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S S Mundra assumes office as RBI deputy governor
July 31, 2014
S S Mundra (60) has taken charge as deputy governor Reserve Bank ofIndia. As a deputy governor of the central bank,
he will be responsible for banking supervision, currency management, financial stability and rural credit. The government has
notified his appointment for a period of 3 years.
The veteran banker had begun his career as a probationary officer, and served for a short time at Union Bank of India,
where he was executive director. In a rare move, he returned as the CMD of his parent bank (Bank of Baroda) and was
seen as a surprise choice for the prestigous regulatory job. In fact, Mundra would have never been offered this post had it not
been for K C Chakrabartys decision to resign before the end of his tenure as RBI deputy governor.
Now, RBI has four deputy governors H R Khan, Urijit Patel, R Gandhi and S S Mundra.
RBI is planning to have one more deputy governor, but this will require a change in the rules of RBI. Till the time the changes
in rules are made, the RBI has suggested the Government to appoint an Officer on Special Duty or Chief Operating Officer
(COO) with the rank of a deputy governor. Government is yet to take a call on any of these proposals put forward by the
RBI. Normally, an RBI deputy governor can be appointed for 5 years or till the age of 62, whichever is earlier. To be
eligible for the post, a candidate needs to be less than 60 years of age while assuming charge.
Japanese women are worlds longest-lived females; Hong Kong men
longest-lived males
July 31, 2014
The average life expectancy of Japanese women increased to 86.61 years in 2013, up from 86.41 the previous year,
making them the worlds longest-lived females for the second consecutive year. Japanese mens lifespan rose above 80
for the first time in 2013.
A Japanese infant born in 2013 can be expected to live 80.21 years, up from 79.94 years in 2012. Women in Hong Kong held
the second spot on the longevity list, whose life expectancy rose to 86.57 in 2013. Japanese men positioned 4thfourth on the
longevity list of the worlds 50 major countries and regions behindHong Kong, Iceland and Switzerland. Hong Kongs
average male life expectancy was 80.87. However, Japans ageing population is a serious issue for policymakers who
have to find solutions to ensure that the declining pool of workers can pay for the increasing number of pensioners.
Japans population contracted for the third consecutive year, with the aged comprising around 1/4th of the total population for
the first time. The proportion of people aged 65 or over is estimated to reach nearly 40% of the population in 2060.
General Dalbir Singh Suhag assumes charge as new Chief of Indian Army
July 31, 2014
General Dalbir Singh Suhag (59) took charge as the new Chief of the Army Staff of 1.3-million strong Indian Army. He
succeeded out going General Bikram Singh whose tenure ended.
The decision to appoint Gen. Suhag, who was the army vice chief, as the next chief was taken by the previous United
Progressive Alliance (UPA) government during the April-May Lok Sabha polls.
The move was objected by the BJP at that time. However, after the party came to power, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley,
made it clear that there shall be no controversy over Gen. Suhags appointment. Gen. Suhags tenure as Chief of Army
Staff will be of 30 months.
General Dalbir Singh Suhag:
Belongs to a family of soldiers from a village in Jhajjar, Haryana.
He served as a Company Commander during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, led the 53 Infantry Brigade that was involved
in counter-insurgency operations in the Kashmir Valley, and commanded the 8 Mountain Division in Jammu and Kashmir.
Second officer from the Gorkha Rifles to rise to the position of army chief after the late Field Marshal Sam
Manekshaw.
Controversies surrounding him:
In 2012, the then outgoing army chief Gen. V.K. Singh had put him under a Discipline and Vigilance ban for a failed
intelligence operation at Jorhat in Assam.
After General Bikram Singh took over as the army chief the ban was revoked that paved the way for Gen. Suhags
elevation as the Eastern Army Commander in June 2012.
One Life is Not Enough: Autobiography of Natwar Singh released
July 31, 2014
An autobiography of the former External Affairs Minister and veteran Congress Party leader Natwar
Singh was released. The book titled One Life is Not Enough is penned by Kunwar Natwar Singh.
This book has been in news and controversy since past few days because it discloses much information about Sonia Gandhi,

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the President of the Congress Party.
The most debated information revealed in the book includes
the truth behind the fact that forced Sonia Gandhi to not opt for the post of Prime Minister in 2004 General
Elections. As per the book, it was not the inner soul of Sonia Gandhi that forced her to withdraw her name from the position
of Prime Minister, but it was her son Rahul Gandhi, who feared that his mothers fate would end up like his grandmother and
father.
The book holds Sonia Gandhi responsible for the drubbing of Congress in the 16thGeneral Elections.
Gaia satellite ready to operate 1.5 million kms from Earth
July 31, 2014
European Space Agency (ESA) satellite Gaia, the billion star surveyor, launched in 2013, has reached its intended location
1.5 million kilometers from Earth and is ready to start operation.
Gaias work will include:
Surveying a billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy to develop the most precise 3-D map ever.
To track thousands of exoplanets, comets, asteroids, failed stars, exploding stars and even quasars.
Scanning each of the billion stars for an average of 70 times each over five years which means 40 million observations
per day.
Measuring key physical properties of each star, including its brightness, temperature and chemical composition.
By the end of its five-year mission, Gaia would have gathered 1 Petabyte (1 million Gigabytes).
Dipa Karmakar: First Indian woman gymnast to win a medal in
Commonwealth Games
July 31, 2014
Dipa Karmakar (20) scripted history as she clinched bronze in the vault event in the Commonwealth Games
2014 at Glasgow, Scotland, by becoming the first Indian woman gymnast and second person of the country to win a
medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Karmakar, who belongs to Tripura, secured 14.366 points to finish third in the womens vault final at the SSE Hydro in
Glasgow.
First Indian male gymnast to win a medal at CWG was Ashish Kumar. He won a silver in vault and bronze in floor events
in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.
Urbanization activities impacted a few wetlands: Government
July 31, 2014
The government has said that a few wetlands in the country have reportedly been impacted due to various developmental
activities and urbanization.
As per Environment Ministry, for conservation and management of wetlands, the centrally sponsored scheme National
Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP) was implemented till 2012-13. However, for better synchronization and to
avoid overlap the NWCP has been merged with another scheme National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic
Ecosystems (NPCA) for holistic conservation of lakes and wetlands. Under NWCP, 115 wetlands in 24 states and two UTs
have been identified for conservation and management. So far, the central government has released an amount of Rs 133.64
to the concerned states for undertaking various conservation programmes.
In order to regulate certain activities within the identified wetlands, the government notified the Wetlands (Conservation and
Management) Rules in December 2010. At the behest of Environment Ministry, the Space Applications Centre (SAC)
Ahmedabad has prepared a National Wetland Inventory Atlas on 1:50,000 scale using Indian Remote Sensing Satellite III
data of pre- and post-monsoon seasons during 2006-11.
As per the atlas, there are a total of 7, 57,060 wetlands covering an estimated area of 15.26 million hectare, that is around
4.63% of the geographic area of India.
MyGov: Financial Inclusion Plan gets impetus from Creative Corner
July 31, 2014
The new Narendra Modi led Government has taken up the task of Comprehensive Financial Inclusion. It is projected to be
achieved by August 2018 with basic bankingaccounts for everyone by August 2015. Comprehensive Financial Inclusion
intends to make banking services accessible to every household in the country.
The objective is to empower the weaker strata of the society with primary focus on farmers and marginalized
laborers. Notwithstanding the fact that almost 70% of Indians living in rural areas, even after 67 years of independence only
38.2% of total bank branches and 14.58% of ATMs are there in rural areas. Due to the absence of banks, money lenders in
rural areas continue to exploit the poor by charging extortionate interest rates.

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Creative Corner:
The recently launched web portal MyGov has Creative Corner through which variousMinistries can invite creative inputs
on issues relating to their departments. In a first, the Finance Ministry has invited designs for logo, name and tagline
for their financial inclusion programme. To encourage wider participation there is an open competition with a winning
prize of Rs 50,000. The last date of submission is August 7, 2014.
The Creative Corner also has another invitation Designs and a concept plan for mobile app of PMOs website.
Sierra Leone President declared public health emergency to curb Ebola
disease
July 31, 2014
President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma proclaimed a public healthemergency in Sierra Leone to control the
deadly Ebola outbreak. Ebola has so far caused death of around 233 in Sierra Leone.
According to the UN data, 729 people in West Africa have died of Ebola since February 2014. The spread of the virus is now
the largest recorded in worldhistory, and has infected three African capitals of Monrovia (Liberia), Freetown (Sierra Leone)
and Conakry (Guinea) with international airports. The head of the WHO and leaders of West African countries affected by
the Ebola outbreak decided to announce a new $100million response plan.
The seriousness of the Ebola and the continuous threat it poses, required WHO and Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to take
up the response plan. The plan will necessitate increased resources, in-country medical expertise, regional preparedness
and coordination.
About deadly Ebola virus (EBOV)
Order: Mononegavirales.
Family: Filoviridae.
Genus: Ebolavirus.
Causes an extremely severe disease in humans and in nonhuman primates in the form of viral hemorrhagic fever.
Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever and one of the most virulent viral diseases known to
humankind.
RTS,S: Worlds first vaccine against Malaria to hit markets soon
July 30, 2014
The worlds first malaria vaccine RTS,S created by pharma company GSK, is expected to hit the markets by 2015. GSK
has submitted a regulatory application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for its malaria vaccine candidate, RTS,S.
Application of RTS,S:
The vaccine will be uses exclusively against the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite, which is widespread in Sub-
Saharan Africa (SSA). As per estimates, around 90% deaths from malaria occur in SSA, and 77% of these are in children
under the age of 5.
To support the efficacy of the vaccine, data from the phase III vaccine trial programme conducted at 13 African research
centres in eight African countries (Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, andTanzania)
including over 16,000 infants and young children have also been included to the filing. A large-scale Phase III trial showed
that over 18 months of follow-up, children aged 5-17 months at first vaccination with RTS,S reported 46% fewer cases of
clinical malaria, compared to children immunised with a placebo.
An average of 941 cases of clinical malaria were prevented over 18 months of follow-up for every 1,000 children vaccinated
in this age group. Malaria hospitalisations came down by 42%.
How RTS,S works?
The vaccine triggers the bodys immune system to protect against the P falciparum malaria parasite when it first enters the
human hosts bloodstream and/or when the parasite infects liver cells. The vaccine is developed to prevent the parasite from
infecting, maturing and multiplying in the liver, after which time the parasite would re-enter the bloodstream and infect red
blood cells, leading todisease symptoms.
GSK has pledged to sell the vaccine at cost price plus 5%, which it said would finance further research into tropical diseases.
Now EMA will evaluate the vaccine as per Article 58 procedure, which allows the body to assess the quality, safety and
efficacy of a candidate vaccine, or medicine, manufactured in a European Union (EU) member state, for a disease
recognised by the World HealthOrganisation as of major public health interest, but intended exclusively for use outside the
EU.
This assessment is conducted by the EMA in collaboration with the WHO, and necessitates products to meet the same
benchmarks as vaccines or medicines intended for use in the EU. As per WHO, if the EMA approves the vaccine, a policy
recommendation may be possible by end of 2015. A positive opinion from the EMA would also be the basis for marketing
authoritization applications toNational Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) in SSA nations.

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Special 301 Report: Section 3(D) of the Indian Patent Act opposed by the US
July 30, 2014
The US has taken exception to Indias level of protection provided to Intellectual Property as it brought the Special 301
Report for the year 2014 whichclassifies India as a Priority watch list country. The reports mentions US concerns
based on the information provided by the US industry on their perception of the level of protection provided by India to
Intellectual Property.
Key issues in the report include:
Concerns over the provision of Section 3(d) of the Patent Act whichrelates to non-patentability of inventions
involving chemical forms that do not show increased efficacy
Issue of Compulsory License by the Controller General of Patent, Designs and Trademarks under section 84 of
the Patents Act
Inclusion of a statement relating to Compulsory License for green technologies in Indias National Manufacturing Policy and
challenges relating to enforcement of IP Rights.
Section 3(d) of the Indian Patent Act 1970 (as amended in 2005) prohibits grant of patent to inventions involving new
forms of a known substance unless it differs significantly in properties with regard to efficacy. Thus preventing ever-greening
of patents. The US pharma companies are opposed to this Act.
The Special 301 process is a unilateral step taken by the US under their Trade Act, 1974 to put pressure on countries to
enhance Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection beyond the TRIPS pact. It is an extra territorial application of the
domestic law of a country and is not reasonable under the overall WTO regime.
India has a sound legislative, administrative and judicial framework to protect IPRs which meets its obligations under
the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement while making use of the flexibilities provided in
theinternational regime to address its developmental concerns.
Man-made water vapour next climate threat
July 30, 2014
Scientists have warned that increasing levels of water vapour in the upper troposphere a key intensifier of global
warming - owing to greenhouse gases will amplify climate change impacts over the next decades.
Scientists at University of Miamis Rosenstiel School of Marine and AtmosphericScience conducted the first study to confirm
that human activities have increased water vapour in the upper troposphere. To find out the potential causes of a 30-year
moistening trend in the upper troposphere, a region 3-7 miles above the earths surface, they measured water vapour in the
upper troposphere collected by NOAA satellites. They showed that rising water vapour in the upper troposphere cannot
be explained by natural forces such as volcanoes and changes in solar activity but by increased greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases contribute immensely in raising temperatures by trapping the earths radiant heat inside the
atmosphere. This warming also increases the buildup of atmospheric water vapour, the most abundant greenhouse gas. The
moistening of the atmosphere traps more radiant heat and contributes in amplifying greenhouse effect.
The study explains with the help of climate models that as the climate warms from the burning of fossil fuels, the
concentrations of water vapour in the atmosphere will also increase due to that warming which result into trapping of more
heat and further increases the Earths temperature.
Key points in proposed Judicial Appointment Commission Bill
July 30, 2014
The controversy over the efficacy of the collegium system for appointing Supreme Court judges has gained momentum with
many leaders and even eminent jurists including well-known names such as Markandey Katju have been candid on the
failure of the current collegium system. There are demands for overhaul of the existing provisions.
To address this issue the government has proposed Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) Bill as an alternative to
the existing system.
Highlights of JAC Bill:
Establishment of a six-member Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to make recommendations to the President
on appointment and transfer of judges to the higher judiciary.
It will encourage collaborations between the judiciary and executive.
The Chief Justice of India, two other senior most judges of the Supreme Court, the Union Minister for Law and Justice,
and two eminent persons to be nominated by the Prime Minister, and the Leader of Opposition of the Lok Sabha will be its
members. Law Commission of India Chairman and former Delhi High Court Chief Justice AP Shah have suggested
raising the strength of the body to seven.
JAC basic function: Making recommendations for appointments of the CJI, SC judges, Chief Justice and other High
Court judges, and even the transfer of HC judges.

5
It would be empower the Parliament to pass a law providing for the composition, functions and procedures of the JAC.
Transparency will be the underlining feature of the entire process under the JAC. As per suggestions, the entire record of
the process, starting from the nominations received up to the final recommendation made to the President, must be
publicly disclosed.
As per Katjus recommendation, JAC should hold a meeting and it should be televised so that all people in India can see it
and there is total transparency. They should call the prospective candidate and ask him questions about his earlier
functioning as a High Court judge and also his personal life, as is done in the United States.
Consensus will be criteria for arriving at decisions. In the case the consensus not clear, a simple majority may help
decide, with all dissenting notes accompanied by reasons being recorded in writing.
The JAC will work in a stipulated time frame. It provides time periods within which vacancies will be filled up. Even the
government has time limit of upto 2 months to intimate the Commission of the vacancy.
There are other suggestions to provide constitutional validation to the JAC, thus making it a permanent body and not an
ad hoc measure. It is also suggested that its decision be made binding on the President and in case the President rejects
any name, the same should be open to judicial review.
In December 2013, the Standing Committee report to Rajya Sabha noted that because of intrinsic deficiencies in the
collegium, as many as approximately 275 posts of judges in various High Courts were lying vacant, which has direct impact
upon justice delivery system and thereby affecting the 13 institutional credibility of judiciary.
World has only 3,200 tigers left: WWF report
July 30, 2014
In a sharp contrast to the 100,000 tigers that once lived in the wild a century ago, the number now has reduced to just
3,200. This was revealed by a latest report released by the World Wide Fund (WWF).
WWF has also expressed their willingness to assist the conservation efforts being made by the 13 tiger-range countries
India, Bangladesh, Bhutan,China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia,Thailand,
and Vietnam which in 2010 set the target of doubling of wild tiger population by 2022.
The report which coincided with the International Tiger Day on July 29 warns that the largest of all the Asian big cats could go
extinct in the wild mainly due topoaching and habitat destruction.
WWF considers poaching as the biggest threat to wild tigers since their parts are used for traditional medicine, folk
remedies, and increasingly as a status symbol among some Asian cultures.
Theodore VanKirk (Dutch): Last Airman in US bombing of Hiroshima passed
away
July 30, 2014
Theodore VanKirk (93), also known as Dutch, who was the last surviving member of the crew that jettisoned an atomic
bomb on Hiroshima, bringing an end of World War II and forcing the world into the atomic age, passed away inGeorgia.
Though VanKirk was part of nearly 60 bombing missions, but it was this mission in the Pacific that etched his name in history.
He was 24 years old when he served as navigator on the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress that dropped the first atomic
bomb deployed in wartime over the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. He was teamed with pilot Paul Tibbets
and bombardier Tom Ferebee in Tibbets fledgling 509th Composite Bomb Group for Special Mission No. 13. As the 9,000-
pound (4,080-kilogram) bomb nicknamed Little Boy fell toward the sleeping city, he and his crewmates hoped to escape
with their lives. The blast and its aftereffects killed 140,000 in Hiroshima.
Three days after Hiroshima, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The blast and its aftermath took 80,000 lives.
Six days after the Nagasaki bombing, Japan surrendered.
RBI regresses to multiple price method for bond auctions
July 29, 2014
The RBI will revert to the Multiple Price method for bond auctions on August 1, 2014, a year after it adopted the present
method of Uniform Price.
On August 1, 2014, the central bank will auction a 10-year bond with a coupon rate of 8.40% for a notified amount of Rs
9,000 crore using this method. Two more bond auctions for a total of Rs 5,000 crore will be conducted on the same day.
Bond auctions could be classified as either Uniform Price-based or Multiple Price-based.
In the Uniform Price-based, all successful bidders are required to pay for the allotted quantity of securities at the same
rate, the auction cut-off one, irrespective of what theyd quoted.
In a Multiple price auction, the successful bidders are required to pay for the allotted quantity at the respective price or
yield at which they bid.
It was in June 2013 when RBI adopted the uniform price method, when bond yields were volatile, with foreign institutional

6
investors leaving the domestic markets amid a dwindling currency. However, the macro fundamentals have improved since
September2013, with the rupee stabilizing after recovering most of the losses. A new government at the Centre has
reestablished hope among foreign investors. It is expected to speed up the opening to foreign investment and control the
fiscal deficit. The fiscal deficit for the current financial year is targeted at 4.1% of GDP, as compared to 4.5% in 2013-14. The
recent Union Budget set the target at 3.6% for 2015-16 and 3% for 2016-17.
Using a different method RBI would also be able to observe how the market reacts to different methods of auction.
Sixth C-17 Globemaster III aircraft delivered to IAF
July 29, 2014
Indian Air Force received its sixth C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at the Palam Airbase in New Delhi in the presence of the
Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.
About C-17 Globemaster III
It has the potential to carry 75 tonnes of load which is almost double the capacity of Russian IL-76 in the IAF inventory
which can carry only around 40 tonnes.
It will boost up IAFs flexibility in terms of operational response and with the heavy lift capability it could easily move troops
and heavy tanks to required locations.
It will have a greater strategic reach of up to 4000 kms and will also be very useful in relief operation with its capabilities of
being operational under all conditions and abilities to take-off from short runways with heavy loads.
Science Express for raising biodiversity awareness flagged off
July 29, 2014
The third phase of Science Express Biodiversity Special (SEBS) was flagged off from Safdarjung Railway Station
in Delhi.
The train with its innovative exhibition aims to spread awareness amongst masses in general and youth in particular about
the exceptional biodiversity ofIndia.
Science Express is a flagship programme of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ministry
of Science and Technology and IndianRailways. The train covering a span of 194 days at 57 locations would reach out to
30 lakh students.
In fact, the train was the brand ambassador of the COP-11. It exhibited Indias rich biodiversity to delegates from over 190
nations.
Vincenzo Nibali wins 101st Tour de France
July 29, 2014
Italian Vincenzo Nibali won the 101st edition of Tour de France, becoming the first Italian in 16 years to win the championship.
Nibalis triumph comes after 2013 champion Chris Froome and two-time winner Alberto Contador crashed out with injuries in
the first half of the Tour.
Nibali is only the sixth rider to win all three Grand Tours France, Italy andSpain. The last Italian to win the Tour de France
was Marco Pantani in 1998.
The 2014 Tour de France began in Yorkshire, England, and guided riders over 3,664 kilometers (2,277 miles) including
cobblestones, wind-swept flats and climbs in the Vosges, Alps and Pyrenees.
RBI rejects Andhras request for farm loan waiver
July 29, 2014
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) communicated the Andhra Pradesh government that there was no case for considering its
request for restructuring of agricultural loans in the state.
A refused to consider the request even before the state government could prepare clarifications the apex bank had sought
from it on crop yields for year 2013.
RBI, on its own, examined crop yields and bank savings patterns during the period the state government said farmers were
under stress. The central bank found no parameter that justified a loan restructuring.
As per RBI, crop yields should be less than half the normal for banks to consider farm loan relief. RBI found no evidence of a
drop in crop yields to that level in areas declared as calamity-hit by the Andhra Pradesh government. This conclusion was
based on data generated by state government bodies like the Directorate of Economics and Statistics.
RBI scrutinized the waiver request in detail since the government was trying to use rescheduled loan payments as a proxy for
its promise of farm loan waivers. Rescheduled farm loans were routinely implemented by banks in the past.
Following the Cabinet meeting, CM N. Chandrababu Naidu announced his government would waive over Rs 40,000 crore of
loans at Rs 1.5 lakh per farming family and Rs 1 lakh per self-help group.
Farm loans overdue in Andhra Pradesh are pegged by banks at Rs 87,000 crore. As per banks, these dues surged after

7
the Telugu Desam Party made loan waiver a manifesto promise in the recently-concluded state elections.
RBI Chief has spoken to the Chief Election Commissioner on how to prevent political parties from making such promises in
future polls.
Flipkart raises $1 billion, largest in Indian e-commerce field
July 29, 2014
Indias home-grown e-retailer Flipkart announced that it has raised funds worth$1 billion (over Rs.6,000 crore), the
largestever
by an Indian e-commerce firm.
Flipkart has been raising fund aggressively as it raised $210 million in May 2014. This year the e-retailer also surpassed $1
billion in gross merchandise value in March 2014 and then went on to acquire rival Myntra.com in one of the biggest deals in
the e-commerce space.
As per experts, with this the company is valuated between $6 billion and $7 billion.
Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal, described the deal inked last week as a milestone for the Indian Internet as a whole and
said that the company hoped to become one of Indias first $100 billion company in the next five years or more.
Comparing Indian Internet business with that of Chinese both Bansals believed the Indian Internet is picking up with Internet
speeds on the increase, more users connecting and with ascending mobile traffic. As per them, the Indian e-commerce is still
at least nine years behind Chinese.
Registration certificates of six NBFCs cancelled by RBI
July 29, 2014
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the certificate of registration ofsix Non-Banking Financial Companies
(NBFCs) based in Delhi. Now, these companies would not be able to do business as non-banking financial institution.
These companies are:
1. GE Strategic Investments India (GESII)
2. Profound Exports Private Limited
3. Two Brothers Holding Limited
4. Swank Services Private Limited
5. Praxis Consulting and Information Services Private Limited
6. Credible Microfinance Ltd.
However, RBI has not disclosed the reason for the cancellation of registration of these firms.
RBI has the power to cancel the registration certificate of a NBFC under Section 45-IA(6) of the Reserve Bank of
India Act, 1934.
Rs 150 crore allocated for Rashtriya Gokul Mission for 2014-15
July 28, 2014
The Rashtriya Gokul Mission which aims to conserve and develop indigenous breeds in a focused and scientific
manner will be allocated Rs 150.00 crores for 2014-15.
The Rashtriya Gokul Mission is a focused project under National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy
Development, with an outlay of Rs 500 crore during the 12th Five Year Plan.
The objectives of Rashtriya Gokul Mission:
Development and conservation of indigenous breeds
Undertake breed improvement programme for indigenous cattle breeds so as to improve the genetic makeup and
increase the stock
Enhance milk production and productivity
Upgrade nondescript cattle using elite indigenous breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Rathi, Deoni, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi
Distribute disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service.
The Mission will be implemented through the State Implementing Agency(SIA viz Livestock Development Boards).
Gokul Grams to be set up for developing indigenous cattle breeds
July 28, 2014
The Ministry of Agriculture has a proposal to set up Integrated Indigenous Cattle Centres or Gokul Grams in the breeding
tracts of indigenous breeds.
Key features of Gokul Grams:
These centres will be established in the native breeding tracts and near metropolitan cities for housing the urban cattle.
Centres for development of Indigenous Breeds and a dependable source for supply of high genetic breeding stock to the
farmers in the breeding tract.
Self sustaining and will generate economic resources from sale of A2 milk, organic manure, vermi-composting, urine

8
distillates, and production of electricity from bio gas for in house consumption and sale of animal products.
To function as state of the art in situ training centre for Farmers, Breeders and MAITRIs.
Each Gokul Gram will be set up by the EIA and function under the auspices of the SIA/ EIA or in a PPP mode.
Each centre will maintain milch and unproductive animals in the ratio of 60:40 and will have the capacity to maintain about
1000 animals.
In house fodder production to provide for the nutritional requirements of the animals in the Gokul Gram.
Regular screening of animals for important diseases like brucellosis, TB and JD.
Inbuilt dispensary and AI centre at each Gokul Gram.
Gokul Gram near metropolitan cities for managing urban cattle. It will focus on genetic upgradation of urban cattle.
Background
Traditionally, cattle-rearing has been an important source of livelihood in India and is closely associated with
agricultural economy. India with 199 million cattle has 14.5% of the world cattle population. Of this, 83% i.e. 166 million are
indigenous. Nearly 80% of the indigenous cattle are nondescript and only 20% belong to breeds recognized by National
Bureau of Genetic Resources. The cattle genetic resource of India is represented by 37 well recognized indigenous breeds
and there are 13 recognized buffalo breeds. Indigenous cattle, in India, are robust and resilient and are particularly suited to
the climate and environment of their respective breeding tracts. They are endowed with qualities of heat tolerance, resistance
to diseases and the ability to thrive under extreme climatic stress and less than optimal nutrition.
PM Modi launches MyGov web platform to get citizens ideas for
governance
July 28, 2014
A new web platform MyGov- launched by PM Narendra Modi will now make it much easier for the common man and
experts from different fields to reach out to the government with their ideas and suggestions.
The web platform www.mygov.nic.in- allows the citizens to discuss their ideas with experts within and outside the
government and even earn credit points for the tasks which would eventually be approved for implementation by
concerned departments\agencies.
The platform will enable flow of ideas\suggestions on various issues including different projects like cleaning the river
Ganga, education of girl child and job creation.
PM Modi is of the view that the step would enhance peoples participation by bridging the gap between the people and the
processes of governance. During his past sixty days as PM he observed that there were many people who wanted to
contribute towards nation-building, and devote their time and energy for good governance.
How does MyGov work?
The web platform provides an opportunity to the citizens to both Discuss and Do. There are several theme-based
discussions on MyGov where a wide range of people would exchange their thoughts and ideas. Besides, any idea shared by
a contributor will also be discussed on these discussion forums, facilitating constructive feedback and interaction. For those
who intend to go beyond discussions and wish to contribute on the ground, the MyGov offers several options to do so.
Citizens can volunteer for various tasks and submit their entries.
Other members and experts would review these tasks. Once approved, these tasks can be shared by those who complete
the task and by other members on MyGov. Every approved task would earn credit points for completing the task.
The platform has been divided into various groups namely Clean Ganga, Girl Child Education, Clean India, Skilled India,
Digital India, Job Creation. Each group consists of online and on-ground tasks that can be taken up by the contributors. The
objective of each group is to bring about a qualitative change in that domain through peoples participation.
MyGov would also be used as a comprehensive knowledge repository, giving insights from the sharpest and brightest minds
across.
The web platform will be managed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC),Department of Electronics and Information
Technology (DeitY).
Researchers discovered new species of Mayfly in India
July 28, 2014
Researchers have found a new species of mayfly in the southern Western Ghats of India.
As per scientists, this is the first time that any mayfly belonging to the genus Labiobaetis has been found in peninsular India.
The new species, called Labiobaetis soldani, has been named after Dr T Soldan honoring his remarkable contribution to
the understanding of the Ephemeroptera of Palaearctic and Oriental realms.
Kaptan Singh Solanki is new Governor of Haryana
July 27, 2014

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The President of India appointed veteran BJP leader and Rajya Sabha memberKaptan Singh Solanki (75) as the Governor
of Haryana in place of Jagannath Pahadia whose tenure is over.
Solanki, a former professor, belongs to Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh and was renominated to Rajya Sabha in August,
2012.
IUCN adds 8 more Indian bird species to 2014 Red List
July 27, 2014
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has added eight new bird species found in India to the 2014
Red List. Now, over 170 species of birds in the country stand threatened.
The eight species of birds newly added to the Red List are:
1. Woolly-necked stork
2. Ashy-headed green pigeon
3. Red-headed falcon
4. Andaman teal
5. Andaman green pigeon
6. Himalayan griffon
7. Bearded vulture
8. Yunnan nuthatch.
Tiger population improves in Uttar Pradesh
July 27, 2014
The number of tigers Uttar Pradesh has improved in the core area of Dudhwa tiger reserve. The initial figures for two years,
2011 to 2013, have shown 72 to 80 tigers in the core area of the reserve.
As per tiger census 2010-11, there were 118 tigers in Dudhwa reserve. In all, 72 to 80 tigers have been estimated in these
areas. Once figures for Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary, North and South kheri forest division come, tiger numbers might
increase up to 125.
UP has a major tiger population in Dudhwa tiger reserve comprising Dudhwa National Park (680 sq km), Kishenpur
Sanctuary (204 sq km) and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (440 sq km); Pilibhit (720 sq km); North Kheri (350 sq km) and
South Kheri (460 sq km).
Bijnor forests in west and Suhelwa (Gonda-Bahraich) and Sohagibarwa wildlife sanctuaries (Maharajganj) in east have
smaller tiger populations.
Amitabh Bachchan is Maharashtras horticulture ambassador
July 27, 2014
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan (71) has been appointed as the horticulture ambassador of the state
of Maharashtra.
Big B, who is also the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism, would be promoting the horticulture sector in Maharashtra.
India C&AG of assumes office as Member of UN Board of Auditors
July 27, 2014
Indias Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG) took charge as Member of the United Nations Board of Auditors for
a six-year term upto June 2020. Mr.Shashi Kant Sharma assumed this prestigious office as he took over from Mr. Liu Jiayi,
the Auditor General of the Peoples Republic of China at the United Nations Headquarters at New York. Mr. Sharma was
elected to this position defeating Philippines by a convincing margin of 62 votes in November 2013.
United Nations Board of Auditors
The United Nations Board of Auditors was established by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to audit the
accounts of the United Nations Organization and its funds and programmes and to report its findings and recommendations
to the UNGA. For this, 3 members were appointed by the Assembly, each of whom must be the Auditor-General of a Member
State. Other two members of the Board are Mr. Amyas Morse, Comptroller and Auditor General, United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland and Mr. Ludovick Utouh, Controller and Auditor-General of United Republic of Tanzania.
C&AGs international presence
Indias C&AG has been the external auditor of various international organizations. At present, besides being a Member of
the UN Board of Auditors, he is the external auditor of the World Food Programme, World Intellectual Property
Organization, International Atomic Energy Agency, UN World Tourism Organization and the International
Organization for Migration. Recently, he has been the external auditor of major UN Agencies like the
World Health Organization, Food and Agricultural Organization, International Maritime Organization, Organization for
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons etc.

