General Affairs

` JANUARY 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. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

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` India , Bangladesh Signed Extradition and Visa Agreements 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..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 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 . STATES 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. 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. 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.

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 ‖ .

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` 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”. World Economic Forum Summit Held in Davos The 43rd World Economic Forum Annual Meeting held from 23 – 27 January at Davos-Klosters in Switzerland. 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 “ 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 .. 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 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) Best Musical or Comedy -: Les Miserables Best Foreign Language Film – : Amour Best Animated Feature Film -: Brave 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.

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` 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″. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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

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` 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 LIC Launched New Jeewan Nidhi & Flexi Plus Policies 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. 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. 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. 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

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 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. „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 . Brahmos cruise missile test fired in successfully

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` 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. “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” .. „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. 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, 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, t. 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

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` 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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 . 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 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. D)VISITORS 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.. E)MISCELLANEOUS Premlata Conquers Summit of Mt Vinson in Antarctica 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‟. 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. India was ranked 66th place. 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

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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.

FEBRUARY INTERNATIONAL 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. 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. 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. 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.

INDIA & WORLD India-Malaysia Double Taxation Agreement in Force

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` 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 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 country, if such payments are already made in India. 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 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 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. 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. 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 NATIONAL 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 . Cabinet Approved Rs.38500 cr Rural Road Development Plan

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` 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). Parliament Attack Case Convict Afzal Guru Hanged The code name of the secret operation was Operation “Three Star ― . 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. India‟s First Geothermal Plant in Chhattisgarh 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. Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland Assembly Elections Results .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.

AWARDS & HONOURS 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 . 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. 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‟ .

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` 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 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. 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‟.

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) Best Directing: Ang Lee(Life of Pi)

SPORTS & GAMES Graeme Smith Captains his 100th Test

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` 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 Pakistan, he became the only captain in the world to have led the team 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 . 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. 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 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. Argentina Censured by the IMF for Economic Data .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.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY First Complete Bionic Man Unveiled in U.K

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` On 7 February The world‟s first complete „Bionic Man‟ named “ Rex ” was unveiled at London‟s Science Museum. 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) . 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 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. PSLV-C20 Successfully Launched „SARAL‟ and 6 Other Satellites 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. 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.

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` 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.

PLACES IN NEWS 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 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

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` 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. “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.

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.

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

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` 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,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‟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. 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.

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

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` 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. 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.

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.T 5th BRICS Summit Held in Durban The 5th BRICS Summit was held in Durban, South Africa from 26 to 27 March 2013..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. 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 Arun Jaitley, Karan Singh, Sharad Yadav Best Parliamentarians

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` 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‟.. 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. 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)

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` 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‟ 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.. 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.

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 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

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` 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.

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. 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 Gujarat has also topped in terms of household consumption of fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) during the fiveyear period. 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. 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

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` 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. 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 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 100megawatt solar plant “Shams 1 “ in the desert of Abu Dhabi,the world‟s largest concentrated solar power plant in operation.

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` 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). 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. 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.

PERSONS IN NEWS A) APPOINTMENTS 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. 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 . 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 Latin America. 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

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` 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. 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. 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 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 C)DEATHS . Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman Died 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. D)VISITORS President of India Visited Bangladesh

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` 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. E)MISCELLANEOUS 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. 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 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

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` 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. 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

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` 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

April 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 threeparty 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

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` 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 . 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. 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. 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. 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.

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

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` 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 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.

NATIONAL 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 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. India‟s first automatic toll collection system launched in Maharashtra

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` 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.

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. 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. 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.

AWARDS & HONOURS . 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 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 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, year. New York Times won four Pulitzer Prizes

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` 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.. 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‖. 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. 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.. 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. 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. Nanjappa wins bronze in men‟s 10m air pistol at World Cup

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` 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. the 10th Asian Billiards title for Rupesh Shah.Rupesh Shah already qualified for 2013 World Championship as the defending champion. 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 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. 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

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` 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

ECONOMY 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

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` 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 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. 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). . Pakistan Tests Nuclear-Capable Hatf-IV Missile 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.

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

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` 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. 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. 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. Ajay Devgn, Runa Laila named SAARC ambassadors for HIV/AIDS Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila and Oscar-winning Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen ObaidChinoy 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

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` 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. 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.. 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). 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 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. ABBREVIATIONS CII MSME

—-

Confederation of Indian Industry —-

Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises

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` SCO

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Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

AMS

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Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

ICSI

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Institute of Company Secretaries of India

TESS

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Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

WIPO

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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 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).

May INTERNATIONAL 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 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.

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` 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. 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 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 . 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. 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.

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` 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 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. 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. 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. 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 Tovichakchaikul.The treaty was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra. 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 .

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` 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. 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. Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant got Approval for Operations by the Supreme Court of India 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. 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 ADB‟s 46th Annual Meeting Held in New Delhi

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` 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. 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-yearold 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. 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

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` SPORTS & GAMES 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. 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 * 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.

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. 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

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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 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. 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. BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile Successfully Test Fired 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

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` 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. Shashi Kant Sharma is the new CAG 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. 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

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` 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 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. E)MISCELLANEOUS 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. Sreesanth,Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested

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` 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. 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.

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 westcentral 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

CNEN ——— National Commission for Nuclear Energy CNEA ———- National Commission of Atomic Energy IPV ———– Inshore Patrol Vessel

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` 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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June ‖ INTERNATIONAL 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. 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.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. UK and China Signed Currency Swap Agreement 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. 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.

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

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` 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. 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). 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.

NATIONAL 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 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. 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. 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. * Sis Ram Ola

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Labour and Employment Ministry

* Oscar Fernandes

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* Girija Vyas

Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation

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Road Transport and Highways Ministry

* Kavuru Sambasiva Rao

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Textiles Ministry

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

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` 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. 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 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. 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 . 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. R

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` 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. 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.

CONFERENCES 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.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. 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 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

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` 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. 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 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. 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, before the Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel won the Malaysia and Bahrain Grand Prix of the year. Srikanth Won Thailand Open Badminton

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` 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. 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. 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. 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. Japan Unveiled 500 kmph Bullet Train

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` 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.

China Successfully Launches Fifth Manned Space Mission 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. 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. 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. 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 C17 operators. 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 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. 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. 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. ‗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

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` 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 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. . 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 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. 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

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` 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. 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. K Justice P Sadasivam Appointed As New Chief Justice Of India On 29 June P. Sathasivam was appointed as the 40th Chief Justice of India . C) 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 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. 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.

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Bangkok Ranked World‘s Top Travel Spot 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 FIFA – ——- Federation Internationale de Football Association WSA ——-

World Steel Association

FCI ——— Food Corporation of India

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` 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 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

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` 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.

JULY

INTERNATIONAL Croatia Joins The EU as 28th Member State On 1 July Croatia became the 28th member of the European Union.It is the first addition since Bulgaria and Romania joined EU in 2007.Croatia formally applied for EU membership in 2003. Hazem El-Beblawi Named As New Egyptian Prime Minister On 9 July Hazem el Beblawi a liberal economist and Egypt s former finance minister was named as the new Prime Minister of Egypt by the Interim President Adly Mansour.El-Beblawi is a founding member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Al Ahram.He has also served as the undersecretary-general at the United Nations between 1995 and 2000. Taiwan and New Zealand Signed Free Trade Agreement On 10 July New Zealand signed a free trade agreement with Taiwan.Two-way trade is worth 1.6 billion New Zealand dollars (US$1.2 billion) annually, with New Zealand exporting mainly agricultural products like milk and Taiwan shipping largely electronics.Taiwan is New Zealand‟s 12th largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totalling about $120.7 million. Bhutan‘s Opposition Party Wins Parliamentary Elections On 14 July Bhutan‘s Election Commission formally announced that the People‘s Democratic Party (PDP) won the National Assembly elections by having secured a majority of thirty two seats.The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) won fifteen seats and was elected as the opposition party.PDP leader Tshering Tobgay is likely to be named prime minister of the new government. Bangladesh Passes Labour (Amendment) Bill 2013 On 15 July the Bangladesh Parliament passed ‗Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Bill 2013′ aimed to protect the interest and rights of the workers and ensuring their safety.The new law has seen amendments to a total of 87 sections of the Labor Act 2006. Britain‘s Queen Elizabeth II Signed Bill Legalizing Gay Marriage On 17 July Britain has legalized gay marriage after Queen Elizabeth II gave her royal stamp of approval.The queen‘s approval was a formality.Britain became the 15th country to legalize gay marriage after a bill cleared Parliament and Queen Elizabeth II signed off on the law. Thirty Meter Telescope Partners Signed Agreement On 26 July The partners building the world‟s largest and most advanced optical telescope at Mauna Kea‟s summit have

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` signed an agreement laying the foundation for the telescope‟s operation.Mauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii.The Thirty Meter Telescope project representatives from partnering institutions in the U.S., Canada, China, India and Japan signed the document. Myanmar – China Gas Pipeline Starts To Deliver Gas To China On 28 July Myanmar-China natural gas pipeline (Myanmar section) was inaugurated in northern Myanmar‟s Mandalay and started to deliver gas to China.The gas pipeline stretches for 793 kilometers onshore within Myanmar‘s territory with six processing stations, while the crude oil pipeline, which is nearing completion, starts from Made Island and extends onshore for 771 kilometers. Mamnoon Hussain Elected As Pakistan‘s New President On 30 July Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz‟s (PML-N) nominee Mamnoon Hussain was elected as the 12th President of Pakistan.Hussain emerged as a clear winner in the contest with ex-judge Wajihuddin Ahmed of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party , headed by cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan.Mamnoon Hussain was born on 2 March 1940 in Agra, India.He is the textile businessman as well as politician of Pakistan.He migrated to Pakistan from India in 1954. Ireland President Signed The Abortion Bill In To Law On 31 July Ireland President Michael D. Higgins has signed the abortion bill into law. The bill, overwhelmingly passed by both houses of the Irish parliament on 12 July 2013, permits abortions only in cases where doctors deem the woman‟s life at risk from continued pregnancy.

