Oct 2013

Current Affairs eBook October 2013
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PREFACE PICK OF THE MONTH

1/3rd of Western Ghats declared as Ecologically Sensitive Area Manmohan Singh visited Russia, China, Indonesia and Brunei Minamata Convention on Mercury Adopted United Nations Security Council Elected 5 New Non-Permanent Members
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India and Cuba signed MoU for cooperation in broadcasting between Prasar Bharati and ICRT 30 Global Gender Gap Report 2013 Australia announced to end its Military Mission in Afghanistan Employment and Unemployment situation in Cities and Towns in India Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana Scheme for Indian workers launched in Dubai Creation of a New State of Telangana Approved Srishti Rana of India Was Crowned Miss Asia Pacific World 2013 New Species of Giant Amazon Fish Discovered in Brazil CCEA approved the launch of the IPDS for Textiles Industry Government proposed to Set up Plastic Parks Inflation Increased to 6.46 percent in September India Ranked 134th Spot in the Ease of Doing Business List: World Bank Gujarat CM Laid the Foundation Stone of the Statute of Unity Severe Cyclonic Storm Phailin Affected India Fishing Ban for Turtle Nesting imposed by Odisha Government RV Samudra Ratnakar dedicated to the Nation NPCI Launched Aadhaar-Based Services Liverpool launched Football Academy in India Sachin Tendulkar announced Retirement from Test Sania Mirza-Cara Black won China Open 2013 Reserve Bank of India Increased the Repo Rate by 25 Basis Points to 7.75 %from 7.50% 30 32 32 35 36 36 37 37 38 39 40 41 41 43 44 44 45 45 46 47
Astronomers Discovered Seven Planet System; Claimed to be Richest Planetary System So Far 48
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Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice 2013 Presented to Sushmita Sen Scientists developed the Worlds First Bionic Man Worlds First Bitcoin ATM launched in Vancouver, Canada All India Football Federation signed Agreement with Australia for its Grass-root Programme SC: Fix the tenure of bureaucrats to immunize them from the Political Influence Kirit Parikh Panel Recommended Hike in Diesel, Kerosene, LPG Prices Nobel Prize 2013 Announced 49 50 51 52 52 53 56
INTERNATIONAL
US Announced Grant for Womens Safety in Delhi World Health Organisation confirmed 10 cases of Polio in Syria after 14 years United Nations General Assembly Voted against US Embargo on Cuba India and Peru Signed MoUs to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation
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Brazil announced to produce Low-Cost Measles and Rubella Vaccine for Developing Nations 66 Hamid Ansari launched the Indian Chambers of Commerce in Lima, Peru India and Peru jointly celebrated the 50th Year of Establishment of Diplomatic Ties Nobel Memorial Wall inaugurated at Kolkata by the Swedish Ambassador Madagascar held its first Presidential Election after the 2009 Coup The Parliament of Russia passed Anti-Terror Bill Government of Venezuela created Vice Ministry of Supreme Social Happiness Syria Submitted Chemical Arms Destruction Plan to OPCW Ethiopia banned its Citizens from Travelling Abroad for Work Extradition Treaty between India and Bangladesh came into Effect Envoys of Four Nations presented Credentials to the President of India Islamic criminal law introduced in Brunei India-Bangladesh Inked Pact for Enhanced Trade Facilitation and Combating Tax Evasion 2nd India-Philippines Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation Held at Manila UK to build Its First Nuclear Plant Called Hinkley Point C in Two Decades 67 67 68 68 69 69 69 70 71 71 72 73 73 74
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Saudi Arabia Turned Down UN Security Council Seat
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Thirty-Four Election Observers from European Union Election Observation deployed in Nepal 75 India and Hungary signed MoU for Promotion of Traditional Systems of Medicine Iran and P5+1 Group agreed to hold Talks on Irans Nuclear Programme Sixth India - Brazil Joint Commission Meeting Held US agreed on a Deal with Romania to Use its Air Base for Afghan Pullout Agreement with Finland for Clean Technology Ireland set to Exit International Bail-out Programme All-Weather Zojila Tunnel Project approved by the Union Cabinet Committee on Babhli Barrage Project approved by Union Cabinet Syria Joined UN Chemical Weapons Convention 4th INDO-US Economic and Financial Partnership Meeting Syria Disarmament Plan approved by UNSC India Signed Seven MoUs for Nalanda University China surpassed USA as Biggest Oil Importer Turkey Lifted a Ban on Women Wearing Head Scarf Salman Khurshid concluded visit to Sri Lanka AIAI and FPCCI signed MoU for Indo-Pak Trade India-Japan signed MoU for High Speed Railway India and Turkey agreed to Resolve Terrorism Bangladesh Cabinet Ratified Extradition Treaty SC of the Maldives annulled Presidential Election India and Russia to Expand Nuclear Cooperation Agreement to end the Political Crisis in Tunisia India signed Agreement with IFAD for the JTELP Oil Imports of SE Asia to be more than Double Gambia decided to Withdraw from the CW 76 77 77 78 79 79 80 81 82 83 84 84 85 85 85 87 87 88 88 89 89 90 90 91 91
WORLD DAIRY
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NATIONAL
Joint Parliamentary Committee submitted Report on 2G Spectrum to Lok Sabha Speaker EC issued Guidelines on use of Social Media in Election Campaigning President approved Development Board for Hyderabad -Karnataka Region Indian Railways decided to Increase Speed of the Superfast Trains to 160-200 kmph SC: Clinical Trials of 162 New Chemicals continue to be on Hold North East Regional Political Front formed by Ten Regional Parties of North East India LS Speaker rejected the Resignations of 13 Seemandhra MPs Union Cabinet approved Setting Up of Six Additional Benches of the CESTAT Courts cannot Impose a Fine of more than Twice the Amount in Bounced Cheques: SC
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Walking Tours Platform launched for Facilitating Tourists as Part of Incredible India Campaign 107 Co-Operative Societies out of the Ambit of RTI: SC Government of India decided to Bring All Post Offices under CBS Measures to Prevent the Misuse of Izzat MST EC approved None of the Above Option in Elections Special Board for Hyderabad-Karnataka Region EC appointed 42 observers for Assembly Polls SC directed EC to Install VVPAT System in EVMs HRD Ministry to launch 50 DTH Channels Government of India reconstituted the GoM on Telangana National Identification Authority of India Bill Mandatory 3 percent Reservation for Disabled Persons: SC SC Judgment related to convicted MPs and MLAs Two Schemes launched to Empower Consumers Schedule for the General Elections of Five States Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine - JENVAC Launched 108 109 109 110 111 111 112 114 114 115 116 116 117 118 119
Schedule for the General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies announced for Five States 119 RUSA for Reforming State Education System 8632.77 Cr for National AIDS Control Programme 121 122
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CAPF Institute of Medical Sciences approved National Policy on Universal Electronic Accessibility HRD Ministry constituted NITTTR Ordinance and Bill relating to RP Act withdrawn
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INDIA DAIRY ECONOMY

Bhubaneswar and Imphal Airports were declared as International Airports RBI allowed Banks to Revise Periodicity of Interest Payments India signed Pact with World Bank for Uttar Pradesh Water Sector Restructuring Project Indias Foreign Exchange Reserves jumped to 281.12 Billion US Dollars CCEA increased the MSP of Wheat by 50 Rupees per Quintal Indias Foreign Exchange Reserves touched 279.24 Billion US Dollars Broadband Subscriber Base in India Increased Number of Telecom Subscribers increased to 904.46 million China and EU signed a Currency Swap Agreement Indian Railways Carried 511.00 Million Tonnes SEBI Proposed New Measures for Stock Exchanges Trade Deficit estimated at 80126.24 Million US Dollar Direct Tax Collection increased by 10.66 Percent Railway Revenue Earnings were 65354.64 Crore
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IFC launched 1 Billion Dollar offshore Rupee Bond Programme to Strengthen Indias Capital Markets RBI reduced the MSF Rate to 9 from 9.5 Percent SEBI approved Major Reforms in FII Regulations RBI fixed the Reference Rate of Rupee against US Dollar National Mission on Oilseed and Oil Palm approved ITP Scheme to be continued in 12th five year plan Jet-Etihad deal approved by SEBI 141 142 142 142 143 143 144
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Indias Forex Reserves dropped by 1.11 Billion US Dollar
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ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT

Mining within 1 km of National Parks and Sanctuaries in Goa banned The First Venomous Crustacean Found by the Scientists Outdoor Air Pollution a Leading Environmental Cause of Cancer Deaths: IARC MoEF constituted a committee to Study the impact of Hydel Projects in Uttarakhand Scientists discovered New Species of Dragon Tree in Thailand British Scientists solved the Mystery of Legendary Himalayan Yeti Conservation International Scientific Expedition discovered 60 New Species in Suriname Team for Immediate Site Inspection Constituted Diesel Exhaust Affected Honeybees Abilities Sumatran Tiger Cub born At London Zoo
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Scientists discovered a New Planet called Kepler 78b Chinese Scientists Developed Vaccine for H7N9 Bird Flu Virus Australian Researchers discovered Gold in the Eucalyptus Trees First Unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Synchronised with Southern Power Grid Brain makes Use of Sleep to Drain Waste Toxins: Research Li-Fi Technology: Developed US Scientists developed New Blood Test to Detect Gastrointestinal Disorders Aircraft Noise Led to Increased Heart Problem Risk Worlds 1st Flexible OLED Panels Production Started Huge Floating Ice Shelf in Antarctica Discovered GSI acquired RV Samudra Ratnakar New Technique to Detect Fault in Coaches Installed Walking Can Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer
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CORPORATE
Delhi HC refused to stay the Launch of Air Asia India Pankaj Razdan appointed as the CEO and MD of the Birla Sun Life Insurance Railways Minister launched the High Speed Rail Corporation of India Ltd Gurdeep Singh Pall Appointed as the Corporate VP of Skype Priyanka Chopra, the Bollywood Actress became the Global Brand Ambassador of Guess GAIL and Paradip Port signed MoU for setting up of LNG terminal Axis Bank rolled out Paperless Banking facility to Aadhaar card holders IICA signed Five MoUs with Indias Five Leading Research and Business Institutes
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MoU signed Between CPWD and IIM Tiruchirappalli for Construction of a Permanent Campus170 Government approved Singapore Airlines Aviation Venture with Tata Sons Union Defence Ministry served a Final Show-Cause to AgustaWestland Yahoo announced to close its Egypt Office in Cairo Union Finance Ministry announced to Infuse 14000 Crore Equity in Banks GAIL signed Gas Cooperation Agreement with Bihar Government Tata SIA Airlines Ltd. name approved for joint Airline venture Tata Steel won a New Contract to Supply Britains Network Rail ONGC Videsh Ltd. won Two Oil Blocks in Myanmar Syndicate Bank launched new MSME related Products PFRDA changed Investment Guidelines for Pension Fund 170 171 171 172 173 174 174 175 175 176
A. Krishnakumar appointed as the Managing Director and CEO of Philips Electronics India Ltd177 Pharmaceutical Firm Zydus Cadila signed agreement with Pieris AG OVL Acquired Additional 12% Stake in Brazilian Oil Blocks The International Herald Tribunes Last Publication Samsung Unveils First Curved Screen Smartphone Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Bharti Enterprises ended up their Joint Venture Tata Motors launched Bi-Fuel Variant of Nano 178 178 179 180 180 181
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Indira Gandhi International and Birmingham Airports signed MoU to Become Sister Airports 181 S. R. Bansal is the new CMD of Corporation Bank FDA of Ghana Blacklisted Bliss GVS Pharma Limited ICSI launched the ICSI Primer on Companies Act 2013 on its Foundation Day Multi-Crop Breeding Station Launched in Chandippa Star and ESPN won Cricket Sponsorship Rights Jet Proposed Sale of 24 % Equity to Etihad Airways Railways signed Pact with RINL Sun Pharma entered Into JV with Intrexon Corporation 182 183 183 184 185 186 186 187
SPORTS
Darryn Randall, the South African cricketer died after being hit by ball Indian Oil Corporation won the 48th Bombay Gold Cup Serena Williams defeated Li Na to win the WTA Championships Sebastian Vettel won the F1 Indian Grand Prix 2013 BCCI terminated Pune Warriors from the IPL North and South Zone declared Joint Winners of Duleep Trophy Sania Mirza in Top 10 of World Womens Doubles Rankings Simona Halep won Kremlin Tennis Cup 2013 Kanwar Deep Singh elected as the President of the Indian Hockey Federation Dipika Pallikal Won Macau Open Squash Title 2013 Jorge Lorenzo won Australian Grand Prix 2013 Pradeep Sangwan was banned by Anti Doping Tribunal of BCCI Ding Junhui won Indian Open Snooker Title 2013 Manipur defeated Haryana to Lift 54th Subroto Cup Football Tournament Virat Kohli: Indias Fastest ODI Century Scorer Ajit Agarkar announced Retirement from all forms of Cricket Novak Djokovic won Shanghai Masters 2013 Rafael Nadal topped the ATP Ranking
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Satyavrat won the 9th Roustam E-International Indian Style Wrestling Title Sanam Singh and V Malik won the ITF Doubles Queens Baton Relay launched IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Championship ACC Track Asia Cup Japan Open Tennis Championship 2013 Buckingham Palace hosted its First Football Match Novak Djokovic clinched his 4th China Open Title Rohan Boppana Won Japan Open 2013 Mumbai Indians clinched CL Twenty-20 Title ACB to get Liberal Financial Aid from ICC BAI Panel Recommended Life Ban for Jwala Gutta Pakistan won Under-19 Asian Rugby Championship Kalpana Devi won Bronze in Judo Tournament Afghanistan qualified for ICC World Cup 2015 Luis Leao Pinto won Himalaya Bicycle Rally India Blue won NKP Salve Challenger Trophy 2013 MCC Released the 5th edition of the 2000 Code Government revised Scheme of HRD in sports Petra Kvitova won WTA Toray Pan Pacific Open Sania Mirza and Cara Black won Toray Pan Pacific
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STATE
Madras High Court released new norms to designate Senior Advocates Himachal Pradesh became Second State after Haryana to introduce NVQF World Bank approved 250 Million assistance US Dollars for Uttarakhand Government sanctioned a new Plastic Park for Odisha Maharashtra Government decided to implement New Mining Rules Government approved Construction of Link Roads and Bridges in Rural Maharashtra
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Uttarakhand Lokayukta Act, 2011 Karnataka to implement the II Phase of Forest Project First Mega Food Park in UP to be established at Jagdishpur Bihar to get double food subsidy and foodgrains Food Security Scheme launched in Rajasthan Maharashtra approved a Policy for Senior Citizens
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NEWS CAPSULE Person in news

Shah Rukh Khan appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for South Korea Four Indians listed in Fortune Top 50 Women Business Leaders-2013 Largest Air Traffic Control Tower of India inaugurated at Mumbai Airport Eleanor Catton, New Zealand author won the Man Booker Prize 2013 Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan abducted by Gunmen Ethiopia Parliament Elected Mulatu Teshome as New President Peter Higgs Honoured for Contribution of Origin of Mass of Subatomic Particles Ratan Tata, Indias Leading Industrialist inducted into National Academy of Engineering
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Moe Set Wine selected as First Miss Universe Contender to Represent Myanmar in 50 Years 229
Person Appointed
Subhas Goswami appointed as the Director General of ITBP A Special Senate Committee voted to strip Silvio Berlusconi of his Parliament Seat Government of India decided to appoint Arup Raha as Chief of the Indian Air Force P.S. Raghavan appointed as the next Russian Ambassador
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Tarun Chatarjee appointed Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh State Human Rights Commission 232 Arunendra Kumar appointed as Chairman of Railway Board CV Wigneswaran sworn in as the Chief Minister of Northern Province, Sri Lanka Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal appointed as the Chief Justice of Madras High Court 233 234 235
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Tarun Chugh appointed as the Managing Director of PNB Metlife Laxmikanta Mahapatra appointed Chief Justice of Manipur High Court Rajendra Kashyap appointed as the Financial Commissioner (Railways) Union Government appointed GB Pradhan as the Chairperson of the CERC Sigrid Kaag appointed as the Head of Joint OPCW-UN Mission in Syria President approved appointment of Seven Judges to Madras High Court Government of Pakistan Decided To Appoint Syed Ibne Abbas as Envoy to India Janet Yellen Nominated as Head of US Federal Reserve Board Arundhati Bhattacharya Took Charge as the First Woman Chairperson of SBI Terence Walsh appointed as Chief Coach of the Senior Men National Hockey Team S.Varadarajan took over as the CMD of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Ranjan Mathai appointed as Indias High Commissioner to United Kingdom
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Person Resigned
Shreekant Javalgekar resigned as the Managing Director and CEO of MCX
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Person Died
Lou Reed, the renowned Rocker and Solo Performer died Rajendra Yadav, the Noted Hindi Writer Passed Away Abraham Nemeth, the Creator of the Nemeth Code Died Vijay Soni a noted Painter and theatre personality dead R N Mahadevan, the former AIR director died British Sculptor Sir Anthony Caro died Lawrence R Klein, Nobel Prize Winning Economist died Singer Noel Harrison died Jovanka Broz, widow of Josip Broz Tito, died Renowned Musician Madhuri Chattopadhyay died Noted Malayalam Music Composer K. Raghavan died Eminent Telugu Writer and Gyanpeeth Awardee, Dr. Ravuri Bharadwaja died
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Sarojini Varadappan, the renowned Social Worker died Noted Marathi Playwright G.P. Deshpande died Oscar Hijuelos, the Cuban-American Writer, died TD Rangaramanujan, the Former Table Tennis Federation of India President died Mohan Dharia, the Former Union Minister and an Environmentalist, died Well-known Telugu Film Actor Srihari died Wilfried Martens, Nine-Time Prime Minister of Belgium died Ovadia Yosef, the Former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, died General Vo Nguyen Giap, the Legendary Vietnamese Military Commander died Polly Anthony, the Former Epic Records President died Tom Clancy, the US Thriller Author, died in Baltimore
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Person on Visit
Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban visited India
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Places in News
Moscow hosted the 14th India-Russia Annual Summit The 2nd Meeting of the India-Philippines Joint Commission held in Manila Wankhede Stadium to host Sachin Tendulkars Landmark 200th and Final Test India and Bangladesh jointly inaugurated India-Bangladesh Grid Inter-connection
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Awards | Honours
Bollywood Actress Kareena Kapoor honoured in the House of Commons French Award Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur for Anjali Gopalan The US Comedian Carol Burnett honoured with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg won Inaugural Genesis Prize Lata Mangeshkar was presented the First National Yash Chopra Memorial Award Malala Yousafzai to be granted Honorary Canadian Citizenship Greg du Toit was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013
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Hilary Clinton got the First Founders Award for helping AIDS Victims Eleanor Catton, 28, became Youngest Ever Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2013 Varun Arora won UN Award for Open Curriculum Web Platform OPCW won 2013 Nobel Peace Prize
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MS Swaminathan Selected for Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the Year 2012 270 Alice Munro, the Canadian writer, won Nobel Prize 2013 in literature Malala Yousafzai Won European Unions Sakharov Human Rights Prize 2013 Pranab Mukherjee Conferred the Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil Karan Thapar Chosen for IPI-India Award for Excellence in Journalism 2013 First National Award for Senior Citizens - Vayoshreshtha Samman, 2013 Presented Ravi Shankar Narsimhan was presented with Friendship Award D. Purandeswari Presented the EPCES Export Awards to EOUs and SEZs Aung Suu Kyi Received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 271 271 272 273 273 275 275 276
Exhibition | Fare
International Tourism Mart started in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh Exhibition on Development of the Hungarian Cultural Roots inaugurated at NGMA
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Report | Survey
1.3 Million People died of TB Worldwide in 2012: WHO Report Bangalore topped the list of Best Business Destinations in India STT should be Reduced to Give Boost to the Capital Market: SEBI Study Global Slavery Index 2013 estimated 30 Million People in the World Affected by Slavery Global Hunger Index Report 2013: India Ranked at 63rd Position The International Food Policy Research Institute Social Media users to reach 91 Million by December 2013: IAMAI & IMRB Report India is Largest Recipient of Foreign Remittances: World Bank Report 827 Million Undernourished People are Living in Developing Countries: UN Report Report Entitled Primary Census Abstract for Slum Released
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Indian Firms Perform Best In the BRICS Countries: Transparency International
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Defence | Security
India developed Surface-to-Surface Missile Pragati INS Sunayna commissioned into Indian Navy India successfully Test-Fired Nuclear Capable Prithvi-II Missile from Odisha Indian Painting: Themes, History and Interpretations by Professor B N Goswami
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Books & Author

Brazilian Football Legend Pele launched a Book Titled 1283
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The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton became the Longest Novel to Win the Man Booker Prize 294 The Third Curve: a Book Written by Film Director Mansoor Khan Released Autobiography of Malala Yousafzai entitled I am Malala Released 294 295
Day | Week | Year

United Nations Day observed across the World on 24 October
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Mythily Sivaraman wrote a book Haunted by Fire Essays On Caste, Class, Exploitation and Emancipation Police Commemoration Day observed on 21 October to Memorise Police Martyrs Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day observed on 21 October World Osteoporosis Day was celebrated International Day for the Eradication of Poverty observed on 17 October World Food Day observed every year on 16 October World Standards Day celebrated by SCS Global Services International Day of Rural women observed on 15 October World Arthritis Day Observed on 12 October International Day of the Girl Child observed on 11 October World Mental Health Day observed on 10 October The Indian Air Force Day Celebrated Across India on 8 October 296 297 297 298 299 299 300 301 301 302 303 303
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World Habitat Day observed across the World on 7 October
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The Ninth Formation Day of National Disaster Management Authority observed at New Delhi 305 The International Day of Non-Violence observed on 2 October The National Voluntary Blood Donation Day observed on 1 October International Day of Older Persons observed on 1 October 306 306 308
Miscellaneous
NOTA votes have No Effect on Poll Winner: Election Commission of India India Post Released Postage Stamp on the Golden Jubilee of Bhakra Dam
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Prime Minister of India inaugurated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Museum in Ahmedabad308
Manmohan Singh Conferred Honorary Doctorate by Moscow State Institute of International Relations 64th Raising Anniversary of Territorial Army celebrated in New Delhi The Twelve Day-Long NCC Thal Sainik Camp concluded successfully Vice President of India released a commemorative postage stamp of Baba Jumdev 310 311 311 312
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PREFACE
The Current Affairs eBook October 2013 has been designed to provide latest updates of events that occurred in the month of October 2013. The eBook October 2013 covers each and every important happening of the month that made news and carries any probability of being asked in different types of competitive exams like IAS|PCS, SSC, Banking, LIC, Railway and all others. The happening in the sections like International (bilateral and Indias relation with the world), National, Economy, Science and Technology, Environment and Ecology, Corporate, State, Sports, Important Personalities, Books and Authors, Awards and Honours, Important Dates, Reports and Surveys and more all are covered in detail. Representation of verified facts and figures along with fine-tuned analysis makes the events easy to understand and perceive. The aspirants of competitive exams will definitely be benefitted by the content of the eBook.
Copyright Jagranjosh.com All rights reserved. No part or the whole of this eBook may be copied, reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted and/ or cited anywhere in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the written permission of the copyright owner. If any misconduct comes in knowledge or brought in notice, strict action will be taken. Disclaimer Readers are requested to verify/cross-check up to their satisfaction themselves about the advertisements, advertorials, and external contents. If any miss-happening, ill result, mass depletion or any similar incident occurs due to any information cited or referenced in this e-book, Editor, Director/s, employees of Jagranjosh.com cant be held liable/responsible in any matter whatsoever. No responsibilities lie as well in case of the advertisements, advertorials, and external contents.
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PICK OF THE MONTH
1/3rd of Western Ghats declared as Ecologically Sensitive Area

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest on 16 October 2013 decided to turn approximately 60000 square kilometres of the Western Ghats (37 percent of the Western Ghats) across six States into an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The decision bans mining, quarrying, thermal power plants and polluting industries over the entire range. All other projects would be permitted only with the prior approval of gram sabhas (village councils) in the zone. Townships and buildings over 20000 square metres in the region will not be permitted. However, the government left areas with high-density of population out of this regulated zones ambit. Construction of windmills will be allowed in the ecologically sensitive area only though environment regulations. Hydro-electric projects will be allowed in the ESA only after adhering to strict regulations that the Kasturirangan-led panel has recommended which includes maintaining ecological flows in the rivers. The decision was taken by the ministry as a follow-up on the two reports on the Ghats, one headed by ecologist Madhav Gadgil and the other by Planning Commission member K. Kasturirangan. The decision once notified, will turn the identified region of the Western Ghats complex the largest protected forests in India which has a range over 1500 km linear distance from the Tapti River in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.
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What is ESA?
An ecological sensitive area (ESA) is a bio-climatic unit (as demarcated by entire landscapes) in the Western Ghats wherein human impacts have locally caused irreversible changes in the structure of biological communities (as evident in number/ composition of species and their relative abundances) and their natural habitats.
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats was declared as an ecological hotspot in 1988. A large number of plants, amphibians, birds, reptiles, mammals are endemic to this region. This area has a number of protected areas including 2 biosphere reserves, 14 national parks and several wild life sanctuaries. Besides, many regions are declared as reserve forests. In recent times, due to anthropogenic pressures the intactness of the Western Ghats is getting fragmented day-by-day. Most of the ecosystem, which is outside protected area is now in danger. The habitat of plants and animals is also threatened due to large-scale deforestation and destruction of forests.
Kerala to Set up Committee to Respond to Centre on Western Ghats Report

The Kerala State Government on 21 October 2013 decided to form an expert committee to prepare the States response on the recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil and Kasturi Rangan panels on protecting biodiversity in the Western Ghats. Western Ghats are spread over six states, including Kerala. Setting up of the expert panel was announced by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy after an all-party meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on 21 October 2013. Union Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) on 18 October 2013 approved a proposal for Western Ghats development prepared by K Kasturirangan-led panel. The Union Forest and Environment Ministry (MoEF) had also sought the States response on the matter.
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The WGEEP Report

The WGEEP (Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel) led by Madhav Gadgil designated entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area. The panel in its report classified the 142 taluks in the Western Ghats boundary into Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) 1, 2 and 3. The report further recommended that no new dams should be allowed in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1. The report added that Both the Gundia of Karnataka and Athirappilly of Kerala hydel projects should be denied environmental clearance because these sites fall in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1.
Keralas Stand
Keralas consistent position has been that ecologically sensitive areas identified in the reports are densely populated. The mainstream parties in Kerala have expressed concern over difficulties to be faced by the farmers, if the report is implemented. Hilly districts of Idukki and Wayanad have hundreds of small and marginal farmers living there for generations.
MoEF approved Kasturirangan Panel Report on Western Ghats

Union Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) on 18 October 2013 approved a proposal for Western Ghats development prepared by K Kasturirangan-led panel. Kasturirangan Panel has recommended a ban on development activities in 60000 sq km ecologically sensitive area spread over six states of Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Kasturirangan Panel Report

The 10-member high-level working group (HLWG), headed by Kasturirangan, was constituted in August 2012 to examine the Western Ghats ecology expert panel report (WGEEP) prepared under the leadership of eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil. The Kasturirangan panel had submitted its report to the MoEF on 15 April 15 2013 and it was put in public domain and also disseminated to all stakeholders for feedback and comments. Kasturirangan Panel has recommended a ban on development activities in 60000 sq km ecologically sensitive area spread over six states of Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. .According to the report, roughly 37 percent of the total area defined as the boundary of the Western Ghats is ecologically sensitive. Over this area of some 60000 sq km, spread over the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the working group has recommended a prohibitory regime on those activities with maximum interventionist and destructive impact on the environment.
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Major landscapes in Western Ghats

Nilgiris-Eastern Ghats Landscape Southern Western Ghats Landscape
Western Ghats: Facts

The Western Ghats or the Sahyadri hills constitute a mountain range along the western side of India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight hottest hotspots of biological diversity in the world. Elevation: 2695 metres Area: 160000 km Highest point: Anamudi Country: India Passes: Palakkad Gap, Naneghat, Kasara ghat
The WGEEP Report

The WGEEP (Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel) led by Madhav Gadgil designated entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area. The panel in its report classified the 142 taluks in the Western Ghats boundary into Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) 1, 2 and 3. The report further recommended that no new dams should be allowed in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1. The report added that Both the Gundia of Karnataka and Athirappilly of Kerala hydel projects should be denied environmental clearance because these sites fall in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1.
Back Ground
In view of the environmental sensitivity and ecological significance of the Western Ghats region and the complex interstate nature of its geography, as well as possible impacts of climate change on this region, the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India has constituted, by an order in March 2010, a Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP).
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Manmohan Singh visited Russia, China, Indonesia and Brunei

The 14th India-Russia Annual Summit held at Moscow
The 14th India-Russia Annual Summit was held at Moscow on 21 October 2013. The summit was co-chaired by the Prime Minister of the India Dr. Manmohan Singh and the President of the Russia Vladimir V. Putin. During the meeting they discussed priority areas of bilateral cooperation and noted common positions on current international and regional issues. Both sides stressed their continued commitment to promote and strengthen in every possible way their special and privileged strategic partnership. During the 14th India-Russia Annual Summit, India and Russia signed bilateral Documents on transfer of Sentenced Persons, in the Field of Energy Efficiency, in the field of Standardization and Conformity Assessment between Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Federal Agency on Technical Regulation and Metrology, in the Fields of Science and in the area of Biotechnology.
List of Bilateral Documents signed during 14th India-Russia Annual Summit S.No
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Name of the Document

On Transfer of Sentenced Persons
Details/Scope
The Treaty shall facilitate the process of social rehabilitation of persons sentenced in the other country by providing them the opportunity to serve out their remaining sentences (under certain conditions) in their country of nationality. It is expected to boost consular cooperation between the two countries.
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2.
MoU in the Field of Energy Efficiency
The MoU shall enhance cooperation in the field of energy saving and energy efficiency, including through joint implementation of activities and projects by organisations/companies of both the countries. The forms of cooperation envisaged include exchange of best practices in smart grids, energy audits, energy efficient building designs, industrially efficient technologies, etc.
3.
MoU in the field of Standardization and The objective of this MoU is to facilitate closer technical Conformity Assessment cooperation in the field of standardization through exchange of information, practices and expertise. It is expected to have beneficial effects for trade and commerce where standards/conformity assessments form an integral basis for transactions. Programme of Cooperation in the Fields of The Programme aims to deepen cooperation in the Science, Technology and Innovation field of innovation and S&T through implementation of Joint Programs and projects/exchanges involving educational, R&D and industrial institutions. The joint projects may also facilitate transfer of technology. The broad areas of cooperation include sunrise sectors such as IT, nano-technology, environmental sciences and alternate energy. This Programme shall also reinforce the existing robust exchanges between the scientific institutions of the two sides. Programme of Cooperation in the Area of The Programme aims to broaden cooperation in the Biotechnology for the period 2014-2017 field of biotechnology and encourage industrial R&D & related investment flows. This is intended to be achieved through implementation of Joint Programs and projects/exchanges, etc.
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Chinese Power Companies agreed to establish Base in India

The Ministry of Power of the Government of India and the National Energy Administration of the Government of China on 23 October 2013 signed the deal to further strengthen and deepen cooperation in the energy sector under the India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue. The energy cooperation and the proposal for setting up Chinese Power Equipment Service Centres (PESCs) in India was discussed at the SED Working Group Meeting on Energy that took place in Beijing on 26 September 2013. India has become a strategic market for Chinese power equipment manufacturers and that 18 GW of thermal power projects were commissioned under Indias 11th Five Year plan using Chinesemanufactured equipment and about 40GW of power projects are currently under construction using Chinese-made equipment.
Important Provisions of Cooperation Programme

1. The service centres would be adequately provided with equipment, personnel, spares and other facilities so as to enable them to provide all requisite spars and services support within India. 2. The PESCs will be set up in India on market principles. The costs and terms of servicing power equipment will be decided between the PESCs and the end user. 3. The companies will make themselves fully conversant with the relevant rules/regulations/ statutes/approvals and processes being applicable for setting up of such PESCs in India. 4. The PESCs would be directly responsible for provision of requisite services to the Indian power generating companies on mutually acceptable terms and conditions (between the PESCs and the Indian power generating companies) and in accordance with applicable Indian laws/rules/ statutes and this MoU shall not in any-way confer any special or preferential status/treatment to the PESCs.
India and China signed 9 MoUs Including the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement
India and China signed 9 MoUs/agreements including the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) to maintain peace and tranquility on the Line of Actual Control, on 23 October 2013 during the official visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to China.
List of Agreements/MoUs signed between India and China during PMs Official Visit to China
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S. No. 1.
Name of Agreement / MoU
Gist of Agreement / MOU
Agreement on Border An additional confidence building measure to ensure peace and Defence Cooperation tranquility on the border. MoU on University Nalanda Cooperation on Nalanda as part of East Asia Summit process.
2.
3.
MOU to Strengthen Provides for expanded cooperation on trans-border rivers. Cooperation on TransBorder Rivers Cultural Exchange A listing of cultural exchanges till 2015. Programme 2013-15 MoU on Cooperation Enabling agreement for cooperation in the roads sector. in Road Transport and Highways MoU on Power Provides for establishment in India of Chinese power equipment Equipment Service service centres. Centres in India Agreement between Establishes sister city relations between Delhi and Beijing. Delhi-Beijing on Establishment of Sister City Relationship Agreement between Establishes sister city relations between Bengaluru and Chengdu. Bengaluru Chengdu on Establishment of Sister City Relationship
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Agreement between Establishes sister city relations between Kolkata and Kunming. Kolkata Kunming on Establishment of Sister City Relationship
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India and China Signed Border Defence Cooperation Agreement

India and China signed nine agreements/Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) including the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) on 23 October 2013. The main objective of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement is to avoid border tensions and army face-offs along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by deciding that neither side will use military capability to attack the other side nor tail patrols along the border. The other agreements/Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were Management of Trans- Border Rivers, MoU on Nalanda University, Cultural Exchange Programme 2013-15, MoU on Cooperation in Road Transport and Highways, MoU on Power Equipment Service Centres in India, Agreement between Delhi-Beijing on Establishment of Sister City Relationship, Agreement between Kolkata Kunming on Establishment of Sister City Relationship.
Highlights of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA)

India and China shall carry out border defence cooperation on the basis of their respective laws and relevant bilateral agreements. Both countries agreed to exchange of information including information about military exercises, aircrafts, demolition operations and unmarked mines-and take consequent measures conducive to the maintenance of peace, stability and tranquility along the line of actual control in the IndiaChina border areas. Both countries agreed to work jointly to combat smuggling of arms, wildlife, wildlife articles and other contrabands. Both countries agreed that they shall not follow or tail patrols of the other side in areas where there is no common understanding of the line of actual control in the India-China border areas. In case a doubtful situation arises with reference to any activity by either side in border areas where there is no common understanding of the line of actual control, either side has the right to seek a clarification from the other side. In such cases, the clarification shall be sought and replies to them shall be conveyed through any of the mechanisms established under this Agreement. Both countries agreed that if the border defence forces of the two sides come to a face-toface situation in areas where there is no common understanding of the line of actual control, both sides shall exercise maximum self-restraint, refrain from any provocative actions, not use force or threaten to use force against the other side, treat each other with courtesy and prevent exchange of fire or armed conflict. Both countries shall implement this Agreement without prejudice to their respective positions on the alignment of the line of actual control as well as on the boundary question.
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India and Indonesia signed Six MoUs

Government of India and Indonesia on 11 October 2013 signed six Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in Jakarta in various fields to strengthen the cooperation between the two nations. The MoUs were inked in the presence of Prime minister Manmohan singh and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Istan Merdeka (presidential secretariat) in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. These MoUs were signed during the first bilateral visit of Prime minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh to Indonesia from 10 to 12 October 2013.
The agreements are in the fields of

Health and family welfare. Cooperation on Combating Corruption. Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics, Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors. Cooperation in the field of Disaster Management. Training administrators and Promoting friendly, cooperative and collaborative institutional relations.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh concluded three day visit to Brunei
The Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh on 12 October 2013 concluded his three day visit to Brunei. Prime Minister visit to Brunei is a part of expanding Indias Look East policy to beyond economic ties. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh paid an official visit to Brunei Darussalam from 9-11 October 2013 to attend the 11th ASEAN-India Summit and 8th East Asia Summit.
Highlights of the visit

1. Dr. Manmohan Singh held bilateral meetings with Prime Ministers of Asian superpowers like Japan and Australia as well on the sidelines of ASEAN and East Asia Summits in Brunei. 2. Prime Minister also announced a separate mission for ASEAN, a 10-member block of South East Asian nations, with a full time ambassador. 3. Dr. Manmohan Singh also stated that a Free Trade Agreement on services and investments would be signed with ASEAN by end of 2013 to help meet India-ASEAN trade to 100 billion Dollars by 2015.
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Minamata Convention on Mercury Adopted

An international conference organized by the United Nations Environment Program (UNDP) on 10 October 2013 adopted the Minamata Convention in Kumamoto, Japan. The convention was adopted by 140 countries across the world. The main objective of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is to protect the human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. According to the convention each party shall not allow, by taking appropriate measures, the manufacture, import or export of mercury-added products after the phaseout date of 2020. The Minamata Convention will take effect 90 days after ratification by 50 nations.
The Minamata Convention regulates the following areas

Global mining and trade of mercury The manufacturing of products containing the Mercury The use of mercury in products and industrial processes Measures to be taken to reduce emissions from artisanal and small-scale gold mining Measures to be taken to reduce emissions from power plants and metals production facilities
Sources of emissions of mercury and mercury compounds to the atmosphere

Coal-fired power plants Coal-fired industrial boilers Smelting and roasting processes used in the production of non-ferrous metals Waste incineration facilities Cement clinker product
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United Nations Security Council Elected 5 New Non-Permanent Members

Chad, Chile, Lithuania, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia elected to seats as non-permanent members by the United Nations Security Council in the 15-member Council on 17 October 2013. These members have been elected for two-year term which would start from January 2014. The New Council members will replace Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo. Non-permanent members Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, the Republic of Korea and Rwanda will remain on the Council until the end of 2014. India had served as a non-permanent member at the council in 2011-2012. There are six principal organisations of UN which maintains peace and security of the world. The Organisations are-General Assembly, the Security Council, The Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice and the Secretariat.
Structure of Security Council

Article 23 of chapter V of United Nations Charter provides for the composition of United Nations Security Council. The council is composed of 15 members. There are 5 permanent members of Security Council and 10 non permanent members. Five permanent members are: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Ten non-permanent members are elected for 2 years term by General Assembly and these members can not be immediately re elected.
Objective of the Security Council

The Objective of UNSC is to maintain peacekeeping operations, the establishments of international sanctions and the authorization of military action. The powers of UNSC are exercised through United Nations Security Council resolutions. All Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.
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India and Cuba signed MoU for cooperation in broadcasting between Prasar Bharati and ICRT
India and Cuba on 30 October 2013 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in broadcasting between Prasar Bharati and Cuban Radio and Television Institute (ICRT). The MoU was signed by Indias ambassador to Cuba Chinthapalli Rajasekhar and vice-president of the ICRT Emillio Moises Garcia Borroto. Under the agreement both countries will explore co-production opportunites on matters of mutual interest. The pact would facilitate exchange programmes in fields of cultural entertainment, education, science, sports and news. It also opens up avenues for co-production of broadcast content for creative ventures including films and coverage of events. The MoU was signed during the official visit of Indias vice President Hamid Ansari to Cuba.
Global Gender Gap Report 2013

World Economic Forum punblished the Global Gender Gap Report 2013 on 25 October 2013. India was ranked 101 out of 136 countries on Gender Gap index. In the 2012 report, India secured 105 Position out of 135 countries in the Gender Gap Report. The Global Gender Gap Report 2013 Report revealed that worlds gender gaps narrowed slightly in 2013 on the back of definite if not universal improvements in economic equality and political participation between the sexes. The worst performing countries are Yemen (136), Pakisthan (135) and Chad (134).
The Report measures the size of the gender inequality gap in four areas:
1.Economic participation and opportunity salaries, participation and highly skilled employment 2.Educational attainment access to basic and higher levels of education 3.Political empowerment representation in decision-making structures 4.Health and survival life expectancy and sex ratio
Highlights of the Report

1. The Global Gender Gap Report 2013 finds 86 out of 133 countries improved their global gender gap between 2012 and 2013, with the area of political participation seeing the greatest progress. 2. Iceland has the narrowest gender gap in the world, followed by Finland, Norway and Sweden. 3. Data indicates overall slight gains in gender parity mask the emergence of twin-track paths towards economic equality in many countries and regions.
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India Performance: Global Gender Gap Index 2013 - Indias status - out of 136 countries
Indias over all Rank: 101 Place Political Empowerment: 9th Place Educational Attainment: 120th Place Economic Participation and Opportunity: 124th Place Health and Survival: 135th Place
India also still remains lowest-ranked among the five BRICS nations.
Top ten best performing Countries Country Iceland Finland Norway Sweden Philippines Ireland New Zealand Denmark Switzerland Switzerland Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
About Global Gender Gap Report

The Global Gender Gap Report, introduced by the World Economic Forum in 2006, provides a framework for capturing the magnitude and scope of gender-based disparities around the world. The index benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, political, education- and healthbased criteria and provides country rankings that allow for effective comparison across regions and income groups and over time. The rankings are designed to create greater awareness among a global audience of the challenges posed by gender gaps and the opportunities created by reducing them. The methodology and quantitative analysis behind the rankings are intended to serve as a basis for designing effective measures for reducing gender gaps.
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About World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1971, and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Forum is tied to no political, partisan or national interests.
Australia announced to end its Military Mission in Afghanistan

Australia on 29 October 2013 announced the winding down of its military mission in Afghanistan with the withdrawal of most of its troops by the end of 2014. Approximately, 1000Australian troops are posted at the International Force base in Tarin Kot, the capital of southern Afghan province Uruzgan. In 2001, the US-led war in Afghanistan started and 40 Australian soldiers killed and 260 were injured since that time. USA and other foreign combat troops from Afghanistan chalked out a plan to transfer security responsibilities to local forces by the end of 2014 and will go back to their countries. As of early June 2013 there were about 100000 Nato troops serving in Afghanistan from 50 contributing nations. Australia is one among the leading nations who have contributed units of 550 or more.
Employment and Unemployment situation in Cities and Towns in India

Eighth quinquennial survey on employment and unemployment was released on 28 October 2013 based on the 66th round of NSS during July 2009 to June 2010. The report of the survey was estimated the employment and unemployment indicators of each of class 1 cities of India. The cities are categorized into different cities as per the population census 2001.
Categorization
Class 1 Cities - with population one million and above Class 2 towns - with population 50000 to one million Class 3 towns - with population less than 50000
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The employment and unemployment was measured on the basis of three different approaches and they were:
Usual status with a reference period of one year Current weekly status with one week reference period Current daily status based on the daily activity pursued during each day of the reference week
The survey was done in 7402 villages and 5252 urban blocks covering 100957 households. It enumerated 459784 people, which included 281327 in rural areas and 178457 in urban areas. As per the survey among the Class 1 cities, Banaras saw about 35 percent women got employed in maximum and Agra saw minimum of employment of women which was only 2 percent.
The key findings of the 66th round of NSS survey were:

The proportion of employed males of 15 years and above was 73 percent for class 1 cities and 74 percent for size class 2 towns and about 76 percent for size class 3 towns. For females of the same age group the corresponding proportions were - 17 percent for class 1 cities, 18 percent for size class 2 towns and nearly 21 percent for size class 3 towns Between 2004-05 and 2009-10 the proportion of usually employed males of age 15 years and above decreased by 3 percentage points for class 1 cities, 2 percentage points for size class 2 and 3 towns each. During this period, corresponding decrease for females was 3 percentage points in class 1 cities, 4 percentage points for size class 2 towns and 7 percentage points for size class 3 towns Among the class 1 cities, the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for males of age 15 years and above in the usual status, was the highest in Surat and that was 87 percent and the lowest in Meerut with 49 percent. While for females, WPR was the highest in Varanasi of 35 percent and the lowest in Agra and that is 2 percent During the period 2009-10, the proportion of regular wage/salaried employees, in the usual status both among males and among females was higher than that of self-employed persons or casual labourers in class 1 cities and size class 2 towns. For size class 3 towns, proportion of self-employed was higher than regular wage/salaried employees and casual labourers for both males and females Among male workers of age 15 years and above in the usual status about 52 percent in class 1 cities, about 43 percent in size class 2 towns and about 31 percent in size class 3 towns were regular wage/salaried employees. Corresponding proportions for females were 58 percent for class 1 cities, 42 percent size class 2 towns and 23 percent for size class 3 towns Among male workers of age 15 years and above in the usual status, about 39 percent in class 1 cities, about 40 percent in size class 2 towns and about 45 percent in size class 3 towns were self-employed. Corresponding proportions for females were 33 percent for class 1 cities, 41
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percent for size class 2 towns and 47 percent for size class 3 towns For males of age 15 years and above, the unemployment rate in the usual status remained at the same level between 2004-05 and 2009-10 in class 1 cities and it decreased by 1 percentage point for size class 2 towns and by 2 percentage points for size class 3 towns. For females, between 2004-05 and 2009-10, the unemployment rate in the usual status increased by 1 percentage point in class 1 cities and decreased for both size class 2 and size class 3 towns by nearly 2 percentage points each. Among the workers in the usual status, the tertiary sector had the highest share of workers in 2009-10 compared to other two sectors in all size class of towns. Among male workers of age 15 years and above in urban India, about 59 percent were engaged in tertiary sector, about 35 per cent in secondary sector and about 6 percent in primary sector. Corresponding proportions for females were about 53 percent, 33 percent and 14 percent, respectively. Among male workers of age 15 years and above according to the usual status in all class I cities, about 64 percent were engaged in tertiary sector, about 35 percent in secondary sector and about 1 percent in primary sector. Corresponding proportions for females were about 67 percent, 31 percent and 2 percent, respectively. Among male workers of age 15 years and above according to the usual status in size class 2 towns, about 60 percent were engaged in tertiary sector, about 36 percent in secondary sector and about 4 percent in primary sector. Corresponding proportions for females were about 57 percent, 34 percent and 9 percent, respectively. Among male workers of age 15 years and above according to the usual status in size class 3 towns, about 54 per cent were engaged in tertiary sector, about 33 per cent in secondary sector and about 13 per cent in primary sector. Corresponding proportions for females were about 36 percent, 34 percent and 30 percent, respectively. Among male workers of age 15 years and above, according to usual status, the secondary sector registered nearly 3 percentage points decrease in the share of total workers during 200910 compared to 2004-05 for class 1 cities but increased for size class 2, size class 3 towns by 2 and 1 percentage points respectively.
India Re-elected in the New Council of ICAO

India was re-elected in the new Council of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as one of the states making the largest contribution to the provision of facilities for international civil air navigation. The 38th session of the Assembly of ICAO completed the election of the Council in Montreal on 1 October 2013. The 36- member Council is the governing body of the Organization and is elected for a three-year term. The election process was divided into three parts, with the following states elected: PART I (States of chief importance in air transport) - Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France,
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Germany, Italy, Japan, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States. All of them have been re-elected. PART II (States which make the largest contribution to the provision of facilities for international civil air navigation) Argentina, Egypt, India,Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain and Venezuela. Except Norway, Portugal and Venezuela, all others have been re-elected. PART III (States ensuring geographic representation)- Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Libya, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Poland, Republic of Korea, United Arab Emirates and United Republic of Tanzania. Bolivia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Libya, Nicaragua, Poland and United Republic of Tanzania have been elected for the first time. A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, amongst many other priorities. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 191 Member States.
Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana Scheme for Indian workers launched in Dubai
Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana, a pension and life insurance fund scheme for bluecollar Indian workers in UAE was launched by the Union Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Vyalar Ravi in Dubai on 28 October 2013. The scheme will cover 5 million overseas blue collar Indian workers who have the Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) category passports in 17 countries. ECR passports are issued to those workers who have not passed Grade 10. Around 65 per cent of more than two million Indians in the UAE are blue collar workers and most of them are in the ECR category.
About Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana

1. Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY), a special social security scheme for overseas Indian workers on temporary work permit in 17 Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries. 2. The MGPSY is aimed at helping the workers to save money for their retirement, their return to India and resettlement and provides life insurance cover against natural death during the period of coverage. 3. It provides home and a life insurance cover for 1 lakh rupees during their work abroad. 4. The Government of India will contribute up to 2000 rupees every year for male workers and 3000 rupees every year to women workers for up to either five years or until the worker returns
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home, whichever is earlier. 5. It will be added to the Pension and Life Insurance (PLIF) account of each eligible subscriber. 6. The workers have to contribute between 1000 rupees and 12000 rupees per annum towards the pension fund and 4000 rupees towards the return and resettlement fund. They will derive corresponding benefits when they go back home and during their old age. 7. Indian Workers Resource Centre or IWRC is the support center for Indian workers in the UAE while Bank of Baroda is the official banking partner of the scheme to enroll the workers.
Creation of a New State of Telangana Approved

The Union Cabinet on 3 October 2013 approved the creation of a new State of Telangana by bifurcating the existing State of Andhra Pradesh.
Union Cabinet Decisions

1. The city of Hyderabad will function as the common capital for both the States (Telangana and Seemandhra) for a period of ten years. 2. The Union Cabinet has also approved the setting up of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to work out the various legal and administrative measures to ensure the safety and security of the residents of all the regions of the State including the guarantee of the Fundamental Rights. 3. The Union Cabinet further approved that the Group of Ministers will go into the various issues which concern both the States and suggest appropriate measures to address them. 4. The Group of Ministers will also work out the modalities for the provision of special financial disbursements required for the setting up of a new capital for the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh and to meet the special needs of the backward regions and districts of the two States. 5. The new state will have a geographical area of 10 of the 23 districts of undivided Andhra Pradesh. The districts that will be a part of the new State are Hyderabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Mahaboobnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Rangareddy and Warangal.
Srishti Rana of India Was Crowned Miss Asia Pacific World 2013
Srishti Rana of India on 30 October 2013 was crowned Miss Asia Pacific World 2013 in Busan, South Korea. Srishti Rana, 21, is the second Indian in a row to win the oldest Miss Asia Pacific World 2013.
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Earlier, Zeenat Aman (1970), Tara Anne Fonseca (1973), Dia Mirza(2000) and Himangini Singh Yadu(2012) won Miss Asia Pacific World titles.
About Srishti Rana

Srishti Rana is born in Haryana. Srishti Rana also won the National Costume Award in an outfit depicting the national Bird of India Peacock. She was among the winners of Indian Diva Delhi 2013 along with Yashna Khurana. She was Finalist of Femina Miss India 2013 on 24 March 2013. She was also crowned Femina Miss Fashion Icon.
New Species of Giant Amazon Fish Discovered in Brazil

Scientists from the State University New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry discovered a new species of arapaima - a giant torpedo-shaped fish - in the central Amazon waters of Brazil. The discovery was reported in October 2013 scientific journal Copeia. According to National Geographic it is the first new arapaima species to be discovered since 1847. Arapaimas are huge freshwater fish native to the Amazon River in Brazil and can reach lengths of more than 2 m and weigh up to 200 kg. For the last two centuries, arapaimas are most important commercial fishes in freshwaters of the Amazon and it has high economic, cultural and scientific value, but their diversity has been overlooked. Scientists stated that the discovery of Arapaima suggests there may be important new conservation issues to consider, particularly with regards to overfishing and the regions expanding fish farming industry.
CCEA approved the launch of the IPDS for Textiles Industry

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 30 October 2013 approved the launch of the new Integrated Processing Development Scheme (IPDS) during the 12th five year plan with an investment of 500 crore rupees. The IPDS was approved for establishment of four to six brown field
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projects and three to five green field projects that addresses the environmental issues that is faced by the Textile Processing Units.
The projects are eligible under the scheme that cover following things:
Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) Captive power generation on technology preferably renewable/green technology Infrastructure such as storm water management, necessary roads and pipelines for water & wastewater Facility for testing and R&D centers The scheme would make possible for the textiles industry to become the globally competitive by using the processing standards and technology, which are environment friendly and by creating the new processing parks. It will also help in upgradation of the processing clusters/centers in existence, specifically in the areas of the water and waste water management. The scheme will also encourage the research and development work in the textiles processing sector.
Government proposed to Set up Plastic Parks

The Government of India on 9 October 2013 proposed to support setting up of Plastic Parks for the promotion of downstream plastic processing industries. The Scheme to be implemented by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals envisages setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which would provide infrastructure and common facilities for the industries. State Government or its agency, which would set up such SPV, will have to mandatorily have equity participation in it. Share subscription agreements between the SPV and its members will have to be executed. The contribution of the members will have to be at least 20 percent of the total equity, including the cost of the land. The Government of India would provide a Grant-in-Aid to the extent of 50 percent of the project cost, not exceeding 40 crore rupees per SPV to be set up for the purpose. The remaining contribution in the SPV will be from the State Government, its agencies, beneficiary industries or loan from financial institutions. The release of funds will be based on identification of milestones and time limits set for each such milestone to be decided at the time of the project approval by a Scheme Steering Committee (SSC) in the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals. The proposals are to be made by the State Governments. The Scheme is aimed at increasing investment in the sector for additions in capacity and for increased exports in the sector. Adopting a clustered development approach, the scheme aims to achieve environmentally sustainable growth through innovative methods of waste management, recycling etc.
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Currently the share of India in world trade for plastics is very low. The industry in the country is very large but highly fragmented with the dominance of tiny, small and medium units.
Inflation Increased to 6.46 percent in September

Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities in the month of September 2013 stood at 6.46 percent as compared to 6.1percent in August 2013 and 8.07 percent during the corresponding September of the 2012. This data was released by the Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Government of India on 14 October 2013. Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities (Base year 2004-2005) released by the Government on 14 October 2013 shows that the food inflation at 18.40 per cent in September over the same month September 2012. The food prices had shot up 18.18 per cent in August 2013. This is the highest inflation in Seven months. Wholesale Price Index (WPI) indicates the inflation in the Country. It is also called as Head Line Inflation .It shows all India inflation data. WPI basically consists of Primary Articles, Fuel and Power items and Manufactured Products covering all important items transacted in the economy.
Primary Articles
The weightage of primary articles in WPI is 20.12percent. The index for Primary Articles rose by 1.5 percent to 251.6 (provisional) from 247.8 (provisional) for the August 2013. The Index contains Food articles, non food articles and Minerals.
Fuel and Power

The weightage of fuel and power in WPI is 14.91 percent. The index for this major group rose by 2.6 percent to 207.5 (provisional) from 202.3 (provisional) for the August 2013. The main reason for the increase in this index was higher price of light diesel oil (11percent), furnace oil (8percent), aviation turbine fuel (7percent), naphtha (7percent), petrol (6percent), lubricants (3percent), kerosene and bitumen (3percent each), high speed diesel (2percent) and lpg (1percent).
Manufactured Products
The weightage of manufactured products in WPI is 64.97 percent. The index for this major group increased by 0.7 percent to 151.0 (provisional) from 150.0 (provisional)
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the August 2013.
About Wholesale price index (WPI)

WPI index is the most widely used inflation indicator in India. This is published by the Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Government of India. The base year for calculating WPI is 2004-05. WPI captures price movements in a most comprehensive way. It is widely used by Government, banks, industry and business circles.
India Ranked 134th Spot in the Ease of Doing Business List: World Bank
India ranked to the 134th spot in the ease of doing business list according to the annual Doing Business report released on 29 October 2013 by World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC). In the Ease of Doing Business ranking of 189 countries India has dropped from 131 spot in 2013 to 134th spot in 2014.
Highlights of the report

The top ten nations in the Ease of Doing Business ranking are Singapore (1), Hong Kong (2), New Zealand (3), United States (4), Denmark (5), Malaysia (6), Korea (7), Georgia (8), Norway (9) and the United Kingdom (10). Among BRICS grouping, Russia is placed at 92nd spot, Brazil is ranked 116, South Africa is ranked the 41st rank and China ranked at 96th position. India is also ranked lowest among the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). Other neighbouring nations of India Nepal (105), Pakistan (110) and Bangladesh (130) are also ranked above India.
About the Ease of Doing Business ranking

Countries are ranked on their ease of doing business from 1 to 189. A high ranking on the ease of doing business index means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. This index averages the countrys percentile rankings on 10 topics, made up of a variety of indicators, giving equal weight to each topic.
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The 10 topics includes starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. The employing workers indicators are not included in this years aggregate ease of doing business ranking.
Gujarat CM Laid the Foundation Stone of the Statute of Unity

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October 2013 laid the foundation stone of the Statute of Unity-a 182-metre tall statue (Worlds largest statue) of iron man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 138th birth anniversary at Sardar Sarovar Dam site in Bharuch district in Gujarat. The Statue of Unity will be double of the height of the Statue of Liberty (93 metres) in the USA.
About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Vallabhbhai Patel was born on 31 October 1875 in Nadiad, a small village in Gujarat. Sardar Vallabhai Patel was an Indian freedom fighter and one of the great social leaders of India. He is one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress and one of the founding fathers of the Republic of India. After Indias independence, he became the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India. He was the man behind the consolidation of 565 semi-autonomous princely states to form a united India.
Severe Cyclonic Storm Phailin Affected India

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Phailin affected Indian states of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal as well as Thailand, Myanmar and Nepal on 12 October 2013. On 10 October 2013, the Phailin was equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS). On 11 October 2013, it became equal to the category 5 hurricane on the SSHWS. Cyclonic Storm Phailin made its landfall near Gopalpur in Odisha coast and subsequently weakened. It was last noted on 14 October 2013.
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Role of Union Government of India and the State Governments in Dis.Mgt

The Union Government of India along with the State Governments of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh took the precautionary measures in order to mitigate the disaster. The Armed Forces were put on high alert and the teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed in order to carry out the rescue and relief operations. The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed 24 aircraft, including Ilyushin-76, C-130J Super Hercules and the Antonv-32, along with 18 helicopters.
What are cyclones?

The cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion which rotates in the same direction as the Earth. Its primary characteristic is inward spiraling winds which rotate in the anti-clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth.
How are tropical cyclones formed?

Cyclone Phailin was a tropical cyclone. The tropical cyclones form only on the warm ocean waters near the equator. For the formation of the cyclone, warm and moist air over the ocean rises in the upward direction from near the surface. When the air moves in the upward direction and away from ocean surface, less air is left near the surface. Therefore, when the warm air rises upward, it leads to an area of lower air pressure below. The air from the surrounding areas which have higher air pressure pushes it into the low pressure area. The new cooler air from the surrounding areas that have higher air pressure, push into the low pressure area. The new cooler air eventually becomes warm, moist and then rises upwards, which continues the cyclone.
Tropical Cyclones Intensity Scale

Category Sustained Winds
Super Cyclonic Storm Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Severe Cyclonic Storm Cyclonic Storm Deep Depression Depression >222 km/h 118-221 km/h 88-117 km/h 62-87 km/h 52-61 km/h <51 km/h
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Cyclone Phailin, Indias fiercest storm

Cyclone Phailin was the fiercest storm of India in 14 years. It hit the coastline of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states and flooded farmland. Properties worth crores were damaged during the cyclone, but efficient disaster management, which is the first of its kind in India, gripped the death toll to just 23.
Cyclones and Environmental Issues

Impact of global warming- induced sea level rise due to thermal expansion is more pronounced in the Bay of Bengal due to the shallowness of the waters. The entire coastal ecosystem in general and the eastern coast in particular are highly vulnerable due to flat and low terrain, high population density, over exploitation of natural resources, high rate of environmental degradation on account of pollution and non-sustainable development. Although cyclones affect the entire coast of India, the East Coast is more prone compared to the West Coast. There are 13 Coastal States and UTs in India, with about 84 coastal districts affected by tropical cyclones. Four States (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal) and one UT (Puducherry) on the East Coast and one State (Gujarat) on the West Coast are the States that are more vulnerable to cyclone disasters.
Fishing Ban for Turtle Nesting imposed by Odisha Government

Odisha Government on 24 October 2013 imposed seven months ban on fishing of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles within 20 kilometer across the river mouths of Dharma, Devi and Rusikulya in Gamjam district. The ban was imposed to protect nesting of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. The ban will come into effect on 1 November 2013. Odisha Fisheries department also imposed the ban on the motor boats, trawlers and mechanized fishing boats. The ban is also applicable on the patrols across the beaches of Gahirmatha, Rushikulya and Devi. The ban was imposed across the 20 Kilometer area of the Dhamra-Rushikulya river mouth following the Sections 2, 7 and 4 of the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act 1982. The alternative livelihood project has been taken up by the Bank-funded Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme.
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About Olive Ridley Sea Turtles

The olive ridley sea turtle is known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle. It is a medium-sized species of sea turtle found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is a pelagic sea turtle and is generally known to inhabit in the coastal areas, which also include Bays and Estuaries. Since 1960, its population has been reduced by 50 percent as per the report of Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) of the IUCN.
RV Samudra Ratnakar dedicated to the Nation

Union Minister for Mines Dinsha J. Patel dedicated state of art Geo-Scientific Research Vessel RV Samudra Ratnakar to the nation at Kandla Port of Gujarat on 12 October 2013. RV Samudra Ratnakar is specially designed to carry out sea bed-mapping, mineral exploration in the deep waters along with geo-scientific oceanographic researches. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) in the last week of September 2013 took the delivery of Korean manufacturer Hyundai Heavy Industries oceanographic research vessel RV Samudra Ratnakar.
About RV Samudra Ratnakar

The research vessel RV Samudra Ratnakar is 103 m long, 13 m wide and can travel at an average speed of 11.4 knots. It will be used for survey and exploration of the seabed in Indian and international waters at depths of 10000 m. The vessel Samudra Ratnakar will be docked in Mangalore. RV Samudra Ratnakar built at worlds largest Ship building yard of Ulsan, South Korea. Cost of the vessel is 600-crore Rupees. The Geological Survey of India on 7 August 2013 entered into an agreement with Shipping Corporation of India for the management, operations as well as maintenance of Samudra Ratnakar.
NPCI Launched Aadhaar-Based Services

The National Payments Corporation of India launched two new services- an Aadhaar-based Remittance Service (ABRS) and a Query Service on Aadhaar Mapper (QSAM) on 9 October 2013. The National Payments Corporation of India started its function in the year 2009. It was established as the hub for all the electronic retail payment systems. The Aadhaar-based Remittance Service (ABRS) as of now has been launched with Bank of Baroda,
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Union Bank of India, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank and Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank. ABRS will enable transfer of the funds by making use of the Aadhar number. On the other hand, Query Service on Aadhaar Mapper (QSAM) will enable mapping of the status of a person by making use of the Aadhar number. Nandan Nilekani, chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) explained that UIDAI has already crossed 3 crore or 30 million Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.
About National Payments Corporation of India

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) was incorporated in December 2008 and the Certificate of Commencement of Business was issued in April 2009. It was incorporated as a Section 25 company under Companies Act and is aimed to operate for the benefit of all the member banks and their customers.
Liverpool launched Football Academy in India

Top English Premier League side Liverpool on 16 October 2013 launched a residential football academy in Pune in partnership with city-based DSK Shivajians FC. The academy was named as LFC International Football Academy DSK. It will have a world class residential complex, full size pitches, practice areas, classrooms, residential, medical facilities, lecture theatre and canteen. The academy will support young footballers up to the age of 18. It will provide the players with the opportunity to develop their game in a professional academy environment. Coaches from Liverpool FC will work on the project in India and will provide technical expertise to the players and coaches involved in the Academy. Over time, more full time coaches will come from Liverpool FC to oversee each age group players at the Academy. This is the first time an English football club has partnered with an Indian team to help them bring through local talent.
Sachin Tendulkar announced Retirement from Test

Sachin TendulkarLegendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar on 10 October 2013 announced his decision to retire from Test cricket after playing his landmark 200th Test match against the West Indies in November 2013. Previously, Sachin Tendulkar announced retirement form one day cricket on 23 December 2012 and from Twenty20 cricket format on 26 May 2013.
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About Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian Batsman who is considered one of the greatest batsman of the world after Don Bradman in Test Cricket and the second most successful one day batsman after Viv Richards as per the ranking done by Wisdenthe Bible of Cricket. Sachin Tendulkar who belongs to Mumbai Maharashtra made his appearance in six world cups for India and was the member of the 2011 World Cup winning squad of the nation. The Sachin Tendulkar made his Test debut against arch-rival Pakistan at Karachi in 1989. He currently holds the record for most hundreds in both Tests and One Day Internationals. In 198 Test matches, Sachin Tendulkar scored over Fifteen Thousand Eight hundred runs at an average of 53.86. He slammed 51 Test centuries and an unbeaten 248 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2004 was his best ever. He made 49 hundreds in the one-day format, including a double hundred which is the first in this form of cricket and 96 half centuries. In 2012, Sachin Tendulkar became the first player to score 100 international centuries.
Sania Mirza-Cara Black won China Open 2013

Sania Mirza won the China Open tennis championship trophy (womens Doubles) with Cara Black of Zimbabwe on 5 October 2013 in Beijing. They defeated Vera Dushevina of Russia and Arantxa Parra Santonja of Spain in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. The Indo-Zimbabwean pair was eighth seeded. Sania and Cara had won Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo last week. It is fifth title of the season for Sania Mirza and 19th overall. Sania had won the New Haven event with Chinese Zheng before she teamed up with Cara. Early in the season, Sania Mirza won titles in Dubai and Brisbane with American partner BethanieMattek Sands.
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Reserve Bank of India Increased the Repo Rate by 25 Basis Points to 7.75 %from 7.50%
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 29 October 2013 released the Second Quarter Review of Monetary Policy 2013-14.According the released statement by the RBI, the Repo rate increased by 25 basis points from 7.5 percent to 7.75 percent.
The highlights of the Second Quarter Review of Monetary Policy 2013-14

RBI reduced the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate by 25 basis points from 9.0 percent to 8.75 percent with immediate effect. RBI also increased the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 7.5 percent to 7.75 percent with immediate effect. The liquidity provided through term repos of 7-day and 14-day tenor has been increased from 0.25 percent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) of the banking system to 0.5 percent with immediate effect. Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) unchanged at 4 Percent Repo rate hiked due to upturn of inflation and other factors. Food price pressures may ease with the arrival of summer crop harvest and seasonal moderation. RBI downward FY14 GDP growth to 5 percent from 5.7 percent. Both WPI (wholesale price index) and CPI (consumer price index) inflation may stay rangebound around the current levels that remain above comfort levels.
About the Repo (Repurchasing operation) rate

Repo rate is the rate at which the central bank of a country (Reserve Bank of India in case of India) lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds. This is called repurchase rate because when they borrow money from the RBI, they keep government securities with the central bank as collateral. When they pay the money back to RBI, they take the collateral back. Repo rate is used by monetary authorities to control inflation. When inflation is high, central banks increase repo rate as this acts as a disincentive for banks to borrow from the central bank. This ultimately reduces the money supply in the economy and thus helps in arresting inflation. The central bank takes the contrary position in the event of a fall in inflationary pressures.
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About Reverse repo

Reverse repo rate is the rate at which commercial banks lends to RBI. Repo rate is always higher than the reverse repo rate.
About Cash reserve ratio (CRR)

Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) is the amount of funds that all Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCB) excluding Regional Rural Banks (RRB) are required to maintain without any floor or ceiling rate with RBI with reference to their total net Demand and Time Liabilities (DTL) to ensure the liquidity and solvency of Banks.
About Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR)

SLR stands for Statutory Liquidity Ratio. Apart from CRR, every bank is required to maintain in India at the close of business every day, a minimum proportion of their Net Demand and Time Liabilities as liquid assets in the form of cash, gold and un-encumbered approved securities. The ratio of liquid assets to demand and time liabilities is known as Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR). At present SLR is 23 percent.
About Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)

Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) is a new scheme announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its Monetary Policy (2011-12) and refers to the penal rate at which banks can borrow money from the central bank over and above what is available to them through the Liquidity Adjustment Facility window.
Astronomers Discovered Seven Planet System; Claimed to be Richest Planetary System So Far
Astronomers, in the last week of October 2013, revealed that they identified one of the richest planetary systems. The astronomers discovered the seventh planet around the dwarf star KIC 11442793. The discovery was done by two different teams of researchers from the University of Oxford and team of astronomers from several European countries. The newly discovered planetary system has a lot of similarities like our own system. However, all the seven planets orbit closer to the host star which is situated around 2500 light years from the Earth. One of these identifications was done by the volunteers using the Planet Hunters website. This site was established in order to enable the volunteers to search through the public data from NASAs Kepler space telescope.
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The NASAs Kepler space telescope makes use of the transit method in order to explore new planets. Chris Lintott, from the University of Oxford, co-author on the Planet Hunters paper explained that this was the first seven-planet system from Kepler, by making use of the transiting search. The research done by the team of Chris Lintott was submitted to the Astronomical Journal for peer review. Another research conducted by the astronomers from several European countries submitted their paper to the Astrophysical Journal. It is worth noticing that the newly discovered planet is the fifth furthest from the parent star and orbits with the period of around 125 days. Though there is a lot of similarity of this planet system with our own Solar System, but in the new system, all the seven planets are close to their host star. The Planet Hunters team after conducting the simulations revealed that the planetary system is a stable one. Apart from this, there is another star, HD 10180, which is claimed to have either seven or even nine planetary signals. Yet another sun called GJ 887C might have seven planets.
Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice 2013 Presented to Sushmita Sen
Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen on 27 October 2013 conferred with the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award by NGO The Harmony Foundation for her efforts towards achieving social justice in Mumbai. Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen, who is associated with charitabale projects and NGOs, received the award for her efforts towards achieving social justice and her contribution to society. Along with Sushmitha sen, seven individuals and an association, India Rescue Mission, were also awarded the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice 2013 for their contributions in the field of human rights and community development.
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2013 Awardees list:

Sushmita Sen: Social Activist and Bollywood actress Sindhutai Sapkal: Mother of Orphans Diep Saeeda: Lahore-based human rights activist Sam Childers: rescuer of young boys and girls from Sudan Cedric Prakash: Social Activist Dr Sudarshan Hanumappa: Tribal rights activist Arunachalam Muruganantham: Social Activist Maulana Mehmood Madani: Social activist .India Rescue Mission: An association for human rights
About Mother Teresa International Award for Social Justice

The Mother Teresa International Award is an annual award, constituted by Harmony Foundation that highlights the various endeavors taken up by individuals or NGOs to promote peace and strengthen humanity. The award were presenting from 2005 onwards to different people across the world. The Harmony Foundation was founded in October 2005 by Dr. Abraham Mathai to establish communal harmony between various communities, castes and work towards the benefit of all the communities without any discrimination as to religion, caste, creed, gender or region.
About Sushmita Sen

Sushmita Sen was crowned Miss Universe in 1994. She was the first Indian woman to win the crown. After completing her reign, Sushmita went on to pursue an acting career in Bollywood. She started her career with Dastak movie.
Scientists developed the Worlds First Bionic Man

Scientists developed the worlds first robot human (Bionic man) made entirely of prosthetic parts. The bionic man can walk, talk and has a beating heart. Bionic man was assembled from prosthetic body parts and artificial organs donated by laboratories around the world. The bionic man also has a nearly complete set of artificial organs including an artificial heart, blood, lungs (and windpipe), pancreas, spleen, kidney and functional circulatory system. He also sports a cochlear implant, speech recognition and speech production systems. The
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engineers equipped the bionic man with a sophisticated chatbot programme that can carry on a conversation. It also has a pair of robotic ankles and feet from BiOM in Bedford, Massachusetts, designed and worn by bioengineer Hugh Herr of MITs Media Lab, who lost his own legs after getting trapped in a blizzard as a teenager. To support his prosthetic legs, the bionic man wears a robotic exoskeleton dubbed Rex .It was made by REX Bionics in New Zealand. He lacks a few major organs including liver, stomach and intestines, which are too complex to replicate in a lab. His brain can mimic certain functions of the human brain and he has a retinal prosthesis. Roboticists Rich Walker and Matthew Godden of Shadow Robot Co in England developed the bionic man. The robot was modeled in some physical aspects after Bertolt Meyer, a social psychologist at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, who wears one of the worlds most advanced bionic hands. The total cost for development of the robot is around 1 million US Dollars.
Worlds First Bitcoin ATM launched in Vancouver, Canada

The worlds first Bitcoin ATM machine which can exchange digital currency - Bitcoins -for any official currency has launched in Vancouver, Canada on 29 October 2013. The ATM machine, named Robocoin, installed at Waves Coffee Shop at Howe and Smithe, allows users to buy or sell the digital currency known as bitcoins. The ATM in Vancouver is operated by Las Vegas-based Robocoin and Vancouver-based Bitcoiniacs.
About Bitcoins
Bitcoin is a virtual currency that is unregulated by any central bank or government, but still works for purchasing goods and services from retailers willing to accept it. Bitcoins, which are created when they are mined or generated by a super computer, also trade on an open market that fluctuates much like a stock market.
How Bitcoin ATM works?

Customers will need to have their palms scanned in order to exchange up to 3000 US dollars worth of bitcoins per day. The bitcoins will then be transferred to and from the customers on-line bitcoin wallet. Users will have the option to receive a paper voucher representing the transaction.
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Bitcoin, which came into existence in 2009, is not controlled by any authority such as a central bank. The concept was introduced in 2008 by a pseudonymous developer known only as Satoshi Nakamoto. The currency has reportedly gained notoriety for its use to buy illicit goods such as drugs on websites. However, bitcoins are increasingly being accepted by legitimate businesses around the world.
All India Football Federation signed Agreement with Australia for its Grass-root Programme
All India Football Federation (AIFF) on 30 October 2013 signed an agreement under Australian Sports Outreach Program (ASOP) with Football Federation of Australia (FFA) to support AIFFs Grassroots Programme. The agreement includes financial, administrative and technical support (from FFA) in the form of capacity building within the State Associations who at present are involved in the Grassroots Programme, Grassroots Courses and Grassroots Festivals. The ASOP India is an Australian government initiative implemented by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) with a commitment of 5 million Australian dollars over five years (2009-14). The AIFF Grassroots Programme is aimed at for boys and girls between 6 to 12 years of age. It is executed through the State Football Associations and incorporates all stakeholders such as clubs, schools and community football initiators.
SC: Fix the tenure of bureaucrats to immunize them from the Political Influence
The Supreme Court of India on 31 October 2013 directed the Government of India and the States to pass order within three months on giving the fixed tenure to civil servants. The Supreme Court has also directed to constitute a Civil Services Board at nation and state levels for management of the transfers, posting, reward, inquiries and process of promotion, punishment and disciplinary matters of bureaucracy. The decisions were taken to bring bureaucracy out from political interference and to give end to regular transfers of the civil servants from political executive. The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice K S Radhakrishnan said that the fixed tenure of the bureaucrats would help to promote the professionalism, efficiency and good governance. The Parliament has been also directed by the Supreme Court to enact a law to regulate transfer, posting and disciplinary action on the IAS officers and to immunize them from political interference. As the Supreme Court held that the condition of bureaucracy is deteriorated due to the interference from the political people. The court also said that the civil servants should not act on the verbal orders given by the political executives and all the actions taken by the political executives on the basis of written communication.
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The Court directed on a petition submitted by 83 former civil servants, like former cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian, former Indian ambassador to the US Abid Hussain, former chief election commissioner, N Gopalaswami and others, demanding reforms to ensure bureaucracy to get them out from the political influences.
Kirit Parikh Panel Recommended Hike in Diesel, Kerosene, LPG Prices

Kirit Parikh Panel on advising Pricing Methodology for Diesel, Domestic LPG and PDS Kerosene submitted report to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry on 30 October 2013. The panel in its report recommended a price increase of 5 Rupees per litre in diesel, 4 Rupees per litre in kerosene, and 250 Rupees in LPG cylinder with immediate effect.
Panel Recommendations:
The Panel recommended that the subsidised LPG cylinders be reduced from the present nine to six cylinders per annum to each household. Panel suggested capping the subsidy on diesel sales at 6 rupees a litre. Panel called for the elimination of subsidy on diesel within one year, which could save the exchequer 72000 crore Rupees in fuel subsidy. The panel has stated that the Government should take steps to pass on the impact of rise in price of diesel to consumers, and move rapidly towards making the price of diesel marketdetermined. The panel favoured continuation of existing pricing principles for controlled petroleum products. Oil firms currently sell diesel at a discount of 10.52 Rupees per litre, kerosene at 38.32 Rupees and LPG at 532.86 rupees per cylinder.
About Kirit Parikh Panel

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on 12 June 2013 constituted an Expert Group to advice on Pricing Methodology for Diesel, Domestic LPG and PDS Kerosene. The panel was headed by planning commission member Dr. Kirit S. Parikh. The members of the panel are P.K. Singh, Dr. Saurabh Garg, Prof. S.K. Barua, R.K. Singh (Member secretary). To revisit the current pricing methodology for Diesel, Domestic LPG and PDS Kerosene and suggest a pricing mechanism benchmarked to Export Parity Pricing (EPP), which is also relatable to the actual FOB (Free on Board) export realization of the petroleum products exported from India by private refiners.
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The expert groups approach with regards to the above was as follows:
Examine the logic of EPP, IPP & TPP Explore alternative pricing methodology Examine the volume and direction of trade of diesel, LPG and Kerosene to see if the price is to be EPP or IPP Give Recommendations on pricing of products 1. Import Parity Price (IPP) IPP represents the price that importers would pay in case of actual import of product at the respective Indian ports and includes the elements of: {FOB price + Ocean Freight + Insurance + Custom Duties + Port Dues, etc.} 2. Export Parity Price (EPP) EPP represents the price which oil companies would realize on export of petroleum products at Indian ports. {FOB price + Advance License benefit (for duty free import of crude oil pursuant to export of refined products)} 3. Trade Parity Price (TPP) - TPP is a weighted average price derived from IPP and EPP. Currently the weight assigned to IPP is 80% and that to EPP is 20% for computing the TPP for diesel. 4. Current Pricing Methodology Currently the retail selling prices of only 3 products i.e. Diesel (retail sales), PDS Kerosene and Subsidized Domestic LPG are regulated by the Government. The prices of all other petroleum products including Petrol have been made market determined. The RGP of Diesel since 2006 is based on Trade Parity Pricing (TPP) computed as weighted average price of IPP and EPP. The weight assigned to IPP is 80% and the weight assigned to EPP is 20% for computing TPP. The RGP of PDS kerosene and Domestic LPG are based on IPP as provided for in the policy enunciated in PDS Kerosene and Domestic LPG Subsidy Scheme, 2002. The prices of the three products are currently worked out on the basis of the daily FOB quotes of Arab Gulf (AG) prices as published by Platts & Argus. The detailed price build-up of Diesel, PDS Kerosene and Subsidized Domestic LPG effective 1stOctober 2013, at Delhi, is given in
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Annexure The prices charged to the consumers are well below the prices as worked out in line with the IPP/TPP pricing mechanism. Since 2004, the consumer prices of Petrol (decontrolled effective 26.6.2010), Diesel, PDS Kerosene and Domestic LPG have been revised in ad-hoc manner and the impact of the sharp and consistent increase in the world crude oil and product prices have not been passed on fully to the consumers.
Alternative Pricing Methodology

In a free market, the prices of petroleum products would be determined by the market forces, i.e., the forces of demand and supply. In such a scenario, there would be no need for Government to prescribe any pricing formula for fixing the refinery gate price for POL products. This would be the best policy as not only would the prices be determined by the economic value of the products but such pricing would also eliminate profligacy and inefficiencies in use of these products. In November 1997, Government made its intention clear to completely deregulate the pricing of POL products. Thereafter, APM was dismantled in April 2002 and finally after another eight years an in principle decision was taken to decontrol Diesel prices in June 2010. However, the decision has not been implemented so far. Given the significant difference between the likely free market price and the administered price of the three products, it may not be possible to change over to free pricing overnight. Hence, a second best solution would be to use product pricing formula in the interim till the pricing can be made entirely market determined. The alternate pricing mechanisms are explored with this in view. While the current pricing is based on IPP/ TPP pricing mechanism, following alternative approaches to pricing were examined: 1. Pricing on cost plus basis 2. Pricing Linked to Crude Oil Price + Product Crack 3. Pricing Linked to Singapore Prices 4. Relatable to Actual export realization by Indian private refiners. 5. Pricing Mechanism in other countries.
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Nobel Prize 2013 Announced

The Nobel Prize winners of 2013 in the different categories were announced in the month of October 2013. Nobel Prizes are announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences every year in the memory of Alfred Nobel. The categories were the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Nobel Prize in Physics, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, The Nobel Literature Prize and The Nobel Peace Prize.
The Nobel Prize winners of 2013 in the different categories were as follows:
Category
Physiology Medicine
Name of the Person

or James Rothman Randy Schekman Thomas Suedhof Peter Higgs Francois Englert Michael Levitt
Contribution
for their groundbreaking work on how the cell organises its transport system
Physics
for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles. for the development of multi scale models for complex chemical systems
Chemistry
Martin Karplus Arieh Warshel
Peace
The Organisation for the for its extensive efforts to eliminate Prohibition of Chemical chemical weapons Weapons (OPCW) Alice Munro Eugene Fama Lars Peter Hansen Robert Shiller master of the contemporary short story for their work on creating a deeper knowledge of how market prices move
Literature
Economics
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Alice Munro won Nobel Prize 2013 for literature

Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize on 10 October 2013 for literature. She was the first Canadian woman to take the Nobel Prize since its launch in 1901.
About Alice Munro

Alice Munro was born on the 10 July 1931 in Wingham, the Canadian province of Ontario. She started writing stories in her teens, but published her first book-length work in 1968, the story collection entitled Dance of the Happy Shades. Her works include Who Do You Think You Are? (1978), The Moons of Jupiter (1982), Runaway (2004), The View from Castle Rock (2006) and Too Much Happiness (2009). The collection Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage (2001) became the basis of the film Away from Her from 2006, directed by Sarah Polley. Her most recent collection is Dear Life (2012). She won the Man International Booker Prize in 2009 for a body of work. She won the Giller Prize twice, for The Love of a Good Woman in 1998 and Runaway in 2004. She is a three-time winner of the Governor Generals Literary Award, for Dance of the Happy Shades, Who Do You Think You Are and The Progress of Love (1986). She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2013 for her work as master of the modern short story.
Eugene F. Fama shared Nobel Prize for Economics with Lars Peter Hansen and Robert Shiller
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2013 was awarded jointly to Eugene F. Fama, Lars Peter Hansen and Robert J. Shiller for their empirical analysis of asset prices.
About Eugene Fama

Eugene F. Fama is widely recognized as the father of modern finance. Eugene F. Famas financial research is well known in both the economics and investment community. He is strongly identified with research on markets, particularly with regard to the efficient market hypothesis. He has brought an empirical and scientific rigor to the field of investment management,
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transforming the way finance is viewed and conducted. He is a prolific author and researcher, having written two books and published more than 100 articles in academic journals. He focuses much of his study on the relation between risk and return and implications for portfolio management. He has received numerous awards and honors. He was the 2007 recipient of the Fred Arditti Innovation Award given by the CME Center for Innovation. He was the first recipient of three major prizes for research in Finance a) The Deutsche Bank Prize in Financial Economics, 2005 b) The Morgan Stanley American Finance Association Award for Excellence in Finance, 2007. c) The Onassis Prize in Finance, 2009.
Peter Higgs and Francois Englert won the Nobel Prize for Physics 2013
Peter Higgs, United Kingdom and Francois Englert , Belgium jointly awarded Nobel Prize for Physics 2013 on 8 October 2013. They were awarded for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles. Their contribution forms the cornerstone of modern particle physics. Higgs and Francois Englert discovered a quantum field which is a distribution of energy, throughout the universe. It is a field with special properties. When the field is disturbed, waves travel through it. The dimmest possible wave is called a particle in the field. They called this field as Higgs field. In the Higgs field particles are called as Higgs Boson. The existence of Higgs Boson was confirmed through the discovery of the predicted fundamental particle by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERNs Large Hadron Collider (LHG) near Geneva, Switzerland.
About The Higgs boson

Higgs boson popularly known as the God particle. It is sub atomic particle. Elementary particles may have gained their mass because of the Higgs boson particle.
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About the Nobel Prize

Alfred Nobel signed On 27 November 1895 his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace. In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Swedens central bank) established The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances.
James Rothman, Randy Schekman and Thomas Suedhof Won the 2013 Nobel Prize for Medicine
James Rothman and Randy Schekman of US as well as German-born Thomas Suedhof won the 2013 Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology on 7 October 2013. They were awarded for their groundbreaking work on how the cell organises its transport system. James Rothman, Randy Schekman and Thomas Suedhof work at the US universities. The three of them discovered the complex transport system in the human body which makes the delivery of the life-saving proteins and molecules at right place and right time. James Rothman, Randy Schekman and Thomas Suedhof work at the Yale University, University of California and Stanford University respectively. It is important to note that disturbances in complex transport system of the human body can have poisonous effects and can also contribute towards the conditions like immunological disorders, neurological diseases and diabetes. The Nobel Committee announced that the three of them were honoured for their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells. The value of each prize is 1.2 million US Dollar.
Individual Contribution
In their discovery, Schekman discovered a set of genes which are needed for vesicle traffic. Rothman discovered the protein machinery which enables the vesicles to fuse with their targets in order to allow the transfer of cargo. Sudhof, in the meanwhile, revealed how the signals instruct the vesicles to release cargo with accuracy.
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Michael Levitt, Martin Karplus and Arieh Warshel Won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013
Michael Levitt, a British and US citizen of Stanford University, US-Austrian Martin Karplus of Strasbourg University and US-Israeli Arieh Warshel of the University of Southern California share The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013 on 9 October 2013. While announcing their names Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences told that the Nobel Laureates in Chemistry 2013 have made it possible to map the mysterious ways of chemistry by using computers.
Why they awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013?

They were awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013 for the development of multi scale models for complex chemical systems. The trio devised computer simulations to understand chemical processes. Their research laid the foundations for new kinds of pharmaceuticals. Their research contributed to exploring multiple options in cyber space.
About the Nobel Prize

Alfred Nobel signed On 27 November 1895 his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace. In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Swedens central bank) established The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances.
Eugene Fama, Lars Peter Hansen, Robert Shiller won 2013 Nobel Prize for Economics
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on 14 October 2013 decided to award The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for 2013 to Eugene F. Fama, Lars Peter Hansen and Robert J. Shiller for their empirical analysis of asset prices.
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1. Eugene F. Fama
University of Chicago, IL, USA
2. Lars Peter Hansen

University of Chicago, IL, USA
3. Robert J. Shiller
Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA The three American Economists awarded for their work on creating a deeper knowledge of how market prices move. The prize is worth 8m Swedish krona (775000 Pounds; 1.2m Dollars), which will be shared equally among the three winners.
The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences

The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences is not one of the original Nobel prizes. It was created in 1968 by the Swedish Central Bank in memory of Alfred Nobel, who established the prizes for Chemistry, Medicine, Physics, Literature and Peace in 1895. The first Economics prize was awarded in 1969. The Nobel Foundation does not officially recognize it as a Nobel Prize, but as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel has been awarded 45 times to 74 Laureates between 1969 and 2013.
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INTERNATIONAL
US Announced Grant for Womens Safety in Delhi
The United States of America, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced on 29 October 2013 a 250000 US Dollar grant to for a programme called Delhi Safe City - Free of Violence against Women and Girls. The grant was announced by the USA to the organization UN Women, which is a part of the United Nations Womens Global Safe Cities Initiative. The grant is for the ongoing program Delhi Safe City Free of Violence against Women and Girls that will be implemented in partnership with Indian civil society organizations. While announcing the grant U.S. Ambassador to India Nancy J. Powell told that the United States recognizes gender-based violence as one of the most debilitating factors impeding a womans active participation in any economy in the world and her ability to access resources and services. We are pleased to partner with UN Women to help promote safe cities and reduce gender-based violence, which plagues every country in the world.
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About Delhi Safe City Free of Violence against Women and Girls programme
UN Women launched a new flagship initiative the Safe Cities Free of Violence against Women and Girls Global Programme (SafeCitiesprogramme). The Safe Cities programme is being piloted in five cities around the world including Delhi. The Safe Cities programme in Delhi calles as Delhi Safe City Free of Violence against Women and Girls programme.
Aims of the programme

A greater sense of safety, reduced fear, and increased comfort of women and girls in public spaces. Increased use of public spaces and increased autonomous mobility of women and girls in the Delhi. A reduction in different forms of Sexual Violence in public spaces, especially in the sites of intervention.
World Health Organisation confirmed 10 cases of Polio in Syria after 14 years

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 29 October 2013 confirmed ten cases of polio in Syria. This is the first outbreak in Syria in 14 years as polio virus was last reported in Syria in 1999. Other 12 cases are being investigated by WHO. Maximum of the 22 people being tested are toddlers and babies. In 2011, before the civil war began in Syria about 95 percent children were immunized against Polio. But as per the estimated of United Nations about 500000 children have not been immunized. As per the WHO, Deir Ezzor on the Eastern Province is the suspected center for outbreak in the country. Virus of Polio is generally highly infectious disease, which mainly infects children in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions via the consumption of the liquid or food that are contaminated with feces. The virus in general can be noticed only it starts crippling the children, whereas, it goes unnoticed when it attacks nerves and paralyze people. The WHO has reported increase in cases of measles, typhoid and hepatitis A.
About WHO
WHO is a coordinating and directing authority for health within the United Nations system. It is the body that is responsible to provide leadership on global health matters, shape the health research
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agenda, set norms and standards, articulate evidence-based policy options, provide technical support to countries and monitor and assess the health trends.
United Nations General Assembly Voted against US Embargo on Cuba

For the 22nd consecutive year at the United Nations, the United Nations General Assembly on 29 October 2013 adopted a resolution calling for an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba. One hundred and eighty-eight countries voted for the non-binding resolution and only the United States and Israel voted against the resolution. Three countries abstained (Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau). The US imposed the embargo on Cuba in 1960, shortly after Fidel Castro took power and seized US-owned assets on the island.
About the United Nations General Assembly

It the deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. It has all 193 Members of the United Nations. It provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter.
India and Peru Signed MoUs to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation

India and Peru signed 4 documents/Mous on during the official visit of the Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari to Peru on 29 October 2013. The Vice President of India visited Peru to celebrate the 50th year of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The Vice President of India held detailed discussions with the President of the Republic of Peru, Ollanta Humala Tasso and the first Vice President of Peru, Marisol Espinoza and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru, Ms. Eda Rivas Franchini. India and Peru signed documents in the field of education, defence cooperation, in the fields of Museum Development, Conversation of Movable Cultural Property and Dissemination and Promotion of Cultural Heritage.
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Sr.No
Document
Exchange Programme the field of Education
Gist of the agreement/document

in The exchange programme encourages exchange of research material, teaching aides; organization of joint conferences, training programmes; twining of institutions ; setting up chairs on contemporary studies; providing of scholarships for higher education
Agreement on Cooperation 2
Defence Aims at enhancing cooperation in the prevention of spread of weapons of mass destruction and tackling nonconventional threats like drugs & piracy; exchange of training expertise and personnel for military courses and collaborate in the spheres of defence equipment exports for mutual benefit India and Peru agree to establish a Joint Commission which will be an intergovernmental consultation mechanism at the Foreign Ministerial level to promote, strengthen and diversify bilateral relations
MoU between Government of the Republic of India and Government of the Republic of Peru on Establishment of a Joint Commission Letter of Intent between the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of India and the Ministry Culture of the Republic of Peru for Cooperation in the fields of Museum Development, Conversation of Movable Cultural Property and Dissemination and Promotion of Cultural Heritage
Agree to create specific cooperation programmes for exchange of experiences and training of specialists in the Museum sector; organizing international temporary exhibitions for dissemination of information on cultural heritage of both countries
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Brazil announced to produce Low-Cost Measles and Rubella Vaccine for Developing Nations
Brazil, in the last week of October 2013 announced its plans to produce the low-cost rubella and measles vaccine for the purpose of export to the developing countries. Brazilian Health Minister, Alexandre Padilha announced that by the year 2017, 30 million doses annually will be supplied primarily to African, Latin American and Asian nations. This will be done in partnership with foundation of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. For this purpose, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, the top medical research facility of Brazil received a grant worth 1 million US Dollar from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The vaccine will be the most affordable one in the market and it will be first of all exported by Brazil. It is important to note that at present; only India produces the vaccines of these kinds.
About the new low-cost vaccine

The new low-cost vaccine will be developed by the Bio-Manguinhos, which is a part of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), in Rio de Janeiro. The cost of this will be 0.54 US Dollar per dose. For the purpose of this new vaccine, new production plant will be set up at Rio de Janeiro. It is worth noticing that Brazil at present, also exports vaccines for 75 countries but the vaccine for measles and rubella will be first of its kind produced exclusively for the purpose of export. BioManguinhos, in the meanwhile, produces a combined vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella since the year 2003. However, the cost of this is very high for a lot of developing nations.
What is Measles?
Measles is the infection which is caused by the virus that is usually acquired at the early childhood age. Measles is very contagious which spreads through sneezes and coughs. According to the World Health Organisation, measles kills 158000 people annually, most of which include children below the age of five years.
What is Rubella?
Rubella is also a kind of measles. Infact, it is called German measles. Rubella, just like measles, is also caused because of a virus and is infectious from one person
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to another through sneezing or coughing. A pregnant woman acquiring rubella during first three months of pregnancy increases the risk of baby having serious birth defects or even death.
Hamid Ansari launched the Indian Chambers of Commerce in Lima, Peru

Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India on 28 October 2013 launched the Indian Chambers of Commerce (INCHAM) in Lima, Peru. The launch was done during a function organized by the Embassy of India, Peru and INCHAM. The official website of INCHAM was also launched during the occasion. This launch was done during the visit of Hamid Ansari at Peru. At the time of launch, Manpreet Vohra, the Ambassador of India to Peru and Ravi Krishna, the President of INCHAM and senior officials and business leaders from India and Peru were present on the occasion. The INCHAM has been created to fill the vacuum between India and Peru commercial and economic relations. INCHAM aims to facilitate Indian Trade and Industry to do business in Peru and other countries of Latin America. The Indian Chambers of Commerce has been launched the maximize awareness about the business opportunities in both the countries. The INCHAM will also provide information and advisory services. It will also provide an important bridge between businesses and Governments that is very important at the time when the economic relations reaches a take-off stage, as they have between India and Peru. In past five years, the bilateral trade between India and Peru has gone up by 7 percent. In 2012 the growth rate was 35 percent and in six months of 2013 it has grown by 44 percent. With time Peru had become one of the important Partners from the region for India. The Governments of India and Peru is looking forward to start negotiations for free Trade Agreement, seeing the potential of growth.
India and Peru jointly celebrated the 50th Year of Establishment of Diplomatic Ties
India and Peru jointly celebrated the 50th year of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries on 27 October 2013 in Lima. The occasion was celebrated during the three day visit of Indian Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari to Peru. He was on a three-day visit to Peru. His visit assumes significance as India seeks to further strengthen India-Peru ties. Indian music and classical dance performance at the mini India cultural festival was showcased for Peruvians. India established diplomatic relations with Peru in March 1963. India-Peru relations have traditionally
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been cordial and friendly. Since the 1990s, there has been an increasing economic and business content to the relationship. On the Peruvian side, an enhanced interest in the Asian region due to APEC membership, coupled with Indias image as a technologically advanced democratic developing country, as well as increased bilateral trade in recent years , has enhanced Indias importance. Peru is also a member of NAM and G-77. India and Peru cooperate closely on multilateral matters.
Nobel Memorial Wall inaugurated at Kolkata by the Swedish Ambassador

Harald Sandberg, the Swedish Ambassador on 25 October 2013 inaugurated the Nobel Memorial Wall in Kolkata. The Nobel Memorial Wall has been set up at the Esplanade Metro Station in Kolkata. Seven of the Nobel Laureates from India are portrayed in the metro station along with the Rabindranath Tagore. The Memorial Wall was inaugurated of centenary when Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature. The portraits on the Memorial Wall also carry the information related to the life and achievements in the respective field of the Nobel Laureates with the year when they were awarded the Nobel in three languages, namely English, Hindi and Bangla. Two more memorial walls would be established at metro stations of Gitanjali and Jorasanko. The work on the Nobel Memorial Wall was done as the part of the seventh edition of the Sweden-India Nobel Memorial wee.
Madagascar held its first Presidential Election after the 2009 Coup
Madagascar residents on 25 October 2013 voted for Presidential Election. This was the first Presidential Election in Madagascar after the 2009 Coup. If in case, any party fails to win about 50 percent of the votes, then they will have to compete in a runoff scheduled for 20 December 2013. About 33 candidates are running in the election of Madagascar. About 60 percent of the eligible voters of Madagascars capital Antananarivo, casted vote in the election.
About the Madagascar Coup

The crisis of Madagascar began on 26 January 2009, when the Antananarivo mayor Andry Rajoelina led a political opposition movement to oust the Marc Ravalomanana, President of the country. Andry Rajonelina was declared President of the Madagascar of the High Transitional Authority on 21 March 2009. After five days, Marc Ravalomanana transferred his power to the military council and he after transferring his power fled away to South Africa.
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The Parliament of Russia passed Anti-Terror Bill

The lower house of Russian Parliament, Duma on 25 October 2013 approved a new legislation which makes punishment for terrorism more severe. The new legislation also requires terrorists relatives to pay for the damages caused in attacks. The bill is expected to be approved in the upper house and be signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law. The bill further adds that training for terrorist activities is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. It also introduced a punishment of up to six years for those participating in a militant group on foreign soils. Putin has taken a tough stance against the North Caucausus rebellion following two wars between the Russian army and Chechen separatists.
Government of Venezuela created Vice Ministry of Supreme Social Happiness

The government of Venezuela on 25 October 2013 created Vice Ministry of Supreme Social Happiness to deal with sadness. The main role of the agency is to coordinate all anti-poverty missions created by the late President Hugo Chavez. Oil-rich Venezuela is chronically short of basic goods and medical supplies. Annual inflation is running alarmingly at near 50 percent and the US dollar is valued at more than seven times the official rate on the black market. Venezuela, officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America.
Syria Submitted Chemical Arms Destruction Plan to OPCW

Syrian Government on 24 October 2013 submitted detailed plan to destroy its chemical arsenal to International chemical weapons watchdog- OPCW. Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is presently involved in destroying Syrias stockpiles of chemical weapons. Syria was required to submit the destruction plan under a USRussian deal agreed in September 2013 that headed off military strikes on Syria. The agreement also gives Syria up to mid-2014 to destroy its chemical arsenal.
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President Bashar al-Assads regime has already handed over an inventory of its chemical weapons and facilities, and international inspectors are on the process of destroying its weapons. OPCW also stated that, Syrias latest disclosures provide the basis on which plans are devised for a systematic, total and verified destruction of declared chemical weapons and production facilities. The document from Syria includes a general plan of destruction for consideration by the OPCW Executive Council. The OPCWs Executive Council will use the Syrian declaration to decide by 15 November 2013 on destruction milestones for Syrias arsenal. Syria has also sent in a declaration of its chemical weapons activities and facilities, meeting its obligations as a new state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Syria on 14 October 2013 officially joined the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention, which outlaws production and use of chemical weapons.
Back ground
Syrias submission of its plan is in line with the deadline set by the OPCW Executive Council in its decision of 27 September 2013 requiring a complete initial declaration by 27 October 2014. Such declarations provide the basis on which plans are devised for a systematic, total and verified destruction of declared chemical weapons and production facilities. Under the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention, new States Parties are also required to submit a declaration covering activities and facilities that are not prohibited under the Convention but can be subjected to routine verification measures as a confidence building measure and to establish the peaceful intent of commercial activities.
About the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an independent, international body set up in 1997 to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention. It carries out inspections of destruction procedures, as well as evaluating members own declarations, in order to verify that the convention is being adhered to. It is based in The Hague, Netherland and has 189 member states, covering around 98 percent of the worlds population. These member nations have agreed to work together to create a world free from chemical weapons.
Ethiopia banned its Citizens from Travelling Abroad for Work

Ethiopias government on 24 October 2013 temporarily banned its citizens from travelling abroad to look for work. The government took this decision because many Ethiopians had lost their lives or undergone untold physical and psychological trauma due to illegal human trafficking. The Ethiopian
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government had taken various steps to limit the suffering of its citizens, including setting up a national council and a taskforce to educate them. The scarcity of work opportunities contributes mainly fuelling emigration from Ethiopia, which has Africas second largest population. According to the official figures, Youth unemployment was estimated at more than 50 percent. Many Ethiopians migrate to Saudi Arabia, travelling via Yemen by sea and entering the country illegally. Thousands of others go to Israel, South Africa and Europe. Most of the migrants end up being smuggled, trafficked or subjected to mental and physical torture.
Extradition Treaty between India and Bangladesh came into Effect

The extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh came into effect on 23 October 2013 with the handing over of the instruments of ratification. The treaty came into effect after Bangladesh Home Secretary C.Q.K. Mostaq Ahmad and Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran signed the documents in Dhaka. The treaty was signed between two nations on 28 January 2013. With this treaty in place, India will now be able to extradite ULFA leader Anup Chetia from Bangladesh. Under the treaty the two countries will be able to exchange convicts and undertrials as required. The treaty provides for extradition of convicts sentenced to more than one year of imprisonment, but is not applicable to political prisoners and asylum seekers. Both countries can cancel the treaty at six months notice. The treaty will allow India to extradite ULFA leader Anup Chetia, while it will allow Bangladesh to take back fugitive criminals from India like Sazzad Hossain and put them to trial.
Envoys of Four Nations presented Credentials to the President of India

Envoys of four nations- South Africa, Qatar, Slovenia and Namibia presented their credentials to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on 23 October 2013.
The credentials were presented by the envoys. These were:

France Kosinyane Morule, High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa Ahmed Ibrahim Abdulla Al-Abdulla, Ambassador of the State of Qatar
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Darja Bavdaz Kuret, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia Pius Dunaiski, High Commissioner of the Republic of Namibia
Meaning of the Credentials

Credentials basically refer to the testimonials or the evidences which concern to the ones right to confidence, credit or authority.
Islamic criminal law introduced in Brunei