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Benefits for India
The UN Board of Auditors is one of the major supervising organs of the United Nations and its significance has increased in
recent years, especially in view of the resource shortage being faced by all Member Nations in the wake of economic
crisis. The reports of the Board provide a key input in policy-making within the UN system. The election of the Comptroller
and Auditor General of India to the UN Board of Auditors is a matter of prestige for the country and would greatly enhance
the visibility of India within the UN system.
Unlike most elections in the UN and its Agencies, this election was a rare case where an institution was involved. With the
election of the C&AG of India as a member of the UN Board of Auditors, one of the most prestigious institutions of Indian
democracy got its due recognition at the international level.
By auditing international organizations of the UN system, not only would the C&AG add value to the operations of UN, but its
own officers would also be further exposed to the best international auditing and accounting practices leading to enrichment
of their professional skills. Deploying of such professionals in India would translate into high quality of auditing and
accounting and would promote accountability, transparency and good governance in India.
Benefits for United Nations
The auditors of the C&AG of India bring in rich experience they have in the audit of UN and its Agencies and other
International Organizations, which would assist the UN in bringing about greater efficiency, economy and effectiveness in its
operations by focussing their audit thrust on key risk areas within the UN.
At present, the UN is in the process of business process transformation by way of shifting to International Public Sector
Accounting Standards (IPSAS) for financial reporting and introduction of a SAP based Enterprise Resource Planning
solution. C&AG of India has a pool of audit professionals specialising in IPSAS, who have assisted World Health
Organization (WHO), International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) in their
ongoing
migration to an IPSAS compliant financial accounting system. Similarly, C&AG of India is known for its expertise in the
audit of IT systems. Indias twin strengths in IPSAS and auditing ERP systems would bring immense value to the United
Nations in its ongoing migration to IPSAS and implementation of its SAP system, UMOJA.
Credentials of C&AG
With a history over 150 years, the institution of the C&AG of India is regarded as one of the strongest pillars of Indias
democratic governance. It is one of the largest Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) in the world, with a large human resource
pool which is professionally qualified in diverse fields.
Highly respected in the international community of Supreme Audit Institutions, the CAG of India chairs the Knowledge
Sharing Committee - one of the four majorCommittees of International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI)
besides being a member of a number of other standards setting committees/sub-committees. He is on the Governing Board
of INTOSAI. He is member of the UN Panel of External Auditors. The CAG also chairs the Asian Organization of Supreme
Audit Institutions (ASOSAI). Due to his active participation in these international forums, the CAG is closely linked with
activities in establishing standards, best practices and guidance in various fields of audit for use by the SAI community in
general.
RBI to designated six bas as Systemically Important Banks (SIBs)
July 27, 2014
The Reserve Bank of India will designate at least six banks as Systemically Important Banks (SIBs), for the domestic
financial market which will need to have higher capital than other banks to prevent the financial system from collapsing in the
event of a crisis. The central bank would now work on identifying these banks which are too big to fail and would release a
list of names in August 2015.
As per experts, the list may include State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank,Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank, ICICI
Bank and HDFC Bank. Banks classified under SIB category will have to set aside more capital per loan than their
peers. Size, interconnectedness, lack of readily available substitutes or financial institution infrastructure and
complexity will determine the systemic importance of banks as determined by Basel global standards. But, as per RBI, in
India, size would be given higher weightage than other factors.
Based on the category it is relegated, a bank will have has to set aside 0.2% to 0.8% of the loan as capital buffer. In simpler
terms, if a bank was setting aside Rs 1 earlier, it would now have to set aside between Rs 1.20 and Rs 1.80. As per RBI,
banks having a size beyond 2% of GDP will be selected in the sample. However banks whose size is less than 2% of GDP
may also face rigorous norms. After the 2008 credit crisis, banking regulators across the globe are tightening capital norms
for banks and other key financial institutions.
Narendra Modi uses idea of zero hour at Cabinet meetings
July 27, 2014

11
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced the concept of zero hour at Cabinet meetings.
The zero hour will be the free-wheeling discussions where ministers can bring up any issue they feel relevant for
the Cabinets informal consideration.
The practice come from Gujarat when Modi was states chief minister, the difference being that then the zero hour happened
at the start of cabinet meetings and Modi absented himself during the deliberations to let ministers speak up without feeling
hesitant due to his presence.
The concept is almost same with a change that now Modi also attends the discussions to listen to ministerial colleagues
though he does not speaks too often. The objective behind is to bring issues to the PMs notice and getting a sense of
the cabinet on how a particular situation or development is evolving in terms of its public perception or political
ramifications. The Modi cabinet holds its discussions without officials barring the cabinet secretary and national security
advisor who are permanent invitees to ministerial discussions.
Government has no proposal to integrate Aadhaar project & NPR
July 27, 2014
Government has informed that it is not considering any proposal to integrate theUID (Aadhaar) project with National
Population Register (NPR). In December 2010, the National Identification Authority of India Bill 2010 was introduced in
theRajya Sabha and was thereafter referred to the Standing Committee on Finance. The UPA government had to freeze
Aadhaar-based direct benefit transfers in the wake of reservations over certain issues.
The new government is likely to continue Aadhaar registrations as Rs 2,039.64 crore has been provided in the budget 2014-
15 for the Aadhaar for the current fiscal, as against Rs 1,550 crore allocated in 2013-14. Around 73.71 crore Aadhaar
enrolments have been done till mid-July, with 8.45 crore rejections by the Unique Identification Authority of India
implementing the project.
Since its beginning, UIDAI has generated 64.05 crore Aadhaars and incurred an expenditure of Rs 4,620.61 crore so far. The
Aadhaar enrolments are being conducted in all districts of 22 states and union territories allocated to the project. The
authority was tasked with collecting biometrics of 60 crore residents and remaining Indias population was to be covered
under the NPR project.
During UPA rule, it was decided by the Cabinet Committee on UIDAI that all residents would be provided National
Multipurpose
Identity Cards under NPR, and UIDAI would generate Unique identification number for entire population. Both UIDAI
and NPR were to share the biometric data gathered by them for issuing NMIC and generating unique identification number.
The NPR is a comprehensive identity database preserved by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of
India under the Home Ministry.
S S Mundra to be fourth deputy governor of RBI
July 26, 2014
S S Mundra (60), Chairman and managing director of Bank of Baroda, is set to be appointed as the fourth deputy governor
of the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) after PM Narendra Modi approved his appointment.
The veteran banker had begun his career as a probationary officer, and served for a short time at Union Bank of India, where
he was executive director. In a rare move, he returned as the CMD of his parent bank (Bank of Baroda) and was seen as a
surprise choice for the prestigous regulatory job. In fact, Mundra would have never been offered this post had it not been for
K C Chakrabartys decision to resign before the end of his tenure as RBI deputy governor.
Currently, RBI has three deputy governors H R Khan, Urijit Patel and R Gandhi.
Over 90% of human genome is junk DNA: Research
July 26, 2014
According to the researches at Oxford University, less than 9.5% of human DNA is functional. This is in contrast to the
hitherto presumed theory that 80% of the human genome is of some biological importance.
The study uncovers that at present, a total of 8.2% (7.1 9.2%) of the human genome is functional. This figure is more than
three times as much than is functional and shared between human and mouse. And even within that small percentage, some
DNA can be found that performs more significant functions.
This finding contradicts another figure arrived at in 2012, when participants of the ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements)
project found that 80% of the human genome has some biochemical function.
There is a debate on the biochemical definition of functionas many are of view that a DNA activity occurs does not mean it
has a biological significance, the activity itself should have importance.
The foundation stone of the new definition proposed in the study is the ability of evolution to differentiate the sheep from the
goats or we can say to unearth which activities matter and which do not.
As per scientists, throughout the evolution of various species from their common ancestors, mutations arise in the DNA and

12
natural selection counteracts these alterations to preserve useful DNA sequences.
Except the functional DNA, the rest of our genome over 90% seems to be residual evolutionary material, which is often
termed junk DNA. But it doesnt mean that it is garbage. As per researchers, this junk part might be useful one day.
Paracetamol not effective for back pain: Research
July 26, 2014
As per a new research conducted by Sydney-based George Institute for GlobalHealth, Paracetamol, the first line
recommendation of doctors for managing back pain, doesnt work to relieve the pain.
The findings contradict the paracetamol manufacturers and doctors treatment guidelines of recommending the tablet as a
common pain reliever for back pain.
The research conducted a trial involving 1600 people with back pain and found no substantial scientific evidence that
paracetamol was effective.
Ukraines PM submits resignation
July 26, 2014
Ukraines Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has resigned from the office. This means that Ukraine will have fresh
elections that would mirror the countrys changed political picture after the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor
Yanukovych in February 2014.
Yatsenyuk, an advocate of closer relationship with Europe and a key participant in the protests that ousted Yanukovych,
made the announcement after two parties said they would withdraw their support to the governing coalition.
The newly elected President Petro Poroshenko, praised the withdrawal of the two parties. Poroshenkos calls for political
renewal indicate that the resignation and new polls are the result of planning and political maneuvering, not chaos.
Yatsenyuk had assumed the PM office just five months back supported by a coalition of pro-European parties. They took
power after Yanukovych was driven from office by months of street protests on Kievs Independence Square, or Maidan.
The protests triggered over Yanukovychs denial to sign a sweeping trade pact with the European Union, but aggravated to
include wider grievances such as the governments attempts to crush the protests with riot police, corruption, and lack of
progress in modernizing the economy.
The current Parliament was originally dominated by Yanukovych supporters in the pro-Russian Party of Regions. That group
has reduced through defections and its members face an uncertain future in fresh upcoming polls.
After assuming office, Yatsenyuk was to run a government almost insolvent and facing the likelihood of taking up unpopular
measures to fulfill conditions to get loans sanctioned from the International Monetary Fund. It succeeded in getting the IMF
bailout.
The government faces tensions with Russia which termed Yanukovychs ouster a coup, seized Ukraines Crimea region and
cut off natural gas supplies in a price dispute.
It has also combated a pro-Russian insurgency in which rebels armed with heavy weapons have seized public buildings and
battled government troops. Russia denies supporting the rebels.
The nationalist Svoboda party and the Udar party led by former boxer Vitali Klitschko withdrew their support from Yatsenyuks
coalition.
MH-17 crash: EU extends sanctions on Russia
July 26, 2014
In the wake of the Malaysian Airplane MH-17 crash that happened over easternUkraine recently, European Union has
extended the sanctions on Russia. The imposition of sanctions on Russia was started with the countrys annexation of
Crimea in eastern Ukraine in February 2014.
The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the European Union (EU) approved the sanctions during a meeting held in
Brussels, Belgium.
The extended sanctions include names of 15 individuals and 18 firms from Russia and Ukraine. These names have been
added to the existing list of 72 individuals and two companies against whom visa bans and asset freezes have been
imposed.
The high profile names include the head of the Russian Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov and Sergei Beseda,
head of the FSB department that supervises international operations and intelligence activity. The names of four members of
Russias Security Council have also been added to the list.
Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojna: Scheme for holistic development of tribals
launched
July 26, 2014
A new scheme named Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojna for holistic development of tribals has been launched by the

13
government. The Ministry of Tribal Affairslaunched the scheme for holistic development of tribal people and Rs 100 crore
has been allocated for the scheme during the year 2014-14. The Ministry has also started several other schemes which
include hostels for ST girls and boys, scheme for establishment of ashram school in Tribal Sub Plan areas, post-matric
scholarships and others.
Besides these schemes, the ministry administers two special area programmes namely grant under Article 275 (1) of
Constitution and the Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub Plan for upliftment of tribal population including North Eastern
states.
As per census 2011, 94.4% of the total population in Mizoram comprises Scheduled Tribes (STs) while the percentage of
STs in Meghalaya and Nagalandis 86.1% and 86.5% respectively. As per figures, a total of Rs 2449.63 lakhs has been
released in various states under the scheme of hostels for ST boys and girls in 2014-15 (as on 23.7.2014). In 2014-15 (as on
July 14, 2014), Rs 82,10,620 has been released to state societies and NGOs under the scheme of
strengtheningeducation among ST girls in Low Literacy districts. The governments has also released Rs 25525.26 lakhs in
2014-15 under SCA to TSP.
The central sector scheme Grant In Aid to Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs)implemented by the Ministry focuses on
promoting tribal culture, customs and art. The scheme provides financial assistance to TRIs for documentation and
preservation of tribal heritage, organizing tribal exhibitions, dance-painting sportsevents and others. Rs 273.69 lakhs was
released to TRIs across the country in 2013-14.
India-US Malabar naval drill not aimed at containing China: US
July 26, 2014
The US has clarified that the annual India-US bilateral Malabar naval exercise which started in the Asia Pacific region is
not aimed at containingChina and that the exercise would strengthen the US naval presence in the Pacific Ocean region and
maritime partnership with its allies.
The exercise this year has Japan as a special invitee. China had in the past raised objections over Japans taking part in
the war-games held mainly between US and India. The last drill involving Japan was held in 2009. As per the US, the
participating nations are working with specific training drills such as communication, search and rescue, helicopter cross deck
evolutions and anti-submarine welfare.
Over 7,000 American defence personnel are participating in the exercise. The US battleships participating in the drill includes
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington, Ticonderoga-class destroyer USS Shiloh, Arleigh Burke-class
destroyer John S McCain and nuclear submarine USS Columbus. P-3 Orion aircraft and MH-60R helicopters will also be part
of this exercise.
India is participating with its three warshipsINS Ranvijay and Shivalik along with fleet support tanker ship INS Shakti.
Investment target for DFC revised to Rs 80,000 crore: Government
July 25, 2014
Government has revised investment target for Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)from Rs 27,000 crore to Rs 80,000 crore.
As per the government, expenditure on land acquisition has multiplied several times leading to hike in investment target.
Government will construct more corridors and more investment which will reduce the cost and improve the technological
levels in Railways.
India needs to urgently act on developing connectivity to ports, mines and power plants by expediting DFC which will provide
a booster to the economy. As per experts, timely execution of projects will boost manufacturing output to 25% of GDP by
2025 and result in job creation.
Banks barred from trading in bonds for infrastructure lending: RBI
July 25, 2014
According to the Reserve Bank of India, banks will not be permitted to trade bonds issued by other lenders
for infrastructure lending that would be exempted from mandatory reserve requirements under the new guidelines
issued by the RBI.
The RBI recently allowed banks to issue bonds for infrastructure lending, butforbade them from holding each others
bonds. Now the central bank has clarified that the restrictions on cross holding also applies to trading. The RBI wants
these bonds for infrastructure lending attract investors from outside thebanking sector. The idea is funds to come from
outside the banking system.
20th edition of Commonwealth Games begin at Celtic Park in Glasgow,
Scotland
July 25, 2014
The 2014 Commonwealth Games kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony that witnessed some enchanting

14
performances by singers Rod Stewart, Susan Boyle and violinist Nicola Benedetti at the Celtic Park, Glasgow (Scotland).
The British Queen Elizabeth II declared the Games open after the enthralling opening ceremony that was participated by
some 2,000 cast members and 4,500 athletes from 71 countries and territories. Albeit there are 53 members of the
Commonwealth of Nations, 71 teams participate in the Commonwealth Games, as a number of dependent territories
compete under their own flag.
The players parade was led by India, by the virtue of being the previous hosts. London Olympics silver medallist Vijay
Kumar led the Indian contingent as he proudly carried the tri-colour.
The Commonwealth Games (known as the British Empire Games from 19301950, the British Empire and
Commonwealth Games from 19541966, andBritish Commonwealth Games from 19701974) is an international,
multisport
event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth
Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales.
India will not support trade facilitation agreement at the WTO
July 25, 2014
Upholding its earlier stance, India will not support a pact on Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) at the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) till its concerns related to subsidies given for food procurement and food aid is suitably addressed.
WTO members are expected to sign the protocol for an agreement on trade facilitation by July 31, 2014 as per the
consensus reached by WTO trade ministers in a meeting in Bali in December 2013.
What is the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)?
The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) targets to steadfast any drive of goods amongst nations by cutting down
administrative compulsions. The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), being pushed by several developed nations, will place
commitments on all WTO members to modify their border infrastructure and procedures to facilitate movement of goods.
What is the problem with Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)?
The difficulty with Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) runs in a clause that says farm subsidies cannot be more than
10% of the value of agricultural production. If the limit is violated, other participants can contest it and also go on to levy
trade sanctions on the nation. The developing nations would have a difficulty with the solutions offered by the developed
nations as without the subsidies the food security of the developing nations could be genuinely damaged.
Why is India opposed to Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)?
Indias Food Security Act, by law is now obligatory on the government and provides that the government will deliver food to
the weaker sections of the society at very low prices. Apart from offering subsidies to the consumers, via the PDS (Public
Distribution System), it also offers subsidies to the producers of food grains. Thus, Government purchases food grains from
farmers at a MSP (Minimum Support Price), and subsidizes inputs like Electricity, Fertiliser, etc.
Problem-1: The 10% cap on subsidies will not be feasible for India to accomplish. Also, the 10% cap is computed based
on 1986-88 prices when the prices of food grains were much lower. Thus, the cap has to be revised on the basis of
present prices of food-grains.
Problem-2: For offering subsidized food, India will have to open up its own stock stores to international supervision. Also,
India will be unable to add protein/ heavy grains viz. say, lentils, etc. even if it wishes to, owing to riders in the peace
clause.
Problem-3: It appears biased as US offers farm subsidies to its farmers to the tune of more than $20 billion per year.
While the WTO is binding the developing nations to protocols, the issue of subsidies by developed nations like US
appears to be kept off the table.
What does India want?
India now wants a permanent solution to the issue of public stock holding of food-grains. G33 members including China have
supported Indias stand on the ability to subsidize agricultural production and distribute it to the poor at low cost. India settled
to the TFA in Bali only under the condition that interim relief would be offered to the developing countries. India held that till
2017 no legal action/ sanction(s) would be imposed on the developing countries, by which time a solution would be chalked
out amongst the nations.
Nevertheless, this interim relief would not be applicable if such subsidies would lead to trade distortions i.e. the prices of
imports and exports cannot be affected by this. Recently, India clarified in a WTO meeting on trade facilitation that it may not
be able to support Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) at present as there was not much progress on the issue of
addressing concerns related to subsidies given for public procurement of food-grains and food aid.
The Bali Ministerial declaration had provided just a short-term relief to developing nations against action by other countries
in case it surpassed the current cap on agriculture subsidies (10% of total production). It is worth recalling that in 2013 India
decided not to agree to the Peace Clause for agriculture subsidies that the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-
General Roberto Azevedo had proposed for Bali talks. India will not agree to any deal until it is clear that the proposed

15
interim solution will be available till a permanent solution to the issue of Indias Minimum Support Prices
(MSP) transgressing the WTO norms has been found and agreed to. India fears that fears that the temporary solution might
be difficult to implement as it is riddled with numerous conditions including submission of various data related to production
and subsidies.
What was the Peace Clause offered by the WTO?
India wants to implement its Food Security Scheme by providing food entitlements at subsidized rates to 2/3rd of its
population. To realize this, the government will have to procure a huge quantity of grains from farmers. The government
procures grains at certain MSPs. However, WTO norms under theAgreement on Agriculture may hamper the plan as the
rules set a subsidy cap of 10% of the value of production for developing countries. India is already inching closer to that limit.
If India breaches that limit it would create dispute and may be dragged to the WTO Disputes Settlement Body. The Peace
Clause proposed by the WTO general-secretary offers an interim solution by allowing the developing countries to offer
subsidies to farmers that are currently prohibited under WTO norms. The clause will restrict other WTO members from
seeking penalties and facilitating the government to procure grains at MSPs and sell them at subsidized rates through Public
Distribution System (PDS).
What is the problem with the Peace Clause?
There is catch in this Peace Clause: While developing countries can provide WTO-prohibited subsidies to farmers without
inviting any dispute under the Agreement on Agriculture, developed countries will have the right to drag these countries to
the WTO Disputes Settlement Body, under the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures. This would
render the peace clause null-and-void. There is also lack of clarity on when the proposed Peace Clause will expire and in
case there arrives no solution or agreement at the eleventh Ministerial conference, the protection from the Peace Clause will
end and its extension will be have to be renegotiated a contingency India doesnt want.
Why WTO has a problem with high subsidies offered by developing nations?
WTO contends that:-
1. If developing nations continue giving prices which are higher than the market prices, to their farmers, it might damage the
poor farmers in other parts of the world.
2. The deal could add $1 trillion to global GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and 21 million jobs, by removing the red tapes.
3. The developed world wants the issue of food security to be dis-associated from the TFA.
What is Minimum Support Price?
The Minimum Support Price (MSP) Scheme is a scheme of the Government of India (GOI) to safeguard the interests of
the farmers. Under this Scheme the GOI declares the minimum support Prices of various agricultural produces and assures
the farmers that their agricultural produce will be purchased at the MSP, thereby preventing its distress sale. The Food
Corporation of India (FCI) acts as the Nodal Agency of the GOI.
Joko Widodo wins Indonesian presidential polls
July 25, 2014
Jakarta (Indonesia) Governor Joko Widodo has been declared the winner of the Indonesian presidential polls. He received
around 53% of the total valid votes cast in the election.
Indonesias General Elections Commission, known as the KPU, declared the final results of the polls. As per the results,
Widodo won 53.15% of the nearly 133 million valid ballots cast. His rival Subianto won 46.85% votes.
Former General Prabowo Subianto withdrew from the presidential election as he alleged massive fraud which was unfair and
undemocratic.
TCS is first Indian firm to achieve market capitalization of Rs 5 lakh crore
July 25, 2014
Indias largest software services exporter, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)became the first Indian company to achieve a
market capitalization of Rs 5 lakh crore.
In terms of market capitalization, TCS is followed by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) at Rs 3.5 lakh crore and
Reliance Industries at Rs 3.3 lakh crore.
The market capitalization of TCS is bigger than the combined market capital of next four biggest Indian IT firms ,
viz. Infosys (Rs 1.90 lakh crore), Wipro ( Rs 1.39 lakh crore) and HCL Tech (Rs 1.07 lakh crore) and Tech Mahindra (Rs
45000 crore) which together make up market value approximately Rs 4.88 lakh crore.
TCS is also currently the countrys most valued company in terms of market valuation.
Government sets up Suresh Prabhu Panel to review Gas Pricing Formula
July 25, 2014
Union government will appoint Suresh Prabhu Committee to review the gas pricing formula. Suresh Prabhu is a former
Union Power Minister under National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The other

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members on the panel will be Pratap Bhanu Mehta, President and Chief Executive of Centre for Policy Research and Bibek
Debroy of the same institute.
The decision to set up Suresh Prabhu Committee comes close on the heels of the Union government decision to put stay on
the revision of natural gas price. The Union Cabinet had recently postponed the implementation of the C Rangarajan
Committees pricing formula till September 30, 2014 for conducting a comprehensive review of the whole issue.
The implementation of the Rangrajan pricing formula would have doubled current gas rates to at least $8.4 dollars/mbtu
resulting in increasing power cost by over Rs 2/unit, urea production cost by Rs 6,228/tonne and piped gas by Rs 8.50/kg.
Union Cabinet gives nod to 49% FDI in insurance sector
July 25, 2014
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal of increasing the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in the insurance sector to
49% from the existing 26%. The move is in sync with the proposal made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his
maiden Budget speech to raise the FDI cap in insurance sector from 26% to 49%.
However, the management control of insurance firms will be with the Indian companies only. The step to enhanced FDI limit
is expected to benefit private sector insurance companies, which require a huge amount of capital.
Fuad Masum: New President of Iraq
July 24, 2014
The Council of Representatives of Iraq (Iraqi Parliament) in Baghdad electedMuhammad Fuad Masum of Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party as the seventh President of Iraq. He got 211 votes in his favor and 17 votes against.
Masum is the second non-Arab President of Iraq after Jalal Talabani who founded the PUK party and is the current President
of Iraq. He had been almost guaranteed the job after Kurdish parties struck a late-night deal to support him. Under an
unofficial power-sharing deal, Iraqs Kurds traditionally get the post of president.
Iraq is at present facing an existential threat, which can be overcome by formation of a fully inclusive government and
the move could pave the way for a deal on the much more powerful post of prime minister. The president has got 14 days to
nominate the PM candidate of the largest bloc in parliament.
K. N. Tripathi takes oath as Governor of West Bengal
July 24, 2014
Former Speaker of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and five-time MLA Keshari Nath Tripathi was sworn-in as the
Governor of West Bengal. Tripathi, was administered the oath of office by the acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court
Asim Kumar Banerjee in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Tripathi superseded M K Narayanan who resigned after being pushed to do so by the NDA government at the Centre.
World Bank to extend $18 billion financial support to India
July 24, 2014
The World Bank will provide financial support of $15-18 billion to India over the next 3 years to help speed up economic
growth and reduce poverty.
As per World Bank group president Jim Yong Kim who was on a visit to India, the Indian government has laid out a
comprehensive plan to reduce poverty and regain over 9% GDP growth. He was impressed by the Modi governments
commitment to speed up growth. He assured Indian government that the World Bank Group will bring to bear all possible
knowledge and financing to assist them in achieving this goal. India is the largest beneficiary of the World Banks financial
assistance with a current portfolio of 85 projects having a commitment of $24.12 billion. This includes $12.86 billion aid from
the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), $11.16 billion in active projects from
the International Development Association (IDA).
India also accounts for the largest single portfolio exposure of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector
arm of the World Bank Group, with commitments over $4.5 billion.
CII-GEC launched EPEAT environmental rating systems for electronics
July 24, 2014
CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development along with US based the Green Electronics Council launched
Indian debut of the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) environmental-rating system for
electronics.
The Green Electronics Council is a U.S-based non-profit organization that manages the EPEAT system.
EPEAT ratings have been benefiting environments by helping companies, governments and consumers around the world
compare and buy devices with comparably less environment cost.
India is the 43rd country in which EPEAT registration and verification services are now available to help consumers select
products that reduce their environmental impact.

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EPEAT, which is an acronym for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, rates products on a lifecycle
basis. The system addresses the elimination of toxic substances, the use of recycled and recyclable materials, product
design for recycling, product longevity, energy efficiency, corporate performance and packaging attributes, as well as
requiring manufacturer responsibility for collection and responsible recycling of all registered devices. Manufacturers must
register their products in EPEAT on a country-by-country basis to ensure all product and service criteria are supported and
verified for local markets.
Currently, the EPEAT system rates PCs and Displays, Televisions and Imaging Equipment (printers, copiers, scanners etc.),
with standards for Servers and Mobile Phones in development. At present, India registrations include Desktops, Notebooks,
Workstations, Thin Clients and Displays. Devices will be continually added to the Registry as they are deemed compliant with
EPEATs environmental requirements
Unregulated e-rickshaws not permitted: Delhi HC
July 24, 2014
Delhi High Court lambasted the Delhi government for its inability to regulate or check e-rickshaws plying unbridled on the
roads.
HC, while hearing a plea, has said that it would not permit unregulated e-rickshaws without license, registration
or insurance and directed the government to ensure that there was no unregulated traffic in Delhi.
After going through an affidavit filed by the chief secretary saying these vehicles are to be treated as public service
vehicles which are required to comply with all extant rules and regulations and that no separate policy is required for
governing e-rickshaws as they are already covered by the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act and their operation as per the existing
law is unauthorized and illegal, the court asked how they are plying despite being illegal.
As per the affidavit, the Delhi government stopped taking action against e-rickshaws after Union Minister of Road Transport,
Nitin Gadkari, announced that laws pertaining to such vehicles will be amended to take them out of purview of MV Act. The
union ministry has directed civic agencies, instead of transport department, to design policy for regulating operation of
erickshaws.
The court observed that people are getting injured by e-rickshaws whose drivers get away scot free because the vehicles are
unregistered. The court was hearing a petition by one Shanawaz Khan seeking a ban on the vehicles. The petition alleged
that e-rickshaws are operating with four 12 volt batteries with power output of 650 to 850 watt and are designed to transport
only four people, including the driver. But the vehicles routinely ferry more than 8 people at a time and endanger lives.
The court had issued the direction after going through the Delhi governments reply that though e-rickshaws are operating
illegally, the government is not competent to stop them as it will require amendment to the MV Act.
India support UNHRC resolution to probe Israels offensive on Gaza
July 24, 2014
India voted in support of a UN Human Rights Council resolution to begin an investigation of Israels offensive on Gaza.
In the 47-member council, 29 countries which also included other BRICS member voted in support of the Palestinian-drafted
resolution on Ensuring Respect forinternational law in The Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East
Jersusalem while 17 others abstained from voting.
The U.S. was the only country to vote against the resolution. European nations abstained.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine has resulted in a large number of civilian casualties and heavy damage to
property. Over 680 Palestinians and 31 Israelis have been killed in the conflict so far.
India has asked Israel and Palestine to exercise political will to agree to a ceasefire and to resume negotiations for a
comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian issue.
Sanitation projects, increasing green cover among top priorities for
MGNREGA
July 23, 2014
The new NDA government led by PM Narendra Modi has designed a plan for re-orientation of the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or MGNREGA which will now focus on sanitation projects to reduce open
defecation, expanding green cover and emphasize on asset-creation.
The new roadmap for the rural employment guarantee scheme, being supervised by rural development minister Nitin
Gadkari, will not just based on the number of man days of work provided but will also assess the tangible ground-level
changes achieved.
For example, people digging a pond will have to mention the storage capacity being created, its impact on groundwater level
etc. Likewise, workers building compost pits will have to mention the quantum of compost they will generate.
It is proposed that about half of the schemes fund allocations will be earmarked for rural sanitation projects and plantation of

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trees along highways and rural roads.
While farm-related projects will continue to get 60% of MGNREGA funds, as under the UPA, the NDA is deploying a more
rigorous system to monitor asset creation.
The plan is in consonance with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Budget speech where he said that wage employment would be
offered under MGNREGA through works that are more productive, asset creating and substantially linked toagriculture and
allied activities.
While payments wont be dependent on accomplishing these outcomes, consistently poor outcomes will need to be
explained.
The idea of planting trees and granting rights and responsibilities to the poor to boost their income is not new. It had been
used in undivided Andhra Pradesh a few years ago.
This idea of planting trees and granting rights and responsibilities to the poor to boost their income will be implemented
nationally in 2014-15. Villagers will be given Rs 15 as maintenance fee for every sapling that survives. This is expected to
work as an incentive for them to care for the saplings and follow a specified schedule in the first year of plantation (apart from
watering the plants).
Regarding the sanitation part, the national sanitation programme will pay for material and NREGA will pay for labour.
Ethiopian Airlines names its Dreamliner after Taj Mahal
July 23, 2014
The flagship carrier of the East African nation of Ethiopia has named its newest Boeing 787 Dreamliner after Indias most
famous monument- the Taj Mahal. The air carrier hopes that it will strengthen already established ties with India with
increasing number of Indian travellers.
This is the first time that the airline has named an aircraft of its Dreamliner fleet after a historical or heritage site
outside of Africa.
To meet the demand from the Indian market, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has decided to operate big-sized aircraft connecting
Ethiopian capital.
Over 13 million people travel out of India every year. Hence, with its large African network, ET hopes that it will be in a
position to benefit from the heavy tourismbusiness from India and the large number of those travelling across the region.
ET, which currently operates daily flights to New Delhi and twice daily to Mumbai, is also interested in operating from other
Indian destinations like Bangalore,Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
ET is the first African carrier to induct Boeings new state-of-the-art airplane into regular service in Africa. Ethiopian is also a
member of the Star Alliance.
Union Government notifies Public Servants Rules, 2014
July 22, 2014
The Union Government notified Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities
and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Rules, 2014.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and
Pensions notified the rules under Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
Under the new rules, it has been made mandatory for all Government employees to file declarations of their assets and
liabilities and those of their spouses and dependent children.
As per Public Servants Rules, 2014
The Government will issue new forms that will seek information on cash in hand, bank deposits, investment in bonds,
debentures, shares and units in companies or mutual funds, insurance policies, provident fund, personal loans and
advance given to a person or any entity, among others.
The employees will have to declare motor vehicles, aircraft, yachts or ships, gold and silver jewellery and bullion
possessed by them, their spouses and dependent children.
The employees will have to furnish detail of their immovable properties and statement of debts and other liabilities on first
appointment or as on March 31 of every financial year.
These declarations are in addition to such returns being filed by the government employees under various services rules.
The employees, who have already filed their declarations, information and annual returns of property, shall file revised
declarations as on 1 August 2014, to the competent authority on or before 15 September 15 2014.
The competent authority may exempt a public servant from filing the information in respect of any asset if its value does
not exceed his or her 4 months basic pay or Rs 2 lakh, whichever is higher.
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013:
As per the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 which received Presidents assent January 1, 2014, a Lokpal for the Union as
well as Lokayuktas for the States will be established in order to inquire the corruption charges against Government officials.

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As per this Act, a public servant shall furnish to the competent authority the information relating to the assets of which he, his
spouse and his dependent children, jointly or severally, own. The Act also makes it mandatory for a government servant to
declare his liabilities and that of his spouse and his dependent children, as per the Act.
OECD introduces single global standard for automatic exchange of
financial info
July 22, 2014
Taking a significant step towards combating the black money menace, the Paris-based Organisation for Economic
Cooperation
and Development (OECD)unveiled single global standard for automatic exchange of financial account
information between jurisdictions.
To enable automatic exchange of financial account information pertaining to tax issues, the new standard makes it
mandatory for the financial institutions, including banks, brokers and fund houses to collect necessary details from their
clients and submit the same to their respective regulators on an annual basis.
The new Standard provides for annual automatic exchange between governments in the field of financial account
information. The financial account information includes balances, interest, dividends, and sales proceeds from financial
assets which are reported to governments by financial institutions. It also includes accounts held by individuals and entities,
including trusts and foundations.
The new framework also provides confidentiality clause and safeguards in the exchange of information. For this the countries
will need to approve domestic laws according to their respective legal jurisdictions to facilitate such cooperation.
As per this framework, each competent authority needs to notify the other competent authority immediately regarding any
violation of confidentiality or failure of safeguards and any sanctions and remedial actions consequently imposed.
The framework will be formally presented by the OECD the G20 Finance Ministers at their meeting in Cairns, Australia, in
September 2014.
More than 65 nations and jurisdictions have already publicly committed to implementation of the new framework, while more
than 40 have committed to a specific and ambitious timetable leading to the first automatic information exchanges in 2017.
Those having already committed to follow this global protocol include the US, the UK, Germany, European
Union, Japan, Singapore,China, Luxembourg, British Virgin Islands, Cayman
Islands, Gibraltar,Cyprus, Bermuda, Isle of Man, Greece and Liechtenstein.
Importance in Indias context
The development assumes significance in case of India, as it has been facing difficulties in fetching information on cases of
suspected tax evasion from other countries, especially Switzerland, which has been maintaining that such details cannot be
provided without specific proof of financial irregularities by the concerned Indian client of Swiss banks.
An initial framework was released by OECD in this regard earlier this year and India became one of the first adopters of this
global convention. Later,Switzerland also agreed to conform to this Standard, while a few more nations have now expressed
their willingness to adopt the same and these includeMauritius another country with which India has been working on a
revised bilateral treaty due to concerns of money laundering.
Wages under MNREGA shouldnt be less than minimum wage in states:
Mahendra Dev Committee
July 21, 2014
As per the recommendations of a high-level committee set up by the Centre, wages under MNREGA should be equal to or
higher than the minimum wage in the state.
According to the report submitted by the seven-member panel, headed by S Mahendra Dev, director of Indira Gandhi
Institute of Development Research:
The baseline for MNREGA wage indexation from 2014 may be the current minimum wage rate for unskilled agricultural
labourers fixed by the states under the Minimum Wages Act or the current MGNREGA wage rate, whichever is higher.
MGNREGA wage rates must be revised every year on the basis of Consumer Price Index for Rural (CPI-Rural) as the
appropriate index.
At present, wages under MNREGA are linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the annual revision is based on the
CPI-AL (Agriculture Labour).
The panel was set up to examine whether the Consumer Price Index for Agriculture Labour (CPIAL) is the suitable index
for protecting the wages against inflation and what would be the appropriate index for revising MGNREGA wage rates every
year.

