.USA  

c   Switzerland  

 

d.  Australia  

16  

7.

The  Head  quarter  of  UNESCO,  is  at:  

a. New  York  

 

b.  Geneva,  Switzerland  

c   Manilla    

 

d.  Paris  

8.

Gary   Becker,   who   died   recently   won   noble   prize  

in  economics  in  the  year:  

a. 1990    

 

b.  1991  

c   1992    

 

d.  1993  

9.

According   the   WHO,   which   city   is   the   most  

polluted:  

a. Delhi    

 

b.  Tokyo  

c   Mumbai  

 

 

d.  Islamabad  

10.

Head  Quarter  of  WHO  is  at:  

a. New  York  

 

b.  Italy  

c   Geneva    

 

d.  Paris  

11.

Which   country,   1

st

  time   appointed   female  

submarines:  

a. UK  

 

 

b.  USA  

c   China    

 

d.  Japan  

12.

Recently  which  Airline  was  granted  flying  license  

by  DGCA:  

a.AirAsia    

 

b.  Superindia  

c   Jet  Airways  

 

d.  Indianjet  

13.

Mellaperiyar  dam  is  on  which  river:  

a. Kosi    

 

b.Periyar  

c   Narmada  

 

d.  Sindhu  

14.

The   missile   named   ‘BRAHMOS’   is   made   by   India  

and  :  

a. China    

 

b.  Japan  

c   Bangladesh  

 

d.  Russia  

15.

The  Head  of  WHO  is:  

a. Vladmir  Putin    

b.  Roberto  Azevedo  

c   Margaret  Chan    

d.  None  of  these  

16.

‘Akash’  Missile  is:  

a. Surface-­‐to-­‐surface  

b.  Air-­‐to-­‐Air  

c   surface-­‐to-­‐air    

d.  Air-­‐to-­‐Surface  

17.

world’s   highest   tunnel   for   high-­‐speed   train  

opened  in:  

a. China    

 

b.  Japan  

c   India    

 

d.  USA  

18.

‘Duma’  is  the  parliament  name  of:  

a. Israel    

 

b.  Japan  

c   Russia    

 

d.  Nepal  

19.

The  latest  version  of  ‘Android’  is:  

a. Jelly  Bean  

 

b.  Kitkat  

c   Cupcake  

 

d.  Donut  

20.

Which  of  the  following  is  not  a  fundamental  right:  

a. Right  to  Freedom  

 

b. Right  Against  Exploitation  

c. Right  to  Property  

d. Right  to  Equality  

 

CURRENT  AFFAIRS  FROM  9

th

 -­‐15

th

 MAY  2014  

9

th

May

• UN medal to honour 'exceptional courage: The Security Council voted unanimously to establish a U.N. medal for “exceptional courage” in the name of an unarmed U.N. peacekeeper from Senegal, who lost his life after saving hundreds of Rwandans from death in the 1994 genocide.

• Pakistan successfully test-fires Ghaznavi missile: Pakistan conducted a successful training launch of short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Hatf III (Ghaznavi), capable of delivering nuclear and conventional warheads upto a range of 290 km.

• India is home to 54 of world’s biggest companies: Forbes: Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries leads the pack of 54 Indian companies in Forbes’ annual list of the world’s 2000 largest and most powerful public

comprehensive list of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenues, profits, assets and market value. China is home to the world’s top three biggest public companies and five of the top 10. • India drop two places to 147 in FIFA rankings: Missing a game since March this year, India dropped two

places to 147 in the latest FIFA rankings released . Wim Koevermans' boys have been missing football action but they have managed to hold on to their continent ranking on 25th spot, though jointly with Singapore, who are also placed 147th in the world chart. India have played only one match this year, when they were held 2-2 by Bangladesh in a friendly encounter on March 5.

10

th

May

• Indian documentary 'Silent Screams' won three awards at US festival: A documentary film, Silent Screams – India’s Fight Against Rape directed by Pria Somiah on 9 May 2014 won three awards at the 2014 New York Festivals International TV and Film Awards. The awards included • Gold World Medal for 'Best Investigative Report' • Two Bronze Gold Medals each in the Current Affairs and Human Concerns sections respectively • Caparo Group won International Business of the Year award 2014: Caparo Group won the International

Business of the Year award 2014 at the Asian Business Awards Midlands in Birmingham • The Caparo Group was founded in 1968. It is a diversified global association of businesses with over a 1.5 billion Euro turnover. It was founded by Indian born British Industrialist, Lord Paul.

• O’Sullivan named as Snooker’s Player of the Year: Ronnie O’Sullivan was crowned World Snooker’s Player of the Year at the sport's annual awards ceremony in London. Apart from this, O’Sullivan was also handed the Fans Player of the Year award after being voted by snooker supporters.

• Indian companies will not be permitted to raise External Commercial Borrowings: RBI: The Reserve Bank of India, RBI, has decided that Indian companies will not be permitted to raise External Commercial Borrowings from overseas branches or subsidiaries of Indian banks for refinance or repayment of the Rupee loans raised from domestic banking system.

• Nation to observe National Technology Day 2014 on May 11: Nation to observe National Technology Day 2014 on May 11. It marks multiple technological breakthrough achieved on the day like Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998, test-flight of our first indigenous aircraft "Hansa-3" and successful test firing of the Trishul missile.

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• Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja Top UK billionaires List: The Hinduja brothers have emerged as the richest persons in the UK, which boasts of 102 billionaires, including Lord Swraj Paul and four others of Indian-origin. The London-based Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, who have a fortune of 11.9 billion pounds – up by an astonishing 1.3 billion pounds in the past year, edged out steel tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal and Russian magnate Alisher Usmanov, according to the ‘Sunday Times Super-Rich List’ published on 11 May 2014.