The sultanate of Brunei announced that it will enforce a new Sharia law penal code. This code would apply only to Muslims, who make up about two-thirds of Brunei population of 420000. The new Sharia law penal code includes death by stoning for adulterers and the severing of limbs for theft. Punishments could also include flogging for such crimes as consumption of alcohol or abortion. Brunei already adheres to a stronger form of Islamic law than neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia, banning the sale and consumption of alcohol. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 67, who is one of the wealthiest men of the world said the shariah Penal Code should be regarded as a form of special guidance from God and would be part of the great history of the tiny, oilrich monarchy on Borneo island. The citizens of Brunei have one of the highest standards of living in Asia, because of revenues generated from oil and gas, and they also enjoy free medical care and education.
About sharia law

It is the most protected divine law because, the majority of the rulings of Sharia law are based on the Quran and Sunnah, while a small fraction of its rulings are based on the Ulema (jurists) who used the methods of Ijman(consensus), Qiyas (analogical deduction), Ijtihad (research) and Urf (common practice) to derive Fatwa (legal opinions). Sharia law governs many Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran ,however this law is used as a supplement to national law but It can relate to all aspects of civil law, including property rights, contracts or public law.
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India-Bangladesh Inked Pact for Enhanced Trade Facilitation and Combating Tax Evasion
India and Bangladesh on 22 October 2013 inked an agreement for enhanced trade facilitation and for combating evasion of duties and taxes. The agrrement was signed during the India-Bangladesh Joint Group of Customs meet in Dhaka. The agreement was signed by Indias Revenue Secretary Sumit Bose and Md. Ghulam Hussain, Chairman of the Bangladesh National Board of Revenue. This was the ninth meeting under the Secretary-level Joint Group of Customs. The next meeting will take place in New Delhi in 2014.
About the Agreement

Under the agreement, India and Bangladesh identified 16 Land Customs Stations of high bilateral trade for synchronisation of working hours and days, and extension of Car Pass System thereby allowing movement of trucks for unloading up to the point of Land Custom Station. India- Bangladesh also agreed to allow custom officials of both countries to cross the borders to each others land Custom Stations for coordination and resolving operational issues. Both countries also agreed to keep the Land customs Stations at Petrapole and Benapole and Agartala and Akhaura operational for 7 days a week from 1st january, 2014. They also agreed to improve institutional linkages between their customs administrations at operational and policy levels to facilitate trade and protect revenues.
2nd India-Philippines Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation Held at Manila

The 2nd meeting of the India- Philippines joint commission on bilateral cooperation was held on 21 October 2013 in Manila. The meeting was co-chaired by the Albert F. Del Rosario, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines and the Salman Khurshid, Minister of External Affairs of the of India. During the meeting they discussed on political, defense, security, economic and cultural cooperation, and reviewed the progress of the Joint Working Groups on Trade and Investment, Tourism, Agriculture, Health and Medicine, Joint Committee on Renewable Energy and of the Joint Defense Cooperation Committee.
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Highlights of the 2nd India-Philippines Joint Commission meeting

The Ministers affirmed their condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reiterated their commitment to expand and deepen cooperation in counter terrorism. In this regard, they agreed to convene the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in New Delhi in 2014 to discuss all issues related to terrorism and other transnational crimes. India and Philippines agreed to commence negotiations on Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters (MLAT) in December 2013 and consider a Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement (TSP). The Ministers welcomed the convening of the 2nd meeting of the India-Philippines Joint Defense Cooperation Committee (JDCC) in November 2013 in New Delhi. They also committed to increase exchanges in military training and education. The Ministers agreed to step up cooperation in combating non-traditional threats through exchange of experiences and capacity building in the areas of disaster management, food security and pandemics. The Philippines side welcomed the cash support of 100000 US Dollar provided by the Indian Government for disaster relief following the recent devastating earthquake in the Philippines. The Ministers committed to increase bilateral trade and investments between India and Philippines and to fully maximize the potential of the Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment to bring their bilateral trade to an even higher level. They welcomed the results of the 2nd Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Tourism and agreed to review the 1949 Bilateral Air Services Agreement. The Ministers agreed to convene the 2nd Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Agriculture and the 2nd Meeting of the Joint Working Group in Health and Medicine as soon as possible. They also agreed that the 1987 Agreement for Cooperation in Science and Technology must be tapped and implemented through a Program of Cooperation. They also agreed to discuss a new Executive Program on Cultural Exchange for the years 2014 to 2016. The Ministers agreed that the 3rd Meeting of the Joint Commission will be held in 2015 in New Delhi.
UK to build Its First Nuclear Plant Called Hinkley Point C in Two Decades
The Government of UK on 21 October 2013 announced that it decided to build the first nuclear plant of UK (called Hinkley Point C (HPC) power plant) in over two decades time along with a French energy firm EDF, and two Chinese companies. The nuclear plant will be established at south-west England and it will be the first one in Western Europe ever since the Fukushima nuclear
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plant disaster in Japan. EDF along with two other Chinese partners- CGN and CNNC signed the deal in order to invest 16 billion Pounds in the nuclear plant- Hinkley Point C (HPC) power plant. This nuclear plant will meet approximately 7 percent of the energy needs of UK in the long term. It is important to note that while the Britain will establish its first nuclear plant, Germany, on the other hand, is set up for decommissioning all the nuclear power plants by the year 2022. Chatham House, the international body, in the meanwhile, revealed that the nuclear contribution to electricity across the world dropped down from 17 percent in 1990s to 10 percent at present. There is also an involvement of the Government subsidy, which means that the deal will have to get a nod from the European Commission.
Saudi Arabia Turned Down UN Security Council Seat

Saudi Arabia on 18 October 2013 turned down a coveted seat on the United Nations Security Council because of the failure of the international community to end the war in Syria and act on other Middle East issues. It cited the Security Councils failure to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, take steps to end Syrias civil war and stop nuclear proliferation in the region. It accused that the body had instead perpetuated conflicts and grievances. A founding member of the United Nations, Saudi Arabia was one of five countries elected by the UNs General Assembly on 17 October 2013 to serve a two-year term on the 15-member Security Council. Saudi Arabia, officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest Arab state in Western Asia by land area and the second-largest in the Arab world. Its capital is Riyadh.
Thirty-Four Election Observers from European Union Election Observation deployed in Nepal
Thirty-four election observers from the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) were deployed in Kathmandu to all regions of Nepal on 17 October 2013. The 34 long-term EU observers arrived in Kathmandu on 13 October 2013 and went through a comprehensive three-day briefing. The polling is scheduled to be held for the Constituent Assembly on 19 November 2013. The group is lead by Chief Observer a member of the European Parliament, Eva Joly. The Deputy Chief Observer Tania Marques explained that in the coming weeks, the observers
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will meet election officials, candidates and representatives of civil society, and will report their observations back to Kathmandu. Apart from 34 observers, a group of 40 short term observers will join the mission in order to observe voting, counting and the tabulation of results. Additionally, the mission will also send out a delegation of members of the European Parliament and locally-recruited short term observers from EU member states embassies to observe the electoral process. In total, the EU EOM will comprise over 100 Observers from 26 member states as well as Norway and Switzerland.
India and Hungary signed MoU for Promotion of Traditional Systems of Medicine
India and Hungary signed the bilateral agreement for the promotion and development of traditional systems of medicine on 17 October 2013. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on behalf of India by Santosh Chowdhary, Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Zolton Banog, Minister of National Resources of Hungary in the presence of Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India and Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, at Hyderabad House.
Highlights of the MoU

The main objective of this MoU is to strengthen, promote and develop cooperation in the field of traditional systems of medicine between the two countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefits. The MoU encourages and promotes cooperation to enhance the use of traditional systems of medicine, exchange of regulatory information on operational licensing to practice traditional medicine. It also encourages marketing authorization of medicines in both countries; promote the exchange of experts for training of practitioners, para-medics, scientists, teaching professionals and students in traditional systems of medicine. The signing of MoU will give boost to bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of traditional medicines which will open new vistas for exploring the potential of economic, commercial and tourism development in both the countries. With the help of this MoU, India will be able to establish the Indian systems of medicines namely Ayurveda, Unani, Yoga and Naturopathy, Siddha, Homeophathy and Sowa-Rigpa (Namchi) that will help in establishing the global recognition of Indias well established systems in the world over. It is important to note that India has already signed the agreements like these with other countries such as Malaysia and Trininad and Tobago and is in the process of signing agreements with Russia, Nepal, Srilanka, Serbia and Mexico.
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Iran and P5+1 Group agreed to hold Talks on Irans Nuclear Programme
Iran and P5+1(Group of six major world powers comprising the US, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany) were agreed on 16 October 2013 first time to hold talks on Irans nuclear programme. TheP5+1 group was held two days intense, substantive and forward looking talks with Iran over its controversial nuclear program on 15-16 October 2013 in Geneva. According to the agreed plan between Iran and P5+1 Group, Iran ensured to the P5+1 group that it will use nuclear programme for peaceful purpose. According to the agreed plan all nuclear activities in Iran will supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) Javad Zarif ,Irans foreign Minister while accepting the proposal of P5+1 group hoped that the results achieved over two days of talks in Geneva will mark the beginning of a new phase in relations between Iran and the P5+1 countries. Iran and the P5+1 group were previously held talks in Almaty, Kazakhstan April 5-6 2012. The two sides had resumed negotiations in Almaty in February 2013 after a nine-month interval. Each side brought a proposal to the April talks, but failed to reach consensus on a way forward and no further meetings were scheduled. But Iran and P5+1 group were agreed first time to hold talks on Irans nuclear programme.
About P5+1 Group

The P5+1 Group, a group of six world countries (United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, and France plus Germany). It was formed in 2006 to resolve the nuclear progamme in Iran.
Sixth India - Brazil Joint Commission Meeting Held

The Sixth India- Brazil Joint Commission Meeting was held in Brasilia on 14 -15 October 2013.The main issues discussed in the meeting were the entire gamut of India-Brazil Strategic Partnership including Political, Economic and Commercial, Agriculture, Science and Technology, Defence, Cultural, Hydrocarbon etc. The Sixth India- Brazil Joint Commission Meeting was co-chaired byLuiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado, Minister of External Relations of the Federative Republic of Brazil, and Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of Republic of India.
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Highlights of the Sixth India- Brazil Joint Commission Meeting

The Ministers welcomed the signature of a bilateral protocol to the Brazil-India Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement that amends its Article 26, regarding the exchange of information. The protocol is a further step in the global effort to establish an international financial system based on co-operation between countries, transparency and effective exchange of information in tax matters. Both Ministers discussed the issue of the ratification of the bilateral Agreement on Mutual Assistance on Customs Matters which will strengthen cooperation between customs authorities, in order to enforce customs laws and regulations They signed an Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, which will enhance prospects of a closer cooperation between Brazil and India in legal assistance matters. They also renewed the Agreement on Cooperation between their respective diplomatic academies, the Foreign Service Institute and Instituto Rio Branco, signed in 2007.The agreement has offered so far a most valuable opportunity for the new generations of Brazilian and Indian diplomats to deepen mutual understanding and better know each others values and traditions. Brazil expressed its interest in implementing the new program for the interchange of professors between the two diplomatic academies, still in 2013.
About India and Brazil international relations

India and Brazil were established their diplomatic relations in 1948. Although the two countries are divided by geography and distance, they share common democratic values and developmental aspirations. Both countries enjoy cordial and friendly relations, which are characterized by regular exchange of visits at all levels, shared values and convergence of views on issues of mutual interest. Both are large developing countries, each an important player in its region, both stable, secular, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, large democracies as well as trillion-dollar economies. Shared vision of India and Brazil enabled forging of close cooperation and coordination in the multilateral arena be in IBSA, BRICS, G-4, BASIC, G-20 or other organizations.
US agreed on a Deal with Romania to Use its Air Base for Afghan Pullout
The United States agreed on a deal with Romania for making use of its air base- Mihail Kogalniceanu air base, as a transit point for the American forces leaving Afghanistan. The deal was reached at the bilateral talks at the Pentagon.
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The deal will enable the US to switch the flight operations to Romania from Kyrgyzstans Manas air base. It is important to note that the US lease on Kyrgyzstans Manas air base will expire in July 2014. The US has already planned to withdraw most of the 52000 troops from Afghanistan by 2014 end. The deal in context with the use of Romanias Mihail Kogalniceanu air base was reached during negotiations between the US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel and Romanian Defence Minister Mircea Dusa. The Mihail Kogalniceanu air base is near the Black Sea town of Constanta. In June 2013, Kyrgyzstan voted in order to end the US lease on Manas in July 2014. It is worth noticing that the US pays 60 million US Dollar every year in order to lease the base. The base has remained operational since 2001.
Agreement with Finland for Clean Technology

India signed an agreement with Finland on 15 October 2013 to produce indigenous ethanol and reduce countrys dependence on its import. It is a first-of-its-kind initiative to promote use of clean technology in India. The agreement was inked between Finnish Minister for European Affairs Alexander Stubb and Indias Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Panabaka Lakshmi in New Delhi. According to the agreement State-run explorer Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC) and Finnish clean technology firm Chempolis will set up a pilot project to produce ethanol, bio-chemicals and bio-coal from biomass residual matters. While signing the agreement the ONGC Chairman Sudhir Vasudeva told that since 75 per cent of Indias ethanol requirements are met through imports, there is a large requirement which is not being met by indigenous production.
Ireland set to Exit International Bail-out Programme

Ireland on 13 October 2013 announced that in December 2013 it would become the first member of the Euro zone, to exit an International bail -out programme. From then on, the Republic will borrow the money it needs, from the financial markets rather than relying on the loans, it was granted by Euro zone agencies and the IMF. Ireland followed a four-year austerity programme that was sparked when its property bubble burst, tipping banks into financial crisis. Ireland can become an example of how austerity and reform policies can return crisis-stricken member states economies to health.
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The Eurozone crisis (often referred to as the Euro crisis) is an ongoing crisis which has been affecting the countries of the Eurozone since late 2009. It is a sovereign debt crisis as well as a banking crisis and a growth and competitiveness crisis. The Eurozone crisis took place because of the following factors, including the globalisation of finance; easy credit conditions during the 20022008 period that encouraged high-risk lending and borrowing practices; the financial crisis of 200708; international trade imbalances; real estate bubbles that have since burst; the Great Recession of 20082012; fiscal policy choices related to government revenues and expenses; and approaches used by nations to bail out troubled banking industries and private bondholders, assuming private debt burdens or socialising losses. The Irish sovereign debt crisis was based on the state guaranteeing the six main Irish-based banks who had financed a property bubble. Irish banks had lost an estimated 100 billion euros, much of it related to defaulted loans to property developers and homeowners made in the midst of the property bubble, which burst around 2007. The economy collapsed during 2008. Since government debt increased rapidly it was clear that the Government would have to seek assistance from the EU and IMF which resulted in a billion euros bailout agreement of 29 November 2010.
All-Weather Zojila Tunnel Project approved by the Union Cabinet

The Union Cabinet on 17 October 2013 cleared the proposal for construction of a 14-km tunnel at Zojila pass in Ladakh region. The project envisages construction of an all-weather road involving 9000 crore Rupees investment to ensure undisrupted round-the-year connectivity between Ladakh and Srinagar. The Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11578 ft on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway (NH-1), which remains closed during the winter season on account of heavy snowfall and inclement weather.
About Zojila Tunnel Project

The proposed tunnel project passing through Zojila is one of the highest mountain passes in India. Located at an altitude of about 12000 feet on National Highway-1 the Zojila tunnel along with another 6.5 km long tunnel at Z-Morh in Sonmarg will provide road connectivity to Ladak and Srinagar areas round the year. Construction of the tunnel will take seven years, and the contract for collecting toll will be for 15 years. The project involves construction of a two-lane and bi-directional tunnel with an escape route. The project will be constructed on annuity mode, where government will pay back the private developers investment in installments once the stretch becomes operational.
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Committee on Babhli Barrage Project approved by Union Cabinet

The Union cabinet of India approved on 17 October 2013 the appointment of a three-member supervisory committee headed by a representative of the Central Water Commission on construction of Babhli Barrage issue. The other two members of the committee were including one representative from the state of Andhra Pradesh and one representative from the Maharashtra. The Union Government took this decision to implement the direction the Supreme Court of India. The Supreme Court was directed the Centre to constitute a three-member Supervisory Committee to deal with the Babhli Barrage issue on 28 February 2013.
About The Babhli barrage

The Babhli project / barrage is a controversial reservoir project being constructed by Maharashtra state across the river Godavari. The project brought dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra states.
Background
The State of Andhra Pradesh in May, 2005 brought to the notice of the Central Government that Government of Maharashtra was constructing Babhli barrage in the submergence area of Sriram Sagar Project in violation Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal award. In this regard Central Water Commission (CWC) held two meetings with officers of the States of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra in 2005. Besides, another meeting was held between the officers of the States of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashstra in 2005. But the matter could not be resolved despite meetings by Central Water Commission between the two states. The Andhra Pradesh government filed a case in the Supreme Court of India against Maharashtra and the Government of India and asked the Supreme Court of India to grant a permanent injunction restraining Maharashtra from undertaking or proceeding with the construction Babhli Barrage. The Supreme Court directed the Union Government to constitute a three-member Supervisory Committee to deal with the issue.
About Central Water Commission

Central Water Commission is a premier Technical Organization of India in the field of Water Resources.
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It is functioning as an attached office of the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India. The Commission is entrusted with the general responsibilities of initiating, coordinating and furthering in consultation of the State Governments concerned, schemes for control, conservation and utilization of water resources throughout the country, for purpose of Flood Control, Irrigation, Navigation, Drinking Water Supply and Water Power Development. It also undertakes the investigations, construction and execution of any such schemes as required
Syria Joined UN Chemical Weapons Convention

Syria on 14 October 2013 officially joined the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention, which outlaws production and use of chemical weapons. Syria is the 190th country to join the convention. Only six states have yet to sign the international treaty. The move comes as international inspectors are working to destroy the chemical weapon stockpile of the Assad regime in Syria.
The six UN States are not signed the CWC are

1. Israel 2. Myanmar 3. Angola 4. Egypt 5. North Korea 6. South Sudan
About Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is a multilateral treaty that bans chemical weapons and requires their destruction within a specified period of time. The title of the treaty is Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. The convention opened for signature on 13 January 1993, and entered into force on 29 April 1997. The CWC aims to eliminate an entire category of weapons of mass destruction by prohibiting the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, transfer or use of chemical weapons by States Parties. States Parties, in turn, must take the steps necessary to enforce that prohibition in respect of persons (natural or legal) within their jurisdiction. The CWC is implemented by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is headquartered in The Hague. The OPCW receives states-parties declarations detailing chemical weapons-related activities or materials and relevant industrial activities. After receiving declarations, the OPCW inspects and monitors states-parties facilities and activities that are relevant to the convention, to ensure compliance.
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The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an independent, international body set up in 1997 to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention. The organisation is presently involved in destroying Syrias stockpiles of chemical weapons the first time the OPCW has worked in a war zone. It carries out inspections of destruction procedures, as well as evaluating members own declarations, in order to verify that the convention is being adhered to. It is based in The Hague, Netherland and has 189 member states, covering around 98 percent of the worlds population. These member nations have agreed to work together to create a world free from chemical weapons. The OPCW employs around 500 people and has a budget of 75m Euros (102m Dollars, 63m Pounds) in 2010. It is an autonomous organisation with a working relationship with the United Nations. Ahmet Uzumcu is the Present Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. OPCW on 11 October 2013 won the Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2013 for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.
4th INDO-US Economic and Financial Partnership Meeting

The fourth annual meeting of the India-US Economic and Financial Partnership was held at the IMF headquarters in Washington DC on 13 October 2013. During the meeting, India and the US agreed to further strengthen bilateral economic ties and work towards a greater understanding of investment related issues. India and USA in a joint statement released after their meeting in Washington stated that India has become one of the fastest growing sources of investment into the US. The joint statement stated that despite a challenging global economy, US-India bilateral trade in goods and services grew from 59.9 billion dollars to 92.5 billion between 2009 and 2012. The two nations also agreed to continue to cooperate on deepening capital markets and strengthening financial regulation.
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Syria Disarmament Plan approved by UNSC

The 15-member UN Security Council on 12 October 2013 formally approved a first joint mission to destroy Syrias weapons. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN have a team of 60 experts and support staff in Syria destroying Syrias production facilities while the countrys civil war rages on. The mission will have bases in Damascus and Cyprus, where most inspectors will stay unless they are on site visits. A chemical weapons attack in Damascus on 21 August 2013, which left hundreds dead, triggered an international crisis that led to threats of a US military strike against Syrian government targets. The UN Security Council passed a resolution on 27 September 2013 backing a Russia-US plan to destroy President Bashar al-Assads chemical weapons which ended the threat of military strike against Syria.
India Signed Seven MoUs for Nalanda University

Government of India on 10 October 2013 signed agreements with seven countries, who pledged their commitment to the Nalanda University project in Bihar. The Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with Australia, Cambodia, Singapore, Brunei, New Zealand, Lao PDR and Myanmar in the sidelines of East Asia Summit in Brunei. These MoUs are important to Indias plans to establish Nalanda University in Bihar as an institution of international repute.
About Nalanda University Project

Nalanda University will be constructed at Rajgir, which is situated around 100 km away from Patna, Bihar. The construction of the University will take place on 446-acre plot, which is situated 12 km away from the ruins of ancient seat of learning. The idea to revive Nalanda University was first mooted in 2005 by then President APJ Abdul Kalam. The University is being built near the ruins of the 5th century historic academic place by the same name in Bihar and those involved with this project include Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. There will be five representatives from the EAS on the Nalanda University governing board. China has already committed 1 million Dollars for the project, Singapore has pledged 5-6 million Dollars and Australia about 1 million Australian dollars and all these funds have been committed on voluntary basis. The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a forum for cooperation between various countries of this region
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with ASEAN and includes Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the US, in addition to the ten ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries. The 10 ASEAN nations are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
China surpassed USA as Biggest Oil Importer

China passed USA to become worlds biggest oil importer in September 2013 as per the data released by US government in the first week of October 2013. It happened because of faster economic growth and strong auto sales. The United States consumes far more oil per person than China does. It has a population about one-third the size of Chinas. Chinas economy is the worlds second largest. China has encouraged development of wind and solar power and use of autos powered by batteries or natural gas. However, gasoline still remains the countrys main vehicle fuel in coming decades. Until the late 1990s, China fulfilled its oil needs but the economic boom outstripped its production capacity. This compelled China to depend more heavily on imports, especially from Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Turkey Lifted a Ban on Women Wearing Head Scarf

Turkey on 8 October 2013 lifted a ban on women wearing the Islamic head scarf in state institutions. It is considered as a part of a package of reforms introduced by the government. The new rules, however will not apply to the judiciary or the military. The current government package is aimed at bolstering the rights of Turkeys Kurdish community. It included changes to the electoral system, the broadening of language rights and permission for villages to use their original Kurdish names. It also put an end to state primary school children reciting the oath of national allegiance at the start of each week, a deeply nationalistic vow. The Turkey government in 1925 had introduced a series of clothing reforms meant to discard off overt symbols of religious affiliation for civil servants.
Salman Khurshid concluded visit to Sri Lanka

Minister of External Affairs of India Salman Khurshid visited Sri Lanka on 7-8 October 2013.The main issues discussed in the meeting were process for solving the problems of the minority Tamil community, the issue of detention of Indian fishermen etc.
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Highlights of the visit

Salman Khurshid first day met the President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa and he emphasized the need to restart the dialogue process for solving the problems of the minority Tamil community in the Sri Lanka and for ensuring a meaningful devolution of power within a united Sri Lanka. Salman Khurshid also met the first Tamil Chief Ministe, CV Wigneswaran of Northern Province (is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka) in Jaffna. Both were discussed regarding the 13 amendment. CV Wigneswaran thanked India for playing a key role in ensuring that elections were held in the province. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid also met Governor of Northern Province GA Chandrasiri at the Governors Secretariat on 08th October 2013. They discussed a number of issues of mutual interest with the underlying objective of developing strategies for the two countries to coordinate more closely towards further strengthening relations. Their discussion also focused on development activities carried out all over the province and the newly elected Provincial Council of Northern Province.
About India and Sri Lanka bilateral Relations

India is Sri Lankas closest neighbour. The relationship between the two countries is more than 2500 years old and both sides have built upon a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and linguistic intercourse. Relations between the two countries have also matured and diversified with the passage of time, encompassing all areas of contemporary relevance. In recent years, the relationship has been marked by close contacts at the highest political level, growing trade and investment, cooperation in the fields of development, education, culture and defence, as well as a broad understanding on major issues of international interest. India-Sri Lanka relationship is strong and poised for a quantum jump by building on the rich legacy of historical linkages and strong economic and development partnerships that have been forged.
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AIAI and FPCCI signed MoU for Indo-Pak Trade

All-India Association of Industries (AIAI) on 8 October 2013 announced that it entered into an agreement with the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) in order to promote the trade between India and Pakistan. For this purpose, a memorandum of understanding was signed with a purpose of enhancing the trade and investments between the two nations. The MoU also seeks to enhance the collaborations, joint ventures as well as technology transfers via an exchange of the business proposals. Apart from this, the MoU also aims to offer the mutual help in organisation of and participation in trade fairs and exhibitions. The MoU was signed between President of FCPPI Zubair Ahmed Malik and with senior AIAI officials. With this, the AIAIs list of the agreements like this with the fellow lobbies increased to 205.
India-Japan signed MoU for High Speed Railway

India and Japan signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 7 October 2013 to undertake a joint feasibility study of High Speed Railway system on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route. The MOU was signed by Katsuo MATSUMOTO, Director South Asia Division Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from the Japanese side and Girish Pillai, Adviser Infrastructure, Ministry of Railways from the Indian side.
Highlights of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

The MoU provided that the India and Japan will co-finance a joint feasibility study of MumbaiAhmedabad High Speed route. The mainobjective of the Joint study is to prepare a feasibility report of High Speed Railway system on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route with speed of 300-350kmph. The study will do traffic forecasting, alignment surveys and undertake comparative Study of High Speed Railway Technology and System. A Joint Monitoring Committee shall be established comprising of the Ministry of Railways, Planning Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of External Affairs for the Indian side and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industries (METI), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the Ministry of Finance (MOF), Embassy of
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Japan (EoJ) in India)and JICA for the Japanese side. The cost of the study will be shared 50:50 between India and Japan.
India and Turkey agreed to Resolve Terrorism

India and Turkey on 7 October 2013 agreed to resolve terrorism. Both also agreed to evolve a wider dialogue mechanism to discuss issues of common interest including defence cooperation. Many such aspects of Indo-Turkish relationship were discussed between President Pranab Mukherji and Abdullah Gul, his Turkish counterpart and the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara during formers visit to Turkey. During this visit, India conveyed to Turkey Indias concern on terrorism with reference to recent activities of cross border terrorism. There is a 200 strong Indian diaspora in Turkey. The people-to-people link is a great asset in the building of closer bilateral relations between India and Turkey.
Bangladesh Cabinet Ratified Extradition Treaty

Bangladesh Cabinet on 7 October 2013 ratified an extradition treaty with India to enable the handing over of suspects and convicted prisoners between the two countries. Now, the treaty would require the approval of the Parliament of Bangladesh and it could come into effect after both the countries exchange documents following legal procedures.
About the Extradition Agreement

According to the agreement, only persons with charges like murders, culpable homicide and other serious offences would come under the purview of the deal while offenders of small crimes awarded with imprisonment for less than one year will also not be wanted under the treaty. The ratification of the extradition treaty will also paves the way for Bangladesh to transfer Indian separatist leader, Anup Chetia to India. Anup is in jail in Bangladesh after being arrested in 1997 for illegal stay, possessing unauthorized currencies and an unlicensed satellite telephone. He is a leader of the United Liberation Front of Assam, the largest separatist movement in the state of Assam. India and Bangladesh signed the extradition treaty on 28 January 2013 and the Union Cabinet of India has already ratified the treaty.
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SC of the Maldives annulled Presidential Election

The Supreme Court of the Maldives on 7 October 2013 annulled the results of the first round of voting in the countrys presidential election. It agreed with a losing candidates claim that the election was flawed. The ruling was given by a 7-member judicial panel. It ordered revoting to be completed by 3 November 2013. Former President Mohamed Nasheed had led the first round of voting with more than 45 percent but couldnt get the required 50 percent. Yaamin Abdul Gayoom (brother of Maldives longtime autocratic leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom) finished second. He had to face Nasheed in the second round scheduled for 28 September 2013. However, Qasim Ibrahim businessman by profession, who finished a close third after first round voting, complained of a rigged voter registry that included the names of people who are deceased. The difference between the second and third-placed candidates was only 2700 votes. The decision to annul an election was hailed as free and fair by the United Nations, European Union and countries like the United States and India. The first democratic election was held in Maldives in 2008 after the 30-year autocratic rule of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He was succeeded by Nasheed who was ousted in a military coup in 2012 amid public protests.
India and Russia to Expand Nuclear Cooperation

The External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on 6 October 2013 announced in Moscow that India and Russia will strengthen cooperation in civil nuclear energy and reach commercial agreements for the third and fourth reactors of Kudankulam atomic power plant in Tamil Nadu. Salman Khurshid explained that the first reactor of Kudankulam plant will start producing electricity soon and go up to the level of generating 1000 megawatts of power. The second unit will go critical by April 2014. It is important to note that Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited is setting up two 1000 MW reactors at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu with the help of Russia. The announcement was made in Moscow on the occasion of Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission on economic, scientific and cultural cooperation ahead of the annual bilateral summit in Moscow in the last week of October 2013.
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Agreement to end the Political Crisis in Tunisia

In Tunisia, rival political groups on 5 October 2013 arrived at an agreement to end the political crisis in the country. The ruling Islamist Ennahda led Government will step down to allow the formation of a Government of independents in three weeks. It will be followed by the adoption of a new constitution and of holding elections in the country. Under the deal, an independent Prime Minister will be in place in Tunisia by the end of next week. He will have two weeks to form a new cabinet. The National Dialogue which began on 4 October 2013 will cover groups and parties across the political spectrum over the next four weeks. The new constitution will be adopted in this time and time table for elections will be decided. The political roadmap was prepared by four mediators led by Tunisias powerful trade unions confederation, UGTT. The deal is expected to put an end to the simmering tension among the rival groups in the country which was sparked off by the assassination of a secular opposition leader Mohamed Brahimi in July 2013.
India signed Agreement with IFAD for the JTELP

India signed the agreement for credit of 51 million US Dollar with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for the Jharkhand Tribal Empowerment Livelihood Project (JTLEP) on 4 October 2013. The agreement was signed by Nilaya Mitash, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India and Nigel Brett, Country Prorgamme Director, IFAD, India on behalf of IFAD. The Jharkhand Tribal Empowerment Livelihood Project (JTLEP) would continue till September 2021.Likewise, a project agreement was signed by L. Khiangte, Principal Secretary, Jharkhand on behalf of the Government of Jharkhand with IFAD.
Objective of the Jharkhand Tribal Empowerment Livelihood Project (JTLEP)

The Objective of the project is to enable rural households to take-up sustainable livelihood opportunities. The project shall benefit small rural producers, women, scheduled caste households and youth in the hill districts of the State of the Jharkhand. The goal of the project is to reduce poverty in the hill districts of the State of Jharkhand. The new project has four main components: (i) Community Empowerment (ii) Integrated Natural Resource Management (iii) Livelihood Project (iv) Project Management.
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Oil Imports of SE Asia to be more than Double

The International Energy Agency (IEA) announced on 2 October 2013 that the net oil imports of Southeast Asia will be more than double by the year 2035, costing 240 billion US dollar. The oil imports of Southeast Asia will increase in order to fulfill the high energy demand growth. The role of IEA is co-ordination of the energy policy for the developed economies. IEA announced that the net oil imports of Southeast Asia will increase to more than 5 million barrels per day (bpd), an increase from the current 1.9 million bpd. This is just behind European Union, India and China. It is important to note that the ten countries of ASEAN will also join India and China in making Asia the global energy demand growth centre of the world because the per-capita energy use of Southeast Asia is very low even now. This is just half of the global average. IEA explained that Southeast Asia faces an increased dependence on the oil imports and therefore, it will impose increased costs, thus leaving it more open to the potential disruptions. In this region, Thailand and Indonesia will be leading and their net oil import bills will be tripled to around 70 billion US Dollar each by the year 2035. The fuel subsidies will remain the primary factor in distortion of the energy markets. The overall energy demand of Southeast Asia will increase by more than 80 percent by the year 2035 in order to support the tripling of the economy as well as population of Southeast Asian region. This also includes an increase in the oil consumption to 6.8 million bpd over 2011-2035 from the 4.4 million bpd at present. With an increase in the energy demand, Southeast Asia will export less coal and natural gas. The major gas producers in Southeast Asian region include Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar and Indonesia. All these gas producers will bring down the net exports from 63 bcm at present to 14 bcm in 2035. The top exporter of thermal coal will be Indonesia, according to the forecast of IEA.
Gambia decided to Withdraw from the CW

The Gambian Government on 2 October 2013 announced that it is pulling out of the Commonwealth with immediate effect. Gambian, a West African country joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1965 The Gambian also stated that it will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution and will never be a party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism. The decision came after the Government rejected a proposal by the Commonwealth in 2012 to create commissions in Banjul (capital of Gambia) to protect human rights, media rights and fight against corruption. The last country to be withdrawn from the Commonwealth group was Zimbabwe in 2003.
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About the Commonwealth

The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 54 countries, many of them former territories of the British Empire. It was established in 1949.
Member countries
Fifty-four countries are members of the Commonwealth. These Countries are from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific and are diverse they are amongst the worlds largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries. Thirty-two of our members are classified as small states countries with a population size of 1.5million people or less and larger member states that share similar characteristics with them. Leaders of member countries shape Commonwealth policies and priorities. Every two years, they meet to discuss issues affecting the Commonwealth and the wider world at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). All members have an equal say regardless of size or economic stature. This ensures even the smallest member countries have a voice in shaping the Commonwealth. The last two countries to join The Commonwealth - Rwanda and Mozambique - have no historical ties to the British Empire.
About Gambia
The Republic of the Gambia, also commonly known as Gambia is a country in West Africa. It is surrounded by Senegal, apart from a short strip of Atlantic coastline at its western end. It is the smallest country on mainland Africa. Banjul is the Gambias capital. Gambia is a republic and its current President is Yahya Jammeh.
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WORLD DAIRY
1 October 2013 India re-elected in the new council of ICAO. The National Voluntary Blood Donation day observed on 1 October. Tom Clancy, the US thriller author, died at 66 in Baltimore. 827 million undernourished people are living in developing countries: UN Report. Marylebone cricket club released the 5th edition of the 2000 Code for Laws of Cricket.
2 October 2013 Gambia decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth. The International Day of Non-Violence observed on 2 October. Net oil imports of Southeast Asia to be more than double by 2035: IEA. India is largest recipient of foreign remittances: World Bank Report.
3 October 2013 ASI and Google signed agreement for launching 100 heritage sites online. Moe Set Wine selected as first miss universe contender to represent Myanmar in 50 years.
4 October 2013 India signed agreement with IFAD for the Jharkhand Tribal Empowerment Livelihood Project. Europalia-India cultural festival was jointly inaugurated. A Special Senate Committee voted to strip Silvio Berlusconi of his Parliament Seat. General Vo Nguyen Giap, the legendary Vietnamese military commander died at 102. Afghanistan qualified for ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
5 October 2013 Rival Groups arrived at an Agreement to end the political crisis in Tunisia. Tropical storm Karen touched the US Gulf Coast. Kalpana Devi won Bronze Medal at the Judo Tournament in Tashkent. Pakistan won Under-19 Asian Rugby Championship 2013. India and Bangladesh jointly inaugurated India-Bangladesh Grid Inter-connection.
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Sania Mirza-Cara Black won China Open 2013.
6 October 2013 External Affairs Minister announced that India and Russia will expand civil nuclear cooperation. Rohan Bopanna-Edouard Roger Vasselin won Japan Open 2013. Afghanistan Cricket Board to get liberal financial aid from ICC after qualifying for WC 2015. Mumbai Indians defeated Rajasthan Royals to clinch Champions League Twenty-20. Novak Djokovic clinched his 4th China Open Title; defeated Rafael Nadal.
7 October 2013 Supreme Court of the Maldives annulled first round of voting in Presidential Election. Bangladesh Cabinet ratified extradition treaty with India. India and Turkey agreed to resolve terrorism. India and Japan signed MoU for feasibility study of high speed railway system. Ethiopia Parliament elected Mulatu Teshome as new president.
8 October 2013 AIAI and FPCCI signed MoU for promotion of Indo-Pak trade. Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid concluded two day visit to Sri Lanka. Turkey lifted a ban on women wearing the Islamic head scarf.
9 October 2013 Michael Levitt, Martin Karplus and Arieh Warshel won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013. India and Japan signed MoU to study Mumbai-Ahmedabad Rail Route. Janet Yellen nominated as Head of US Federal Reserve Board. Queens baton relay launched at the Buckingham Palace, London. Government of Pakistan decided to appoint Syed Ibne Abbas as envoy to India. Samsung unveils first curved screen smartphone of the world called Galaxy Round. Wilfried Martens, nine-time Prime Minister of Belgium died at 77.
10 October 2013 China passed USA as biggest oil importer in September 2013. India signed MoUs with seven countries for Nalanda University Project. Malala Yousafzai won European Unions Sakharov Human Rights Prize 2013. World Mental Health Day observed on 10 October.
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Alice Munro, the Canadian writer, won Nobel Prize 2013 in literature. Cyclonic Storm Phailin hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan abducted by gunmen. Sachin Tendulkar announced retirement from Test Cricket. China and EU signed a Bilateral Currency Swap Agreement. Varun Arora won UN Award for Open Curriculum Web Platform.
11 October 2013 India and Indonesia signed six MoUs to strengthen cooperation. International Day of the Girl Child observed on 11 October. OPCW won 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. India and Indonesia signed six MoUs to strengthen cooperation.
12 October 2013 Syria disarmament plan approved by UN Security Council. World Arthritis Day observed on 12 October. Sanam Singh and Vijayant Malik won the ITF Doubles Title 2013. Syria disarmament plan approved by UN Security Council. Satyavrat won the 9th Roustam E-International Indian Style Wrestling Title.
13 October 2013 Ireland set to exit international bail-out programme. Typhoon Nari created havoc in Philippines. Ireland set to exit international bail-out programme.
14 October 2013 Fourth India-US economic and financial partnership meeting held. Syria joined UN Chemical Weapons Convention. Sixth India- Brazil joint commission meeting held. Global Hunger Index Report 2013: India ranked at 63rd position. Rafael Nadal topped the ATP ranking.
15 October 2013 India and Finland signed an agreement to produce clean technology. Eleanor Catton, 28, became youngest ever winner of the Man Booker Prize 2013.
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Hilary Clinton got the First Founders Award for helping AIDS victims. Novak Djokovic defeated Juan Del Potro to win Shanghai Masters 2013.
16 October 2013 Iran and P5+1 Group agreed to hold talks on Irans nuclear programme. NASA scientists discovered planets with the shortest ever orbit. The Wankhede Stadium to host Sachin Tendulkars landmark 200th and final test. World Food Day observed every year on 16 October. Powerful Typhoon Wipha caused destruction in Japan. Sigrid Kaag appointed as the head of Joint OPCW-UN Mission in Syria. Malala Yousafzai to be granted Honorary Canadian Citizenship. Brazilian football legend Pele launched a book titled 1283. Conservation international scientific expedition discovered 60 new species in Suriname. Liverpool launched Football Academy in India. Virat Kohli: Indias fastest ODI century scorer.
17 October 2013 India and Hungary signed MoU for promotion of traditional systems of medicine. Thirty-Four election observers from European Union election observation deployed in Nepal. Greg du Toit was named Wildlife Photographer of the year 2013. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty observed on 17 October. Exhibition on development of the Hungarian cultural roots inaugurated at NGMA. Global Slavery Index 2013 estimated 30 million people in the world affected by slavery. Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban visited India. New species of Giant Amazon Fish discovered in Brazil. British scientists solved the mystery of legendary Himalayan Yeti. Outdoor air pollution a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths: IARC. US scientists developed new blood test to detect gastrointestinal disorders.
18 October 2013 Saudi Arabia turned down UN Security Council seat. NASA discovered first known tilted planetary system. Chinese scientists developed Li-Fi technology; Internet through lightbulbs. Ding Junhui won Indian Open Snooker Title 2013.
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19 October 2013 US agreed on a deal with Romania to use its air base for Afghan pullout. Scientists discovered new species of Dragon Tree in Thailand. Brain makes use of sleep to drain waste toxins: Research.
20 October 2013 World Osteoporosis Day was celebrated. Jorge Lorenzo won Australian Grand Prix 2013. Jovanka Broz, widow of Josip Broz Tito, died at 88. Dipika Pallikal won Macau Open Squash Title 2013.
21 October 2013 Election Commission of Maldives announced new schedule for presidential polls. The 14th India-Russia annual summit held at Moscow. UK to build its first nuclear plant called Hinkley Point C in two decades. 2nd India-Philippines joint commission on bilateral cooperation held at Manila.
22 October 2013 India-Bangladesh inked pact for enhanced trade facilitation and combating tax evasion.
23 October 2013 India and China signed 9 MoUs including the border defence cooperation agreement. India and China signed Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA). Islamic criminal law introduced by Brunei Sultan. Envoys of four nations presented credentials to the President of India. Extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh came into effect. Chinese power companies agreed to establish base in India.
24 October 2013 Ethiopia banned its citizens from travelling abroad for work. Syria submitted chemical arms destruction plan to OPCW.
25 October 2013 Government of Venezuela created Vice Ministry of Supreme Social Happiness. The Parliament of Russia passed Anti-Terror Bill.
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Madagascar held its first presidential election after the 2009 Coup. Nobel Memorial Wall inaugurated at Kolkata by the Swedish Ambassador.
26 October 2013 Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice 2013 presented to Sushmita Sen.
27 October 2013 India and Peru jointly celebrated the 50th year of establishment of diplomatic ties. Lou Reed, the renowned rocker and solo performer, passed away at 71.
28 October 2013 Brazil Announced to Produce Low-Cost Measles and Rubella Vaccine for Developing Nations Hamid Ansari launched the Indian Chambers of Commerce in Lima, Peru
29 October 2013 United Nations General Assembly Voted against US Embargo on Cuba Australia announced to end its Military Mission in Afghanistan US Announced Grant for Womens Safety in Delhi
30 October 2013 India and Cuba signed MoU for cooperation in broadcasting between Prasar Bharati and ICRT
31 October 2013 China opened new Highway linking Medog to Zhamog; near to Arunachal Pradesh border
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NATIONAL
Joint Parliamentary Committee submitted Report on 2G Spectrum to Lok Sabha Speaker
Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on allocation and pricing of telecom licences and 2G Spectrum during 1998-2009 was submitted its report to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on 29 October 2013.
Joint Parliamentary Committee Recommendations

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G spectrum has recommended a comprehensive audit of spectrum to ensure greater transparency in its allocations. It also suggested quantification of available spectrum for maximum utilization.
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In its report the Committee also underlined the need for amending the TRAI Act for harmonious balance between the Regulator and the Licensor. The Committee also recommended the review of policy and formation of stringent guidelines on allocation of additional spectrum.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) constituted on 4 March, 2011 to examine matters relating to Allocation and Pricing of Telecom Licences and Spectrum. The Joint Parliamentary Committee was headed by PC Chako and consists of 30 memebers ( 20 Loka Sabha MPs and 10 Rajya Sabha MPs). Joint Parliamentary committee is an Ad hoc committee of the Indian parliament. The chairperson and the members of the committee will be appointed by Lok Sabha Speaker. The Court directed on a petition submitted by 83 former civil servants, like former cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian, former Indian ambassador to the US Abid Hussain, former chief election commissioner, N Gopalaswami and others, demanding reforms to ensure bureaucracy to get them out from the political influences.
EC issued Guidelines on use of Social Media in Election Campaigning

The Election Commission of India on 25 October 2013 issued a series of instructions to political parties and candidates on utilising the Internet and social media websites for poll campaign and advertisements. In this regard an order sent to Chief Electoral Officers of the States and the Union Territories, and recognised national and regional political parties in the country.
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EC new regulations came in the interest of maintaining transparency and a level playing field during polls. EC regulations would henceforth apply to all kinds of social media like collaborative projects (Wikipedia, etc.), blogs and micro blogs (like twitter.com), content communities (like YouTube), social networking sites (like Facebook) and virtual game-worlds (like Apps).
Instructions of Election Commission of India

Every candidate, at the time of filing the nomination, has to give their e-mail IDs and accounts of their social networking sites, if any, for monitoring by poll or expenditure officials. Contents of the advertisements issued by parties or candidates in such websites should be pre-certified by the appropriate authorities and all expenditure made towards such campaign or advertisement would be included in the election expenditure accounts of candidates or parties. The provisions of the code of conduct and related instructions issued by it would apply to the content being posted on the Internet, including the social media websites, by candidates and parties. Payments made to social media websites for carrying advertisements, expenditure on development of content, and spending on salaries for staff hired to maintain the social media accounts of the parties and the candidates would be included in poll expenses. The Election Commissions order is significant in view of the upcoming Assembly polls in Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Rajasthan and 2014 general elections.
President approved -Karnataka Region
Development
Board
for
Hyderabad
President Pranab Mukherjee on 23 October 2013 issued an order, allowing the Karnataka Governor to establish a separate development board for the Hyderabad-Karnataka region under Article 371 J of the Constitution. The region comprises Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Yadgir and Bellary districts. The Presidential Order was issued under the State of Karnataka (Special Responsibility of Governor for Karnataka-Hyderabad Region) Order, 2013 under Article 371J of the Constitution. The Board has come into force with immediate effect.
About the Development Board

The Development Board will ensure equitable allocation of funds to meet the development needs of the region from the State Budget.
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The board will promote employment from the region by providing for local cadres in service; and provide reservation in educational and vocational training institutions to the locals.
The Union Cabinet on 8 October 2013 approved a notification for issuing Presidential order to establish a separate development board for Hyderabad-Karnataka region in Karnataka.
About Article 371 J of the Constitution

Article 371-J of the Constitution grants special status to six backward districts in HyderabadKarnataka region, with provision for reservation in education and jobs for locals. Under the Article 371 J, the President is empowered to entrust the state Governor to establish a separate board to ensure equitable allocation of funds in the states budget to meet the development needs of the region. Article 371 J was inserted in the Constitution through the Constitution (Ninety-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2012.
Indian Railways decided to Increase Speed of the Superfast Trains to 160-200 kmph
The Railway Board Chairman Arunendra Kumar on 23 October 2013 announced that the Indian Railways decided to increase the speed of the superfast trains to 160-200 kmph. The existing superfast trains of India- Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and Durontos will get an increase in the speed. These trains will undergo a minor push in the speed in next few years. Apart from this, the Indian Railways planned to increase the technical capability of the present infrastructure. An increase in the speed of the train will lead to less travel time. As a beginning, the Shatabdi routes from Delhi to Bhopal and Lucknow will be tried. Thereafter, this will be forwarded to Duronto and Rajdhani. After implementation of this, the superfast trains of India will run at the semi high speeds before the year 2017. It is important to note that India, at present, has one of the largest rail networks in the world. However, there are not many high-speed rail lines which can support the speed of 200 kmph or more. Various high speed corridors were proposed, but they have not been implemented. At present, the fastest train of India is the Bhopal Shatabdi with the top speed of 150 kmph.
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SC: Clinical Trials of 162 New Chemicals continue to be on Hold

Supreme Court of India on 21 October 2013 ruled that the clinical trials of 162 new chemical entities will continue to be on hold. The court added that 157 new chemical entities which were cleared for clinical trials on 31 December 2012 would be reviewed by the two apex committees. The technical and apex committees would look into the assessment of risk versus benefits to the patients, innovation through existing therapeutic options and the unmet medical needs of the country. The committees will ascertain whether the new chemical entities that are being put to clinical trials are actually required in the country. The court gave the judgment after reviewing the clearance for clinical trials of 157 new chemical entities by the National Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Controller General of India. The next hearing of the matter will take place on16 December 2013.
North East Regional Political Front formed by Ten Regional Parties of North East India
Ten regional parties of North East India on 20 October 2013 formed the North East Regional Political Front (NERPF).The North East Regional Political Front will work to safeguard the political ,economic, social and ethnic identity of the people of the North East region. Neiphiu Rio, the Nagaland chief minister appointed as NERPF convener and Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Asom Gana Parishad President appointed as NERPFs chief advisor. Whlie announcing the formation of the North East Regional Political Front (NERPF) Neiphiu Rio told that NERPF is a political party and it is a federation of the regional parties. He also told that NERPF will contest in 2014 General Elections.
Ten regional parties of North East Regional Political Front

1. Naga Peoples Front (NPF) 2. Asom Gana Parishad(AGP) 3. Hills State Democratic Party 4. Meghalaya United Democratic Party
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5. Manipur Peoples Party 6. Manipur State Congress Party 7. Manipur Democratic Peoples Front 8. Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura 9. Peoples Party of Arunachal 10. Mizo National Front
LS Speaker rejected the Resignations of 13 Seemandhra MPs

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on 18 October 2013 rejected the resignation of 13 Seemandhra Lok Sabha MPs (Member of Parliament). While rejecting the resignations of 13 Seemandhra MPs, Lok Sabha Speaker clarified that resignation letters were not genuine or voluntary. Lok Sabha official explained that the Speaker used the provisions of Article 101 (3) of the Constitution and Rule 240 Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha which deals with the procedure to be adopted by the Speaker when a member wants to quit the Lok Sabha. Lok Sabha official also explained that there is no time frame fixed in the Constitution or the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha for the Speaker to take her decision on such resignation issue. It is the exclusive jurisdiction of the Speaker and no one could intervene. The 13 Seemandhra MPs resigned from Lok Sabha in protest against the Centres decision to bifurcate the State of Andhra Pradesh into Seemandhra and Telangana.
About the Article 101(3) (b) of the Indian Constitution

According to the Article 101(3)(b) of the Indian Constitution when such letter of resignation is received, the Speaker has to make appropriate enquiry as he/she deems fit to get satisfied that the member has taken such a decision on his/her own volition.
Union Cabinet approved Setting Up of Six Additional Benches of the CESTAT

The Union Cabinet of India on 17 October 2013 approved the setting up of six additional benches
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of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT). These benches include three at existing locations in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and three new benches at Chandigarh, Allahabad and Hyderabad. The setting up of six additional benches of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) will decrease pendency in the cases and increase the disposal cases. It will benefit both the Government and litigants.
About The Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT)
The Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) was constituted on the on 11 October 1982. It was formerly known as Customs, Excise and Gold (Control) Appellate Tribunal (CEGAT). The headquarters as well as Principal Bench of the CESTAT are located in Delhi. The main function of CESTAT is to provide an independent and impartial forum to hear the appeal against orders and decisions passed by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise under the Customs Act, 1962, Central Excise act ,1944 and Gold (Control) Act, 1968. After coming into operation of the Service Tax vide Chapter V of the Finance Act, 1994, Service Tax Appeals also included in the Jurisdiction of the CESTAT. The Tribunal is also empowered to hear the appeals against the orders passed by designated authority with regard to Anti Dumping Duties under the Customs Tariff Act, 1975.
Courts cannot Impose a Fine of more than Twice the Amount in Bounced Cheques: SC
The Supreme Court of India ruled that Courts cannot impose a fine of more than twice the amount in bounced cheques on 16 October 2013. A bench of Justice TS Thakur and Justice Vikramajit Sen while ruling this direction explained that even in a case where the court may be taking a lenient view in favour of the accused by not sending him to prison, it cannot impose a fine more than twice the cheque amount. That statutory limit is inviolable and must be respected. According to the Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 a person (whose cheque has bounced) shall without prejudice to any other provision of this act, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to twice the amount of the cheque, or with both.
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India Post launched Instant Cash