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Cricket: India registers historic test victory at Lords against England
July 21, 2014
India bagged their first Test victory at the historic Lords in nearly three decades as they rode on Ishant Sharmas inspired
spell of fast bowling to flatten Englandby 95 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the five match series being played in England.
The tall pacer, whose consistency has always been questioned, played a pivotal role as he grabbed a career-best 7 for 74 to
bowl out the home team for a 223 chasing a competitive victory target of 319.
It took 28 long years for India to win a Test match at the Home of Cricket after Kapil Devs team achieved the feat back in
June 1986 winning by five wickets.
The victory also marked Mahendra Singh Dhonis first major victory as Test captain outside the sub-continent. The last time
India won a Test match outside the South Asian region was back in 2011 when they defeated West Indies in a 1-0 series win.
Management of PM Relief Fund to be emulated on Gujarat model
July 19, 2014
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed that the management of the PMs National Relief Fund (PMNRF) should
emulate the Gujarat model in selection of beneficiaries, giving priority to the poor and children.
PM Modi reviewed the working of the PMNRF and recommended several qualitative changes in the way the fund is
managed.
PM Modis directions to PMNRF:
Selection of beneficiaries should be done in a more comprehensive, scientific and humanitarian basis, giving priority to
children, poor and cases from government hospitals.
Priority should be accorded to cases involving life-threatening diseasesand applications should be decided on need and
merit.
Pendency in appeals for help should be minimized and the draw to select the cases should be conducted in a manner that
does not exclude any genuine case.
A letter from the Prime Minister should be sent to all beneficiaries.
SMS alert to be sent to beneficiaries whose appeals have been approved for grant of relief.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim on India visit
On his three-day visit to India, the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim arrived in New Delhi. During his visit, he will meet
PM Narendra Modi for understanding the development priorities in India. Kim is also scheduled to meet the Union Finance
Minister, Arun Jaitley.
He will also be visiting the World Bank assisted project sites in Tamil Nadu with a view to understand rural-urban
transformation challenges.
Bolivia legalizes Child Labour
July 19, 2014
Contrary to the efforts across the globe to curb child labour, Bolivia has become the first nation to legalize it from age
10. Countrys Congress approved the legislation, and Vice-President Alvaro Garcia inked it into law in the absence of
President Evo Morales, who was travelling.
As per the supporters and sponsors of bill, lowering the minimum work age from 14 simply acknowledges a reality: Many
poor families in Bolivia have no other choice than for their kids to work. The bill also stipulates safeguards for working
children.
Under the legislation, 10-year-olds will be able to work as long as they are under parental supervision and also attend school.
The minimum age for a child to work under a contract has been set at 12. They also would have to attend school.
The legislation is also in support of the unionized young workers who marched on Congress to prevent it from ratifying a
lower limit of work age of 14.
CBDT sets up panel to recommend steps to reduce litigation
July 19, 2014
In an unprecedented move, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)set up a six-member panel to examine the efficacy
of
the existing primary litigation mechanism in the Income Tax (IT) Department. The step has been taken in the wake of an
estimated Rs 4 lakh crore of tax revenue locked up in litigation. The empowered committee, under the chairmanship of senior
IRS officer and Chief Commissioner of Income Tax office in Ahmedabad Rani S Nair, has also been mandated to suggest
steps to reduce legal cases at the IT departments two dispute resolution forums and asked to submit its report within 8
weeks.
The panel has been constituted with an objective to evaluate the efficacy of existing dispute resolution forums of

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Commissioners of I-T (Appeals) and Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) and to recommend steps to reduce litigation
before these forums.
Currently, there is a four-stage grievance redressal and litigation mechanism available to a taxpayer. It starts with an appeal
to the Commissioner of I-T Appeals called CIT (A), further up to the ITAT and subsequently to the High Court and
the Supreme Court.
CBDT, the topmost policy making body of the I-T department, has also assigned the new committee with the task of
undertaking a fresh initiative and categorize and examine select assessment orders issued by I-T officers across the country
under various income groups (returned income).
The categories defined by CBDT include income under Rs 25 lakh, income between Rs 25 lakh-Rs 1 crore, between Rs 1
crore-Rs 10 crore and above Rs 10 crore.
German World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm retires
July 19, 2014
Philipp Lahm, the captain of Germanys football team, announced his retirement from international football. His retirement
announcement comes just five days after Germany led by him bagged its fourth football World Cup defeatingArgentina in the
final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil.
Lahm is the countrys fourth most-capped player behind Lothar Matthaus (150), Klose (137) and Lukas Podolski (116).He is
also the 4th Mannschaft captain to win the World Cup Trophy, after Fritz Walter in 1954, Franz Beckenbauer in 1974 and
Matthaus in 1990.
Typhoon Rammasun (Glenda) hits Philippines
July 19, 2014
Even as the Philippines was trying to recover from the destruction caused by super typhoon Haiyan last year, another
typhoon Rammasun smashed large parts of the Philippines killing one person and forcing hundreds of thousands to take
shelter in evacuation centres. Typhoon Rammasun (also known asGlenda) hit south of Manila on the Philippine island of
Luzon before moving west toward Chinas Hainan Island.
Sustained wind speeds were estimated at over 230 kilometers per hour, making Rammasun a Category 4 storm (and just
short of being officially classified asuper typhoon). Rammasun, which is Thai for God of Thunder, is now heading
into
the South China Sea and is likely to hit South China.
The Philippines was recently hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013 and devastated Samar and adjoining Leyte
island, killing up to 7300 people in one of the nations worst natural disasters.
Malaysia Airlines aircraft MH17 crashed in Ukraine
July 18, 2014
In a tragic and shocking incident, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17/MAS17), a commercial aircraft on its scheduled flight
from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, crashed in east Ukraine.
It is suspected to have been shot down with a BUK surface-to-air missile. The aircraft crashed near Hrabove (area under
military control of Donbass Peoples Militia) in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine about 40 km (25 miles) from the Ukraine
Russia border.All 283 passengers and 15 crew on board the Boeing 777-200ER airliner died.
The aircraft crashed in the conflict zone of the ongoing Donbass rebellion, in the area controlled by pro-Russian rebel groups.
A BUK missile smashed the plane at an altitude of 10,000 m (33,000 ft).
The BUK missile system is a class of self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile systems developed by the Soviet
Union and its successor state, the Russian Federation, and designed to counter cruise missiles, smart bombs, fixed- and
rotary-wing aircraft, and UAVs.
SC notice to all states and UTs on the issue of legalizing euthanasia
July 18, 2014
The Supreme Court has issued notice to all states and Union territories on a plea for legalizing passive euthanasia. The apex
court issued the notice on a petition filed with it, saying the question of passive euthanasia (mercy killing) needs a
comprehensive examination as there was no authoritative judicial pronouncement on the issue.
A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice RM Lodha, Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice J. Chelameswar, Justice
AK Sikri and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman issued the notice on a plea filed with it, saying the question of passive euthanasia
(mercy killing) needs a comprehensive examination as there was no authoritative judicial pronouncement on the issue.
The Centre is strongly opposed to the idea of legalizing passive euthanasia as it considers it as a form of suicide which is an
offence in the country. It is also apprehensive that if euthanasia is legalized, then it will be misused.
Business 20 (B20) Australia Summit opens in Sydney

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July 18, 2014
The business leaders of G20 countries held a meeting named Business 20 (B20)Australia Summit in Sydney. They issued a
blueprint for G20 leaders to boost economic and job growth and make global economy more resilient to deal with any future
impacts. The summit was chaired by Richard Goyder, Managing Director and CEO of Wesfarmers.
The Business 20 (B20) is a forum through which the private sector brings forth policy recommendations for the annual
summit of the G20 leaders. The forum is the concourse of business leaders from across G20 member nations to reflect the
key role of the private sector as the main driver of strong, sustainable and balanced growth.
As President of the G20 in 2014, Australia has established a B20. The B20 Australia Leadership Group includes
30 Australian business leaders representing a range of industries. It is chaired by Richard Goyder AO, Managing Director
and CEO of Wesfarmers. B20 Australia will lead business engagement and coordinate the communication
of international business priorities to the G20 during Australias presidency.
B20 Summits typically involve more than 400 participants from across the G20 member countries.
Chairperson: Richard Goyder AO Managing Director and CEO, Wesfarmers is the current Chairman, B20 Australia
RBI issues draft guidelines for setting up small banks, payment banks
July 18, 2014
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued draft guidelines for setting up of small banks, which will have a local feel and will
provide small-ticket loans to farmers and businesses.
The apex bank also issued draft norms for establishing payment banks, which will provide services to marginalized sections
of society, including migrant labourers, for collecting deposits and remitting funds.
The step from the apex bank comes close on the heels of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announcement in his Budget speech
2014-15 that RBI would create a framework for licensing small banks and other differentiated banks. Differentiated banks like
local area banks and payment banks have been considered to meet credit and remittance needs of small businesses,
unorganized sector, low income households, farmers and migrant work force.
As per RBI guidelines:
The minimum capital requirement for such banks will be Rs 100 crore as against Rs 500 crore required for normal
commercial banks.
Small Banks will provide a whole range of basic bankingservices such as deposits and supply of credit, but their
area of operation will be limited.
Payments Banks will provide very basic and limited number of products such as acceptance of demand deposits and
remittances of funds.
Payments banks will have an extensive network of access points mainly in remote areas, either through their own
branch network or through Business Correspondents (BCs) or through networks provided by others.
Foreign investments in these new category banks would be as per the FDI policy.
RBI has allowed existing non-bank pre-payment instrument issuers, Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs),
corporate BCs, mobile telephone companies, super-market chains, firms, real sector cooperatives and public sector
entities to apply for the license to set up payments bank.
To set up small banks, resident individuals with 10 years of experience in banking and finance, companies and Societies
will be eligible as promoters.
Existing NBFCs, Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs), and Local Area Banks (LABs) can also choose for conversion into
small banks.
Local focus and the ability to serve smaller customers will be a key criterion in licensing the new category of banks.
IBSA Summit 2015 will be held in India
July 17, 2014
The 7th IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) Summit of 2015 will be hosted by India. The same was announced after a
meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Jacob Zuma in Brazil. The two leaders met on
the sidelines of the meetings between the BRICS leadership and leaders from Latin American countries.
Besides, New Delhi would also host the India Africa Forum to be held in December 2014.
IBSA is a trilateral forum of India, Brazil and South Africa with the objective to promote, inter-alia, South-South cooperation
and exchange. The platform came into being following a meeting of the foreign ministers of the three nations in Brasilia in
2003, through the adoption of the Brasilia Declaration.
Prakash Kohli sworn in as Governor of Gujarat
July 17, 2014
Former Rajya Sabha member and veteran leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr. Om Prakash Kohli was sworn in
as Gujarat Governor. Mr. Kohlis appointment follows the unceremonious exit of former Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal.

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Mr. Kohli was the president of the BJPs Delhi unit. He served as a lecturer at the Delhi University-affiliated Hansraj College
and Deshbandhu College.
BRICS to establish $100 billion development bank and contingency reserve
fund
July 17, 2014
BRICS group of nations inked a pact to set up a new $100 billion development bank and emergency reserve fund. The
agreement to create the bank was signed during the 6th BRICS Summit being held in Fortaleza, Brazil.
BRICSgroup includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
To begin with, the bank will start operating with $50 billion in initial capital with the five BRICS contributing $10 billion each.
According to the pact, the capital of the bank will be divided equally among the five participating nations and
the headquarters of the same will be in Shanghai, China. The chairmanship of the bank will be rotational and its
first President will come from India for the first 6 years. The Bank will also have a regional office in Johannesburg, South
Africa.
The governing body of the bank will be formed by BRICS Finance ministers or central banks governors to manage the CRA.
The BRICS CRA will not be open to outsiders. Initially, the bank will focus on infrastructure projects in the BRICS countries.
Capital contribution from BRICS nations
China: $41 billion
Brazil, Russia and India: $18 billion each
South Africa: $5 billion
Future benefits of BRICS Development Bank:
The creation of the $100 billion development bank will help the developing countries to:
Effectively deal with short term liquidity pressures
Encourage further BRICS cooperation
Complement existing international arrangements
Consolidate the global financial safety net
National Health Profile (NHP) 2013 released by Dr. Harsh Vardhan
July 17, 2014
The National Health Profile (NHP) 2013 was released by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
The annual report is prepared by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI). It takes into account
demographic, socio-economic, health status and health finance indicators, along with comprehensive information on
health infrastructure and human resources in health. CBHI has been publishing NHP annually since 2005.
It is very important to have reliable country-wise data in all sectors of healthcare in the country covering not only public health
professionals, but the various stakeholders in the healthcare sector such as even those who have traditional knowledge in
different systems. Such data would facilitate the policymakers in well-grounded planning and effective implementation of
various schemes. A comprehensive healthcare database showing region-wise and location-wise availability of doctors,
nurses, chemists, dispensaries, private practioners and other human and health infrastructure will be significant in stepping
up our capacity of dealing with any health emergency.
Bashar al-Assad sworn-in as Syria President for third term
July 17, 2014
After a being declared winner in the recently held and much criticized presidential polls, Bashar al-Assad has been
sworn in for a third 7-year term as president of Syria.
Mr Assad pledged to fight terrorism until security was reinstated to all over the country, but also vowed to offer national
reconciliation to opponents.
He has refused the demands of resignation since an uprising began in March 2011. The conflict that flared up after the
authorities launched a brutal suppression on protests has left at least 170,000 people dead and displaced more than nine
million others.
Kerala temples observe Ramayana month
July 17, 2014
Karkkidakam, the last month of the Malayalam Calendar is observed asRamayana month. Temples in Kerala started
observing Ramayana month on July 17, 2014. In Malayalam, the month is called the Ramayana Masam.
During this month the temples and homes of the state recites Adyatma Ramayana Kilippattu written by Thunjath
Ezhuthachan for the 31 days. Ezhuthachan is regarded as the father of Malayalam literature. The recital of epic Ramayana
begins on the first day of the month and is completed on the last day of the month Karkkidakom, which is on August 16,

24
2014. Elder members recite the
Ramayana everyday in the evenings after lighting traditional lamp nilavilakku.
Several competitions and cultural activities based on Ramayana are organised across the state in pursuance of the centuries
old custom of Ramayana month.
July 16: Meghalaya commemorates its WW1 heroes on Garo Labour Corps
Day
July 16, 2014
Meghalaya observed 95th Garo Labour Corps Day on July 16, 2014. The State remembered and saluted the heroes of World
War I. It paid homage to the 500 Garo men, who were recruited by British 96 years ago in 1917 in the 69th Garo Labour
Corps. They were sent to France to help the Allied forces in the War.
These recruits made roads and carried goods during the war at different places in France i.e. Puisieux, Bucquoy, La
Chapellette, Brusle and others.
Garo Labour Corps Day is observed on July 16, because it was on this day the Garo men returned to India at Tura in
Meghalaya from Mersailles in France.
PM Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping; presses for resolution of
boundary dispute
July 16, 2014
Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Brazilduring the BRICS Summit. Mr. Modi pressed
for a solution to the boundary issue, saying if the two sides could resolve the vexed issue in an amicable manner; it would set
an example for the world on peaceful dispute resolution.
In a major development, China invited India to attend a summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in November
2014. APEC is a forum for 21 nations that envisages promoting free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-
Pacific region.
320 Mahila Suraksha Dals will soon be functional in Delhi
July 16, 2014
With a view to enhance the safety of women and girls in Delhi, 320 Mahila Suraksha Dals (MSDs) will soon be made
functional. As a pilot program, one MSD each in all 11 districts in Delhi will be inaugurated on the day of Raksha Bandhan.
According to the framework of Mahila Suraksha Dal Project designed by Coordinator MSD Group, it has been proposed that
instead of setting up new parallel structures, Awaaz Uthao Project initiated by the Delhi Government which addresses
women safety issues, will be rechristened as Mahila Suraksha Dal and Awaaz Uthao groups will be further strengthened both
in terms of composition and functioning.
Under this program, Collectives/MSDs will work at the grassroots level to look into the issues of women safety at public place
and support women in distress. These MSDs will have retired army personnel, representatives from the local community
(both men and women) local NGO representatives/ RWA/MTA as its members.
Sim Bhullar: First Indian-origin player in NBA also the tallest player in NBA at
present
July 16, 2014
Sim Bhullar (21) has become the first player of Indian origin to join the NationalBasketball Association (NBA) after he
inked a summer contract with theSacramento Kings, a professional basketball team in the US.
Bhullar is originally from Canada but his parents hail from Punjab. He is 7.5 feet tall, weighs 360 pounds and is a centre from
New Mexico State University. Bhullar is the tallest player in the NBA right now, and needs only to stand on his tiptoes to
make a basket.
Interestingly, in 2013, the Kings became the NBAs first team to have an Indian-origin majority owner Vivek Ranadive.
Since assuming the charge of the Kings, which was performing low in recent years, Ranadive has transformed the
organization into one of the better ones in the association.
Noted Hindi litterateur Madhukar Singh passed away
July 16, 2014
Madhukar Singh (87), a distinguished Hindi litterateur passed away at his residence in village Dharahara of Bhojpur
district, Bihar.
Madhukar Singh
In 1970s he led Samantar Kahani Andolan in story writing along with Kamleshwar, a noted writer and others. He
wrote comprehensively about rural downtrodden workers and farmers. He penned about 35 books including 17 collections of

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stories and 13 novels. His story titled Dushman became a milestone in Hindi story writing and played as drama in 1980s in
Hindi belt by different drama groups. Some of his other notable works include Arjun Zinda Hai, Benimadho Tiwari Ki Patoh
Sonbhadra Ki Radha and Mere Gaon Ke Log.
Awards and honours:
Soviet Land Nehru Award
Jannayak Karpoori Thakur Sahitya Puraskar conferred upon him by Bihar Government
Udayraj Puraskar
Nadine Gordimer: Nobel Prize winning South African author passed away
July 15, 2014
Nadine Gordimer (90), South African Nobel Prize-winning author passed away in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The writer was always vociferous voices against apartheid which she reflected in her books. She penned more than 30
books, including the novels My Sons Story, Burgers Daughter and Julys People. She jointly won 1974s Booker Prize for
The Conservationist and was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1991. For her hatred of apartheid reflected in her
writings, a number of Gordimers books were banned by the South African government under the apartheid regime including
1966s The Late Bourgeois World and 1979s Burgers Daughter.
Her last novel, No Time Like the Present, published in 2012, follows veterans of the battle against apartheid as they deal
with the issues facing modern South Africa. Gordimer was also an aggressive campaigner in the HIV/Aids movement,
lobbying and fund-raising on behalf of the Treatment Action Campaign, a group insisting the South African Government to
provide free, life-saving drugs to diseased person.
Mahela Jayawardene retires from Test cricket
July 15, 2014
The former skipper of Sri Lankas cricket team Mahela Jayawardene has announced retirement from Test cricket.
The right-handed batsman has played 145 tests and his 11,493 runs shares 6thposition, along with Kumar Sangakkara of
the same team, on the list of highest scorers in the longest format of the game. He has 33 test centuries to his name and has
a batting average of a little more than 50/innings.
President appoints new Governors to five states
July 15, 2014
President of India, Pranab Mukherjee appointed Governors of five states, namelyUttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West
Bengal, Gujarat and Nagaland.
Given below is the list of Governors and their respective state of appointment:
Keshari Nath Tripathi: Governor of West Bengal
Balramji Dass Tandon: Governor of Chhattisgarh
Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya: Governor of both Nagaland andTripura
Ram Naik: Governor of Uttar Pradesh
Om Prakash Kohli: Governor of Gujarat
Gandhi Peace Prize to Chandi Prasad Bhatt
July 15, 2014
President Pranab Mukherjee presented Gandhi Peace Prize for 2013 to noted environmentalist and pioneer of the
Chipko movement Chandi Prasad Bhatt for his contribution towards the environment and society through Gandhian
philosophy.
The honor puts Bhatt in the elite club of personalities that includes the likes ofNelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu,
who were earlier bestowed with the prestigious prize.
Gandhi Peace Prize is an award that is conferred upon individuals and organizations for their contributions towards
social, economic and political transformation through peace and other Gandhian methods.
Chandi Prasad Bhatt:
Born: June 23, 1934, in Chamoli, Uttarakhand
Key Contributions: He was one of the founders of Chipko movement, adopted non-violence in preventing
deforestation in the Garhwal Himalayas by embracing trees to prevent them from being felled during the early
70s. The movement later spread throughout the country.
Awards and Honors: He was awarded the Raman Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1982. In 2005,
he was conferred the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in the country. In 2014, he was honored with
the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize for 2013.
Government to establish R&D centre for bulk drugs at NIPER

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July 15, 2014
The Union government is establishing a National Centre for Research & Development in Bulk Drug
(NCRDBD) at National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, to fill the
significant void in R&D in bulk drugs. The government has approved the project which will cost over Rs 52 crore
and require an operating cost of over Rs 37 crore for 5 years.
The role of bulk drug sector is critical to overall efficiency and cost competitiveness of the pharmaceutical sector.
There are around 2,500 bulk drugs manufacturing units in India. The estimated turnover of the bulk drug industry in
2012-13 was around $ 12.5 billion. The industry has registered a Cumulative Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17% in
the last 3 years and has a share of about 10% of the global bulk drugs market of about $ 110 billion. However, the
import of bulk drugs has recorded a CAGR of 18% during last 3 years pointing an increasing level of dependence on
foreign supply for this vital input of pharmaceutical sector.
The condition looks more complicated taking into account the fact that more than 60% share in imports of
intermediate for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) is imported from China.
Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Bill gets Governors nod
July 15, 2014
The Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Bill, 2014, passed by the state assembly, has received Haryana
Governor Jagannath Pahadias assent. The Bill seeks to set up a separate management committee for Sikh shrines
in Haryana. The Bill empowers the Haryana government to create an ad hoc committee to manage the affairs of the
states gurdwaras till members to the Haryana Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) are elected.
The Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are
opposing the Bill and plan to raise the issue with the President soon.
Work on setting up Rural ATMs underway: RBI
July 15, 2014
Encouraged by the Reserve Bank .of India (RBI), banks are working on setting upRural ATMs for dispensing
currency notes of smaller denominations. Banks have been encouraged to find a solution for introducing rural ATMs.
Generally, in city or urban centric ATMs, they will give out high denomination notes (Rs 1,000 and Rs 500), whereas
in rural areas, the demand of people is more of lesser denomination. So, banks will have to find an appropriate
technology solution for a different type of ATM to care for the needs of the rural people. Banks are at present working
on that and will hopefully they will come forward to put ATMs in rural areas (with this new technology).
Nagoya Protocol gets 50th Instrument of Ratification
July 15, 2014
The Nagoya Protocol has received the required 50th instrument of ratificationon July 14, 2014. India, having hosted CoP-
11 to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in Hyderabad in October 2012, is currently the President of CoP till CoP-12 to
be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea in October 2014.
The Protocol on access and benefit sharing will enter into force on 90th day October 12, 2014. It will facilitate early coming
into effect of this significantinternational treaty that has been a priority of India as head of CoP. India played a significant role
through its efforts in the last 21 months using political and diplomatic channels.
Ratification of the Nagoya Protocol by 51 parties to the CBD is also a considered as a major development towards achieving
the first of the global Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from
their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversityis a supplementary pact to theConvention on Biological
Diversity (CBD). It provides a transparent legalframework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of
the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. The Protocol was
adopted on October 29, 2010 in Nagoya, Aichi Province, Japan, and will enter into force on October12, 2014. It has been
ratified by 50 states and the European Union. Its objective is the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the
utilization of genetic resources, thereby contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
6th BRICS Summit: India s PM Modi flies to Brazil
July 15, 2014
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flown to Brazil to participate in the sixth annual BRICS summit.
The BRICS summit a multilateral forum comprising of the upcoming economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and
South Africa will be the first occasion that the Prime Minister will be interacting with world leaders after assuming office in
May 2014.
The 2-day summit will be held in the cities of Fortaleza and Brasilia in Brazil.
Indias key agendas for this summit:

27
1. BRICS BANK: The key agenda will be establishing a new development bank on the lines of the World Bank and Asian
Development Bank. The idea was first talked about at the BRICS meet in New Delhi in 2012.
2. CONTINGENT FUNDS: With a corpus of $100 billion the proposed bank will finance projects for infrastructure projects in
emerging, developing nations and will compete with the west dominated IMF and World Bank.
3. Who will host BRICS BANK: With both India and China vying to host the headquarters for the proposed bank, the
contentious issue will be discussed.
4. INDIA-CHINA on security: India is likely to take up the matter of security of Indias Northern and Eastern borders that it
shares with China. PM Modi, who will have bilateral meetings with all BRICS leaders, will meet Chinese President, Xi
Jinping.
9.48% increase in Railway revenues earnings during April June 2014
July 15, 2014
The Indian Railways has registered a 9.48 % increase in its total approximate earnings on originating basis during April 1,
2014 to June 30, 2014 at Rs. 36674.17 crore compared to Rs. 33499.53 crore during the same period last year.
Some other key financial figures registered during this period:
The total approximate earnings from goods were augmented by 7.05%.
An increase of 16.38% was registered in the total approximate revenue earnings from passengers.
The total approximate numbers of passengers booked registered an increase of 7.33%.
The approximate revenue earnings from other coaching registered a growth of 3.99%.
Rich nations should capitalize Green Climate Fund: India
July 14, 2014
Expressing concerns over the empty coffers of the Green Climate Fund (GCF),India urged rich countries to give their
consent to a road-map for its capitalization by 2015 the year the world will have a universal global climate treaty.
Speaking at the Major Economies Forum (MEF) in Paris, Indias Environmentminister Prakash Javadekar also suggested
that part of GCF, which was launched in 2009-10, should be used for funding critical technologies and buying Intellectual
Property Rights (IPRs) so that it can be made available to developing nations free of cost.
He referred to the annual Budget to inform that India had had taken a number of measures to fight climate change including
earmarking Rs 100 crore for National Adaptation Fund, launching of mission for Himalayan region, Clean Ganga
mission and hike in cess on coal from Rs 50 a tonne to Rs 100 a tonne.
Green Climate Fund (GCF)
GCF is a fund within the framework of the UNFCCC set up as a mechanism to transfer money from the developed nations
to the developing countries, in order to help the developing nations in adaptation and mitigation practices to tackle climate
change. The GCF is based in the new Songdo district of Incheon, SouthKorea. It is managed by a Board of 24 members.
The GCF will support projects, programmes, policies and other activities in developing nations. It intends to be the fulcrum of
efforts to increase Climate Finance of $100 billion a year by 2020.
Vacate Office in New Delhi : India asks UNMOGIP, the UN Observer on J&K
July 13, 2014
Indian Government has asked United Nations Military Observer Group inIndia and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to vacate its
Government accommodations inNew Delhi.
Reacting to this, Pakistan said that such steps would not change the legal status of the Kashmir dispute and that it never
accepted Kashmirs accession to India. It said that as long as the Kashmir dispute is not resolved, the UN Security Council
mandate remains.
In response to Pakistans statements, India said that it believes in moving forward than looking behind and discussing decade
old issues. India clarified that the move on UNMOGIP was consistent with efforts to rationalize the UN bodys presence in
India. It said that the measure was in line with Indias long-standing view that UNMOGIP has outlived its relevance.
India believes that the UN body had little significance after India and Pakistan inked the Shimla pact in 1972 on resolving the
Kashmir dispute bilaterally. However, UN held that UN Security Council resolution mandates the body to monitor and observe
the border and report violations of a cease-fire agreement between India and Pakistan.
UNMOGIP in India insisted that it will continue its operations in India in line with its original mandate. The body is now
searching for new office to rent.
India had provided UNMOGIP a plush accommodation in New Delhi free of charge 40 years ago. The UN body also has
offices in Islamabad and Muzaffarabad, the main city in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir.
BSE sets up advisory group on REITs
July 13, 2014
The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has set up an advisory group on REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), which

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seeks to attract long-term funds to the investment-deficient realty sector from both foreign as well as domestic investors.
The Budget 2014-15 also offers incentives like exemption from long-term capital gains tax to promote REITs, which could be
listed on the bourses like company shares and permits retail and institutional investors to trade in those securities.
The BSE has decided to make an 11-member advisory group of experts from real estate, securities market participants like
merchant bankers, legalprofessionals and consultants in real estate to orderly help develop the REITs and to make it popular
among investors and advise them newly proposed framework on REITs.
As per experts, REITs can attract humungous $10 billion foreign funds into the real estate sector.
IFRS system mandatory from 2016-17 FY
July 12, 2014
From 2016-17 FY, it will be mandatory for Indian corporate sector to migrate toInternational Financial Reporting
Standards (IFRS) from the current indigenous Indian Accounting Standards. The new system has been necessitated by the
need to be consistent with global practices.
IFRS is essential to facilitate the foreign firms make accurate interpretation of the balance sheets of Indian companies in
order to make a correct assessment of their performance which mirrors the state of the economy.
Pay MGNREGA workers wages commensurate with minimum wages fixed by
State: SC asks Government
July 12, 2014
As per the direction of the Supreme Court, Government must implement its February 2014 notification fixing higher average
daily wages to workers of theMahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
The order came a day after the proposed Budget announcement by the Government, which while reviving the MGNREGS
allocated Rs34,000 crore, a hike of Rs1,000 crore over year 2013. The Centre had, in its February 13, 2014 notification,
announced higher wage scale for MGNREGA workers in the range of Rs118 to Rs181, varying from State to State. With the
Court direction, thefinancial load on the Centre is likely to increase by more than Rs1,000 crore.
The direction from the apex court to the Centre comes after the SC was faced with an order from Karnataka High
Court directing Centre to pay daily wages under MGNREGS commensurate with the minimum wage fixed by the State. The
HC, in its order, noted that the workers were paid less than even the minimum wage of Rs119 prescribed under the
Karnataka Minimum Wages Act.
As per the ruling of the Karnataka HC, Section 6(1) of the MGNREGA could not be invoked to fix wage rate lower than what
was prescribed under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and scrapped the Government notification on wage rate of January
2009 and ordered payment of arrears to the workers in Karnataka.
The order was challenged by the Centre as there is substantial difference between MGNREGS wages and minimum wages
in some States. Besides, it argued that as on date, the minimum wages under MGNREGA were linked to the Consumer
Price Index (CPI) of agricultural laborers.
INS Kamorta: India s first indigenous warship delivered to Indian Navy
July 12, 2014
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) delivered to the Indian Navy countrys first indigenously built
warship INS Kamorta. The highly sophisticated Anti-Submarine Warship (ASW), the first in its class of four corvettes being
built by GGRSE for the Navy was built with indigenous steel produced by SAILs Bhilai Steel Plant.
The corvette is the first naval warship built in the country with indigenously developed special grade high-tensile
(DMR249A) steel produced by Steel Authority of India. The hull of the ship carries the bulk of sensors and weapon
systems that are also indigenously developed by various Indian industries.
The ASW is a significant advancement towards Indias quest to self-reliance in indigenous warship building. It also brings the
Indian Navys pursuit to be a Builders Navy as well as a true Blue-water Navy with ships and submarines being designed
and built indigenously.
The Grand Old Lady of Bollywood Veteran actor Zohra Sehgal passed away
July 12, 2014
Veteran actor Zohra Sehgal (102), who acted in Bollywood classics and Doctor Who adventures, passed away. Sehgal, for
her contribution to the Indian cinema is dubbed the grand old lady of Bollywood . A Padma Shri awardee, she also
received the Padma Vibhshan in 2010.
Sehgal, started her career as a dancer with Uday Shankar in 1935. She had appeared in many Bollywood films as a
character actor as well as in English language films besides television series and plays. Often called the grand old lady of
Bollywood and the laadli of entertainment , last appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Saawariya in 2007.

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The Miracle girl Mississippi babycured of HIV as an infant now detected
with virus again
July 12, 2014
The baby girl who had emerged as a ray of hope for the global combat against AIDS, when she was cured of HIV after being
born to an infected mother has now been detected with the HIV virus.
In a huge setback to researchers, the child known as the Mississippi baby who when put on Anti-Retroviral Therapy
(ART) within 30 hours of birth was cured in 2013 by stopping the formation of viral reservoirs dormant cells
responsible for the re-starting the infection in most HIV patients within weeks of halting the therapy has now been
found to have been re-infected after more than 2 years without ART support.
The kid has detectable HIV levels in the blood (16,750 copies/mL). Besides, the child has reduced levels of CD4+ T-cells,
the main constituent of a normal immune system, and the presence of HIV antibodies signs of a replicating pool
of virus in the body. The kid has been put on ART again. It has been found that the childs HIV infection was the same
strain acquired from the mother.
HIV first emerged over 30 years ago and has till now infected over 34 million people globally. Scientists face a daunting
challenge of finding a vaccine against HIV. As per the UN estimates, 330,000 babies were infected in 2011. This is apart from
more than 3 million children living with HIV across the globe.
In India, over 14,000 children got infected in 2011, which accounted for 13% decrease as compared to 2009. The number of
estimated deaths among children (0-14 years old) due to AIDS was 10,213 in 2011. In India, in 2011, an estimated 21 lakh
people living with HIV/AIDS, 7% were children. Nearly 40% (8.16 lakh) of them were women, who are likely to pass on the
virus to their babies.
Margaret Alva Sworn-in as Goa Governor
July 12, 2014
Margaret Alva, the current Governor of Rajasthan, was sworn-in as theGovernor of Goa. She was administered oath of
office by Chief Justice of Bombay high court Mohit Shah. Rajasthan governor Alva has been given additional charge of Goa
after previous governor B V Wanchoo resigned on July 4, 2014, a day after CBI interrogated him in the VVIP chopper deal
scam.
World Population Day observed across the world on July 11
July 11, 2014
The World Population Day was observed across the world on July 11. Thetheme for year 2014 is Invest in Young
People today, to ensure a Bright Future.
The United Nations (UN) World Population Day is observed annually on July 11 to reiterate the human right to plan for a
family. It promotes activities, events and information for the realization of this right throughout the world. As per United
States Census Bureau (USCB), World Population is estimated to be 7.023 billion. World Population has increased sharply
in the last 200 years. Countries like China and India together make up 37% of the total world population. Continent
wise, Asia with 4.2 billion people has largest population. As compared to other continents of the world, Asia accounts
for over 60% of the world population.
Study attributes Oklahoma earthquakes to subsurface wastewater injection
July 11, 2014
A study has attributed the dramatic increase in earthquakes in central Oklahoma since 2009 to subsurface wastewater
injection at a few wastewater disposal wells. As per researchers, Oklahoma earthquakes make up nearly half of all central
and eastern U.S. seismicity from 2008 to 2013, many occurring in areas of high-rate water disposal.
Induced seismicity poses as a primary obstacle to expanded shale gas and unconventional hydrocarbon development. The
study offers insight into the process by which the earthquakes are induced and suggests that sticking to standard best
practices may significantly cut down the danger of inducing seismicity. The best practices include avoiding wastewater
disposal near major faults and the use of suitable monitoring and mitigation schemes.
As per research, 4 of the highest-volume disposal wells in Oklahoma (about 0.05% of wells) are capable of triggering about
20% of recent central U.S. earthquakes in a series, called a swarm, spanning nearly 2,000 sq kms, as shown by the study of
modeled pore pressure surge at relocated earthquake hypocenters.
Earthquakes are induced at distances more than 30 kms from the disposal wells, far away from current criteria of 5 kms from
the well for diagnosis of induced earthquakes.
The area of increased pressure related to these wells keeps expanding, increasing the probability of encountering a larger
fault and thus raising the risk of triggering an earthquake of higher-magnitude.
Budget Box 2014-15: Highlights

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July 10, 2014
Union Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley presented Union Budget 2014-15. The
highlights:
For individuals
No change in the Tax slab on personal income
Income tax exemption limit increased by Rs 50,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh and for senior citizens to Rs 3 lakh
Exemption limit for investment in financial instruments under 80C increased to Rs 1.5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh.
Investment limit in PPF increased to Rs 1.5 lakh from Rs 1 lak
Deduction limit on interest on loan for self-occupied house enhanced toRs 2 lakh from Rs 1.5 lakh.
Reintroduction of Kisan Vikas Patra, National Savings Certificate withinsurance cover to be launched
Long term capial gain tax for mutual funds doubled to 20%; lock-in period increased to 3 years
Mandatory wage ceiling of subscription to EPS (Employee Pension Scheme) enhanced from Rs 6,500 to Rs 15,000
Minimum pension raised to Rs 1,000 per month
LCD, LED TV become less expensive
Cigarettes, pan masala, tobacco, aerated drinks become costlier
New projects and programmes
5 IIMs to be opened in HP, Punjab, Bihar, Odisha and Rajasthan
5 IITs in Jammu, Chattisgarh, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala
4 more AIIMS like institutions in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Vidarbha in Maharashtra and Poorvanchal in Uttar
Pradesh
Kisan TV for farmers, Arun Prabha TV for northeast
National Rural Internet and Technology Mission for services in villages and schools, training in IT skills proposed
Digital India programme will be launched to ensure broad band connectivity at village level
Ultra Modern Super Critical Coal Based Thermal Power Technology has been proposed
Jal Marg Vikas a project on the river Ganga for inland waterwaysbetween Allahabad and Haldia; Rs 4,200 crore will
be allocated for the same.
Uniform Account Number service will be launched by EPFO for contributing members.
Project Neeranchal will be launched to give fillip to watershed development in the country with an initial outlay of Rs.
2142 crores.
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana to spread awareness and help in improving the efficiency of delivery of welfare
services meant for women.
Achieving Health For All objective through Free Drug Service and Free Diagnosis Service
Two National Institutes of Ageing to be established at AIIMS, New Delhiand Madras Medical College, Chennai.
Key allocations
Rs 100 crore allocated to support about 600 new and existing Community Radio Stations
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to cover every household with sanitation facility by the year 2019
Rs 100 crore for metro projects in Lucknow and Ahmedabad
Namami Gange the Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission has been allocated Rs 2,037 crore
Rs 150 crore set aside for enhancing safety of women in large cities
Rs. 7,060 crore allocated for the project of developing 100 Smart Cities.
Rs 11,200 crore for PSU banks capitalization
Rs 500 crore allocated for rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri migrants
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna has been provided Rs 1000 crore.
Rs. 50,548 crore under the SC Plan and Rs. 32,387 crore under TSP
Economic Measures
Composite cap of foreign investment to be increased to 49% inDefence and Insurance sectors.
Requirement of the construction area and capital conditions for FDI decreased to 20,000 square metres and $5 million
respectively for development of smart cities.
Manufacturing can sell its products through retail including e-commerce platforms.
Requirement to inject Rs.2,40,000 crore as equity by 2018 in our banks to be in consonance with Basel-III norms PSUs
will invest through capital investment a total sum of Rs. 2,47,941 crores.
Rs 4,000 cr allocated to increase flow of cheaper credit for affordable housing to the urban poor/EWS/LIG segment.
Government supports consolidation of PSU banks
Providing greater autonomy to PSU banks while making them accountable is under consideration