INDIA & WORLD India, Albania Signed Agreement For Avoidance Of Double Taxation On 8 July India and Albania signed an agreement for avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital.The agreement was signed by Ms Sudha Sharma, chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), and Mr Fatos Kerciku, Ambassador, Republic of Albania. India, Iraq Signed Agreement To Enhance Co-operation In Energy Sector On 8 July India and Iraq signed a agreement to enhance co-operation in energy security, bilateral trade & commerce, infrastructure development among others.The agreement was signed between the Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily and his counterpart from Iraq, Abdul Karim Luaibi at the end of the India-Iraq Joint Commission on technical co-operation in Baghdad. India, SriLanka & Maldives Signed Tripartite Maritime Security Agreement On 8 July India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have entered into a tripartite agreement on maritime cooperation to secure sea routes in the Indian Ocean region at the end of the Meeting on Trilateral Cooperation on Maritime Security.The agreement was reached by all on the importance of raising the maritime cooperation between the three countries in the current context of maritime security environment in the Indian Ocean region. India, Belarus Signed Protocol To Enhance Trade Ties On 24 July 2013 India and Belarus signed a protocol to enhance trade ties during the sixth session of the Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation held in New Delhi.The session was cochaired from the Indian Side by Dr. E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, and Dmitry S. Katerinich, Minister of Industry of the Republic of Belarus. India and France Hold Talks On Military Cooperation On 26 July India and France discussed their ongoing military cooperation including the progress over Rs 50,000 crore 126 multirole combat aircraft deal during the defence minister-level talks in NewDelhi.The two sides are also holding negotiations for a Rs 30,000-crore project for co-developing the Maitri surface-to-air missile defence system.In a joint statement issued after the deliberations between defence minister A K Antony and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, they agreed that such cooperation should continue to be progressed to the mutual benefit of both countries, including in high technology areas involving joint research and development and transfer of technology.

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` India and Afghanistan Signed MoUs for SDP scheme projects On 30 July India and Afghanistan have signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in Kabul for implementing 60 projects in ten Afghan provinces under the Small Development Projects (SDP) scheme.The MoUs signed by Afghan Minister of Economy Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal and Indian Ambassador Amar Sinha in Kabul are related to the third phase of the SDP scheme and will be completed in the next four years.

NATIONAL President Pranab Mukherjee Signed Ordinance On Food Security On 5 July President Pranab Mukherjee signed the ordinance on food security ,which seeks to give legal rights to 67 per cent of the population over subsidised grains every month.Now, with the presidential consent, the bill will be presented before the Parliament when it convenes for the Monsoon Session.The Government had issued the ordinance to give nation‘s two-third population the right to get 5 kgs of foodgrains every month at highly subsidised rates of 1-3 Rupees per kg amid political opposition. Cabinet Approved For Aviation, Women Varsities In Raebareli .Raebareli will get the first ever all-women university and first national aviation university in the country.National University for Women in Uttar Pradesh by the name of “The Indira Gandhi National University for Women”.This will be the first university of the country to be established exclusively for women.The cost involved is Rs.500 crore.National Aviation University (NAU) in the name of “Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University ” at the District of Rae Bareli in the State of U.P. as a Central University. Govt Approved To Replace DGCA With Civil Aviation The new regulatory body would be called the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and it would replace the DGCA.

Authority

Free Medical Treatment For Pregnant Women On 16 July Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad announced the government will provide free pre-natal health care and ambulance facilities to pregnant women across the country .Under the Janani Suraksha Yojna (JSY) scheme, pregnant women are provided free medical treatment during the delivery and post natal care. Bengaluru International Airport Renamed as ―Kempegowda International Airport‖ On 17 July the Union Cabinet gave its approval for renaming Bengaluru International Airport as “Kempegowda International Airport” to fulfill the long pending demand of the people of Karnataka, as well as the State Government of Karnataka.Hiriya Kempegowda, known as Kempegowda was a ruler under the Vijayanagar Empire, who ruled most parts of Karnataka during the sixteenth century. President Of India Promulgated The ‖ Securities Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2013 ― On 18 July Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India promulgated the “Securities Law Amendment Ordinance 2013″. The ordinance would grant Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the powers to regulate any pooling of funds under an investment contract involving a corpus of 100 crore rupees or more and attach assets in case of non-compliance. Acid Attacks On Women Non-bailable Offence On 18 July the Supreme Court o made acid attack a non-bailable offence and ordered all state governments to pay Rs 3 lakh compensation to acid attack victims. The states were also directed to frame rules for regulating sale of acid within three months.The material cannot be sold to a person who is below the age of 18 years.Going through the compensation schemes of 17 states and seven Union Territories (UTs), the bench found the amount being paid to the victims as grossly inadequate.The compensation for after-care and rehabilitation at present ranges between Rs 5,000 and Rs 1,50,000. Union Tourism Minister Launched ―Clean India Campaign‖ On 24 July Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi launched the Project ―Clean India Campaign‖ at Taj Mahal.Clean India Campaign has been initiated by the Ministry of Tourism with the objective to increase tourist arrivals to the country and to improve quality of services and provide a hygienic environment in and around tourist destinations across the country.Taj Mahal is the second heritage site to be covered under this project. The first being Qutub Minar Delhi, which has been adopted by

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` India Tourism Development Corporation in June 2012.On the request from the Tourism Minister, the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) has agreed to adopt and upkeep the environs of Taj Mahal Complex including up gradation of tourist facilities in the monument.Besides Taj Mahal, the ONGC has also agreed to adopt five more monuments including Ellora and Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, Red Fort in the national capital, Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad and Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.

STATES Himachal Pradesh Declared First Smoke – Free State In Country On 2 July Himachal Pradesh has been declared the first “smoke-free” State in the country in compliance with Section 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. The State has achieved 85.45% compliance with the relevant parameters. Karnataka Launched ‖ Anna Bhagya ‖ Scheme On 10 July Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the ambitious „Anna Bhagya‟ scheme in Bangalore.The scheme under which 30 kg of rice per month will be given to BPL (below poverty line) families across the state at Re 1 per kg. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced the scheme after taking oath on June 13. Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project Starts Fission On 13 July India‘s 21st nuclear power reactor and the country‟s first pressurised water reactor under the light water reactor category ,Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu began the nuclear fission process.India‘s atomic power plant operator, NPCIL is setting up two 1,000 MW reactors with Russian technology and equipments at Kudankulam, around 650 km from Chennai.The over Rs 17,000 crore project, which generated severe protests from the locals, has started generating heat and steam from the 163 uranium fuel bundles loaded in the reactor. Night Policing Scheme Launched In Punjab On 14 July Punjab government launched the Night Policing Scheme (NPS) with 4000 police personnel and an independent cadre and command structure.. UP Launched Family Health Campaign On 15 July the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, launched the „Hausla‟ awareness state-wide campaign to improve family health in 75 districts of the State. First Textile Park Inaugurated at Bagru near Jaipur On 24 July First Textile Park dedicated to hand block printing and craft was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Textile, Dr. Kavuru Sambasiva Rao at Bagru near Jaipur. WIFS Programme Launched In Rajasthan On 25 July the Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) Programme for the State of Rajasthan was launched by ShriGhulamNabi Azad, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfareat Jaipur. Himachal Government Launched Video Chat In Prisons On 26 July Himachal Pradesh state government launched video chat facility in all six prisons of the state .The video conference facility, first of its kind in the country, would help family and friends save time and money on travelling to prisons to meet the inmates. Even foreigners can avail this facility.The government has already amended the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), enabling the courts to utilize the video-conference facility between the jails and the courts. This would also help save time and money of the prison department in escorting the prisoners from jails to courts. Two New Rail and Road Projects Launched In Haryana The Union Transport Minister Oscar Fernandes, at Hansi laid the foundation of 99 Kilometer long Hisar-Rohtak four lane National Highway. The cost of this project would be 1000 crore Rupees. The road project would include two road-over bridges, under pass as well as 29-bus bays at both the sides.

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` Government Of Odisha Announced Rice For Olive Ridley Conservation Scheme The Government of Odisha announced Rice for Olive Ridley Conservation (ROrC) scheme for the year 2013 in order to help the fishermen families affected by seven-month ban on marine fishing at Odisha coastal areas.The identification of beneficiaries under Rice for Olive Ridley Conservation (ROrC) Scheme was announced on 22 July 2013.The main aim of the ROrC scheme is to help the fishermen families who are affected by seven-month ban on marine fishing as an Olive Ridley turtle protection measure.

CONFERENCES First IOR-ARC Economic and Business Conference (IOR-ARC) Economic and Business Conference held in Port Louis, Mauritius on 4 – 5 July 2013.The Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Anand Sharma co-chaired the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IORARC) Economic and Business Conference.India and Mauritius co-hosted the first economic and business conference under the theme of “Deepening Economic Linkages for Balanced, Inclusive & Sustainable Growth”. The IORARC has 20 members, of which India and Australia are the largest economies. National Conference Of State Tourism Ministers Held In New Delhi The National Tourism Ministers‘ Conference was held in New Delhi on 18 July 2013.The Conference was chaired by Union Tourism Minister Shri K. Chiranjeevi.During the conference, a new campaign known as “I Respect Women ‖ was also launched.The campaign was launched with Ministry of Tourism issuing badges in Hindi and ten international languages. G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting Held in Moscow The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting was held on 19-20 July in Moscow,Russia.G20 Countries ministers ,Central Bank Governors and Indian Finance minister P.Chidambaram ,RBI governor D Subbarao attended the meeting.In the meeting delegates discussed traditional G20 agenda including the G20 Framework agreement for strong, sustainable and balanced growth, the financial regulation reforms, and market transparency. The final communique contains the usual sentence urging convergence stressing this time how convergence can contribute to financial stability:At the end of the meeting Finance Ministers and Central Banks Governors approved the Joint Communique.