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• India cheapest major economy; Australia most expensive: Survey : Notwithstanding high inflation rate, India is the cheapest major economy in the world, according to a survey of global prices of products that are comparable across countries. According to a report by German banking giant Deutsche Bank, a weaker Indian rupee has allowed India to remain the cheapest major economy in the world despite persistently suffering the highest inflation rate.

• World's first electric aircraft takes maiden flight : The world's first airplane completely powered by electricity has successfully taken to the skies for its maiden flight, and could bring down air travel cost by more than a third, its developer Airbus said. The small experimental aircraft called 'E-Fan' carried its first flight at an airport near Bordeaux in southwestern France, and could prove to be a key step towards greener, quieter and cheaper air travel. Manufactured by Toulouse-based Airbus, E-Fan measures little more than 19 feet from nose to tail and

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makes slightly more noise than a hairdryer. Powered by 120 lithium-ion polymer batteries, the plane's first official flight last month lasted less than 10 minutes, though the plane has the capability to fly for around an hour before recharging.

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Cambridge trumps Oxford to be named best UK varsity: Britain’s prestigious Cambridge University pipped

arch-rival Oxford for the fourth year in a row to be named the best varsity in the country by an education guide. Cambridge is again the country’s leading university, topping the Complete University Guide’s 2015 ranking of UK varsities which was published online. Oxford retained second place in the ranking of 123 universities, with the London School of Economics and Political Science placed third.

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• Cipla to buy 14.6% stake in Chase Pharma: Drug firm Cipla Ltd said it would invest $1.5 million to acquire a 14.6% stake in US-based Chase Pharmaceuticals engaged in developing novel approaches to improve treatments for Alzheimer's disease. "..Company has signed a definitive agreement to invest $1.5 million in Chase Pharmaceuticals Corporation Inc, US, to acquire a 14.6% stake in Chase on a fully diluted basis," Cipla said.

• Retail inflation for April at 8.59%: Retail inflation for April came in at a three-month high of 8.59 per cent, higher than 8.31 percent in previous month. The spurt in retail inflation is largely attributed to the food inflation inching up to 9.66 per cent against 9.1 per cent in the previous month. The rural inflation for April came in at 9.25 per cent (8.89 per cent). On the other hand, urban inflation was seen at 7.69 per cent (7.51 per cent).

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‘Economy to cross $5 t by 2025’: With improvement in macroeconomic indicators and steady implementation

of policy reforms, the economy is likely to cross the $5-trillion mark by 2025, a Morgan Stanley report said.

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• SC Collegium recommended Gopal Subramaniam and RF Nariman to be appointed as SC judges: The Supreme Court Collegium on 13 May 2014 recommended the names of Gopal Subramaniam and RF Nariman to be elevated as judges of the Supreme Court. The recommendation has to be approved by the Union Government. The Collegium was headed by Chief Justice of India RM Lodha and comprised of the four most senior judges of the Supreme Court. The two lawyers Gopal Subramaniam and Rohinton Fali Nariman have been the Solicitor Generals in the past.

• US Senate confirmed Indira Talwani as federal judge in Massachusetts: US Senate confirmed the name of Indian – American Indira Talwani as the federal judge in Massachusetts. The US Senate approved the name of Talwani by 94-0 votes.

• President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to Whistleblowers Protection Bill 2011: Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India gave his assent to the Whistleblowers Protection Bill 2011. With this assent, the

Whistleblowers Bill, 2011 became Whistleblowers Protection Act, 2011. The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on 11 December 2011 and by Rajya Sabha on 21 February 2014. The Bill carries provisions for setting up regular mechanism to encourage persons to disclose information on corruption or willful misuse of power by public servants, which includes Ministers. The Bill also demands adequate protection to persons who reports corruption or willful misuse of discretion, which bring in a demonstrable loss to the government.

• Donetsk and Luhansk leaders declared independence from Ukraine: Leaders of Donetsk and Luhansk on declared Donetsk and Luhansk region in the Eastern Ukraine as sovereign and independent State. The declaration was made after the referendum in Donetsk and Luhansk which was held on 11 May 2014.

• Kristin Lund of Norway became first-ever woman to head a UN Peacekeeping Force: Major General Kristin Lund of Norway became the first-ever woman to head a UN Peacekeeping Force in its entire history. She was

appointed as the Force Commander of UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) to mark its 50th anniversary in 2014.

• Unique enzyme SOD discovered by CSIR to increase shelf life of fruits and vegetables: A Unique enzyme Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) was discovered by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The enzyme will help increase shelf life of fruits and vegetables.

• Former Israel PM Olmert sentenced to imprisonment in corruption case: The Tel Aviv District Court of Israel on 13 May 2014 sentenced former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to six years in prison for corrupt practices in real estate projects. The court also fined one million shekels (290000 US dollar) to Olmert for his role in the Holyland project.

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• Lt. Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag named new army chief: Lt. Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag has been appointed the new army chief, He will take over from General Bikram Singh, who will retire at the end of July. An alumnus of Sainik School, Chittorgarh, he joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) in 1970 and was commissioned into 4/5 GR (FF) in June 1974.

• Raghuram Rajan signed Rs 1000 banknotes to come up shortly: Reserve Bank will shortly issue banknotes of Rs 1000 denomination in the Mahatma Gandhi series-2005 bearing the signature of Governor Raghuram Rajan. "The RBI will shortly issue Rs 1000 denomination Banknotes incorporating rupee symbol on the obverse and reverse, with inset letter 'L' in both the numbering panels, in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005 bearing the signature of Raghuram G Rajan, Governor," RBI said in a notification .

• RBI panel recommends one-licence policy for all banks: The RBI’s vision of