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Some key fiscal information
Government expects Rs 9.77 lakh crore revenue crore from taxes
Plan expenditure pegged at Rs 5.75 lakh crore and non-plan at Rs 12.19 lakh crore.
Fiscal deficit target maintained at 4.1% of GDP for current fiscal and 3.6% for FY 2016
Disinvestment target fixed at Rs 58,425 crore
Gross borrowings pegged at Rs 6 lakh crore
Configuration of GST to be finalized this fiscal
Government to examine DTC proposal.
Administrative reforms
Panel to examine all fresh tax demands for indirect transfer of assets in wake of retrospective tax amendments of 2012
Setting up of Expenditure Management Commission; will look into food and fertilizer subsides
Legislative and administrative amendments to clear up pending tax demands of more than Rs. 4 lakh crore under dispute
and litigation.
Formulation of New Urea Policy
MGNREGA would provide more productive, asset creating wage employment with linkages to agriculture and allied
activities
A panel will look into and recommend how unclaimed amounts with PPF, Post Office, saving schemes etc. can be utilized
to protect and further financial interests of the senior citizens
Slum development to be included in the list of Corporate Social Responsibility
Panel to look into the financial architecture for MSME Sector, remove impediments and create new norms and structures
regarding the same.
To provide support to mainstreaming PPPPs (People Public Private Partnership) called 4PIndia , an institution will be
established with a corpus of Rs. 500 crores.
Now minimum broadband speed is 512 kbps: TRAI
July 9, 2014
As per a notification released by Telecom Regulatory Authority India(TRAI),the minimum broadband speed has
been raised to 512 kilo bytes per second (kbps). The earlier minimum broadband speed of 256 kbps was as per the
Broadband Policy 2004.
The telecom regulator has made amendment to the Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal Regulations, 2012 and
the regulations will be called theTelecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (3rd Amendment) Regulations.
The new definition of broadband is: A data connection that is able to support interactive services including internet
access and has the capability of minimum download speed of 512 kbps to an individual subscriber from the point of presence
(POP) of the service provider intending to provide broadband service.
The regulations will come into force after publication in the official gazette. The broadband speed has been revised by the
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in consonance with the National Telecom Policy 2012 and TRAI suggestions. As
per the National Telecom Policy 2012, the government aims to enhance the broadband download speed of to 512 kbps from
256 kbps and subsequently to 2 Mbps by 2015. As per TRAI data, total broadband subscribers in the country increased by
5.82% to 65.33 million at the end of May 2014 from 61.74 million at the end of April 2014.
Emma Watson: UN Women Goodwill Ambassador
July 9, 2014
Famous British actress, Emma Watson, has been appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador of UN Women - the United
Nations organization devoted to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Widely known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series, the distinguished actress, humanitarian,
and
recent graduate of Ivy League institution Brown University, will dedicate her efforts as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador
towards the empowerment of young women and will serve as an advocate for UN Womens HeForShe campaign in
promoting gender equality.
HeForShe Campaign
HeForShe is a UN Womens solidarity campaign which calls upon the masculine gender to stand up against the inequalities
faced by women and girls globally. The movement bolsters the support for womens rights as human rights by enlisting the
support of men and urging them to play the role of promoters of gender equality.
Highlights from Railway Budget 2014-15
July 9, 2014
Union Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda presented his first RailwayBudget in Parliament. Below are the highlights

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of this Budget:
No new hike in passenger fares and freight charges
Bullet train in Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector
Diamond quadrilateral for high speed trains
Proposal to enhance speed of trains to 160-200 km/hr in 9 sectors
Online booking to support 7,200 tickets/minute; to enable 1.2 lakh users log in simultaneously
Revamp of reservation system, ticket-booking through mobile phones, post offices to be promoted
Online platform for unreserved tickets
Stations to have Combo parking-platform tickets
Women RPF Constables to escort ladies coaches; 4,000 women constables to be inducted
Retiring room facility to be extended to all stations
Battery powered Cars for differently-abled and senior citizens at major stations
Feedback services through IVRS on quality of food
Food can be ordered through SMS, phone; Food courts at major stations
Cleanliness budget increased by 40% over last year
CCTVs to be used at stations for monitoring cleanliness
Forming a corpus fund for stations maintenance
RO drinking water at some stations and trains
Automatic door closing in mainline and sub-urban coaches
58 new trains and extension of 11; 864 additional EMUs to be started in Mumbai over 2 years
FDI in railway projects, except in operations
FDI, domestic investments in rail infrastructure
Office-on-Wheels: Internet & workstation amenities on select trains
WiFi in A1, A category stations and in select trains
Railways university for technical and non-technical subjects
Some stations to be built to international standards through PPP model
Parcel traffic to be segregated to separate terminals to make passenger traffic unhampered
Loss per passenger per kilometre up from 10% in 2000-01 to 23% in 2012-13
Use of Solar energy at major stations
Highest ever plan outlay of Rs. 65,455 crore for 2014-15
Expenditure in 2014-15 pegged at Rs. 149,176 crore.
New Rail Budget s 8 common man-friendly steps
July 9, 2014
The maiden Rail Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government proposes to initiate a number of
passengerfriendly
measures, aimed at facilitating the commuters in the long-run and improving the overall experience of travellers.
The budget has mentioned 8 main common man-friendly measures. Lets have a look:
High Speed rail network and Bullet trains:
Bullet trains will be introduced in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector.
Diamond Quadrilateral network of high speed rail linking major metros and growth centres is being worked out.
Increasing train speeds between several cities to 160-200 km/hour.Railways will spend Rs 100 crore for high speed trains
between metros. The government needs Rs 9 lakh crore for funding Diamond Quadrilateral.
Revamp of Ticket reservation system:
Next generation e-Ticketing system, capable of supporting 7200 tickets per minute as against 2000 tickets per minute and
allow 1,20,000 simultaneous users at any point in time, will help in the revamp of railway reservation System.
Ticket booking through mobile phones and through post Offices will be promoted. Steps will be taken to provide facility of
purchasing platform tickets and unreserved tickets Online.
Parking-cum-Platform Combo Tickets to facilitate the passengers and to save their time.
Online booking facility of railway retiring room will be extended to all the stations during the course of the year.
Improve catering and food:
Introduce pre-cooked (Ready-to-eat) meals of reputed brands in a phased manner with a view to improve the quality,
hygiene of on-board catering services and to provide variety.
Quality Assurance Mechanism through Third Party Audit by NABCB certified agencies to ensure the quality and standard
of catering services.
A system of receiving feedback through IVRS mechanism, from the travelling passengers on the quality of food served. If

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the service does not meet the set standards, especially in hygiene and the taste, stern action would be taken against the
vendors including cancellation of the contract.
Food courts at major stations to offer the option of ordering regional food while onboard, through emails, SMS and
smartphones, etc. The railways will soon to launch a pilot project between New Delhi-Amritsar and New Delhi-Jammu
Tawi sections.
Global Standard Stations:
Railway Ministry will develop 10 major stations in the country to global standards. It will provide Wi-Fi in A-1 and A
category stations and in select trains.
Large scale integrated computerization of Indian railway systems will be done. Stations will have digital reservation charts.
Cleaning activities will be outsourced at 50 major stations. The allocated budget for cleaniness has been raised by 40%.
The number of Bio-toilets will be increased on trains.
58 new trains, 11 existing trains extended:
Five Jansadharan Trains, 5 Premium Trains, 6 AC express trains, 27 express trains, 8 passenger trains, 2 MEMU
services and 5 DEMU will be introduced this year.
Special trains to meet the holiday and festival rush would continue to operate.
Improving Safety:
Indian Railways need around Rs 40,000 crore improving rail safety. Rs 1785 crore will be provided for road under bridges
and over bridges.
Ultra sonic devices to detect rail fractures and automatic closing of doors both in mainline & suburban coaches are being
considered.
17,000 RPF constables will be available for trains.
Ladies coaches will be escorted by women RPF. Special instructions are being issued in each class of travel for the
safety of ladies travelling alone.
Boundary walls will be constructed around stations through the PPP way.
Workstations on Wheels:
With a view to provide better facilities to business travelers, Indian Railways will provide workstations in select trains on
payment basis.
To start with, railways will provide Mobile based Wakeup Call System for passengers, Mobile based Destination Arrival
Alert, Station Navigation Information System, Extension of Computerized Parcel Management System.
Trains dedicated to Tourism:
Promoting Eco-tourism and education tourism in North Eastern States.
Special Pilgrim Circuits like Devi Circuit, Jyotirling Circuit, Jain Circuit, Christian Circuit, Muslim/Sufi Circuit, Sikh Ci rcuit,
Buddhist Circuit, Famous Temple Circuit have been identified
. For these circuits specially packaged trains will be introduced. Private participation in this sector will also be
encouraged.
Rail Budget: List of new, extended trains
July 9, 2014
Rail Budget was presented in the Parliament by Union Railways Minister Sadanand Gowda. Given below is the list of trains
announced in the budget:-
Jansadharan Trains
1) Ahmedabad-Darbhanga Jansadharan Express via Surat
2) Jaynagar-Mumbai Jansadharan Express
3) Mumbai-Gorakhpur Jansadharan Express
4) Saharasa-Anand Vihar Jansadharan Express via Motihari
5) Saharasa-Amritsar Jansadharan Express
Premium Trains
1) Mumbai Central-New Delhi Premium AC Express
2) Shalimar-Chennai Premium AC Express
3) Secunderabad- Hazrat Nizamuddin Premium AC Express
4) Jaipur-Madurai Premium Express
5) Kamakhya-Bengaluru Premium Express
AC Express Trains
1) VijayawadaNewDelhiAPExpress(Daily)
2) LokmanyaTilak(T)-Lucknow(Weekly)
3) Nagpur-Pune(Weekly)

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4) Nagpur-Amritsar(Weekly)
5) Naharlagun-NewDelhi(Weekly)
6) Nizamuddin-Pune(Weekly)
Express Trains
1) Ahmedabad-Patna Express(Weekly)via Varanasi
2) Ahmedabad Chennai Express(Biweekly)via Vasai Road
3) Bengaluru -Mangalore Express(Daily)
4) Bengaluru -Shimoga Express(Biweekly)
5) Bandra(T)-Jaipur Express(Weekly)Via Nagda,Kota
6) Bidar-Mumbai Express(Weekly)
7) Chhapra-Lucknow Express (Tri weekly)viaBallia,Ghazipur,Varanasi
8) Ferozpur-Chandigarh Express(6 days a week)
9) Guwahati-Naharlagun Intercity Express(Daily)
10) Guwahati-Murkongselek Intercity Express(Daily)
11) Gorakhpur-Anand Vihar Express(Weekly)
12) Hapa-Bilaspur Express(Weekly)via Nagpur
13) Hazur Saheb Nanded-Bikaner Express(Weekly)
14) Indore-Jammu Tawi Express(Weekly)
15) Kamakhya-Katra Express(Weekly)via Darbhanga
16) Kanpur-Jammu Tawi Express(Biweekly)
17) Lokmanya Tilak(T)-Azamgarh Express(Weekly)
18) Mumbai_Kazipeth Express(Weekly)via Balharshah
19) Mumbai-Palitana Express(Weekly)
20) New Delhi Bhatinda Shatabdi Express(Biweekly)
21) New Delhi-Varanasi Express(Daily)
22) Paradeep-Howrah Express(Weekly)
23) Paradeep-Visakhapatnam Express(Weekly)
24) Rajkot-Rewa Express(Weekly)
25) Ramnagar-Agra Express(Weekly)
26) Tatanagar Baiyyappanahali (Bengaluru) Express(Weekly)
27) Visakhapatnam-Chennai Express(Weekly)
Passenger Trains
1) Bikaner-Rewari Passenger(Daily)
2) Dharwad-Dandeli Passenger(Daily)via Alnavar
3) Gorakhpur-Nautanwa Passenger(Daily)
4) Guwahati-Mendipathar Passenger(Daily)
5) Hatia-Rourkela Passenger
6) Byndoor-Kasaragod Passenger(Daily)
7) Rangapara North-Rangiya Passenger(Daily)
8) Yesvantpur-Tumkur Passenger(Daily)
MEMU services
1) Bengaluru -Ramanagaram 6 days a week(3Pairs)
2) Palwal-Delhi-Aligarh
DEMU services
1) Bengaluru -Neelmangala (Daily)
2) Chhapra-Manduadih (6days a week)via Ballia
3) Baramula-Banihal (Daily)
4) Sambalpur-Rourkela (6 days a week)
5) Yesvantpur Hosur (6 days a week)
Extension of run of existing trains
1) 22409/22410 Anand Vihar Sasaram Garib Rath Express to Gaya
2) 12455/12456 Delhi Sarai Rohilla Sriganganagar Express to Bikaner
3) 15231/15232 Gondia Muzaffarpur Express to Barauni
4) 12001/12002 New Delhi Bhopal Shatabdi Express to Habibganj
5) 54602 Ludhiana-Hissar Passenger to Sadulpur

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6) 55007/55008 Sonpur-Kaptanganj Passenger to Gorakhpur
7) 55072/55073 Gorakhpur-Thawe Passenger to Siwan
8) 63237/63238Buxar-Mughalsarai MEMU to Varanasi
9) 63208/63211 Jhajha-Patna MEMU to Jasidih
10) 64221/64222 Lucknow Hardoi MEMU to Shahjahanpur
11) 68002/68007 Howrah-Belda MEMU to Jaleswar
Government implements merit-cum-means based scholarship schemes for
minorities
July 9, 2014
The Ministry of Minority Affairs is implementing pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means based
scholarship schemes for the educational upliftment of the minority communities.
Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme:
Under this scheme, students are encouraged to pursue technical and vocational courses in Industrial Training Institutes/
Industrial Training Centres by granting higher amount of scholarships.
Merit-cum-means based Scholarship Scheme:
Under this scheme, students are encouraged to pursue professional and technical courses. Students qualifying for
admissions in elite listed institutes are reimbursed full course fee. Fellowship is granted to minority scholars to pursue higher
and professional courses at M Phil and Ph D levels through the Maulana Azad National Fellowship.
Multi-Sectoral Development Programme (MsDP)
Essential infrastructure for education and skill development is developed in the identified minority concentration areas. Thus
far 117 ITIs, 44 polytechnics, 645 hostels, 1092 school buildings, and 20656 additional class rooms have been sanctioned
under MsDP.
Seekho aur Kamao Scheme:
Under this scheme, minority youth are imparted training for upgrading the skills of minority youths in various modern/
traditional vocations to enable them to get suitable employment.
The ministry has also started Nalanda, a project for development of faculty in minority managed institutions for higher
education.
R K Pachauri calls Shopping Malls energy guzzlers
July 9, 2014
Noted environmentalist and, Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) R K Pachauri termed
shopping malls as energy guzzlers and said they are not suited to the Indian environment.
Pachauri, who is also chairperson of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said
that buildings contribute to green house gas emissions and they should be made more efficient. The largest growth of
buildings is taking place in the emerging economies. Most of the buildings projected to be standing in 2030 in India are yet to
be constructed.
With a view to speed up the development of high performance buildings in India and Southeast Asia, TERI and the US
Green Building Council (USGBC) announced a strategic collaboration. TERIs GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated
Habitat Assessment) and USGBCs LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) have joined hands to
promote the best of global and Indian practices to ensure efficiency of design, construction and operation of high
performance buildings.
For new buildings, GRIHA projects will have the opportunity to earn LEED certification and LEED buildings will have the
opportunity to get GRIHA certification.
Scientists develop new method to forecast floods upto 11 months in advance
July 9, 2014
Researchers have developed a new method to forecast devastating floods up to 11 months in advance, based on satellite
monitoring of minute changes in the gravitational field of river basins. Scientists measured the quantity of water that was
stored in a river basin months ahead of the spring flood season. Their statistical model precisely predicted this major flood
event 5 months in advance.
Scientists at the University of California studied satellite data and examined past river floods, such as the ones that occurred
in Missouri in 2011. Researchers used NASAs twin GRACE satellites to examine a regions flood potential.As the
satellites revolved around the Earth, minute changes in gravity alter the satellites orbit. These changes are proportional to
changes in mass, such as a buildup of water and snow. The team took into account all potential water sources, including
snow, surface water, soil moisture and groundwater. They found that with their method they could predict dangerous flooding

36
5 months in advance and could potentially extend that window to 11 months.
Health Ministry focuses on Kala Azar eradication
July 8, 2014
Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, has set up a core group to sketch a detailed plan of action to wipe out the
vector-borne disease Kala Azar by 2015.
In 2004, the government had set a target for eradicating the disease, by 2008. Since then, it has been revised twice to 2010
and finally to 2015. The new governments Health Minister has reviewed the resources at his command and expressed
confidence in achieving the target.
Kala Azar, also known as Visceral Leishmaniasis, a zoonotic infection whose carrier is the sand fly found in the eastern
UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, usually attacks during the monsoon season. It is the second deadliest vector
borne disease after malaria. At present, the disease is prevalent in about 54 districts, with Bihar most affected. Around 90%
of visceral leishmaniasis cases occur in 5 countries which include Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sudanand Brazil.
The treatment of this disease is also challenging as patients have developed resistance to Sodium Stibogluconate, a 1920s
drug developed through the research of the late Dr U.N. Brahmachari. Now three other drugs are being administered but they
lack strong empirical evidence on their success. One of them is generally used for chemotherapy of breast cancer and has
grave side-effects.
Government ambiguous on Direct Tax Code, says Bill has lapsed
July 8, 2014
As per the Government, the Direct Taxes Code, which proposed revamp of the six-decade old Income Tax Act, has
lapsed. No commitment has been given on reviving the same.
The Minister of State for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman gave a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha which said that
with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha, the Direct Taxes Code Bill, 2010 has lapsed. The DTC, which proposed
replacing the old Income Tax Act of 1961, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 30, 2010.
India, UK talk about civil nuclear, extradition and trade matters
July 8, 2014
During a meeting between the Indias External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her British counterpart Foreign Secretary
of State William Hague, both sides decided to soon start negotiations for civil nuclear cooperation. Hague pushed for sale of
its Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) despite itsEurofighter Typhoon losing out to Frances Rafale.
At present, the bilateral trade between the UK and India stands at $ 15 billion with the UK being the 3rd largest investor in
India. Both nations also talked about ways to boost trade ties with India inviting British firms to invest in its Bangalore-
Mumbai Economic Corridor infrastructure project. By November 2014, India is expected to give a perspective plan to the
UK
suggesting various nodes where they can invest.
Both countries agreed to soon begin negotiations for civil nuclear cooperation pact, almost one-and-a-half years after UK
Prime Minister David Cameron and his then counterpart Manmohan Singh decided to have such an agreement.
Granville Austin: Eminent Indian Constitution academic passed away
July 8, 2014
Granville Austin (87), a distinguished scholar of Indias Constitution and a Padma Shri awardee, passed away in
Washington.
Austin wrote two critically acclaimed political histories of the Indian Constitution The Indian Constitution: A
Cornerstone of A Nation and Working A Democratic Republic: The Indian Experience.
For his works, the Government of India conferred upon him Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honor in India, in 2011.
Austin worked as a journalist/photographer and later worked with the US Information Service, Department of State,
Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and on the staff of a US Senator.
Rules of import of rough and polished diamonds eased: RBI
July 7, 2014
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) gave relief to diamantaires in Mumbai and Surat as it relaxed the rules of suppliers and
buyers credit for importing rough, cut and polished diamonds to up to 180 days from 90 days with immediate effect. In
2011, the RBI had decreased the import payment credit limit for the Indian diamantaires from 120 days to 90 days. If the 90-
day period got lapsed, then the diamantaires were required to get permission from the RBI to make the payment which
further delayed the process. Also, currency variations during this period were causing additional burden along with the
interest cost for the diamond traders.
According to RBI notification, the Clean Credit i.e credit given by a foreign supplier to its Indian customer/buyer,

37
without any letter of credit/letter of undertaking/fixed deposits from any Indian financial institution for import of
rough, cut and polished diamond, may be permitted for a period not exceeding 180 days from the date of shipment.
Novak Djokovic overcomes Roger Federer to win Wimbledon men s title
July 7, 2014
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) in the final of 2014 mens Wimbledon championship in a
challenging contest. It was the first time since 2007 that Federer and Djokovic had met for a Grand Slam title. Djokovic, who
had 6 major titles before this match had last won Wimbledon in 2011. Djokovic was beaten in 2013 by Andy Murray. Roger
Federers last title at Wimbledon was in 2012.
Federer (Switzerland), along with Rafael Nadal (Spain), Djokovic (Serbia) and Murray (Scotland), have dominated the sport
for nearly a decade.
Shariat courts and fatwas have no legal status : Supreme Court
July 7, 2014
As per the Supreme Court, Shariat courts, issuing fatwa and order against a person who has not submitted himself before
it, has no sanction of law and has no legal status. The court held that no religion is permitted to violate anyones
fundamental rights.
The apex court noted that in some cases, orders were being passed by these courts which infringe human rights and punish
innocent persons. It held that no religion, including Islam, allows punishing the innocent and ordered that no Darul Qaza
should give judgment which curbs rights of a person who is not before it. As per SC, Islamic judges, who interpret religious
law, could only give verdict when individuals submitted voluntarily to them and their orders otherwise fatwas are not legally
binding.
In India around 150 million Muslims follow their own laws governing family life and other personal matters such as marriage
and divorce, with Sharia courts used to adjudicate on such issues.
Typhoon Neoguri: Super typhoon moving towards Japan
July 7, 2014
A super typhoon named Neoguri was advancing north for Japan on July 7, 2014, set to lash the southern Okinawa
archipelagoes with heavy rain and powerful winds before making landfall on Kyushu, Japans westernmost main island. The
typhoon was already heading at more than 250 km an hour (150 mph) and may become more powerful as it advances
north. But it was not expected to be as intense as Typhoon Haiyan, which killed thousands in the Philippines in 2013.
Typhoon Neoguri, is known as Florita in Philippines. It is the 8th named storm and the second typhoon of the yearly
typhoon season and is a large and powerful tropical cyclone affecting Okinawa, Japan.
Rangarajan panel suggests new Poverty Line: Rs.47 per day in urban, Rs. 32
in rural areas
July 7, 2014
Brushing aside the Tendulkar Committee report on poverty estimation, a Committee headed by former RBI governor C
Rangarajan has said that the number of poor in India was much higher in 2011-12 at 29.5% of the population, which means
that 3 out of 10 persons are poor.
As per the report submitted by C Rangarajan Committee:
Persons spending below Rs. 47 a day in cities should be considered poor, much above the Rs. 33/day mark suggested by
the Suresh Tendulkar Committee.
Poverty stood at 38.2% in 2009-10 and reduced to 29.5% in 2011-12. This is in contrast with the Tendulkar report as per
which poverty was at 29.8% in 2009-10 and decreased to 21.9% in 2011-12.
A person spending less than Rs. 1,407 a month (Rs. 47/day) should be considered poor in cities, as against the
Tendulkar panels suggestion of Rs. 1,000 a month (Rs.33/day).
A person spending less than Rs. 972 a month (Rs. 32/day) should be considered poor in villages which is again a
variance with Tendulkar committees suggestion of Rs. 816 a month (Rs. 27/day).
The number of poor in India was estimated at 36.3 crore in 2011-12, down from 45.4 crore in 2009-10. However, as per
Tendulkar panel, the number of poor was 35.4 crore in 2009-10 and 26.9 crore in 2011-12.
Background:
Government set up the Rangarajan Committee in 2013 to review the Tendulkar Committee methodology for estimating
poverty and clear the ambiguity over the number of poor in the country. It was a done in a response to the severe criticism
of Planning Commission estimates on poverty based on Tendulkar panel report in September 2011 when in an affidavit to
the Supreme Court it was stated that households with per capita consumption of more than Rs. 33 in urban areas and Rs. 27
in rural areas would not be considered poor.

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President appoints three judges to the Supreme Court
July 7, 2014
Three judges, the Chief Justices of Calcutta and Orissa High Courts, Arun Mishra and Adarsh Kumar Goel respectively, and
senior lawyer Rohinton Nariman have been elevated as judges of the Supreme Court.With the appointment of these judges,
the strength of judges in the court will increase to 28, as against the sanctioned strength of 31.
Justice Goel, who belongs to Haryana, was a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Justice Adarsh Kumar
Goel will be the first judge to represent Haryana in the court.
IMG studying GAGAN s potential for non-aviation sector
July 7, 2014
The government has set up an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) under Secretary,Ministry of Civil Aviation to evaluate the
potential of GAGAN (GPS Aided Augmented Navigation) system for non-aviation sectors. The group will examine the
potential of sector-specific utilization of GAGAN system for its use in non-aviation sectors and develop apt work programmes
using GAGAN signals that can benefit diversified users. What is GAGAN? It is GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation
(GAGAN) system meant for the advancement of air navigation. The system was launched as a payload with GSAT-8 in
2011. It was also launched with recently launched GSAT-10.
Advantages of GAGAN:
It will modernize air traffic management and communication-navigation surveillance system.
Aircrafts will get more accurate figures while landing, take-off and in-flight.
India would join the elite club of U.S., Europe and Japan who have the same level of space-based augmentation.
GAGAN offers free enhanced satellite navigation signals over India which is 10 times more precise than GPS.
It can offer civilian users integrity, i.e. a measure of trust which can be placed in the accuracy of the information supplied
by the system, with the user being automatically alerted whenever an error made by the system is beyond a certain
confidence limit.
The role of integrity is significant in the safety of life applications in transport, sensitive commercial applications and
liability-critical applications requiring legal recourse.
Rejig of Governors: Kamla Beniwal sent to Mizoram, Margaret Alva given
additional charge of Gujarat
July 6, 2014
The arrival of the new government at Centre has also led to the removal and shuffling of Governors appointed by the
previous UPA led government. In continuance of the same, the President of India Pranab Mukherjee has announced three
major changes:
Dr. (Smt.) Kamla Beniwal, Governor of Gujarat has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Mizoram for the
remainder of her term in place of Shri Vakkom Purushothaman.
Shri Vakkom Purushothaman, current Governor of Mizoram has been transferred and appointed as Governor
of Nagaland for the remainder of his term. He will continue to hold the additional charge of the office of the Governor
of Tripura.
Smt. Margaret Alva, Governor of Rajasthan will also discharge the functions of the Governor of Gujarat besides her own
duties, until regular arrangements for the office of the Governor of Gujarat are made.
RBI undertakes swap of old gold with new one
July 6, 2014
With a view to standardize gold stock, the Reserve Bank of India has initiated an exercise to swap old gold in its reserves
with a new one. The apex bank has invited quotations from nominated banks for swap with the objective to optimize the
management of its reserves.
The nominated banks, including State Bank of India, would import gold on behalf of RBI and then the yellow metal would be
exchanged. Under this exercise, RBI would swap relatively impure gold including some dating back pre-independence period
from its Nagpur vault and get the equivalent worth of purer gold. The operation would optimize the gold available with
RBI to global standards and the gold acquired would be delivered to its foreign custodian, theBank of England. The
whole process would take place through book entry and without any cash exchange.
As of June 27, RBI had a gold reserve of worth $20.79 billion while total forex reserve $315.77 billion. RBI is expected to
pass on its old gold onto the local market through nominated banks which would reduce the import of gold to that extent.
This would also help in boosting gold supply without straining the Current Account Deficit (CAD), which has come under
pressure due to surging crude oil prices due to turbulence in Iraq. In order to curb rising CAD, the government had hiked
import duties and RBI imposed limitations on import of gold and also introduced various pre-conditions for inward shipments

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of the yellow metal. Gold imports slashed 72% to $2.19 billion in May 2014 due to restrictions imposed by the government on
inward shipments of gold to reduce the CAD. Indias CAD, which is the excess of forex outflows over inflows, reached a
historic high of 4.8% of GDP in 2012-13, mainly owing to surging imports of petroleum products and gold. Too high CAD
strains the rupee, which in turn makes imports costly and adds to inflation.
Petra Kvitova wins 2014 women s Wimbledon title
July 6, 2014
Czech tennis star Petra Kvitova clinched her second Wimbledon title as she defeated Canadas Eugenie Bouchard in a
very short match.
Kvitova, who first won Wimbledon in 2011, took just 55 minutes to bag a second Grand Slam title held at the Centre Court,
London. The 24-year-old Czech needed only 55 minutes to win 6-3 6-0, making it the shortest womens final at Wimbledon
since Navratilova beat Andrea Jaeger by the same scoreline in 54 minutes in 1983.
By 2030, India to become 3rd largest economy: PwC
July 6, 2014
As per the latest estimates by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), India will become the third largest economy in the world by
2030. According to the London-based accountancy giant, the rapid rise of the Indian economy with its young workforce would
thrust it up from being the 10th largest economy in 2013 to the 3rdlargest by 2030, pushing the UK back into 6th place.
By 2030, as per PwC, the worlds second largest economy- China is expected to reduce the gap with the US. Mexico is
forecasted to be the 10th largest economy above Canada and Italy, both G7 nations. A few years back there were predictions
that Britain would rapidly become a second-class economic power and would need to defer to the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India
and China) countries in the near future.
Study shows whales are ecosystem engineers
July 6, 2014
As per a new study, whales have a powerful and positive influence on the function of oceans, global carbon storage, and
the health of commercial fisheries. Scientists tallied several decades of research on whales from around the world, have
discovered that whales, in fact, make a huge impact on ocean ecosystem.
As per scientists, the population of whales has declined by at least 66% and perhaps as high as 90% which has likely
changed the structure and function of the oceans, but recovery is possible and in many cases is already in progress.
Great whales which include Baleen and Sperm whales, include the largest animals to have ever existed on Earth. They
are the oceans ecosystem engineers as they have huge metabolic demands they consume many fish and invertebrates, are
themselves prey to other predators like killer whales, and circulate nutrients through the water.
Even their dead remains, excreta, provide habitat for many species that only dwell on these whale falls. The biomass and
abundance of great whales has been dramatically reduced by commercial whaling.
Indian nurses return home through Special Air India flight
July 6, 2014
About a month long ordeal of 46 nurses, who were held captive by ISIS militants in Iraq, ended as they returned home by a
special Air India flight. The suffering for these nurses who were working at a hospital in Saddam Husseins hometown of
Tikrit, began when ISIS (Islamic State for Iraq and Syria) militants launched an offensive in that region on June 9, 2014.
The nurses were moved out against their will and detained in the militant-held city of Mosul. Indias External Affairs Ministry
and other top Indian authorities were in constant touch with their counterparts in Iraq for the safe release of nurses. Finally,
the efforts of Indian government fructified into their release and reunion with their families.
Issue RuPay debit cards to customers, install POS terminals: Govt to PSU
banks
July 5, 2014
In a bid to promote indigenous payment system RuPay, the government has asked state-owned banks to issue RuPay debit
cards to customers. They have also been told to encourage merchant establishments to install Point of Sale
(PoS) terminals for RuPay cards.
Although banks have not been directed to refrain from issuing cards where transactions are processed by Visa or
MasterCard, there is a clear direction to push RuPay. As a general rule, customers are issued a single debit card per
account. Now, banks will have to pursue the unconventional practice and possibly adjust systems to issue two debit cards to
a client who insists on a Visa or MasterCard that currently have wider acceptance than RuPay.
Within the next six months banks will have to offer the new debit card to current customers, inform thousands of branches
and submit progress report to the ministry every quarter. Promoting indigenous retail payment networks is not unusual for
countries and governments. Countries such as Singapore and Brazilhave their local payment companies while China forbids

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foreign payment companies to process domestic card transactions.
RuPay was launched by National Payments Corp of India (NPCI), established to function as a cost-effective payment
services entity. Indian governments current step is likely to worry MNCs payment platform providers such as Visa
and MasterCard. Every year around Rs 80,000 crore worth of debit card spends happen in India, of which 5% are
crossborder
transactions. Its a market thats flourishing at around 35% every year.
PM Modi opens Katra-Udhampur rail link
July 5, 2014
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 25 km-long Katra-Udhampur railway line in Jammu. The rail link will connect
the base camp town of Katra directly with the rest of the country and facilitate millions of devotees who visit the Vaishno Devi
shrine every year.
On the other hand, with China is now preparing to spread out its railway into PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir), and
occasional clashes along Indo-China border, Modi desires that the Ministries of Railways, Finance, Home and Defence to
work together closely and get the strategic Indian Rail projects off ground as soon as possible. In the interest of countrys
security, the National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Kumar Doval is pushing for building infrastructure and increasing
connectivity with the far flung regions of the country, especially in the North East.
Chinese mainland-Lhasa railways had by now stretched to the Indian borders with grave tactical and military consequences.
Expanding the infrasrtucture of Indian Railways to the Arunachal Pradesh border will augment nationss combat competence
and prove decisive in transporting hardware for military offensive.
CCEA nod to bring onion and potato under Essential Commodities Act, 1955
July 4, 2014
In a move that would empower the State governments to carry out de-hoarding operations, the Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the inclusion of onion and potato under the purview of stock holding limits under
theEssential Commodities Act, 1955.
This has been taken to deal with the problem of artificial scarcity of these commodities created by the hoarders which leads
to increase in prices. It will also improve the availability of these commodities to the general public particularly vulnerable
sections.
State Governments are now empowered to continue to conduct de-hoarding operations effectively under the Essential
Commodities Act, 1955 by fixing stock limits/licensing requirements etc. in respect of these commodities especially in view of
soaring prices.
Background:
The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 seeks to ensure the easy availability of essential commodities to consumers and to
protect them from exploitation by dishonest traders. The Act enables regulation and control of production, distribution and
pricing of commodities, which are declared as essential for maintaining or increasing supplies or for securing their equitable
distribution and availability at fair prices. Various Ministries/ Departments of the Central Government and State
Governments/Union Territory administrations exercise the powers of this act to issue Control Orders for regulating
production, distribution, price and other aspects in relation to the commodities declared as essential.
Overseas investment norms for Indian corporate relaxed: RBI
July 4, 2014
The Reserve Bank of India has eased norms for overseas investment by Indian corporates by enhancing their borrowing
limit. The apex bank has decided to reinstate the limit of Overseas Direct Investments (ODI)/ Financial Commitment
(FC) to be undertaken by an Indian Party under the automatic route to the limit prevailing, as per the extant FEMA provisions,
prior to August 14, 2013. However, any financial commitment over $1 billion (or its equivalent) in a financial year would
require prior nod of the RBI even when the total FC of the Indian Party is within the eligible limit under the automatic route
(i.e., within 400% of the net worth as per the last audited balance sheet).
In 2013, RBI had slashed the ODI limit to 100% of a companys net worth from 400% for all firms. However, the limitation was
not applicable on public sector companies like ONGC Videsh and Oil India.
Apex Court rules against automatic arrests under dowry law
July 3, 2014
The Supreme Court has ruled that the police can no longer automatically arrest the accused under the anti-
dowry
law without sufficient reason and proof. The apex court expressed concern over the misuse of Section 498A of IPC by
unhappy wives against in-laws and husbands. The court asked state governments to ensure that the police dont follow the
prevalent practice of arrest first and then proceed. The police would have to furnish reasons and proof to magistrate before