AWARDS & HONOURS 27 Individuals Conferred With National Youth Awards 2011-12 National Youth Award 2011-12 was conferred by Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India on 4 July 2013 to 27 individuals and an organization at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhawan. It is for the first time that the National Youth awards were given by the President of India.A total of 27 individuals and one organisation received he award this year.The youth award carries a Silver Medal, a Certificate and a cash prize of 40000 rupees in cases of individual awardees and 2lakh case prize for voluntary organizations.The selected individuals are expected to possess leadership qualities and use them in carrying out voluntary activities in the field of youth development. IIFA Awards 2013 Winners The 14th IIFA awards held at Macau on 6 July 2013. And this year‘s IIFA will always be remembered for some outstanding performances by veteran actresses Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi.Ranbir Kapoor won the Best Actor Award for Barfi, while Vidya

Balan took the Best Actress Award home for Sujoy Ghosh‘s Kahaani. Winner‘s List :* Best Actor: Ranbir Kapoor (Barfi!) * Best Female Actor: Vidya Balan (Kahaani) * Best Film: Barfi! * Best Director: Anurag Basu (Barfi!) * Best Story : Tani and Anurag Basu (Barfi!) * Best Supporting Actor (Male): Annu Kapoor (Vicky Donor)

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` * Best Supporting Actor (Female): Anushka Sharma (Jab Tak Hai Jaan) * Best Music Director: Pritam (Barfi!) Zubin Mehta Conferred Tagore Award 2013 On 10 July Zubin Mehta, western classical music conductor of Indian-Parsi origin, has been awarded 2nd Tagore Award For Cultural Harmony ( for 2013).He was named for the award because of his outstanding contribution to cultural harmony.The first Tagore Award was conferred on Pt. Ravi Shankar, the Indian Sitar Maestro in 2012 Tongam Rina Selected For German Media Prize On 13 July Senior journalist of Arunachal Pradesh-Tongam Rina has been selected for the prestigious “Prize for the Freedom and Future of the Media – 2013″ instituted by Media Foundation, Leipzig, Germany Human Powered Helicopter Wins US prize On 13 July The world‘s first human-powered helicopter by a Canadian engineer has become the first winner of a decades-old US$250,000 (S$316,255) engineering prize ,after performing a minute-long flight at an altitude of 3.3 meters – fueled only by the pilot‘s pedaling of a modified bicycle.The winning vehicle is called the ‖ Atlas ‖ , and was designed by a team of about 20 students and young professionals.The aircraft is extremely light — just 121.4 pounds (55 kilograms) — but it spans a sprawling 162 feet (49.4 meters). Shalini Singh Wins 2013 Prem Bhatia Award Shalini Singh, a deputy editor with The Hindu, has bagged the prestigious Prem Bhatia Award for Political Reporting – 2013. Amitabh Bachchan Received Maestro Award On 17 July Amitabh Bachchan, classical flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia and ace santoor exponent Shivkumar Sharma were honoured with the WWI (Whistling Woods International) Maestro Awards.The honour was bestowed on the trio by filmmaker Subhash Ghai‘s film and media institute. ―Metro Man‖ Sreedharan Chosen For ‗ 2013 Lokmanya Tilak ‗ Award On 29 July ‖ Metro Man” E. Sreedharan has been selected for the prestigious „ Lokmanya Tilak „ award for 2013 for his outstanding contribution to society.Name of Sreedharan, considered as the architect of the ambitious Delhi metro project, was announced by Lokmanya Tilak Trust.The Padmashree laureate is also credited for pulling off the Konkan Railway project. Amjad Ali Khan To Get Rajiv Gandhi National Sadhbhavna Award On 30 July Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan was chosen for the 21st Rajiv Gandhi National Sadhbhavna Award for his contribution towards promotion of communal harmony and peace. The award was instituted by All India Congress Committee of the Indian National Congress Party (INC).

SPORTS & GAMES Negi Won Continental Chess Open Title On 2 July India‘s young Grand Master Parimarjan Negi has won the Continental Chess Association Open title in Washington.The second and third places are won by the International Master Bindi Cheng of Canada and American Grand Master Konrad Holt from Kansas respectively. Wimbledon Tennis Tournament Title 2013 Winners Women‘s Singles :- On 6 July France‟s Marion Bartoli won the Wimbledon 2013 women‘s title after defeated Germany‘s Sabine Lisicki in the final.Bartoli is the fifth oldest woman to become a first-time Grand Slam winner in the Open Era. Men‘s Singles :- On 7 July Andy Murray (Britain) won the Men‟s Singles title after defeated Novak Djokovic (Serbia) in the final.Andy Murray became the Britain‘s first male winner after almost eight decades, to win the championship. Sebastian Vettel Won German Grand Prix On 7 July Red Bull‘s Sebastian Vettel won the German Grand Prix title .Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean got second and third positions respectively.It was Vettel‘s first victory in his home race and the 30th of his career.

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` Shiva Thapa Wins Gold at Asian Boxing Championships On 8 July Nineteen-year-old Shiva Thapa became the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the Asian Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan.Thapa defeated local pugilist Obada Alkabeh,on a split decision to win the gold in the 56kg class. Lajja Goswami Won Silver In Shooting World Cup On 9 July Indian woman shooter Lajja Goswami has won silver medal in women‘s 50-metre Rifle 3 Position event at the ISSF World Cup in Granada, Spain.Gauswami, a silver medallist at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, shot 454 in the finals to bag the silver ahead of Norway‘s Malin Westerheim.Petra Zublasing of Italy won the gold medal. Abhijeet Gupta Won Commonwealth Chess Championship On 14 July Indian Grandmaster and former world junior champion Abhijeet Gupta has won the Commonwealth Chess Championship ,after settled for a draw with Indian national title-holder G. Akash in the final round at Port Elizabeth in South Africa. Devendra Jhajharia Won Gold In World Paralympic Championships On 22 July India‘s Paralympian Devendra Jhajharia has won a gold medal in the Javelin Throw at IPC (International Paralympic Commitee) athletics World Championships in France.He became the first differently-abled Indian to win gold at the IPC Athletics World Championships. Dhyan Chand Nominated For Bharat Ratna The sports ministry has chosen hockey legend late Dhyan Chand for India‘s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.Dhyan Chand, who passed away in 1979, won three gold medals at the Olympics – in 1928 ( Amsterdam), 1932 ( Los Angeles) and 1936 ( Berlin). Jennitha Wins World Chess Title For Disabled On 24 July India‘s K. Jennitha Anto has became the World Chess Champion for disabled, after won the 13th IPCA World Women‟s Individual Chess Championship in Velke Losiny, Czech Republic. Afridi Becomes First Batsman To Hit 400 Sixes Pakistan‘s Shahid Afridi became the first cricketer to hit 400 sixes in an international career on 26 July.Afridi reached the landmark in the 16th over of Pakistan‘s reply to the West Indies‘ 152 for seven in the first Twenty20 international.Chris Gayle, playing for the West Indies, is next on the list having hit 353 sixes in his Test, ODI and T20 career. Indian Wrestlers Won 15 Medals In Asian Cadet Championship On 27 July Indian wrestlers finished the Cadet Asian Championships with a rich haul of three golds, nine silvers and three bronze medals, besides winning the Champion Trophy in the freestyle category in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.The gold came through Amit Kumar (58kg), Vikas (63kg) and Parveen (85kg) of the freestyle category while silver medals were won by Ravi Kumar (54kg), Ankur Rathi (69kg), Balraj (76kg) and Gursewak Singh (100kg) in the same division.The freestyle team secured 84 points and finished ahead of Iran who were the runners-up. Aditya Mehta Won Snooker Gold In World Games On 30 July India‘s numero uno snooker player, Aditya Mehta won the gold medal in the World Games after defeated China‘s Liang Wenbo in the final of the quadrennial event at Cali, Columbia. India Won Under-16 SAFF Championship On 30 July India won the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-16 Championships held at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu.Indian boys defeated Nepal 1-0 in final to lift the South Asian Football Federation Under-16 Championship title. This is the first time that India have won the championship.

ECONOMY Indian Internet Economy To Touch USD 100 Billion By 2015 On 3 July According to the Economist Intelligence Unit ‗Good to Grow: The Environment of Asia‘s Internet Business‘ report

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` ,India‘s Internet Economy that stands at 1.6 per cent of GDP is slated to touch USD 100 billion by 2015 .Online advertising in Asia will grow from 24 per cent of worldwide online advertising in 2010 to 26 per cent by 2015.However, Asia‘s mobile advertising market is expected to account for one-third of the mobile advertising market globally by 2015. Latvia Gets EU Approval To Join Eurozone On 9 July European Union (EU) states approved the adoption of the euro by Latvia as of January 1, 2014. The country will be the 18th member of the European Monetary Union.Latvia is the second Baltic republic to join the euro zone. In 2011, Estonia adopted the currency. Lithuania plans to do so as well, in 2015. India‘s Growth Forecast To 5.6% For 2013-14 On 9 July the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has scaled down India‘s economic growth forecast by 0.2 percentage points to 5.6 per cent for 2013-14 from 5.8 per cent forecasted in April 2013 World Economic Outlook (WEO) projections.The growth projection for FY 2014-15 was also scaled down by 0.1 percentage points to 6.3 per cent. Indians Among Top Five Buyers Of Property In US On 10 July According to the National Association of Realtors survey report ,Buying property worth nearly $3.5 billion .Indians are among top five international real estate buyers in the US.India along with Canada, China, Mexico and the United Kingdom accounted for approximately 53 percent of international transactions worth $68.2 billion. Government Approved 100 percent FDI In Telecom Sector On 16 July the Union Government of India raised the FDI limit in Telecom Sector from 74 percent to 100 percent. Government also cleared that the FDI in the Insurance and Telecom sectors will be up to 49 per cent through automatic route.The foreign direct investment limit in insurance sector will be hiked to 49 per cent from the existing 26 per cent.The Government also confirmed that the FDI in Defence Production will continue to be 26 percent. Colombia Among World‘s Most Corrupt Nations On 17 July According to the „Global Corruption Barometer 2013 „ report , was released by NGO Transparency International (TI) ,Colombia is among the countries with the highest rate of corruption in the world.