The India Post on 11 October 2013 launched instant electronic money transfer service in partnership with Wall Street Exchange, (a company of UAEs Emirates Post Group) in New Delhi. In this regard India Post signed an agreement with Wall Street Exchange for launch of an International Electronic Money Transfer service through Instant Cash product of the Emirates Post Group. The service was launched by P. Gopinath, Secretary, Department of Posts, by receiving the first payment from United Arab Emirates. Instant Cash is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Emirates Post Group, and its services are available in 59 countries through more than 60000 locations.
The salient features of the service are

Recipients will be able to receive their payment at any of the identified 17500 post offices by producing the unique transaction number along with their identity and KYC documents. Money will be available for payment immediately. Safe and secure transactions through established International Financial System of Universal Postal Union. The service will be rolled out nationally in a phased manner. The service will be provided through the International Financial System (IFS) of Universal Postal Union.
About India Post

India Post is the largest postal network in the world and has completed 158 years of existence. It has a network of 1.55 lakh Post Offices in the country, of which more than 1.39 lakh are in the rural area. Besides mail, it also provides various financial services like small savings instruments under Post Office Savings Bank and Money Remittance, both domestic and international.
Background
The Supreme Court of India ruled this direction in the backdrop of the case where a person was asked by the Trial Court as well as the High Court of Calcutta to pay more than twice the amount of the cheque bounced, which is against the statutory provisions.
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Walking Tours Platform launched for Facilitating Tourists as Part of Incredible India Campaign
The Union Ministry of Tourism partnered with Genesys International to create a Walking Tours platform, one of the first such initiatives to be undertaken in any country. Walking Tours is a unique and exciting product that will enable users to navigate and route their way through cities based on a number of interesting themes.
Highlights of the Walking Tours platform

The Walking Tours platform was launched at New Delhi on 15 October 2013. During the launch function, the representatives of the Ministry of Tourism and Genesys International were present. The website WoNoBo.com launched as part of this initiative is projected to be Indias first location-based service to offer walkthroughs of streets across 54 Indian cities. The website supports user generated content (UGC), offers unique social media capabilities and facilitates creation of local communities online. The aim of Walking Tours platform is to empower the tourists by facilitating them to plan their tour. The Ministry of Tourism set the target of having one Walking Tour of each State within 2 years. It is worth noticing that the Indian Tourism Ministry was the first in the world to launch such a service. The new service would be available initially about the roads of 5 major Indian cities and will soon be expanded to the top 54 cities within a few weeks. It would have mapped panoramic imagery of thousands of square kilometres and close to 10 million places of interest across the country. The five cities whose tours were launched included Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Coastal Goa and Ahmedabad. As part of the website, users get full blown 360-degree views of destinations and much more. The tourists can access, tag and review points of interests i.e., locations, hotels, retail outlets, monuments, parks, etc and also view the interiors of several key locations, all powered by a database of millions of places.
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Co-Operative Societies out of the Ambit of RTI: SC

The Supreme Court of India on 15 October 2013 ruled that co-operative societies do not fall within the ambit of Right to Information (RTI). While ruling the judgment a bench of justice KS Radhakrishnan and justice AK Sikri told that mere supervision or regulation of a body by government would not make that body a public authority.
Observations of the Supreme Court of India

Societies are of course subject to the control of the statutory authorities like Registrar, Joint Registrar and the Government. But cannot be said that the state exercises any direct or indirect control over the affairs of the society which is deep and all pervasive. Supervisory or general regulation under the statute over the co-operative societies, which are body corporate, does not render activities of the body so regulated as subject to such control of the State so as to bring it within the mean_ing of the State or instrumentality of the State. The mere supervision or regulation as such by a statute or otherwise of a body would not make that body a public authority within the meaning of Section 2(h)(d)(i) Right to Information Act. In other words just like a body owned or body substantially financed by the appropriate government, the control of the body by the appropriate government would also be substantial and not merely supervisory or regulatory. The ruling was given by the Supreme Court of India while quashing a circular by Kerala government. According to the Kerala government circular to the Registrar of Co-operative Societies in May 2006 all institutions formed by laws made by State Legislature is a public authority and therefore, all co-operative institutions coming under the administrative control of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies are also public authorities.
About Cooperative societies

Cooperative Societies is a state subject under entry 32 state list of the Seventh schedule of the Indian Constitution. According to the Constitutional (97th Amendment) Act, 2011 forming a Cooperative Society is a fundamental right under article 19(1)(i). Constitutional (97th Amendment) Act, 2011 added the words or co-operative societies after
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the word or unions in Article 19(l)(i) and insertion of article 43B i.e., Promotion of Co-operative Societies and added Part-IXB i.e., The Co-operative Societies.
About Right to Information Act, 2005

It is an act to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities, in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority. According to the Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 Public authority means any authority or body or institution of self-government established or constituted(a) by or under the Constitution (b) by any other law made by Parliament (c) by any other law made by State Legislature (d) by notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government, and includes any Body owned, controlled or substantially financed Non-Government organisation substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government. iNon Government organisation substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government
Government of India decided to Bring All Post Offices under CBS

The Union Government of India on 15 October 2013 decided to bring all the post offices across India under the core banking solution system to cover more people of rural areas with AADHAAR seeded accounts. The Adviser to the Planning Commission, Nidhi Khare explained that this will help the people to avail the benefits of various schemes including old age pension and MGNREGA through direct benefits transfer. Deputy Director General of UIDAI, Ashok Pal Singh, in context with the legality of AADHAR card explained that AADHAAR card can be used as an identity as well as a residential proof for opening bank accounts of any individual.
Measures to Prevent the Misuse of Izzat MST

The Ministry of Railways took measures in order to prevent the misuse of Izzat Monthly Season
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Ticket (Izzat MST), which is aimed at the person belonging to low income category. The new measures became effective from 15 October 2013.
Measures Undertaken by the Ministry of Railways

Under the new measures, following points were decided: For availing (Izzat MST) the passenger should first obtain income certificate from local government officials i.e. SDM, SDO, BDO or Tehsildar and thereafter obtain income certificates from Member of Parliament of Lok Sabha. After obtaining income certificate from the government officials, recommendations from Member of Parliament of Rajya Sabha and Union Ministers should be submitted to the DRMs. On production of these income certificates and a copy of Photo identity Card cum residential proof, Izzat MST should be issued. In case of Izzat MST issued on production of income certificate from District Magistrate or on BPL Card or any other certificate issued by Central Government under a recognised poverty alleviation programme including ration cards issued to persons under Antyodaya Anna Yojana, Izzat MST will be issued directly on production of residence proof as prescribed as mentioned below. As a residential proof Photo Identity Card cum residential proof like Voter Identity Card, Passport, Driving License, Ration Card, Adhaar Card, Bank Pass book from nationalised Bank with Photograph or any other Photo Identity Card cum residential proof issued with photograph by any Government in India or a Government Agency in India can be approved. As a part of the Railway Budget 2009-10, the Ministry of Railways had decided to introduce Izzat MST Scheme of uniformly priced Monthly Season Tickets (MSTs) at 25 Rupees inclusive of all surcharges which will be issued up to a distance of 100 Kms to persons working in unorganised sector with monthly income not exceeding 1500 Rupees.
EC approved None of the Above Option in Elections

The Election Commission of India ordered on 13 October 2013 the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union territories to provide for None of the Above (NOTA) option in electronic voting machines (EVMs) and ballot papers. The None of the Above option will be provided at the bottom of the panel on the EVMs or as the last row in the ballot paper after all the candidates have been listed with their respective symbols in the same language used to list the candidates. Likewise, the contours of the NOTA panel will be identical to that given to each candidate. In constituencies contesting more than 16 candidates in the fray, an extra EVM will be attached to
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the first balloting unit for the NOTA option as the EVMs currently in use can accommodate only 16 rows. The NOTA votes will be counted and indicated in the final result chart. The Election Commission of India clarified that in the extreme case of the NOTA option polling more votes than any of the candidates in the fray, the candidate who gets the maximum number of votes will be declared the winner. The NOTA option was made mandatory by the Supreme Court of India on 27 September 2013 and gave the direction to the Election Commission of India to provide none of the above options at the end of the list of candidates contesting an election in a constituency.
Special Board for Hyderabad-Karnataka Region

The Union Cabinet on 8 October 2013 approved a notification for issuing Presidential order to establish a separate development board for Hyderabad-Karnataka region in Karnataka. Article 371-J of the Constitution grants special status to six backward districts in HyderabadKarnataka region, with provision for reservation in education and jobs for locals. Under the Article 371-J, the President is empowered to entrust the state Governor to establish a separate board to ensure equitable allocation of funds in the states budget to meet the development needs of the region. Six backward districts of North Karnataka - Gulbarga, Yadgir, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal and Bellary - fall in the region.
The Development Board will ensure

Equitable allocation of funds to meet the development needs of the region from the State Budget. Promote employment from the region by providing for local cadres in service. Provide for reservation in educational and vocational training institutions. Hyderabad-Karnataka region was given a special status under Article 371 J of the Constitution by the parliament on 20 December 2012. A new Article 371 J was inserted in the Constitution through the Constitution (Ninety-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2012.
EC appointed 42 observers for Assembly Polls

The Election Commission on 8 October 2013 appointed 42 awareness observers for assembly polls to be conducted in five states- Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Rajasthan. These awareness observers will oversee the management of electoral process as well as help in increasing the voter turnout. In the meanwhile, the awareness observers will also keep an eye on the paid news.
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Highlights of the appointment of Awareness Observers

Majority of the awareness observers have been posted in Madhya Pradesh followed by 11 in Rajasthan. Nine of these have been posted in Chhattisgarh, while Delhi has three and Mizoram two. The awareness observers comprise of public relations and information service. All these awareness observers were given the training on their roles and functions on 8 October 2013. The Election Commission, for the first time, also decided to appoint the central awareness observers during the upcoming assembly elections. Each of the central awareness observers will have to take care of the three districts. These central awareness observers will see the level of information, motivation and facilitation of voters by the Election Commission.
Role and Responsibilities of the Awareness Observers

The awareness observers will be deployed in the five states in two phases of seven days each. They will also observe the interventions undertaken by the poll machinery in order to overcome the gap of peoples participation in the electoral process, primarily in the area of voters turnout. Their purpose will also be to monitor the media-related aspects of the Representation of People Act 1951, while at the same time, also observing the mechanism directed by the Commission at district levels on the area of Paid News. All these observers will also have the responsibility of interacting with the district electoral officers as well as bringing the problems to their notice. They will also interact with SVEEP nodal officers and district SVEEP committees. Their role will also be to oversee the effective functioning of Medical Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMCs) which are formed in each district for checking the media-related violations as well as paid news.
SC directed EC to Install VVPAT System in EVMs

The Supreme Court of India on 8 October 2013 directed the Election Commission of India to introduce Vote Verifier Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system in EVMs in phased manner for the next general elections in 2014. The Supreme Court also directed the Centre to provide financial assistance for introducing Vote Verifier Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system. The Supreme Court bench also stated that VVPAT in EVMs will ensure free and fair polls and will help in sorting out disputes.
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The poll panel had also informed the SC bench that VVPAT can be introduced in a phased manner and cited administrative and financial reasons for it. It had stated 13 lakh VVPAT machines would be needed for general elections. The Election Commission had stated approximately 1500 crore Rupees would be required for procuring VVPAT and installing it at all polling booths across the country for 2014 Lok Sabha polls and there are only two state-owned companies Bharat Electronic Ltd (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) which manufacture the machines. The Election Commission had earlier informed the court that VVPAT was successfully and satisfactorily utilised at 21 polling stations in Nagaland during the Assembly elections in February 2013. The Supreme Courts order came on a plea of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking a direction to the Election Commission to ensure EVMs have a paper trail and issue a receipt to each voter.
Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail System (VVPAT)

The VVPAT system is a new initiative of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections. The VVPT will enable electors to see a printout of their ballot -displaying the name, election symbol and serial number of the chosen candidate. However the voter cannot take the printout home. In case there is a dispute about the voting and a petition is filed, the votes can be tallied electronically and physically with the ballot slips that fall into the compartment. The cost of each VVPAT, manufactured by Bharat Electronic Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL) is estimated at about 12000 rupees. At present, EVMs are used for voting and counting is based on the results in the machines. In comparison the VVPAT will print a voters selection, thus also allowing for physically verification of the vote. Election Commission of India with an objective of free and fair polls, the VVPAT System is introduced. This new voting system is a step towards winning the public trust in election process. VVPAT system will also help to resolve the election disputes by providing physical verification of the votes in EVMs. EC would take the decision depending on feedback from the by-polls of Nagaland and it will expand the VVPAT System in a graded and phased manner throughout the country. For introducing VVPAT systems throughout the country would cost around 2000 to 3000 crore rupees.
Election Commission of India

Under article 324, the Constitution of India has vested in the Election Commission of India the
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superintendence, direction and control of the entire process for conduct of elections to Parliament and Legislature of every State and to the offices of President and Vice-President of India. Election Commission of India is a permanent Constitutional Body. The Election Commission was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25 January 1950.
HRD Ministry to launch 50 DTH Channels

The HRD Ministry on 8 October 2013 announced that it will launch 50 DTH educational channels soon. All these channels will be different from the existing programmes on air including Gyan Darshan as new one will be more interactive. All these channels will air programmes which will be live and not pre recorded. The Ministry also announced that the new initiatives will be one of the largest anywhere in the world of its kind. Later, the number of these channels will increase to one thousand. The Ministry already spent over one billion US Dollar for ICT. Over 400 universities and twenty thousand colleges have been linked with bandwidth. It is important to note that the Ministry may approach AICTE to make on-line education mandatory and integral part of education system. S.S. Mantha, chairman, AICTE focused on promoting quality initiatives in the country. The one day workshop was organized by the HRD Ministry with AICTE. More than 150 engineering colleges from the National Capital Region of Delhi participated in the programme.
Government of India reconstituted the GoM on Telangana

The Union Government on 8 October 2013 reconstituted the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Telangana, reducing the number of ministers from ten to six. Union Home Minister Sushil kumar Shinde and Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram have been retained. The new entrants are Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony,Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M. Veerappa Moily and Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh. V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office, who was part of the GoM, will now be a special invitee to the new GoM. The Union Ministers dropped from the GoM are Human Resource Development Minister M. Pallam
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Raju, Law Minister Kapil Sibal, Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat, Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, Road Transport Minister Oscar Fernandes, Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. The Union Cabinet on 3 October 2013 approved the creation of a new State of Telangana by bifurcating the existing State of Andhra Pradesh. The Union Cabinet also approved the setting up of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to work out the various legal and administrative measures to ensure the safety and security of the residents of all the regions of the State including the guarantee of the Fundamental Rights.
National Identification Authority of India Bill

The Union Cabinet of India approved on 8 October 2013 the National Identification Authority of India Bill that will give statutory status to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The new law will provide for the creation of a National Identification Authority of India. It will oversee implementation of the Aadhaar project. It also seeks to define penalties in case of misuse of data collected under the Aadhaar project. The Unique Identification Authority of India issues the Aadhaar card to residents, currently operates through an executive order. The cabinet took this decision in the back ground of recent Supreme Court judgment related to Aadhaar cards will not be mandatory for availing services or benefits under Government schemes without any legal status. Supreme Court Judgment related to that Aadhaar cards The Supreme Court of India on 23 September 2013 ruled that Aadhaar cards or Unique Identification number (UID) will not be mandatory for availing services or benefits under Government schemes like LPG subsidy, transfer benefits, food security, vehicle registration, scholarships, marriage registration, salaries and provident fund etc.
Main Objective of UIDIA Scheme

Unique identification project was initially started by the Planning Commission as an initiative that would provide identification for each resident across the country. It would be used primarily as the basis for efficient delivery of welfare services. It would also act as a tool for effective monitoring of various programs and schemes of the Government. The government also created and approved the position of the Chairperson of the UIDAI. Mr. Nandan Nilekani appointed first Chairperson of UIDIA and he holds the rank and status of Cabinet Minister.
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About Aadhaar Card

Adhaar is a unique Identification number issued by UIDAI to individuals for the purpose of establishing unique identification of every single person. It serves as the proof of identity and address anywhere in India. Aadhaar is a 12-digit number. Aadhaar is not a compulsory, it is voluntary based. The Aadhaar number can be used while opening a bank account, applying for passport, booking, e-tickets and many other places where there is a need to give your identity.
Mandatory 3 percent Reservation for Disabled Persons: SC

The Supreme Court of India on 8 October 2013 directed the Union and all state governments to provide 3 percent job reservation to disabled persons in all their departments, companies and institutions. The bench headed by Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam clarified that the principle of not exceeding more than 50 percent reservation would not be applicable while granting quota for disabled persons. Supreme Court of India also directed the authorities to compile the number of vacancies in all their departments to give jobs to disabled persons under 3 percent reserved quota within 3 months. While giving this direction the bench also said that Government has categorical obligation to protect the right of disabled persons and passed a slew of directions for providing jobs to the Disabled Persons.
SC Judgment related to convicted MPs and MLAs

According to the Supreme Court Judgment related convicted MPs and MLAs, once they convicted in any court regardless of appeals to higher courts they will automatically lose their MPs and MLAs seats. Supreme Court judgment on 10 July 2013 struck down sub-section 4 of Section 8 of Representation of the People Act, under which incumbent MPs and MLAs can avoid disqualification till pendency of the appeal against conviction in a higher court.
Disqualification provisions under Indian Constitution

According to the Indian Constitution Article 102 for Member of either house of Parliament (MP) and Article 191 for Member of Legislative Assembly or Council (MLA or MLC) a person shall be disqualified for following conditions
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1. If he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State, other than an office declared by Parliament by law not to disqualify its holder 2. If he is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court. 3. If he is an un discharged insolvent 4. If he is not a citizen of India, or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign State, or is under any acknowledgment of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State 5. If he is so disqualified by or under any law made by Parliament.
About Fodder Scam

The Fodder Scam was a corruption scandal involved the fabrication of vast herds of fictitious livestock for which fodder, medicines and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procure. The Fodder Scam involved the embezzlement of huge sum from the government treasury of Indian state of Bihar.
Two Schemes launched to Empower Consumers

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India launched two schemes on 5 October 2013 to empower the consumers. Under these two new schemes consumers can purchase 5 kg LPG cylinders at market price with minimal documentation through Company Owned Retail Outlets (Petrol Stations) and a consumer can opt for the distributor of his choice within a cluster of LPG distributors (portability)
5 Kg Sale through Company Owned Retail Outlets

The scheme provided that consumers can purchase 5 kg LPG cylinders at market price with minimal documentation through Company Owned Retail Outlets (Petrol Stations). There is an emerging segment of new consumers like IT professionals, BPO employees who want LPG but in absence of proper proof of address (POA) cannot access the same. Because of their highly irregular work timings, they may not be able to visit the distributor or be at home to receive
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cylinders during normal working hours. For some consumers, the need is in small parcels or arises at odd times of the day when distributors may be closed. Previously OMCs are marketing LPG filled cylinders to various customers through LPG distributor network all over India from their own LPG bottling Plants supplied to the Distributors godown. All such customers are being enrolled by collecting Proof of Identity (POI), Proof of Address (POA) and a deposit for the cylinder and regulator and in turn issuing a Subscription Voucher thereby loaning the equipment to the customer in lieu of the deposit received. Such customers are registered into Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) database as customers and subsequent refills are issued to only such customers who place their booking against the above customer number.
Inter-Company LPG Portability scheme

Under the portability scheme, a consumer can opt for the distributor of his choice within a cluster of LPG distributors in the vicinity. The option is to be registered electronically on the website of the OMC to which the consumer is presently attached. This scheme first implemented in the cities of Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore on a pilot basis through select Retail Outlets. Upon completion of the pilot, the facility would be extended to other towns and cities also. The Schemes will not be implemented in cities/districts of the States going to Polls announced yesterday, due implementation of Model Code of Conduct.
Comment
5 Kg Sale through Company Owned Retail Outlets scheme is useful to migratory population such as students, IT professionals, BPO employees and persons with odd duty timings as it would provide them the flexibility to pick up cylinders and obtain subsequent refills at time of their choice as Petrol Stations are open for longer hours. Inter-Company LPG Portability scheme will bring great relief to consumers who are unhappy with their LPG distributor or want to move to a distributor closer to his home.
Schedule for the General Elections of Five States

The Election Commission on 4 October 2013 announced the dates of holding the General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of the States whose terms expire around the same time together. The election dates were announced in five states of India- Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Delhi. As per the norm, the Election Commission holds the General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of the States. Article 324 and Article 172(1) of the Constitution of India and Section 15 of Representation of the People Act, 1951
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By virtue of its powers, duties and functions under Article 324 read with Article 172(1) of the Constitution of India and Section 15 of Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Commission is required to hold elections to constitute the new Legislative Assemblies in the said States of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Delhi before expiry of their present terms.
Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine - JENVAC Launched

The Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad on 4 October 2013 launched the indigenously produced Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine JENVAC in New Delhi. The vaccine has been jointly developed by scientists of National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune, Indian Council of Medical Research and Bharat Biotech Limited- Hyderabad. JENVAC is Indias first indigenously developed vaccine for treating Japanese Encephalitis, a mosquitoborne viral disease that affects the brain. The newly developed JENVAC is the highly purified inactivated vaccine can be administered during epidemics without the fear of adverse effects. It is available in both single dose and five dose presentations. The vaccine has been developed under the Public Private Partnership mode. Japanese Encephalitis, which is prevalent in 171 districts of 19 States, affects mostly children below 15 years. About 25 per cent of the affected children die and among survivors, 30 to 40 per cent suffer from physical and mental impairment. The indigenous production will now improve the efficacy, availability and affordability of the vaccine which is presently being imported from China.
Schedule for the General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies announced for Five States
The Election Commission on 4 October 2013 announced the dates of holding the General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of the States whose terms expire around the same time together. The election dates were announced in five states of India- Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Delhi. As per the norm, the Election Commission holds the General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of the States.
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Article 324 and Article 172(1) of the Constitution of India and Section 15 of Representation of the People Act, 1951
By virtue of its powers, duties and functions under Article 324 read with Article 172(1) of the Constitution of India and Section 15 of Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Commission is required to hold elections to constitute the new Legislative Assemblies in the said States of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Delhi before expiry of their present terms.
Poll Schedule as Announced by the Election Commission

Chhattisgarh- 11 Nov 2013 (Phase I), 19 Nov 2013 (Phase II) Madhya Pradesh- 25 Nov 2013 Rajasthan- 1 Dec 2013 Delhi- 4 Dec 2013 Mizoram- 4 Dec 2013 It is important to note that the identification of the voters at the polling booth at the time of poll shall be mandatory. Electors who have been provided with EPIC shall be identified through EPIC.
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)

The poll in these States will be conducted at all polling stations using EVMs. The Commission has issued a new set of instructions with regard to the First Level Check of EVMs that will be used in the poll in these States. The First Level Check of EVMs has been done in the presence of representatives of political parties.
None of the Above (NOTA) Option in EVMs

In its judgment on 27 September, 2013 the Supreme Court of India directed that there should be a None of the Above (NOTA) option on the ballot papers and EVMs. The Court directed that the Commission should implement it either in a phased manner or at a time with the assistance of Government of India. For implementing the NOTA option, the Commission is preparing detailed instructions for issue to the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories. On the Balloting Unit, below the name of the last candidate, there will now be a button for NOTA option so that electors who do not want to vote for any of the candidates can exercise their option by pressing the button against NOTA.
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RUSA for Reforming State Education System

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for reforming the state higher education system, on 3 October 2013.
Steps to be taken up as per the Plan

As per this, during the 12th Plan period, 80 new universities would be created by converting autonomous colleges or colleges in a cluster to State universities. 100 new colleges, including professional and technical colleges would be set up and 54 existing colleges would be converted into model degree colleges. Infrastructure grants would be given to 150 universities and 3500 colleges to upgrade and fill critical gaps in infrastructure especially libraries and laboratories. Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan would also support 5000 faculty positions.
Primary features of the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)

In the 12th Plan period, RUSA would have a financial outlay of 22855 crore Rupees, out of which 16227 crore Rupees will be borne by the Centre. Apart from this, allocation of 1800 crore Rupees in the 12th Plan for the existing scheme Sub-Mission polytechnics would also be subsumed in RUSA. Therefore, the total central share, including the existing scheme of polytechnics will be 18027 crore Rupees during the 12th plan. Centre-State funding would be in the ratio of 90:10 for North-Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and 65:35 for other States and Union Territories. RUSA will be a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme spread over two plan periods, for improving access, equity and quality in the state higher education system. RUSA also aims to incentivise States to step up plan investments in higher education.
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Primary Objectives of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)

Improving the overall quality of existing state higher educational institutions by ensuring conformity to prescribed norms and standards and adoption of accreditation as a mandatory quality assurance framework Correct regional imbalances in access to higher education through high quality institutions in rural and semi urban areas as well as creating opportunities for students from rural areas to get access to better quality institutions Setting up of higher education institutions in unserved and underserved areas Improve equity in higher education by providing adequate opportunities to socially deprived communities; promote inclusion of women, minorities, SC/ST and OBCs as well as differentlyabled persons Ensure adequate availability of quality faculty in all higher educational institutions and ensure capacity building at all levels Create an enabling atmosphere in higher educational institutions to devote themselves to research and innovation Integrate skill developments efforts of the government with the conventional higher education system through optimum interventions All funding under RUSA would be norm based and future grants would be performance based and outcome dependent. Commitment by States and institutions to certain academic, administrative and governance reforms will be a precondition for receiving funding.
Background
The National Development Council (NDC) approved RUSA as part of the 12th Plan. It was subsequently included in the list of 66 schemes approved by the Cabinet on 20 June 2013, as part of the restructured CSSs for implementation in the 12th Plan.
8632.77 Cr for National AIDS Control Programme

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 3 October 2013 approved the gross budgetary support of 8632.77 crore Rupees for implementation of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) Phase-IV by the Department of AIDS Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. NACP IV will integrate with other national programmes and align with overall 12th Five Year Plan goals of inclusive growth and development.
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Objectives of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) Phase-IV

Reduce new infections by 50 percent (2007 Baseline of NACP III) Provide comprehensive care and support to all persons living with HIV/AIDS and treatment services for all those who require it
Strategies adopted for achieving the objectives

Intensifying and consolidating prevention services with a focus on (a) high-risk groups and vulnerable population and (b) general population Expanding Information, Education and Communication (IEC) services for (a) general population and (b) High-Risk Groups (HRGS) with a focus on behaviour change and demand generation Increasing access and promoting comprehensive Care, Support and Treatment (CST) Building capacities at National, State, District and facility levels Strengthening Strategic Information Management Systems
Background of the National AIDS Control Programme

The Union Government of India launched the first National AIDS Control Programme (NACP I) in the year 1992. The second phase of NACP was then initiated in the year 1998. Thereafter, from 2007-2012, the third phase of NACP began with the primary objective to halt and reverse the HIV epidemic In India. The fourth phase now aims to consolidate the gains of NACP III. The Department of AIDS Control has been working closely with the Department of Health and Family Welfare towards integration of HIV/AIDS services into the larger health system, with the objective of optimal utilisation of existing NRHM/RCH resources for strengthening NACP services, and vice versa.
CAPF Institute of Medical Sciences approved

The Union Cabinet on 3 October 2013 approved the proposal to establish a Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFILMS), along with a 500-bed General Hospital, a 300bed Super Specialty Hospital, a Nursing College and a School of Paramedics. CAPFILMS will be registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and shall have a Governing Body and a Governing Council, under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The objective of creation of the Institute is to facilitate attraction of talented professionals in the Central Armed Police Forces and their retention, besides providing in-house training, specialization, Post Graduate and Super Specialty Post Graduate courses to in-service health care professionals.
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This in turn will help in boosting the morale of the force personnel as well as provide required trained technical hands in the medical set up of CAPFs for the benefit of their personnel and families. The overall cost of the project is 1366.53 crore Rupees and it will be completed by 2018-2019. For this purpose, the land measuring 48.80 acres has already been purchased at Maiden Garhi, New Delhi through the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
National Policy on Universal Electronic Accessibility

The Union Cabinet on 3 October 2013 approved the National Policy on Universal Electronic Accessibility that recognizes the need to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disabilities as well as to facilitate equal access to electronics and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
About National Policy on Universal Electronic Accessibility

The policy will facilitate equal and unhindered access to electronics and ICTs products and services by differently abled persons (both physically and mentally challenged) and to facilitate local language support for the same. The aim of the policy shall be achieved through universal access to electronics and ICT products and services to synchronize with barrier free environment and preferably usable without adaptation. Differently abled persons all over the country will benefit from this policy.
Strategies for the implementation of the policy

Creating awareness on universal electronics accessibility and universal design. Capacity building and infrastructure development. Setting up of model electronics and ICTs centres for providing training and demonstration to special educators and physically as well as mentally challenged persons. Conducting research and development, use of innovation, ideas, technology etc. Developing programme and schemes with greater emphasis for differently abled women and children. Developing procurement guidelines for electronics and ICTs for accessibility and assistive needs. The National Policy on Universal Electronic Accessibility has been created on the backdrop of India ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2007. The UN Convention states that State parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities, access on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation,
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to information and communications, including ICTs and systems and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public.
HRD Ministry constituted NITTTR

The Ministry of Human Resource Development of Government of India announced on 2 October 2013 to constitute a Council of National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR). It will facilitate better coordination and synergy between the four NITTTRs located at Chandigarh, Bhopal, Calcutta and Chennai. The Council shall be chaired by the Minister of Human Resource Development (ex-officio) with Chairman and Directors of the four NITTTRs and other academicians as members. The Council will act as an advisory body to the Union Government on matters relating to Central policies, administration, development of plans and rules, curriculum and institutional resources for the NITTTRs.
Functions of National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR)

To train technical teachers To develop curriculum and institutional resources To assist Central and State Governments and technical institutes towards improving related process and products. Learning Resources Development Research and Development
About National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research

National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR) institutes were established in Chandigarh, Bhopal, Chennai and Kolkata in 1965.
They were established by the Department of Education, MHRD Government of India as fully centrally funded autonomous institutions for providing pre and in-service training to the teachers and staff of Degree and Diploma level training institutions and also for conducting various activities related to quality improvement of the technical education system of the country.
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Ordinance and Bill relating to RP Act withdrawn

Union Cabinet on 2 October 2013 decided to withdraw the ordinance on convicted lawmakers, as well as the Bill that sought to amend the Representation of the People Act. The Cabinet took the decision in a meeting which was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on 2 October 2013. The Union Cabinet had approved on 24 September 2013 the Ordinance which sought to negate the Supreme Court order of 10 July 2013 which ruled that any lawmaker would stand immediately disqualified if convicted by a court. The Ordinance was not signed by President Pranab Mukherjee as he had reservations on it. Government had resorted to the Ordinance route after it failed to get a Bill in this regard passed by Parliament during the Monsoon session which ended in September 2013. The ordinance, once promulgated, will allow the convicted MPs or MLAs to continue in office if their appeal is admitted by a higher court within 90 days of conviction by the trial court. However, they will not be allowed to vote or draw salaries till the case is decided.
About the Ordinance

The Ordinance is the Legislative Power of President of India covered in Article 123 of Constitution of India.
Article 123 of Constitution of India

Power of President to promulgate Ordinances during recess of Parliament. 1. If at any time, except when both Houses of Parliament are in session, the President is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action, he may promulgate such Ordinances as the circumstances appear to him to require. 2. An ordinance promulgated under this article shall have the same force and effect as an Act of Parliament, but every such ordinance Shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament and shall cease to operate at the expiration of six weeks from the reassembly of Parliament, or, if before the expiration of that period resolutions disapproving it are passed by both Houses, upon the passing of the second of those resolutions; and May be withdrawn at any time by the President. Explanation.- Where the Houses of Parliament are summoned to reassemble on different dates, the period of six weeks shall be reckoned from the later of those dates for the purposes of this clause. 3. If and so far as an Ordinance under this article makes any provision, which Parliament would not under this Constitution be competent to enact, it shall be void.
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INDIA DAIRY
1 October 2013 Union HRD Minister Inaugurated the National Workshop on Skilling India 19th Meeting of the Governing Council of the CIRDAP Inaugurated By the President S.Varadarajan took over as the CMD of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited
2 October 2013 Government of India Appointed a Committee to Define FDI and FII Indias GDP Grew at 4.7 % in 2013-14: Asian Development Bank
3 October 2013 HRD Ministry Constituted Council of National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research Union Cabinet Decided to Withdraw Ordinance and Bill Relating to Representation of Peoples Act
4 October 2013 Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan for Reforming State Education System Approved by CCEA Budgetary Support of 8632.77 Crore Approved for National AIDS Control Programme Phase-IV Union Cabinet Approved the Creation of a New State of Telangana Union Cabinet Approved Proposal for Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences
5 October 2013 Schedule for the General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies Announced for Five States Union Health Minister launched Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine JENVAC
6 October 2013 President of India Pranab Mukherjee visited Belgium and Turkey Supreme Court Proposed 3- Member Panel to Inquire into IPL Spot-Fixing Scandal
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7 October 2013 Lalu Prasad Yadav Convicted in the Fodder Scam Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Launched Two Schemes to Empower the Consumers Union Cabinet Approved National Policy on Universal Electronic Accessibility Karan Thapar Chosen for IPI-India Award for Excellence in Journalism 2013
8 October 2013 The Union Cabinet Approved on the National Identification Authority of India Bill 3 percent Reservation for Disabled Persons in all Govt Jobs mandatory: SC First Mega Food Park in Uttar Pradesh Established at Jagdishpur
9 October 2013 Union Cabinet Approved Special Board for Hyderabad-Karnataka Region Election Commission Appointed 42 Awareness Observers for Assembly Polls in 5 States HRD Ministry Announced to Launch 50 DTH Educational Channels Supreme Court Directed Election Commission to Install VVPAT System in EVMs for 2014 Polls Union Government Reconstituted the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Telangana
10 October 2013 MS Swaminathan Selected for Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the Year 2012 Cyclonic Storm Phailin hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Empowered Committee on Cinematograph Act Submitted Report to Ministry of I & B
11 October 2013 The Third Curve: a Book Written by Film Director Mansoor Khan Released President approved appointment of Seven Judges to Madras High Court
12 October 2013 India Post launched International Money Transfer Service- Instant Cash Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh concluded four-day visit to Brunei and Indonesia Varun Arora won UN Award for Open Curriculum Web Platform
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13 October 2013 Many People Killed and Several Injured near a Temple in Madhya Pradesh
14 October 2013 Global Hunger Index Report 2013: India Ranked at 63rd Position TD Rangaramanujan, the Former Table Tennis Federation of India President Died at 96 Mohan Dharia, the Former Union Minister and an Environmentalist, Died At 88
15 October 2013 The Supreme Court of India Ruled That Co-Operative Societies Do Not Fall Within the Ambit of RTI Election Commission of India Approved None of the Above Option in EVMs and Ballot Papers Union Government of India Decided to Bring All Post Offices under Core Banking System Ministry of Railways Took Measures to Prevent the Misuse of Izzat Monthly Season Ticket
16 October 2013 Walking Tours Platform Launched for Facilitating Tourists as Part of Incredible India Campaign
17 October 2013 Union Cabinet approved a Committee on Babhli Barrage Project Union Cabinet Approved Setting Up of Six Additional Benches of the CESTAT
18 October 2013 Courts Cannot Impose a Fine of More than Twice the Amount in Bounced Cheques: SC Union Cabinet approved all-weather Zojila Tunnel Project Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban visited India The Largest Air Traffic Control Tower of India Inaugurated at Mumbai Airport
19 October 2013 Lok Sabha Speaker Rejected the Resignations of 13 Seemandhra MPs Renowned Musician Madhuri Chattopadhyay Died Lata Mangeshkar was Presented the First National Yash Chopra Memorial Award
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20 October 2013 Manmohan Singh Conferred Honorary Doctorate by Moscow State Institute of International Relations Four Indians Listed in Fortune Top 50 Women Business Leaders-2013
21 October 2013 North East Regional Political Front Formed by Ten Regional Parties of North East India Bangalore topped the List of Best Business Destinations in India Laxmikanta Mahapatra appointed Chief Justice of Manipur High Court
22 October 2013 SC: Clinical Trials of 162 New Chemicals continue to be on Hold National Museum Institute launched Project on Heritage Documentation Mars Orbiter Mission to be launched on 5 November 2013 India Post Released Postage Stamp on the Golden Jubilee of Bhakra Dam
23 October 2013 India Sports 2014 was launched by Sports Ministry & FICCI to Promote Sports among Youth Shah Rukh Khan Appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for South Korea Manna Dey, the legendary singer died at 94
24 October 2013 Indian Railways Decided to Increase Speed of the Superfast Trains to 160-200 kmph Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh visited China
25 October 2013 President Approved Development Board for Hyderabad-Karnataka Region Tarun Chatarjee appointed Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh State Human Rights Commission Global Gender Gap Report 2013: India Ranked at 101 Place
26 October 2013 EC issued Guidelines on use of Social Media in Election Campaigning
27 October 2013 Lou Reed, the Renowned Rocker and Solo Performer, Passed Away at 71
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Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice 2013 Presented to Sushmita Sen Vijay Soni a noted Painter and theatre personality dead
28 October 2013 Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana scheme for Indian workers launched in Dubai NOTA votes have No Effect on Poll Winner: Election Commission of India Rajendra Yadav, the Noted Hindi Writer Passed Away at 84
29 October 2013 Government of India Decided to appoint Arup Raha as Chief of the Indian Air Force P.S. Raghavan appointed as the next Russian Ambassador
30 October 2013 Employment and Unemployment situation in Cities and Towns in India Bollywood Actress Kareena Kapoor honoured in the House of Commons India Ranked 134th Spot in the Ease of Doing Business List: WB Ashok Amritraj won Soul of India Award Prime Minister of India inaugurated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Museum in Ahmedabad Geeta Chandran, Bharatnatyam exponent honoured with Guru Debaprasad Award
31 October 2013 SC: Fix the tenure of bureaucrats to immunize them from the Political Influence Gujarat CM Laid the Foundation Stone of the Statute of Unity Joint Parliamentary Committee Submitted Report on 2G Spectrum to Lok Sabha Speaker India developed Surface-to-Surface Missile Pragati Kirit Parikh Panel Recommended Hike in Diesel, Kerosene, LPG Prices Integrated Processing Development Scheme (IPDS) approved by CCEA Srishti Rana of India Was Crowned Miss Asia Pacific World 2013 Worlds First Bitcoin ATM Launched in Vancouver, Canada Subhas Goswami Appointed as the Director General of ITBP
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ECONOMY
Bhubaneswar and Imphal Airports were declared as International Airports
The Union Cabinet of India on 30 October 2013 gave its approval for declaring the Bhubaneswar and Imphal airports as international airports to fulfill the long pending demand of people as well as the State Governments of Odisha and Manipur. Declaration of these airports as international airports will offer improved connectivity, wider choice of services at competitive cost to the air travelers resulting in boosting international tourism and economic development of the region and the country.
Bhubaneswar Airport
Biju Patnaik Airport or Bhubaneswar Airport belongs to Airport Authority of India and is suitable for
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operation of Code `D` aircraft of type B-767-400. The airport is also equipped with facilities for night operations, runway 14/32 of dimension 2743m X 45m, apron to park six aircrafts and navigational aids. A new domestic terminal building with all modern amenities for handling 400 arriving and 400 departing passengers has been constructed and inaugurated in March 2013. The modification/ renovation of the existing domestic terminal building into international terminal building with an area of 6264 sqm. suitable for handling international operations has been completed. Six check-incounters, custom counters and immigration counters are being provided and the requisite facilities of customs, immigration, health services and animal and plant quarantine at the airport have also completed.
Imphal Airport
Imphal Airport belongs to Airports Authority of India and is suitable for `C` type (A-320/321) of aircrafts operations in all weather conditions. Major facilities including night operations, runway of dimension 2746m X 45m, Apron to park 3 nos. A-320 and 1 No. ATR-72 at a time, terminal building having an area of 6592 sqm. modified to integrated terminal building, navigational aids, nineteen check-in-counters, custom counters, immigration and sufficient space for health services and animal and plant quarantine are being provided at the airport.
RBI allowed Banks to Revise Periodicity of Interest Payments

The Reserve Bank of India on 29 October 2013 allowed the commercial banks to revise the periodicity of interest payments thus enabling savings bank account and term deposit holders to earn interest at shorter intervals. The Second Quarter Review of Monetary Policy 2013-14 released by the RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan revealed that as all commercial banks are now on core banking platforms, it has been decided to give banks the option to pay interest on savings deposits and term deposits at intervals shorter than quarterly
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intervals. Presently, banks are required to pay interest on savings and term deposits at quarterly or longer intervals. The savings deposit rate for most banks is 4 per cent per annum, while in some cases, it is as high as 7 percent. The interest rate on savings bank accounts is calculated on a daily basis. Term deposit rates are 8-9 per cent for tenures of one year and above. The Reserve Bank of India gave freedom to commercial banks to fix savings bank deposit rates in 2011. While giving banks this freedom, the RBI kept one condition that a uniform rate will have to be offered on deposits of up to 1 lakh Rupees, on higher amounts banks are allowed to offer differential rates to depositors.
India signed Pact with World Bank for Uttar Pradesh Water Sector Restructuring Project
Government of India on 25 October 2013 signed an agreement with World Bank for credit of 360 million US Dollar for the second phase of Uttar Pradesh Water Sector Restructuring Project. The agreement was signed by Nilaya Mitash, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Government of India and Country Director of the World Bank, Onno Ruhl. Similarly the Project Agreement was signed by Deepak Singhal, Principal Secretary, Department of Irrigation on behalf of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The objective of the project is to support the State on capacity building of Water Users Association, rehabilitation and modernization of irrigation, development of Basin River planning strategies and flood management systems.
The Projects Development objective is to

1. Strengthen the institutional and policy framework for integrated water resources management for the entire State; and 2. Increase agricultural productivity and water productivity by supporting farmers in targeted irrigation areas.
The project has six main components:

Strengthening of State Level Water Institutions and Inter Sector Coordination Modernization and Rehabilitation of Irrigation and Drainage Systems Consolidation and Enhancement of Irrigation Institution Reforms Enhancing Agriculture Productivity and On-Farm Water Management Feasibility studies and Preparation Activities for the Next Phase Project Coordination and Monitoring. The closing date for the project is 31 October, 2020.
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Indias Foreign Exchange Reserves jumped to 281.12 Billion US Dollars

Indias foreign exchange reserves increased for the third week in a row, adding 1.9 billion dollars to touch 281.12 billion dollars in the week ended on 25 October 2013. In the previous week, the reserves had increased by 1.51 billion to 279.24 billion dollars. The Reserve Bank stated that Foreign Currency Assets, which form the largest chunk of the reserves, jumped to 252.7 billion dollars in the week under review. As per the RBI data, the gold reserves remained unchanged at 21.765 billion US dollars in the week under review, whereas the special drawing rights jumped by 25.6 million US dollars to 4.46 billion US dollars.
CCEA increased the MSP of Wheat by 50 Rupees per Quintal

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 17 October 2013 enhanced the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat by 50 rupees per quintal to 1400 rupees for the fiscal, starting April 2014. The CCEA accepted the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. The MSP of red gram and mustard was also hiked by hundred rupees per quintal each. MSP is the rate at which government buys the grain from farmers. The government took this step to encourage farmers to cover more area under the crop in the ongoing rabi season. The crops sowing begins in October and harvesting begins from April onwards. The government procures wheat from farmers during April-June.
Indias Foreign Exchange Reserves touched 279.24 Billion US Dollars

Indias foreign exchange (forex) reserves gained 1.51 billion US dollars to touch 279.24 billion US dollars for the week ended 11 October 2013.As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Weekly Statistical Supplement, Indias Foreign Currency Assets (FCA), the biggest component of the forex reserves, increased by 1.52 billion US dollars to 250.85 billion US dollars for the week under review.
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RBI said the FCA expressed in US dollar terms included the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US currencies held in reserve, such as the pound sterling, euro and yen. The value of Indias gold reserves remained the same. However, Indias reserve position with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) declined by 4.7 million US dollars to 2.19 billion US dollars and the value of the Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) fell by 9.6 million US dollars to 4.43 billion US dollars. For the week ended 4 October 2013, the countrys reserve with IMF had risen by 7.2 million US dollars to 2.19 billion US dollars and the value of the SDRs increased by 14.7 million US dollars to 4.43 billion US dollars.
Broadband Subscriber Base in India Increased

As per the latest telecom subscription data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on 31 July 2013, total Broadband subscriber base in India increased from 15.19 million at the end of June 2013 to 15.24 million at the end of July 2013. This is a monthly growth of 0.33 percent. Yearly growth in broadband subscribers is 3.79 percent during the last one year (July 2012 to July 2013). At present, there are 161 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) which are providing broadband services in the country. Out of these, 121 ISPs (having 98.48 percent market share) have provided broadband subscription data for the month of July 2013, for the rest of the ISPs data from previous month has been retained. Top five ISPs in terms of market share (based on subscriber base) are: BSNL (9.97 million), Bharti Airtel (1.43 million), MTNL (1.10 million), Hathway (0.37 million) and You Broadband (0.32 million).
Number of Telecom Subscribers increased to 904.46 million

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India released the latest telecom subscription data on 31 July 2013. As per this data, the total number of subscribers has increased to 904.46 million with a
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net addition of 1.37 million subscribers during the month showing a monthly growth of 0.15 percent. Out of the total subscriber base, 548.85 million are from the urban areas and the remaining 355.60 million are the rural subscribers. The total Teledensity at the end of July 2013 was 73.54 out of which the share of urban subscribers was 60.68 percent and that of rural subscribers was 39.32 percent. Mobile Number Portability (MNP) requests increased from 95.59 million subscribers at the end of June 2013 to 97.82 million at the end of July 2013. In the month of July 2013 alone, 2.23 million requests have been made for MNP.
China and EU signed a Currency Swap Agreement

China on 10 October 2013 signed a 350 Billion Yuan (45 billion Euros) currency swap agreement with the European Union (EU), marking a major step in internationalising its currency. The agreement signed between the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) and the European Central Bank (ECB). The pact aimed to support bilateral trade and protect financial stability. The agreement lasts three years and can be extended if both parties agree. The new arrangement will provide more liquidity to the Renminbi market in the Euro area, promote overseas use of the Yuan, and help facilitate trade and investment. So far China has signed currency swap deals totaling 2.2 trillion Yuan (358 billion US Dollars) with 22 countries and regions to push the international use of its Yuan.
Indian Railways Carried 511.00 Million Tonnes

As per the data released by Ministry of Railways on 10 October 2013, Indian Railways carried 511.00 million tonnes of revenue earning freight traffic during the first half of fiscal 2013. The freight carried shows an increase of 29.65 million tonnes over the freight traffic of 481.35 million tonnes actually carried during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 6.16 per cent. During the month of September 2013, the revenue earning freight traffic carried by Indian Railways was 84.86 million tonnes. There is an increase of 8.93 million tonnes over the actual freight traffic of 75.93 million tonnes carried by the Indian Railways during the same period last year, showing an increase of 11.76 per cent.
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SEBI Proposed New Measures for Stock Exchanges

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 9 October 2013 proposed new range of measures for stock exchanges in order to deal with the fraudulent trading activities in the securities market. These measures include time-bound approach as well as well-defined parameters. SEBI announced the measures in the backdrop of at least four instances of incorrect trades which in turn disrupted the market in the recent past. The latest one includes placement of incorrect orders on the National Stock Exchange in February 2013. SEBI, for this purpose, released the discussion paper on policy in context with the incorrect trades. SEBI explained that the objective of this is to have a uniform policy for trade annulment. The stock exchanges shall adopt the transparent and time-bound approach in order to decide the cases related to annulment of trade, before the final settlement is made. SEBI also announced that cancellation should take place only in certain exceptional situations. These exceptional situations include market manipulation and fraud. The discussion paper said that in order to facilitate certainty to trades executed on the stock exchanges trading platform, the trades should not be annulled under normal circumstances. Trade annulment should come only under certain circumstances which include regulatory action, error which impacts the sanctity of price discover, market manipulation as well as fraud. Apart from all this, the SEBI also proposed that the bourses should analyse the impact of trade annulment. SEBI, after releasing the discussion paper explained that prevention of the practices like these was a crucial part of the risk management framework of stock exchanges. The stock exchanges also have online surveillance mechanisms for the purpose of preventing market manipulations.
Trade Deficit estimated at 80126.24 Million US Dollar

As per the data released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Indias Exports during September, 2013 were valued at 27679.33 million US Dollars (176461.53 crore Rupees) which was 11.15 per cent higher in Dollar terms (29.77 per cent higher in Rupee terms) than the level of 24902.00 million US Dollars (135978.63 crore rupees) during September, 2012. Cumulative value of exports for the period April-September 2013 -14 was 152105.40 million US dollars ( 901194.97 crore rupees) as against 144673.91 million US dollars (790838.40 crore rupees) registering a growth of 5.14 per cent in Dollar terms and growth of 13.95 per cent in Rupee terms over the same period last year.
Imports
Imports during September, 2013 were valued at 34439.50 million US dollars (219559.04 crore rupees) representing a negative growth of 18.10 per cent in Dollar terms and a negative growth of 4.38 per
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cent in Rupee terms over the level of imports valued at 42051.45 million US dollars (229624.04 crore rupees) in September 2012. Cumulative value of imports for the period April-September 2013-14 was 232231.64 million US dollars (1365699.30 crore rupees) as against 236493.90 million US dollars (1292490.99 crore rupees) registering a negative growth of 1.80 per cent in Dollar terms and growth of 5.66 per cent in Rupee terms over the same period last year. Crude Oil And Non-Oil Imports Oil imports during September, 2013 were valued at 13196.5 million US dollars which was 5.94 per cent lower than oil imports valued at 14029.5 million US dollars in the corresponding period last year. Oil imports during April-September, 2013-14 were valued at 82876.1 million US dollars which was 3.58 per cent higher than the oil imports of 80011.6 million US dollars in the corresponding period last year. Non-oil imports during September, 2013 were estimated at 21243.0 million US Dollars which was 24.19 per cent lower than non-oil imports of 28022.0 million US Dollars in September, 2012. Nonoil imports during April-September, 2013-14 were valued at149355.5 million US Dollars which was 4.55 per cent lower than the level of such imports valued at 156482.3 million US Dollars in April-September 2012-13.
Trade Balance
The trade deficit for April-September, 2013-14 was estimated at 80126.24 million US Dollars which was lower than the deficit of 91819.99 million US Dollars during April-September, 2012-13.
Direct Tax Collection increased by 10.66 Percent

As per the data released by the Union Ministry of Finance, Government of India on 7 October 2013, Gross collection from direct taxes that include personal income tax and corporate taxes, increased by 10.66 percent to 301250 crore Rupees in AprilSeptember period in 2013 as compared to 272221 crore Rupees recorded in the same period in 2012. Collections from personal income tax increased by 16.15 percent to 106231 crore Rupees in the first half of the current financial year as compared to 91463 crore Rupees recorded in the same period last year. However, there was a sluggish increase in corporate
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taxes due to slowdown in growth that has hit general demands in the country. Gross collections of corporate taxes increased by 7.93 percent to 192308 crore rupees during the period under review. Net direct tax collection was registered at 250959 crore Rupees for the first six months of the current financial year 2013-14 as compared to 226653 crore Rupees recorded in the same period last fiscal 2012-13, registering an year-on-year increase of 10.72 percent. Difference in gross and net tax collection is due to refunds. Wealth tax collection increased by 5.27 percent to 499 crore Rupees during the period under review, while the collection of Securities Transaction Tax (STT) dropped by 6.45 percent to 2210 crore Rupees.
Railway Revenue Earnings were 65354.64 Crore

The total approximate earnings of Indian Railways on originating basis from 1 April to 30 September 2013 were 65354.64 crore rupees compared to 58661.79 crore rupees during the same period 2012 registering an increase of 11.41 per cent. The total goods earnings have gone up from 40293.70 crore rupees during 1 April 2012 30 September 2012 to 44191.92 crore Rupees during 1 April 30 September 2013, registering an increase of 9.67 per cent. The total passenger revenue earnings during 1 April 2013 30 September 2013 were 18099.83 crore Rupees compared to 15582.42 crore Rupees during the same period in 2012, registering an increase of 16.16 per cent. The approximate revenue earnings from other coaching amounted to 1850.22 crore Rupees during April - September 2013 compared to 1510.59 crore Rupees during the same period last year, an increase of 22.48 per cent. The total approximate numbers of passengers booked during 1April 30 September 2013 were 4257.55 million compared to 4270.09 million during the same period last year, showing a decrease of 0.29 per cent. In the suburban and non-suburban sectors, the numbers of passengers booked during April-September 2013 were 2275.20 million and 1982.35 million compared to 2212.06 million and 2058.03 million during the same period last year, showing an increase of 2.85 per cent and a decrease of 3.68 per cent respectively.
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IFC launched 1 Billion Dollar offshore Rupee Bond Programme to Strengthen Indias Capital Markets
International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, on 7 October 2013 launched a 1 billion Dollars offshore bond programme to strengthen Indias capital markets and attract greater foreign investment. Under the programme, IFC will issue rupee-linked bonds and use the proceeds to finance private sector investment in the country. This programme will help bring depth and diversity to the offshore rupee market and pave the way for an alternative source of funding for Indian companies. IFCs offshore bond programme will pave the way for an alternative source of funding for Indian companies.
What are the off shore rupee bonds ?