41
making an arrest.
The court observed that Sec 498-A was introduced to curb harassment of women at the hands of husbands and his family.
However, since it a cognizable and non-bailable offence, it is frequently used as a weapon rather than shield by disgruntled
wives. The court quoting crime statistics, said nearly a quarter of those arrested under Sec 498A in 2012 were women, most
of them mothers and sisters of the husbands.
The court observed that the unreasonable arrest limits freedom, brings disgrace and casts scars on the individual arrested. It,
therefore, directed police to make no arrest just because the offence is non-bailable and cognisable. It also directed the
Magistrates to put on record that the reasons given by the police justified arrest. If these directions are not adhered to, it
would invite departmental action and amount to contempt of court.
Section 498-A:
Section 498-A was introduced in the Indian Penal Code in 1983. It provides for maximum imprisonment of 3 years and fine
while the maximum sentence under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 is 2 years with a fine.
Canada, India Film (Audio-Visual) Co-Production Treaty comes into being
July 3, 2014
Ending a long wait, India, and its colossus Bollywood film industry, from July 1, 2014 became the 54th country to have
an official Audio-Visual Co-production Treaty with Canada. The pact will allow film producers of both nations to
exploit various incentives and tax breaks offered by both governments. This kind of government-approved and
subsidized coordination treaty between the Canadian and Indian film industries is unprecedented.
For Bollywood, large Indo-Canadian communities in Vancouver and Toronto are considered main overseas markets.The
treaty will allow producers from both countries to share production of films and TV projects. The pact would pep up the
interest of Bollywood to shoot more films in Canada, and offer more of its stuff before the emergent Indo-Canadian market.
Trial run of India s fastest train on Delhi-Agra at 160 kmph successful
July 3, 2014
The first trial run of the Indias fastest train on the New Delhi-Agra route was performed successfully by the Indian Railways.
The train covered a distance of 200 kms in 100 minutes against the slated time of 90 minutes. Although the average speed of
the train during the entire journey was 125-130 km/h, its speed reached a maximum speed of 160 kmph.
Currently, the Bhopal Shatabdi Express is Indias fastest train with a highest speed of 150 km/h. The recent exercise was just
a trial and further maintenance and budget will be announced in the forthcoming Railway Budget. The New Delhi-Agra train
will cut down travel time between the two cities from current 120 minutes to 90 minutes and will facilitate tourists from Del hi
planning to visit the Taj Mahal.
Launching similar trains from Delhi to Kanpur, and Delhi to Chandigarh as Shatabdi trains is also under consideration.
4 new vaccines added to India s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)
July 3, 2014
As per an announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India plans to introduce four new
vaccines as part of IndiasUniversal Immunization Programme (UIP).
The vaccines will be against Rotavirus, Rubella and Polio (injectable) which will speed up Indias progress on meeting
the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) four targets to bring down child mortality by 2/3rd by the year 2015 and meet
global polio eradication targets.
Besides this, an adult vaccine against Japanese encephalitis will be introduced in districts with high prevalence of
the disease. The step will prevent at least one lakh infant deaths, deaths of adults in working age group and up to 10 lakhs
hospitalizations each year. With the addition of new vaccines, Indias UIP will now provide free vaccines against 13
fatal diseases to 27 million children annually, the largest birth cohort in the world.
Rotavirus causes diarrhea which kills 80 thousand children each year, results in up to 10 lakh hospitalizations, pushing
many Indian families below the poverty line. It also inflicts an economic load of over Rs 300 crore each year to the country.
The rotavirus vaccine which India will introduce in a phased manner is first indigenously developed rotavirus vaccine,
developed under a public-private partnership by the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Indias UIP will also introduce a vaccine against Rubella which causes severe congenital defects in newborns, like blindness,
deafness and heart defects. As per estimates nearly 2 lakh babies are born with congenital defects each year in the country.
An adult vaccine against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in 179 endemic districts in 9 states will also be introduced under UIP.
India is committed to the global goal of a polio free world. To meet this goal, India has planned to introduce Injectable Polio
Vaccine (IPV) in sync with 125 countries. In March 2013, India was certified polio free. The introduction IPV in addition to
the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) will provide enduring protection to the population against polio virus.
Bor Wildlife Sanctuary: India s 47th Tiger Reserve
July 2, 2014

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As per the notification of Environment Ministry, Maharashtras Bor Wildlife Sanctuary will become the countrys 47th Tiger
Reserve with an aim to bolster the conservation efforts of the national animal.
Notified by the State in 1970, the Bor Wildlife Sanctuary, is rich in biodiversity with a great variety of flora and fauna, including
tiger, co-predators, prey animals and birds.
The habitat is picturesque and is on the periphery of Nagpur and Wardha districts, amidst the Satpura-Maikal landscape,
forming catchment of the River Bor. The sanctuary is also an important corridor between Tadoba-Andhari and Pench Tiger
Reserves of the State. Bor is the 6th tiger reserve of Maharashtra.
Pakistan s approves Protection of Pakistan Bill 2014
July 2, 2014
Pakistans National Assembly passed the Protection of Pakistan Bill (PPB) 2014. The PPB which permits security forces to
shoot suspects on sight with the permission of a grade-15 official, will now be valid for a period of 2 years. The bill seeks
to provide for protection against waging of war against Pakistan and the prevention of acts threatening the
security
of Pakistan . It will provide the law enforcement officials with extra powers.
The approval of the bill is a significant move in light of the military operation inNorth Waziristan, codenamed Zarb-e-Azb.
As compared to the previous PPB which stipulated that the law would be enforced in the event of waging of war against
Pakistan, its amended form says, waging of war or insurrection against Pakistan. Besides, the term enemy
aliendescribes a person whose identity as a Pakistan national is unascertainable.
The law limits the use of force to officers of Grade-15 or above and an internal investigation by the head of the relevant law
enforcement agency will be conducted in case of death through the use of force. If it is needed, all such cases will be subject
to a judicial inquiry.
The remand period for an accused has been fixed at 60 days and, on reasonable basis, the government has the power to
confine a detainee for 90 days at a designated internment camp.
The Joint Investigation Team will have the power to keep back a detainees information except from a High Court or Supreme
Court. The government may not reveal a detainees details for security reasons. Besides, on reasonable grounds, the burden
of proof lies upon an enemy alien or militant.
The list of offences includes cyber crimes and crimes related to information technology, as well as the trespassing national
boundaries illegally. Punishments under these crimes can be extended to 20 years. The PPB provides for setting up special
courts consultation with the chief justices of the High Courts and decisions by the special courts can contested in the High
Courts.
To curb its illegal trade, Camel declared as the State animal of Rajasthan
July 1, 2014
Camel has been declared as the state animal of Rajasthan. The State government is also in the process of drafting a new
legislation to prevent slaughter, illegal trade and transportation. It has announced that it will introduce camel milk in its food
security programme. Camels are source of livelihood to a huge number of people in rural Rajasthan.
The decision was taken by Vasundhara Raje, CM of Rajasthan, on the last day of the Sarkar Aapke Dwar campaign.
However, the Ship of the desert as it is famously known, is slaughtered for its meat, killed as part of sacrifice in several
regions of Rajasthan and it is also illegally transported to the neighboring states for slaughter which has resulted in sharp
decline in its numbers. Adding to this problem is fast disappearing grazing areas which has created a severe food crisis for
these animals.
As per the Livestock Census data, there were 668,000 camels in 1997 which declined to 498,000 camels in 2003 which
shows a 25% decrease in five years. The population had reduced further by 13.5% to 430426 in year 2008.
The exception was only Jaisalmer as it was the only district during the period 2003-2008 where camel numbers increased.
Mt Sinha : US names a peak in Antarctica after Indian scientist Akhouri
Sinha
July 1, 2014
In the honor of Akhouri Sinha, a distinguished Indian-American scientist whose ground-breaking biological research
expedition has provided vital data about animal populations, the United States has named a mountain in Antarctica after him
as Mt Sinha.
An adjunct professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development at the University of Minnesota, Sinha was
recognized by the US Geological Survey, which named the mountain Mt Sinha, for his critical contribution as an explorer in
1971-72. Sinha was a member of a team that catalogued population research of seals, whales and birds in the ice-packed
Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas and in Glaciers in 1972 and 1974.

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Mt Sinha, a mountain (990 m) at the southeast end of Erickson Bluffs in the southern part of McDonald Heights, overlooks
lower Kirkpatrick Glacier from the north in Marie Byrd Land.
Japan s acute policy shift from post-war pacifism, allows fighting for allies
July 1, 2014
In a dramatic shift in policy, Japan changed its stance of its post-war pacifism by revoking a ban that has kept the military
from fighting abroad since 1945. Although the move signifies victory countries for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, it has
bothered China and many Japanese citizens. The policy change will extend Japans military options by ending the ban on
exercising collective self-defense, or aiding an ally nation under attack.
Japan adopted a resolution describing the change, which also eases limits on activities in U.N.-led peace-keeping operations
and grey zone incidents short of full-scale war. Japans military, which has long been constrained by the post-war
constitution, will now become more aligned with the militaries of other advanced countries in terms of its options.
In World War II, the US defeated Japan and then became its close friend with a security cooperation agreement. The US has
welcomed the Japanese decision and said it would strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance. The US has long exhorted Japan to
become a more equal alliance partner. Tokyos step has also been well received by Southeast Asia nations that like Japan
have territorial disputes with an increasingly assertive China. Tokyos new policy has riled China, whose relationships with
Japan have strained due to a maritime dispute, mistrust and the legacy of past Japanese military aggression.
South Korea, also a US ally, but still distressed about Japans 20th century colonization of the Korea, said it would not accept
any policy shift affecting its security unless it gave its agreement.
India becomes first country to ratify Marrakesh Treaty for visually impaired
July 1, 2014
As India ratified the Marrakesh Treaty, it became the first country in the world to have done so. The treaty seeks to
facilitate access to published works for persons who are visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled. The Treaty was
adopted by 79 member nations of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). India submitted the Instrument of
Ratification to WIPO at the 28th session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights in Geneva.
For the Marrakesh Treaty to come into force, ratification by at least 20 nations is necessary. The treaty requires signatories to
introduce national law provisions that facilitates the availability of published works in formats like Braille that are accessible to
the blind and allow their exchange across borders by organizations working for the visually impaired.
The pact will help import of accessible format copies from the member countries by the Indian authorized entities
such as educational institutions, libraries and other institutions working for the welfare of the visually impaired. The
treaty will also ease translation of imported accessible format copies and export of accessible format copies in
Indian languages.
President Pranab Mukherjee: India s first incumbent President to join Twitter
July 1, 2014
President Pranab Mukherjee joined the social networking platform Twitter with his account @RashtrapatiBhvn. He has
become the first serving president of India to join Twitter.
Indias former president Abdul Kalam is already on Twitter with the handle @apj_abdul_kalam. President Mukherjee already
has a Facebook page with over 5 lakh followers on the worlds largest social network._
India successfully launched PSLV C-23 with 5 satellites
June 30, 2014
Indias ANTRIX (ISROs commercial arm) successfully launched 5 foreign satellites from four countries on board PSLV-C23
rocket which placed them in orbit.
The rocket was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota and was also witnessed by PM Narendra Modi.

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ISROs Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C23 placed all five satellites into their respective orbits.
The rocket carried with it primary payload of 714 kg French Earth Observation Satellite SPOT-7, 14 kg AISAT of Germany,
NLS7.1 (CAN-X4) and NLS7.2 (CAN-X5) of Canada each weighing 15 kg and the 7 kg VELOX-1 of Singapore.
PM Modi extolled the efforts Indian space scientists and asked the space community to develop a SAARC satellite.
He referred to pictures showing rocket components being transported on bicycles.
SPOT 7: French satellite, it will be part of the existing Earth observation satellite. It has been built by European space
technology company Airbus Defence and Space.
AISAT: German nano-satellite, to focus on the global sea-traffic monitoring system with special emphasis on high traffic
zones using AIS signals.
NLS 7.1 and NLS 7.2: Canadian satellite, they will perform Two-spacecraft precision formation flying using differential
GPS with centimetre-level relative position and sub-metre level accurate position control system.
VELOX-1: Singaporean satellite, it is a technology demonstrator for in-house design of image sensor, MEMS-based
attitude determination and control system and inter-satellite RF link.
Saina Nehwal clinches Australian Open Super Series title
June 29, 2014
Star Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal defeated Spains Carolina Marin to win the $750,000 Star Australian Super
Series title.
The 6th seeded Indian, who had clinched the India Open Grand Prix Gold earlier this year, dominated the contest throughout.
New Facelock Technology obviates the need to remember complex
passwords
June 28, 2014
Researchers at the University of York in the U.K have developed a new technology named Facelock technology which
provides an alternative to remembering complicated passwords.
Retaining complicated passwords has always been a difficult job for most people. There is also a risk of hacking if the
passwords are kept too simple.
The new Facelock technology attempts to deal with these issues. It is based on human psychological trait of remembering
familiar faces with close to 98% accuracy.
Facelock needs users to choose from a selection of faces that are well known to them. Then when they want to log in or get
access to a secure system, a series of face grids is created, and users must select the familiar face in each grid.
As per researchers, its easy for users to select a familiar face from the crowd but very difficult for others to hack, since
none of the faces will stand out to them.
July 4 is the deadline for implementing Food Security Act
June 28, 2014
Adhering to its earlier decision of a 3-month extension to States and Union Territories to implement the National Food
Security Act, the Union governments Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is firm that the deadline for
implementing the scheme is July 4, 2014. So far only 11 States have implemented the Act. 20 States and 5 Union Territories
are yet to implement it.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal has urged the Centre to extend the July 4 deadline.
As per law the National Food Security Act has to be implemented within a year of its coming into force. West Bengal
subsidized food grains were distributed among beneficiaries under several categories. But after the National Food Security
Act is implemented in a State no such categories would exist.
The Ministry has clarified that if West Bengal does not implement the Act by the deadline, the several schemes in West
Bengal under which food grains are distributed at a subsidized rate will not be stopped.
Union Government modernizes NIC-1987 to NIC-2008
June 27, 2014
Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry upgraded the National Industrial Classification -1987 (NIC-1987) to NIC-2008.
The upgrade to NIC-2008 will facilitate new businesses as it is more investor friendly and more in sync
with international practices as compared to the older version of NIC Code.
It provides a more modern industrial classification system in line with changes in the structure and composition of
the economy and changing user requirements and compatibility with international standards.
National Industrial Classification
NIC is used for the purpose of classification of activities in respect of industrial license/ IEM proposals submitted to

45
the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion. It is an essential statistical benchmark for developing and maintaining
comparable database as per economic activities. Such classifications are often used in classifying the economically active
population, statistics of industrial production and distribution, the different fields of labor statistics and other economic data
such as national income. Indias Central Statistical Organization (CSO) has been finalizing NIC since 1960.
Poli
Over 1 million children in India are out of school: UN report
June 27, 2014
As per a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) report, India, Indonesia and Pakistan each have more than a million children out of school. According to the
UNECO report:
Globally, around 58 million kids aged 6 to 11 are out of school. This shows little overall improvement since 2007.
India had 1.4 million unschooled children in 2011 but the country is among 17 other nations that have managed to decrease
the number of unschooled children in the past decade.
The aid sanctioned to education has further reduced combined with the lack of progress in reducing out of school numbers.
With these disappointing figures, there is little chance of countries reaching the goal of Universal Primary Education by 2015.
Jean-Claude Juncker will be next president of European Commission
June 27, 2014
Backed by most EU leaders, Jean-Claude Juncker has been nominated as the next president of the European
Commission. The development is a severe impact on opponent David Cameron and threatens to amplify the chances of
Britain leaving the European Union (EU).
The British PM David Cameron was opposed to Junckers nomination and said it may hamper his efforts to keep Britain in the
EU ahead of an in-out referendum to be conducted in 2017.
Former Luxembourg PM, Juncker, was supported by all EU member states except Hungary and Britain.
Chung Hung Won retained as PM of S Korea
June 26, 2014
South Korea has retained Chung Hung Won as its Premier. The President ofSouth Korea, Park Geun-Hye announced the
decision to retain the Chung Hung Won as countrys PM.
Won had resigned taking the responsibility of governments inability and untimely response to the ferry disaster that
happened in April 2014. President Park accepted the resignation and asked him to remain in the job until new Prime Minister
takes over.
Biochip developed to measure blood sugar via saliva
June 26, 2014
A new biochip sensor that can selectively measure glucose concentrations in a complex fluid like saliva has been developed
by scientists at Brown University in the US. It is an important breakthrough towards developing a device that would enable
people with diabetes to check their glucose levels without drawing blood.
Developers of the device have used a series of specific chemical reactions combined with plasmonic interferometry, a means
of detecting chemical signature of compounds using light. The device is sensitive enough to sense variations in glucose
concentrations that amount to just a few thousand molecules in the sampled volume.
RIMPAC 2014: Worlds largest international maritime drill kicks off
June 26, 2014
Worlds largest international maritime exercise named RIMPAC 2014 began on June 26. The mega drill will see participation
of navies from 23 countries. The United States has sent the biggest fleet, followed by China.
This is Chinas first active participation at RIMPAC. China is also likely to join drills against non-traditional security threats.
RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th naval exercise in the series and will commence from June 26 to August 1. The 23 nations
participating in this years edition of RIMPAC are the United States, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile,
China, Colombia,France, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore,
Peru, Norway, the Philippines, South Korea,Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom.
RIMPAC
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the worlds largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is
held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii. It is hosted and administered by the
United States Navys Pacific Fleet, headquartered at Pearl Harbor, in conjunction with the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard,
and Hawaii National Guard forces under the control of the Governor of Hawaii. The US invites military forces from the Pacific

46
Rim and beyond to participate. The theme for RIMPAC 2014 exercise is Capable, Adaptive Partners.
India extends ban on import of milk items from China till June 2015
June 24, 2014
The Indian government extended the ban on imports of milk and its products fromChina till June 2015. With this the ban on
import of milk and milk products (including chocolates and chocolate products and candies/ confectionery/ food preparations
with milk or milk solids as an ingredient) from China is extended for one more year.
The ban, first imposed in September 2008 due to presence of melamine, used for making plastics and fertilizer, was to
expire on June 23, 2014. Though Indiadoes not import milk products from China but the ban has been imposed as
apreventive measure.
India is the worlds largest producer and consumer of milk. Milk production in India is estimated to have increased by 6% to
about 140 million tonnes in 2013-14 from 132.4 million tonnes during the fiscal 2012-13.
Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of milk in India, followed by Rajasthan andGujarat. The per capita consumption was
highest in Punjab followed by Haryanain fiscal 2013-14.
Air India Ltd becomes member of Star Alliance
June 24, 2014
Air India Ltd has joined the Star Alliance group of carriers. The move could help enhance revenues at the loss-making
staterun
air carrier.
Thus, Air India has become Star Alliances 27th member.
How Air India will benefit from the membership of Star Alliance?
Star Alliance membership allows Air India to share routes with the other airlines to more than 1,200 destinations, helping it to
vie with Gulf carriers like Emirates, which have raised their share of long-distance flights into and out of India.
Star Alliance members together own a total of 4,338 aircraft and fly over 640 million passengers annually.
The membership is hoped to provide several benefits for the airline and its passengers, including an increase in Air Indias
share on the India-US route by about 20% from current 13% within the first year itself.
As the India-US route is a major market for Air India, the membership would mean that its travelers flying to the US would
have easier access to many more cities there as they would be able to smoothly travel on other Star Alliance member airlines
flights going to America.
125th anniversary of Salar Jung museum
June 24, 2014
Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, Telangana celebrated its 125th anniversary in June 2014.
The art museum located at Darushifa, on the bank of the Musi River in the city of Hyderabad was established in 1951 and is
one of the three National Museums ofIndia.
It has a collection of 1 million objects which includes sculptures, paintings, carvings, textiles, manuscripts, ceramics, metallic
artefacts, carpets, clocks, and furniture from China, Japan, Burma, India, Nepal, North America, Persia, Europeand Egypt.
The museums collection was sourced from Salar Jungs familial property. The museum has been declared as an Institution
of National Importance by the Indian Parliament.
PSUs have only 3 years to make 25% of their shares public: SEBI
June 24, 2014
With a view to boost primary markets, stock markets watchdog Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) announced
a number of reforms pertaining to IPO and Offer-for-Sale. SEBI proposed that all listed PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings)
must have at least 25% public shareholding in 3 years.
At present, there are over 36 PSUs where the government controls around 75%. Some of these companies include Coal
India, NHPC and NTPC.
The market regulator opined relaxing the restrictions imposed on sale of bonus shares held by promoters or other investors
during IPO.
As per SEBI chief UK Sinha, minimum dilution to public in IPO is to be 25% or Rs 400 crore.
Previously, if a company had more than Rs 4000 crore, it was permitted to issue only 10% which is equivalent to Rs 400
crore worth of shares. On the other hand for others if they had even Re 1 less than that then they could issue 25% which is
around Rs 1000 crore.
But now this numerical incongruity has been removed and it will be 25% percent or Rs 400 crore whichever is lower. Earlier
there used to be a tendency on the part of the corporates to bring their valuation to Rs 4000 crore whether they were actually
worth Rs 4000 crore or not. Now that tendency is likely to moderate and they will be motivated to have real valuation. And

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those who are coming through with this 10% they will be given 3 years time to come to 25%.
Thus, the uneven requirement of minimum public shareholding of 25% for private promoters and only 10% for government as
a promoter will be removed and it will now be made uniform. To bring this reform securities contract regulation rules will be
amended in order to provide for minimum public shareholding of 25% to all the public sector companies. A 3-year time has
been given to the companies to make adjustments to comply with the new requirements.
Google to globalize Project Loon to provide internet to even the rural
and remote areas of the world
June 24, 2014
In year 2013, Google launched Project Loon, a program that intends to provide Internet access to the rural and remote
areas that constitute around 66% of the worlds population.
The project uses balloons floating at high altitudes that move up and down as per the signals from building antennas. Each
balloon in the network moves in thestratosphere high above commercial air space for several months at a time.
The company began its pilot program in New Zealand with 30 balloons. Google wants to raise the number to 100 balloons in
the air for 100 days each. It is expected that permanent balloons will start transmitting the Internet on a much larger scale
within the year.
Steel to be dearer by up to Rs 1,000 a tonne
June 24, 2014
The recent 6.5% hike in railway freight rate has led to an increase of Rs 300 a tonne in the prices of steel products across the
country. Traders are considering a further increase of Rs 700-1,000 a tone in coming days.
Ingot rates at the standard Mandi Gobindgarh market in Punjab, Indias largest spot steel market, increased by Rs 300 a
tonne to Rs 39,750 a tonne.
The cost of steel production will certainly surge on the freight rate hike, with a rise in iron ore transportation costs. With the
increase in freight cost, all raw materials, including coal and iron ore, will become dearer. Consequently, coal, iron ore and
steel prices will increase.
Obninsk plant: Worlds 1st nuke power plant turns sixty
June 24, 2014
Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant- worlds first nuclear power plant which epitomized the peaceful use of nuclear
technology, particularly during the Cold War era, turned 60 on June 26. The plant is located in a village called Pyatkino in
Obninsk city, some 150 kms from Moscow, Russia.
It was unveiled on June 26, 1954. Indias then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, who strongly voiced for
Indias peaceful use of nuke energy, had visited the Obninsk plant.
Igor Kurchatov who is known as the father of the Soviet Atomic Weapons Programme played a key role in the
establishment of this plant.
The 5 MW plant used to provide electricity to the town. But with the advancement of nuclear technology not only by Russia,
but also by other nations, the reactor became economically unviable and therefore it was shut down in 2002. Although the
plant functioned well, its main objective was to use it for experimental purposes like research in medicine and space.
Understanding the collusion between El Nino and Monsoon
June 24, 2014
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is anticipating an El Nino developing in the Pacific and so there is considerable
worry over its impact on this years monsoon. These concerns seem to escalate with the delayed arrival of rains
overKerala and a retarded monsoon progression towards north.
Around a century back Sir Gilbert Walker, then Director-General of Observatories in India, found indications that changes in
the Pacific affects the monsoon. With more studies, scientific understanding of the El Nino Southern Oscillation
(ENSO) has increased significantly in recent decades.
It must be noted that not every El Nino hinders the monsoon. But when the Pacific Ocean becomes exceptionally warm the
probability of monsoon turning deficient rises sharply. When the Pacific is neither too warm nor cool, there is only a 16%
chance of a monsoon ending in a drought. As per rainfall data for 126 years, the possibility of a drought soars to over 40%
when there is an El Nino.
Some cases of El Ninos impact:
1997 was a year of one of the most powerful El Nino events in the last century. The waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean
had warmed sharply even before the onset of monsoon. As such a phenomenon typically stymies monsoon rains over
India, a severe drought was widely predicted. However, the monsoon that year ended with above average rains.

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In 2002, a moderate El Nino surprisingly broke down the monsoon which resulted into a massive drought.
The above instances clearly show how challenging it is to accurately forecast how an El Nino will advance and what impact it
will make on monsoon.
In 1997, the eastern Pacific had become unusually warm, thereby restricting the atmospheric circulation changes that
negatively affected the monsoon. It was when the sea surface temperature abnormalities were highest in the central
Pacific that an El Nino had drought-producing effects in India. Central Pacific El Ninos were witnessed in 2002 as well as
in 2004 and 2009, with all three years ending in drought.
There are several factors which can influence the effect of El Nino on the monsoon. For example:
Part of Pacific that warms, Eastern or Central
Indian Ocean Diapole (IOD), Positive or Negative
How the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) affects the monsoon?
IOD which is also known as the Indian Nino is an irregular oscillation of sea-surface temperatures in which the western
Indian Ocean becomes alternately warmer and then colder than the eastern part of the ocean.
Positive IOD (Indian Ocean Diapole IOD):
In this case, the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean off Sumatra in Indonesiabecomes colder than normal while the western
tropical part of the ocean near the African coast becomes unusually warm. Such an event has been found to bebeneficial for
the monsoon.
Role of EQUINOO (Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillation):
During the positive phase of the Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillation (EQUINOO), there is enhanced cloud formation and
rainfall in western part of the equatorial ocean near the African coast while such activity is suppressed near Sumatra. This
phase produces good rains over India.
Negative IOD (Indian Ocean Diapole IOD):
In this case the opposite of the above mentioned case occurs. The eastern equatorial Indian Ocean off Sumatra in Indonesia
becomes abnormally warm while the western tropical part of the ocean near the African coast becomes relatively colder. This
effect obstructs the progression of monsoon over India.
Negative EQUINOO (Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillation):
A negative EQUINOO causes heightened cloud formation and rainfall near Indonesia thus retards rains over India.
Although EQUINOO and IOD cooperate during strong positive IOD events, as happened in 1994 and 1997, they do not
always shape up so. For instance, the severe drought of 2002 occurred when a moderate El Nino as well as strong negative
EQUINOO together took a toll on the monsoon. The IOD that year was somewhat positive.
Interplay between IOD and El Nino:
An IOD can weaken or aggravate an El Ninos impact on the monsoon.
A positive IOD had facilitated normal or excess rainfall over India in 1983, 1994 and 1997 despite an El Nino in those years.
But during years such as 1992, a negative IOD and El Nino had cooperatively produced deficient rainfall.
The positive IOD in 2007 appeared together with La Nia which is a very rare phenomenon that has happened only once in
the available historical data (in 1967).
Latest Forecast:
At present, it is difficult to say which type of El Nino would evolve this year. The current generation of climate models does
not have the capacity to differentiate whether a central or eastern Pacific El Nino will manifest. As per Japan Agency for
Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) group, there is a very high chance of a negative IOD turning up in
2014.
Pyu Ancient Cities: Myanmars first site on World Heritage List
June 23, 2014
Pyu Ancient Cities of Myanmar has become the first site from the country to get entry onto the World Heritage List. It was
decided by the World HeritageCommittee during its meeting in Doha (Qatar) under the Chair of Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint
Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani. The panel also inscribed Irans Burnt City on the List.
Pyu Ancient Cities (Myanmar)
The site includes the remains of three brick, walled and moated cities of Halin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra located in huge
irrigated landscapes in the dry zone of the Irrawaddy River basin. These are the evidence of the Pyu Kingdoms that bloomed
for over 1,000 years between 200 B.C and 900 A.D.
Shahr-i Sokhta (Iran)
Shahr-I Sokhta means Burnt City. It is situated at the junction of Bronze Age trade routes crossing the Iranian plateau. The
remains of the mud brick city reflect the beginning of the first complex societies in eastern Iran. Established around 3200 BC,
it was populated during four main periods up to 1800 BC, during which there developed several distinct areas within the city.

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These include a monumental area, residential areas, industrial zones and a graveyard. Changes in water courses and
climate led to the ultimate desertion of the city in the early 2000 BC.
Note: With the inscriptions of the above two sites, the total number of World Heritage sites increased to 994.
Gujarats Rani-Ki-Vav gets World Heritage site status
June 23, 2014
Rani-ki-Vav, an 11th century stepwell in the Patan area of Gujarat, has been approved for placement on the World
Heritage list by UNESCO.
As per the UNESCOs statement, the Queens Stepwell was designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of
water.
About Rani-ki-Vav
Location: On the banks of Saraswati, Patan, Gujarat.
Built by: Queen Udayamati as a memorial to King Bhimdev I of theSolanki dynasty.
The 11th century stepwell and is one of the finest examples of stepwells in Gujarat.
The well is subterranean structure with a series of steps, board landings, pavilions and sculpted walls which provides
access to water in deep water. It is of seven storeys with five exist and there are more than 800 elaborate sculptures
which are survived. This is a protected monument under the Archeological Survey of India.
Jalpaiguri bifurcation takes the number of districts in Bengal to 20
June 21, 2014
A new district is being carved out by bifurcating Jalpaiguri district of West Bengalwith a view to expedite government
services. The new district will be Alipurduar. This will be states 20th district and will get status of district on June 25,
2014.
People were facing delays in delivery of government services for being far from the district headquarters. It took a lot
of time to reach district headquarters. The creation of new district through bifurcation will help the people in availing
government services.
Higgs Boson existence further confirmed
June 20, 2014
Scientists have confirmed that the particle found by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2012 is Higgs Boson (God
Particle).
It had already been proved that the particle discovered in 2012 matched the Higgs Boson with respect to its mass, its
lack of spin, and its rapid decay into pairs of photons. However, one key property remained uncertain: whether it
gave mass to fermions, a group of particles that includes quarks and leptons.
After studying data from the LHC scientists have confirmed that the 2012 particle meets the final criteria.
The Higgs Boson was first conjectured in 1964, and its historic discovery was announced at CERN in 2012. The
significance of the Higgs Boson to our understanding of particle physics is so great that it launched a 40-year search
to ascertain its existence, which led to the establishing of the LHC, the worlds largest particle accelerator.
June 20: World Refugee Day observed across the globe
June 20, 2014
World Refugee Day was observed across the world on 20 June 2014. This day observed to enhance awareness of
the condition of refugees throughout the world.
The day was first observed in 2001 after the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 55/76 on
December 4, 2000 to mark June 20 as World Refugee Day. In this resolution, it was noted that 2001 marked the
50thanniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) report, the number of refugees including internally displaced and
asylum-seekers across the globe has for the first time crossed 50 million in 2013 which is the highest since the World
War II.
In a single gene, a path to fight heart attacks
June 20, 2014
The availability of a new drug that would significantly reduce the chances of heart attacks, by lowering triglyceride
level in the body, is a possibility. Two major researches have independently identified mutations in a single gene
namedAPOC3 that protect against heart attacks by keeping levels of triglycerides a type of fat in the blood
very low.
These discoveries are expected give a fillip to the development of drugs that imitate the effect of these mutations,
offering the first new class of drugs to counter heart disease.

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Drugs like Statins, which bring down LDL cholesterol, another cause of heart disease, became an instant hit in the
late 1980s. Since then there have been no major new drugs approved for reducing heart disease risk.
The Research:
As per a new research conducted on Amish people, it was found that one in 20 Amish people has a mutation that
deletes a gene, APOC3, involved in triglyceride metabolism, as compared with one in 150 Americans generally.
Another bigger study mapped the genes of 3,734 Americans, about 2,500 of whom were white and the remaining
African-American. Here also, the researchers discovered four mutations that destroyed the function of APOC3 gene.
The Amish study had discovered that people with such a mutation could consume food loaded with fat without any
significant change in their triglyceride levels. As per scientists, those who have these gene mutations have a 40%
decrease in triglyceride levels and a 40% lower risk of heart disease. These findings are expected to help in creating
new types of drugs. But the drug development may take years and it is still uncertain whether the new drugs will work
as hoped.
Iraq crisis could impact oil prices in India
June 22, 2014
Indian government is keeping a close watch on the ongoing crisis in Iraq where terrorist groups led by ISIS (Islamic State in
Iraq and Syria) are attacking and capturing regions in the country. Though the crisis hasnt yet caused any disruption in the
countrys crude oil supplies to India, it has the potential to push up global crude prices. In FY14, India importedaround 13%
of its crude oil from Iraq, the most after Saudi Arabia, which provided for about 20% of the countrys oil imports of 190
million tonnes in the year. Indias dependence on Iraq crude oil surged since FY12 after US sanctions on Iran.
The average price of Indian crude oil basket that was at $106.94/ barrel during April-May has now increased to
$110.31/barrel. The surge in the price has been witnessed since the intensification of fighting between militants belonging to
the Sunni minority and Iraq security forces.
As per experts, the oil prices may soar if militants now fighting Iraqs security forces mostly in northern regions advance
into southern Iraq, which accounts for around three-quarters of the countrys crude production.
Normally, Indian refiners have stock of crude oil ranging from 15 days to nearly a month. Any deficiency in supplies from Iraq
could be replenished from other suppliers such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, but if disturbances prolong, it could impact
Indian refiners.
Escalation of the price of crude oil directly impacts Indias fuel subsidy and could hurt government finances. Due to gradual
price increase by the government the losses on diesel have now reduced to Rs 1.62 per litre and the government aims to
make the fuels price fully market-determined. For instance, if there is an increase in international crude oil price by a dollar,
price of diesel in India could rise by roughly 40 paise/ litre.
UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav presents tax free budget
June 21, 2014
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav presented a budget of a size of Rs 2,74,705 crore for this fiscal, with a proposed
deficit of Rs 4,132 crore and no new taxes have been proposed.
Some key observations from UP Budget 2014-15:
The size of the budget for fiscal 2014-15 is Rs 2,74,705 crore which is a 24% increase from the last years level of Rs
2,21,201.19 crore. The budget has a proposed deficit of Rs 4,132 crore.
As compared to 2013-14, the budgetary provisions of this fiscal are higher by 24%.
No new taxes.
No allocation for the ambitious free laptop, kanya vidyadhan and unemployment allowance unlike what the ruling
Samajwadi Party had promised in its election manifesto during assembly polls in 2012.
Emphasis on infrastructural facilities like roads, bridges, irrigation and power sector with a provision of Rs. 49,108 crore,
about 82% higher than 2013.
Rs 2,424 crore for governments ambitious Samajwadi Pension scheme that targets 40 lakh families, and Rs 7,625 crore
for agriculture and associated services, 15% more than 2013.
Rs 41,538 crore for the Education sector
Allocation for the medical health and family welfare hiked by 34% to Rs 14,377 crore.
Provision of Rs 25,522 crore under the head of SC/ST, backward, handicapped and minorities welfare and Rs 50 crore for
a scheme of rural road scheme named after the ruling partys late leader Ram Saran Das.
Provision of Rs 95 crore for the Lucknow metro project.
Rs 3,280 crore to be allocated for the six-lane Lucknow-Agra 300 km long expressway.
Proposal for special schemes in Purvanchal and Bundelkhand worth Rs. 291 and 758 crore respectively.
Provision of Rs 1,613 crore for old age and kisan pension schemes.