India Becomes Largest Nigerian Crude Oil Buyer India has overtaken the U.S. as the top buyer of Nigerian crude oil.On the bilateral trade,the present figure stands at $10 billion, even as the total investment of India in Nigerian economy could be valued at $16.6 billion. Poverty In India Drops To 21.9 percent In 2011-12 * Poverty ratio in the country has declined to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12 from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05 on account of increase in per capita consumption. * Lowest poverty rate of 5.09% was recorded in Goa (2011-12) followed by Kerala (7.05 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (8.06 per cent), Sikkim (8.19 per cent), Punjab (8.26 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (9.20 per cent).

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ISRO – PSLV C22 Successfully Launched ‖ IRNSS 1A ‖ Navigation Satellite On 1 July ISRO‘s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C22, has successfully launched IRNSS-1A, the first satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota ,Nellore District (Andhra Pradesh)This is the 23rd consecutively successful mission of PSLV.

Russia‘s Proton-M Rocket Failed On 2 July Russia has launched an unmanned Proton-M , carrying three Russian Glonass positioning, navigation and timing satellites failed 17 seconds after liftoff , with the rocket crashing some 2.5 kilometers from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan.

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` World`s First ‗ Human Liver ‗ Created From Stem Cells Japanese scientists have grown a functional human liver tissue from stem cells for the first time.Takanori Takebe and Hideki Taniguchi at Yokohama City University showed the generation of vascularised and functional human liver from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) by transplantation of in vitro grown liver buds (rudimentary liver). UK Inaugurates World‘s Largest Offshore Wind Farm On 4 July British Prime Minister David Cameron has inaugurated London Array, the world‘s largest offshore wind farm ,a 630megawatt project capable of producing enough electricity to power 500,000 homes. The $2.3 billion project is located 12 miles offshore in the North Sea, east of London .Powered by 175 Siemens wind turbines. Iran Secret Nuclear Site Discovered By MEK On 11 July the paris based militant group organisation of the People‘s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) has discovered credible evidence of a secret new nuclear site, gathered over a year by 50 sources in various parts of the regime.The codename of the project is ‗Ma‘adan-e Sharq‘ (literally ‗the mine of the east‘) or ‗Project Kossar‘.This site is hidden in a series of tunnels under a mountain near the town of Damavand.The Paris-based militant group MEK alleges that the site has existed since 2006, with the first series of subterranean tunnels and four external depots recently completed. Advanced Weather Satellite ‗ INSAT-3D ‗ Launched Successfully On 26 July The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its advanced weather satellite „ Insat-3D „ from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana, using a European launch vehicle, Ariane-5 .The rocket also launched „Alphasat „ a co-passenger of INSAT-3D and Europe‟s largest telecommunication satellite-ever manufactured.INSAT-3D was placed in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO),very close to the intended one. ISRO, Tata Motors Developed India‘s First Fuel Cell Bus On 28 July Tata Motors Limited (TML) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in collaboration, developed the first Hydrogen-powered automobile bus of India.The hydrogen fuel-fitted bus was demonstrated at Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, an ISRO facility in Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu.According to Honorary Adviser of ISRO V Gnana Gandhi, who led the technical team in this project, ISRO and TML entered into an MoU in 2006 to design and develop an automobile bus using hydrogen as a fuel through fuel cell route. HAL Delivers Lakshya-1 To Indian Army On 26 July the first Lakshya-1, a fully indigenous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed for the Indian Army by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) was delivered to Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (Hyderabad).Lakshya-1 has been designed and developed by the Aero Engine Research & Development Centre, a HAL facility in Bangalore.It is powered with PTAE-7 Engine, an aero gas turbine engine that was also designed and developed by the Aero Engine Research & Development Centre.

PERSONS IN NEWS A) APPOINTMENTS New Governor‘s and Lieutenant Governor‘s Appointed * On 1 July Vice Chancellor of Jamia Milia University Najeeb Jung was appointed as the 20th Lt Governor of Delhi.Njaeeb Jung has replaced Tejendra Khanna, who was the 1961 batch Indian Administrative Service officer and the last Lt Governor of Delhi. * Former Delhi police commissioner K.K. Paul has been appointed the Meghalaya governor, replaced Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary. Sujatha Singh Is New Foreign Secretary Of India On 2 July Sujata Singh has been appointed as India‘s new foreign secretary.She succeeds Ranjan Mathai..Singh is the third woman to head the services after Chokila Iyer and Nirupama Rao.Previously Singh worked in Europe including Italy ,France and Germany. Adli Mansour Sworn In As Egypt‘s Interim President On 4 July the Chief Justice of Egypt‘s Constitutional Court ,Adli Mansour has been sworn in as Egypt‟s interim

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` president.Mansour will serve as Egypt‘s head of state until a new president is elected.Earlier, the first democratically elected President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi was deposed from his office in a military coup. Kaushik Appointed As The Coach Of Indian Men‘s Hockey Team On 10 July Hockey India (HI) appointed Olympic gold medallist Maharaj Kishan Kaushik as the men‘s hockey team coach.The decision comes in the wake of Michael Nobbs‘ removal as the team‘s head coach.Kaushik was a member of the team when it won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.Under the Coaching of MK Kaushik , India men‘s hockey team had won their last major international tournament, the 1998 Asian Games, Bangkok. In 1998, he received the Arjuna Award. S. B. Mainak Appointed LIC MD On 8 July S B Mainak has been appointed as MD of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).He will hold office from the date of assuming charge till 29 February 2016. Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka Appointed UN Women Chief On 10 July Former South African deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has been appointed as the head of UN Women agency.Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka replaces Michelle Bachelet, a former president of Chile who served as the first Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women).Mlambo was the first woman to hold the position of Deputy President of South Africa from 2005 to 2008. Hemant Soren Sworn in as 9th Jharkhand Chief Minister On 13 July Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of Jharkhand. Syed Ahmed, the Governor of Jharkhand administered the oath of the office to Hemant Soren in the premises of Raj Bhavan in a swearing-in ceremony. .ElBaradei Sworn In As Egypt‘s Vice President On 14 July a former head of the UN nuclear watchdog and a Nobel peace laureate, Prominent liberal Egyptian leader Mohamed ElBaradei was sworn in as Egypt‟s interim vice president for foreign relations. Moin Khan Appointed Pak Cricket Team‘s Chief Selector On 15 July Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed former Pakistan team captain Moin Khan as chief selector after the resignation of Iqbal Qasim.Moin, is the youngest person to be named to the chief selector‘s post by the cricket board.Khan played 69 Tests and 219 one-day internationals for Pakistan in 1990s and was also a member of World Cup winning team in 1992. Santosh B Nayar is new CEO & MD of IFCI On 15 July Santosh B Nayar has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Industrial Financial Corporation of India.The IFCI was the 1st specialised financial institution setup in India to provide term finance to large industries in India. . Justice P Sathasivam Sworn In As The New Chief Justice Of India On 19 July Justice P Sathasivam was sworn in as the 40th Chief Justice of India (CJI) by President Pranab Mukherjee.Justice Sathasivam is first CJI from Tamil Nadu .The term of his office will be till 26 April 2014. Justice Palanisamy Sathasivam succeeded CJI Altamas Kabir who left the office on 18 July 2013. Rana Kapoor is new Assocham President On 20 July Rana Kapoor, Founder, Managing Director & CEO of Yes Bank,took over as the new president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) at the end of the industry body‘s 92nd annual general meeting (AGM) in Delhi.He succeeds Rajkumar Dhoot, who is the managing director of Videocon Group. Philippe-1 Sworn In As Seventh King Of Belgium On 21 July Prince Philippe -1 was sworn-in as the seventh king of Belgium,after his father Albert II abdicated as the head of this fractured nation.