These are bonds denominated in rupees but issued in international markets. Investor has to convert its currency into rupees before investing. The return and final redemption is also in rupees.
Why are such off shore bonds are important ?

They are an important way of internationalising Indian currency. It will improve acceptance of the Indian currency in setting trade. A deep market for local currency will help reduce dollar needs of the economy. The diversity fund raising options for Indian borrowers.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries. Established in 1956, IFC is owned by 184 member countries, a group that collectively determines its policies. IFC works in more than a 100 developing countries allows companies and financial institutions in emerging markets to create jobs, generate tax revenues, improve corporate governance and environmental performance, and contribute to their local communities. IFCs vision is that people should have the opportunity to escape poverty and improve their lives.
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RBI reduced the MSF Rate to 9 from 9.5 Percent

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 7 October 2013 reduced the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate to 9 per cent from 9.5 per cent to improve liquidity in the system. In a release issued from Mumbai the RBI stated that the decision was taken after a review of evolving liquidity conditions. MSF allows banks to borrow money from RBI at a higher rate when there is a significant liquidity crunch. The RBI further stated that it conducted open market purchase operations of 9974 crore rupees with the aim of injecting liquidity into the system. This is the second reduction in the rate since the September 20 mid-quarter monetary policy review, when it was lowered to 9.5 per cent from 10.25 per cent.
SEBI approved Major Reforms in FII Regulations

SEBI ushered in major reforms to attract overseas investors. It has announced new Foreign Portfolio Investor regulations for easier registration process and operating framework for investors from abroad. The new class of investors - FPIs - will encompass all Foreign Institutional Investors, their sub-accounts and Qualified Foreign Investors. They will be divided in three categories as per their risk profile. The Know Your Client - KYC requirements and other registration procedures will be much simpler for FPIs compared to current practices. The SEBI has also decided to grant them a permanent registration. SEBI also approved setting up Designated Depository Participants which will register FPIs on behalf of the market regulator subject to compliance with KYC norms.
RBI fixed the Reference Rate of Rupee against US Dollar

The Reserve Bank of India on 4 October 2013 fixed the reference rate of rupee against US dollar at 61.4050 and the euro at 83.6790 as against 61.9348 and 84.2360 on 3 October 2013. The exchange rates for the pound and yen against the rupee were quoted at 99.2857 a pound and 63.25 per 100 yen, based on reference rates for the dollar and cross-currency quotes at noon. The reference rate is based on the noon rates of select banks and the SDR-Rupee rate would be based on this rate.
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National Mission on Oilseed and Oil Palm approved

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 3 October 2013 approved the implementation of the National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) during the 12th Plan Period with financial allocation of 3507 crore rupees. This would help in enhancing production of oilseeds by 6.58 million tonnes. This would also bring additional area of 1.25 lakh hectares under Oil Palm cultivation with increase in productivity of fresh fruit bunches from 4927 kg/ha to 15000 kg/ha and increase in collection of tree borne oilseeds to 14 lakh tonne. Implementation of the proposed Mission would enhance production of vegetable oil sources by 2.48 million tonnes from oilseeds (1.70 million tonnes), oil palm (0.60 million tonnes) and tree borne oilseeds (0.18 million tonnes) by the end of the 12th Plan Period. The implementation strategy in the Mission would place emphasis on increasing the Seed Replacement Ratio (SRR) with focus on varietal replacement; increasing irrigation coverage under oilseeds from 26 percent to 38 percent; diversification of area from low yielding cereals crops to oilseeds crops; inter-cropping of oilseeds and use of fallow land; area expansion under oil palm and TBOs; increasing availability of quality planting materials of oil palm and TBOs; enhancing procurement of oilseeds and collection and processing of TBOs. Recommended varieties and proven technologies would be demonstrated in a cluster approach through mini kits and frontline/ cluster demonstration. The cluster approach would ensure participation of all categories of farmers, irrespective of the size of their holdings, social status and would demonstrate visible impact of technologies in enhancing productivity and production. NMOOP is built upon the achievements of the existing schemes of Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds. Oil Palm and Maize (ISOPOM), Tree Borne Oilseeds Scheme and Oil Palm Area Expansion (OPAE) programme during the 11th Plan period. Implementation of these schemes have shown increase in production and productivity of oilseeds, area expansion with increased production of FFBs under oil palm and augmented availability of quality planting materials, pre-processing technologies and awareness about TBOs.
ITP Scheme to be continued in 12th five year plan

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 3 October 2013 approved continuation of the scheme for Integrated Textile Parks(ITP) in the 12th five year plan. CCEA also approved sanction of new projects for utilizing 717 crore Rupees the balance left in the 12th five year plan allocation, after meeting committed liabilities of the sanctioned 61 parks. It also gave its nod for an additional grant of 10 crore Rupees to be given to existing parks for setting up apparel manufacturing units. 50 crore Rupees have been allocated for the purpose.
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About Integrated Textiles Parks

The primary objective of the scheme for Integrated Textile Parks is to provide the industry with world class infrastructure facilities for setting up their textile units. The product mix in these parks would include apparels and garments parks, hosiery parks, silk parks, processing parks, technical textiles including medical textiles, carpet parks, powerloom parks. The Scheme for Integrated Textiles Parks seeks green field investments in textiles sector on a public private partnership basis with the objective of setting up world class infrastructure for Textiles industry. The Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) was approved in the 10th Five Year Plan (July 2005) to provide the industry with world-class infrastructure facilities for setting up their textile units by merging the erstwhile Apparel Parks for Exports Scheme (APES) and Textile Centre Infrastructure Development Scheme (TCIDS). The scheme targets industrial clusters or locations with high growth potential, which require strategic interventions by way of providing world-class infrastructure support.
Jet-Etihad deal approved by SEBI

Jet-Etihad deal was approved by SEBI (Securities Exchange Board of India) on 1 October 2013. Jet Airways had proposed to sale 24 percent stake to Abu Dhabi-based Etihad. The Jet-Etihad deal was announced in April 2013 and because of objections from regulators the deal was stuck halfway. The proposal will now be considered by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) had also asked for changes in the original deal. The two parties had informed the fair trade regulator about the changes in the deal and approval from the CCI is expected soon. SEBI informed the Finance Ministry about its decision on 25 September 2013. With this deal in place, Jet eventually has a 51 per cent stake in the company, Etihad 24 per cent and the public the remaining 25 per cent.
Indias Forex Reserves dropped by 1.11 Billion US Dollar

Indias foreign exchange (forex) reserves fell by 1.11 billion US Dollars to 276.26 billion US Dollars for the week ended on 27 September 2013 as compared to 277.38 billion US Dollars in the previous
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week due to a sharp drop in the value of foreign currency assets, official data showed. The forex reserves has declined sharply after a significant gains in the previous two weeks. The reserves had increased by 277.38 billion US Dollars and 544.7 million US Dollars respectively in the previous two weeks. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Weekly Statistical Supplement, Indias foreign currency assets, the biggest component of the forex reserves, dropped by 1.29 billion US dollars to 247.92 billion US dollars for the week ended 27 September 2013. The foreign currency assets, expressed in the US Dollar term, include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US currencies held in reserve, such as the pound sterling, euro and yen. However, Indias reserve position with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) jumped by 177.7 million US Dollars to 2.19 billion US Dollars and the value of the special drawing rights (SDRs) increased by 1.1 million US Dollars to 4.42 billion US Dollars. The value of Indias gold reserves remained unchanged at 21.72 billion US Dollars during the week under review
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ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT
Mining within 1 km of National Parks and Sanctuaries in Goa banned

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on 24 October 2013 banned mining within one kilometer area of the national parks and sanctuaries of Goa, anymore. The decision was taken to take the state one step closer to restart iron ore excavation mining in a regulated style. The issued order was released to resolve the issues that require a solution to restart regulated mining in the coastal state. As per the order the area up to one kilometer beyond the boundaries of the National Parks and Sanctuaries in Goa can be declared as the Ecologically Sensitive Zone under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and mining activities can be banned as per the Act. As per the Justice Shah Commissions report the mining activities in the state across the national
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parks and wildlife sanctuaries were started without the clearance from the standing committee of the National Board of Wildlife that had been mandated by the Supreme Court. At present the Supreme Court of India is hearing the case related to the suspension of mining works in the state. Even, the Environment Ministry has started re-evaluating each and every mine for its environmental clearances under the green laws after suspending the works. The Goa state Government has also sent the proposals to the union government to declare the Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around the protected wildlife area, following the earlier order of Supreme Court of India. The Supreme Court of India has ordered the central and the state governments to decide the boundaries of the ESZs across the protected wildlife areas or as per the Court in the area of 10 kilometers periphery around them was to be accepted as the ESZs by default. As per the State Government, the boundaries of the six wildlife areas can be used as the limit of the ESZs because of the features. To study the proposals, the Ministry constituted a committee with Rajesh Gopal as its Chairman. But the committee in its report suggested that in many cases the natural features across the boundaries of the ESZ ended within few hundred meters of the parks. The committee also recommended creation of the zone of the no-mining across the boundary up to 1 kilometer. The committee also recommended the ministry that the mining activities across the area should be banned in future. It also recommended that around two of the six sanctuaries should be phased out over the time to ensure that there was no loss of livelihood of people. The Ministry had also accepted the report of the committee and as per the recommendation the Bhagwan Mahaveer and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuaries mining, which can be phased out on the basis of the State Governments Plans. The draft notifications about the sanctuaries will be released by the ministry following the decision of the Supreme Court of India, as still the case is on in the Supreme Court.
The First Venomous Crustacean Found by the Scientists

Scientists found the first venomous crustacean called Remipede. It is a centipede-like creature that lives in underwater caves. It liquefies its prey with a compound similar in nature to rattlesnakes poison. It has its habitat in underwater caves of the Caribbean, Canary Islands and Western Australia. It feeds on other crustaceans. Crustaceans venom contains a complex cocktail of toxins, including enzymes and a paralysing
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agent. The above findings are published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution. The remipede (Speleonectes tulumensis) breaks down body tissues with its venom and then sucks out a liquid meal from its preys exoskeleton. This study will help improve our understanding of the evolution of animal venoms.
Outdoor Air Pollution a Leading Environmental Cause of Cancer Deaths: IARC

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), data revealed on 17 October 2013 that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer and increases the risk for bladder cancer. The IARC data highlighted that air pollution is already known to increase risks for a wide range of diseases, such as respiratory and heart diseases. It also noted that air pollution exposure levels increased significantly in some parts of the world, particularly in rapidly industrialising countries with large populations. The data revealed that 223000 deaths from lung cancer in 2010 were caused by air pollution. According to the data the predominant sources of outdoor air pollution are transportation, stationary power generation, industrial, agricultural emissions and residential heating and cooking. Some air pollutants have natural sources as well.
About Air pollution

Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. common sources of air pollution are household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires etc. Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other diseases, which can be fatal.
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MoEF constituted a committee to Study the impact of Hydel Projects in Uttarakhand

Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on 15 October 2013 constituted an expert committee to study whether the environmental degradation caused by hydroelectric projects on Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers led to Uttarakhand floods. The expert committee will be headed by Prof. Ravi Chopra, Director of Peoples Science Institute, Dehradun. The committee consists 17 members.
The terms of reference of the Expert Committee are:

1. The committee will examine the extent to which the projects were responsible for the Uttarakhand floods. 2. .Committee will also examine the impact of the proposed 24 hydropower projects on the biodiversity of the region and look into the degradation caused by functioning as well as ongoing hydro-projects. 3. The committee will also suggest suitable environmental safeguard measures to mitigate the adverse environmental impacts in respect of ongoing projects for which Environment Clearance have been granted including tourism projects and also suggest changes in project parameters if they feel it necessary. 4. .The committee will also draft a Himalayan Policy for Uttarakhand keeping in mind the unique ecological, social and cultural characteristics of the state and suggest environment friendly development activities. 5. .The MoEF has given the committee a period of three months to study the impact and submit a final report by 14 January 2014.
Background
Uttrakhand in the third week of June 2013 was stuck by flash floods and landslides. During this natural disaster in the state, thousands of people lost their life and various remained stranded. Rescue operations by Indian Army were carried out in the state. The worst affected region of Uttarakhand was Kedarnath, which is a popular Hindu shrine and receives lakhs of tourists every year during June and July.
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Scientists discovered New Species of Dragon Tree in Thailand

An international team of scientists in the month of October 2013 discovered a new species of dragon tree (Dracaena Kaweesakii) in Thailand. The newly discovered dragon tree species Dracaena Kaweesakii is characterised by its extensive branching. The new species can reach an impressive 12 meter in both height and crown diameter. It has beautiful soft sword-shaped leaves with white edges and cream flowers with bright orange filaments, all highly distinctive features. The detailed outline of the discovery new species was published in the open access journal Phytokeys by an international team of scientists. Dracaena Kaweesakii is an ecologically important species found only on limestone hills and mountains that are often associated with Buddhist temples in Thailand.
British Scientists solved the Mystery of Legendary Himalayan Yeti

British Scientists in their research have come to the conclusion that the legendary Himalayan yeti may be a sub-species of brown bear. DNA tests on hair samples from Yeti revealed that they matched those from an ancient polar bear. The scientists provided explanation that the animal is a hybrid of polar bears and brown bears. Scientsits conducted the DNA tests on hairs from two unidentified animals, one from Ladakh in northern India on the west of the Himalayas and the other from Bhutan, 1285km (800 miles) further east. The results were then compared with the genomes of other animals that are stored on a database of all published DNA sequences. The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is said to be an ape-like cryptid taller than an average human that inhabits the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region and are part of their history and mythology. The scientific community generally regards the Yeti as a legend because of the lack of conclusive evidence.
Conservation International Scientific Expedition discovered 60 New Species in Suriname

A scientific expedition by the Conservation International discovered 60 new species which included fish, snakes and frogs in the jungle region of southeastern Suriname. A team of the biologists from
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various countries took the expedition in the remote areas of Suriname, where no humans are found. They discovered various species which had Suriname as their habitat and were unexplored as of now. The expedition took part during the 2012 in Suriname, which is the thinly-populated South American country north of Brazil and bounded by Guyana, French Guiana and the Atlantic Ocean. The expedition included the team of 16 scientists who participated in the Conservation International programme. The work of the scientists led to a discovery of 60 completely new species, which included one snake, six kinds of frogs, 11 kinds of fish and various insects. The discoveries took place in the upper basin of the Palumeu River.
Most noteworthy discovery

A noteworthy discovery was that of the Lilliputian Beatle which was merely 2.3 mm long and was considered as the second-smallest such insect in South America. This insect had the antennae which enables it to sense smells from a great distance away. It is important to note that Suriname encompasses 25 per cent of the worlds rainforests. Also, 95 percent of its territory is completely jungle. The Conservation International worked along with the Government of Suriname for over 20 years in order to protect the rainforests of the country that has outstanding biodiversity.
Team for Immediate Site Inspection Constituted

Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on 10 October 2013 constituted a team to inspect the oil spill from pipelines in an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) installation, off the Uran coast near Mumbai. The team headed by member secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board J.S Kamyotra, will make an immediate site inspection. It will submit its report to the Ministry by 14 October 2013. The Ministry has also ordered closure of the faulty ONGC pipeline responsible for the spill. A show cause notice is also being issued to ONGC to explain why action should not be taken against it under Environment Protection Act, 1986.
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An oil spill was reported at Mumbai-Uran Trunk oil pipeline following a rupture in ONGCs main pipeline that carries crude from the offshore Mumbai High fields to land.
Diesel Exhaust Affected Honeybees Abilities

The researchers at the University of Southampton, in the first week of October 2013 revealed that the ability of honeybees to find the flowers can be hindered by the chemical in diesel exhaust. The tests revealed that the diesel exhaust degraded the floral scent chemicals on which the honey bees foraged. The study revealed that the specific group of chemicals found in diesel exhaust, known as NOx was responsible for diminishing the response of insects towards the floral scents. The researchers revealed that the results of their study made it clear that the quality of air should be improved. Dr Tracey Newman, the neuroscientist of the University of Southampton explained that they started the research because they were aware of the impacts of airborne pollutants on human health, which hinted towards the fact that they may also have an impact on other things. In order to study about the chemical effects of pollution on the pollinators, the researchers created a mixture of the volatile, or smelly, chemicals which scented like oilseed rape. Thereafter, the researchers made use of the diesel-powered generator in order to create the mixture of air and exhaust which was alike the levels of exhaust found on roads. This lab-made air pollution was mixed with the floral scent mix. The tests revealed that there was a considerable loss of two main components of the floral odour mixture. The two odour chemicals lost during this had chemically reacted with a component of the diesel exhaust, mono-nitrogen oxide, also called NOx. In order to examine this, the researchers discovered whether the bees were affected due to the change or not. Dr Tracey Newman explained that bees needed to decipher the chemical messages that they got from the flowers. This had to be done so that they could give their best yield of nectar. The pollinators learnt recognising the scents of nectar-rich flowers, which in turn enabled them to forage better. Dr Guy Poppy, the biologist and lead researcher explained that the airborne pollution interfered with the complex relationship which involved both plants and animals. The study primarily highlighted the need to bring down pollution and also improve the quality of the air. This will not just help in protecting the pollinating insects but will also help in improving the human health.
Sumatran Tiger Cub born At London Zoo

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) announced on 2 October 2013 that an critically endangered Sumatran tiger Melati gave birth to the cub on 30 September 2013. The rare species of the tiger cub was born born six months after the new Tiger Territory at London Zoo was opened. The new Tiger Territory at London Zoo is designed for encouraging the breeding of critically endangered sub-species of Tiger.
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The birth of the critically endangered cub species was observed through the hidden cameras. The zookeepers are yet not aware about the sex of the cub and the cub will also remain hidden from the public for a long time. It is important to note that this is the first time in 17 years that a Sumatran tiger cub is born at the London Zoo.
About the Sumatran tiger

The Sumatran tiger, also known as Panthera tigris sumatrae is the rare sub-species of Tiger which inhabits the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the critically endangered tiger sub-species and was declared so by the IUCN in the year 2008. In the year 2008, its population was estimated at 441 to 679 only and its subpopulation was not more than 50. It is the only surviving member of Sunda Islands group of tigers, which also included the Bali tiger and Javan tiger, both of which are now extinct.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Scientists discovered a New Planet called Kepler 78b
Scientists discovered a new planet called Kepler 78b which has a similar mass and density to that of Earth. It orbits a star 400 light years away. Kepler78b is composed mostly of rock and iron, very similar to our own planet. It is extremely close to its host star which is a hundredth of the distance between the Earth and the Sun. But the temperature on Kepler 78b ranges from 2000 C to 2800 C in daytime which is far too hot to support any form of life. The newly discovered planet belongs to a new class of ultrashort period planets. These planets complete one circuit of their host star in less than 12 hours.
Chinese Scientists Developed Vaccine for H7N9 Bird Flu Virus

Chinese scientists on 26 October 2013 announced the independently developed a vaccine for the H7N9 bird flu virus. The vaccine was jointly developed by the School of Medicine of the Zhejiang University, Hong Kong University, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Food and Drug Control, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. China reported the worlds first human case for H7N9 bird flu infection in March 2013. As of now, a total of 136 people were
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confirmed to have been infected with the virus. Of the infected, 45 died, representing a fatality rate of about 33 per cent.
What is the avian influenza A (H7N9) virus/Bird Flu Virus?

Avian influenza A H7 viruses are a group of influenza viruses that normally circulate among birds. The avian influenza A (H7N9) virus is one subgroup among the larger group of H7 viruses. Although some H7 viruses (H7N2, H7N3 and H7N7) have occasionally been found to infect humans.
Australian Researchers discovered Gold in the Eucalyptus Trees

Researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Perth, in the month of October 2013 revealed that they found tiny particles of gold in the eucalyptus trees. The researchers explained that the discovery of hidden gold in trees can help the future prospectors to find out more about the precious metal. The Australian researchers explained that the trees were on the top of gold deposits which were rooted deep in the ground. In order to search for the moisture, these trees suck more of gold. The Geochemist at CSIRO, Melvyn Lintern explained that seeing the gold particles in leaves was surprising. Certain trees on which the research was done, brought the gold from a depth of 30 metres, which is equal to the 10-storey building. This gold was found in resource-rich Kalgoorlie region of Western Australia, which, in late 1800s was a primary site of the major gold rush. In order to analyse the extremely small particles at the high resolution, the scientists made use of CSIROs Maia detector at Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne for X-ray imaging. The scientists found out that gold particles with the diameter one-fifth of a human hair were present in the trees. Melvyn Lintern also explained that the eucalyptus acts as a hydraulic pump. The roots of these trees extend to tens of metres into the ground. Because the gold is toxic for the plants, therefore, it eventually moved into the leaves as well as the branches where it can be shed to ground. The researchers made use of the technique called biogeochemical sampling in order to give indication of golds presence beneath the surface. The same method can also used for finding out other metals like copper and zinc. The researchers also explored the gold in leaves of other trees like Acacia Mulga. The latest discoveries of gold fell by 45 percent in past 10 years. In the year 2011, the US Geological Survey revealed that there was around 51000 tonnes of gold remaining in reserve of the world.
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First Unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Synchronised with Southern Power Grid
The first unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) was on 22 October 2013 synchronised with the southern regional electricity grid. Earlier, the nuclear reactor achieved criticality on 13 July 2013. The power generation in the nuclear reactor will be increased in stages to attain full capacity of 1000 MW by end of 2014. As the nuclear plant is synchronized to the southern grid, the power generation will now be increased to 500 MW, 750 MW, 900 MW and then finally 1000 MW. Nuclear Power Corporation of India is constructing two 1000 MW units at KNPP jointly with Russia at Kudankulam in Tiruneveli district, 650 km from Chennai. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant which was to be commissioned on December 2007 got inordinately delayed because of protests by locals. Kudankulam is the first pressurized water reactor belonging to light water reactor category in the country.
About KKNPP
The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) is an IndoRussian joint venture for establishig a nuclear power station with 2 units (KKNPP1&2) of 1000 MWe Pressurized Water Reactors of VVER design at Kudankulam in Tamilnadu.
Synchronization in power plants

When two power supplies are to be connected to a common distribution, voltages, frequencies and phase angles of both power plants should be adjusted to equal values (or grid values). Synchronization supports the generation and transfer the electricity.
Criticality in Nuclear power plants

Criticality is the term refers to the balance of neutrons in the nuclear system. In a nuclear reactor, the neutron number at any instant is a function of the rate of neutron production
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(due to fission processes) and the rate of neutron losses (via non-fission absorption mechanisms and leakage from the system). When a reactors neutron population remains steady from one generation to the next (creating as many new neutrons as are lost), the fission chain reaction is selfsustaining and the reactors condition is referred to as critical. When the reactors neutron production exceeds losses, characterized by increasing power level, it is considered supercritical, and when losses occur, it is considered subcritical and shows decreasing power.
Brain makes Use of Sleep to Drain Waste Toxins: Research

The researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Centre, in the third week of October 2013 revealed that the brain makes use of sleep in order to drain the waste toxins which are built during the thinking of the hard day. The team of researchers explained that the waste removal system is actually one of the primary reasons of sleep. The study conducted by the researchers explained that the brain cells shrink when a person sleeps, in order to open the gaps between neurons and enable the fluid to clean the brain from toxins. The study also suggested that failure to clean a few toxic proteins can lead to brain disorders as well. The findings were developed on the discovery of brains own network of glymphatic system. The discovery was made by the same team of researchers in the year 2012. The glymphatic system actually carries the waste material out from the brain. The researchers used the images of the mice for the study and concluded that the glymphatic system became at least 10 times more active while the mice were asleep. The researchers however explained that the actual importance of the findings would come up after the human studies only. Doing the same experiments in the MRI machine can prove relatively simpler. It is important to note that a lot of brain-related conditions such as Alzheimers or Parkinsons disease have the common characteristic of building up of damaged proteins in the brain. Both these diseases are caused because of the loss of brain cells. The researchers, in this context, explained that the issues with the cleaning mechanism of the brain can lead to diseases like these. However, further research was required on this.
Li-Fi Technology: Developed

Scientists from Fudan University, Shanghai successfully developed Li-Fi Technology-a new cheaper way of getting connected to internet by using signals sent through light bulbs instead of radio frequencies as in Wi-Fi. According to the School of Information Science and Technology at Fudan University, researchers modulated Internet signals to a 1watt LED lamp. Under the light, four computers were able to access the Internet.
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About Li-Fi Technology

The LED-based alternative to Wi-Fi, dubbed Li-Fi, or Light Fidelity, refers to a type of visible light communication technology that delivers a networked, mobile, high-speed communication solution in a similar manner to Wi-Fi. As with radio waves, light is also a type of electromagnetic wave. The basic rule for sending and receiving Internet signals via light waves is similar to that for radio waves. Light-emitting diodes are switched on and off much faster than the eye can detect, which makes the light source appear to be continuous. By adding a microchip to an LED bulb to control on and off switching, the data will flow as binary code: an on LED is a logical 1 while when off it is a logical 0. The term Li-Fi was coined by Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh in the UK and refers to a type of visible light communication technology that delivers a networked, mobile, high-speed communication solution in a similar manner as Wi-Fi. Sample Li-Fi kits will be on display at the China International Industry Fair that will kick off on 5 November 2013 in Shanghai.
US Scientists developed New Blood Test to Detect Gastrointestinal Disorders

Scientists from Cedars-Sinai Medicla Centre, Los Angeles, for the first time developed a blood test to determine if a person is suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), or another serious condition such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Researchers conclusively identified a test for antibodies that form against a particular protein, vinculin, found in the guts of patients. The study and results of the research work were presented on 11 October 2013 at the American College of Gastroenterologys 78th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego, California. In the study, 221 patients were evaluated; some had a
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diagnosis of IBS, some were diagnosed with IBD and some were healthy, with no symptoms. Antivinculin antibodies were significantly elevated in IBS patients as compared to those with IBD or those who were healthy. Until this study, there had been no accurate biomarkers identified specifically for IBS. The new blood test has the potential to distinguish IBS from IBD and reduce the need for unnecessary testing, expense and years of suffering.
About Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a gastrointestinal disorder characterised by diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain. However, millions of patients are never diagnosed correctly. A simple blood test at the first sign of symptoms means patients who have IBS could get effective treatment sooner. Food poisoning has been identified as a significant risk factor for developing this disorder which is characterized by a cluster of symptoms including diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain.
Aircraft Noise Led to Increased Heart Problem Risk

The researchers from the Imperial College London and the Kings College London, in the second week of October 2013 revealed that a lot of aircraft noise can increase the risks of circulatory, heart and stroke diseases. The study was conducted on 3.6 million residents near Heathrow Airport. The study suggested that the risks of these people increase by 10-20 percent with the highest levels of aircraft noise. However, the researchers agreed that noise was not the only reason to blame and that further research was required in this area. The research suggested highest risk for the hospital admissions as well as deaths from the stroke, circulatory diseases or heart diseases for the 2 percent of study. This meant that around 70000 people were at an increased risk in UK where the aircraft noise was the loudest. The lead author, Dr Anna Hansell, from Imperial College London explained that louder aircraft noise can contribute to other factors such as rising blood pressure because of disturbance in the peoples sleep. This can lead to a startle reaction to the loud noise, which in turn can lead to other factors. In the study, the data about the noise levels in 2001 from the Civil Aviation Authority was used. This data covered 12 London boroughs and nine districts outside of London where the noise exceeded
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50 decibels. However, the researchers explained that other factors can also contribute towards the risks of heart disease and heart stroke. These included smoking-related factors, South Asian ethnicity and deprivation. The UK Government spokesman also explained that the number of people affected by the noise around the Heathrow Airport was falling considerably in recent years because of the improvements in the aviation technology as well as better planning of the flight paths. In the meanwhile, in next few months, the Public Health England will recruit experts in order to examine the public health issues around the exposure of the noise.
Worlds 1st Flexible OLED Panels Production Started

LG on 7 October 2013 announced that it would start the mass production of worlds first flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panel for the smartphones. The South Korean company announced that the first handsets of these kinds would feature in the year 2014. It is important to note that Samsung made the similar announcement in the recent past. Samsung had announced that its first product, which will be the special edition of the Galaxy Note 3, would be launched in October 2013 itself. Both the companies already make use of the technology in order to offer the curved OLED television sets. The Display Division of LG indicated that the handset screens of the new devices will curve from the top-to-bottom and not from side-to-side. Samsung, in the meanwhile, had described that their smartphone devices screens would curve side-to-side. The panel of the devices will be actually unbreakable and bendable. LG explained that the new display would be vertically concave from top to bottom with a radius of 700mm, which would in turn open up a whole world of design innovations in the smartphone market. It is important to note that earlier LG had developed the flexible e-ink display, which was the worlds lightest, weighing a mere 7.2g 6 inch screen. This is the largest among current smartphone OLED displays.
Huge Floating Ice Shelf in Antarctica Discovered

Researchers from the University of Exeter, Newcastle University, the University of Bristol, the University of Edinburgh, the British Antarctic Survey and the University of York announced in the first week of October 2013 that they discovered Giant 250-metre high channels, beneath a floating ice shelf in Antarctica. The height of the ice shelf is around 250 metres and the channels are almost as tall as the Eiffel tower and stretched hundreds of kilo metres along the ice shelf. Giant 250-metre high channels of ice will help to predict future of Antarctic ice. Researchers used satellite images and airborne radar measurements to reveal the channels under
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the ice shelf. The researchers also predicted the path of melt water flowing under the part of the ice in contact with the land - known as the ice sheet. When the melt water flowing under the ice sheet enters the ocean beneath the ice shelf, it causes a plume of ocean water to form, which then melts out the vast channels under the ice shelf. Previously, it was felt that water flowed in a thin layer beneath the ice sheet.But the evidence from this research suggests it flows in a more focused manner much like rivers of water. However, the implications for the future of the ice sheet are yet to be determined. The channels are likely to influence the stability of the ice shelf and their discovery will help researchers understand how the ice will respond to changing environmental conditions.
GSI acquired RV Samudra Ratnakar

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) on 4 October 2013 acquired a ship named Samudra Ratnakar for around 600 crore Rupees for the purpose of undertaking deep-sea surveys as well as exploration of the minerals lying in the depths of oceans. The GSI also entered into an agreement with Shipping Corporation of India for the management, operations as well as maintenance of Samudra Ratnakar. At present, Samudra Ratnakar is docked at Kandla port and will be dedicated to the nation by Mines Minister Dinsha Patel in the third week of October 2013.
Features of Samudra Ratnakar

Samudra Ratnakar was delivered in the month of September 2013 by the Hyundai Heavy Industries, South Korea. It is furnished with latest technological instruments. The Geological Survey of India has the plans of keeping around 50 scientists on board Samudra Ratnakar for the collection of data from the deep sea. With Samudra Ratnakars induction, the Geological Survey of India for the first time entered into an endeavour to explore deep-sea waters for survey.
It is important to note that as of now, the GSI has already surveyed over 95 percent of 2012 million sq km Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Samudra Ratnakar has the capacity of including around 105000 sq km of territorial 2700 DWT. waters (TW) of India. These surveys were It can sail at a stretch for around 45 days conducted in the northern part of Indian Ocean, and will be docked at the Chennai port. coastal waters of Arabian Sea, AndamanNicobar and Bay of Bengal through the fleet of three ships and vessels namely R V Samudra Manthan, R V Samudra Kaustubh and R V Samudra Shaudhikama. The Geological Survey of India also included more than 700 cruises for the collection of data on the coastal waters of India. It also maintains its dedicated multidisciplinary marine wing with the offices in Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Gandhinagar, Mangalore, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam and Cochin.
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New Technique to Detect Fault in Coaches Installed

Indian Railways on 4 October 2013 adopted first ever unique modern technology for maintenance of its passenger coaches, wagons and locomotives in its continuous endeavour to enhance safety in Railway operations. The new maintenance technique which uses acoustic method of diagnostics is known as Acoustic Bearing Detectors (ABD) & Wheel Impact Load Detectors (WILD). When used in combination together they are known as Online Monitoring of Rolling Stock (OMRS) systems. This technique involves placing arrays of microphones and sensors that record the audible noise and forces generated by the running coaches, wagons and locomotives. Conventional method to maintain passenger coaches, wagons and locomotives is to physically examine when these are in stationary condition at the maintenance depots. Under the new technique, the faults in the Rolling stock can be detected while on run which is a big advantage as it will make maintenance faster reducing turn -around time for Rolling stocks thereby ensuring availability of high number of wagons/coaches etc. for operation. The OMRS equipment is so sensitive and accurate that it is often able to indicate the specific subcomponent that is not behaving the way it should and therefore causing abnormal noise. Moreover, this can be monitored remotely using mobile communication facilities. In the conventional method, it is nearly impossible to detect this problem unless major assemblies are completely dismantled and checked in the maintenance depot. One such system, which is a combination of ABD, OMRS & WILD systems, is installed near Bakkas in Lucknow division of Northern Railway as a pilot project. It has successfully detected a number of wheel bearing faults avoiding the problem of wheel bearing becoming hot which results in the stoppage of the train at the station or worse still-in between two stations. WILD have been installed in 15 locations across the country in the initial phase and these have also detected faulty vehicles that have caused higher than normal impact force on the rails. These 15 locations are; Ajni, Asansol, Mughal Sarai-I, Mughal Sarai II, Barwadih, Vishakhapatnam, Arakkonam, Gunakal, Mahalimarup, Dongargarh, Bilai, Hospet, Bina, Itarsi and New Katni.
Walking Can Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer

The American Cancer Society, in the first week of October 2013 revealed that the post-menopausal women who walk for one hour every day can significantly bring down their chances of developing the symptoms of breast cancer. In the study, 73000 women were followed for 17 years and it was found that these women had significantly lowered their
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risk of breast cancer by simply walking for at least 7 hours in one week. The American Cancer Society also revealed that it was for the first time that reduced risk of breast cancer was directly linked with walking. The study published in the Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention closely studied 73000 women out of 97785 aged 50-74. These women were recruited by the American Cancer Society between 1992 and 1993 so that the researchers could monitor the incidences of cancer in that group. The women were asked to fill in the questionnaires about their health and that how much time they spent in being active or participating in the activities like swimming, aerobics and walking. The same questionnaire was filled at two-year intervals between 1997 and 2009. Out of all the women, 47 percent said that the only recreational activity that they did was walking. The researchers eventually found out that the women who walked for at least seven hours in a week had 14 percent lower risk of breast cancer in comparison to the ones who walked for just three or four hours in a week. Dr. Alpa Patel, a senior epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta Georgia explained that it is for the first time that just walking one hour for a day was linked with the lower risk of breast cancer in women. It is however important to note that the longer activities and more strenuous works brought down the risks even more.
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CORPORATE
Delhi HC refused to stay the Launch of Air Asia India
A Delhi high court bench on 30 October 2013 declined to put stay on the launch of AirAsia India in response to a PIL filed against it. The government recently granted a no-objection certificate to AirAsia India to start an airline in India. It seeks an airline licence from regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Malaysias AirAsia owns a 49 percent stake in AirAsia India while Tata Sons Ltd owns 30 percent, and Arun Bhatias Telestra Tradeplace Pvt. Ltd has the rest. The PIL also sought a stay on the governments approval and regulatory approvals to Air Asia. The court is yet to take the decision on the issue of stay.
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Pankaj Razdan appointed as the CEO and MD of the Birla Sun Life Insurance
Pankaj Razdan was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Birla Sun Life Insurance (BSLI), life insurance arm of Aditya Birla Group on 30 October 2013.
About Pankaj Razdan

He has 20 years of financial services industry experience across various functions and multiple lines of business. He acted as the managing director of ICICI Prudential. He joined in Aditya Birla Financial Services Group in 2007.
Railways Minister launched the High Speed Rail Corporation of India Ltd
Railways Minister Mallikarjun Kharge on 29 October 2013 launched the High Speed Rail Corporation of India Ltd (HSRC), a subsidiary of Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL). The main obejective of the HSRC is to develop High Speed Rail (HSR) Corridors in India to run passenger trains at speeds up to 350 Kilo Meter per hour. While inaugurating the HSRC, Railways Minister told that most countries consider high speed capability to be in the range of 250 to 300 kmph which requires a dedicated track with fencing and can be prohibitively costly. For a country like ours track fencing also has its own set of associated issues. Thus, leveraging Rolling stock technologies may provide a lower cost solution to meet the immediate needs of achieving speeds of 160 to 200 kmph and that too on the existing track. For speeds above 200 kmph the costlier and time consuming solution of providing a separate dedicated track with fencing becomes inescapable. He launched the HSRC while inaugurating a two-day international technical conference on High Speed Rail Travel: Low Cost Solution.
Gurdeep Singh Pall Appointed as the Corporate VP of Skype

Microsoft appointed on 30 October 2013 Gurdeep Singh Pall as the corporate vice president of Skype, a popular and free international voiceover and messaging service and Lync communications product. He will replace the Mark Gillett.
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About Gurdeep Singh Pall

Gurdeep Singh Pall, 46, born in Chandigarh. He completed his engineering degree in computer science from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani. He also holds a masters degree in computer science from the University of Oregon. He has more than 20 patents (in process or approved) in networking, VoIP and collaboration areas. He is on the board of trustees of Ashesi University, Ghana. He joined in Microsoft Company in January 1990 as a software design engineer. He worked on many breakthrough products in his tenure, starting with LAN Manager Remote Access Service. He was part of the Windows NT development team and led design and implementation of core networking technologies. He was named one of the 15 Innovators & Influencers Who Will Make A Difference in 2008 by Information Week. He co-authored Institutional Memory Goes Digital, which was published by Harvard Business Review as part of Breakthrough Ideas for 2009 and subsequently presented at the World Economic Forum 2009 in Davos.
Priyanka Chopra, the Bollywood Actress became the Global Brand Ambassador of Guess
Priyanka Chopra, the Bollywood actress became the global brand ambassador of American fashion brand Guess in the last week of October 2013. She will endorse the brand from 2014. With this, Priyanka Chopra, who started her filmy career with the Tamil film Thamizhan, joined the league of Paris Hilton, Drew Barrymore and Claudia Schiffer as the brand ambassadors of Guess. Bryan Adams, Canadian rock star and a photographer also shot the first campaign of Priyanka Chopra for Guess
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in its signature black and white collection. This will be released in November 2013. Only other Indian actors who have been signed by the global brands as international brand ambassadors include Shahrukh Khan for Tag Heuer and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for LOreal. Apollo Hospitals Group Signed Partnership with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts The Apollo Hospitals Group on 28 October 2013 announced a group-level partnership with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), an American private equity fund. According to the partnership KKR, together with its affiliates and select investors will invest 550 crore Rupees in the Apollo Hospitals Group. The investment is in the form of 5 year callable security that consolidates existing debt at PCR and initiates a partnership in the healthcare sector across the two firms. According to the agreed partnership, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) would raise 550 crore Rupees long term investment for the Apollo Hospitals Group.
About Apollo Hospitals Group

The Apollo Hospitals Group was founded by Dr. Prathap C Reddy in 1983. The first hospital of Apollo Hospitals Group was established at Chennai. Apollo Hospitals Group is an integrated private healthcare organization which owns hospitals, diagnostic clinics, dispensing pharmacies and consultancy services. The Government of India honoured the pioneering spirit of the Apollo Hospitals Group with the release of a commemorative Postage Stamp on 3 November 2009. Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder Chairman of the Apollo Hospitals Group was conferred with second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan in March 2010 in Trade and Industry discipline for his contribution to the private health care sector.
Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman of the Apollo Hospitals Group told that this transaction is the culmination of very involved deliberations with the clear intent of working together to create longterm value for the group, and reflects our philosophy of partnering with players who have a longterm view and deep understanding of the healthcare space.
GAIL and Paradip Port signed MoU for setting up of LNG terminal
GAIL India and Paradip Port Trust on 26 October 2013 signed a Memorandum of Understanding for setting up an offshore Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal at Paradip Port, Odisha. The MoU envisages setting up of the project with a capacity of 4 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMPTA) in Phase-I with a storage capacity of 170000 cubic metres. This will entail a total investment of 3108 crore rupees out of which Paradip Port would
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invest 650 crores rupees in breakwater & dredging and balance 2458 crores rupees will be invested by GAIL. The Phase-I of the project is targeted to be completed by 2017.
About Gas Authority India Ltd

GAIL (India) Ltd was incorporated in August 1984 as a Central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Gas Authority of India Limited is the largest state-owned natural gas processing and distribution company. GAIL is a Maharatna Company.
About Paradeep Port

Paradip Port is one of the Major Ports of India, located at Paradeep, Jagatsinghpur District, Odisha. It is situated at confluence of the Mahanadi River and the Bay of Bengal. Paradip Port is strategically located between Kolkata and Visakhapatnam Ports so as to serve a vast hinterland spreading over the States of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. This is the first major port on the East Coast commissioned after Independence. The Port mainly deals with bulk cargo apart from other clean cargoes.
Axis Bank rolled out Paperless Banking facility to Aadhaar card holders
Axis Bank Ltd on 24 October 2013 launched the e-KYC initiative to facilitate paperless banking to Aadhaar card holders at Mumbai. With this step, Axis Bank became the first bank to allow customers to open an account with just their Aadhaar number. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 2 September 2013 allowed paperless electronic authenticationor electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC)provided by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) as officially valid. Axis Bank has partnered with Visa to launch first eKYC facility in the country
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How it works?
Customer have to give their Aadhaar number and undergo a biometric authentication at the Axis Bank branch where they want to open an account, and the service will be activated immediately if the authentication is successful. The account opening will be authenticated through VISAs secured network in an encrypted format. Other payment service providers are also expected to offer the same service to other banks. The same process will soon be offered to sell insurance, mutual funds and other financial products as well for mobile phone connections, transferring money, or even to pay taxi fares. Initially, this facility will be available in 1000 branches of Axis Bank and in a week to 10 days, it will become functional in more than 2000 Axis Bank branches across the country.
IICA signed Five MoUs with Indias Five Leading Research and Business Institutes
The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), an autonomous institute functioning under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on 24 October 2013 signed 5 Memoranda of Understanding with countrys five leading research, academic and business institutions. The MoUs were signed with Indian School of Business (ISB); Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE); Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS); The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) and YES Bank Limited. The DG & CEO of IICA, Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee explained that there is a need for institutional partnerships because it holds the potential to bring together diverse stakeholders for the common goal of advancing knowledge and promoting able corporate governance.
About Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA)

Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) provides opportunities for research, education, and advocacy and also serves as a knowledge-centre for policy makers, regulators and other stakeholders related to the domain of corporate affairs. The Institute supports the growth of the corporate sector in India through an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach. IICA is also an academy for the Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS) officers.
On the occasion of signing of the MoUs, the Union Minister of Corporate Affairs, Sachin Pilot, also release4d two books- Business Responsibility India Survey 2013 and Responsible Corporate Engagement in Rural India A Compendium of Good Practices; an outcome of the bilateral cooperation project between IICA and GIZ on business responsibility.
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MoU signed Between CPWD and IIM Tiruchirappalli for Construction of a Permanent Campus
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and IIM Tiruchirappalli (IIM Trichy) on 24 October 2013 at New Delhi. The MoU was signed for undertaking the Project Management Consultancy for the construction of its permanent campus. This includes planning, designing and construction of the campus. The MoU was signed in the presence of V.K. Gupta, DG, CPWD and Dr. Prafulla Agnihotri, Director, IIM, Trichy. The permanent campus will come up in 68 hectares site which has been allotted by the Government of Tamil Nadu.
About the Permanent Campus

The permanent campus will come up in 68 hectares site which has been allotted by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The campus which will accommodate 1500 students and 300 faculty and staff members would be fully self-sufficient for its residents and shall comprise of academic facilities, world class hostels for the students, residences for the faculty and staff, recreational facilities and a wellequipped Management Development Centre for the students and faculty. The master planning and designing of the campus has been entrusted to a firm of leading architects. The construction of this 450 crore Rupees (approximately) project will begin during March-April 2014 and is expected to be completed by March 2016. IIM Trichy aims to have a green campus and would be self-sufficient in terms of its water requirements in 5-7 years of its operations. IIM Tiruchirappalli (IIM Trichy) is the eleventh IIM which began its activities in 2011.
Government approved Singapore Airlines Aviation Venture with Tata Sons

FIPB on 24 October 2013 approved Singapore Airlines proposal to start an aviation venture with Tata Sons. The joint venture called TATA SIA will be having initial foreign investment of 49 million US dollars. In the new venture, Tata SIA Airlines Ltd, Tata Sons will be holding 51 per cent stake while Singapore Airlines (SIA) will have 49 per cent. The
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Corporate Affairs Ministry has already approved the venture. Tata SIA carrier can now launch operations as a full-service air carrier in India. The new venture is likely to take off in 2014. The FIPB is headed by Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram. FIPB is an inter-ministerial panel which approves Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) across sectors. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) is a national agency of Government of India.
Union Defence Ministry served a Final Show-Cause to AgustaWestland

The Union Defence Ministry issued a final show-cause to AgustaWestland, the Anglo-Italian firm, asking why India should not cancel the 3600 crore Rupees contract of the company. The contract was meant for the purchase of 12 helicopters by India to ferry VVIPs and it violated the terms of the pre-integrity pact and contract for procurement. The Defence Minister gave 21 days to AgustaWestland for replying the notice issued by it. At present, the VVIP Chopper contract in under probe by the Italian Agencies and the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) on the alleged payment of bribe to some Indians that included the former Indian Air Chief, S.P. Tyagi. Previously, 556 million euro was suspended by India after Italian Investors began to look into the allegations that AgustaWestland paid bribes for winning the contract.
About AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland is an Anglo-Italian helicopter company that is owned by the Finmeccanica of Italy with the total capability provider in the vertical lift market. It globally operates in the vertical lift market through a number of joint ventures and collaborative programmes with major European and American helicopter primes where the company has leading or primary roles.
Yahoo announced to close its Egypt Office in Cairo

Yahoo on 23 October 2013 announced to close its Egypt office in Cairo. Despite this decision, the Middle East and Africa remain important markets for the company. It will continue to operate offices in Amman and Dubai. Yahoo Inc. is an American multinational Internet corporation. Its headquarters are in Sunnyvale, California. It is globally known for its Web portal, search engine Yahoo Search, and related services, including Yahoo Directory, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Groups, Yahoo Answers,
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advertising, online mapping, video sharing, fantasy sports and its social media website. It is one of the most popular sites in the United States. According to news sources, roughly 700 million people visit Yahoo websites every month. Yahoo itself claims it attracts more than half a billion consumers every month in more than 30 languages. Yahoo was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994 and was incorporated on 1 March 1995. On16 July 2012, former Google executive Marissa Mayer was named as Yahoo CEO and President, effective 17 July 2012.
Union Finance Ministry announced to Infuse 14000 Crore Equity in Banks

The Finance Ministry on 23 October 2013 announced that it would infuse 14000 crore Rupees capital in 20 public sector banks during the current financial year, i.e. 2013-14. The government had infused 12517 crore in 13 public sector banks in the financial year that ended in March 2013. Beyond the capital support from the government, public sector banks have the headroom to raise 10000 crore from the market though rights issue, qualified institutional placement (QIP) or follow-on public offer (FPO) without diluting the existing government stake. The largest lender of country State Bank of India will get 2000 crore equity capital from the government. The Central Bank of India and IDBI Bank will get 1800 crore each. The government will provide 1200 crore equity capital to Indian Overseas Bank, and Bank of India will get 1000 crore. Punjab National Bank and Union Bank of India will get 500 crore each. United Bank of India will get 700 crore, Vijaya Bank 250 crore, and Syndicate and UCO Bank will get 200 crore each. Other lenders that will be benefited from the governments equity infusion programme include Allahabad Bank 400 crore; Andhra Bank 200 crore; Bank of Baroda 550 crore; Bank of Maharashtra 800 crore; Canara Bank 500 crore; Corporation Bank 450 crore; and Dena Bank700 crore.
Objective of Capital Infusion

The capital infusion had been done with the twin objective of adequately meeting the credit requirement of the productive sectors as well as to maintain regulatory capital adequacy ratios in public sector banks (PSBs). The government of India, as the majority shareholder, is committed to keep all PSBs adequately capitalized.
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GAIL signed Gas Cooperation Agreement with Bihar Government

Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and Government of Bihar signed a Gas Cooperation Agreement (GCA) for Natural Gas Infrastructure and City Gas Distribution on 23 October 2013. The Gas Cooperation Agreement was signed in the presence of Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, Renu Kumari Kushwaha, Minister for Industries and B. C. Tripathi, Chairman and Managing Director of GAIL India Ltd.
Highlights of the Gas Cooperation Agreement (GCA)