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The state government targets creating 2018 man days for 41 lakh families under the MGNREGA Scheme.
Provision of Rs 178 crore for adopting the national food security mission scheme,
Rs 12,400 crore for modernisation of police force and Rs 23,928 crore for improving power set-up.
Rs 919 crore to be allocated for scholarships to students belonging to minorities, Rs 240 crore for modernisation of arbifarsi
madarsas and Rs 200 crore for construction of boundaries of burial grounds.
As per the budget, ground work is on for starting up the 11.11 km extension of the metro rail project in Ghaziabad at a
cost of Rs 1,838 crore.
Pen Pinter prize to novelist Salman Rushdie
June 21, 2014
Eminent novelist Salman Rushdie (67), author of Midnights Children and The Satanic Verses, has been named the
winner of Pen Pinter prize for 2014. The award was instituted in 2009 by writers charity English Pen in memory of British
writer Harold Pinter.The prize will be presented on October 9, 2014 at an event at the British Library in London.
Rushdie went into hiding in 1989 after The Satanic Verses triggered extensive protests by Muslims and a fatwa was
released from Irans Ayatollah Khomeini.
He was conferred Knighthood in 2007 contributions to literature. His other notedbooks include Haroun and the Sea of
Stories and The Moors Last Sigh.
Magnus Carlsen becomes first man to hold the Chess Triple Crown; but he is not the first
player
June 21, 2014
World Champion Magnus Carlsen has become the first man in the history ofChess to hold the Chess Triple Crown by
holding the World Blitz, Rapid, and Classic titles consecutively.
However, he is not the first player to have achieved this feat. Before him, Ms.Susan Polgar did it back in 1996. Polgar was
the first chess player in the world to hold all three world titles in a row, reasonably making her the first player to hold a chess
Triple Crown.
Ms Susan Polgar was the first chess player in the world to hold all three world titles successively, fairly making her the first
player to hold a chess Triple Crown.
However, there are some dissimilarities between Carlsens newly achieved Triple Crown and Polgars. First, Polgar won
FIDEs Womens World Blitz, Rapid, and Classic titles while Carlsen won the Mens. While, Carlsen won all three titles in one
12-month period, Polgar held her titles contemporaneously, but won them in different years.
Jnanpith Award 2013 to Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh
June 20, 2014
Renowned Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh (80) has been named the recipient of the prestigious Jnanpith Award for 2013. The
award includes Rs 11 lakh and a citation.
Born in Balia, UP, Singh has also penned essays and stories and Abhi bilkul abhi and Yahan se dekho are among his
high-flying works. Singh is the 10thHindi writer to get the award and joins the class of Sumitra Nandan Pant, Ramdhari Singh
Dinkar among others.
Immunotherapists from US and Japan win the inaugural Tang Prize
June 20, 2014
Immunologists Dr James Allison of the US and Dr Tasuku Honjo of Japan were named joint recipients of the inaugural Tang
Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science for their discoveries that have helped advance immunotherapy and has brought new ray
of hope that many types of cancers can be cured.
Prized Discoveries of Allison and Honjo
Dr Honjo:
Discovered PD-1 in 1992, an inhibitor of the T cell, a type of lymphocyte that plays a pivotal role in cell-mediated immunity.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the antibodies against PD-1 as an investigational drug and are
being developed as a cancer treatment.
One such antibody is likely to be launched in year 2015 for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer which is considered to
significantly change the approach towards lung cancer treatment.
Dr Allison:
In 1995, Allison became the first researcher to identify cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), a protein receptor that
down-regulates the immune system.
CTLA-4 is found on the surface of T cells, which lead cellular immune attacks on antigens. Allison developed an antibody that
blocks CTLA-4 activity. This antibody has been shown to have potential to help fight various types of tumors in mice.

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The study led to the development of a monoclonal antibody drug that was approved by the FDA in 2011 to treat melanoma.
The therapy and a regimen combining anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 have been shown to significantly improve long-term
survival rates of cancer patients.
The Tang Prize:
A Taiwanese entrepreneur Samuel Yin Established instituted the Tang Prize in 2012 to award leaders in four fields:
Sustainable development
biopharmaceutical science
Sinology
The rule of law.
Up to 3 awardees in each category can share a cash prize of NT$40 million and a research grant of up to NT$10 million.
Railway Ministry raised passenger fare by 14.2%, freights by 6.5%
June 20, 2014
The Railway Ministry has effected a sharp hike of 14.2% in train passenger fares in all classes and a 6.5% surge in freight
rates to earn Rs 8000 crore a year for the cash-deficient Indian railways.
The increased charges will come into effect from June 25, 2014 (midnight of June 24). The decision is expected to generate
an additional revenue of around Rs 8000 crore for Indian Railways which is currently facing loss of Rs 30 crore a day. At a
time when the cross-subsidy on passenger fares has already reached Rs 26,000 crore, the fare increase is expected to
improve the financial outlook of Railways.
GMR wins Maldives airport legal battle, demands compensation
June 20, 2014
The outcome of an 18-month long legal tussle between GMR Infra and theMaldives government on the issue of government
cancellation of the companys contract to develop and operate the countrys main airport is in favor of the GMR. A Maldives
tribunal hearing the case has adjudged the governments cancellation of the contract wrongful. It has ordered Maldives
and
the state-owned Maldives Airports Company (MACL) to pay $4 million legal cost to GMR within 42 days. In addition to this,
GMR has demanded an indemnification of $1.4 billion for losses incurred in the last one year on its bid amount and
investments in developing the airport.
GMR vs Maldives case:
On July 28, 2010, a contract for development and operations of Ibrahim NasirInternational Airport at Male was awarded to a
joint venture between GMR Infra (77%) and Malaysia Airports (Labuan) Private Limited (23%) at a bidding price of $511
million. The contract was signed when Mohammed Nashid was the President of Maldives. However, in 2012, Mr. Nashid was
forced to resigned under a coup dtat and Mohammed Wahid Hassan became took over as the President
Nasheeds rivals filed a legal action holding the contract with GMR as invalid because the contract contains a $25 airport
development charge per outgoing passenger which was not authorized by the parliament. The contract was thus cancelled.
Rajeev Topno appointed Private Secretary to PM Narendra Modi
June 19, 2014
Senior IAS officer Rajeev Topno has been appointed Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Topno, a 1996
batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, was already working as Director in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO).
World Food Prize 2014 to India-born scientist Sanjaya Rajaram
June 19, 2014
Sanjaya Rajaram, an India-born plant scientist, has been chosen for the World Food Prize 2014 for scientific research that
led to a stupendous increase in world wheat production.
However, farm activists in the country criticised the prize as mere a public relations stunt by big agri-food companies who
fund it.
Sanjaya Rajaram, a citizen of Mexico, took over Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug as head of the wheat breeding program at
the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico, where he worked for 33 years. The World
Food Prize acknowledges his contribution to the breeding technologies which have made significant impact in providing more
nutritious food around the world and assuaging world hunger.
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
Commonly called by its Spanish acronym CIMMYT (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maz y Trigo) is a non-profit
research and training institution dedicated to both the development of improved varieties of wheat and maize, and introducing
better agricultural practices to farmers, thus bettering their livelihoods.
CIMMYT is one of the 15 non-profit, research and training institutions affiliated with the Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

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BCIC recommendations on tax reforms accepted by Shome Committee
June 19, 2014
The Tax Administration Reform Commission (TARC) headed byParthasarathy Shome has accepted the suggestions of
the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) pertaining to realignment of the administration of CBDT and
CBEC which will help move towards a more unified management structure. The Committee suggested abolition of the
post of Revenue Secretary, merger of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Central Board of Excise and
Customs (CBEC) and broaden the use of Permanent Account Number (PAN).
The recommendations by BCIC have been incorporated in TARCs report submitted to the Finance Ministry.
Some key suggestions by BCIC included in TARC report:
Realignment of administration of CBDT and CBEC to develop a unified management structure.
Abolish of manual filing of TDS certificates
Single registration of both central excise and service tax
Dispute resolution based on a fundamental approach of collaborative and solution oriented
PAN as a common business identification number
Single registration for both central excise and service tax
Enhance the number of payment gateways for tax payments, provision to allow disclosure in the returns.
Do away with territorial jurisdiction
Industry-based assessment
Dispense with manual filing of TDS certificates
Alternate and speedier dispute resolution mechanisms
Note: The TARC was formed by the Union government with a view to review the application of Tax Administration in India in
the context of global best practices.
Defending champions Spain eliminated from FIFA World Cup race
June 19, 2014
Defending champions Spain is knocked out from the ongoing FIFA World cup. In a match against Chile, which Spain
needed to win to keep their title dream alive, it faced defeat by 2-0.
Spain became the third straight European defending World Cup champion to flop in the group stage. France in 2002
and Italy four years ago also failed to advance, or even win a match
Government sets up Panel to look into the cause of gas leakage in Bhilai Steel Plant
June 19, 2014
An independent High Level Committee under the chairmanship of Shri K.K. Mehrotra, former CMD, MECON has been
constituted by the Government toinquire about the cause of gas leakage from blast furnace-GCP in Bhilai Steel Plant
on June12, 2014. The panel will hand in the final report to the Secretary, Ministry of Steel by July 17, 2014.
Bhilai Steel Plant
The Bhilai Steel Plant is located in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh was set up with the help of the USSR in 1955. It is Indias first
and sole producer of rails and heavy steel plates. It is also a key producer of wide steel plates and other steel products. The
Bhilai Steel plant which has been the flagship integrated steel plant unit of the Public Sector steel company, the SAIL (Steel
Authority of India Limited) has been a 11 time winner of the Prime Ministers Trophy for best integrated steel plant in the
country. It is the sole supplier of the Indias longest rail tracks, which measure 260 metres (850 ft) and is the largest and most
profitable production facility of SAIL.
Germany to organize myCopter Project Day in November 2014
June 19, 2014
As per an announcement by myCopter coordinator, myCopter Project Day will be held in Braunschweig in Germany on 20
November 20, 2014.
myCopter Project
myCopter Project was conceptualized in 2007 with an aim to design Personal Aerial Vehicles and to develop an effective,
efficient and user-friendly Personal Aerial Transportation System. The initial project is almost complete, and the next phase of
MyCopter will end on myCopter Project Day.
Six research institutions of Europe are working together to study the feasibility of developing small commuter helicopters. The
European Union had provided $4.7 million grant for the project.
myCopter Project
The project was conceived in response to a 2007 European Union report called Out of the Box: Ideas About the Future of
Air Transport. The report invited ideas from researchers on radical changes to Europes current transportation system,
including ideas for a personal air vehicle.

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The project is the brainchild of Heinrich H. Blthoff, director of perception, cognition and action at the Max Planck
Institute, Germany.
The myCopter project aims to make progress in 3 specific research areas which include User-centred Human Machine
Interface and Training, Automation and Socio-technological assessment.
Delhi is Indias first kerosene-free city
June 19, 2014
As per an announcement by the Delhi Government, the national capital has become the first kerosene-free city in the
country. It was announced that theDelhi: A Kerosene-Free City Scheme, 2012 has been implemented successfully and
now no subsidized kerosene is being provided in the national capital.
The scheme was started in 2012 in collaboration with three Oil Marketing Companies and Union Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas for which Delhi Government had spent Rs 62 crores.
Earlier, Delhi was getting about 53,000 Kilolitre of kerosene oil annually from the Centre, which was distributed to eligible
households at a subsidized price.
Delhi government launched Kerosene-Free City Scheme 2012 under which free gas connections along with LPG filled
cylinders, two burner gas stove, regulator and suraksha pipe were issued to the Jhuggi Ration Card ( JRC), Below
Poverty Line ( BPL) and Antodaya Ann Yojana ( AAY) ration card holders who were using kerosene oil for cooking.
This measure would boost environment conservation efforts as no toxic gases would be produced from burning the oil, lesser
possibility of adulteration in petrol, positive impact on air pollution and improvement in the quality of life of people covered
under the scheme in addition to fewer fire accidents and burn injuries.
As per law, any person involved in kerosene oil trade is liable for prosecution under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and
Delhi Kerosene Oil Control Order, 1962. A complaint can be registered in this regard on the helpline number 1967.
Ebola virus kills over 300 in West Africa: WHO
June 18, 2014
As per World Health Organization (WHO), the deadly Ebola virus has killed 337 people in West Africa so far. The region
has reported 14 deaths and 47 new cases. Guinea is worst-hit with 264 Ebola-related deaths. In Sierra Leone, there have
been 49 deaths and in Liberia 24.
The outbreak of the virus began in southern Guineas Guekedou region, but has now spread to its neighboring countries.
There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola one of the worlds deadliest viruses. As per WHO, the virus spreads by close contact
and has high rate of between 25% and 90%, depending on the strain of the virus.
Symptoms include internal and external bleeding, diarrhoea and vomiting.
Ebola virus disease (EVD)
Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
Death rate can reach 90%
2 to 21 days of Incubation period
No vaccine, No cure
Supportive treatment such as rehydration by administering fluid and electrolytes can help recovery
Fruit bats are considered to be the natural host of the virus
Nita Ambani became First woman director on Reliance board
June 18, 2014
Nita Ambani, wife of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, became the first woman to be appointed on the board
of the countrys largest private companyReliance Industries Limited (RIL).
The appointment of Nita Ambani on the board of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) fulfills the requirement of a new
law according to which listed companies are required to have at least one woman in the boardroom to promote
gender diversity.
The RIL board, headed by Mukesh Ambani, 57, currently has his cousins Nikhil R Meswani and Hital R Meswani. Ramniklal
H Ambani, who is the elder brother of Dhirubhai H Ambani, the late Founder Chairman of the company and father of Mukesh,
was the other director from the promoter family. Nita, 50, took the place of Mukeshs uncle Ramniklal H Ambani, who retired
from the board at the age of 90. P M S Prasad and P K Kapil are the only non-family executive directors on the company
board.
India ranked 143 on Global Peace Index 2014
June 18, 2014
Global Peace Index (GPI) for year 2014 has been released by Institute for Economics and Peace in London. The GPI
measured peace in 162 nations on the basis of 22 parameters. India slipped two ranks than previous year and has been

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positioned 143rd in the global rankings.
Some key observations from GPI 2014:
Syria replaced Afghanistan as the worlds least peaceful country.Iceland has retained its position as the most peaceful
country in the world.
Georgia registered the largest improvement in peace, while SouthSudan witnessed the sharpest decline and now
ranks as the 3rd least peaceful nation.
Comparing India with its neighbours, Nepal ranked 76, Bangladesh(98), Sri Lanka (105), Pakistan (154), Afghanistan
(161) and China(108).
From economic perspective, it cost Indian economy $ 177 billion for containing and dealing with the consequences of
Indias level of violence. The cost is equivalent to 3.6% percent of GDP of India or $145 per person.
Top ten performers on GPI 2014:
1. Iceland
2. Denmark
3. Austria
4. New Zealand
5. Switzerland
6. Finland
7. Canada
8. Japan
9. Belgium
10. Norway
Global Peace Index (GPI)
Launched in 2007, GPI intends to a measure levels of world peace. Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace
(IEP), the Index uses 22 indicators, ranging from a nations level of military expenditure to its relations with neighboring
nations and the percentage of prison population in 162 countries.
The IEP, based in Sydney (Australia) is an international and independent think tank dedicated to draw the worlds attention
towards peace as a positive, achievable, and tangible measure of human well-being and development.
RBI uses OMOs to absorb excess rupee from the system
June 18, 2014
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted Open Market Operations (OMOs)to sell Rs 2,255 crore of government bonds
between June 2 to June 6, 2014, to absorb excess rupee liquidity it has injected into the system through dollar purchasing.
As per market experts, the apex bank may have also been trying to curb volatility in government securities through
these OMOs.
Some traders apprehend that if RBI continues the practice then bond prices may fall. Since the beginning of the new financial
year on April 1, 2014, these have been the RBIs largest sale of government bonds through OMOs, a platform where the
apex bank anonymously sells or buys government securities in thesecondary market.
The main motive behind the RBIs measure was probably the excess rupee liquidity in the system.
The RBIs dollar buying has brought in rupee liquidity into the system, besides the central banks routine term repo
windows, where banks can borrow for a stipulated period like 4 to 28 days. For instance, it did a 28-day term repo for Rs
20,000 crore on June 6, 2014. To neutralize its impact, it has already begun selling in the rupee forwards market. During April
2014, the RBI sold about $1 billion, taking the outstanding net forwards sales to $32.06 billion.
Do away with the post of Revenue Secretary, merge CBDT, CBEC: Shome Panel on
TARC
June 18, 2014
The government appointed Tax Administration Reform Commission (TARC), headed by Parthasarathi Shome, has
recommended some radical reforms in tax administration which include:
Abolition of the post of Revenue Secretary
Amalgamation of CBDT and CBEC
Broaden the use of Permanent Account Number (PAN)
Avoid retrospective amendments to tax laws
Income Tax Return should also include wealth tax details
Separate budget allocation to ensure time bound tax refund and a passbook scheme for TDS (Tax Deduction at Source).
Tax Administration should be given greater functional and financial autonomy and independence from governmental
structures, given their special needs.

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As per report submitted by the panel to the Finance Ministry, the Revenue Secretary, an IAS, is likely to have little
experience or background in tax administration at the national level and little familiarity with tax.
TCS en route to become worlds second biggest tech employer
June 18, 2014
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is very close to becoming worlds second biggest tech employer. Currently, with over 3
lakh employees, it has already become the worlds 3rd largest employer in the technology sector. Considering the pace at
which it is expanding, it could become the second largest employer by the end of 2014, overtaking Hewlett-Packard, and
would be fast closing in on leader IBM.
TCS has been Indias one of the biggest job creators in recent years. On an average, the number of employees in TCS is
rising each year by between 25,000 and 35,000. In fiscal 2013-14, the $13.4-billion Tata Group company hired 61,200
people, with the net addition being 24,268, brushing aside those who left the company. As per the company, it will hire
55,000 people in 2014. If the net addition is half of that, it will be significantly ahead of HPs number by the end of fiscal 2014-
15. Among Indian IT companies, Infosys is almost 50% of TCS with 1.6 lakh employees.
Government appoints Shaktikanta Das as Revenue Secretary
June 18, 2014
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Shaktikanta Das, a 1980 batch Indian
Administrative Service (IAS) officer ofTamil Nadu cadre, as the new Revenue Secretary, replacing Rajiv Takru.
Mr. Das, who is at present Fertilizers Secretary in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, will take charge as Revenue
Secretary in the finance ministry after Mr. Takru relinquishes the post.
B2B PMs formula for stronger relationship with Bhutan
June 17, 2014
On his first foreign visit after becoming PM, Narendra Modi who is on a two-day Bhutan visit promised to foster bilateral ties
which he described as B2B Bharat to Bhutan as he held talks with the Bhutanese King and countries Prime Minister,
discussing an entire range of relationship between the two nations.
Mr. Modi also unveiled the Supreme Court complex built by India as part of the developmental cooperation. Modi described
the bilateral ties as B2B relations Bharat to Bhutan relations.
He announced doubling of scholarships granted to Bhutanese students in India which will now be worth Rs 2 crore. Modi also
assured to help Bhutan in establishing a digital library, which will provide access to Bhutanese youth to two million books and
periodicals.
Prime Ministers visit to Bhutan holds significance since China has lately scaled up efforts to persuade it and set up
full-fledged diplomatic relationship with Bhutan.
June 17: World Day to Combat Desertification observed with the theme Land Belongs to
the Future Lets Climate Proof It
June 17, 2014
World Day to Combat Desertification was observed on June 17, 2014 to promote public awareness of the issue, and the
implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in those countries experiencing severe
drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa.
The theme for 2014 is Land Belongs to the Future Lets Climate Proof It.
Globally, around 1.5 billion people depend on degrading areas for their livings, and nearly half of the worlds very poor (42%)
dwell in degraded areas, rendering them some of the most insecure places in the world, and in some cases their imbalance
can destabilize whole political regions.
The world is not isolated from the effect instability caused by the suffering of these people. As per estimates, by 2020 around
60 million people will migrate from desertified regions in Sub-Saharan Africa towards Northern Africa andEurope.
The theme emphasizes on raising awareness about the potential of ecosystem-based adaptation as a policy for coping with
the impacts of climate change, particularly in the drylands. Ecosystem-based adaptation means the strengthening of natural
systems to absorb the worst impacts of climate change. Healthy ecosystems are less susceptible to the impacts and hazards
of climate change.
June 17 as World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994.
Jordanian envoy first Muslim to be elected UN human rights chief
June 17, 2014
The nomination of Prince Zeid al Hussein of Jordan of as the new High Commissioner for Human Rights was
unanimously approved by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He succeeds outgoing Navi Pillay of

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SouthAfrica. He is the first High Commissioner from the Asian continent and from the Muslim and Arab worlds.
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights:
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, headquartered inGeneva, has the authority to promote and protect
the enjoyment and full realization, by all people, of all rights founded in the UN Charter and ininternational human rights laws
and pacts. It is mandated to preventing violations of human rights, assuring respect for all human rights, encourage
international cooperation to safeguard human rights, synchronizing related activities throughout the UN, and bolstering and
streamlining the UN system in the sphere of human rights. Besides its mandated responsibilities, the Office leads efforts to
incorporate a human rights approach within all work conducted by UN bodies.
Juan Manuel Santos gets another term as President of Colombia
June 16, 2014
Juan Manuel Santos has secured another term as the President of Colombiaas he has won the recently held presidential
poll. His victory symbolizes peoples support to his 18-month-old peace negotiations to end countrys longest-running conflict
with the left-wing FARC rebel group.
The violent conflict which has been running for several decades has inflicted huge damage to Colombia. It involved armed
groups, drug cartels and glaring violations of human rights, although since 2002, the country has made some progress
towards improving security.
Colombia: An Overview
Geographically, Colombia is the fourth largest country in South America and one of the most populous nations in this
continent. The country has sizeable oil reserves and is a major producer of gold, silver, emeralds, platinum and coal.
Since the 1960s, the country has been ailing from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict between the united group
of liberal and left-wing guerillas or FARC group and anti-communist Colombian government which has the military and
financial backing of the US. Both the paramilitary and the rebel group have been accused of engaging in drug
trafficking and terrorism and violations of human rights. The conflict intensified in the 1990s, but since 2000 the conflict has
decreased considerably. The peace talks between the government and the FARC began in 2012. Right-wing groups are
surrendering under a peace initiative. CurrentPresident Santos maintains his predecessors tough stance against the FARC.
Economically, despite growth in recent years, millions dwell in poverty. The country has also inked a Free Trade Agreement
with the US. Colombia is a big recipient of US assistance and is a steadfast ally of Washington.
NTPC seeks revocation of ban on Lata Tapovan Hydro Power Project
June 16, 2014
NTPC has filed a plea seeking continuation of work on its Lata Tapovan Hydro Power Project in Uttarakhand that was put
on hold following the Supreme Courts May 7 order. The apex court has issued notice to the government in this regard.
The court had ordered a halt to 24 projects that were proposed within 100 km of eco-sensitive zone from Gangotri. It had
also directed the Union Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests (MoEF) and the Uttarakhand government not to grant any
environmental or forest approvals for any hydroelectric project in the hill state.
The court had asked the MoEF to form an expert panel to carry out a detailed study whether hydroelectric power projects
both existing and under construction have contributed to the environmental degradation in Uttarakhand, if so, to what extent.
The expert committee was also directed to examine whether these projects had contributed to the natural disaster that had
hit the state in June 2013.
As per the plea submitted by the NTPC, the expert panel constituted by the ministry deviates from the directions issued by
the court, which had said it would have the representatives of the Uttarakhand government, Wildlife Institute of India, Central
Electricity Authority, Central Water Commission and other expert bodies to undertake the detailed study as directed by it.
NTPC also said that due to delay it is losing time and the costs of the projects are also escalating.
Maharashtra legislation to ban dance bars across the state
June 16, 2014
In a bid to impose a ban on dance bars across state, the Maharashtraassembly passed a law which
amends Maharashtra Police Act which banned performance of bar dancers in all hotels, bars and restaurants. In 2005,
while banning dance bars, the government had denounced the bars as dens of immorality. It claimed they debauched the
young and were meeting places for criminals.
In 2006, a ruling by the the Bombay high court held the ban as violation of the constitutional right to earn a living and held it
against public interest. Before the ban, there were around 400 dance bars in Mumbai which employed over 65,000 women
and 40,000 men, with the dancers earning up to Rs 25,000 per month. Post-ban, the loss to government and industry was
estimated at over Rs 3,000 crore. On July 16, 2013, the Supreme Court upheld Bombay HC decision to scrap the ban in the
state.
As per the newly amended Maharashtra Police Act, All dance performances in bars and restaurants across all types of

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hospitality industry are banned. Any violation of this code would attract the imprisonment of minimum 3 months to maximum
5 years and minimum 1 lakh to 5 lakh fine besides cancellation of the hotel permit. Now, all dance bars licenses stand
cancelled and will be withdrawn within 30 days. Earlier, such ban was imposed on all hotels, bars and restaurants below 3-
star category. Now, the ban is applicable to even the starred hotels from 3 to 5-star. This step has been made to avoid the
discrimination between the ordinary dance bars and dance bars in starred hotels which Supreme Court had objected to.
The law imposes a complete ban on dance bars and dance performances at 5-star hotels. However, family parties in pubs
and discotheques, and orchestras are not within the purview of this ban.
DLF is Indias first realty company to get ISO 9001: 2008 certification
June 16, 2014
Realty behemoth DLF has become Indias first real estate firm to get ISO 9001:2008 quality certification for development of
housing and commercial projects.
DLF Home Developers Ltd, an arm of DLF, has received ISO 9001:2008 certification after meeting the rigorous standards set
by British Standard Institute (BSI), a recognized business standards company.
DLF Home Developers is the first realty firm in the country to receive this internationally recognized Quality Management
system (QMS) accreditation.
The certification DLF has achieved the certification which focused The Development of Commercial and Residential
Complexes after undergoing rigorous assessment for its adherence to delivery schedules of both residential and
commercial projects, customer satisfaction and quality of construction.
With the implementation of QMS, DLF ensures highest level of process and quality control in execution of its projects. QMS
has very meticulously documented procedures addressing highest level of specifications to be achieved during various
stages of development. The QMS rules help enhance systems, improve areas of weakness and cut down process
inefficiencies.
This system ensures conformity to all applicable legal and regulatory requisites. It gives an extra stress
on health, safety and environment at the work place during the course of construction.
Russia turns off gas supply to Ukraine after talks fail
June 16, 2014
The tension between Russia and Ukraine has further intensified with Russia cutting off the gas supply to Ukraine. Both
countries blamed the other for the failure of talks in Kiev.
The gas issue is one more dispute between the two countries, besides the annexation of Crimea peninsula by Russia. Kiev
has accused Moscow of inciting unrest in the eastern region of the country.
The CEO of Russias state gas company, Gazprom, alleged that the Ukrainians were trying to blackmail Russia into
giving
them a lower price and had failed to repay a huge debt accrued over recent years.
As per Ukraines PM, the gas talks were part of a general Russian plan to destroy Ukraine.
The relationship between Russia and Ukraine are under severe strain since Moscow annexed Crimea in February 2014. The
move to stop gas supply will impact the Europe as about 15% of the EUs gas supply is Russian gas piped through Ukraine.
Although, Russia will continue to supply gas to Europe but Gazprom has warned there were substantial risks for gas
transportation to the EU via Ukraine.
Gauravi- Indias first One-Stop Crisis Centre opens in Bhopal
June 16, 2014
The Government of Madhya Pradesh has launched Gauravi- Indias first One-Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) at J. P. Hospital
in Bhopal. The centre will help women who are victims of violence by enabling them to register an FIR, medical treatment,
psychological counseling and legal helpall under one roof. The single-window centre was inaugurated by Bollywood
actor Aamir Khan.
Gauravi will provide help and assistance to survivors and victims of dowry harassment, domestic violence and other
atrocities on women.
The OSCC will extend legal advice, medical and police assistance to the victims. This facility can be availed either by calling
on its helpline number or visiting the centre. It will also provide assistance in filing FIRs, providing security, rehabilitation of
the victim and forensic support.
The MP government has also asked the Centre to provide Rs 80 crore underNirbhaya Fund to establish similar centres in
the remaining parts of the state.
Queen Elizabeth confers Knighthood upon Indian-origin physicist Prof. Tejinder
Virdee

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June 15, 2014
Professor Tejinder Virdee, a noted Indian-origin physicist known for his work for the Large Hadron Collider, was
conferred an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition to his contribution to the field of science.
Prof. Virdee of Imperial College London was named a Knight Bachelor for his services to science in the Queens Birthday
Honours List. Professor Virdee contribution in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Experiment is considered his most
remarkable service to science. The CMS experiment, at the Large Hadron Collider, CERN, Geneva, has delivered significant
results in particle physics, including the landmark discovery of the Higgs Boson, or the God particle, a particle that renders
mass to other particles.
Australia pips Netherlands to retain mens hockey World Cup 2014
June 15, 2014
Australia defeated The Netherlands to retain the mens hockey World Cup title in the final played at the Kyocera
Stadium, Hague (The Netherlands). For Australia it is second successive World Cup victory.
Australia and The Netherlands were standing against each other and played both Womens and Mens Finals of the World
Cup Hockey 2014.
India registered an easy win over Asian champions South Korea to finish ninth in the mens hockey World Cup.
IUCN releases Red List of Threatened Species FIFA World Cup 2014 mascot
Brazilian
three-banded Armadillo enlisted as Vulnerable
June 15, 2014
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released the Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014. As of now, the Red List has 73,686 assessed
species, of which 22,103 are threatened with extinction. The release includes lemurs, Japanese eels, slipper orchids.
The Brazilian three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) which is FIFA World Cup 2014 mascot has been enlisted
asVulnerable as its population has decreased by more than a third in the past 10 due to destruction of half its shrubland
habitat.
The Brazilian 3-banded armadillo(Tolypeutes tricinctus) is an armadillo species endemic to Brazil. In Brazil it is locally known
as tatu-bola as itcan roll itself into a ball.
Lemurs are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates on the planet as more than 90% of lemurs are now threatened
with extinction.
Some of the facts about Lemurs:
Of the 99 known species, which live on the island of Madagascar 22 species are critically endangered, including the Indri,
the largest living lemur.
48 species of lemur are endangered, including Madame Berthes mouse lemur, the world smallest primate.
20 lemur species are vulnerable.
Lemurs are threatened by the loss of their tropical forest habitat due to rise in illegal logging on account of political
instability and surging levels of poverty in the past 20 years.
Japanese eel:
It is a traditional food in Japan and the countrys most expensive food fish. It is endangered due to:
Habitat loss
Unsustainable fishing
Obstructions to migration
Pollution
Changes in oceanic currents
The assessment of species is done using the Species Information Service Toolkit, an application developed in partnership
with Solertium and IUCN.
Miss Marwadi Nepal 2014: Indian-origin Dakshina Agrawal wins the title
June 15, 2014
Indian-origin Dakshnia Agrawal (24) has bagged the Miss Marwadi Nepal2014 title during the second edition of the
beauty contest organized in Kathmandu, Nepal. The model received the title at a function held by Indian-origin
Marwadi business community.
Vishaka Agrawal (22) and Sanjoli Joshi (23) adjudged first and second runner-ups in the pageant respectively.
BHEL commissions Rampur Hydro Electric Project in Himachal Pradesh
June 14, 2014

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Government-owned power equipment manufacturer Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) commissioned 68 MW Unit at
the Rampur Hydro Electric Project in Himachal Pradesh. With this, BHEL has commissioned four units of the 412 MW
hydro power plant of SJVN Limited.
Rampur hydel project has been built on River Satluj in Himachal Pradesh 120 km from Shimla. In this project BHEL
contributed in supply, construction and commissioning of turbines, generators, Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition system (SCADA), associated station auxiliaries, Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) and other electrical and
mechanical machinery.
Lt Gen Amit Sharma appointed Commander-in-Chief of SFC
June 14, 2014
Lt Gen Amit Sharma (58) has been appointed as the new Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Forces Command
(SFC) which guards the nuclear weapon store of the country. He takes charge from Vice Admiral S P S Cheema as the latter
has moved to Kochi to head the Navys Southern Command based there. Previously, Sharma was the Chief of Staff of
Japiur-based South Western Command of the army and had headed its elite 21 Strike Corps.
The SFC is responsible to implement the directives of the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA). It has the sole responsibility
of starting the process of delivering nuclear arsenal after receiving approval from NCA.
Vice-President presented with Book titled Warrior State authored by T V Paul
June 14, 2014
Vice President Hamid Ansari was presented with the book titled Warrior State:Pakistan in the Contemporary
World written by T V Paul.
The book presents a broad perspective of Pakistans insecurity quandary using literature from sociology, history, religious
studies, and international relations. In addition, it introduces the concept of geostrategic curse, an important view akin to
resource curse and oil curse. The book offers potent tool for policymakers and researchers alike to understand this crucial yet
disturbed country. T V Paul is James McGill Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at
McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Rasik Ravindra elected as member of UN body on ocean issues
June 14, 2014
Indian origin scientist Rasik Ravindra has been elected as member of theUnited Nations Commissionon the Limits of
Continental Shelf (CLCS) asIndias candidate for member of the Commission.
Rasik, an alumnus of the Jammu and Kashmir University, is one of Indias eminent scientists. He has a rich experience of
over four decades in different spheres of geosciences that include geological studies in Antarctica, India andBhutan. He has
been honored with many prestigious awards including the National Award for Polar Sciences and Cryosphere in the year
2013 and National Mineral Award in the year 1990. He has wide global experience and has also held coveted positions that
included negotiations in policy, technical and scientific issues.
United Nations Commission on the Limits of Continental Shelf (CLCS):
The CLCS has 21 members, who are experts in the domains of geophysics, geology, or hydrography, and are elected for
a term of 5 years by the nations who are party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS) among their nationals. It is the UN body that is empowered to allocate new seabed territory to countries.
Maharashtra government approves proposal to bifurcate Thane district
June 14, 2014
The Maharashtra government has given nod to the proposal of bifurcation of Thane district which will make Palghar
Maharashtras 36th district. This proposal has been pending for a long time. As per the Maharashtra cabinets decision, the
original Thane district will continue with mainly urban areas, while the new Palghar district will have mainly tribal dominated
areas under its scope.
Thane is a district in northern Maharashtra state in western India. The headquarters of the district is the city of
Thane, situated at the head of the Thane Creek. Thane is also known as the City of Lakes. It has around 35 lakes. Thane
comes under Mumbai Metropolitan Region. It is worth mentioning that on April 16, 1854, the G.I.P. Railways first train ever to
run in India ran from Boree Bunder (now the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) to Thane (previously Thana), 34
kilometers away.
Scientists locate massive underground water reservoir, three times the size of
Earths oceans
June 14, 2014
Researchers have found a massive reservoir of water three times the size of Earths oceans located hundreds of miles

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beneath the surface of the planet. Scientists from Northwestern University and the University of New Mexicoprovided the first
ever evidence for potentially oceans worth of water deep beneath the United States.
Though the water is not in the general liquid form the elements for water are bound up in rock deep in the planets mantle
the discovery may correspond to earths biggest water reservoir. It is due to the presence of liquid water on the surface
that makes our planet fit for human habitation, and researchers have long been trying to puzzle out just how much water may
be cycling between Earths surface and internal reservoirs through plate tectonics.
Researchers have discovered deep pockets of magma situated about 400 miles underneath North America, a possible sign
of the presence of water at these depths. The discovery indicates that water from the Earths surface can reach such great
depths by plate tectonics, in due course causing partial melting of the rocks found deep in the mantle. Scientists
are considering evidence for a whole-Earth water cycle, which may help explain the huge quantity of liquid water on the
surface earth. Researchers have been in quest of this missing deep water for years. They have long conjectured that water is
locked in a rocky layer of the Earths mantle between the lower mantle and upper mantle, at depths between 250 miles and
410 miles.
Scientists Jacobsen and Schmandt are the first to provide direct proof that there may be water in Transition Zone of the
mantle on a regional scale. Scientists tried to produce evidence that melting may take place about 400 miles deep in the
Earth. H2O trapped in mantle rocks, such as those comprising the mineral ringwoodite is the fundamental thing to the
process. If just 1% of the weight of mantle rock in this zone is H2O that would be tantamount to around 3 times the amount of
water in oceans on Earths surface.
The water which has been discovered is not in the form of liquid, ice or vapor. It is water locked inside the molecular
composition of the minerals in the mantle rock. The high pressure and temperature produced by the weight of 250 miles of
solid rock breaks a water molecule to form a hydroxyl radical (OH), which can bind into a minerals crystal structure.
The research rests on a discovery in which researchers found a piece of themineral ringwoodite inside a diamond spewed
from a depth of 400 miles by a volcano in Brazil. That minuscule piece of ringwoodite the only sample in existence from
within the Earth contained an unexpected quantity of water bound in solid form in the mineral.
Japan kills 30 minke whales despite ICJ order
June 14, 2014
As per a report by Japanese Fisheries Agency, Japan has continued the hunting of whales and has killed 30 minke
whales off Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefacture (at its north-east coast), in the first hunt since the International Court of Justice
(ICJ) March 2014 order which directed Tokyo to halt killing the whales in theAntarctic.
In March 2014, the ICJ ruled that Japans annual expedition to the Southern Ocean was a commercial activity disguised as
research.
ICJ ordered ban on Japans JARPA II (started in 2005) whaling programme inSothern Ocean in the Antarctic. The UNs
apex court imposed a temporary halt on Japans whaling programmme in Antarctic waters after hearing a case brought
against Japan by Australia and environmental groups. The 16-member panel of ICJ decided that the whaling exercise of
Japan is not justified. The court directed Tokyo to choose any one courses of action in this regard- either stop hunting the
whales or redesign its hunting programme for scientific purposes. Japan agreed to the order of the ICJ.
Japan has exploited an ambiguity in a 1986 global moratorium that allows lethal research on the mammals. Japan
sometimes also paints the demands for an end to whaling as cultural imperialism in the country.
Insufficiency in the ICJ order
Though the ICJ judgment directs Japan to stop whaling in Antarctic under JARPA II but it doesnt make any mention on its
annual hunts in the Pacific Ocean. As a result, Japan is free to continue hunting of whales in the Pacific.
The Netherlands lift womens hockey World Cup
June 14, 2014
Olympic gold medal winner The Netherlands defeated Australia in the title clash at the Kyocera Stadium, Hague (The
Netherlands)to win the womenshockey World Cup.
Out of 13 womens World Cups since the launch of the event in 1974, the Netherlands have bagged the title seven times. It
was a fifth successive World Cup final for the Dutch and remarkably a fourth contested between the two nations, with
Australias 1998 victory in Utrecht being sandwiched by wins for Netherlands in 1990 and 2006.
Garuda-V: Indo-French Air drill concludes at AFS Jodhpur
June 13, 2014
The Indo-French Air Drill Garuda V which began on June 3, 2014 successfully concluded at Air Force Station
(AFS) Jodhpur in Rajasthan. During this exercise both the air forces performed various combat roles including Air to Air
refuelling.
The exercise provided significant mutual learning opportunity to both Air Forces.