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C)DEATHS Douglas Engelbart, Inventor Of Computer Mouse Died Doug Engelbart, the U.S inventor of the computer mouse and developer of early incarnations of email, word processing programs and the internet, has died on 2 July in Atherton, California Renowned Food Scientist Dr. H.A.B. Parpia Died Dr. H.A.B. Parpia, renowed food scientist and the former Director of the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) died on 9 July .There exist more than 2500 papers and documents published by the name of Dr. Parpia on food and technology and advanced education.Dr. Parpia served Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations at Rome and was Assistant Director in charge of Information, Statistics, Process Development and Food Plant Design at the CFTRI.In 1987, he received Wattumull Foundation Award from Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Bofors Scam Accused Ottavio Quattrocchi Died On 13 July Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, who was a accused in the Bofors scam, has died in Milan, Italy.The Bofors chargesheet filed in 1999 by CBI had named Quattrocchi,as one of the accused in the case regarding the Rs 64 crore payoffs for supply of Swedish Howitzer guns to the Indian Army. The Rs 1,600 crore contract was clinched in 1986. D)VISITORS Indian Defence Minister AK Antony‘s Visited China Indian Defence Minister, Mr AK Antony visited China from 4-7 July 2013.During the visit Antony met China Defence Minister General Chang Wanquan and also called on Premier Li Keqiang .Both countries Minister‘s discussed an extensive exchange of views on a wide range of defence and security issues.The two sides also agreed to hold talks on China India Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA).The both countries Defence Ministers discussed ongoing and proposed bilateral exchanges and welcomed the holding of the counter-terrorism bilateral joint exercise between their armies in China in 2013.Antony‘s trip is the first by an Indian defence minister since 2006 and comes after a spat between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in May over troop movements in a disputed Himalayan border region. India‘s External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Visited Nepal India‘s External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid, visited Nepal on 9th July.During the visit Salman Khurshid met Nepal‘s top leaders and discussed important bilateral issues, including the finalisation of an extradition treaty and controlling of criminal activities along the porous border.In the visit Khurshid also called on President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Chairman of Council of Ministers Khil Raj Regmi , Nepalese counterpart Madhav Prasad Ghimire and both the nations held official talks covering all feature of bilateral relations and issues of mutual interests. US Vice President Joe Biden Visited India US Vice President Joe Biden visited India from 22 – 25 July .He is the first U.S. vice-president visited India after three decades. E)MISCELLANEOUS Egypt President Mohamed Morsi Ousted By Military On 3 July Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president of Egypt whose rule sparked protests that had engulfed the country , was removed from power by the Egyptian military.After Morsi had rejected the military‘s ultimatum to surrender to public pressure and resign within 48 hours.Morsi‘s election as the first democratically elected President was a turning point in the political history of Egypt after the downfall of 30 years reign of Hosni Mubaraq. Pope Francis Clears John Paul II, John XXIII For Sainthood On 5 July Pope Francis on Friday cleared two of the 20th century‘s most influential popes to become saints, approving a miracle needed to canonize Pope John Paul II and waiving Vatican rules to honour Pope John XXIII.The announcement ceremony is expected before the end of the year. Bangladesh Islamist Ghulam Azam Sentenced To 90 Years In Prison On 15 July Bangladesh Islamist leader Ghulam Azam, 91 has been sentenced to 90 years in prison on charges of war

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` crimes.Azam, was accused of setting up militia groups that carried out mass killings and rape during Bangladesh‘s 1971 war of independence with Pakistan. Pakistan‘s Women Paratroopers Create History On 15 July Female officers of the Pakistan Army have jumped from military helicopters for the first time in the country‘s history.A total of 24 lady officers of the Pakistan Army successfully completed a three-week basic airborne course at the Parachute Training School in the northwestern city of Peshawar.Pakistan Army, in another landmark achievement, successfully completed the first ever Lady Officers Para Trooping Course at Para Training School.Captain Sadia was the first women officer who jumped from an MI-17 helicopter, while Captain Kiran Ashraf was declared the best paratrooper of the batch. ‗Che‘ Manuscripts Added To UNESCO Heritage Program On 20 July the writings of Cuban Revolution leader Ernesto “Che” Guevara have been added to UNESCO‟s Memory of the World Register.The documents include original manuscripts from ―Che‘s‖ youthful ―Motorcycle Diaries‖ days, to his diary from the mountains of Bolivia where he was executed by that nation‘s military in 1967.They are now recognized as world heritage and will be protected and cared for with the help of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange Launched Political Party In Australia On 25 July Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has launched his political party to contest Australian elections this year. As per Assange, his party which he named ” Wikileaks Party ” would be fielding seven candidates including Assange for upper house Senate seats in the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. Britain Royal Baby Named ‗ George Alexander Louis ‗ On 24 July Britain‘s new prince has been named „George Alexander Louis „.The announcement from Royal baby parents Prince William and Kate.It was declared that the third-in-line successor to the throne will be known as his Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. Stanford Ranked Top US university On ‗ Forbes ‗ List On 25 July According to the Forbes magazine‘s annual ranking of the top U.S. colleges list ,Stanford University in Northern California‘s Silicon Valley ranked No. 1 and much smaller Pomona College was in second place.Princeton University in New Jersey slipped to third place, followed by Yale University in Connecticut in fourth place and Columbia University in New York City at No. 5.For the sixth year, Forbes worked with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity in Washington to produce the list.

PLACES IN NEWS ‗ Incheon ‗ Named World Bank Capital For 2015 On 19 July UNESCO announced South Korea‘s western port city of Incheon has been chosen to be the World Book Capital for the year 2015.Incheon became the 15th city to be designated as the World Book Capital following the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt for 2014 and Bangkok for the year 2013. ABBREVIATIONS PSLV —- Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle

IRNSS —- Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System WIPO —– World Intellectual Property Organization CMAI —- Clothing Manufacturers Association of India AEPC —– Apparel Export Promotion Council CISF —— Central Industrial Security Force CRPF —– Central Reserve Police Force DGCA —– Directorate General of Civil Aviation CAA —– Civil Aviation Authority GSPA —– Gas Sale Purchase Agreement 71

` MMRCA —- Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft ESMA —– Essential Services Maintenance Act BOOKS IN NEWS ―A Bouquet Of Vivekananda‘s Writings‖ Book Released Swami Vivekananda The book titled ―A Bouquet Of Vivekananda‘s Writings‘ was released on 10 July.The book contains a number of hand-written poetries, essays and even letters written by Vivekananda in Bengali and English.19th century philosopher-monk Swami Vivekananda have been compiled in a book as a facsimile copy of his original handwriting. ‖ An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions ‖ Book Released ‖ An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions ―authored by Jean Dreze, the development economist and Amratya Sen, an economist, a philosopher and a Nobel Prize winner.The book was released in month of July 2013.The book has been published by Penguin Books India.In the book authors have presented a far reaching analysis of the conditions of contemporary India with a compilation of the wealth of illuminating data. ‖ The New Bihar – Rekindling Governance and Development ―Book Released On 21 July ―The New Bihar – Rekindling Governance and Development ‖ was released by Noble laureate Amartya Sen.President Pranab Mukherjee received a copy of book from Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen (centre) at Rashtrapati Bhavan .The book has been edited by N.K. Singh. ―An Agenda for India‘s Growth: Essays in Honour of P. Chidambaram‖ Book Released On 31 July The book entitled ‖ An Agenda for India‘s Growth: Essays in Honour of P. Chidambaram ― was released in New Delhi by Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.The book, which is edited by Sameer Kochhar of the Skoch Foundation, encompasses various excellent essays by well known distinguished experts. In the book, all the authors dated their association with P. Chidambaram from 1991, when he was the Minister of Commerce as well as a key reformer initiating trade policy reform.

COMMITTEES Harshvardhan Patil Committee On Agricultural Marketing Submits Report On 3 July The Committee of State Ministers In-charge of Agriculture Marketing to Promote Marketing Reforms has submitted final report to the Agriculture Minister, Shri Sharad Pawar.It has called for an effective implementation of Model APMC Act in all the states. This committee was constituted in March, 2010 under the Chairmanship of Shri Harshvardhan Patil, Minister for Cooperation and Parliamentary Affairs, Govt.of Maharashtra.The committee has also recommended the setting up of multiple and competitive marketing channels; independent regulatory authority to encourage private investors; need for viability gap funding to attract private sector investment; higher investment in marketing infrastructure.

IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES ‖ Nelson Mandela International Day ‖ Observed On Nelson Mandela International Day was observed across the world on 18 July 2013 to earmark freedom.

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‖ World Population Day ― Observed Across The World On 11 July World Population Day was observed on 11 July 2013 across the world. The theme for the year 2013 is ‗Focus is on Adolescent Pregnancy‘. ‖ Malala Day‖ Observed Across The 12 July 2013 was observed as Malala Day across the World and by United Nations.

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INTERNATIONAL Bangladesh Court Disqualifies Jamaat-e-Islami Party On 1 August a Bangladesh court has disqualified the country‟s largest Islamic party from taking part in the next general election.The High Court panel ruled that the opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party‘s regulations violate the constitutional provision of secularism. Robert Mugabe Re-elected As President Of Zimbabwe On 3 August Zanu-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front), the political party of the incumbent President Robert Mugabe has won the Presidential election of Zimbabwe . Ibrahim Boubacar Keita Elected As New President On 12 August Former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was elected as President of Mali.

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INDIA & WORLD India Signs DTAC protocol with Morocco On 8 August India signed a Protocol amending the India – Morocco Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) in New Delhi .The Protocol was signed by Dr Sudha Sharma, Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes on behalf of Government of India. 5th India – China Strategic Dialogue Held In Delhi The 5th India-China Strategic Dialogue was held at New Delhi on 20 August .The Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and the Chinese side was led by Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin. India and Iraq Signed Energy Cooperation Agreement On 23 August India and Iraq signed an agreement on energy cooperation to boost the bilateral ties.The agreement was signed along with three other agreements after comprehensive talks between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on strategic bilateral, regional and international issues. Iraq is an important Gulf nation and has emerged as India‟s second largest crude oil supplier after Saudi Arabia. India Announced Rs 5,000 crore For Bhutan On 31 August India announced an aid of Rs 5,000 crore, including a special package of Rs 500 crore, for Bhutan as part of commitment to its continued socio-economic development, a move that assumes significance against the backdrop of unease in the bilateral ties recently. India will contribute Rs 4500 crore towards Bhutan‘s 11th Plan, as well as Rs 500 crore towards an Economic Stimulus Package.The decision was announced after talks in NewDelhi between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.