GAIL and the Bihar Government will evaluate the feasibility for cooperation for the development of the use of eco-friendly fuel, especially natural gas, in the state as well as development of natural gas distribution and city gas infrastructure in identified urban areas and cities after obtaining due authorization from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB). GAIL and Industries Department, Bihar will also work towards promotion of joint venture for City Gas Distribution projects for domestic, commercial, industrial and transport sectors with the participation of GAIL or its wholly owned subsidiary GAIL Gas Limited and concerned departments of the Bihar Government, other state agencies or private players. Natural Gas Demand Assessment and Preliminary Techno Economic Feasibility Study will be undertaken for evaluation of medium and long term gas demand potential for the state for industrial, commercial, transport and residential sectors; assessment of pipeline infrastructure and associated facilities required for supply of natural gas including optical fibre network and evaluation of natural gas supply options to Bihar on a long-term and competitive basis.
GAIL is constructing the 2050 Kilo meters gas pipeline from Haldia in West Bengal to Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh of which about 621 Kilo meters will pass through 14 districts of Bihar. The mainline of the Haldia Jagdishpur will cover 4 districts of Bihar such as Kaimur, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya and 10 districts for the spur lines. GAIL will explore the possibility of City Gas Distribution in major towns of Bihar along this pipeline route. The GAIL India Ltd had in the past signed similar agreements with several states like West Bengal, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
About Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL)

GAIL (India) Ltd was incorporated in August 1984 as a Central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG). Gas Authority of India Limited is the largest state-owned natural gas processing and distribution company. GAIL is a Maharatna Company.
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Tata SIA Airlines Ltd. name approved for joint Airline venture
The proposed aviation venture of TATA with Singapore Airlines (SIA) has got corporate Affairs Ministrys approval to use the name Tata SIA Airlines Ltd. which plans to offer full-service passengers services on domestic and international routes. Tata Group had applied on the ministrys electronic platform, MCA21, to register this name. Tata Group will hold 51 percent stake in the company while Singapore Airline would have 49 percent stake. The two Partners are making the initial investment of USD 100 million to launch the airline, which may take off next year, after getting all clearances.
Earlier attempts by TATA Group to enter in Aviation Business

In February this year, Tatas had announced a partnership with Malaysias AirAsia for a low-cost carrier in India, wherein Arun Bhatias Telestra Tradeplace was third partner. It was the third attempt by Tatas and SIA to enter the Indian civil aviation sector. Tatas have a long history of association with civil aviation in India. JRD Tata had started Tata Airlines in 1932, which was later in 1946 renamed as Air India and was subsequently nationalised in 1953.
Tata Steel won a New Contract to Supply Britains Network Rail

Tata Steel on 21 October 2013 won a new contract to supply Britains Network Rail with more than 95 percent of its rails for at least five years. It could supply more than 1 million tonnes of rail under the contract. The companys Scunthorpe plant is the present supplier to Network Rail. It produces steel for construction and infrastructure. The plants future would have been affected had the contract not been renewed. Established in 1907, Tata Steel is among the top ten global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of over 28 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). It is now one of the worlds most geographically-diversified steel producers, with operations in 26 countries and a commercial presence in over 50 countries. The Tata Steel Group, with a turnover of 24.82 billion US dollars in Financial Year 2012- 2013, has over 81000 employees across five continents and is a Fortune 500 company. Tata Steels larger production facilities include those in India, the UK, the Netherlands, Thailand, Singapore, China and Australia. Operating companies within the Group include Tata Steel Limited (India), Tata Steel Europe Limited (formerly Corus), NatSteel, and Tata Steel Thailand (formerly Millennium Steel).
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ONGC Videsh Ltd. won Two Oil Blocks in Myanmar

ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp, on 21 October 2013 won two oil blocks in Myanmar in Onshore Blocks Second Bidding Round-2013. The firm won Blocks B-2 (Zebyutaung-Nandaw) and EP-3 (Thegon-Shwegu), as per the list of winners released by Myanmars Energy Ministry. OVL has stakes in the A-1 and A-3 gas discovery blocks and three offshore acreages in Myanmar. Other Indian companies Cairn India, Oil India Ltd (OIL), Jubilant Offshore Drilling and Prize Petroleum failed to win any block. Myanmar awarded 13 onshore blocks in total. Besides OVL, Italys Eni, Pakistans Petroleum Exploration (PVT) and Canadas Pacific Hunt Energy Corp each winning contracts to operate two blocks while Petronas of Malaysia, Brunei National Petroleum Co, CAOG Sarl of Luxembourg, Bashneft of Russia and PTT Exploration and Production of Thailand won one block each. The present PSCs (Production Sharing Contracts) in Myanmar stipulate a three-year exploration period followed by 20 years for production, with the royalty rate set at 12.5 per cent.
Syndicate Bank launched new MSME related Products

Syndicate Bank has launched five products keeping in mind the needs of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).These products will cater the credit needs of these industries. The products are1.SyndDoctor 2.SyndGranite 3.SyndTextile 4.SyndCashew 5.SyndTransport These products would be tailor made schemes, to meet the credit requirements of transport operators,weavers,cashew industry etc. On the commemoration of its 88th foundation day, the bank has also opened 88 branches in different states of the country taking the total number of its branches to 3135. The business of Syndicate Bank has touched Rs.3.46lakh crore at the end of the second quarter of this fiscal(2013-14).Sudhir Kumar Jain is the current Chairman and Managing Director of the Syndicate Bank.
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PFRDA changed Investment Guidelines for Pension Fund

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) changed the investment guidelines for pension fund on 17 October 2013.
The following changes made in the investment guidelines for Pension Fund by PFRDA
Investments in debt securities by pension funds should have residual tenure of not less than three years Debt securities selected for investments should have a minimum residual maturity period of three years from the date of investment by the Pension Fund. The debt securities must have an investment grade rating from at least two credit rating agencies. Apart from ratings by agencies, pension funds should undertake their own due diligence of assessment of risk associated with securities before investments. Credit Default Swaps (CDS) on corporate bonds are also eligible derivative instruments Rated asset backed securities (ABS) are eligible securities for investments provided they have a residual maturity of not less than three years and have an investment grade rating from at least two rating agencies. It also explained that both National Pension System (NPS) Lite and private sector schemes follow the government pattern of investment and hence investment guidelines as applicable to the government sector and any subsequent amendments to investment guidelines of government sector will be applicable to these schemes as well.
Fund managers for managing pension corpus of government employees

LIC Pension Fund Ltd SBI Pension Funds Pvt. Ltd UTI Retirement Solutions Ltd
Fund managers for managing pension corpus of Private sector employees

1. LIC Pension Fund Ltd 2. SBI Pension Funds Pvt. Ltd
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3. UTI Retirement Solutions Ltd 4. HDFC Pension Management Company Ltd 5. ICICI Prudential Pension Funds Management Company Ltd 6. Kotak Mahindra Pension Fund Ltd 7. Reliance Capital Pension Fund Ltd 8. DSP BlackRock Pension Fund Managers Pvt Ltd
About Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority was established by the Government of India on 23 August 2003. The main objective of the PFRDA is to promote old age income security by establishing, developing and regulating pension funds, to protect the interests of subscribers to schemes of pension funds and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The PFRDA shall consist of a Chairperson and not more than five members, of whom at least three shall be whole-time members, to be appointed by the Central Government.
A. Krishnakumar appointed as the Managing Director and CEO of Philips Electronics India Ltd
The Philips board of management appointed A. Krishnakumar as the Managing Director and CEO of Philips Electronics India Ltd on 17 October 2013.He will take over charge from December 2013. At present A. Krishnakumar is acting as the President and Head of Philips Healthcare Business. The Philips board of management also appointed Rajeev Chopra, current CEO and Managing Director of Philips Electronics India Ltd, as Global Head of the Philips Consumer Luminaire Business Group.
About A. Krishnakumar
He joined Philips as President and Business Head of Philips Healthcare in June 2010. He did masters degrees from l institutes IIM Ahmedabad and the Kellogg School of Management.
About Philips Electronics India Limited

Philips Electronics India Limited is a subsidiary of the Netherlands-based Royal Philips Electronics. It is related to Health and Wellbeing company.
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Pharmaceutical Firm Zydus Cadila signed agreement with Pieris AG

Pharmaceutical firm Zydus Cadila on 16 October 2013 signed a drug development and commercialisation agreement with Germanys Pieris AG for a new therapeutic protein molecule called Anticalin. The agreement brings together Pieris drug discovery and early development capabilities with Zydus expertise in biologics development, regulatory affairs and biologics manufacturing. Zydus has been given exclusive marketing rights in India and several other emerging markets, while Pieris maintains exclusive marketing rights in key developed markets. The most advanced programme in their collaboration is PRS-110, a target which is increasingly becoming valued across a broad spectrum of tumours. Through the agreement the companies try to develop candidates to proof-of-concept and will explore out-licensing opportunities in Pieris territories.
OVL Acquired Additional 12% Stake in Brazilian Oil Blocks

ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), the foreign exploration arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) acquired on 11 October 2013 an additional 12 per cent stake in a Brazilian oil blocks for 529 US million Dollars (Block BC-10). This would increase participating interest of OVLs to 27 per cent. Earlier ONGC Videsh Ltd acquired 15 per cent interest in a Brazilian oil block from Brazils Petrobras in 2006. The other partners in the block include Shell, which is the operator with 50 per cent stake.
About The Block BC-10

The Block BC-10, also known as Parque das Conchas, includes four offshore deep-water fields Ostra, Abalone, Argonauta and Nautilus and a few identified exploration prospects. The block is in the deep-waters of Brazil in the water depths ranging from 1500 to 1950 meters and 120 kilo metres from Vitoria town on the shore. The licence for the fields expires in December 2032.
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About ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL)

ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) a Miniratna Schedule a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) of the Government of India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It is wholly owned subsidiary and overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), the flagship national oil company (NOC) of India. The primary business of OVL is to prospect for oil and gas acreages outside India, including exploration, development and production of oil and gas. OVL owns Participating Interests in 32 oil and gas assets in 16 countries and contributes to 12 percent and 7 percent of oil and natural gas production of India respectively. In terms of reserves and production, OVL is the second largest petroleum Company of India, next only to its parent ONGC.
The International Herald Tribunes Last Publication

The International Herald Tribune on 14 October 2013 published its final edition under its own brand name. This marked the end of 125-year-newspaper, which was the soul of American expatriates. The International Herald Tribune is headquartered in Paris and is printed throughout the world. It was re-branded on 15 October 2013 as the International New York Times. The International Herald Tribune was took over completely by the New York Times Co. in the year 2003. The New York Times Co. earlier declared that it would be re-branded in the online version as well as in the print version.
History of International Herald Tribune

The International Herald Tribune was found on 4 October 1887 by the New York Herald publisher Gordon Bennett. The aim of the newspaper was to facilitate American expats living in Paris with the news. The publication of International Herald Tribune was suspended just once for the Nazi occupation of Paris from 1940 to 1944. It received its name- International Herald Tribune in the year 1967, after the Washington Post and the New York Times took their stakes in it, because of the collapse of the New York Herald Tribune. Gradually it expanded across the world and at present, it is printed at 38 locations and distributed in over 160 countries with circulation of around 226000 in the year 2011.
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Samsung Unveils First Curved Screen Smartphone

Samsung Electronics on 9 October 2013 became the first manufacturer to launch the first curved screen smartphone of the world. The new device is known as Galaxy Round and features flexible 5.7-inch HD display. The device curves from side to side. It is important to note that LG on 7 October 2013 announced that it would start the mass production of worlds first flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panel for the smartphones. But Samsung beat its rivals to launch the first curved smartphone of the world. Samsung as well as LG have already released the televisions which feature curved OLEDs, which are capable of being bent because they are made of plastic than the glass. The research firm global flexible display industry will be worth 1.5 billion US Dollar by the year 2016 and over 10 billion US Dollar by the year 2019.
Primary Features of Samsung Galaxy Round

The Samsung Galaxy Round enables the users to check information like battery life, time and date as well as missed calls, in a better manner while the home screen is off. IHS Display, the research firm estimated that the The Galaxy Round, at first, will launch in the home country of Samsung- South Korea. As of now, there are no plans of global rollout.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Bharti Enterprises ended up their Joint Venture
Wal-Mart Stores Inc and its Indian partner Bharti Enterprises ended up their joint venture on 9 October 2013. From now on they will independently own and operate separate businesses in the country. Wal-Mart will acquire Bhartis 50 percent stake in Bharti Wal-Mart Pvt Ltd and will run the business independently. Bharti Wal-Mart Pvt Ltd runs about 20 wholesale stores
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in India under the Best Price Modern Wholesale brand. Wal-Mart is the worlds biggest retailer. As part of their agreement, Bharti will acquire the compulsory convertible debentures (CCDs) held by Wal-Mart in Cedar Support Services, a company owned and controlled by Bharti. India in 2012 allowed foreign supermarket companies to own up to 51 percent of their local operations. However, no company has applied to enter the country under the rule.
Tata Motors launched Bi-Fuel Variant of Nano

Tata Motors on 8 October 2013 launched a bi-fuel variant of Nano of its small car Nano, which has dual fuel option of petrol and CNG. The Tata Nano CNG emax is the first of the five brands in the emax series of CNG cars. The new brand of Nano comes with an Engine Management System (EMS) for switching between CNG and gasoline fuel systems. While launching the new version of Nano bi-fuel car, Tata Motors Ltd Senior Vice President told that from its inception, the Nano has been a pathbreaking invention. The CNG version only adds to that and also underlines our commitment to be a sustainable automotive player. It also contains a feature that the vehicle to sense when the driver needs more power and thus automatically shifts to gasoline mode. The Tata Nano CNG emax available in the price range of 2.40 lakhRupees for the Nano CX and goes up to 2.65 lakh Rupees for the Nano LX. New Nano variant will be available across CNG markets like Delhi, Gujarat, parts of Maharashtra and Lucknow.
Indira Gandhi International and Birmingham Airports signed MoU to Become Sister Airports
Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi and Birmingham Airport, UK on 7 October 2013 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalise a working relationship and commit to developing links between the two cities (Birmingham and Delhi). CEO of Birmingham Airport Paul Kehoe and Head of Airline Marketing and Route Development of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) Kiran Jain signed the MoU at the World Routes conference in Las Vegas to become Sister Airports.
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The MoU will allow the sharing information and best practice to enhance links between Birmingham and Delhi and promote tourism and business opportunities at both ends of the route. The MoU signifies a formal commitment by both parties to work collaboratively in order to strengthen trade and tourism links between the two cities. The development followed the recent launch of direct flights between the two airports. Air India had launched a direct flight between Delhi and Birmingham in August 2013 with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Birmingham Airport
Located in the centre of the UK, Birmingham Airport handles more than nine million passengers a year and is the third largest airport outside of London. It has a core catchment of ten million people and some 200000 Indian people live in the West Midlands region alone; 15 percent of Englands total.
Indira Gandhi International Airport- Delhi

Indira Gandhi International Airport- Delhi handles 36 million passengers and well over half a million ton of cargo pass through it annually.
S. R. Bansal is the new CMD of Corporation Bank

S. R. Bansal took the charge on 5 October 2013 as the Chairman and Managing Director of Corporation Bank. Prior to assuming the position of Chairman and Managing Director of Corporation Bank he was Executive Director of Punjab National Bank.
About S. R. Bansal
S. R. Bansal is a Post Graduate in English, a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB) and an Associate of Indian Institute of Banking & Finance (AIIBF). He is a seasoned banker with over 32 years of rich experience in
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various administrative and functional capacities at Branches, Regional Offices, Zonal Offices and also at the Head Office level. He started his banking career as a Direct Officer Recruit at Dena Bank in 1981 and went on to hold the office of the Field General Manager (North India) covering eight states. He was appointed as Executive Director of Punjab National Bank in June 2012, where he was responsible for large field operations and many other key areas.
FDA of Ghana Blacklisted Bliss GVS Pharma Limited

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) of Ghana on 4 October 2013 banned the importation and distribution of all medicinal products manufactured by an Indian company Bliss GVS Pharma Limited, India. While announcing the ban on Bliss GVS Pharma Limited in Ghana, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) told that the company is not following the registration requirements as enshrined in the Public Health Act of 2012, Act 851, a process which assures the quality, safety and efficacy of all medicinal products. The official of FDA also told that the company manufactured a fake anti-malarial medicine (GSUNATE PLUS SUPPOSITORIES). The efficacy and safety of this anti-malarial medicine has not been ascertained since there has not been any clinical trial study to justify the use of this medicinal product for the treatment of Malaria. He also explained that the company also manufactured and distributed onto the Ghanaian market many other medicinal products, which have not been evaluated and duly registered as required by law. He also explained that Malaria is the number one cause of Out Patients Department (OPD) attendance and the highest cause of child mortality (death) in Ghana. The use of fake anti-malarial medicine can result in treatment failures, complications and preventable deaths in children.
ICSI launched the ICSI Primer on Companies Act 2013 on its Foundation Day
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), functioning under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, on 4 October 2013 launched the ICSI Primer on Companies Act 2013 on its Foundation Day. The ICSI Primer on Companies Act 2013 was launched by the President, Council of the ICSI- SN Ananthasubramanian.
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Primary Features of the ICSI Primer on Companies Act 2013

The ICSI Primer on Companies Act 2013 is a set of 16 videos of around 35 minutes each. They highlight various aspects of the new Companies Act 2013. These videos have been uploaded on the website of the ICSI and also on YouTube so that the professionals and the common people, all, can access them freely and learn about some important aspects of the new Companies Act 2013. The videos explain the fundamental provisions of law in as simple a language as possible through interactive discussions. Distinguished experts from government, regulators, industry, academia and professionals have participated as panelists and a leading advocate is the anchor in all episodes. SN Ananthasubramanian explained that ICSI was undertaking a large number of initiatives to build up the human resource capacity in the country to implement the Companies Act, 2013. These include about 500 seminars, workshops and study circles during this quarter. These also include a number of publications and guidance notes on the new law. On the occasion, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India also launched a novel facility called the Corporate Compliance Executive Certificate.
Multi-Crop Breeding Station Launched in Chandippa

Bayer CropScience India on 3 October 2013 announced that it launched a new multi-crop breeding station in Chandippa, situated around 46 km from Hyderabad. The new breeding station will focus on the breeding and development of germplasm for high performing hybrids in rice, millet and cotton. Stephan Gerlich, Country Group Head, Bayer in India explained that this was one of the most significant investments made by Bayer CropScience India over the last three years. Chandippa will serve as a strategic site for product development activities in India and Asia-Pacific markets. Since 2010, Bayer CropScience India has invested around 100 crore Rupees in different projects. Some of these projects include capacity expansion at its existing Seed Processing plant in Toopran near Hyderabad and a new mustard breeding station in Palwal, Haryana.
Primary Highlights of the new multi-crop breeding station in Chandippa

The new multi-crop breeding station in Chandippa is spread over 36 acres of land. The breeding station will have all the aspects of R&D infrastructure.
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The station will be equipped with screen houses, fully automated greenhouses, open fields for trials as well as various laboratories. All these facilities will be used for speeding up the breeding cycles. The labs of the station will support activities in resistance breeding, qualitative testing as well as tissue culture. The new facility will also have a cultivable area of 25 acres for field experimentation. The Chandippa breeding station will employ approximately 80 people. The main highlight of the station will be its rain water harvesting pond, which is the first of its kind facility in India. This rain water harvesting pond has been imported from the Netherlands. It is a fully automated system which will harvest the rain water, which in turn will be filtered and utilised for cooling in the greenhouses.
Star and ESPN won Cricket Sponsorship Rights

Star Private Ltd and ESPN on 3 October 2013 were awarded the cricket sponsorship rights for all international series and the domestic tournaments in India for the year 2013-14 by BCCI at the base price of two crore rupees per fixture, considerably low compared to their previous deal with Airtel. The sponsorship rights were awarded by the Marketing Committee of the BCCI. There are two international series currently scheduled during the period: the seven-match ODI series and a T20 game between India and Australia, followed by two Tests and three ODIs against the West Indies. Sponsorship rights will extend to domestic events such as Irani Cup, Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Vijay Hazare, Deodhar Trophy and Raj Singh Dungarpur Trophy. The new deal comes after Airtels partnership with the BCCI ended in 2013. The telecom giant had won the sponsorship rights in 2010 for all international and domestic matches scheduled in India. The three-year contract, running from 1 September 2010 to 31 March 2013, was worth 3.33 crore Rupees for each international fixture. Airtel was also allowed branding on stumps and fixed slots for in-stadium advertising as part of the deal. There was a three-month window for Airtel to negotiate an extension of the contract, but with no further discussion on the matter, the BCCIs marketing committee floated fresh tender document in September 2013.
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Jet Proposed Sale of 24 % Equity to Etihad Airways

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 3 October 2013 cleared Jet Airways proposed sale of 24 per cent equity to Abu Dhabibased Etihad Airways, paving the way for the biggest ever foreign investment in the Indian aviation sector. The proposal was of Etihad to subscribe 27263372 Jet Airways shares of 10 Rupees each, amounting to 24 percent of post-issue paid-up equity share capital for 2057.66 crore Rupees. The decision was taken at a CCEA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. The approval will result in foreign investment amounting to over 2057 crore Rupees in the country. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has recommended the proposal. Jet-Etihad deal was already approved by SEBI (Securities Exchange Board of India) on 1 October 2013.
Railways signed Pact with RINL

The Indian Railways on 3 October 2013 signed a pact with Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) to set up the countrys biggest Forged Wheel plant at Lalganj, Raebarelli in Uttar Pradesh.
About the Forged Wheel Plant

The Plant to be set with an investment of about 1100 crore Rupees will produce one lakh numbers of Forged Wheels per annum in the First phase for Locos and High speed trains. The capacity of the plant can be doubled in the Second phase for a production of over two lakh wheels per annum. The steel requirement for the plant located in 40 acres is to be supplied by the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL). The Factory expected to be operational in over three years, could provide employment to about 600 people. The Forged wheel plant will reduces Indias dependence on imports of high speed forged wheels for trains. The quality of wheel manufactured in the plant will be tested and certified by International certifying agency TTCI, USA. Forged wheels are essentially required in the rolling stock for running longer trains at higher speed.
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Sun Pharma entered Into JV with Intrexon Corporation

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Indias biggest drug maker by market capital and USA based Intrexon Corporation, a leading player in synthetic biology announced on 2 October 2013 to establish a joint venture to develop controllable gene-based therapies for the treatment of eye diseases. The joint venture will helpful for Sun Pharmas to increase their global capabilities and experience in developing and manufacturing complex dosage forms .It will also enhance their specialty pharmaceuticals for niche therapy areas. The partners will initially work on age related macular degeneration ( AMD)(a medical condition that causes partial or full loss of vision among older adults), glaucoma(a kind of eye disease) and retinitis pigmentosa (an eye disease that causes severe vision loss and at times even blindness).
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SPORTS
Darryn Randall, the South African cricketer died after being hit by ball
Darryn Randall, the South African cricketer died on 27 October 2013 after being hit by the ball on the head while batting in the premier league match. He was of 32 years old. He was hit on the side of head, when he tried to attempt a pull on a short delivery. The incidence happened during a match between Old Selbornians and Fort Hare University, which was held under the support of the Border Cricket Board at Alice on 27 October 2013. Randall collapsed after the injury and then was rushed to Alice Hospital, where the medical staffs failed to revive him. He is survived by his mother and his fiance. Haroon Lorgat, the CSA chief executive expressed the federations condolences and said it would be offering counseling to those involved in the match.
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About Darryn Randall

He was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper, who played for Border. He represented four first class matches in the Border He ran various provincial youth teas and students at Stirling Primary and Selborne College in East London He established himself as a coach of note, at the place where he ran cricket academy at Stirling primary school
Indian Oil Corporation won the 48th Bombay Gold Cup

Indian Oil Corporation on 27 October 2013 defeated Air India 5-3 to win the 48th Bombay Gold Cup hockey tournament at the MHA stadium, Mumbai. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Air India the teams were level at 2-all till the end of first half. Arman Qureshi scored the first goal for Air India to put AI 1-0 up in the 23rd minute which was neutralised V Raghunath of IOC, scored a goal in the 26th through a penalty corner. Prabodh Tirkey scored the second goal for Air India and put it 2-1 ahead in the 33rd minute. IOC bounced back and equalised when Deepak Thakur scored for the team in the last minute of the first half. Sunil was given the man of the tournament award and received a cheque for 5000 rupees from newly appointed chief national coach Terry Walsh at the end of the tournament.
Serena Williams defeated Li Na to win the WTA Championships

Serena Williams, the world number one tennis player on 27 October 2013 won the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships at Istanbul after defeating Li Na 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. With this win, she managed to retain the WTA Championships title with her. This was her overall seventy eighth title and eleventh title of this year. Serena Williams with 78 wins out of 82 matches in 2013 will finish as the top ranked player after 2002 and 2009 for the third time. This is the fourth success of Serena Williams in the WTA Championships. With this win, she became
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the first player to retain the title after Justice Henin in 2007. This win also made her the eighth female player, who has won 11 or more titles in a year. Martina Hingis won 12 titles in the year 1997.
About Serena Williams

Serna Williams is the professional tennis player from America. She is ranked as number 1 player at present in the Womens singles tennis For the first time she became the worlds number one player in singles in the year 2002 and in the year 2013, she regained the spot of player number 1 for sixth time At present she is the oldest number 1 player in WTAs She was also Gold-Medalist at the 2000, 2008 and 2012 Olympics. During 2012 Olympics she won a Singles and Doubles Gold medal She has won a title in all four Grand Slam tournaments Serena was born September 26, 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan
The WTA Championships

The WTA Championships is a tennis tournament that is played at the end of the season annually. This championship is an event for the top-ranked players on the WTA (Womens Tennis Association) tour The WTA Tour Championships is considered to be the fifth most prestigious event of Womens tour as it is placed just after the four grand slams The Championships was first played in 1972 and since then has been held at different venues
Sebastian Vettel won the F1 Indian Grand Prix 2013

Sebastian Vettel, the Red Bull driver on 27 October 2013 won the Formula One Indian Grand Prix 2013 at Buddha International Circuit. This is the third continuous victory of Vettel in the Indian Grand Prix. This is the tenth victory of the season of Vettle and thirty sixth victory of his career. He won the race almost 30 seconds ahead of NIco Rosberg of Mercedes. Romain Grosjean of Lotus was placed at third position. With this victory, Vettel became the quadruple champion and joined the group of legends like Michael Schumacher, Juan Manuel Fangio and Alain Prost. He is only the third to do it in a row after Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher. He is the also the youngest quadruple champion, as Sumacher was of 32 when he achieved the fete, Fangio was of 45 and Prost was of 38.
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About Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel is a German formulae one racing driver and at present he is driving for the Red Bull a Austrian racing team At present he is the world champion as he won the Championship in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 He was born on 3 July 1987 While driving for Red Bull in 2009, he finished as the season as the youngest ever World Drivers Championship runner-up He became the youngest driver, who won the World Drivers Championship in 2010 and the same year he helped Red Bull to win the first teams World Constructors Championship
BCCI terminated Pune Warriors from the IPL

The BCCI on 26 October 2013 terminated Pune Warriors from the IPL after the Sahara-owned franchise failed to pay its payments and refused to furnish the bank guarantee for the next season. The decision was taken at the Cricket Boards all-powerful working committee meeting. BCCI wanted the team to furnish a bank guarantee of 170.2 crore rupees to remain a part of the league next year. Sahara has been demanding the completion of the arbitration proceedings on the issue of franchise fee, which, it feels, should be lowered since the BCCI did not deliver on its promised number of IPL matches for the team. Pune Warriors were purchased by Sahara for 370 million US dollars (1702 crore rupees) in 2010 and it was the most expensive franchise on the IPL roster. India bagged 37 Medals at the Tehran Air Gun Shooting Championship Indian shooters bagged 37 medals at 6th Air Gun Shooting Championship which concluded in Tehran, Iran on 26 October 2013. This includes nine golds. They also won 12 silver and 16 bronze medals. Eight of the gold medals were clinched in the junior and youth categories. Kapil Kumar (10m Air Pistol Jr. Men), Samarjit Singh ((10M Air Pistol Youth Men), Malaika Goel (10M Air Pistol Youth Women) and Sanjeev Rajput (50M Rifle Prone Men) won individual Gold Medals.
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India had sent a big contingent of 65 shooters in senior, junior and youth category. This competition was the most successful in terms of good exposure specially to juniors and youth category shooters. It is important to note that three out of four individual gold medals were won by juniors and youth category shooters.
North and South Zone declared Joint Winners of Duleep Trophy

North Zone and South Zone were declared joint winners of the Duleep Trophy 2013-14 after the fifth days play of the final match was called off due to bad weather in Kochi on 21 October 2013. Only 10 overs, on the second day on 18 October were possible in the five-day match as wet ground conditions at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium due to persistent rain played spoilsport. Harbhajan singh captained the North Zone team and South Zone led by Abhinav Mukund. It was the fourth instance in the history of Duleep Trophy when the title has been shared. Previous instances were West Zone/South Zone in 1963-64), North Zone/West Zone in 1988-89 and Central Zone/West Zone in 1997-98. East Zone won the Duleep Trophy in 2012-13 on the basis of their first innings lead against Central Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
About Duleep Trophy

The Duleep Trophy (named after KS Duleepsinhji) was started by BCCI in 1961-62 as a zonal rather than a state first-class competition. The original format was that five teams, drawn from the five zones, played each other on a knock-out basis. From 1993-94 the competition converted to a league format.
Sania Mirza in Top 10 of World Womens Doubles Rankings

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza came into the top 10 of the world womens doubles by gaining two spots to ninth place in the latest WTA Team Rankings issued on 21 October 2013. Sania Mirza jumped from 11th spot to 9th spot. The 26-year-old Sania moved up as a result of other players dropping points. Sania Mirza had won back-to-back titles as she lifted the China Open trophy, followed by another triumph in Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in
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the month of October 2013. Her partner Cara Black of Zimbabwe too gained a position to be at number 13. Italians Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci hold on to the joint number one ranking, while Su-Wei Hseih climbed two spots to number four and Katrina Srebotnik moved one spot higher to number three.
About Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza (born 15 November 1986) is a professional Indian tennis player from Hyderabad. She is the first ever Indian to break into the top 30 WTA rankings in singles and top 10 in doubles. Sania Mirza has won one WTA singles title so far, at Hyderabad in 2005. She also won 19 WTA doubles titles so far.
Simona Halep won Kremlin Tennis Cup 2013

Simona Halep of Romania defeated Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (1), 6-2 to win the Kremlin Cup on 20 October 2013 at Moscow, Russia. It was the fifth WTA singles championship for Simona Halep. With the victory, Halep raised to a career high 15th in the WTA Tour rankings on 21 October 2013. In mens singles, top-seeded Richard Gasquet of France defeated Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Kremlin Cup. It was the 10th WTA singles championship for Richard Gasquet.
About Simona Halep

Simona Halep (born on 27 September 1991) is Romanian professional tennis player and the currently ranked no. 14 in the WTA singles Rankings. In 2013, she also won New Haven Open at Yale, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, Budapest Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary, Topshelf Open,s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, and Nrnberger Versicherungs cup, Nrnberg, Germany.
About Kremlin Cup

The Kremlin Cup is international professional tournament to be held in Russia, founded in 1990 by a Swiss businessman Sasson Kakshuri. The tournament started as a mens only event during the first years of its run, but became a joint event in 1996.
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Kanwar Deep Singh elected as the President of the Indian Hockey Federation
The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) on 21 October 2013 unanimously elected Kanwar Deep Singh as the president of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) for a four-year term. He was succeeded by Dinesh Reddy, Andhra Pradeshs Director General of Police (DGP).
About Kanwar Deep Singh

He is the Chairman emirate of the Alchamist Group of Companies He is the member of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) of the Indian Parliament. He belonged to Trinamool Congress Party. He is a pioneer of industrial, educational and health care reform in India. He received the jewel of India award from International Solidarity in New York
Dipika Pallikal Won Macau Open Squash Title 2013

Indias ace Squash player Dipika Pallikal on 20 October 2013 won the Macau Open title at Macau, China. In the title clash Dipika stunned former World Number One Rachel Grinham of Australia, 12-10, 5-11, 11-7, 11-9. This was Dipika Pallikals seventh Womens Squash Association title. The Macau Open 2013 is a squash tournament held in Macau, China on 15 to 20 October 2013. It is part of the PSA World Tour and the WSA World Tour. The prize money for the Macau Open is 35000 Dollars.
About Dipika Pallikal

Dipika Pallikal (Born on 21 September 1991 at Chennai) is an Indian squash player. She is the first Indian woman to break into the top 10 in the WSA rankings. She is also first squash player to receive prestigious Arjuna Award from Government of India. Her first WSA World Tour title came in 2010 at the Indian Challenger No5 as she beat the top two Sharon Wee and Emma Beddoes.
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In 2013 Pallikal claimed the Meadowood Pharmacy Open title in Canada in February for her sixth WSA title. Dipika Pallikals present world rank is 17 (Dated 21 October 2013). Highest World Ranking:10 (December 2012)
Jorge Lorenzo won Australian Grand Prix 2013

Jorge Lorenzo won the Australian Grand Prix on 20 October 2013 at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in Phillip Island. The strong contender Marc Marquez was disqualified for delaying a compulsory pit stop. Lorenzo of Yamaha, won a race shortened to 19 laps by 6.9 seconds from Hondas Dani Pedrosa and veteran Valentino Rossi. Marquez was disqualified five laps from the finish after staying on the track one lap longer than permitted before he took a pit stop. He couldnt gain any points from the race which allowed Lorenzo to close his lead in the championship standings to 18 points with two rounds remaining. Compulsory bike changes were required for the first time in Motor GP history in the race. It was reduced from 27 to 19 laps because of safety concerns over the tires on the resurfaced Phillip Island circuit.
Pradeep Sangwan was banned by Anti Doping Tribunal of BCCI

Delhi bowler Pradeep Sangwan was on 19 October 2013 slapped with an 18-month ban from cricket after being found guilty of consuming a banned anabolic steroid by the Anti-Doping Tribunal of Board of Control for Cricket in India. Sangwan is only the second cricketer in the history of IPL after Pakistani speedster Mohammed Asif to have been found guilty of consuming banned drugs. The Tribunal has found that the Player has committed an Anti-Doping Violation under Article 2.1 of the Code for the presence of the Prohibited Substance Stanozolol, an Anabolic Steroid. The Tribunal has declared the player ineligible for a period of 18 months, commencing on 6 May 2013 and expiring at midnight on 5 November 2014, from participating in any capacity in any event or activity or competition authorised, organised or sanctioned by the BCCI or any of the other bodies referred to in Article 10.10.1 of the Rules.
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About Pradeep Sangwan

Pradeep Sangwan is registered with the Delhi District Cricket Association and Contracted with the Kolkata Knight Riders IPL Team. Pradeep Sangwan, who played a stellar role in Indias victorious U-19 World Cup campaign back in 2008 represented Kolkata Knight Riders during the last two editions of the IPL. He has taken 123 wickets in 38 first-class matches. Sangwan, who hails from Najafgarh, played two matches in the IPL against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He could not get a single wicket during the two games.
Anti-Doping Tribunal
Anti-Doping Tribunal is a panel of three persons appointed by the BCCI consisting of a Chair (who shall be legally qualified), and other lawyers and/or a medical expert and/or a technical expert with experience in anti-doping, to perform the functions assigned to the Anti-Doping Tribunal under the Rules.
About the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the national governing body for all forms of cricket in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI headquarter is at Mumbai and the present president of BCCI is M.N. Srinivasan.
Ding Junhui won Indian Open Snooker Title 2013

Ding Junhui of China won the 2013 Indian Open Snooker title with a 5-0 victory over Aditya Mehta of India in New Delhi on 18 October 2013. Ding Junhui, world number four, 26, scored two century breaks as he earned the 50000 Pounds first prize. Aditya Mehta, 72nd in the world, became the first Indian player to make the last four of a major ranking event when he reached the semi-finals on 17 October 2013 and he was also first Indian ever to reach the final of the event. He knocked out former world champions Peter Ebdon and Mark Williams on the way, collecting
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25000 pounds as runner-up. The 27-year-old Aditya defeated former world number two Stephen Maguire 4-3 in the semi-final, scoring a highest break of 132. But he could not match Ding Junhui, who followed a steady run of 52 in the opening frame with breaks of 81, 107, 93 and 100 to clinch victory. Earlier, Ding defeated Englands Robbie Williams 4-1 in his semi-final.
Aditya Mehta fact file

Born: 31 October 1985 in Maharashtra, India Titles: 2012 Asian champion Medals: Gold: 2013 World Games (singles), 2009 Asian Indoor Games (team); Silver: 2010 Asian Games (team); Bronze: 2006 Asian Games (team), 2010 Asian Games (singles)
Manipur defeated Haryana to Lift 54th Subroto Cup Football Tournament

Radha Madhav Sanskrit Vidhyalaya, Nambol, Bishnupur (Manipur) lifted the Girls title of the 54th Subroto Cup football tournament on 17 October 2013. The final match was held at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. Manipur won against Government Senior Secondary School, Alakhpura, Bhiwani (Haryana) by six goals to four. It is the second time that the Manipur team lifted the Girls title of Subroto Cup football tournament. In the meanwhile, in Under-17 Boys category, Magurmari High School, Kokrajhar (Assam) edged out Reverend Saiathanga Memorial (Mizoram) to enter in the final. The winners won by a One-Nil margin. In the Girls final match, the match was taken to the penalty shoot-out, where Ratanbala, D Grace, Ranjana Chanu, Ranjibala Devi, Sunita Devi scored for Manipur and Sanju, Munesh and Nisha scored for Haryana.
About the Subroto Cup Football Tournament

The Subroto Cup Football Tournament is primarily an inter-school football tournament in India, which is named after Indian Air Force Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee. The tournament was started in the year 1960 and since then, it is conducted every year.
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It is conducted by the Indian Air Force, with support from Indias Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The rule of the Subroto Cup Football Tournament is that at first, inter-school tournaments are organised in all the states of India, starting from Sub-division, district and division level culminating in the inter-school finals at the national level. The school teams which win the state inter-school championships are thereafter invited to participate in the main Subroto Mukerjee Cup Tournament at Delhi. The Subroto Cup Football Tournament is played on the Knock-out/League format according to the laws and rules relating to Football Association as well as accepted and interpreted by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The duration of a game in the Subroto Cup Football Tournament is 30 minutes each half with an interval of 5 minutes.
Virat Kohli: Indias Fastest ODI Century Scorer

Virat Kohli became fastest century scorer (in 52 balls) of India on 16 October 2013 in One day International (ODI) held at Jaipur. He was the seventh fastest century scorer in ODI in the world. He made the fastest Century in ODIs against Australia in Jaipur on 16 October 2013. Virender Sehwag was the second fastest century scorer (60 balls) in One day International (ODI) in India.
Ajit Agarkar announced Retirement from all forms of Cricket

Former India bowler Ajit Agarkar on 16 October 2013 announced Retirement from all forms of Cricket. He played 110 first-class games in all, taking 299 wickets at 30.69, as well as 270 List A games and 62 T20s in a career that began in 1996-97.
About Ajit Agarkar

Ajit Bhalchandra Agarkar was born on 4 December 1977, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra. Agarkar started his career as a capable batsman by scoring a triple hundred in junior cricket before shifting his focus to pace bowling. Ajits Agarkars international career ran from 1998 to 2007, during which he featured in 26 Tests,
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191 ODIs and 4 Twenty20 internationals. He scored a fifty off 21 balls in an ODI against Zimbabwe in Rajkot in 2000, which remains the fastest one-day fifty by an Indian. He took 58 wickets from his 26 Tests at a costly 47-plus per wicket and 288 in ODIs at just over 27 per victim with 6 for 41 in Adelaide against Australia in Tests in 2003-04 and 6 for 42 in ODIs, also against Australia at Melbourne on the same tour, as his best. His lone Test century (109 not out) in international cricket came at the Lords cricket ground in London in 2002. He scored 571 runs in Tests between 1998 and 2006 and 1269 in ODIs from 1998 to 2007. He was a member of the Indian squad in the 1999 and 2007 World Cups held in England and West Indies respectively. He also represented Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and played four T20 Internationals, three of those in the inaugural World Cup won by India in 2007. Agarkar had led Mumbai, for whom he played his entire Ranji Trophy cricket, to the domestic first-class title in the 2012-13 season.
Novak Djokovic won Shanghai Masters 2013

Novak Djokovic on 15 October 2013 defeated Juan Del Potro 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3) to win a second straight trophy at the Shanghai Masters in China. Djokovic earned victory on the first of three match points in the third-set tiebreaker after Del Potro saved two Djokovic match-winners in the tenth game of the set. Novak Djokovic won a fourth Beijing trophy over the past five years when he beat Nadal last week. Djokovic is from Serbia. Djokovic, at present owns five titles this season and 39 in his career. Djokovic finished with 47 winners but converted on only two of his dozen opportunities. Djokovic has defeated Del Potro 10 times while has lost to him three times. Del Potro had defeated Nadal in the semi-finals of Shanghai Masters.
Rafael Nadal topped the ATP Ranking

Spains Rafael Nadal on 14 October 2013 topped the ATP rankings for the first time in more than two years. Serbian Novak Djokovic finished second. Nadal regained the top spot of the rankings with 11160 points while Djokovic got 11120 points. It is the first time Nadal has topped the ranking since July 2011. Djokovic managed to retain the number one position for 101 weeks. In womens
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category Serena Williams finished the season as world number one for a third time. ATP top 10 as of 7 October 2013: 1. Rafael Nadal, Spain, 11160 points 2. Novak Djokovic, Serbia, 11120 3. Andy Murray, Britain, 6895 4. David Ferrer, Spain, 6710 5. Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina, 4925 6. Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic, 4610 7. Roger Federer, Switzerland, 4515 8. Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland, 3150 9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France, 3115 10. Richard Gasquet, France, 3095. The WTAs top 10 as of 14 October 2013: 1. Serena Williams, United States, 13260 points 2. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, 8485 3. Maria Sharapova, Russia, 6941 4. Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland, 6195 5. Li Na, China, 5365 6. Sara Errani, Italy, 4435 7. Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic, 4315 8. Jelena Jankovic, Serbia, 3860 9. Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark, 3845 10. Angelique Kerber, Germany, 3645.
Satyavrat won the 9th Roustam E-International Indian Style Wrestling Title
Indian Wrestler Satyavrat on 12 October 2013 won the 9th Roustam-E-International Indian Style wrestling title at Vivekanand Sports Stadium, Katra after he defeated wrestler Mykhalio Datsemko of Ukrain in the final bout. Wrestler Satyavart was awarded Silver Gurj, Patta and cash prize of one lakh rupees and the runner up got cash of 50000 rupees. The wrestling championship was organised as a part of Navratra Festival by the J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association with the active support of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), J&K Tourism Department, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Katra Municipal Committee, Navratra Festival Committee District Administration and locals of Katra. World Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist, Wrestler Sushil Kumar was the chief guest on the occasion. J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association also organized 1st Jammu & Kashmir Kesari tile -2013 on the occasion. Bhadur Khan of Jammu won the Kesari title by defeating wrestler Ajay Sharma of Udhampur. Cash award of 20000 rupees was given to the winner of the first Jammu & Kashmir Kesari tile -2013.
Sanam Singh and V Malik won the ITF Doubles

The Indian tennis pair Sanam Singh and Vijayant Malik on 12 October 2013 won the doubles title in the 15000 US dollars ITF Mens Futures Tennis Tournament at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium in Houston, USA. In the final match, they defeated fourth seeded pair of Evan King (USA) and Costin Paval (Romania) in two sets 7-6 (5), 6-4.
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Earlier, second seeded Sanam Singh of India lost to Tyler Hochwalt (USA) in the singles quarterfinal match. Sanam played well in the first set before going down in tie-breaker at 7-6 (3).However, the Indian player submitted meekly in the second set without winning even a single game (6-0)
What is ITF?
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 210 national tennis associations or corresponding organizations of independent countries or territories. In 1977 it dropped the word lawn from its title, recognising that most tennis was no longer played on grass. It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913.
Queens Baton Relay launched

The Queens Baton Relay was launched on 9 October 2013 at the Buckingham Palace, London. Chris Hoy, the Scottish cycling star carried the Commonwealth Games baton to Buckingham Palace on 9 October 2013 for starting the relay which in turn will conclude with opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in 2014 in Glasgow. The message written by Queen Elizabeth II, the head of the Commonwealth is written in the baton which started its 248-day journey around 70 nations and territories. The message written by Queen Elizabeth II will remain secret till the opening ceremony at Glasgows Celtic Park on 23 July 2013. Scottish sprint legend Allan Wells was the first athlete to receive this baton from the Queen to begin its journey. It is important to note that this year Indian sportspersons will not get a chance to hold the Queens Baton of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and run in relay on 12-13 October 2013. The Queens Baton will remain in India for two days, 12-13 October 2013. After arriving in India on 11 October 2013, the Baton will reach Agra. Thereafter, the Baton will return to Delhi on 13 October 2013 and then proceed to Dhaka.
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Meaning and Importance of the Queens Baton Relay

The Queens Baton Relay is like the Olympic Torch Relay. It is like the relay across the world before the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. The importance of the Baton is that it carries the message from the Head of the Commonwealth, who at present is Queen Elizabeth II. As a custom, the Queens Baton Relay begins at the Buckingham Palace in London. At the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, the final relay runner gives back the baton to the Queen or the representative of the Queen, who then reads aloud the message officially at the Opening Ceremony. The Queens Baton Relay was at first introduced at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales. The 2014 Queens Batons handle is made out of Elm wood and is crafted by making use of the old boat building technique called bird mouthing.
IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Championship

Indian women pair of Vidya Pillai and Arantxa Sanchis won the gold for team title in the 2013 IBSF World 6-red Snooker Championship after defeating Hong Kong in the final at Carlow, Ireland on 6 October 2013. India also clinched two bronze through Chitra Magimairajan and Varshaa Sanjeev in the womens team event as well as Shivam Arora in the mens individual event. Vidya Pillai and Arantxa Sanchis defeated two-time IBSF champion Ng On Yee and So Man You of Hong Kong 3-2 (23-74, 68-41, 51-46, 4-64, 55-36) in the final to clinch the gold. The Indian women pair earlier defeated England 2-1 in the semifinals. Chitra Magimairajan and Varshaa Sanjeev in the meanwhile, lost to Ng On Yee and So Man You of Hong Kong in the semifinals and secured bronze. In mens individual event, Shivam Arora lost to Duane Jones of Wales 5-2 in the semifinals and secured bronze.
ACC Track Asia Cup

Indian cyclist Deborah on 7 October 2013 won a gold medal in the womens junior individual sprint at Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) Track Asia Cup in Thailand.Teen cyclist Deborah from Andaman Nicobar Island had earlier grabbed gold in 500m Time Trial event. Deborah and her compatriot Manorama Devi also attained two silver medals in Scratch and Point races. The bronze medal came in team Sprint. The Indian team showed their best-ever performance
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in an international cycling competition - winning two gold, three silver and a bronze - in the threeday long event.
List of the Winners

1. Deborah-Gold- Junior individual sprint 2. Deborah-Gold-500m Time Trial 3. V G Parvathy and Rutuja bronze in Team Sprint (Senior womens category) 4. Deborah and Manorama Devi- Two silver medals in Scratch and Point race 5. Dilawar Singh silver- Junior men category 6. Bronze medal in team Sprint
Japan Open Tennis Championship 2013

Top seeded Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentine defeated third seeded Milos Raonic of Canada, 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 to win the ATP Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo on 6 October 2013. This is the Del potros third ATP 500 Tournament of the year(2013). With this win Del Potro also received 312000 US Dollars prize money and earned 500 Emirates ATP Rankings points. Del Potro was a late addition to the tournament after Andy Murray withdrew due to a back injury.
About the Japan Open

The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is the longest-running ATP World Tour tennis tournament in Asia, first held in 1972. The championship includes mens singles and doubles competitions. Until 2008 it was a joint tournament for both men and women, but since 2008 it hosted another womens tournament, Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Buckingham Palace hosted its First Football Match

Buckingham Palace held its first official football match to mark FAs (Football Associations) 150th anniversary on 7 October 2013. The match was played between Civil Service FC, the only surviving one of the eleven clubs that met to found The FA in 1863, and Polytechnic FC, which was formed in 1875. According to the FA, the nationwide network consists of more than 400000 individuals, including everyone from the players parents, coaches, referees and administrators that help provide the
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opportunity for people to enjoy football. The Football Association is also known simply as the FA. It is the governing body of football in England. It is the oldest football association in the world and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the amateur and professional game in England. It was formed in 1863.
Novak Djokovic clinched his 4th China Open Title

Novak Djokovic clinched his fourth China Open title in five years on 6 October 2013 against Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-4 in the final. The 26-year-old Djokovic clinched the title with the 3-0 lead in the first set and taking it forward to his victory. Novak Djokovic won the same tournament earlier in 2009, 2010 and 2012. He did not participate in 2011 tournament because of injury.
About the China Open

The China Open was earlier known as the Beijing Salem Open. It is the annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The first mens singles and doubles events took place in the year 1993. In the year 1998, China Open was dropped from the ATP tour calendar. However, in the year 2004, it was reinstated in the ATP tournament. In the year 2006, the China Open became the first tournament outside the US to make use of the Hawk-Eye system in match play. Novak Djokovic is the only player who won the China Open tournament four times. Michael Chang has the record of consecutive wins with three titles. In the doubles, the Bryan Brothers are the only doubles pair who won the title consecutively. The winner of the China Open wins 557100 US Dollar as the prize money along with 500 ATP points.
Rohan Boppana Won Japan Open 2013

Indias lawn tennis player Rohan Bopanna with French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin won the Rakuten Japan Open tennis championship (Mens Doubles) on 6 October 2013 in Tokyo. They won the cash prize of the 1297000 US dollars. The fourth seeded Indo-French pair emerged victorious with a 7-6 (5) 6-4 scoreline against the Briton-Australian pair of Jemie Murray and John Peers in
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one hour and 17 minutes. Bopanna had won his first title of the 2013 season in February 2013 when he triumphed at ATP 250 event in Marseille, France paired with Colin Fleming of Britain. He had also reached the final of Rome Masters with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi but lost in the final. Bopanna and his French partner had a really tough battle in the final match of Japan Open.
Mumbai Indians clinched CL Twenty-20 Title

Mumbai Indians clinched the Champions League Twenty-20 title by defeating Rajasthan Royals by 33 runs in New Delhi on 6 October 2013. Mumbai Indians set the target of 203 runs and defeated Rajasthan Royals at 169 runs in 18.5 overs. This was Mumbai Indians highest total in the Champions League Twenty 20. Harbhajan Singh was adjudged Man of the Match by bagging 4 wickets and giving just 32 runs. Dwayne Smith, in the meanwhile, was declared Champion of the Series. It is also important to note that this was the last T-20 match of Sachin Tendulkar and Royals skipper Rahul Dravid after they both announced their retirement from T-20 format. This was the second Champions League Twenty-20 title for Mumbai Indians, the team which also won the IPL-6 season.
About the Event- Champions League Twenty-20