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The French team participated with 4 Rafales and 1 C-135 French Refueller aircraft while the Indian side exercised 4 Su-
30MKI, 4 MiG 21 Bison, 4 MiG 27 (Upg), as well as an IL-78 tanker aircraft and an Airborne Warning and control system IL-
76 (AWACS).
Both the sides benefitted from the drill by executing difficult and realistic missions and sharing of know-how and operational
lessons. This is likely to improve the operational capabilities of both the forces as well as consolidate the cooperation
between French and Indian Air Forces.
India becomes permanent member of Washington Accord
June 13, 2014
A long wait for India ended when the country became a permanent member of theWashington Accord, an
esteemed international treaty on engineering studies and mobility of engineers across signatory countries including the US,
the UK and Australia. Permanent membership reflects on the countrys stature in the technical education space. Until
now, India has been just a provisional member since 2007.
The meeting of the International Engineering Alliance of WA member nations met in Wellington, New Zealand and gave India
the signatory status to join the select group of nations who are permanent signatories to the Washington Accord (WA). This
will ensure highest quality assurance standards to be implemented in our technical and engineering programmes and provide
global mobility to our engineering graduates. It will significantly enhance their employment opportunities around the world.
The Washington Accord:
It is an international accreditation treaty for professional engineering academic degrees, between the bodies responsible for
accreditation in its signatory nations. Initially when the Washington Accord came into force in 1989, only 6 developed
countries were its members.
As of 2014, the signatories are: Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Hong KongChina,
India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the
United States.
The accord acknowledges that there is significant uniformity of programs accredited by those signatories. Every signatory
countries recognizes the graduates of accredited programs by every other signatory countries as having met the academic
requirements for entry to the practice of engineering. Recognition of accredited programs is not retroactive but takes effect
only from the date of admission of the country to signatory status.
The treaty covers undergraduate engineering degrees under Outcome-based education approach. The accord
doesnt take into account engineering technology and postgraduate programs, although some engineering technology
programs are covered under the Sydney Accord and the Dublin Accord. Only qualifications granted after the signatory
country or region became part of the Washington Accord are recognized. The pact is not directly responsible for the licensing
or registration of Professional Engineers and Chartered Engineers, but it does cover the academic prerequisites that are part
of the licensing processes in countries party to the accord.
RBI mulling over Payment bank as recommended by Nachiket Mor Panel
June 13, 2014
The Reserve Bank of India will soon come up with Indias first payments bank, which will offer deposit and payment
services but not provide loans.
This idea is in line with the recommendations made by the Nachiket Morcommittee. The central bank sees huge potential
for financial inclusion with focus on remittances by involving payment system product.
As per the RBI, while full-service banks require an entry capital of Rs.500 crore, payments banks can start operations with a
capital of just Rs.50 crore since all their money will be invested in safe government securities.
They will be required to comply with all RBI guidelines for commercial banks.
According to the recommendations of Nachiket Mor committee:
Permission should be given to existing banks to create subsidiaries to operate payments banks.
Payments banks may be created by converting prepaid payment issuers (PPIs). These companies provide cards that
customers can use to make payments with the money stored in them. There are 27 PPIs in the country, including Itz Cash
Card Ltd, Oxigen Services (India) Pvt. Ltd and Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd.
Entry of payments banks made easier:
In order to expedite the process, the RBI will soon start its differentiated bankinglicence regime, where the central bank
issues licences to new banks to undertake specific banking operations.The apex bank will also issue licences on a
continuous basis to qualified aspirants instead of opening the licensing window after long intervals.The payments bank route
is important for India Post, which failed to secure a banking licence. RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said that India Post
could begin as a payments bank. All these efforts are being made to promote financial inclusion in India, where more than
half of the adult population still does not have access to banking services.

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The RBI first introduced a 3-year financial inclusion programme in April 2010 to promote financial inclusion that witnessed
banks opening outlets in 200,000 villages. Subsequently, it launched the phase II of the programme for 2013-2016.
UNGA elects Ugandan Foreign Minister as President of 69th session
June 13, 2014
Ugandas foreign minister Sam Kahamba Kutesa has been unanimously elected as the President of the 193-
membered United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He was in news recently for defending the Ugandan governments
stringent anti-homosexuality law which President Yoweri Museveni signed in February 2014.
The members of the UNGA elect its president annually with a different regional grouping providing a candidate or candidates.
Since it was Africas turn to nominate a President, Mr. Kutesa was chosen unanimously by the African Unionas the only
candidate for the presidency of the upcoming 69th Session. However, Western nations and human rights advocates have
expressed concerns over the Ugandas widely criticized anti-homosexuality legislation.
Gujarat gets NCA approval to raise height of Narmada Dam
June 13, 2014
The Narmada Control Authority (NCA) has given nod to raise the height of theSardar Sarovar Dam by 17
metres to 138.62 metres, which, on its completion, would allow Gujarat to get three times more water for irrigation. The new
height would make it the second highest dam in the world after Grand Coulee in the US.
A higher dam will improve the efficiency of hydro-power generation and water supply capacity of this project, and is likely to
benefit not just Gujarat but also adjacent states of Rajashthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Gujarat has been waiting
for this decision for last 8 years.
Activist Medha Patkar, who drew attention to the dislocation of thousands of people as a result of this move, is protesting the
decision and has called the move undemocratic.
As per Patkar, the dam with its current height has 2 lakh people in its affected region. If the height is increased by 17 metres,
the thickly populated villages in Nimad area of Madhya Pradesh with houses, farms, shops, temples, mosques and standing
crops would be submerged. The centre will allow Gujarat to raise the height of the dam from existing 121.91m to 138.7m
Benefits of Project:
Irrigation water to 1.8 million hectares to benefit one million farmers.
Drinking water for 9,633 villages and 131 towns
Who gets what:
WATER: Rajasthan (1.79%), Maharashtra (0.89%), Gujarat (32.14%), Madhya Pradesh (65.18%)
POWER: Maharashtra (27%), Gujarat (16%), Madhya Pradesh (57%)
Internet not responsible for newspaper decline: Study
June 13, 2014
As per a research conducted by Professor Matthew Gentzkow of University of Chicago Booth School of Business,
the Internet may actually not be responsible for the sharp decline of the traditional newspaper industry as most of
us believe. Researchers have found that the web may actually not have prompted this fall. Majority accepts the fact that the
Internet did have a role in killing newspapers. As per the common belief, the newspaper business was growing before the
mid-90s with quality journalism and pages of ads. Then, the general population started drifting towards the Internet, and the
popularity of print started declining. However, as per Gentzkow, the assumptions about journalism are based on three false
grounds. These are:
1. The online advertising revenues are naturally lower than print revenues, so that traditional media needs to adopt a less
profitable business model that cant support paying real reports.
2. The web has made the advertising market more competitive which has driven down rates and revenues.
3. The Internet is responsible for the newspapers demise.
Evidence given by the research discarding the above beliefs:
Several previous researches have shown that people spend an order of magnitude more time reading than the average
monthly visitor online, which makes looking at these rates as analogous false.
On comparing the amount of time people actually see an ad, it was found that the price of attention for similar consumers
is actually higher online.
The popularity of newspapers had already significantly reduced between 1980 and 1995, well before the Internet
revolution, and has decreased at roughly the same rate since then.
Delhi government gives nod to Rapid Rail corridors to Alwar, Meerut, Panipat
June 13, 2014
The Delhi government has approved the alignments of the three Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors. These
corridors will link the Delhi withPanipat, Meerut and Alwar. These three alignments were recommended by theNational

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Capital Regional Planning Board (NCRPB). To start work on the project a similar approval is required from other state
governments for the same.
The total length of the three corridors is 349 km, as the Delhi-Alwar corridor will terminate at Delhi-Gurgaon border. The
Delhi-Meerut corridor will be via Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan and would be supported by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
(DMRC). The Delhi-Panipat corridor would go up to Kashmere Gate.
National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTC) will function as the implementing agency for RRTS
projects in the NCR.
It will be responsible for designing, developing, implementing, financing, operating and maintaining RRTS on a pattern similar
to the Delhi Metro.
East India Company launches new office in Qatar
June 12, 2014
The East India Company which had ventured into India in around 1600 AD for the purpose of trade and which later became
the precursor of British rule in India has launched a new office in the Qatari capital of Doha in collaboration with local partner
Nasser Al Ansari of Octagon International. Although the Company was dissolved in 1874, it was re-born in 2010 and a
revived East India Company launched its flagship Fine Foods store in Londons Mayfair.
Since its creation in 1600 by The Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I, the influence of The East India Company has
been great.
India-born Sanjiv Mehta acquired the over 400-year-old company in 2005.The Company offers products that have been
crafted by artisans and specialists from around the globe using elements that have been sourced for their quality.
India, China decide to add a new fillip to economic ties
June 12, 2014
In a bid to explore untapped opportunities, India and China have together decided to infuse a new momentum in their
economic relationship. The steps in this direction include establishing industrial parks to take the bilateral trade beyond
current $ 65 billion annually.
With bilateral trade standing close to USD 65 billion, China is Indias biggest trading partner. However, the trade deficit
between the two countries is in Chinas favor at about $40 billion. The two-side trade also slipped by 1.5%, registering a
declining trend for the second consecutive year in 2013. India has consistently been raising the issue of widening trade deficit
and seeking greater market access in China to fill the gap. India maintains that one way to tackle the asymmetry is to open
up Chinese markets to IT-enabled services, home furnishings and cotton textiles and also in pharmaceuticals
Russia gives in-principle nod on Indias nuclear liability law
June 12, 2014
Russia has in principle agreed on Civil Liability Nuclear Damage Act 2010 withIndia. This paves the way for signing a
contract for unit 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in July, 2014. In April, 2014, a General Framework
Agreement was inked between India and Russia on unit 3 and 4 after overcoming the initial hurdles of the Civil Liability
Nuclear Damage Act 2010.
The agreement which was expected to be signed in October 2013 during the then Indian PM Manmohan Singhs visit to
Russia, as Moscow raised objection over some clauses of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act. India has
built Units 1 and 2 of Tamil Nadu-based Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) with the help of Russian assistance at
the cost of Rs 17,200 crore. The Unit 1 of the KKNPP has attained 100% capacity of 1000 MW while the second unit should
start generating power from this year.
Because of high costs, insuring the nuclear power plants is a challenging task as there is no single
governmental insurance company in the country that can insure these installations with such hefty costs. The Department of
Atomic Energy has asked the Ministry of Finance to set up a Nuclear Insurance Pool after the General Insurance Company
was unable to insure Nuclear Power Plants.
Cyclone Nanauk moves towards Oman, monsoon to reach Maharashtra, Gujarat in
few days
June 12, 2014
Nanauk, the tropical cyclone that emerged in the east-central Arabian Seais likely to hit Oman on June 15, 2014. Due
to the influence of the cyclone, Delhiwitnessed an unexpected hike in moisture levels which caused rain bringing the soaring
temperature down. As per Indias Met Department the cyclone is likely to affect the southwest monsoon.Under the influence
of this cyclone, the south west monsoon will move along the west coast of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Dilip Kumars autobiography The Substance and the Shadow released

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June 12, 2014
Indian cinemas legendary actor Dilip Kumars autobiography The Substance and the Shadow that narrates his life since
birth was launched. The book is written by author and former journalist Udaya Tara Nayar which chronicles the thespians
ups and downs in his much-talked about relationships, marriage and movies.
Dilip Kumar:
He was born in Peshawar, Pakistan and his original name was Muhammad Yusuf Khan. He spent his childhood
in Maharashtra and left home to start a canteen before he was picked up as a potential actor.
The actor entered films with the 1944 release Jwar Bhata. In a career spanning six decades, he did over 60 films
including Mela, Naya Daur, Aan, Devdas, Madhumati and Mughal-E-Azam. After a break of of 5 years he acted
inKranti (1981) followed by Vidhaata, Shakti, Mashaal, Karma, Saudagar and Qila with his last appearance in 1998.
Awards and Honors:
Padma Bhushan in 1991
Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994
Pakistans highest civilian award Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 1998
Nominated to the Rajya Sabha for a term.
Guinness World Record for winning the maximum number of awards by an Indian actor.
Madhya Pradesh to restore Mahatmas Tolstoy Farm
June 12, 2014
During his visit to South Africa, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan pledged to donate Rs. 1 crore for the
restoration of Mahatma Gandhis Tolstoy Farm in the country, a place where he first began his Satyagraha. The place is now
an abandoned area, south of Johannesburg, owned by a neighboring brick manufacturing company.
Tolstoy Farm:
Mahatma Gandhi established the Tolstoy Farm near Johannesburg, South Africa in 1910. The farm drew its name from
Leo Tolstoy, whose writings had influenced Gandhiji. The farm, spanned over an area of 1,100 acres, was donated by his
architect friend Herman Kallenbach. The farm was a self-sufficient commune for people from diverse backgrounds, race
and religion stayed together here to form a community of Passive Resisters. They adopted Gandhis principles of Satyagraha
to fight the discriminatory, unjust and racist rule of the then South Africa.
Infosys appoints Vishal Sikka as new CEO
June 12, 2014
Infosys has appointed former SAP AG top executive Vishal Sikka as Chief Executive Officer. It is for the first time the
company has not selected one of its founders for the role, as it looks to recapture market share and control the high attrition
rate of its staff.
With this, Infosys, Indias second-largest IT services Executive Chairman N.R. Narayana Murthy would step down, nearly a
year after he was brought back from retirement to assist the firm better compete with rivals including Tata Consultancy
Services and Wipro. The company is still grappling with high staff exodus and management uncertainty, factors that led to
loss of market share for a company that was once a dominated Indias $100-plus billion a year IT exportbusiness, and
escalated investor pressure for a change of leadership.
UPSC Civil Services results out, 1,122 candidates selected
June 12, 2014
Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) which conducts Civil ServicesExamination among other exams has
released the list of candidates to be appointed to the various civil services posts namely IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and Groups A
and B of the central services. It has recommended 1,112 candidates for appointment to these posts.
Among the selected candidates, Gaurav Agrawal has secured the all India first rank in the 3-tier appointment
process. Munish Sharma and Rachit Raj secured second and third place respectively.
There are 517 candidates from the general stream, 326 OBC candidates, 187 SC candidates and 92 ST candidates in the
final list.
PM Modi releases FIFA World Cup postage stamps
June 12, 2014
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released commemorative postage stamps onFIFA World Cup 2014 that kick started
in Brazil on the night of June 12, 2014. PM urged the Department of Posts to create a website on the history of
Indian football.
India is also gearing up to host the under-17 FIFA World Cup.
June 12 observed as World Day Against Child Labor 2014

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June 12, 2014
June 12 was observed as World Day Against Child Labour across the globe. The theme for year 2014 is Extend social
protection: Combat child labour.
The World Day Against Child Labour was launched by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2002 to spread
awareness on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eradicate it.
World Day Against Child Labour 2014 necessitates:
Action to introduce, improve and extend social protection, in line with the ILO Recommendation No. 202 on social
protection floors.
National social security systems that are sensitive to childrens needs and help fighting child labour.
Social protection that reaches out to especially vulnerable groups of children.
Brasilia Declaration
At the 3rd Global Conference on Child Labour held in Brasilia in 2013, the international community adopted the Brasilia
Declaration, which emphasized the need for decent work for adults, free, compulsory and quality education for all children,
and social protection for all.
Environment clearance to Navys Project Seabird (Karwar naval base)
June 11, 2014
The new Government of India has given environmental clearance to Indian Navys ambitious naval infrastructure project
Seabird in Karwar (Phase-II).
Project Seabird (Karwar naval base)
The Western Fleet of Indian Navy in Mumbai faced security challenges during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 due
to congestion in the shipping lanes from commercial shipping traffic, fishing boats and tourists. To address these concerns
several options were mulled over after the war.
Alternative locations for a base on the west coast were considered, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Thoothukudi.
In the early 1980s, then Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson proposed a dedicated naval
base between the hills of the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea near Karwar in Karnataka state.
Advantages of Karwar (Karnataka) as Naval Base:
1. Located south of the naval bases in Mumbai and Goa and north of Kochi and is very close to the worlds busiest shipping
route between the Persian Gulf and east Asia and beyond the range of most strike aircraft from neighboring countries.
2. It has a natural deep-water harbour and considerable land area for expansion to accommodate larger aircraft carriers.
However, due to a variety of reasons, including the 1991 economic crisis, development of the base was delayed.Following
Pokhran-II in 1999, then DefenceMinister George Fernandes approved Project Seabird to move forward with the construction
of the new naval base at Karwar. Contracts were awarded to Larsen & Toubro as the lead contractor for the marine works on
the harbour, in partnership with Hochtief, Ballast Nadem Dredging of the Netherlands, Radisson of Australia and Nedeco of
The Netherland.
Over 5 km of breakwater were built using over 4.4 million cubic meters of rock to protect the harbour. To provide berth to
even larger aircraft carriers, the Binaga Bay was dredged and its rock outcrops blasted. Anjadip Island is one of the two
islands to which the breakwaters are linked for reinforcement. A second channel will be added to the base to allow warships
to enter and exit the port at the same time.
The Karwar base will be one of the largest naval bases of India and will be executed in two phases. It will house various
warships including Indias largest warship and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. INS Kadamba is an Indian Navy base
situated near Karwar in Karnataka.
The phase I of the base, known as Project Seabird, was completed in 2005 and the base was commissioned on May 31,
2005.
The phase II of the project began in 2011. At present, INS Kadamba is the third largest Indian naval base, and is expected to
become the largest naval base in the eastern hemisphere after completion of expansion Phase IIB.
NABARD slashes refinance rates to promote investment in agriculture
June 11, 2014
In a bid to encourage investments in agriculture, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has
cut the rate of interest by 20 basis points (bps) on their long term refinance facility to banks.
As per NABARD:
Rates of refinance will now be 9.50% for 5 years and above and 9.70% for 3-5 years period.
Banks availing more than Rs.500 crore in a single drawl will further be incentivized by 10 bps.
Efficient agricultural technologies which enhance production & productivity will be provided a further incentive of 50 basis
points, a step taken to fight food inflation by addressing the supply side constraint.

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The 50 basis points rebate will also be available for supporting single purpose under area development schemes,
primarily to benefit small and marginal farmers.
This step will help the Cooperative Banks, RRBs and Commercial Banks in stemming the declining trend of investment
credit and will help in capital generation in agriculture.
India test-fires BrahMos from indigenous warship INS Kolkata successfully
June 11, 2014
The 290 km-range BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missile was successfully test- fired from countrys largest indigenous
warship INS Kolkata off the coast of Karwar in Karnataka. The combat ship is yet to be formally inducted into the Indian
Navy. The missile was test-fired from INS Kolkata, which is a new ship under Project 15-Alpha series, off the coast of
Karwar and all the parameters were met during the test.
INS Kolkata:
The ship built by Mazagon Dockyards Limited is the first of its class of warships in the country and is going through extensive
trials before its planned induction into the Navy in July2014. The warship can fire 16 BrahMos missiles in one go when it
enters operational service.
Current status of BrahMos
The BrahMos weapon systems has already been deployed on several Indian Navys warships including the Russian-origin
Talwar Class vessels. The missile is expected to be deployed on all future destroyers and frigates of the Navy and it is also
being developed to suit submarines.
The Army and the Air Force have also inducted the missile and it is being readied for firing from a Su-30MKI combat aircraft.
Land version of this weapon system will also be inducted into the Air Force. The Army has positioned it in both the eastern
and the western fronts along the borders with both China and Pakistan.
BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture of India and Russia, has developed several variants of the missile for different forms of
warfare and is currently developing a much-faster hypersonic version of the missile.
Bharat Ratna JRD Tata award conferred upon Somasundaram
June 11, 2014
Member of Air Navigation Services of Airports Authority of India (AAI),Somasundaram, has been conferred upon the
esteemed Bharat Ratna JRD Tata Award 2013 instituted by Aeronautical Society of India (ASI). He has made significant
contributions not only in improving ANS infrastructure in the country for enhancing safety, efficiency and capacity of the
airspace but also towards smooth ATM and global coordination.
The ASI has been presenting annual national awards in recognition and appreciation of distinguished contribution and
outstanding achievements made in the field of aeronautics and airspace sciences. The ASI gives Bharat Ratna JRD Tata
Award to an individual who has made outstanding contributions in the field of civil aviation.
Madhusudhana Chary elected first Speaker of Telangana Assembly
June 11, 2014
TRS MLA Sirikonda Madhusudhana Chary (58), who represents Bhupalapally in Warangal district, has been elected
unopposed as the first Speaker of theTelangana Legislative Assembly. Chary is a close aid of K Chandrasekhar Rao even
before the latter founded the TRS in 2001.
PM launches book Getting India Back on Track: An Action Agenda For Reform
June 11, 2014
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a book titled Getting India Back on Track: An Action Agenda For Reform
edited
by Bibek Debroy, Ashley J. Tellis and Reece Trevor. The books foreword has been written by Ratan N Tata and it comprises
insightful essays by noted academicians and public policy experts.
Ranjit Kumar appointed as Solicitor General
June 11, 2014
The new government led by PM Narendra Modi has appointed senior Supreme Court advocate Ranjit Kumar as
the Solicitor General of India. Kumar, who is considered an expert in Constitutional laws, has earlier defended Gujarat in a
number of cases.
A few days back, Mukul Rohatgi was appointed as the Attorney General of India, who thus became the top law officer of
the country. The Solicitor General is subordinate to the Attorney General for India.
With this, the new government has made its first appointments of law officers who would be representing it in courts.As a
convention, law officers resign with the change of government.

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Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin elected Israels new President
June 11, 2014
Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin, Knesset member of Likud Party, has been elected 10thPresident of Israel, following a vote by
members of the parliament. Rivlin who has been former speaker of parliament won the ceremonial post in a runoff against
Meir Sheetrit. He will replace outgoing president Shimon Peres. * The Knesset is the unicameral national legislature
of Israel.
KYC norms for opening of bank accounts simplified by RBI
June 10, 2014
Making opening a bank account less cumbersome than earlier, the RBI has said that accounts can now be opened with just
one address proof, permanent or local. This decision has been taken keeping in mind the banking needs of migrant workers
and employees with transferable jobs who currently face cumbrous procedure to access banking services.
As per RBI:
From now onwards, customers may submit only one documentary proof of address (either current or permanent) while
opening a bank account or while undergoing periodic update.
In case the address mentioned as per proof of address undergoes a change, fresh proof of address may be submitted to
the branch within a period of 6 months.
In cases where customer is not able to submit local proof of address, the bank may accept a declaration of the local
address on which all correspondence will be made by the bank with the customer. Customers are not required to submit
any proof for such address for correspondence/local address. Bank may verify this address through positive confirmation
such as acknowledgment of receipt of letter, cheque books, ATM cards, telephonic conversation.
If the address for correspondence undergoes a change, the customer may inform about the new address to the bank
within 2 weeks of such a change.
Trucks carrying PDS foodgrains to be tracked with GPS
June 10, 2014
In order to curb the menace of diversion of rations meant for lakhs of families which are below the poverty
line, Delhi government has decided to track the trucks carrying food-grains with the help of Global Positioning System (GPS)
and Radio-Frequency IDentification ( RFID). The Department of Food, Supplies and Consumer Affairs has started work for
establishing a comprehensive web based, real time tracking system for effective implementation of the Public Distribution
System.
The movement of vehicles will be continuously under vigilance to ensure that the ration commodities are properly and timely
delivered to the Fair Price Shops (FPS) and are not diverted to the open market. It will be implemented by the Delhi State
Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC) Limited which is responsible for supplying food-grains from the six Food Corporation
of India (FCI) godowns in Delhi to about 2,500 FPS across the city.
Sikkim government reserves 12% jobs for BPL
June 10, 2014
As per an announcement made by the Sikkim government, there will be 12% reservation in all state government jobs and
posts in public sector undertakings for candidates living Below Poverty Line (BPL). Only those BPL persons who are of
Sikkimese origin will be eligible for this 12% horizontal reservation. As per the latest data released by the Planning
Commission, Sikkim has just about 8% people living below poverty line which is equal to about 55,000 BPL people in the
state.
Mudgal Panel: Sourav Ganguly joins Mudgal Panel probing IPL spot-fixing &
betting scandal
June 10, 2014
Sourav Ganguly, former India cricket team skipper, has been inducted into theSupreme Court appointed Mudgal Panel that
has been set up to investigate the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal including probing the 13 names that are mentioned in
the sealed envelope that it had submitted to the court in February 2013.
The apex court had asked the panel to select a cricketer of impeccable integrity after which names of Ganguly was under
consideration.
Petro Poroshenko takes oath as Ukraine President
June 10, 2014
Petro Poroshenko, billionare owner of the Roshen chocolates group, who is also popular as Chocolate King, sworn in as
the Ukraine President. Poroshenko offered political concessions to people in the conflict-ridden east and said he did not want

69
war or revenge. Mr Poroshenko made an ardent appeal for the unity of the country.
He held that he has told Russian President that Crimea, which Moscow has annexed, would always be Ukrainian.Mr.
Poroshenko has assumed power at a time when Crimea which was part of Ukraine until now, has now been annexed
byRussia.
P.K Mishra is PMs Additional Principal Secretary
June 10, 2014
P K Mishra (65), a 1972-batch retired IAS officer of Gujarat cadre and formerAgriculture Secretary, has been appointed as
the Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr. Mishra had served between 2001 and 2004 as
Principal Secretary to Modi when he was Gujarat CM. Mishras appointment will be co-terminus with the term of the Prime
Minister or till further orders.
Former TRAI Chairman Nripendra Misra, 69, was on May 28, 2014 appointed Principal Secretary to Modi.
Uttarakhand Cabinet gives nod to Pension Scheme for Farmers
June 10, 2014
The Uttarakhand Government has given nod to two popular schemes including a pension scheme for farmers and a scheme
to air-lift doctors to remote areas of the state.
Pension Scheme for Farmers: Under this scheme for farmers, all those farmers doing farming on 2 hectare piece of land
will get a monthly pension of Rs 800.
Air-lift of Doctors Scheme: Under this scheme, doctors and pharmacists along with medicines will be air-lifted to remote
villages, where they will attend to patients for a month and then will be replaced by another group of doctors.
Kudankulam is Indias first nuke plant to produce 1,000 MW of power
June 10, 2014
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) achieved its full power generation potential and thus became Indias first nuclear
power plant to generate 1,000 Mega Watt (MW) of electricity. Other nuclear plants in India generally generate only around
540 MW of power while in the case of thermal plants it could increase up to 660 or 680 MW. Thus, in terms of capacity,
Kudankulam Unit I is a significant achievement.
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP)
KNPP is a nuclear power plant in Koodankulam in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu in India. The plants first reactor is the
first Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) belonging to the Light Water Reactor (LWR) category in India, and the 21st
nuclear
power reactor in the country. It is considered as the harbinger of thelarge-size LWR technology in India. The plant
faced
several impediments during its construction phase from March 31, 2002 to 2013 which delayed it.
Delayed: The project was delayed mainly due to the 500-day long anti-nuclear protests by the locals, led by the Peoples
Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE). The first reactor of the plant attained criticality on July 13, 2013.
Duration: Around 6 years after the scheduled date, and 12 years after the construction of the plant started, the plant was
commissioned when unit 1 was synchronized with the southern power grid on October 22, 2013.
Cost: The original cost of the two units was Rs. 13,171 crore, but it was later revised to Rs. 17,270 crore. A credit of Rs.
6,416 crore was advanced by Russiato both the units- I and II of Kudankulam.
RBI increases CRR to 4% for non-scheduled UCBs
June 9, 2014
From July 12, 2014, non-scheduled Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) will have to keep more of their deposits with the
central bank as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has raised the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) for these banks by 100 basis
points to 4%. One basis point is equal to one hundredth of a percentage. The step will bring non-scheduled UCBs on par with
scheduled primary UCBs. There are around 1,500 non-scheduled UCBs in India. To bring the primary UCBs on equal ground
with commercial banks, the central bank slashed the Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) requirement for them by 50 basis points
to 22.50%.
SLR is that portion of a banks deposits which the lender needs to keep in the form of gold, government bonds and
securities. RBI has slashed the SLR requirement of banks to 22.5%.
CRR is that part of a banks deposits that it needs to maintain with RBI. This money earns no interest. The current CRR
level is 4%.
Achook and Agrim commissioned into Indian Coastguard
June 9, 2014
Two ships ICGS Achook and ICGS Agrim, the fifth and sixth ships in a series of20 fast patrol vessels have been inducted

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into the Indian Coastguard. These ships are new generation fast patrol vessels fitted with highly developed communication
equipment and will be positioned in Mumbai.
These fast petrol vessels are being built at Cochin shipyard which is also building Indias first indigenous aircraft carrier.
Never dispense with your debit/credit card PIN: RBI
June 9, 2014
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) made it compulsory for debit and credit card holders to key in the Personal
Identification Number (PIN) while making transactions at retail outlets across the country. While the guideline is followed to
curb frauds, cardholders still have a lot of doubt and fear about possible misuse of their cards. Many cases of fraud have
happened as many people reveal the recently-obtained PINs, either in good faith or out of ignorance. Earlier, it was easier for
fraudsters to create counterfeit cards with magnetic strips, or embed details on stolen cards and misuse them. But now the
number of such frauds is likely to decrease as several banks have begun issuing of cards with embedded chips. Besides, if a
cardholder enters the wrong PIN three times, the card gets blocked for a day. Banks have also started to provide wireless
swiping machines Electronic Data Capture (EDC) machines.
RBIs advice to cardholders for a safer transaction:
While there are no norms against merchants seeking the PIN from customers, it is the right of the customers to key in the
PIN themselves.
Customers should go where the EDC machine is kept and key in the PIN on their own for a safer transaction.
They should cover the keypad while keying in the PIN, both inside the ATM and while using EDC machines.
Customers should register their mobile numbers with their banks to get an intimation of the transaction as soon as the
card is swiped.
Customers should keep changing their PIN every 3 months to prevent cyber fraud.
RBI is also collaborating with various banks to hold electronic bankingawareness and training (e-Baat) programmes.
Tennis French Open: Rafael Nadal clinches mens title
June 9, 2014
Spaniard Rafael Nadal maintained his dominance in the French Open as he defeated Serbian Novak Djokovic in the final
match. French Open 2014 is Nadals 14th career Grand Slam title. World no.1 Nadal also became the first man to win five
Roland Garros crowns in a row as he took his record at the tournament to 66 wins against just one defeat. With 14 Grand
Slams, Nadal has equaled the mark of Pete Sampras. Now, he is just three behind the all-time record of Roger Federer.
Tennis French Open: Maria Sharapova wins womens title
June 9, 2014
Maria Sharapova won French Open womens title after defeating Simona Halep in the final. It was Sharapovas second
French Open title victory. She has now won five Grand Slam titles, taking her to joint-11th on the Open era list alongside
Martina Hingis.
The Russian rallied from a set down three straight times to reach this years French Open final and then prevailed in thrilling
three-hour finale against rising star Simona Halep, 6-4 6-7 6-4. Halep, 22, might have been playing in her first Grand Slam
final but she pushed the 2012 champion to the limit as for the first time since 2001, the French Open womens final would
require a final set.
ICICI Bank leaves behind HDFC Bank as biggest private bank employer
June 9, 2014
ICICI Bank has overtaken its competitor HDFC in terms of employee number with addition of over 10,000 jobs in the last
fiscal. With this, ICICI has emerged as the biggest employer in the private banking space with more than 72,000 employees.
Except HDFC, the employee strength of other five lenders ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd
Bank and Yes Bank has increased by over 20,000 in 2013-14. ICICI Bank has also recorded higher total income and profits
than HDFC Bank in the latest fiscal year. The number of employees in HDFC Bank was 68,165 at the end of last fiscal, while
the same of ICICI Bank expanded by 10,161 to 72,226.
With the increase in staff strength, the staff expenses have also surged. But, at the same time, the Productivity Ratios
measured in terms of profit per employee and business per employee have also improved for most of these
banks. Even for HDFC Bank, regardless of the reduction in its employee strength, profit per employee enhanced from Rs 10
lakh to Rs 12 lakh in 2013-14, while business per employee was up at Rs 8.9 crore (compared to Rs 7.5 crore in 2012-
13). For ICICI Bank, profit per employee has remained nearly unchanged at Rs 14 lakh, while business per employee
increased slightly to Rs 7.47 crore.
Chandrababu Naidu takes oath as Andhra Pradesh CM
June 9, 2014