NATIONAL Rajya Sabha Passed The „Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2012 „ On 13 August Rajya Sabha passed a bill to make registration of marriages mandatory.The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2012, which was passed by Rajya Sabha, seeks to provide compulsory registration of marriages irrespective of religion. The registration of marriages will not apply to those who have registered their marriage under any other law.At present, there is provision for registration of only births and deaths. Lok Sabha Passed „National Food Security Bill, 2013′ On 26 August Lok Sabha passed the ‗National Food Security Bill, 2013′.The Bill seeks to give legal rights to get subsidized grains every month to 67 percent of the overall population (of which 75 percent is rural and 50 percent is urban population).A beneficiary will be entitled to 5 kg of rice, wheat or coarse cereals at Rs. 3, Rs. 2 and Re. 1 per kg a month, respectively.The

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` beneficiaries will be identified by the States based on parameters prescribed by the Union government.Once the Bill gets its nod in the Rajya Sabha and President‘s accent, India will join the selected league of countries that guarantee food grants to a majority of its population. Rajya Sabha Passed „The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010′ On 26 August the Rajya Sabha passed „The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010 was passed by voice vote .It seeks to amend the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and the Special Marriages Act, 1954 which provides for irretrievable breakdown on marriage as a ground for divorce as well as grants women the right to a share in the property of their husbands Lok Sabha Passed „Land Acquisition Bill „ The Lok Sabha passed the landmark land acquisition and rehabilitation bill on 29 August 2013 that aims to provide fair compensation to those whose land is taken, brings transparency to the process and details measures for rehabilitation of those displaced.The bill, which will now be called, The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2012, replaced a nearly 120-year-old law enacted during British rule in 1894. STATES Karnataka Becomes First State To Establish Calamities Relief Fund On 5 August Karnataka Government has become the first state in the country to establish State Natural Calamities Relief fund of Rs. 125 crore. First Public Sector Breast Milk Bank Inaugurated In Kolkata On 7 August A modern and sophisticated breast milk bank was inaugurated at the state-run Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital (SSKM) by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee . India‟s First Cyber Forensic Laboratory (CFL) Established In Tripura The first Cyber Forensic Laboratory (CFL) of India was established in Tripura on 11 August .The lab was established at the Tripura High Court and the purpose of the lab is to facilitate information related to court cases. The CFL was inaugurated by Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur. „ Sonia Sonia Gandhi Launches „Food Security Scheme‟ In Delhi On 20 August Congress president Sonia Gandhi launched the Centre-Sponsored ‗ Food security scheme ‗on the occasion of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi‟s 69th birth Anniversary.Delhi was the first state to implement the scheme.Under the scheme, a total of 73.5 lakh people will get foodgrain at highly subsidised rates.The food security programme would provide subsidised grains for 67 per cent of the population and would see government spending an estimated Rs. 1,25,000 crore to supply 62 million tonnes of grains. Under the scheme, beneficiaries would get wheat at Rs. 2 a kg, rice at Rs. 3 a kg and coarse grain at Rs. 1 a kg.Congress party ruled northern states Haryana and Uttarakhand have also launched this scheme. Maharashtra Cabinet Approved Anti-Black Magic and Superstition Ordinance On 21 August the Maharashtra Cabinet has approved the “Anti-Black Magic and Superstition Ordinance” after the death of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar. Rajasthan Government Laid Foundation Stone For World‟s Largest Solar Park On 21 August State Government of Rajasthan laid the foundation stone for world‘s biggest solar park at Bhadla of Jodhpur District of Rajasthan.The solar park with generation capacity of 3000 MW would be commissioned in phased manner. In its first phase the solar park will generate 1000 MW.Solar Park would be established in 10 thousand hectare land and Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide 3000 crore rupees loan for development of transmission lines of this solar park.

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` Second ASEAN Defence Ministers‟ Meeting – Plus Held In Brunei The 2nd ASEAN Defense Ministers‟ Meeting-Plus has concluded in Brunei on 29 August .Defense ministers from ASEAN signed a declaration of commitment to enhance peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region.

AWARDS & HONOURS Malayalam Poetess Sugathakumari Awarded With „ Saraswati Samman 2013 „ On 2 August Renowned Malayalam poetess and social activist Sugathakumari has been conferred with the prestigious Saraswati Samman 2012 for Manalezhuthu (the Writings on the Sand), a collection of poems in Malayalam.Manalezhuthu was published in the year 2006.Saraswati Samman Award was instituted by KK Birla Foundation in 1991.This award is given every year to the literary work in any Indian language which is the part of Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. US Presidential Medal To Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey On 8 August Barack Obama, the US President would confer the Presidential Medal of Freedom on former US President, Bill Clinton and talk show queen, Oprah Winfrey. It is the highest civilian honour of America. Indian American Professor Received Top US Environmental Award On 16 August An Indian American professor of biological and agricultural engineering has been recognised by a top US environmental and water resources institute for his pioneering work in hydrology. Vijay P Singh, professor and Caroline ; William N Lehrer distinguished chair in the department of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M University, was named a recipient of the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental and Water Resources Institute (ASCE-EWRI). Harshwanti Bisht Selected For “Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal 2013 “ On 12 August Professor of economics, and conservationist, and mountaineer Dr. Harshwanti Bisht has been selected to receive the ―Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal 2013″.The award is presented for remarkable service in the conservation of culture and nature in mountainous regions.In 2003 the Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal was initiated by unanimous resolution of the Namche Conference: Parks, People and Mountain Tourism. Mandela Is The First Recipient Of „Mahathir Award „ For Global Peace On 27 August Former South African President Nelson Mandela was awarded the first Lifetime Campaigner for Peace and Freedom of the Mahathir Award for Global Peace .Current South African President Jacob Zuma received the award on behalf of Mandela, who is in a critical condition in a hospital in Pretoria.Mahathir bin Mohamad is a Malaysian politician who was the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the post for 22 years from 1981 to 2003, making him Malaysia‟s longest serving Prime Minister.

SPORTS & GAMES India Won Bronze Medal at Junior Women Hockey World Cup On 4 August Indian Junior Women Hockey team won its first ever Bronze medal in ERGO Hockey Junior World Cup at Monchengladbac, Germany .India defeated England by 3-2 in a penalty shoot-out.Indian forward Rani was declared the Best Player of the ERGO Junior Women Hockey World Cup 2013.The Netherland team won the final against Argentina and clinched the trophy for a record third time. Parimarjan Negi Won Politiken Cup On 4 August Indian Grandmaster Parimarjan won the Denmark‘s Politiken Cup at Copenhagen, Denmark by gaining 9 out of the total possible 10 points. He defeated the seventh seed, Italian Sabino Brunello in just 31 moves of Ruy Lopez. Jadeja First Indian After Kumble To Top ODI Bowlers‟ List On 4 August Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja became the first Indian bowler to top the bowlers‘ chart in the latest ICC ODI Player Rankings after former captain Anil Kumble claimed the pole position way back in 1996.Overall, Jadeja is the fourth India

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` bowler after Kapil Dev (March 1989), Maninder Singh (December 1987-November 1988) and Kumble to claim the number-one spot in ODIs. Franklin Wins Record 6 Golds at World Swimming Championships On 5 August American swimmer Missy Franklin became the first woman to win six gold medals at a worldchampionships.She claimed her record sixth gold medal of the world championships , swimming the leadoff leg for the Americans in the 400-meter medley relay in Barcelona, Spain.Missy Franklin won four golds and a bronze at the 2012 London Games, joins American men Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz as well as German woman Kristin Otto with six golds in either a world or Olympic competition.Franklin became the winningest female swimmer ever at a world meet, eclipsing the record that was shared by Tracy Caulkins, who won five times in 1978, and Libby Trickett, who did it in 2007. PV Sindhu Won Bronze Medal at World Badminton Championships On 10 August Indian shuttler P V Sindhu lost to the Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the semi-final match at the World Badminton Championships at Guangzhou, China.P V Sindhu now became the only second Indian singles player to win a medal after Prakash Padukone .Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had won the doubles bronze in London in 2011. World Badminton Championship 2013 Winners Women‟s Singles :- Thailand‘s Ratchanok Intanon won the women‘s singles title ,after defeated Li Xuerui (China) in the final at the World Badminton Championships at Guangzhou.This is the first time any shuttler from Thailand has won a gold at the Worlds in any category. Men‟s Singles :- China‘s Lin Dan reinforced his claim to being the greatest badminton player in history after he defeated arch rival Malaysian Lee Chong Wei in the World Championship final to become the first man to win five world singles titles. Rogers Cup Tennis Tournament 2013 Winners Women‟s Singles :- On 11 August Serena Williams (U.S) won the Rogers Cup Tennis Tournament Women‘s singles title ,after defeated Romania‘s Sorana Cirstea in the final at Montreal (Canada).Serena Williams won the Rogers Cup women‘s title for the third time. Men‟s Singles :- Rafael Nadal (Spain) won his third Rogers Cup Men‘s Singles title , after defeated Canada‘s Milos Raonic in the final. Marion Bartoli Retires From Tennis On 14 August Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli of France announces her retirement from professional tennis.She announced the retirement after losing in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters to Romania‘s Simona Halep. She is ranked seventh in the world.Besides Wimbledon 2013, Bartoli won seven other WTA Tour titles, the first one was in Auckland in 2006. Recently she won two tournaments both in 2011 at Eastbourne and Osaka, Japan, prior to Wimbledon. 2013 World Championships in Athletics Winners The 14th World Championships in Athletics are held in Moscow, Russia from 10–18 August 2013. Russia (17 medals )topped the medal table with seven gold, four silver, and six bronze medals.The US (25 medals) came in second place at the event, receiving six gold, 13 silver, and six bronze medals. Jamaica (19 medals )placed third, with its athletes earning six gold, two silver, and one bronze. Winners Of The 2013 World Championships in Athletics :* Jamaica‟s Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce both won three gold medals in the men‘s and women‘s 100 m, 200 m and 4 x 100 m relay respectively to become the most successful athletes at the event.Usain Bolt moved to the top of the all-time World Championships medal table by winning three gold medals.It was Bolt‘s second three gold performance at the World Championships.With this victory Usain Bolt has joined the club of highest (8) gold medal winners list along with American women‘s 200m specialist Allyson Felix, and retired US track stars Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson including relays. Cincinnati Tennis Tournament 2013 Winners Women‟s Singles :- On 18 August Victoria Azarenka of Belarus won the Cincinnati Tennis Tournament women‘s singles title.Azarenka defeated Serena Williams of the U.S in the final at Cincinnati (U.S ) Men‟s Singles :- In the Men‘s category Rafael Nadal (Spain) has won the Cincinnati Tennis Tournament title for the first time.He defeated John Isner (U.S) in the final.Nadal‘s five Masters titles this season are a career best. He‘s tied with Novak Djokovic for most Masters titles in a season since 1990. He‘s won seven of the nine Masters events during his career.