The Champions League Twenty20 is also called CLT20 and is the annual international Twenty20 cricket competition. It is played among the top domestic teams from major cricketing nations. The Champions League Twenty20 was launched in the year 2008. The first edition of this event was held in October 2009. The CLT20 is owned jointly by the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa. It is chaired by N. Srinivasan. The tournament is always held between September and October in South Africa or India. The total prize of the event is 6 million US dollar. The winning team gets 2.5 million US dollar, the amount which is the highest for any club cricket tournament in the history of this game.
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ACB to get Liberal Financial Aid from ICC

The International Cricket Council on 6 October 2013 announced that Afghanistan Cricket Board will get liberal financial assistance from the International Cricket Council (ICC) after qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. ICC announced that the Afghanistan Cricket Board will get one million US dollar from it as a preparation fee ahead of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand in 2015. This amount will be given apart from 422000 US dollar, which was already given to the Afghanistan Cricket Board in April 2013 in order to raise the playing standard of the team. Besides, Afghanistan will also receive 750000 US dollar under the ICC Development Funding Policy. It is important to note that the Afghan cricket team created history by qualifying for the Cricket World Cup 2015, defeating Kenya in World Cup league match in Sharjah on 4 October 2013. Also, Afghanistan was granted the Associate membership of the ICC, making it the eighth Asian nation and the 38th overall to get the status in June 2013. From a country torn by war to a rising cricket playing nation, it has been a remarkable journey for Afghanistan, who became an Affiliate member of the ICC in 2001 when they travelled to Pakistan for their first tour.
BAI Panel Recommended Life Ban for Jwala Gutta

The Disciplinary Committee of the Badminton Association of India (BAI) on 5 October 2013 recommended a lifeban on Jwala Gutta for her role in delaying the Indian Badminton League (IBL) fixture between Delhi Smashers and Banga Beats in Bangalore on 25 August 2013. Jwala Gutta was served a show-cause notice on 4 September 2013 after the matter was discussed in the Badminton Association of Indias general body meeting in Mumbai on 31 August 2013. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) went by tournament referee Girish Natus report in which he held Jwala Gutta responsible for coercing her team members for uncalled for indiscipline, for causing harm to the spirit and interest of the tournament, for failing to maintain the stature of the tournament, for imposing unwarranted hardship to the TV viewers, spectators and all other concerned, besides preventing and compelling teammate B. Sai Praneeth from playing the opening match of the tie.
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About Jwala Gutta

Jwala Gutta was born on 7 September 1983 in Wardha, Maharashtra and brought up in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh to a Telugu Indian father and a Chinese mother. Jwala Gutta is a left-handed Indian badminton player who has won the National Badminton Championships thirteen times. She is a doubles badminton player who has partnered with Shruti Kurien and later Ashwini Ponnappa. Jwala Gutta won the gold medal at the Commonwealth games in 2010, in the womens doubles badminton event partnering with Ashwini Ponnappa. Jwala Gutta selected for Arjuna Award for the year 2011.
Pakistan won Under-19 Asian Rugby Championship

Pakistan on 5 October 2013 defeated India in the final of the Under-19 Asian Rugby Championship 2013 in Lahore. Pakistan won the final match with the margin of 13-11 points. At the end of the first half, both teams scores were on par at 8- 8. However, in the second half, Pakistani team played more confidently and aggressively and won five more points for them while Indians could get only three more points. Prior to this, Pakistan was qualified for the championship final after it beat Afghanistan by 44-6 while Indian team got by to qualify for the final after Uzbekistan failed to participate in the tournament due to some technical reasons. Suraj Veer Sharma was the captain of Indian team while Daud Gull was the captain of Pakistan team. A Pakistan rugby team will also visit India next week to feature in the Asian Sevens in which teams from 16 nations would participate.
Kalpana Devi won Bronze in Judo Tournament

Kalapana Devi on 5 October 2013 won bronze medal at the Judo tournament in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It was Indias first IJF Grand Prix medal. Competing in 52kg weight category, Kalpana defeated Zarifa Sultonova of Uzbekistan but lost to Gili Cohen of Israel. However, Kalpana jumped back to medal contention through repechage round, where she got the better of Brazilian Raquel Silva. Kalpana, who is with Indo-Tibetan Border Police, had also won a bronze medal in the Womens World Cup Judo Championships held in September 2010 in Uzbekistan. India has sent an eight-member team in the IJF Grand Prix Judo Championships, which will conclude on 7 October 2013. The judo players will remain in Tashkent for a one-month training post the tournament.
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Afghanistan qualified for ICC World Cup 2015

Afghanistan Cricket team on 4 October 2013 qualified for its maiden ICC World Cup after defeating Kenya by seven wickets at World Cricket League Championship in Sharjah. With this win Afghanistha also became the 20th team to gain entry into the tournament overall. Deciding to field first after winning the toss, Afghanistan dismissed Kenya for 93 runs in 43.3 overs and then achieved the target in 20.5 overs with seven wickets to spare. The victory meant Afghanistan finished on 19 points five behind champion Ireland, which qualified for ICC world cup. The world cup will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand in 2015. By virtue of finishing second in the World Cricket League Championship, Afghanistan has earned a place in Pool A that includes co-hosts Australia and New Zealand, as well as Bangladesh, England, Sri Lanka and Qualifier 3. Afghanistan will play its opening match in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 against Bangladesh at Manuka Oval, Canberra, on 18 February 2013. In 2010, Afghanistan qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 West Indies 2010 by winning the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier UAE 2010. It then finished second to Ireland in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier UAE 2012, to qualify for the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012. Afghanistan also played in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2010 in New Zealand and the 2012 edition in Australia.
Luis Leao Pinto won Himalaya Bicycle Rally

Portuguese sensation Luis Leao Pinto emerged overall winners at the 9th MTB Himalaya 2013, which concluded in Shimla on 3 October 2013. The World No. 9 won the winners trophy in the Open Mens Solo category. He clocked 17:33:21 while Purna Bahadur Pradhan (21:27:17) and Surendra Singh (21:42:16) finished second and third respectively. Luis Leao Pinto clocked 25:46:02 to win the Masters Solo category while Van Belle Michael Mclean (27:43:22) and Luis Canto Moniz (29:14:46) were runners-up and second runners-up respectively. Laxmi Magar emerged winner in the Open Womens Solo category followed by Sowmya Urs (42:59:33) and Shital Vitthal Chavan (45:37:28) in the second and third respectively. Laxmi clocked 32:06:25.
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India Blue won NKP Salve Challenger Trophy 2013

India Blue cricket squad won the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy by defeating Delhi by 50 runs in the final at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on 29 September 2013. Electing to bat first, the Indian blue posted a total of 274 for nine in their 50 overs before bowling out the strong Delhi batting line-up for 224 in 44.4 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar selected for Man-ofthe match for his four wickets. Yuvraj singh captained the India Blue team, whereas Virat Kohli captained the Delhi team. The teams which are participated in the tournament are India Blue, India Red and Delhi. The 201213 edition of the tournament was won by India B Squad.
About N.K.P. Salve Challenger Trophy

The NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, commonly referred to as the Challenger Trophy, is an Indian List A cricket tournament organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Established in the 19941995 season, it is played with the purpose of showcasing the talent that the country has, as well as providing opportunities for younger players to make an impression.
MCC Released the 5th edition of the 2000 Code

The Marylebone Cricket Club on 1 October 2013 released the 5th edition of the 2000 Code in which there are some of the important changes of cricket rule including the change in the No-Ball Rule. The Law 24.6 of ICCs playing conditions explains that with effect from now, in case a bowler breaks the wicket in the due course of delivery stride, it would be called the No Ball. Another change in the law is in context with giving OUT to the Handling of the Ball. Any player involved in the illegal handling of the ball shall be given OUT on the basis of Obstructing the field. Besides, new set of the animations were also aimed for helping the young players as well as the casual fans. These animations were released in Hindi, English and Urdu and focused on five most misunderstood and complex aspects of the Laws. These included Run-Out of the non-striker and LBW. It is important to note that this is for the first time that the Marylebone Cricket Club portrayed the Laws like this.
Major changes to the Law

A new No ball Law (24.6), which makes it a No Ball in case the bowler breaks the wicket during the delivery The batsman with a runner will not be given an OUT in case he is stumped off a No Ball. Earlier,
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he would have been given the Run Out. Now, it is not possible to score the Runs after making the second strike. Earlier, Runs could be made after the lawful second strike only in case the overthrow had occurred Practicing on the field has been ruled out completely. This means that a bowler is not allowed to practice the ball to the fielder as a loosener, even if it bounces on the ground
What is the Marylebone Cricket Club?

Marylebone Cricket Club is the cricket club in London and was founded in the year 1787. It is the biggest cricket brand of the world and is based at the Lords Cricket Ground in St Johns Wood, London. MCC was initially the governing body of cricket in Wales as well as in England and across the world. In the year 1993, almost all of its global functions were transferred to the International Cricket Council (ICC). Its English governance was passed to the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB). In the year 1788, it revised its Laws of Cricket and continued to do so from time to time. It is the copyright holder of the Laws of Cricket.
Government revised Scheme of HRD in sports

Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India on 1 October 2013 revised the existing Scheme relating to Talent Search & Training and renamed it as Scheme of Human Resources Development in Sports. The Government intends to give focus on developing human resources in sports sciences and sports medicine for the overall development of sports and games in the country. This will help the country be self reliant in these fields over a period of time in general and meet the requirements of the proposed National Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicines in particular.
The Scheme will cover the following areas

1. Award of Fellowships for specialized studies at Masters and Doctoral levels in the subjects namely, (a) Biomechanics (b) Kinesiology (c) Anthropometry (d) Exercise Physiology (e) Sports Psychology (f) General theory & method of training (GTMT) (g) Sports Medicine (h) Sports Nutrition & (i) Anti Doping 2. Award of Fellowships/Scholarships to sports specialists, coaches, support personnel and match officials for specialized studies in the respective areas 3. Financial grant for Research Projects relevant to sports and games
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4. Financial grant for Publication works/journals of high standard directly linked to sports and games 5. Financial assistance for attending international Seminars, Conferences and Workshops on sports related matters 6. Holding Seminars, Conferences, Workshops and Camps on sports related matters in the country 7. The revised scheme will be implemented on pilot mode during the 12th Plan period. The estimated expenditure for the revised scheme during the current plan period will be around 45.00 crore rupees, which will be met from the total plan outlay of the Department. Top level Universities/Institutes, with world class facilities, have been identified for most of the subjects for the Fellowship Programme. The target is to give 10 such fellowships every year. Details of the Scheme, the list of the selected Universities / Institutions and of admissible assistance are at the Ministrys website.
Petra Kvitova won WTA Toray Pan Pacific Open

The Czech Republican tennis player Petra Kvitova defeated Germanys Angelique Kerber in the final to win singles title at WTA Pan Pacific Open on 28 September 2013 at Tokyo. Seventh seed Petra Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, won 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 over fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber to claim the tournament title for the first time. It was her 11th WTA title and evened her tournament finals appearances at 2-2 in 2013. Petra Kvitova won her first Grand Slam by defeating fifth seed Maria Sherapova from Russia 6-3, 6-4 in the Wimbledon womens final on 3 July 2011
About Pan Pacific Open

The Pan Pacific Open is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every year since 1984 in Tokyo, Japan. It is classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I tournament since 1993. Sania Mirza and Cara Black Pair Won Womens Doubles Title at WTA Toray Pan Pacific Open
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Sania Mirza and Cara Black won Toray Pan Pacific

Sania Mirza of India and Cara Black of Zimbabwe won the Toray Pan Pacific Open tennis championship womens doubles title by defeating Hao-Ching Chan (Chinese Taipei) and Liezel Huber (USA) 4-6, 6-0, 11-9 in final at Tokyo on 28 September 2013. Sania Mirza her partner Cara Black playing together for the first time had earlier shocked top seeds and Wimbledon champions Su-Wei Hsieh of Chinese Taipei and Shuai Peng of China in the semifinals 6-4, 6-2.
About Pan Pacific Open

The Pan Pacific Open is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every year since 1984 in Tokyo, Japan. It is classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I tournament since 1993.
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Madras High Court released new norms to designate Senior Advocates

The Madras High Court on 24 October 2013 issued certain norms to designate advocates as senior advocates. As per the issued new norms, it will be mandatory for an advocate to have a professional experience of minimum 15 years at the court, with consideration of the services rendered as judicial officer. Along with this, the gross income of the advocate from the profession should not be less than seven lakh rupees annually for the past three years. It will be also mandatory that the advocate should be an income tax assesses for 10 years preceding the date of consideration. The Madras High Court to designate the senior advocate should have also declared the main criteria for the same. The advocate can be designated as the senior advocate following his caliber,
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merit, ability and academic distinction of the advocate concerned. The court has also made it necessary for the advocate to practice in the High Courts of Madras, Madurai Bench and courts subordinate to it including Tribunals. The Court has also described its procedure according to which an advocate can be designated as the senior advocate. The court mentioned that their shall be select committee that comprises of ten honourable judges of High Court, preferably representing different facets of law, which would identify such of those advocates, who by their ability, conduct, standing at the bar or special knowledge or experience in law and distinction are eligible to be designated as Senior Advocates in terms of Section 16(2) of the Advocates Act, 1961. In the procedure the court has also cleared that if any advocate wants to be designated at senior advocate should furnish information in a format that has been prescribed by the court in an annexure on being invited by the high court. The information presented by the advocate will be further verified by the Select Committee, which will recommend and forward the names to the Chief Justice for approval by the high court. The decision of the Chief Justice shall prevail, if there is no consensus in the Select Committee, while recommending name or names of advocates for designation as Senior Advocates.
Himachal Pradesh became Second State after Haryana to introduce NVQF

Himachal Pradesh on 26 October 2013 became the second state after Haryana to introduce Union National Vocational Qualitative Framework (NVQF) Scheme. The scheme has been implemented by the All India Technical Education Council and the National Skill Development Council. As per the scheme, 70 skill development councils will be established and each council will be given specific trades. The scheme was being implemented for students of Class IX to Class XI and every student has to clear four levels to get the certificate. The programme is being introduced in one hundred schools and each school will have to adopt two trades out of five - Information Technology, Education, Retail Security, Automobile and Health Care. Books of different trades will be prepared by experts and circulated to all the schools and laboratory equipment and tool room will be provided for practical work. One hundred more schools will be covered under the scheme which is being funded by the Union government and the state government in the ratio of 75:25.
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World Bank approved 250 Million assistance US Dollars for Uttarakhand

The World Bank on 25 October 2013 approved 250 million US dollars assistance for Uttarakhand, in the wake of rains and landslides that killed several hundred people in the state in June 2013. The World Bank approved the assistance to help the state undertake rehabilitation work and improve its capacity for disaster management. India had asked for help from multi-lateral agencies like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for undertaking rehabilitation work in Uttarakhand. Prior to this, a joint World Bank and ADB team conducted a Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (JRDNA) to rebuild Uttarakahnds infrastructure damaged in the June disaster. According to the JRDNA estimate, the total reconstruction work to repair physical damages and infrastructure loss was calculated at about 661 million US dollars. The infrastructure covered sectors such as housing and public infrastructure, water supply, roads and bridges and sanitation, tourism, energy and environment.
Government sanctioned a new Plastic Park for Odisha

Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers on 25 October 2013 sanctioned setting up of a Plastic Park at Siju Village, Kujanga Tehsil of Jagatsinghpur District in Odisha. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) called Paradeep Plastic Park Limited would set up the Plastic Park. The project will receive a grant of 40 crore rupees by the Government of India of which 8 crore rupees will be released sooner. The Plastic Park is being established near IOLC. The infrastructure related the micro, small, medium and large units in the Plastic Park will be facilitated by the Paradeep Refinery and it has the necessary state-of-the art infrastructure. The park will open opportunities to the entrepreneurs in and around districts like Balasore, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Paradeep, and other districts of Odisha to set up new venture. This will help them to expand their operations to globally compete in the sectors. These projects will bring in social and economic benefit by creating direct and indirect employment opportunities for people.
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Maharashtra Government decided to implement New Mining Rules

The Maharashtra state cabinet on 23 October 2013 decided to implement new mining rules. The new rules are aimed at ensuring planned and scientific exploitation of the states mineral wealth. New mining norms according to the Maharashtra Minor Minerals (Development and Regulation) Rules 2013, would ensure checks in the mining of minor minerals such as sand, stones, gravel and clay, which are used in construction and other sectors. Earlier, the state revenue department used to permit mining of minor minerals by private players in areas of less than five hectares. However, in its judgment of February 2012, the Supreme Court had made environmental clearances mandatory for mining minor minerals, including sand from river beds, even in areas less than five hectares. The Supreme Court ruling had made clarifications that sand mining either on river banks, upstream or instream, needed monitoring and regulatory oversight, because these cause environmental degradation and threat to biodiversity. After this clarification, mining process completely stopped across the country, including Maharashtra.
Government approved Construction of Link Roads and Bridges in Rural Maharashtra

The Union government on 19 October 2013 approved construction of roads and bridges worth 354 crore rupees in different parts of Maharashtra under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. These include construction of 105 link roads and 29 bridges in rural areas. Under phase II of the scheme, government is willing to sanction funds for 2620 km road construction in Maharashtra and asked the state government to send its proposals as soon as possible to get clearance by next month.
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PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana)

The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana or PMGSY is a nationwide plan in India to provide good all-weather road connectivity to unconnected villages. This important scheme was planned during the regime of former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This scheme has changed the lifestyle of rural India as they now have all season metalled roads. This novel scheme gave utmost importance to infrastructure development. PMGSY is under the authority of the Ministry of Rural Development and was started on 25 December 2000. It is fully funded by the Union government of India.
Uttarakhand Lokayukta Act, 2011

The President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 17 October 2013 gave his assent to the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill. With this Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill became an Act. The main objective of the Lokayukta Act was to curb corruption in the Uttarakhand state. The Chief Minister, ministers, MLAs and government servants, including IAS and IPS officers, will come under the ambit of the Lokayukta. Former chief ministers, former ministers and retired officers will also come under the purview of the Lokayukta. It is important to note that judges of the Uttarakhand High Court will not be covered under the purview of Lokayukta. The Bill was unanimously passed by the Uttarakhand Assembly on October 2011.
The Features of Uttarakhand Lokayukta Act

As per the bill, the Lokayukta will have a chairperson and five members. The number of members could be increased to seven as per the requirement. The bill envisioned that the members of Lokayukta should have legal background and should possess integrity and outstanding ability. The term of the chairperson of the Lokayukta would be of five years or upto the age of 70 years whichever is earlier. The bill says that once the investigations are over, the chargesheet will be filed by the Lokayukta in a special court set up under the Prevention of Corruption Act for a speedy trial. The bill further adds that the period of investigation should not exceed twelve months. The Lokayukta will be empowered to recommend punishment of dismissal, removal or demotion against government servants after giving them full opportunity of being heard. The recommendation will be binding on the appointing or disciplinary authority of the government. For any act of corruption, the punishment will not be less than six months of rigorous imprisonment and could be extended upto 10-year imprisonment. In the rarest of rare case, the punishment could be extended upto life imprisonment.
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Karnataka to implement the II Phase of Forest Project

The Karnataka government on 8 October 2013 approved the implementation for the second phase of the Karnataka Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation Project (KSFMBC). It is aimed at expanding forests, over the next eight years. The project will cost around 1899.72 crore rupees. It will be implemented with the help of 1701.98 crore rupees from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), with the remaining share contributed by state government. It will run from 2013-142020-21. The project is helpful in expanding forests so that ecological restoration could take place. It will also facilitate livelihood improvement of inhabitants of the villages by afforestation. The first phase of the KSFMBC was executed between 2005 and 2012. Its cost was 745 crore rupees. The project would cover all 30 districts such as Bhramagiri, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries, Daroji Bear Sanctuary, Shettyhalli-Sharavathi Sanctuary, Ranebennur Blackbuck Sanctuary, Talacauvery, Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary and Kudremukh National Park.
First Mega Food Park in UP to be established at Jagdishpur

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing, Government of India Dr. Charan Das Mahant laid the foundation stone on 8 October 2013 for establishment of Shaktiman mega Food Park (the first in the north India) in Jagdishpur of Amethi district in Uttar Pradesh.
Features of Shaktiman Mega Food Park

The Shaktiman Mega Food Park was set up with assistance under the programme Scheme of Mega Food Parks. It will be developed with the assistance of Aditya Birla Group. The Park will have most-modern infrastructure and facilities for food processing. It will help small and medium sized entrepreneurs, self-help groups and farmer-groups to set up food processing industries. It will create a market for raw material and in turn provide better prices to farmers for their produce.
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It will generate direct and indirect employment of 30000 persons. It will provide essential services like dry warehousing, cold storage. It will also act as a farmer friendly bank and fully equipped education and business centres. It will helpful for farmers, food processors and the local economy.
About MEGA FOOD PARK SCHEME (MFPS)

The Vision 2015 of Ministry of Food Processing Industries aims to raise the processing of perishables in the country from existing 6 percent to 20 percent, value addition from 20 percent to 35 percent and the share in global food trade from 1.5 percent to 3 percent by year 2015. To realize the Vision 2015 Ministry of Food Processing Industries pledged support under the Mega Food Park Scheme (MFPS). Each Mega Food Park (MFP) will be subsidized with an amount of 50 crore Rupees on a milestone and progress achievement basis. The scheme aims at facilitating the establishment of a strong food processing infrastructure backed by an efficient supply chain. The processing centres have infrastructure required for processing, packaging, environmental protection systems, quality control labs, trade facilitation etc.
Bihar to get double food subsidy and foodgrains

The Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on 6 October 2013 announced that the food subsidy and foodgrain allocation would be doubled for the state of Bihar under the National Food Security Act. Jairam Ramesh announced that Bihars food subsidy will increase from 5500 crore Rupees to 11500 crore Rupees, under the National Food Security Act. This means that the allocation of foodgrain will increase from 28 lakh tonnes to 56 lakh tonnes. Under the National Food Security Act, Bihar will benefit the most. This was done in order to improve the public distribution system (PDS) in the state, which was in a bad shape. Jairam Ramesh explained that the population of Bihar was more than Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, but the PDS shops were comparatively less than these two states. This indicated the level of poverty in Bihar. For this reason, changes in the PDS network in Bihar were brought out to implement the National Food Security Act in a right way. Apart from Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh would be other three major beneficiaries under the new Act. Uttar Pradesh will get 96 lakh tones of foodgrains per annum under the National Food Security Act in comparison to the current allotment of 65 lakh tonnes. Gujarat, in the meanwhile, will get 24 lakh tonnes from the current allocation of 13.5 lakh tonnes per annum at present.
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Food Security Scheme launched in Rajasthan

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on 2 October 2013 launched Food Security scheme in the State aimed at benefiting around 4.64 crore people. Rajasthan is the first Indian State to implement the Food Security Act after National Food Security Act enacted on 10 September 2013. After three months of survey across the state, the state Government has selected around 90 lakh families (about 4.64 crore people) as beneficiaries under the scheme. Under the Food Security Scheme beneficiaries would get Wheat at 2 Rupees per kg, Rice at 3 Rupees per kg and Bajra at 1 Rupee per kg. However, about 38.83 lakh beneficiaries of BPL and Antyodaya Anna Yojana beneficiaries continue to get 35 kg of Wheat at 1 Rupee per kg. State Government also announced that besides existing shops, about 2000 new ration shops would be opened to distribute foodgrains. Under the scheme- foodgrains would be distributed every month from the 20th till the end of the month through the Public Distribution System (PDS) and will be available at all ration shops in the state.
Maharashtra approved a Policy for Senior Citizens

The Maharashtra Cabinet on 1 October 2013 approved a policy for senior citizens. The policy aimed at ensuring access to healthcare, housing, financial security and enabling them to lead a dignified life. According to the policy, people attaining 65 years will be considered as senior citizens.
Salient features of the senior citizens policy

A separate commisionerate is created for senior citizens. State government will release a report on status of senior citizens contentment index on October 1 every year. All public transport buses to have a low step at entrance doors. 50 percent concession on state transport tickets. Every year June 15 to be observed as elder abuse awareness day. Malls, restaurants, offices and movie theatres should provide wheelchairs to senior citizens. Government-owned public space, halls and temples to be given free to conduct functions or programmes for senior citizens for specific period of time. A separate gerontology department at JJ hospital in Mumbai.
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NEWS CAPSULE
Person in news Shah Rukh Khan appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for South Korea
Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood actor, was on 23 October 2013appointed as the goodwill ambassador for South Korea. He was appointed as the public diplomat as well as an ambassador of Indias soft power. Shah Rukh Khan will visit South Korea before the maiden visit to The President of South KoreaPark Geun-hye. It is important to note that India and South Korea have signed a civil nuclear
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agreement already but it is still not operational. Shah Rukh Khan was also invited by the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on his first visit to India at the formal dinner with the prime minister. In the year 2008, Shah Rukh Khan was given the title of Datuk, which is equivalent to the British Knighthood. This title was given to him by the Governor of Malaysias southern Malacca state, Mohamad Khalil Yaacob.
International Recognition and Honour for Shah Rukh Khan

In the year 2007, he was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of the Arts and Literature) by the French government. In 2008, the magazine Newsweek named him as one of the 50 most powerful people of the world. He was ranked at number 41. In 2009, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in arts and culture by the Great Britains University of Bedfordshire. In the same year, he was awarded a Black Belt Honorary in taekwondo by the South Korean government. In 2010, he was recognised as the icon of religious unity by experts from all across the world at a conference in Vienna University. The same year, he also became the first Indian actor to be honoured with the opportunity of signing the guest book at Berlins Town Hall. In 2011, he was honoured with LEtoile dOr by Mohammed VI of Morocco the King of Morocco during Eleventh International Film Festival of Marrakech. He was the first Indian to be given this honour. In the year 2012, he was conferred upon the Moroccos highest honour- Wissame Al Kafaa Al Fikria (award of intellectual merit). This was given to him at the 12th International Film Festival of Marrakech by Prince Moulay Rachid. Finally, in the year 2013, he was appointed as the goodwill ambassador by the Government of South Korea.
Who is a Goodwill Ambassador?

Goodwill Ambassador is actually a collective term which is basically a title of honor for an Ambassador of Goodwill. It is primarily a job position which is given to an individual from a country. The role of Goodwill Ambassadors is to deliver the goodwill or promote the ideals from one place or entity to another. The goodwill ambassador may be an individual from one nation who lives or travels to another nation in a diplomatic mission or an international friendship mission.
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Four Indians listed in Fortune Top 50 Women Business Leaders-2013

Four Indians, Chanda Kochhar, Chitra Ramkrishna, Shikha Sharma, Naina Lal Kidwai have made to 2013 Fortune magazines global list of top-50 women business leaders. The list was released on 20 October 2013 by Fortune magazine, US. ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar has been ranked 4th, followed by National Stock Exchange chief Chitra Ramkrishna at 17th, Axis Banks Shikha Sharma at 32nd and HSBCs Naina Lal Kidwai at 42nd place among the Indians on the international list of most powerful women in business. This list is topped by Brazilian energy giant Petrobras CEO Maria Das Gracas Foster, followed by Turkish conglomerate Sabanci Holdings Guler Sabanci at the second place and Australian banking giant Westpacs CEO Gail Kelly at the third. Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director and CEO of Indias largest private sector bank, has moved up one position from her fifth position on the 2012 list, while NSE chief Ramkrishna has made it to the list for the first time. Shikha Sharma and Naina Lal Kidwai were ranked 37th and 40th, respectively, on Fortunes international list for most powerful business women 2012. Chitra Ramkrishna, a newcomer to the International Power 50 list, Fortune stated she has made history as the first woman to head an exchange in India. A separate list for most powerful business women in the USA, also complied by Fortune magazine, continues to be topped by technology giant IBMs Ginni Rometty, while PepsiCos Indian-origin CEO Nooyi has retained her second position. DuPonts Ellen Kullman is ranked third, followed by Lockheed Martins Marillyn Hewson.
Fortune list has been compiled broadly on the basis of four criteria:
1.The size and importance of the business headed by the person in the global economy; 2.The health and direction of the business; 3.The arc of the business leaders career; and 4.Social and cultural influence. Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc, US and the first magazine issued in 1930.
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Largest Air Traffic Control Tower of India inaugurated at Mumbai Airport

Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai: The largest Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower of India was inaugurated outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai on 18 October 2013. The tallest ATC tower stands at the length of 84 metres or around 30 storey building. The tower was inaugurated by the Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. Because of its height, the ATC tower will enable all the controllers in having easy and nonstop view of complete operational area. It will also help in optimising the separation of the air traffic, while enhancing the traffic handling capacity at the same time. The ATC tower is spread over an area of 2800 square metre area and is also equipped with state-ofthe-art technology such as electronic flight strips that can reduce the workload of controllers and enhance safety and capacity of the airport. It is important to note that India is the 9th largest aviation market of the world and has the traffic increasing at 10 percent annually. The designing of the ATC was done by Hong Kong-based architectural firm HOK as well as the international engineering designer ARUP. These were chosen after the global competition.
Eleanor Catton, New Zealand author won the Man Booker Prize 2013
Eleanor Catton, 28, New Zealand author won the Man Booker prize 2013 for her second novel entitled The Luminaries, published by Granta, on 15 October 2013. The prize was given at Londons Guildhall by The Duchess of Cornwall. Eleanor Catton was given a trophy, and Emmanuel Roman along with 50000 Pound. It is very important to note that she is the last winner of the Man Booker Prize which is presently confined to the writers from the Commonwealth nations, Zimbabwe, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The Commonwealth of Nations (or just Commonwealth Nations) is actually an intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states which were mostly the territories of the British Empire. From 2014, the Man Booker Prize will be opened for the writers from all over the world, provided that the book is in English language. Eleanor Catton is the youngest novelist to win this literary prize. Apart from this, she has also set the record of the longest winning novel- The Luminaries which is of 852 pages.
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About Eleanor Catton

Eleanor Catton is the New Zealand author who was born in the year 1985. She went to the Burnside High School and studied English at the University of Canterbury. She completed her Masters in Creative Writing at The Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University of Wellington. In the year 2008, she was awarded the fellowship to the Iowa Writers Workshop. In the year 2009, she was described as the 2009 golden girl of fiction. In the year, 2011, she was the Ursula Bethell Writer in Residence at the University of Canterbury. Her debut novel was The Rehearsal, in the year 2008. It was written as a part of her Masters thesis. Her second novel entitled The Luminaries was published in the year 2013, for which she also won the Man Booker Prize 2013. Her first book The Rehearsal (2008) was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award as well as for the Dylan Thomas Prize. It was also longlisted for the Orange Prize.
Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan abducted by Gunmen

Prime Minister of Libya, Ali Zeidan was abducted by gunmen on 10 October 2013. They held him captive for several hours. Ali Zeidan was later rescued. The incident underscored the lawlessness gripping Libya two years after the ouster of autocrat Moammar Gadhafi. The gunmen who abducted Zeidan were believed to be militiamen. They did that in apparent retaliation for a US special-forces raid that captured an al-Qaida suspect. They accused Zeidans government of colluding in the operation. Ali Zeidan is the Prime Minister of Libya. He was appointed by the General National Congress on 14 October 2012, and took office on 14 November after Congress approved his cabinet nominees.
Ethiopia Parliament Elected Mulatu Teshome as New President

Ethiopias parliament on 7 October 2013 elected Mulatu Teshome as the countrys new president for a six-year term. Mulatu Teshome will replaceGirma Wolde Giorgis, who first took the post in 2001 and was re-elected in 2007. Mulatu Teshome was elected at a joint session of the House of Peoples Representatives (HPR) and the House of Federation (HoF). Mulatu Teshome is the Fourth president of Ethiopia
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About Mulatu Teshome

The 57-year-old Mulatu Teshome, born in Arjo town, Eastern Wolega Zone of the Oromia Regional State in Ethiopia, received education in China. He holds a Ph.D. Before being elected president, Mulatu also held government positions including that of speaker of the House of Federation, state minister of finance and economic development and minister of agriculture. Mulatu, who like all Ethiopia is known by his first name, comes from the Oromo people, the countrys largest ethnic group. He has also served as Ethiopias ambassador to China and Japan. He served as Ethiopias ambassador to Turkey until his appointment. In Ethiopia, the office of presidency is a largely symbolic and ceremonial post and real power rests in the hands of the prime minister. The present Prime Minister of Ethiopia is Hailemariam Desalegn.
About Ethiopia
Ethiopia is the ninth largest country in Africa and is located in the northeastern region, popularly referred to as the Horn of Africa. As a landlocked country, Ethiopia is bound to the east by Djibouti and Somalia, to the north and northeast by Eritrea, to the south by Kenya and to the west by the Sudan. The total land area is 440,284 miles (1.1 million square kilometers). There are ten major rivers (7000 km long) and lakes (7400 sq. km. in area).
Peter Higgs Honoured for Contribution of Origin of Mass of Subatomic Particles

Peter Higgs, United Kingdom and Francois Englert, Belgium jointly awarded Nobel Prize for Physics 2013 on 8 October 2013.
Why Peter Higgs got Noble Prize?

For his contribution of the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles, and which recently was confirmed through the discovery of the predicted fundamental particle, by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERNs Large Hadron Collider.
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About Peter Ware Higgs Date and Place of Birth

He was born on 29 May 1929 at Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumbria, United Kingdom.
University Education
Kings College, University of London 1947-1954
Degrees:
BSc (First Class Honours) in Physics 1950 MSc 1951 PhD 1954
Professional Career
Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Senior Student Kings College London 1953-1954 and University of Edinburgh 1954-1955 Senior Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh 1955-1956 ICI Research Fellow, University of London University College 1956-1957 and Imperial College 1957-Dec ember 1958. Temporary Lectureship in Mathematics, University College Jan 1959-1960. Lecturer in Mathematical Physics, University of Edinburgh 1960-1970. Reader in Mathematical Physics, University of Edinburgh 1970-1980 Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Edinburgh 1980-1996 He worked as Professor Emeritus, University of Edinburgh .
Fellowships
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) 1974 Fellow of the Royal Society, London (FRS) 1983 Fellow of the Institute Of Physics (FInstP) 1991 Fellow of the Kings College London 1998 Honorary Fellow of the Institute Of Physics 1999 Honorary Fellow of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts 2013 Honorary Member of the Saltire Society 2013
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Prizes
Hughes Medal, Royal Society (with T W B Kibble) 1981 Rutherford Medal, Institute of Physics (with T W B Kibble) 1984 Scottish Science Award, Saltire Society and Royal Bank of Scotland 1990 James Scott Prize Lectureship, Royal Society of Edinburgh (delivered April 1995) 1993 Paul Dirac Medal and Prize, Institute of Physics 1997 High Energy and Particle Physics Prize, European Physical Society (with R Brout, F Englert) 1997 Royal Medal, Royal Society of Edinburgh 2000 Wolf Prize in Physics (with R Brout and F Englert) 2004 Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture and Medal, Stockholm Academy of Sciences 2009 J J Sakurai Prize, American Physical Society (with R Brout, F Englert, G S Guralnik, C R Hagen and T W B Kibble) 2010 Higgs Medal, Royal Society of Edinburgh 2012 Nonino Prize Man of Our Time Prize 2013 Edinburgh Medal of the Edinburgh International Science Festival (with CERN) 2013 Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Researchl (with F Englert and CERN) 2013 He received Noble Prize in 2013 for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles.
Other Awards
Freedom of the City of Bristol 2013.
Ratan Tata, Indias Leading Industrialist inducted into National Academy of Engineering
Ratan Tata, Indias leading industrialist was inducted into National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in the US for his outstanding contributions to industrial development in India as well as the world. Apart from Ratan Tata, eight Indian-Americans were also inducted in the NAE. 75-year-old Ratan tata, the Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group was inducted as the Foreign Associate.
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About the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) was founded in the year 1964. It is the private, independent, nonprofit institution which offers the engineering leadership to the US. In the year 2013, NAE elected 69 new members and 11 foreign associates, after which the membership of NAE became 2250 and the number of foreign associates became 211.
Other Indian-Americans inducted into National Academy of Engineering

Ganesh Kailasam, from Dow Chemical Vijay Kumar, from University of Pennsylvania Bal Raj Sehgal, emeritus professor of nuclear power safety, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm Pradeep S Sindhu, founder, Juniper Networks Krishna P Singh, president and chief executive officer, Holtec International It is important to note that the percentage of US engineering graduates among all its graduates is 1/3 of the European average and 1/6 of the Asian competitor average.
About Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata was the chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, from 1991 until his retirement at the end of 2012. He was also chairman of the major Tata companies, including Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Power, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels, and Tata Teleservices. He is also a member of the Indian Prime Ministers Council on Trade and Industry.
Moe Set Wine selected as First Miss Universe Contender to Represent Myanmar in 50 Years
Myanmars Moe Set Wine, 25, was on 3 October 2013 selected as thefirst Miss Universe contestant to represent her country in more than 50 years time. The US-educated business graduate was chosen as the first Miss Universe contestant who will represent Myanmar in over 50 years. She will be seen on the stage at the global beauty pageant in Moscow in November 2013. It is important to note that Myanmar last sent the Miss Universe contender in the year 1961. After being selected, Moe Set Wine explained that she felt like a part of Myanmars history.
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The controversy revolves around the dress code. The traditional dress of Myanmar is still mandatory in the high schools, universities as well as most of the state Workplaces. The traditional dress of Myanmar is the demure longyi, which is actually a sheet of cotton or silk cloth wrapped around the waist and stretching to the feet. Dress designer of Moe Set Wine- Htay Htay Tin, explained that in the past people in Myanmar did not dare to wear the clothes like these, but now the things were improving and so designers got a chance to create what they like.
A Special Senate Committee voted to strip Silvio Berlusconi of his Parliament Seat
A special Senate committee in Italy on 4 October 2013 voted to strip Silvio Berlusconi of his Parliament seat after he was convicted for tax fraud. The panels decision will need to be confirmed with a full vote of the Senate in the coming weeks. But it is being interpreted as a further sign of the end of the political career of the centre-right leader and media tycoon, who has dominated Italys politics for almost 20 years. On 1 August 2013, Berlusconi was convicted of a tax fraud by the Italian Supreme Court and sentenced to four years of prison, automatically reduced to one year under a 2006 pardon act. He was also banned from holding public office. After dozens of trials in almost 20 years of political career, it was the first definitive conviction and made him formally ineligible for parliament under a 2012 anti-corruption law. Berlusconi is the former Prime minister of Italy. He served four times as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011.
Person Appointed Subhas Goswami appointed as the Director General of ITBP

Subhas Goswami, director of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy appointed as the Director General (DG) of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on 30 October 2013. He will succeed Ajay Chadha, IPS.
About Subhas Goswami

Subhas Goswami is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
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He served in Assam in various capacities as SP NC Hills and Morigaon; Commandant of Battalions in Assam Police; DIG (Central Western Range), Guwahati; DIG, Western Range, Kokrajhar; DIG (Security); DIG (Border) and Director, Assam State Forensic Science Organisation, Guwahati; and IGP (Bureau of Investigation and Economic Offences). He served as IGP of CRPF from February 2001 to February 2008.
He served the Assam Police Housing Corporation Ltd., as its Chairman-cum-Managing Director from November 2009 to February 2013. He was decorated with the Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2001 and the Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Services in 2007.
About Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is an Indian force conceived on 24 October 1962 for security along the Indias border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. ITBP is a specialized mountain force.
Government of India decided to appoint Arup Raha as Chief of the Indian Air Force
The Government of India on 29 October 2013 decided to appoint Air Marshal Arup Raha as the next Chief of the Air Staff. He will take the charge after the retirement of present Chief of the Air Staff NAK Browne on 31 December 2013. Air Marshal Arup Raha is presently the Vice Chief of Air Staff.
About Air Marshal Arup Raha

Arup Raha was born on 26 December 1954. Arup Raha was commissioned into the IAF on 14 December 1974 in the Fighter Stream of the Flying Branch. During a career spanning over nearly 39 years, he has held various command, staff and instructional appointments. He has served as Air Attache at the Embassy of India, Ukraine. Besides various technical courses, Air Marshal Raha has done National Defence College, Staff College, Strategic Nuclear Orientation Course and Junior Commanders Course.
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He has commanded Central Air Command and Western Air Command. He is one of the Honorary ADCs to the Supreme Commander.
P.S. Raghavan appointed as the next Russian Ambassador

P.S. Raghvan was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Russia on 28 October 2013. At present, Raghvan, the IFS of 1979 batch is serving as the current Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He will succeed Ajai Malhotra, who will retire on 30 November 2013. Raghvan is expected to join the assignment shortly.
Tarun Chatarjee appointed Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh State Human Rights Commission
The Uttar Pradesh Government on 25 October 2013 appointed retired Justice Tarun Chaterjee as the new chairman of the state Human Rights Commission. State government also nominated Justice UK Dhawan and Asha Tiwari as the members of the Commission. Tarun Chaterjee (68-year-old) was the chief justice at the Allahabad high court in 2003 and retired as a Supreme Court judge in 2010. The name of Tarun Chaterjee was cleared by a highpowered committee comprising Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, leader of opposition in both houses Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Swamy Prasad Maurya.
About State Human Rights Commission (SHRC)

The State Human Rights Commission is an autonomous high power human rights watch body. The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 makes provisions for the establishment of State Human Rights Commission. 23 States so far set up state human rights commissions in their respective states. State human rights commission consists of one chairperson and two members. The Chairperson and members of the state human rights commission shall be appointed by the Governor.
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Appointment process of the Chairperson and members of SHRC

Every appointment to the commission shall be made after obtaining the recommendation of the Committee consisting of (a) The Chief Minister Chairperson (b) Speaker of the Legislative Assembly - Member (c) Minister in-charge of the Department of Home, in that State Member (d) Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Member Provided further that where there is a Legislative Council in a State, the Chairman of that Council and the Leader of the Opposition in that Council shall also be members of the Committee.
Term of the Chairperson and Members

1. A person appointed as Chairperson shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office or until he attains the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier; 2. A person appointed as a Member shall hold office for a term of five years from date on which he enters upon his office and shall be eligible for re-appointment for another term of five gears. Provided that no Member shall hold office after he has attained the age of seventy years.
About Justice Tarun Chatterjee

Justice Tarun Chatterjee, B.Sc., LL.B. was born on 14 January 1945. He was enrolled as an Advocate in 1970 and practiced in the High Court in Civil, Criminal and Revenue cases. He was appointed as a permanent Judge in the Calcutta High Court on 6 August 1990. He was Joined the Bar in the year 1970 and started practising in Calcutta High Court on Appellate jurisdiction and dealt with Civil and Constitutional matters. He was appointed as Judge in Calcutta High Court on 6 August 1990 He was appointed as Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court on 31 January 2003. He was appointed as Judge of Supreme Court on 27 August, 2004 and retired on 14 January 2010
Arunendra Kumar appointed as Chairman of Railway Board

Arunendra Kumar was on 16 October 2013 appointed as Chairman of Railway Board (Ministry of Railways) and ex-officio Principal Secretary to Ministry of Railways.
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Prior to this appointment he was acting as additional charge of Chairman of Railway Board since 1 July 2013 besides his regular posting as Member (Mechanical) Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to the Government of India.
About Arunendra Kumar

Arunendra Kumar was joined Railway Board as Member (Mechanical) on 1 May 2013. He was also acted as General Manager, South East Central Railway (SECR) (Headquarter: Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh) from 9 November 2011 to 30 April 2013. He was contributed significantly in various policy formulations at Railway Board Level while working as Advisor (CC) and Additional Member Production unit during his earlier stints at Railway Board. Arunendra Kumar was acted as in charge of maintenance of a variety of locomotives, coaches and wagons over a career of more than 35 years both in Workshops and open line. He is an outstanding athlete and excellent player of Badminton. He has featured on National Geographic Channel in the serial Seven Mega Cities of the World and holds a record of longest Live TV Interview by a Railway Officer on National TV Channel.
CV Wigneswaran sworn in as the Chief Minister of Northern Province, Sri Lanka

Former Supreme Court judge of Sri Lanka C.V. Wigneswaran was on 7 October 2013 sworn in the first Tamil chief minister of Northern Province. Justice CV Wigneswaran took oath before President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The swearing in ceremony was held in Temple Trees, the official residence of Sri Lankan President. Tamil National Alliance has won a landslide victory, securing 30 seats out of 38 in the first ever provincial elections in the North. CV Wigneswaran, the Chief Ministerial candidate of Tamil National Alliance for the Northern Province secured the most votes for an individual candidate from Jaffna. The elections in the province were held following intense international pressure on Colombo to
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devolve power to the minority Tamil community under the 13th Amendment of the Constitution. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which contested the elections as the Illangai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) under the house symbol, swept to victory securing 67.52 percent of the votes in 21 September 2013 polls.
Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal appointed as the Chief Justice of Madras High Court
Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal (60), the acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court appointed as the regular Chief Justice of Madras High Court on 21 October 2013. He was appointed by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. The President of India also appointed seven of the eight names recommended by the Supreme Court collegium of judges headed by the Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam as Judges of the Madras High Court. The names of the seven Judges were R. Mahadevan, K. Kalyanasundaram, P.N. Prakash, S. Vaidyanathan, Pushpa Sathyanarayana , V. Ravi and G. Chockalingam.
About Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal

He graduated in Law from Allahabad University He enrolled as Advocate on 14 August 1976 He worked as Standing Counsel of the Income Tax Department of the Government of India He served in number of corporations and institutions as their Standing Counsel HE elevated as permanent Judge on 5 February 199 He appointed as Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court on 7 February 20123.
Tarun Chugh appointed as the Managing Director of PNB Metlife

Metlife, US-based Insurance Company announced on 21 October 2013 the appointment of Tarun Chugh as the Managing Director of PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited. It also announced Rajesh Relan as head of bank distribution for the Asia region.
About Tarun Chugh

1. Tarun Chugh has over 14 years of experience in the financial services sector.
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2. He served as chief of distribution, operations and marketing for India and was responsible for the day-to-day management of all business functions ICICI Prudential Life Insurance. 3. He also worked in ICICI Securities and BNP Paribas as an Investment Banker.
About PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited

PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited (PNB MetLife) is a joint venture between MetLife International Holdings Inc. (MIHI), Punjab National Bank Limited (PNB), Jammu and Kashmir Bank Limited (JKB), M. Pallonji and Company Private Limited and other private investors, with MIHI and PNB being the majority shareholders. PNB MetLife was previously known as MetLife India Insurance Company Limited (MetLife India).
About Metlife
The full form of MetLife is Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. It is global insurance Company. It was founded on 24 March 1868 MetLife holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Laxmikanta Mahapatra appointed Chief Justice of Manipur High Court

Justice Laxmikanta Mahapatra was on 21 October 2013 sworn in as Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court at Raj Bhava in Imphal, Manipur. He was appointed by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. Governor Ashwani Kumar administered the oath of office to Justice Laxmikanta Mahapatra. Justice Mohapatra would act as acting chief justice of the high court till appointment of a full time chief justice. The post of chief justice of High Court of Manipur remained vacant after the first chief justice Abhay M Sapre was transferred as chief justice of the Gauhati High Court. North eastern states, Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur on 23 March 2013 got their own High Courts. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre, Judge of Chhattisgarh High Court took is the first Chief Justice of Manipur High Court. With the opening of the three high Courts in the North Eastern states of India, the total number of high Courts in India has gone up to 24 from previous 21.
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About Laxmikanta Mahapatra

Laxmikanta Mahapatra Graduated in Law from M S Law College, Cuttack in 1977 and enrolled as an advocate on 25 January 1978. He practised mainly on Civil, Criminal, Service and Labour Laws. Mahapatra elevated as Judge of High Court of Orissa on 16 September 1999. He was transferred to Allahabad High Court on 17 October 2012. He was transferred to Manipur High Court on 10 October 2013.
Rajendra Kashyap appointed as the Financial Commissioner (Railways)

Rajendra Kashyap was appointed as the Financial Commissioner (Railways) and ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India on 21 October 2013. He took charge of the office immediately.
Life Sketch of Rajendra Kashyap

Rajendra Kashyap belongs to the 1976 exam batch of Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS). He joined IRAS in the year 1977. Before being appointed as the Financial Commissioner (Railways), he served as the additional charge of Financial Commissioner (Railways) with effect from 1 July 2013. He also served as the as Additional Member (Budget), Railway Board. He worked in various capacities on the Zonal Railways and in Ministry of Railways and Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India. He completed his MBA from University of Strathclyde, U.K. He held the posts of Director Finance and Managing Director, Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) during February 2002 to August 2011.
Union Government appointed GB Pradhan as the Chairperson of the CERC

Union Government of India appointed on 17 October 2013 Gireesh B. Pradhan, former Secretary of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, as the Chairperson of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC).
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About Gireesh B. Pradhan

Gireesh B. Pradhan , a Maharashtra Cadre IAS officer of the 1977 batch, He retired from the post of Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in June 2013. He also served as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Power. served in various capacities in the districts of Sholapur, Kolhapur, Shindhudurg and Thane till 1983 after which he moved to the Central Government.
About Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)

Central Electricity Regulatory Commission is a statutory body functioning under section 76 of the Electricity Act 2003. It was initially constituted under the Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998 on 24 July 1998.
Main Functions of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission

to regulate the tariff of generating companies owned or controlled by the Central Government to regulate the inter-State transmission of electricity to determine tariff for inter-State transmission of electricity to issue licenses to persons to function as transmission licensee and electricity trader with respect to their inter-State operations to adjudicate upon disputes involving generating companies or transmission licensee to specify Grid Code having regard to Grid Standards; to specify and enforce the standards with respect to quality, continuity and reliability of service by licensees; to fix the trading margin in the inter-State trading of electricity, if considered, necessary; to discharge such other functions as may be assigned under the Act.
Sigrid Kaag appointed as the Head of Joint OPCW-UN Mission in Syria

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed on 16 October 2013 Sigrid Kaag as head of the joint mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations. The main objective of the OPCW-UN Mission is to eradicate chemical weapons in Syria. While announcing her as Special Coordinator, Ban Ki-moon told that Sigrid Kaag will be responsible
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for overseeing all activities on the ground undertaken by the OPCW and United Nations personnel.
About Sigrid Kaag

Sigrid Kaag (The Netherlands) worked as UN Secretary-General as Assistant Secretary-General/ Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy of the United Nations Development Programme in May 2010. Prior to joining UNDP, from 2007 to 2010, Kaag was acted as UNICEFs Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa based in Amman, Jordan. She served as the Chief of Staff for UNICEFs Executive Director and as Deputy Director of Programmes in New York. She also served as Senior UN Adviser in the Office of the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Khartoum, Sudan. She was the Chief of Donor Relations with the International Organization for Migration, and Senior Programme Manager with the External Relations Office of the UN Relief and Works Agency in Jerusalem, covering Lebanon, Jordan, the occupied Palestinian territory and the Syrian Arab Republic from 1998 to 2004. Before joining the UN system in 1994, Ms. Kaag served with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands, and as Deputy Head of Sector in its UN Political Affairs Department in The Hague. Sigrid Kaag holds a Masters of Philosophy in International Relations of the Middle East from Exeter University and a Masters in International Relations from St. Antonys College, University of Oxford.
President approved appointment of Seven Judges to Madras High Court