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Head of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Nara Chandrababu Naidu (64) has been sworn-in as the first Chief Minister of the
residuary state of Andhra Pradesh. Mr. Naidu was administered the oath of office by Governor E S L Narasimhan.
Mr. Naidu has served as the CM of (united) Andhra Pradesh for 8 years (from 1995 to May 2004) the longest tenure for any
CM of Andhra. He has been elected as an MLA seven times and also holds the record as the longest-serving Leader of
Opposition in Andhra Pradesh between 2004 and 2014.
Post bifurcation, APs new geographical expanse is about 1.60 lakh sq km while its population is around 5 crore. Although
Andhra Pradesh has been divided intoTelangana and residuary Andhra, Hyderabad will remain the common capital for
both states for next 10 years.
RBIs second Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement, 2014-15
June 8, 2014
Monetary and Liquidity Measures
On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation, RBI has been decided the following key
rates:
RR (Reverse Repo Rate)
RRR (Reverse Repo Rate)
LAF (Liquidity Adjustment Facility)
CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio)
SLR (Statutory Liquidity Ratio)
NDTL (Net Demand and Time Liabilities)
ECR (Export Credit Refiance)
Delhi LG sets up Expenditure Finance Committee
June 7, 2014
Delhis Lieutenant Governor, Najeeb Jung, has set up Expenditure FinanceCommittee (EFC) of the Delhi government
under the chairmanship of S K Srivastava who is also the Chief Secretary of Delhi government. The panel will concur
expenditure on Schemes/Projects/Capital works relating to construction of roads, flyovers, footover bridges, subways, school
buildings, hospital buildings etc. up to value of Rs 100 crore.
As per the norms for concurring expenditure on capital works:
The Head of Department of the concerned department is competent to concur expenditure sanctions for capital works up
to Rs 5 crore
For more than Rs 5 crore, Finance Department is competent to concur expenditure sanctions worth Rs 10 crore for capital
works.
For expenditure more than 10 crore and up to Rs 100 crore would need concurrence of Expenditure Finance Committee
as this panel has the authority to concur expenditure sanctions up to Rs 100 crore for the projects of capital works.
The projects with expenditure of more than Rs 100 crore require concurrence of cabinet and in the absence of a cabinet
such projects need concurrence of Lt. Governor.
RBI hikes CRR for non-scheduled urban co-operative banks
June 6, 2014
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)for non-scheduled Urban Co-operative
Banks (UCBs) by 100 basis points from 3% to 4%. The step will bring nonscheduled UCBs on par with scheduled primary
urban co-operative banks. There are around 1,500 unscheduled UCBs in India.
CRR is a part of a banks deposits that it needs to keep with RBI. This money generates no interest. The current CRR level is
4%.
In an another step, the apex bank has slashed the Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) requirement for the primary UCBs by 50
basis points to 22.50% in order to bring them on equal footing with commercial banks.SLR is that portion of a banks
deposits that it needs to maintain in gold, government bonds and securities.
Sumitra Mahajan: Speaker of 16th Lok Sabha
June 6, 2014
Sumitra Mahajan (71) was elected Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabhaunopposed. She has gained the honor of becoming
the second woman presiding officer of the lower house after her predecessor Meira Kumar.
Mahajan, the longest-serving woman MP, was elected after a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded
by BJP leader L K Advani was adopted by voice vote called by pro tem Speaker Kamal Nath.
Bashar al-Assad retains Presidency of Syria
June 6, 2014

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been elected for a 3rd term in office. He won the recently held presidential polls by
securing around 88% votes. President Assads rivals- Hassan al-Nouri and Maher Hajjar, got 4.3% and 3.2% of the vote
respectively.
Earlier, the Supreme Constitutional Court had announced that some 11.63 million Syrians voted out of a total of 15.85 million
eligible voters. Voting was held in government-controlled areas, but not in parts of the north and east under seize by rebels.
The Syrian government is battling with a long running civil war waged by rebels. The victory is likely to boost Assads
supporters. Over the past year, the government has made major military gains and rebel groups have fought among
themselves. Thousands of people have died in three years of civil war in Syria, with millions more dislocated.
Vice Admiral Anil Chopra takes charge as the Western Naval Commander
June 6, 2014
Vice admiral Anil Chopra, took chanrge as the flag officer commanding-in-chief of the Western Naval Command (WNC). The
ceremonial parade was held at INS Shikra, Mumbai. He succeeded Vice admiral Shekhar Sinha who took voluntary
retirement on April 21, 2014.
Previous to his appointment, Vice admiral Chopra was the director general Indian Coast Guard. Under his controls, the Coast
Guard observed an exponential surge in both its force levels, and operational dispositions. Chopra who got commissioned
into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1975, had also been been the fleet commander of the Navys Sword Arm the Western Fleet
in 2008.
Quebec becomes first province to legalize Right-to-Die
June 5, 2014
Quebec province in Canada has become the first province to legalize doctor-assisted death as part of
comprehensive end-of-life legislation.
The National Assembly passed Bill 52, an Act respecting end-of-life care. The Bill was passed with 80% votes is favor. Those
who voted against were all Liberals.
The law stipulates the conditions in which a terminally ill adult patient who is of sound mind may request continuous palliative
sedation that would lead to death. To access this right, patients would need to be terminally ill and should be in an
advanced
state of irreversible decline in capacities. They would also have to be in constant and unbearable physical and psychological
pain that doctors would view as impossible to relieve through medication.
The procedure for making the request would be overseen by the attending physician and approved through consultation with
the hospitals medical team. A patient could at any time withdraw a signed request for medical aid in dying.
The contentious issue is being widely debated across the country. The law will take effect at the end of 2015.
Indias Lieutenant General (retired) Abhijit Guha appointed member of UN panel on
peacekeeping
June 5, 2014
Lieutenant General (retd) Abhijit Guha of Indian Army has been appointed as a member on a five-member UN expert
panel on peacekeeping that will advice theinternational body on how to use new technologies and innovations in that field.
Guha has recently completed a term as director of the office for peacekeeping strategic partnerships in the department of
peacekeeping operations and also served as the former deputy military adviser in the department from 2010 until 2012.
The panel would visit field missions and consult extensively with UN member nations, partner organizations with similar field
operations, non-governmental and governmental research bodies and think tanks as well as industry leaders in areas of
interest to United Nations peacekeeping.
The panel would suggest how UN peacekeeping can benefit from available and upcoming technological innovations and how
it can be leveraged to facilitate peacekeepers to react more effectively to a rising number of complex, multidimensional tasks
in challenging field environments.
Private schools come under the purview of RTI Act: Chief Information Commission
June 5, 2014
As per an order by the Central Information Commission (CIC), private schools, whether public authority or not, must provide
information on service records and salaries. The order came on an RTI plea filed by an ex-employee of Jindal Public
School with Directorate of Education demanding a certified copy of service book and other details from her past employer.
Though the Directorate of Education provided the information available with them but the school declined to give the
information, saying RTI Act did not apply on it.
Private unaided schools had contested an earlier CIC order in court which said that schools must provide information related
to vacant seats, EWS quota but would be exempt from furnish information on disbursement of salaries, publicbudget estimate

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of receipts etc.
June 5 observed as World Environment Day 2014
June 5, 2014
June 5 was celebrated as the World Environment Day across the globe with an emphasis for global awareness on taking
action to protect the environment.
Backed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the 2014 World Environment Day (WED) coincides with
the International Year of Small Island Developing States, which was declared by the United Nations General Assembly to
spread awareness of and to draw attention to the critical problems faced by the worlds islands.
World Environment Day which is also called Eco Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972.
WED 2014 theme and Official Slogan
Theme: Small Islands and Climate Change.
Official slogan: Raise Your Voice Not The Sea Level.
Afghan-US ties strained over the issue of Bergdahl-U.S. PoW Taliban swap
June 5, 2014
Afghanistans government has taken exception to a U.S. deal to release five high-risk Taliban militants in exchange for a U.S.
soldier. Afghanistan argues that the release of the men from a Guantanamo Bay jail to Qatar transgressesinternational law.
The five prisoners were taken to Qatar as part of the deal to free army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only known U.S. prisoner of
war (PoW) in Afghanistan, held captive for five years. Bergdahl was flown out of Afghanistan to a military hospital inGermany.
Who is Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl?
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is a US soldier who was deployed in Afghanistan war. He was captured by Taliban terrorists in 2009
and had been held captive for five years. As part of US efforts to free him, the country negotiated a deal cut by Qatari
intermediaries to swap him in exchange of 5 Taliban militant who had been in detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where
they had been held since it opened in 2002, and flown to Qatar where they must stay for a year.
Why Afghanistan protesting the US move?
Afghanistan is angry over the swap and suspects that the high ranked terrorists would rejoin the Taliban. It also says that no
government can transfer citizens of a country to a third country as prisoners. At least two of them are suspected of
committing war crimes, including the murder of thousands of Afghan Shias, according to leaked U.S. military cables. Many
view the US move as a further sign of a U.S. intention to disengage from Afghanistan as quickly as possible. The US has
plans to completely withdraw all of its troops by the end of 2016.
Researchers develop roof tiles to combat air pollution
June 5, 2014
Researchers at University of California have developed a new titanium dioxide roof tile coating that when applied to an
average-sized residential roof breaks down smog-causing nitrogen oxides.
As per their calculations, 21 tonnes of nitrogen oxides would be removed daily if tiles on one million roofs were coated with
their titanium dioxide mixture. It was found that the titanium dioxide coated tiles removed between 88% and 97% of the
nitrogen oxides.
As per researchers, it would cost just $5 for coating an average-sized residential roof with titanium dioxide.
Nitrogen oxides are produced when certain fuels are burned at high temperatures. Nitrogen oxide reacts with volatile organic
compounds in the presence of sunlight to form smog.
EU revokes drug export ban from Ranbaxys Toansa plant
June 5, 2014
The European health regulator- the European Medicines Agency (EMA)- revoked the suspension imposed on export of
drugs manufactured at the Ranbaxys Toansa plant to the European Union (EU), saying medicines manufactured at the site
posed no threat to public health despite having a number of manufacturing deficiencies.
Former Airtel CEO Sanjay Kapoor becomes Micromax chairman
June 5, 2014
Indian handset maker Micromax has announced the appointment of Sanjay Kapoor, former CEO of Bharti Airtel as the
companys chairman.
Micromax will be looking to exploit Sanjays experience in establishing Airtel and his industry expertise.
India Elected to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the
Intangible
Cultural Heritage

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June 5, 2014
In the elections to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held on June 4,
2014 at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris by the General Assembly of member states, India has been elected for the next 4
years (2014-2018). Out of the 142 member states present and voting, India won a decisive 135 votes. India got the maximum
number of votes midst the ten nations that fought the election and won.
The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has 24 members who are
chosen for a term of 4 years. The primary tasks of the Committee are to protect the Intangible Cultural Heritage
(ICH), safeguarding esteem for the intangible cultural heritage of nations, groups and individuals, as also to increase
responsiveness at the local, national andinternational levels of the significance of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
India has been elected to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the
second time (previous term being from 2006-2010).
A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride wins Baileys womens prize for
fiction
June 4, 2014
The Irish author Eimear McBride has been awarded the Baileys book prize for her first novel titled A Girl is a
Halfformed
Thing. Her competitor was Donna Tartts colossal third novel, The Goldfinch.
McBrides dark family story, penned in a forceful narrative of an anonymous narrator, won over the judges of the womens
prize for fiction, previously known asthe Orange prize.
J&K Govt. increased retirement age of state employees to 60
June 4, 2014
The Jammu & Kashmir government has increased the retirement age of government employees from 58 to 60. The state
Cabinet also enhanced the minimum age for eligibility for entry into government service by 3 years to 40. It also decided to
employ into regular government service all temporary casual labourers and need-based workers who had completed 7 years
of service. The decision is likely to benefit more than 60,000 employees
IAF Mountaineering Team explored Mt Garud Parvat an unclimbed peak in
Arunachal
Pradesh
June 2, 2014
Indian Air Force launched a mountaineering excursion to Gorichen region ofArunachal Pradesh with a goal to discover
and climb unclimbed peaks. The team led by Wg Cdr D Panda, included 15 air warriors. After widespread search and
scouting, the team summited an unclimbed peak of height 5887M. It was a exciting and exhausting task for the team to
discover unexplored terrain and find a way up the mountain peak. This was the very first time that IAF has attempted an
exploration into this area of Eastern Himalayas.
The peak lies on the west of Mt Gorichen and has been named as Mt GarudParvat by the IAF team who ascended it for
the
first time in history.
CSO releases provisional estimates of national income for the financial year 2013-
14
June 2, 2014
The Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, released the provisional estimates
of national income for the financial year 2013-14 and the quarterly estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the fourth
quarter (January-March) of 2013-14, both at constant (2004-05) and current prices.It also released corresponding annual and
quarterly estimates of Expenditure components of the GDP in current and constant (2004-05) prices, namely the private final
consumption expenditure, government final consumption expenditure, gross fixed capital formation, change in stocks,
valuables, and net exports.
GDP growth rates for 2013-14 and Q1,Q2,Q3 and Q4 of 2013-14 at constant (2004-05) and current prices are given
below:
Provisional Estimates of the National Income 2013-14:
On February 7, 2014, the advance estimates of national income for the year 2013-14 were released . They have now been
revised including now the latest estimates of agricultural production, index of industrial production and performance of key
sectors like, railways, transport other than railways, communication, banking,insurance and government expenditure.

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Estimates at constant (2004-05) prices:
GDP at factor cost at constant (2004-05) prices in the year 2013-14 is now estimated at Rs 57.42 lakh crore (as against
Rs 57.49 lakh crore estimated earlier on February 7, 2014), showing a growth rate of 4.7% (as against 4.9%t estimated
earlier) over the First Revised Estimates of GDP for the year 2012-13 of Rs 54.82 lakh crore, released on January 31,
2014.
Gross National Income (GNI) at factor cost at 2004-05 prices is now estimated at Rs 56.74 lakh crore (as compared
to Rs 56.81 lakh crore estimated on February 7, 2014), during 2013-14, as against the previous years First Revised
Estimate of Rs 54.17 lakh crore.
In terms of growth rates, the GNI is estimated to have risen by 4.7% during 2013-14, in comparison to the growth rate of
4.1 % in 2012-13.
Per capita net national income in real terms (at 2004-05 prices) during 2013-14 is estimated to have attained a level of
Rs 39,904 (as against Rs 39,961 estimated on February 7, 2014), as compared to the First Revised Estimates for the
year 2012-13 of Rs 38,856. The growth rate in per capita income is estimated at 2.7% during 2013-14 as against 2.1%
during 2012-13.
Estimates at current prices:
GDP at factor cost at current prices in the year 2013-14 is estimated at Rs 104.73 lakh crore, showing a growth rate of
11.5% over the First Revised Estimates of GDP for the year 2012-13 of Rs 93.89 lakh crore, released on January 31,
2014.
Gross National Income (GNI) at factor cost at current prices is now estimated at Rs 103.45 lakh crore during 2013-14, as
compared to Rs 92.72 lakh crore during 2012-13, showing a rise of 11.6%.
Per capita income at current prices during 2013-14 is estimated to have attained a level of Rs 74,380 as compared to the
First Revised Estimates for the year 2012-13 of Rs 67,839 showing a rise of 9.6%.
Telangana now officially 29th state of India
June 2, 2014
Telangana formally became the countrys 29th state of India and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar
Rao (KCR) took oath as Telanganas first Chief Minister. Telangana consists of the 10 north-western districts of Andhra
Pradesh.
Backgrounder:
In the history of India, it happened for the first time that outside Hindi and Bengali speaking areas, 2 states speaking
the same language have been created (Telangana and AP are both Telugu speaking states. In addition to more than
one Hindi speaking state, there are two Bengali speaking states: West Bengal and Tripura.
This essentially challenges the roots (the linguistic basis of states in which language being believed as the measure for a
similar culture) on which during the first decade after Independence, the internal map of the Indian Union was re-drawn. This
essentially now leaves a space for an additional exercise to redraw the internal map of India.
Albeit there was a request for a combined Telugu state even previous to our Independence, the Nehru-led regime formed AP
(Andhra Pradesh) owing to vested political interests of the Congress leaders. Now, History has completed a circle.
The Congress faced a hard electoral contest from the Communists in the Andhra state that was in 1953 sliced out of the
Telugu speaking regions of then Madras state. Thus, it was settled to combine Andhra with the Telugu speaking parts of the
territory of the ousted Nizam of Hyderabad, so as to form a bigger state where the communists could be whitewashed.
The next unspoken motive of the Nehru regime was that, after being humiliated by the experience of the integration of
Kashmir it, didnt desire to let away the regions of the Nizam as they were. Consequently, whilst the Telugu language parts
went to Andhra Pradesh, the Marathi and Kannada language parts went to Bombay and Mysore provinces.
This workout proved good for the Congress as it shaped a monopoly for the Congress in the 1977 post-Emergency elections.
Albeit at the national level the Congress was badly beaten yet it won 41 of the 42 seats in Andhra Pradesh. The subsequent
year, Indira Gandhi sailed back to the Lok Sabha from Medak.
But the Congress CMs (Chief Ministers) did nothing to encourage rural empowerment. The only CM (Mr. Narasimha Rao)
who tried something, confronted resistance from vested interests and was sacked. Thus, rising rural anger led to Maoism in
these areas.
In 1983, the Congress was substituted by the NT Rama Raos TDP (Telugu Desam Party). The son-in-law of Rama Rao,
Chandrababu Naidu, became the first CM all ever in India to hold on to economic developments. Chandrababu Naidu soon
turned capital city Hyderabad into an IT hub. But the rural areas were ignored and suicide by farmers rose. Shortly an
isolated drive started in the state with the people of Telangana supposing that they would be well off as an independent state.
Thus in 2004, Chandrababu Naidu was substituted by Congressman Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. Reddy began a rule of
freeships
(viz. free electricity, fee refunds to students, free houses, free medical care et al). Albeit these efforts taxed the

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exchequer but transformed into significant electoral gains for the Congress, permitting it to make a government at the centre.
Subsequent to the sudden death of YSR, the Congress went into a panic state. In 2014, in order to benefit on apparent
political gain, Congress passed a bill to split the state. Unluckily for the Congress, the attempt proved futile to gain it political
bonus and it was deeply rejected in both areas.
Anand Mahindra first Indian to be honoured with Harvard Medal
June 2, 2014
Mahindra Group Chairman Anand G Mahindra became the first Indian to be honoured with the prestigious Harvard
Medal for his dedication, generosity and service to the university. In 1977, Mahindra is an alumnus of the
HarvardUniversity. He graduated with Honours (Magna Cum Laude) from Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He
completed his MBA from the Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts in 1981.
Mahindra is the Co-founder of the Harvard Business School (HBS) Association ofIndia and he is also a instituting member of
the universitys South Asia Institute (SAI), the HBS India Research Center, and the SAI field office in Mumbai, India. In 2010,
Mahindra made a gift of $10 million to the Humanities Centre which was then renamed the Mahindra Humanities Center in
honor of his mother, Indira Mahindra.
Chester Nez, last of original Navajo code talkers of WW II, passed away
June 4, 2014
Chester Nez (93), the last one of the original Navajo code talkers credited for developing an unbreakable code during World
War II, passed away. The Marine Corps mourns his death as the end of an era- for both the nation and its armed forces.
Nez was the last remaining of the original 29 Navajos recruited by the Marine Corps to develop the legendary code that was
used for vital communications during battle. They created a code, including developing a dictionary.
Navajo was chosen as a code language because its syntax and tonal qualities were almost impossible for a non-Navajo to
learn, and it had no written form.
The Navajo code flummoxed the Japanese, who had successfully decrypted codes used by the U.S. Army. After the war, the
Japanese chief of intelligence, Lt. General Seizo Arisue, admitted they were never able to decipher the Navajo code used by
the Marines.
A film was also made in 2002 named Windtalkers, starring Adam Beach and Nicolas Cage, followed the fictional account
of
two Marines assigned to protect two code talkers during the battle of Saipan.
Indias HSBC services PMI expands for first time in nearly a year
June 4, 2014
Motivated by a spurt in new business, Indias giant services industry stretched for the first time in a year in May 2014. HSBC
Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), accumulated by Markit, climbed to 50.2 in May 2014 from 48.5 in April 2014,
the first growth above the 50 mark that splits growth from contraction since June 2103. The rise was mainly reinforced by a
bounce in fresh orders and development in client demand. Also a triumph for Narendra Modi has driven anticipations for key
economic developments following years of policy paralysis.
Purchasing Managers Indexes (PMI) are economic pointers ensuing from monthly surveys of private sector
companies. The PMI index (which is based on 5 major indicators: new orders, inventory levels, production, supplier
deliveries and the employment environment), is a gauge of the economic wellbeing of the manufacturing sector. A
PMI reading above 50 indicates that the sector is expanding, a reading under 50 shows that the output in the sector
is contracting, whereas a reading at 50 indicates no change.
Pakistan Budget 2014 allocates Rs.700 billion for Defense
June 3, 2014
Pakistans Defense budget has been raised to Rs700. 2 billion for the fiscal year 2014-15 starting on July 1,
compared with Rs 627.2 billion provided in the last fiscal, which shows a jack up of Rs 73 billion.
However, the military had demanded an increase of Rs 173 billion in defense spending.
As per military officials, the increase is justified as Pakistan militarys expenses are lowest in the region given the volatile
security atmosphere.
As per Pakistans defense ministry, out of the whole defense budget, Pakistan Army gets 48%, 20% to Pakistan Air force and
Navy will get 10%.
West Bengal, Maharashtra sign agreement to help victims of trafficking
June 3, 2014
The governments of West Bengal and Maharashtra have inked an MoU to facilitate identification and repatriation of women
and children who are victims of human trafficking.

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The governments signed pact to follow a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to establish identities of those rescued. It has
been seen in most cases that when the Maharashtra Police rescue some women or children and find that they are
Bengalispeaking,
they send them to the State without establishing their identity or following any procedures. Since the identities of
those rescued are not ascertained sometimes, rescue homes in the State are flooded with women and girls from Bangladesh.
It has also been observed that many a time police from other States brings the victims to the shelters without informing the
State government. The MoU will ensure that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is followed to establish identities of
those rescued. Maharashtra will repatriate the women directly to Bangladesh once the place they are from is confirmed.
Lalima: Female buffalo calf cloned by National Dairy Research Institute
June 3, 2014
Scientists of National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) in Karnal, Haryana have cloned a female buffalo calf named
as Lalima. The cloning is the work of advanced hand-guided cloning technique.
Lalima is NDRIs seventh cloned calf. The institute had produced the worlds first cloned buffalo calf in 2009. Three of the 7
cloned calves had died. Lalima was born by normal delivery and its weight at the time of birth was around 36kg. The calf is in
good health and weighs 42kg at present.
To produce Lalima, the donor cell was taken from the ear of a high milk yielding murrah buffalo which produced 2,713kg milk
in standard lactation period of 305 days. As per experts, the new achievement of producing cloned calf from adult lactating
animals by hand-guided cloning technique would enable faster multiplication of elite germplasm and help tackle the
challenges of increasing demand of milk in the country.
India has worlds largest population of buffaloes, which produce about 55% of the total milk production in the country but still
there is an urgent need to increase the population of elite buffaloes as their number is very small.
The high yielding breed of murrah buffalo produces up to 32kg of milk daily, almost double than that of an ordinary buffalo.
Obama administration demonstrates historic rules to cut coal pollution by 30%
June 3, 2014
The Obama administration showed notable environment directives for clipping carbon pollution from power plants by 30%,
stimulating vision for a global agreement to end climate change. The fresh rules, officially declared by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), characterise the first time Barack Obama, or any other President, has been motivated to control
carbon pollution from power plants. Power plants are the biggest single source of Carbon dioxide (CO2) discharges that
trigger climate change.
The directives, which would slash carbon pollution from power plants by 30% from 2005 levels by 2030, would combat
climate change whilst furnishing US with steadfast and cheap power. Former US Vice-President Al Gore on EPA Carbon
Emissions Guidelines held that the novel rules were the most important step taken to combat the climate crisis in our
countrys history.
The guidelines would hopefully prove to be a critical step to dealing with climate change. Power plants are the largest single
source of carbon pollution, accounting for nearly 40% of the emissions that trigger climate change.
At present, in US there are no national restrictions to the amount of carbon pollution that Power plants can pump into the
atmosphere. Albeit, CO2 from power plants had been falling since 2005, owing to the economic recession and the shift from
coal to inexpensive natural gas.
Thus, these directives would put US on passage for long term and long-term cuts to carbon pollution. These fresh
standards would also send a strong communication across the world that its occasion to face the universal risk of
climate change.
The rules could affect 1,600 power plants across US. About 600 of these operate on coal, including many that are
nearly 50 years old and will have the most difficulty meeting the new standards.
States and Power companies will have a variety of alternatives to accomplish the new standards: substituting coal by
cleaner-burning natural gas; establishing cap-and-trade markets; increasing renewables such as wind and solar power;
or boosting customers to consume less energy by switching to more effective heating and cooling appliances. States
will have to come up with a plan till 2016 to mee the goals. Some states will have less go-getting targets, while others will
have more.
But the lobby groups for the coal industry, which will be hit toughest by the fresh directions, held that the directives
would upset the economy and lead to power outages. The Republicans also held the fresh benchmarks would kill coal
and eventually lead to power outages.
Union Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde dies
June 3, 2014
Rural Development Minister and senior BJP leader fromMaharashtra Gopinath Munde (64) died in a road accident

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inDelhi, while he was on his way to Delhi airport when his car was rammed by a speeding Indica, leading to his death.
Although he didnt suffer any serious injuries, he seemingly underwent a shock in the shock of accident.
Munde was chosen as the Rural Development Minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modis Cabinet.
RGCAs Lab is Indias First NABL Accredited Aquaculture Pathology Lab
June 3, 2014
The Central Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA), the Research &
Development arm of MPEDA (Marine Products Export Development Authority), has now become the first aquaculture
pathology laboratory in the India to be accredited by NABL (National Accreditation Board For Testing & Calibration
Laboratories).
In September 2011, RGCA MPEDA started a state-of-the-art Central Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory at its HQs in Sirkali,
TamilNadu. The laboratory has been attending to the aquaculture industry of India by furnishing well-timed and steadfast
diagnosis of several diseases faced during the culture of finfish, shrimps and freshwater prawns. The laboratory is
outfitted with all the state-of-the-art disease diagnostic tools and has 3 component units for Molecular Pathology,
Histopathology and Microbiology which collectively help in diagnosis of several diseases faced by the aquaculture industry.
The laboratory manages periodical and requirement centred aquaculture disease surveillance in India for the help of the
seafood export industry. All the identified diseases affecting the shrimp/prawn/ fish are identified at this laboratory which
comprises the of late feared shrimp diseases viz. Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS)/ Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis
Disease (AHPND).
Uttar Pradesh Govt. to launch helpline for women in every district
June 2, 2014
The UP government which is facing criticism from all quarters over resent assaults and killing of two teenage girls
in Badaun district, has directed authorities to launch a helpline in every district of the state to deal with women harassment
complaints.
The helpline would be monitored by the SSPs and SPs. The inquiries into the complaints of harrassment made by women will
be ensured through women cell, which will also be supervised by the SSPs and SPs of the districts concerned.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Kumar has directed the district magistrates and police chiefs to rush to the spot as soon as they
receive information of any rape and ensure effective action.
India ranked 2nd in global textile export: UN Comtrade
June 2, 2014
As per the data released by UN Comtrade, India has emerged as the second largest textile exporter in the world beating
rivals like Italy, Germany andBangladesh in calender year 2013.China has retained the top position.
India commands 5.2% share of global textile export with its current exports worth $ 40.2 billion, while the total global textiles
exports estimated at $ 772 billion.
The dominant factor behind the surge in textiles exports from India is the growth in the apparel and clothing sector as
these owe almost 43% of the exports share.
The exports have got the backing of governments policy of diversification of market and product base. India has also
enhanced its position by two ranks in the Apparel exports from 8th position in 2012 to 6th position in 2013. The countrys
Apparel exports stood at $ 15.7 billion in 2013 as against $ 12.9 billion in 2012. Indias Apparel exports account for 3.7%
share in the global readymade garment exports.
Velocirobot : Robotic dinosaur which can faster than Usain Bolt
June 2, 2014
Researchers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon have built a robotic dinosaur which
has a top speed is 28.5mph (46km/h). The robot which has been named Velocirobot has two nimble legs and a tail for
balance and could theoretically out-run Olympian Usain Bolt.
The inspiration to create a speedy dinosaur robot is based on the now extinct velociraptor, which lived between 75 and 71
million years ago.
The robot has two strong legs that can propel it to speeds of 28.5mph (46km/h) which is just fast enough to beat Usain Bolt in
a race. The worlds fastest runner, Usain Bolt, can run at 27.4mph.
Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt clinch medals in Italy
June 2, 2014
Well-known Indian wrestling players Yogeshwar Dutt and Sushil Kumar put up an impressive performance on debut in new
weight categories by clinching a gold and silver medal respectively in the International Competition in Sassari city,Italy.
London Olympics bronze-medalist Yogeshwar bagged the gold medal in the 65kg category while two-time Olympic

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medalist Sushil won the silver in the 74kg category.
MoEFCC launches online system for green nod
June 1, 2014
The Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)launched a system for online submission of
applications for environment clearance.
It is expected that the new user-friendly system would bring transparency in the controversial issue of environmental
clearance.
The system will enable the applicants as well as the clearance authorities to keep a tab on the entire process while complying
with the timeline of various clearances\rejections. The ministry has plans to start a similar online system for forest clearance
in July 2014.
Under the new online system:
Stage-wise approval and compliance mechanism will be monitored to ensure security of information at the same time
maintaining transparency in dealings between the ministry and the applicant.
There will be a maximum time limit for the entire approval process, with stage-wise timelines.
Efforts will be made to reduce the timelines for each stage.
Applicants will be able to monitor stage-wise process of their application.
After basic verification, a password will be generated in 4-5 days and the applicant can track the progress online.
The Centre would collaborate with states to make sure that the process at their end is completed on time so that the MoEF
can grant an environmental nod within a maximum of 60 days.
Note: The nomenclature of the environment ministry has been changed from Environment and Forest to Environment,
Forest and Climate Change.
Salvador Sanchez is the new president of El Salvador
June 1, 2014
Salvador Sanchez Ceren (69) of the FMLN party has become the first former guerrilla to sworn-in as the President of the
Central American country following his March win. Mr. Sanchez defeated the conservative candidate Norman Quijano by just
0.2% in a run-off vote on March 9, 2014.
El Salvador is still violent and deeply divided notwithstanding the end of a civil war in which some 75,000 people died.
IAF mountaineering squad explores unclimbed peaks in Arunachal Pradesh
June 1, 2014
Indian Air Force launched a mountaineering expedition to Gorichen area ofArunachal Pradesh with an aim to explore and
climb unclimbed peaks. The 15-member team of IAF personnel was led by Wg Cdr D Panda. The expedition included both
experienced and newly trained mountaineers. The team climbed an unclimbed peak of height 5887M in two groups. This
peak is on the west of Mt Gorichen and has been named as Mt Garud Parvat by the air warriors who climbed it for the first
time in history. This expedition was unparalleled in a way as the valleys and mountain peaks had never been explored.
Huge coronal mass ejection on Sun observed through IRIS
June 1, 2014
NASAs Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph captured rare footage of a huge Coronal Mass Ejections
(CMEs) erupting from the Sun. The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) was launched in June 2013 to observe
how solar material moves, gathers energy, and heats up as it travels through a little-explored region in the Suns lower
atmosphere.
Studying how material and energy move through this region is a vital part of understanding the dynamics of the Sun. The
latest footage can help explain what causes the ejection of solar material from the steady stream of the solar wind to larger,
explosive eruptions such as CMEs.
CMEs, also known as solar storms or space storms, are colossal clouds of solar plasma with magnetic field lines that eject
from the Sun during solar flares and filament eruptions. CMEs disrupt the flow of the solar wind and produce disturbances
that hit the Earth with sometimes catastrophic consequences
SBIs Arundhati Bhattacharya amongst Forbes most powerful women
June 1, 2014
SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya is amongst the 5 Indian women who featured in this years Forbes 100 most
powerful women in the world list. The list was topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Indian women in the list:-
Indra Nooyi (Pepsi Co 13th) (Indian Born but US Citizen now)
Arundhati Bhattacharya (SBI 36th)
Chanda Kocchar (ICICI Bank 43rd)
Padamshree Warrior (Cisco 71st)

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Kiran Mazumdar (Biocon 92nd) (Indian Born but US Citizen now)
Top 10 Most Powerful Women in the World:
1. Angela Merkel (Germany Politics)
2. Janet Yellen (US Finance)
3. Melinda Gates (US Philanthropy/NGO)
4. Dilma Rousseff (Brazil Politics)
5. Christine Lagarde (France Philanthropy/NGO)
6. Hillary Clinton (US - Politics)
7. Mary Barra (US Business)
8. Michelle Obama (US Politics)
9. Sheryl Sandberg (US Technology)
10. Virginia Rometty (US Technology)
UN posthumously honors 8 Indian soldiers among 106 UN peacekeepers
June 1, 2014
The UN honored 106 peacekeepers, including 8 Indian soldiers, who lost their lives in various UN peacekeeping operations
on the occasion of the InternationalDay of UN Peacekeepers on May 30.
Indian Army United Nations peacekeeping missions
India has been the leading troop UN Peace Keeping Missions since its commencement. Up to now India has participated in
43 UN Peacekeeping missions with an involvement surpassing 1,60,000 troops and a noteworthy number of police personnel
having been positioned. In 2014, India is the 3rd largest Troop Contributor [TCC] with 7,860 personnel positioned with 10 UN
Peacekeeping Missions, of which 995 are police personnel including the first Female Formed Police Unit under the United
Nations.Recently, Indian Peacekeepers were applauded by the UN for their works in checking a massacre in
the South Sudan.
Past UN Peace Keeping Missions of the Indian Army
Indian Armed forces contributions to the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions since 1950:-
Korea (195054)
Indo-China (195470)
Middle East (195667)
Congo (196064) (ONUC)
Cambodia (1992-1993)
Mozambique (199294) (ONUMOZ)
Somalia (199394) (UNITAF & UNOSOM II)
Rwanda (199496) (UNAMIR)
Angola (1989-1999) (UNAVEM)
Sierra Leone (1999-2001) (UNAMSIL)
Ethiopia-Eritrea (200608) (UNMEE)
Current UN Peace Keeping Missions of the Indian Army
The Indian Armed Forces are currently undertaking the following UN Missions:-
Lebanon (UNIFIL) (Since Dec 1998)
Congo (MONUSCO) (Since January 2005)
Sudan and South Sudan (UNMIS/UNMISS) (Since April 2005)
Golan Heights (UNDOF) (Since February 2006)
Ivory Coast (UNOCI) (Since April 2004)
Haiti (MINUSTAH) (Since December 1997)
Liberia (UNMIL) (Since April 2007)
Government eliminates all GoMs and EGoMs for better accountability and
empowerment
June 1, 2014
In a key move to authorize the Ministries and Departments, the PM Narendra Modi decided to eliminate all the prevailing 9
Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoMs) and 21 Groups of Ministers (GoMs).
Objective: This would speed up the process of decision-making and bring in more answerability in the system.
The Ministries and Departments will now process the matters unresolved afore the EGoMs and GoMs and take suitable
resolutions at the level of Ministries and Departments itself. If at anyplace a Ministry faces any issues, the Cabinet Secretariat
and the PMO (Prime Ministers Office) will smoothen the resolution making process.

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Earlier, during the UPA regime, former Defence Minister A K Antony was leading most of the EGoMs. The panels were
fashioned to take decisions on matters likecorruption, inter-state water disputes, administrative reforms, gas, telecom pricing,
etc. These EGoMs had the power to take judgements on the line of the Union Cabinet. The suggestions of the GoMs were
placed before the Cabinet for the final verdict.
KKR wins IPL 7 trophy
June 1, 2014
Sharukh Khans Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) chased down a huge 200-run target to beat Preity Zintas Kings XI Punjab in
the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 7. Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by 3 wickets.
IPL-7 which was held from April 16 June 1, 2014 was played at venues in UAE & India. Based on security demands for
the 2014 Lok Sabha General Elections the venues for some matches were shifted outside India. 8 teams participated in IPL7.
Kolkata won IPL for the second time (last time in 2012).
Orange Cap (Highest Scorer): Robin Uthappa (KKR)
Purple Cap (Highest Wicket Taker): Mohit Sharma (CSK Chennai Super Kings)
Player of the Tournament: Glenn Maxwell (Kings XI Punjab)

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