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` Sania Mirza – Jie Zheng pair Won New Haven Open Title On 24 August India‘s Sania Mirza won the women‘s doubles title at the New Haven Open Tennis tournament along with her partner Jie Zheng of China.Sania and Jie defeated the pair of Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) and Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) in the final at Yale.This is Sania Mirza‘s 17th WTA doubles title and the third Title in 2013. Australia‟s Aaron Finch Hits T20 World Record Australian batsman Aaron Finch hit a new record in Twenty20 Internationals in Southampton (England), when he scored 156 runs off 63 balls against England at Southampton on 29 August.Finch mashed 14 sixes and 11 fours in his innings and surpassed the previous international record of 123, scored by New Zealand‘s Brendon McCullum.In the process he also became the first Australian to score a T20 international century.

ECONOMY Union Cabinet Approved the Setting up of „Bharatiya Mahila Bank „ On 8 August the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for setting up of ‗ Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) ‗ with an initial corpus of Rs 1,000 crore.The proposed bank will be headquartered in New Delhi.The Mahila Bank will start with 6 branches — one each in north, south, east, west, central and north eastern part of the country.The proposed bank is likely to begin operations by November this year. India Signed Agreement With World Bank For Low Income Housing Finance Project On 14 August the government of India and the World Bank signed a $100 million credit agreement aimed at helping low-income households in Indian cities access loans to purchase, build or upgrade their dwellings.The Low Income Housing Finance Project would be implemented by the National Housing Bank (NHB).The credit agreement for the Low Income Housing Finance Project was signed between the Government of India, National Housing Bank (NHB) and World Bank in New Delhi. Per Capita Income Up 6.7% in 2004-12 On 25 August According to official sources data ,the per capita income in the country increased 6.7 per cent per annum during 2004-05 to 2011-12, while the percentage of poor declined by 2.2 per cent over the period.For 2011-12, the Planning Commission has estimated percentage of people living below the poverty line at 21.9 per cent.The poverty line in 2011-12 in terms of monthly per capita consumption expenditure was estimated at Rs 816 in rural areas and Rs 1,000 in urban areas.Statewise, Uttar Pradesh had highest number of people living below poverty line during 2011-12 at 598.19 people below poverty line out of every lakh.It was followed by Bihar at 358.15 people (per lakh), Madhya Pradesh 234.04 people, Maharashtra 197.92 people and West Bengal at 184.98 people living below the poverty line. 27 crore People Live Below Poverty Line In India India‘s population was estimated at 123 crore as of March 1, 2012, while as many as 27 crore people lived below the poverty line in 2011-12, Minister of State for Planning Rajeev Shukla explained in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on 29 August.As per the Population Census of 2011 conduced by the Office of Registrar General of India, the population in the country was estimated at 121 crore as of March 1, 2011.The poverty ratio in the country has decreased to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12 from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05.The rate of decline between 2004-05 and 2011-12 is three times faster than experienced between 1993-94 and 200405.As per the Millennium Development Goals Report 2013, the poverty rate in India fell from 49 per cent in 1994 to 42 per cent in 2005 and 33 per cent in 2010.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Australia‟s Most Powerful Super Computer Unveiled On 1 August Australia‟s most powerful supercomputer “”Raijin “” was unveiled in Canberra.Raijin, named after the Japanese God of thunder and rain, has costed USD 45.2 million to build and will cost USD 10.85 million a year to run.The super computer, unveiled at Australian National University (ANU),and it is the 27th most powerful computer in the world.

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` India‟s DRDO Launches Explosive Detection Kit In US On 2 August the India-developed US-manufactured Explosive Detection Kit (EDK) was launched at the US Chamber of Commerce building in Washington.In a first of its kind of reverse technology sharing between India and the US. Japan Sends World‟s First Talking Robot Into Space On 4 August Japan has successfully launched the world‟s first talking humanoid robot called “” Kirobo “” in to space. The robot was sent by H2B rocket from the island of Tanegashima. The rocket carried food, water and other supplies. Kirobo will serve as a companion for Japanese astronauts.Kirobo was put through a series of zero-gravity and other safety tests prior to sending him into space. Japan Unveils Largest Warship On 6 August Japan has unveiled its biggest warship since the Second World War as part of a plan to bolster its defense of territorial claims in disputed waters.The ship, named the “Izumo”, is classified as a helicopter destroyer, though its flattop design makes it look like an aircraft carrier.The ship is nearly 250 metres (820ft feet) long and is designed to carry up to 14 helicopters.Japanese Defense Ministry announced the ship is not intended to be used as an aircraft carrier and will not be used to launch fighter jets.It will also be used to bolster the nation‘s ability to transport personnel and supplies in response to large-scale natural disasters. Pinaka Rockets Successfully Test Fired On 7 August India successfully test fired two rounds of indigenously developed “Pinaka” rockets from a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) from a defence base in Chandipur-on-sea near Balasore, off the Odisha coast.The tests were routine trials conducted for training purpose. „ INS Arihant „ Nuclear Reactor Activated On 10 August India has activated the reactor on board the ‗INS Arihant „ nuclear submarine, the first to be designed and built in India.With this success, India became a member of the exclusive club of countries that have built their own nuclear powered submarines along with Russia, US, UK, China and France.After the nuclear reactor is activated, INS Arihant has been undergoing trials at Navy‘s key submarine base in Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and would be launched for sea trials soon since the nuclear reactor has gone critical.. „ICGS Rajveer „ Commissioned On 10 August Seventh in the series of eight inshore patrol vessels (IPV), ICGS Rajveer was commissioned at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) by defence secretary R K Mathur in the presence of vice-admiral Anurag G Thapliyal, director general of Indian Coast Guard. India Launched First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier „ INS Vikrant „ India launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier ‗INS Vikrant ‗ on 12 August .Defence Minister A K Antony‘s wife Elizabeth launched the 37,500 tonne carrier ‗INS Vikrant‘ at Kochi shipyard.This will mark India‘s entry into a select club of countries capable of designing and building a carrier of this size. Other countries capable of designing and building an equivalent size ship are the US, the UK, Russia and France.Fighter aircraft–Mig-29K, Light Combat Aircraft and Kamov-31 helicopters–will deployed on board the carrier which will also carry an array of other weapons systems.INS Vikrant has a length of 260 metres and it is 60 metres wide.It is behind schedule by three years.The carrier is expected to be delivered to the Navy by the end of 2018. India Successfully Test Fired Nuclear Capable „ Prithvi-II „ Missile On 12 August India has successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable „ Prithvi-II „ missile from a mobile launcher in salvo mode from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at (Odisha) Chandipur Voyager Becomes First Man-Made Object To Leave The Solar System According to the new research shows ,NASA‟s long-lived Voyager probe crossed into interstellar space last year, becomes the first man-made object to leave the solar system.Voyager 1 space craft was launched in 1977 along with a sister probe, Voyager 2, to observe the outer planets. India‟s Super Hercules Lands At Highest Airfield On LAC The Super Hercules C 130 J transport plane landed at the world‟s highest and recently-activated Daulat Beg Oldie

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` airstrip in Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir for the first time on 20 August .The Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip located at 16614 feet (5065 metres) in the Aksai Chin area. India‟s First Defence Satellite GSAT-7 Launched Successfully India‟s first exclusive defence satellite GSAT-7 was successfully launched by European space consortium Arianespace‟s Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou spaceport in French Guiana on 30 August.This launch will push ahead India‟s maritime security.GSAT–7 has been built at an expense of 185 crore rupees and will act as the country‟s maiden dedicated spacecraft for defence applications.. US Scientists Created the Most Precise Clock of the World The National Institute of Standards and Technology Scientist from U.S , revealed in the month of August 2013 that they created the most precise clock of the world. The ticking rate of this clock varies less than two parts in one quintillion, or ten times better than any clock in the world. The clock is made up of the element ytterbium. This element can be used for technological advancements beyond the timekeeping. The clock can be used for various purposes such as checking temperature, navigation systems as well as magnetic fields.The co-author of the study which revealed the clock, Andrew Ludlow explained that the stability of this ytterbium lattice clock paves way for other practical applications of high-performance timekeeping.

PERSONS IN NEWS A) APPOINTMENTS Rajeev Rishi is new CMD of Central Bank of India On 1 August Rajeev Rishi took over as the Chairman and Managing Director of Central Bank of India .His appointment is for a period of five years. Arundhati Bhattacharya Appointed Managing Director Of SBI On 2 August Arundhati Bhattacharya was appointed the managing director and chief financial officer of the State Bank of India(SBI).She is the first managing director at SBI, which is India‘s largest bank.Arundhati succeeded Diwakar Gupta. Hassan Rouhani Sworn In As Iran‟s New President On 4 August Hassan Rohani was sworn in as the new President of Iran in the ceremony held at the Iranian Parliament in Tehran.Rouhani is the seventh (different) President of Iran after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Raghuram Rajan Appointed as the New Governor of RBI On 6 August Chief economic adviser Raghuram Govind Rajan has been appointed as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).Rajan will have a term of three years.He will be the 23rd Governor of RBI.He is 50 years of age and so far, he is the youngest person to become the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.He was appointed as the youngest-ever Economic Counselor and Director of Research (chief economist) at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from October 2003 to December 2006.Rajan was appointed as Chief Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance, Government of India on 10 August 2012. Dilip Trivedi is new CRPF chief On 17 August Senior IPS officer Dilip Trivedi has been appointed as the new chief of the country‟s largest paramilitary force CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force). Trivedi, a 1978-batch officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre has served in various positions in the state police and has also served in the Centre as ADG of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.He succeeded Pranay Sahay who retired on 31 July 2013. Michel Djotodia Sworn In As Central African Republic President On 18 August Former rebel leader Michel Djotodia was formally sworn in as the Central African Republic‟s President.D Robert Mugabe Sworn In As Zimbabwe President On 21 August Robert Mugabe has been sworn in for a new five-year term as President of Zimbabwe.Mugabe of Zanu-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front) party won the Presidential election (Parliamentary Election) by winning 61 percent votes in his favour on 3 August .

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` Parthasarathi Shome Appointed As Chairman Of TARC On 26 August the Union Government of India set up a commission under the chairmanship of Parthasarathy Shome to review tax laws and suggest ways for a stable and non-adversarial tax administration.The seven-member Tax Administration Reform Commission (TARC) will have a 18-month tenure to suggest various measures including an appropriate organisational structure for tax governance. Justice N V Ramana Appointed as Chief Justice of Delhi High Court On 30 August Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana, Judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh,was appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi. B)RESIGNS Egypt Vice President ElBaradei Resigned Egyptian vice-president, Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, announced his resignation in a letter to the interim president on14 August .The resignation comes after scores were killed in a crackdown by security forces on loyalists of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. C)DEATHS Former Air Commodore Jasjit Singh Died On 4 August Noted strategic analyst Air Commodore (retired) Jasjit Singh died in NewDelhi. He was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, the second highest civilian award, in the year 2006 by the former president APJ Abdul Kalam. Former Union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav Died On 11 August Former Union minister and senior Congress leader from Bihar, Devendra Prasad Yadav, died in NewDelhi.Yadav was a three-time Member of Parliament from Munger parliamentary seat of Bihar and had served as Minister of State for Education between 1971-77 in Indira Gandhi‘s cabinet. Renowned Naturalist and Ornithologist Zafar Futehally Died On 11 August Zafar Rashid Futehally an Indian naturalist, ornithologist and conservationist has died on 11 August at Kihim in Maharashtra.He also edited and published an anthology of writings by Indian birdwatchers, ―India through its birds‖, which was published in 2007. Eminent Classical Singer Raghunath Panigrahi Died On 25 August Eminent Indian classical singer and music director Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi died in Bhubaneswar.Pandit Panigrahi‘s effort to popularise poet Jayadeva‘s ‗Gita Govinda‘.Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi was born at Gunupur in Odisha‘s Rayaga (earlier Koraput) district.Pandit Raghunath was the first Odia singer to be honoured by the French government for his ‗Gita Govinda‘ composition way back in the 70s.He was also conferred with the Padmashri award in the year 2010. D)VISITORS Afghanistan Vice-President Mohammad Karim Khalili Visited India The vice president of Afghanistan, Mohammad Karim Karim Khalili visited India from 20 – 22 August.During the visit Khalili met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New delhi .In the meet both nations discussed security issues and trade among other bilateral issues.Khalili also meet‘s India‘s president Pranab Mukherjee, vice-president Mohammad Hamid Ansari, and external affairs minister Salman Khurshid and discussed on both countries bilateral issues. Iraq‟s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Visited India Nouri Al-Maliki, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq visited India from 22 -25 August.During his four day visit , Maliki met with the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh and President of Indian Union, Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari in New Delhi. E)MISCELLANEOUS Amazon Founder & CEO Jeff Bezos Buys Washington Post Amazon Founder & CEO Jeff Bezos has purchased the Washington Post Newspaper of US. Seattle-based Amazon owner Jeffrey P Bezos has agreed to buy the newspaper assets of The Washington Post Company for USD 250 million

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` Sharapova Tops „ Forbes „ List of Best Paid Female Athletes On 6 August Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has topped the ‗ Forbes ‗ list of highest-earning female athletes for the ninthstraight year, raking in $29 million over the last 12 months.American Serena Williams is second on the list with earnings of 20.5 million US dollars, Chinese star Li Na in third with $18.2 million and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in fourth with $15.7 million. Indian American Students Wins National Geographic World Championship On 9 August A team of three young Indian American students defeated teams from 17 other regions to win top honours at the 11th National Geographic World Championship in Russia‘s St Petersburg.The team was made up of captain Gopi Ramanathan from Sartell, Minnesota; Asha Jain from Minocqua, Wisconsin; and Neelam Kaur Sandhu from Bedford, New Hampshire.In the biennial competition, teams of students answered questions on physical, cultural and economic geography.Ramanathan, already has won his state geography bee twice. He had finished seventh in the 2012 National Bee in Washington, DC. The competition was sponsored by Google, and presented by the US National Geographic Society in partnership with the Russian Geographical Society. Canadian Street Named After Mahatma Gandhi On 15 August A street in Canada‘s Winnipeg city has been named after Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of India‘s 67th Independence Day. The street leading to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights will now be known as Honorary Mahatma Gandhi Way. At a ceremony , the Mayor of Winnipeg Sam Katz explained that the street was named so after an individual who is synonymous with the struggle for human rights. Madonna Tops Forbes‟ 2013 Highest-Paid Celebrities List On 27 August According to Forbes ‘2013 list of highest-paid celebrities ‗Madonna was the world‘s highest-earning celebrity in 2012-13.Madonna made $US125 million between June 2012 and June 2013.Veteran film director Steven Spielberg took second place in the list, while musical talent show mogul Simon Cowell tied for third with Fifty Shades of Grey author EL James and disc jockey Howard Stern. Most Wanted Indian Mujahideen Terrorist Yasin Bhatka Arrested Indian Mujahideen co-founder and one of India‟s most wanted terrorists, Yasin Bhatkal was arrested on 30 August.Yasin has been on the run since 2008.

PLACES IN NEWS Strong Earthquake HitsChina On 14 August China hit by strong earthquake with magnitude of 6.1.The earthquake occured in jolted parts of Tibet.Due to this earthquake at least 87 people were injured and over 45,000 homes damaged .The epicenter of the earthquake was identified nearer to the Ringo town. Submarine „INS Sindhurakshak „ Sinks After Major Blast In Mumbai On 14 August in a huge setback to the Indian Navy, a conventional submarine „INS Sindhurakshak‟ exploded after a fire on board and sank in the naval dockyard in Mumbai , in which 18 personnel, including three officers are feared killed.A smaller intensity explosion was followed by two massive blasts, causing a major fire in the Russian-made submarine. 1300 People Killed In Chemical Attack On Syria On 21 August nearly 1300 people, including children were killed in in Damascus, the capital of Syria..This was one of the deadliest chemical attacks in the civil war of Syria. Toxic gas was fired from the rockets.

ABBREVIATIONS DRDO —–

Defence Research and Development Organisation

SAARC —– South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

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` AGOC —— Asian Games Organisation Committee CDRI ——- Central Drug Research Institute FEMA —– Foreign Exchange Management Act FIPB ——- Foreign Investment Promotion Board IFTU —— International Federation of Trade Unions IRDA —– Insurance Regulatory Development Authority NABARD —- National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development SEBI ——- Security Exchange Board of India UNHCR —— United Nations High Commission for Refugees WMO —– World Meteorological Organisation

BOOKS IN NEWS „The Moon Baller‟ Book Released On 5 August Former India No.1 and tennis ace Nirupama Vaidyanathan‟s autobiographical account „The Moon Baller‟ was released at a function held at the Madras Cricket Club.The book, which goes back in time to chronicle the times when professional tennis for Indian women was quite unheard of, was launched by tennis legend Vijay Amritraj. ” My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions ” by Abdul Kalam Released In the month of August ” My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions” by former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was launched by the Rupa Publication. „Dhyan Chand – The Wizard of Hockey‟ Book Released The first-of-its-kind graphic biography on former Indian Hockey player Dhyan Chand titled ” Dhyan Chand-The Wizard of Hockey ” was launched at Dhyanchand Stadium in New Delhi on 29 August .The biography was launched on the National Sports Day to commemorate the 108th birth anniversary of the legend.The book has been written by Luis Fernandes, who researched extensively on the subject.

COMMITTEES Virginius Xaxa Committee To Asses Status Of Scheduled Tribes On 17 August On the pattern of Sachar Committee for Muslims, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has set up a committee to assess the status of scheduled tribes with an aim of ensuring their uplift, particularly in socio-economic, health and education fields.Prof. Virginius Xaxa was appointed as the chairman of the seven-member committee.

IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES National Sports Day Is Observed On 29 August National Sports Day in India is observed on 29 August of every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand.National sports day celebrated every year on 29 August to bring awareness about sports in public.

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