President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 11 October 2013 approved seven of the eight names recommended by the Supreme Court collegium of judges headed by Chief Justice of India Justice P. Sathasivam for appointment as judges of the Madras High Court.
Names of the New Judges

1. R. Mahadevan 2. K. Kalyanasundaram 3. P.N. Prakash 4. S. Vaidyanathan
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5. Smt. Pushpa Sathyanarayana 6. V. Ravi and 7. G. Chockalingam. With their appointment, the strength of judges in the High Court will go up to 48 as against the sanctioned strength of 60. In April 2013, the acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Rajesh Kumar Agarwal, forwarded to the Union Law Ministry a list of 15 names, 13 from the Bar and two from the subordinate judiciary. In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President has appointed the Judges to High Court.
Government of Pakistan Decided To Appoint Syed Ibne Abbas as Envoy to India

Government of Pakistan decided on 9 October 2013 to appoint Pakistani veteran diplomat Syed Ibne Abbas as the new Pakistani envoy to India. He will succeeded by Salman Bashir.
About Syed Ibne Abbas

He joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1983. He served as Counsellor (Political) at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. His appointment comes at a time when tensions along the LoC have increased. He also served as the Director of Kashmir Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also acted as the Director General of the South Asia division
Janet Yellen Nominated as Head of US Federal Reserve Board

US President Barack Obama on 9 October 2013 nominated Janet L. Yellen as the new head of the Federal Reserve Board. Janet Yellen replaced Ben Bernanke as Chair of the Federal Reserve Board. Janet Yellen was previously vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Janet Yellen is the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve Board and also the first Democrat to head the Board since 1979.
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About Janet Yellen

Janet Louise Yellen (born on 13 August 1946) is an American economist and professor who is the Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Janet Louise Yellen took office as Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on 4 October 2010, for a four-year term. Prior to her appointment as Vice Chair, Yellen served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Twelfth District Federal Reserve Bank, at San Francisco. Janet Louise Yellen is Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley where she was the Eugene E. and Catherine M. Trefethen Professor of Business and Professor of Economics and has been a faculty member since 1980. Yellen was an Assistant Professor at Harvard University from 1971 to 1976 and she served as an Economist with the Federal Reserves Board of Governors in 1977 and 1978. She earned a BA in economics from Brown University and a PhD in economics from Yale University.
The Federal Reserve Board of Governors is the main governing body of the Federal Reserve System. It is charged with overseeing the Federal Reserve Banks and with helping implement monetary policy of the United States.
Arundhati Bhattacharya Took Charge as the First Woman Chairperson of SBI

Arundhati Bhattacharya on 7 October 2013 took over as the Chairperson of the State Bank of India (SBI). She is the first woman to take charge as the Chairperson of SBI, the largest bank of India. She succeeded Pratip Chaudhuri who retired on 30 September 2013.
Major Highlights of Arundhati Bhattacharyas Life

Arundhati Bhattacharya is 57 years old and was born on 18 March 1956. Before being elevated to the post of Chairperson of SBI, she was the Managing Director and the Chief Financial Officer of SBI. She joined SBI as the probationary officer in 1977. She held various crucial positions during her tenure at the SBI. These positions included deputy managing director and corporate development officer, chief general manager (Bangalore Circle) and chief general manager (New Businesses).
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She was also the head of SBI Capital Markets Ltd, a subsidiary of State Bank of India. She is the first woman Chairperson of the State Bank of India, which has the long history of 206 years. She is also the first woman to lead a Fortune 500 company in India. Apart from this, she is the only woman banker on the list of Fortune 500 company giants anywhere in the world. It is important to note that there are several other women who have made it to the top in domestic banking and financial services.
The list of women occupying major posts in domestic banking and financial services:
Chanda Kochhar is the managing director & CEO of ICICI Bank, Shikha Sharma heads Axis Bank while Naina Lal Kidwai is the country head of HSBC India. Kalpana Morparia is the chief executive officer at JP Morgan India Pvt Ltd. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also had women occupying top posts. Shyamala Gopinath, K.J. Udeshi and Usha Thorat have all been deputy governors. Vijayalakshmi R. Iyer is the chairperson and managing director of Bank of India. Archana Bhargava is the chairperson & managing director of United Bank of India and S.A. Panse heads Allahabad Bank.
Terence Walsh appointed as Chief Coach of the Senior Men National Hockey Team
Hockey India on 15 October 2013 announced the appointment of Terence Walsh as Chief Coach of the Senior Men National Hockey Team in New Delhi.
About Terence Walsh

Terence Walsh is a former Australian Hockey player, and a silver medallist in the 1976 Montreal Games, and represented Australia in three Olympics. Terence Walsh who worked as Technical Director with USA field Hockey from 2005-2012, pursued his coaching career in 1990 where he worked as head coach of the Malaysian National Hockey team till 1994. He also worked as head coach of the Australian National team from 1997-2000 and under his coaching the team had won Commonwealth Games in 1998, Champions Trophy in 1999 and a Bronze medal at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.
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In 2004, Terry worked as head coach of the Netherlands hockey team that won Silver medal at the Athens Olympic Games. Terence Walsh is an International Hockey Federation (FIH) Master Coach. As a player Walsh has 175 international caps and has represented Australia in four World Cup campaigns and three Olympic Games including a silver medal at the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
S.Varadarajan took over as the CMD of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited

S. Varadarajan on 1 October 2013 took over charge as chairman and managing director (CMD) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). S.Varadarajan has succeeded R.K. Singh. Prior to his appointment as the CMD, Varadarajan was serving as the Director (finance) of the company.
About S. Varadarajan
Varadarajan is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and a member of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India. S. Vardarajan had also served as Executive Director corporate finance and was responsible for overall treasury management, risk management, corporate accounts, taxation and budgeting. He has also served as the chief financial officer of Bharat Shell Limited, a joint venture between BPCL and Shell International. As Director of finance he successfully completed BPCLs maiden issue of unsecured bonds in the international market which was over-subscribed by 15 times, the largest offering for an Indian company in 2012. S. Varadarajan (56) is the Chairman of Petronet India Limited and Petronet CCK Limited. He is a Director on the Board of Bharat Oman Refineries Limited, a joint venture company promoted by BPCL and Oman Oil Company. He is also Director on the Board of Bharat PetroResources Limited, Bharat Star Services Pvt. Limited, and Bharat Star Services (Delhi) Pvt Limited.
Ranjan Mathai appointed as Indias High Commissioner to United Kingdom

Former Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai on 30 September 2013 was appointed as Indias High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He will succeed noted economist and veteran diplomat Dr Jaimini Bhagwati. However, he will take up the charge of the office later.
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About Ranjan Mathai

Ranjan Mathai joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1974 and has served in Indian embassies in Vienna, Colombo, Washington, Tehran and Brussels. As Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi from January 1995 to February 1998, he headed the division dealing with Indias relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives. Ranjan Mathai played a critical role in the IndoBangla Ganges Water Sharing accord during Sheikh Hasinas first stint as the Prime Minister. He also served as Indian Ambassador to Israel from February 1998 to June 2001 and was the Indian Ambassador in Qatar from August 2001 to July 2005. He held the post of Deputy High Commissioner of India to the UK in London from August 2005 to January 2007. Ranjan Mathai served as Foreign Secretary for a period of two years and handed over the charge to his successor Sujatha Singh in July 2013.
Person Resigned Shreekant Javalgekar resigned as the Managing Director and CEO of MCX
Shreekant Javalgekar resigned as the Managing Director and CEO of Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) on 19 October 2013. Multi Commodity Exchange is the only commodity exchange in India which is listed on a stock exchange. Multi Commodity Exchange was promoted by Jignesh Shah-led Financial Technologies India Ltd (FTIL), which also promoted the now-defunct National Spot Exchange Ltd (NSEL). Jignesh Shah Managing Director and CEO of the Financial Technologies India Ltd also resigned from the board on 9 October 2013.
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Joseph Massey Managing Director and CEO of the MCX-SX also resigned from the board on 9 October 2013.
About Shreekant Javalgekar

He has 30 years of rich experience in diverse fields of derivatives, corporate finance, capital markets, investor relations, accounting, treasury and fund management. He was also acted as the Indian advisor to Nexgen Financial Solutions, a financial derivatives house promoted by Singapore Technologies. He was worked with corporates such as Larsen and Toubro, Crompton Greaves and Toyo Engineering, mainly in areas of Finance and Treasury management. He is the former Director of Finance, Investor Relations and Communications, Financial Technologies (India) Limited. He was also worked as the Managing Director of Lazard India.
Person Died Lou Reed, the renowned Rocker and Solo Performer died
Lou Reed, the poet of rock n roll, passed away on 27 October 2013 at Southampton, New York, United States. He was 71 years old. He died because of an illness associated to liver transplant which took place recently.
Life History of Lou Reed

Lou Reed was born on 2 March 1942 at Brooklyn, New York City, United States. He remained a crucial solo performer for various years. He started off with his solo career in the year 1972. In the year 1973, he got his hit with Walk on the Wild Side. His songs were covered by R.E.M., Nirvana, Patti Smith and various others. Rock movements of 1970s, 80s and 90s such as the Punk and the New Wave, are credited to his name. His first Velvet Underground record sold 30000 copies in first 5 years.
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Lou Reed was known popularly for his unique deadpan voice, poetic lyrics as well as for pioneering and coining the term called Ostrich Guitar Tuning.
Rajendra Yadav, the Noted Hindi Writer Passed Away

Rajendra Yadav, the noted Hindi writer passed away on 28 October 2013 at Mayur Vihar, Delhi because of prolonged illness. He was 84 years old.
Life History of Rajendra Yadav

Rajendra Yadav was born on 28 August 1929 in Agra. He was a pioneer of Hindi literary movement known as Nayi Kahani in the 60s. He re-launched Munshi Premchands magazine HANS, which he himself had been editing since 1986. Pret Bolte Hain was his first novel and it was published in the year 1951. This was the first Hindi novel to try to shock orthodox Indian cultural traditions. Pret Bolte Hain written by Rajendra Yadav was adapted into the movie of the same title, Sara Akash, by Basu Chatterjee in 1969. His other novels included Ukhre Huey Log and Shaah aur Maat. He wrote various stories during his career. He was also nominated as a member of the Board of Prasar Bharati, from 1999 to 2001. Rajendra Yadavs wife Mannu Bhandari is also a renowned Hindi writer. He authored two other novels entitled Kulta (The Wayward Wife), and Shaah aur Maat (Check and Mate). Apart from these novels, his other works included Ek Inch Muskaan (A Little Smile), which was co-authored by his wife Mannu Bhandari. It was the love tragedy of schizophrenic individuals.
Abraham Nemeth, the Creator of the Nemeth Code Died

Abraham Nemeth, the creator of the Nemeth Code, a form of Braille, passed away on 2 October 2013 at his home in Southfield, Mich. He was 94 years old. He died because of congestive heart failure. The Nemeth Code improved the capabilities of visually-impaired to study complex Mathematics.
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Life History of Abraham Nemeth

Abraham Nemeth was an American mathematician and inventor born on 16 October 1918 at New York City on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He himself was visually impaired from birth. He was the Professor of Mathematics at the University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, Michigan. He got his Masters in psychology from Columbia in the year 1942. He received his doctorate in mathematics from Wayne State University in Detroit. He also started studying computer science in the 1960s and later initiated the Universitys computer science program. He started his experiments with the six-dot cell which is also the foundation of Braille. In 1940s, he worked at the shipping department of the American Foundation for the Blind and came up with customized Braille code for math. He created symbols for basics of subtraction and addition as well as complexities of differential calculus. He also created the Braille slide rule. In the year 1950, he presented this to American Joint Uniform Braille Committee. By 1950s, his Nemeth Code was adopted by the national groups as well as also included in the textbooks.
In the year 1955, he was hired by University of Detroit to teach Mathematics to sighted students. During his career at the University of Detroit, he learnt to write in the straight lines despite being visually impaired. Additionally, he developed the long memory. He retired from his work in the year 1985. During his career, he also served as the Chairman of the Michigan Commission for the Blind. During his lifetime, he created the Braille versions of Jewish texts which also helped in proofreading the Braille Hebrew Bible in the 1950s. He was also the creator of MathSpeak, a method which is used for communication of Mathematics orally.
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Vijay Soni a noted Painter and theatre personality dead

Vijay Soni, a noted painter and theatre personality died on 27 October 2013 in New Delhi. The 76 year old Vijay Soni was battling with Parkinson disease for past 12 years. He is survived by his wife Aanita Soni, two daughters and three grandsons.
About Vijay Soni

Vijay Soni travelled for studying the innovative methods of theatre to America and Europe in 1960s and beginning of 1970s. He came as the face in the theatre scene during 1970s He polished his skill as a theatre director while he was at the Bread and Puppet Theatre, Odin Theatre in Stockholm and the Theatre Laboratory of Jerzy Grotowski at Wroclaw Some of his appreciated productions were Andhere Mein, John Bull and Sari Raat He was popular with the name Viko
R N Mahadevan, the former AIR director died

R N Mahadevan, the former director of news at All India Radio and the Registrar of Newspaper died on 25 October 2013. He was 84 years old. He served the Press Information Bureau in different Capacities for 33 years. He is survived by his wife and four daughters.
British Sculptor Sir Anthony Caro died

British sculptor Sir Anthony Caro passed away on 23 October 2013. He was 89 years old. He died after a heart attack. He was the renowned British sculptor of his generation and also worked as the assistant to Henry Moore in the 1950s.
Life History of Sir Anthony Caro

Sir Anthony Caro was born on 8 March 1924 at New Malden, England. He studied engineering at Christs College Cambridge. Thereafter, she specialised in sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools in London until 1952. He won various prizes, which also included 2008s Jack Goldhill Award for Sculpture for his piece Promenade. His recent exhibition was at Gagosian Gallery in London in June 2012.
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He played a crucial role in development of 20th Century sculpture. He had his own show at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1963. At that gallery, he displayed large abstract sculptures, such as Early One Morning (1962). From 1953 to 1981, he displayed his work at the St Martins School of Art in London. He also inspired a range of young generation of British sculptors including Tony Cragg, Barry Flanagan, Gilbert & George, Richard Long and Phillip King. His famous work will be displayed at the major exhibition at The Museo Correr in Venice until 27 October 2013. He was also honoured with the Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture in Tokyo in 1992. In the year 1997, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Sculpture. In the year 1987, he was knighted. In May 2000, he was given the Order of Merit which recognises great achievement in the fields of the arts, learning, literature and science. On 9 March 2004, he was elected as the Senior Member of the Royal Academy.
Lawrence R Klein, Nobel Prize Winning Economist died

Lawrence R Klein, Nobel Prize winning economist died on 20 October 2013 in Gladwyne, near Philadelphia. He was 93 years old. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on 14 September 1920. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Then he joined the Penn faculty in 1958. He developed the statistical models there known as the Wharton Models which got him his Nobel Prize in 1980 in Economics. In 1946, Klein correctly predicted that restricted demand for consumer goods coupled with the purchasing power of returning soldiers would protect against a depression. Klein also predicted correctly that the end of the Korean War would result in a mild recession. Klein is survived by his wife Sonia, son Jonathan Klein and daughters Hannah, Rebecca, and Rachel.
Singer Noel Harrison died

Singer Noel Harrison has died at his home in Devon, aged 79 on 22 October 2013. He was best known for recording the hit song The Windmills of Your Mind on The Thomas Crown Affair soundtrack. He was the son of the actor Rex Harrison. It won best song at the 1968 Oscars and was later covered by artists including Dusty Springfield. Harrison was born in London on 29 January 1934. His fathers name was Rex Harrison and his mother was Collette Thomas. Noel Harrison spent most of his life in America, as an actor and performer. However he moved back to the UK in the last decade to live in South Devon. He starred in the TV series The Girl from UNCLE
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and had chart hits with A Young Girl and Suzanne, by Leonard Cohen while he was living in US.
Jovanka Broz, widow of Josip Broz Tito, died

Jovanka Broz, the widow of Josip Broz Tito, the Yugoslavian communist leader, died on 20 October 2013 in Belgrade at the age of 88. Jovanka was Titos personal secretary before becoming his third wife in 1952. However after Titos death in 1980 she lived in isolation and under house arrest for a time. She was admitted to hospital in August 2013 with serious heart ailments.
About Jovanka Broj

1. Jovanka Budisavljevic Broj, an ethnic Serb, was born into a farming family in what is now Croatia on 7 December 1924. 2. She joined Yugoslavs World War II resistance fighters under Titos command at 17 and remained in the trenches until the end of the war, attaining the rank of captain. 3. After her marriage to Yugoslavias authoritarian President Josip Broz - known as Tito - she spent nearly three decades as first lady.
Josip Broz Tito

Josip Broz (Tito) was born in Croatia in 1892. He was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. Josip Broz Tito led the Communist Partisan resistance movement that fought the Nazi occupiers of Yugoslavia during World War II. After the war, Tito, an ethnic Croat, took power and ruled the multiethnic federation of Yugoslavia with a heavy hand. Josip Broz Tito is one of the founding fathers of Non- Ailgned Movement. Josip Broz Tito was died on 4 May 1980.
Renowned Musician Madhuri Chattopadhyay died

Renowned musician Madhuri Chattopadhyay died on 19 October 2013. She breathed her last at her Kolkata residence after suffering for a prolonged period. She was 73. Apart from film songs she had innumerable records. She was from West Bengal. She contributed immensely in the field of Bangla music. Madhuri sang a few songs for Salil Chowdhury, and each one of them was a masterpiece. Songs such as Nijere haraaye khunji and Oi je sabuj bono bithika were unforgettable. Madhuri had an unique voice with quite a range. Salil composed Oi je sabuj bono bithika which spans two-and-
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half octaves and uses fairly tricky jumps from one note to the other. Madhuri hits the notes without any flaw. Music lovers will immediately recognise a glimpse of Beethovens 6th Symphony (Pastoral) in the interlude of oi je sobuj bono beethika. In fact, Madhuri has recently re-recorded some of her songs from that golden period. Usha Mangeshkar had also done recording of 4 songs of Madhuri in the 80s for the Megaphone company.
Noted Malayalam Music Composer K. Raghavan died

Noted Malayalam music composer K Raghavan died at Thalassery in Kannur district of Kerala on 19 October 2013. He was 99. Raghavan infused the folk element into Malayalam film music and his rustic melodies replaced the then prevailing trend of imitations of popular Hindi tunes of the day.
About K Raghavan
K Raghavan was born to M. Krishnan and Narayani in 1913 at Thalassery, Kannur of Kerala. The music mastero, who is credited with giving a new direction and identity to Malayalam film music, has scored music for over 60 films in a career spanning for about four decades. Raghavan, who made his debut with the film Pulliman in 1951, scored music for films like Neelakkuyil, Ramanan, Nirmalyam, Mamankam, Nayru Pidicha Pulivalu, Kadathanadan Ambady among others. He started his professional career with All India Radio, Chennai as a Tamburu artiste and later joined AIR Kozhikode. He was awarded the Padmashree in 2010 and the JC Daniel Award by the Kerala government in 1997. Raghavan was chosen as the best music composer in 1973 and 1977 by the state government of Kerala.
Eminent Telugu Writer and Gyanpeeth Awardee, Dr. Ravuri Bharadwaja died
Eminent Telugu writer and Gyanpeeth award recipient, Dr. Ravuri Bharadwaja passed away in Hyderabad on 18 October 2013. He was 86. Ravuri Bharadwaja won Gyanpeeth award for the year 2012 for his well known Telugu novel, Paakudu Raallu, which reflected real life behind the silver screen of the film industry.
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About Ravuri Bharadwaja

Ravuri Bharadvaja (born in 1927) is a Telugu novelist, short-story writer, poet and critic. Ravuri Bharadwaja studied till class eight, but his works and write-ups turned up to be a basis for many research works and are prescribed as text books in Universities. He is a poet, a playwright, a novelist of distinction and a popular science writer. He has written six short novels for children namely Kadambari, Pakudurallu, Jeevana Samaram, Inupu Tera Venuka and Koumudi these novels have been translated into several Indian languages as well as English. Earlier he has been awarded with awards like Sahitya Akademi Award, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Balsahitya Parishad Award, and Telugu Akademi Award. He was also awarded with a honarary doctorate from Nagarjuna University. He also worked in All India Radio for more than three decades. Having written in every literary form, he published more than hundred works. His contribution towards childrens literature and simple way of writing earned a lot of popularity among book lovers.
Sarojini Varadappan, the renowned Social Worker died

Sarojini Varadappan, the renowned social worker died on 17 October 2013 in Chennai following a brief illness. She was 92 years old. Sarojini Varadappan was a daughter of the former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Bhakthavatsalam.
Life History of Sarojini Varadappan

Sarojini Varadappan was born in Chennai on 21 September 1921. She was involved in a range of social activities along with her mother Gnanasundarambal. She was the President of the Women India Association, an NGO working on women-related issues.
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She was also the President of the Mylapore Academy. At the age of 80 years, Sarojini Varadappan received PhD in Social Service and Swami Narayan Movement. She also remained a President of the Indian Red Cross Society for nearly 35 years. She received the Padma Shri in 1973 and Padma Bhushan in 2009. She also learnt music from Parur Sundaram Iyer. Apart from this, she learnt Kshetragna padams and Tamil padams from Mylapore Gowri Amma, Bharatiyar songs from E. Krishna Iyer and Hindi bhajans from Veena Visalakshi. She was awarded the Jankidevi Bajaj award for 2004 at Chennai.
Noted Marathi Playwright G.P. Deshpande died

Noted Marathi playwright and political thinker Govind P Deshpande died on 16 October 2013 due to age-related ailments. He was 75. G P Deshpande won acclaim for his plays including Udhvasta Dharmashala and Satyashodhak. (His famous Satyashodhak centred on the mission of pioneering social reformer Mahatma Phule).
About G.P. Deshpande

G.P. Deshpande, born in 1938 at Maharastra. He was a Marathi playwright and South Asian Scholar. G.P. Deshpande taught at the Centre for East Asian Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. G. P. Deshpande was a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1996. His most well known plays are Udhwastha Dharamshala , Raastey , Andhar Yatra and Satyashodhak . Deshpande play Satyashodhak in 2012, which is based on the life of social crusader Jyotiba Pule. Deshpande was known as a fierce critic of contemporary theatre in Maharashtra.
Oscar Hijuelos, the Cuban-American Writer, died

Oscar Hijuelos, the Cuban-American writer died on 13 October 2013 in New York City. He was 62 years old and died because of heart attack. He was the first Latino to win the Pulitzer Prize. He is survived by his wife.
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Life History of Oscar Hijuelos

Oscar Jerome Hijuelos was born on 24 August 1951. He was an American-born novelist of Cuba origin. He received education from Manhattan and authored various short stories as well as advertising copies. His first novel was Our House in the Last World. He is known for second novel which was eventually adapted for the movies, The Mambo Kings. He won the 1990 Pulitzer Prize. He was also honoured with the Ingram Merrill Foundation Award in 1983. His first novel- Our House in the Last World received the Rome Prize in the year 1985 by the American Academy in Rome. In the year 2000, he also won the Hispanic Heritage Award for Literature. He also published a memoir entitled Thoughts Without Cigarettes in the year 2011.
TD Rangaramanujan, the Former Table Tennis Federation of India President died

TD Rangaramanujan, the former Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) president died on 14 October 2013. He was 96 years old. He played an important role in organising of major table tennis events such as Asian Table Tennis Championships and Delhi Asian Games in 1951.
Life History of TD Rangaramanujan

TD Rangaramanujan was associated with table tennis for nearly six decades. He was the founding President of Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation. He was at the helm of TTFI as its president/secretary for four decades. He was also honorary life president of International Table Tennis Federation. He played an important role in organising of major table tennis events such as Asian Table Tennis Championships and Delhi Asian Games in 1951. He organised two World Table Tennis Championships in Mumbai (1952) and Kolkata (1975). He was very good sports administrator especially in conducting table tennis events.
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Mohan Dharia, the Former Union Minister and an Environmentalist, died

Mohan Dharia, the former Union Minister died on 14 October 2013 in New Delhi. He was 88 years old. He contributed extensively in the fields of politics and environment protection. He was accorded the state funeral.
Life History of Mohan Dharia

Mohan Dharia was born on 14 February 1925 in Maharashtras Raigad district. He was the stringent advocate of the farmer rights. He was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 2005. He was a lawyer by profession and later became a part of the Praja Socialist Party during the Freedom struggle. During the Indira Gandhi government, he was the Minister of State. He strongly opposed the Emergency, which fetched him the title of Young Turk. Through his organisation called Vanrai, he led the movement for water conservation, after retiring from the active politics. He was a distinguished Parliamentarian and an able administrator who served the nation in different spheres. He served the nation as a Union Minister and as the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission. He was a dedicated environmentalist and as a champion of farmers rights. He was the Member of the Rajya Sabha (1964-71) and the Lok Sabha (1971-79).
Well-known Telugu Film Actor Srihari died

Well-known Telugu film actor, Srihari died on 9 October 2013 at a private hospital in Mumbai. He was shooting for a Hindi film Rambo Rajkumar being directed by Prabhu Deva with Shahid Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha in the lead. Srihari, was suffering from a liver ailment for some time. He had acted in 98 movies. He made his debut in 1986 with the film Thirugbaatu. Subsequently, he performed the roles of a stunt performer and villain before making his debut as a hero in Policein 1999. He had acted as hero in about three dozen films. Srihari was a fitness freak by nature. He was 49 years old.
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Wilfried Martens, Nine-Time Prime Minister of Belgium died

Wilfried Martens, nine-times Prime Minister of Belgium and who led the European Unions Christian Democrat group, died on 9 October 2013 at Lokeren, in East Flanders. He was 77 years old.
Life History of Wilfried Martens

Wilfried Martens was born on 19 April 1936 in Sleidinge (East Flanders). He was a Belgian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Belgium from 3 April 1979 to 6 April 1981 and 17 December 1981 to 7 March 1992. He served as the PM in nine coalition governments during these tenures. He was the Chairman of Belgian Christian Peoples Party, which is now renamed as Christian Democratic and Flemish party from 197279. He was the co-founder of the European Peoples Party (EPP) in 1976 and remained its President since 1992. He was preceded by Jacques Santer. He also remained the President of the Christian Democrat International (CDI) from October 2000 to November 2001. He had the doctorate in law, a degree in notarial studies and the baccalaureate in Thomistic philosophy from the Catholic University of Louvain. He also studied international political science at Harvard University. Thereafter, he practiced law at the Ghent Court of Appeal. He was honoured with Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon, Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Grand Cross of the Order of Christ and Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry.
Ovadia Yosef, the Former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, died

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the influential spiritual leader of Israels Sephardic Jewish community died on 7 October 2013 at Jerusalem. He was 93 years old.
Life History of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef was born as Abdullah Youssef on 23 September 1920. He was the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel is recognised by the law as a supreme halakhic and spiritual authority for the Jewish people in Israel. The Council
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of Chief Rabbinate provides assistance to the two chief rabbis, who take up the presidency alternatively. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel consists of two Chief Rabbis, which are- an Ashkenazi Rabbi and a Sephardi Rabbi. He was elected as the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel in the year 1973 by a majority of 81 to 68 votes. He replaced Yitzhak Nissim. He was also the recognised Talmudic scholar. He remained the spiritual leader of the Shas political party in Parliament of Israel. He was considered as the most important living halachic authority. In the year 1970, he won the Israel Prize for Rabbinical literature. In the year 2005, he was voted the 23rd-greatest Israeli of all time. The poll was conducted by the Israeli news website Ynetnews in order to find out the point of view of the general public regarding the 200 greatest Israelis. His early published works included a detailed commentary on the Ben Ish Chai titled Halikhot Olam. Also, two sets of Yosefs response have been published, Yabia Omer and Yechaveh Daat. He authored series of books under the title of Chazon Ovadia. He wrote laws concerning Shabbat, holidays and other topics. He also printed the commentary on the Mishnah tractate Pirkei Avot.
General Vo Nguyen Giap, the Legendary Vietnamese Military Commander died

General Vo Nguyen Giap, the commander who led Vietnam to victory over the US and France, died on 4 October 2013 at Hanoi, Vietnam. He was 102 years old. He was the main commander in two crucial wars- the First Indochina War (19461954) and the Vietnam War (19601975).
Life History of General Vo Nguyen Giap

General Vo Nguyen Giap was born on 25 August 1911 in Qung Bnh Province, French Indochina. He participated in some of the significant battles such as Lng Sn (1950); Ha Bnh (1951 1952); in Bin Ph (1954); the Tt Offensive (1968); the Easter Offensive (1972); and the final H Ch Minh Campaign (1975). Apart from being the Military Commander, he was also a journalist as well as an interior minister in President H Ch Minhs Vit Minh government. He served as the military commander of the Vit Minh, the commander of the Vietnam Peoples Army (PAVN), and defense minister.
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He also remained a member of the Politburo of the Vietnam Workers Party. The Party eventually became the Communist Party of Vietnam in the year 1976. He is the most prominent military commander of Vietnam apart from Ho Chi Minh. He also authored extensively on military theory and strategy. Some of his works included Big Victory, Great Task; Peoples Army, Peoples War; in Bin Ph; and We Will Win. He became a part of the clandestine nationalist movement at the age of 14 years. He founded the Viet Minh, which is dedicated to ending French colonial rule in Vietnam.
Polly Anthony, the Former Epic Records President died

Polly Anthony, the former Epic Records President died in the last week of September 2013. She was 59 years old. She led Epic Records from the year 1997 to 2003. She died because of pancreatic cancer in Beverly Hills, California.
Life History of Polly Anthony

Polly Anthony worked along with Celine Dion, Michael Jackson and Rage against the Machine. She became the President of the Dreamworks and then Co-President of Geffen Records. She worked with Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Macy Gray and Pearl Jam. She also oversaw soundtracks to Chicago and Titanic and took them to great success. Recently, she also worked in the movie projects and TV, which included HBO series Off the Record and CBS Jimmy Smits starrer Cane.
Tom Clancy, the US Thriller Author, died in Baltimore

Tom Clancy, the writer known for thrillers, especially The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games, died in Baltimore, US on 1 October 2013. He was 66 years old. He was credited with 17 New York Times bestsellers and had launched into the career of writing with the help of the then US president Ronald Reagan.
Life History of Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy was born on 12 April 1947 in Baltimore, US. He was an American author who was best known for detailed espionage as well as military sciences stories set during and after the time period of the Cold War. His first novel was The Hunt for Red October. The novel included his most famous character named Jack Ryan, the CIA agent who eventually became the President.
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His initial few works focused on the cold war, but his works also included terrorism. In the year 1994, his novel entitled Debt of Honor was harshly psychic. Apart from the thrillers, his works also included Command Authority, the 13th Jack Ryan novel. His works also included non-fiction, a few which were co-authored too. His novel 1993 Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship was co-authored. His novel entitled Clear and Present Danger was the Number 1 bestselling novel of the 1980s.
Awards and Achievements

He was among only three authors who sold two million copies on a first printing in the 1990s. The other two included John Grisham and J. K. Rowling. Tom Clancy received an honorary doctorate in humane letters at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the year 1992. He was also honoured with the Yeoman Warder of The Tower of London and received the title Supernumerary Yeoman. In the year 1990, he received the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement from the Navy League of the United States.
Person on Visit Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban visited India

Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary visited India on 16-17 October 2013. During his visit, India and Hungry signed several important agreements to further strengthen cooperation which includes a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of traditional Indian medicine systems.
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Earlier this year, Indias Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid had visited Hungary where he discussed regional, bilateral and international issues with his Hungarian counterpart Janos Martonyi. Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west.
Places in News Moscow hosted the 14th India-Russia Annual Summit

Moscow, the Capital of Russia hosted the 14th India-Russia Annual Summit on 21 October 2013. Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin co-chaired the summit. During the summit both nations discussed priority areas of bilateral cooperation on current international and regional issues. Both nations emphasised their continued commitment to promote and strengthen their special and privileged strategic partnership. India and Russia signed many bilateral Documents including transfer of Sentenced Persons, in the Field of Energy Efficiency, in the field of Standardization and Conformity Assessment between Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Federal Agency on Technical Regulation and Metrology, in the Fields of Science and in the area of Biotechnology during the summit.
The 2nd Meeting of the India-Philippines Joint Commission held in Manila

Manila: The 2nd Meeting of the Philippines-India Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation was held
The 2nd Meeting of the Philippines-India Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation was held on 21 October 2013, in Manila. The meeting was co-chaired by Albert F. Del Rosario, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines and Salman Khurshid, Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India. India and Philippines held comprehensive discussions on political, defense, security, economic and cultural cooperation, and reviewed the progress of the Joint Working Groups on Trade and Investment, Tourism, Agriculture, Health and Medicine, Joint Committee on Renewable Energy and of the Joint Defense Cooperation Committee. They emphasized that the opportunity to meet regularly at high level is important, to reflect their growing and dynamic bilateral partnership.
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The Ministers agreed that the next meetings of the Policy Consultations and Strategic Dialogue will be held in Manila, in 2014.
Wankhede Stadium to host Sachin Tendulkars Landmark 200th and Final Test
The Wankhede stadium, Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkars landmark 200th and final Test The Board of Control for Cricket in Indias (BCCI) Programmes and Fixtures committee headed by Rajiv Shukla announced on 16 October 2013 that Sachin Tendulkars landmark 200th and final test will host in the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. Rajiv Shukla,in the meanwhile also announced the match schedule between India and West Indies.
The itinerary of the series between India and the West Indies:
October 28: The West Indies cricket team arrives in India October 31-November 2: Three-day game (West Indies vs UPCA at Cuttack) November 6-10: First Test at Kolkata November 14-18: Second Test at Mumbai November 21: First ODI at Kochi November 24: Second ODI at Visakhapatnam November 27: Third ODI at Baroda/Kanpur.
India and Bangladesh jointly inaugurated India-Bangladesh Grid Inter-connection

Bheramara: India-Bangladesh Grid Inter-connection jointly inauguarated here
India and Bangladesh on 5 October 2013 jointly inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Grid Interconnection at Bheramara in Bangladesh. The joint venture was launched through video-conferencing from New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister described todays inauguration as an important milestone in connecting the two countries and the border region through a growing web of cross-border energy links and trade. The Prime Minister also assured Bangladesh that India will remain a steadfast and long-term partner in development efforts. The transmission line in High Voltage Direct Current, HVDC, in Bheramara, will provide a safe and reliable interconnection between the power grids of the two countries. Dr Singh said, this will
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enable the supply of 500 megawatts of power from India to Bangladesh. The initiative undertaken today will strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries and add a new dimension to bilateral relations. The initiative being undertaken today strengthen the bonds of friendship between India and Bangladesh and add a rich new dimension to our bilateral relation. Economic development is the biggest challenge for all countries in South Asia. Our destinies are interlinked and so must our economy be. Both the Prime Ministers also jointly laid the foundation stone for 1320 megawatt Maitri Thermal Power Project, being developed by Bangladesh-India friendship power-company which is a joint venture of Indias NTPC and Bangladesh Power Development Board. The historic event has taken India Bangladesh relations to a greater height. The 500 MW of power which will become available to Bangladesh in November 2013 will substantially help to bridge the power deficit in Bangladesh.
Awards | Honours Bollywood Actress Kareena Kapoor honoured in the House of Commons
Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor on 29 October 2013 was honoured in the House of Commons, London for her contribution to the global entertainment industry. The 33-year old actress was presented a framed golden coloured plaque by NRI MP Keith Vaz, Chairman of Britains Home Affairs Committee. Kareena was also honoured by the Asian Sunday Newspaper. Besides Kareena, singer Kimberley Walsh and magician Dynamo (Aka Steven Frayne) were honoured by the Asian Sunday Newspaper for their contributions to the global entertainment-industry. Kareena has several blockbuster films to her credit which includes Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Omkara, Jab We Met, 3 Idiots, Golmaal 3 and Bodyguard. Kareena is the only Bollywood artist to be honoured at British Parliament after Amitabh Bachchan and she is the first Bollywood actress to be honoured by UK Parliament.
French Award Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur for Anjali Gopalan

Anjali Gopalan on 25 October 2013 was awarded with French highest civilian award Chevalier de la
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Legion dHonneur. She was awarded for her work on transgenders and HIV positive patients. She was awarded at a function, by Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the French Cabinet Minister for Womens Right.
About Anjali Gopalan

Born on 1 September 1957, Gopalan is an Indian Human Rights and Animals Rights Activist She started the Naz Foundation (India) Trust as its executive director, which further changed the lives of the HIV Positive, transgenders and homosexuals In New York, she started her career as a social worker working for the migrants of the south East Asian who lacked valid documents
The US Comedian Carol Burnett honoured with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
The US comedian Carol Burnett was on 20 October 2013 honoured with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Three artists- Dame Julie Andrews, Tony Bennett and Tina Fey performed specifically in the honour of Carol Burnett at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. The variety shows of Carol Burnett started in 1960s. These shows ran continuously for 11 years and fetched around 30 million viewers in a week. Carol Burnett received her first break for the Ed Sullivan Show. Thereafter, she also acted on Broadway and appeared on The Garry Moore Show. She also sung for 10 years with CBS. In the year 1967, she launched the Carol Burnett Show along with the guest stars such as Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Stewart and Lucille Ball. The show won 22 Emmy Awards. Carol Burnett was most prominently known for the Tarzan yell.
About the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is the foremost award for humour in America. It was first awarded in the year 1988 by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The award is named after the essayist and humorist Mark Twain, who belonged to the 19th century and was a renowned novelist as well. Mark Twain made significant contribution to American humour. Every year, the prize is presented in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington DC. The recipients of the Twain Prize receive an 1884 bronze portrait bust of Mark Twain sculpted by Karl Gerhardt.
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New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg won Inaugural Genesis Prize

The Government of Israel on 21 October 2013 selected New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as the first ever recipient of the 1 million Dollar Genesis Prize- an award popularly dubbed the Jewish Nobel Prize. The Genesis Prize Foundation stated Bloomberg was honoured as the first winner for his long record of public service and philanthropy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present the prize to Bloomberg in May 2014 in Israel.
About Genesis Prize

The Government of Israel, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Genesis Philanthropy Group launched the annual international Genesis Prize. The Genesis Prize is awarded to individuals who have achieved international recognition in their professional field, the worlds of science and the arts. The objective of the Genesis Prize is to emphasize across the Jewish community and the world at large the importance of Jewish values to the fulfillment of human potential and to the betterment of the world. This, in turn, is intended to strengthen the Jewish identity of the millions of young Jews across the world, who are rapidly assimilating and losing connection to the Jewish people and their rich heritage. Each year, the Genesis Prize Laureate will be awarded 1million Dollars. Funded by Genesis Philanthropy Group, the Prize will be presented annually by the Prime Minister of Israel at a ceremony in Jerusalem.
About Michael R. Bloomberg

Michael R. Bloomberg was born on 14 February 1942 in Boston and raised in a middle class home in Medford, Massachusetts, Michael Bloomberg attended Johns Hopkins University. Michael R. Bloomberg is the 108th Mayor of the City of New York. He was first elected in November 2001, two months after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. He was re-elected in 2005 and 2009.
Lata Mangeshkar was presented the First National Yash Chopra Memorial Award
Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar was presented the first national Yash Chopra Memorial Award at a star studded function in Mumbai on 19 October 2013 by the Ministry for Information and
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Broadcasting. The award is a tribute to the legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra on the eve of his first death anniversary. The award carries a cheque of 1 million rupees and a citation. Yash Chopra the memorial award will be given annually to people in recognition of their outstanding contribution in the field of art and culture. The Yash Chopra Memorial Award has been instituted by the TSR Foundation of T. Subbarami Reddy. Yash Chopra was a victim of dengue in Mumbai on 21 October 2013. Lata Mangeshkar was conferred several national and international honours, including Bharat Ratna, Indias highest civilian award, three national film awards and the One Time Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Indias Independence. Lata, had started her singing career in 1942.She has continued singing for over seven decades, which includes over a thousand Hindi movies. Moreover, She has given her voice in 36 Indian and foreign languages.
Malala Yousafzai to be granted Honorary Canadian Citizenship

The government of Canada on 16 October 2013 announced honorary Canadian citizenship for Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai. The government recognized Malalas contribution in risking her life promoting education for young women. Besides Malala, South Africas Nelson Mandela and Myanmars Aung San Suu Kyi have been given honorary citizenship by the Canadian government. Malala received death threats from the Taliban when she defied the Islamist militant group with her outspoken views on the right to education. She was shot in 2012 near her village in Swat in northwestern Pakistan. Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani school student and education activist from the town of Mingora in the Swat District of Pakistans northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Greg du Toit was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013

The winners of 2013 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition were announced on 17 October 2013 at the awards ceremony held at Natural History Museum in London. Photographer Greg du Toit was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 by the panel of international judges. He
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was given the award for his image Essence of elephants-an energetic and lively portrait of African elephants in the Northern Tuli Games Reserve in Botswana. Greg du Toit is from South Africa. He won the award beating almost 43000 contestants from across 96 countries. Chair of the judging panel was wildlife photographer Jim Brandenburg. Fourteen-year-old photographer from India Udayan Rao Pawar won the award as Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 for his image Mothers little headful. This image depicts the gharial crocodiles on the banks of the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh, India. This area is increasingly under threat from illegal sand mining and fishing.
Hilary Clinton got the First Founders Award for helping AIDS Victims
Hilary Clinton was awarded the first founders award from the Elton John AIDS Foundation in New York on 15 October 2013 for her work to help HIV/AIDS victims. Johns foundation is celebrating its 21 year in USA. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton was the 67th United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, serving under President Barack Obama. The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is a nonprofit organization, established by rock musician Sir Elton John in 1992 in the United States and 1993 in the United Kingdom to support innovative HIV/AIDS prevention, education programs, direct care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS. It has raised over 200 million US dollars to support HIV/AIDS programs in fifty-five nations. The organisation supports its work through special events, cause-related marketing projects and voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. In 1993, the organization began hosting the annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party.
Eleanor Catton, 28, became Youngest Ever Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2013
Eleanor Catton, the New Zealand author, at the age of just 28 years, became the youngest ever winner of the Man Booker Prize for her novel The Luminaries on 15 October 2013 at the Londons Guildhall. Her 832-page novel The Luminaries is the story of 19th-century goldfields, which won 50000 Pound Man Booker Prize 2013 along with a trophy, and Emmanuel Roman. It is important to note that The Luminaries is also the longest work to win this prize in the history of 45 years of Man Booker Prize.
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She is the second New Zealander to win the Man Booker Prize, after Keri Hulme for The Bone People in 1985. The Man Booker Prize 2013 was announced live on the BBC News Channel and was presented by the Duchess of Cornwall. Other authors in the shortlist were Jhumpa Lahiri for The Lowland, NoViolet Bulawayo for We Need New Names, Colm Toibin for The Testament of Mary, Ruth Ozeki for A Tale for the Time Being and Jim Crace for Harvest. The Luminaries is the longest ever book to win this Prize, beating Hilary Mantels 672-page Wolf Hall which received the Man Booker Prize 2009. Prior to Eleanor Catton, the youngest winner of this Prize was Ben Okri, who was 32 when he grabbed the prize for The Famished Road in 1991. Prior to Ben Okri, Kiran Desai was the youngest woman to win the prize at the age of 35 years for her book entitled The Inheritance of Loss in 2006.
About the winning novel- The Luminaries

The novel entitled The Luminaries is set on the goldfields of New Zealand in 1866. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013 earlier and eventually also won the prize. The Luminaries is the second novel by Eleanor Catton and was published by Granta in September 2013. It is primarily a murder mystery set in New Zealand and has an astrology theme running throughout. Robert Macfarlane, Chair of the panel of judges described it as animated by a weird struggle between compulsion and conversion: within its pages, men and women proceed according to their fixed fates, while gold as flakes, nuggets, coins and bars ceaselessly shifts its shapes around them. Eleanor Catton was just 25 years old when she started the book The Luminaries.
About Eleanor Catton

Eleanor Catton is the New Zealand author who was born in the year 1985. She went to the Burnside High School and studied English at the University of Canterbury. She completed her Masters in Creative Writing at The Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University
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of Wellington. In the year 2008, she was awarded the fellowship to the Iowa Writers Workshop. In the year 2009, she was described as the 2009 golden girl of fiction. In the year, 2011, she was the Ursula Bethell Writer in Residence at the University of Canterbury. Her debut novel was The Rehearsal, in the year 2008. It was written as a part of her Masters thesis. Her second novel entitled The Luminaries was published in the year 2013, for which she also won the Man Booker Prize 2013. Her first book The Rehearsal (2008) was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award as well as for the Dylan Thomas Prize. It was also longlisted for the Orange Prize.
About the Man Booker Prize 2013

The Man Booker Prize promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book of the year. The prize is the worlds most important literary award and has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and publishers. The year 2013 marked the 45th year of the Man Booker Prize. The last Prize was won by Hilary Mantel for Bring Up the Bodies, which was the sequel of the Wolf Hall. It is important to note that in the year 2014, the Man Booker Prize will open its doors for the authors writing in English from all over the world. At present, it is awarded to the English-language authors only from the Commonwealth nations, including the Zimbabwe, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The Man Booker Prize was originally called the Booker-McConnell Prize, after the name of the company Booker-McConnell which sponsored this event in the year 1968. It was then known as the Booker Prize or just the Booker. Thereafter, in the year 2002, the prize administration was transferred to the Booker Prize Foundation and the title was sponsored by the investment company Man Group. Thus the official title of the prize became the Man Booker Prize. Originally, the prize money was 21000 Pound and in the year 2002, it became 50000 Pound under the Man Group sponsorship. At present, the Man Booker Prize is one of the richest literary prizes of the world.
First time in the history of the Man Booker Prize

The Luminaries is the longest work to win this prize in the history of 45 years of Man Booker Prize. Eleanor Catton is the youngest ever winner of the Man Booker Prize.
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It is also worth noticing that the 2013 shortlist for the prize was described as one of the best in the history of Man Booker Prize. Eleanor Catton is also the last winner of the Man Booker prize which at present is confined to writers from the Commonwealth countries and Ireland only. From the year 2014, entries from all over the world will be welcomed in the Man Booker Prize.
Varun Arora won UN Award for Open Curriculum Web Platform

Varun Arora, a young innovator from India on 10 October 2013 selected for United Nations 10 Young Innovators Competition 2013. Varun Arora is among 10 people from around the world selected for a prestigious United Nations award in recognition of their work as entrepreneurs and use of technology to change the world. Varun Arora awarded for his creation Open Curriculum, an online platform for local educational material for standard, primary and secondary schooling. The recipients of the 10 Young Innovators Competition organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom come from a wide range of countries and have worked on diverse issues such as marine protection, reduction of food waste and immigration. The UN competition is open to young social entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 26 and seeks innovative digital solutions in the form of start-ups or initial concepts meeting global developmental challenges.
OPCW won 2013 Nobel Peace Prize

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on 11 October 2013 won the Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2013 for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons. The award was announced by Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland in Oslo, the capital city of Norway.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an independent, international body set up in 1997 to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention. The organisation is presently involved in destroying Syrias stockpiles of chemical weapons the first time the OPCW has worked in a war zone. It carries out inspections of destruction procedures, as well as evaluating members own declarations, in order to verify that the convention is being adhered to.
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It is based in The Hague, Netherland and has 189 member states, covering around 98 percent of the worlds population. These member nations have agreed to work together to create a world free from chemical weapons. The OPCW employs around 500 people and has a budget of 75m Euros (102m Dollars, 63m Pounds) in 2010. It is an autonomous organisation with a working relationship with the United Nations. Ahmet Uzumcu is the Present Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to 125 Nobel Laureates since 1901. The 1.25 million Dollar prize will be presented to OPCW at Oslo on 10 December 2013.
MS Swaminathan Selected for Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the Year 2012
Eminent agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan on 10 October 2013 selected for the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the year 2012.
About MS Swaminathan
MS Swaminathan (Born 7 August 1925) is an Indian geneticist and former member of Rajya Sabha. MS Swaminathan contributed to the agricultural renaissance in the country and led the nation to achieve green revolution. MS Swaminathan has served as Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi (1966-72). He served as Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (1972-79).
About Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration

The Indian national congress (i), in its centenary year 1985, instituted an Indira Gandhi award for national integration to give recognition to outstanding contribution to this cause by distinguished individuals or institutions.
The award carries a citation and cash award of 5 lakh rupees.

Previous recipients of the Award are Aruna Asaf Ali, P N Haksar, M S Subbulakshmi, A P J Abdul Kalam and Shankar Dayal Sharma and Rajiv Gandhi (posthumously).
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Alice Munro, the Canadian writer, won Nobel Prize 2013 in literature
Alice Munro won Nobel Prize 2013 in literature and became the first Canadian woman to take the Nobel Prize since its launch in 1901. The Swedish Academy which selects Nobel literature winners described her as the master of the contemporary short story. Alice Munro,82, is 13th women who got Noble Prize.
Life Sketch of Alice Munro

Alice Munro was born on the 10 July 1931 in Wingham, the Canadian province of Ontario. She started writing stories in her teens, but published her first book-length work in 1968, the story collection entitled Dance of the Happy Shades. Her works include Who Do You Think You Are? (1978), The Moons of Jupiter (1982), Runaway (2004), The View from Castle Rock (2006) and Too Much Happiness (2009). The collection Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage (2001) became the basis of the film Away from Her from 2006, directed by Sarah Polley. Her most recent collection is Dear Life (2012). She won the Man International Booker Prize in 2009 for a body of work. She won the Giller Prize twice, for The Love of a Good Woman in 1998 and Runaway in 2004. She is a three-time winner of the Governor Generals Literary Award, for Dance of the Happy Shades, Who Do You Think You Are and The Progress of Love (1986).
Malala Yousafzai Won European Unions Sakharov Human Rights Prize 2013
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen shot by the Taliban for championing girls education won the European Unions (EU) Sakharov human rights prize 2013 on 10 October 2013. In 2012 the award went to detained Iranians, lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and film maker Jafar Panahi, to honour those standing up for a better Iran. Past winners of the Sakharov Prize include South African anti apartheid hero Nelson Mandela and former UN secretary general Kofi Annan.
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About The Sakharov Prize

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded each year by the European Parliament. The prize was set up in 1988 to honour individuals or organisations for their efforts on behalf of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Sakharov Prize for free speech is awarded annually in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. Malala Yousafzai, Edward Snowden Nominated for EUs Sakharov Prize
Pranab Mukherjee Conferred the Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil

The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee conferred on 9 October 2013 the Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil 2009-10 and 2010-11 to scholars who have made outstanding contribution to the development of Classical Tamil language and literature. The Tolkappiyar Award for lifetime achievement in Classical Tamil was awarded to Dr. Iravatham Mahadevan for 2009-10 and Prof. Tamizhannal Periakaruppan for 2010-11. The Kural Pitam Award was awarded to Dr. Jaroslav Vacek for 2009-10and Dr. John Ralston Marr for 2010-11. Dr. Iravatham Mahadevan received Tolkappiyar Award for his immense contribution in the area of Epigraphy. President also conferred Young Scholar Awards to Dr. T. Suresh, Dr. S. Kalpana, Dr. R.Chandrasekaran, Dr. Vaani Arivaalan and Dr. C.Muthamizhselvan for showing excellence in Tamil studies.
About the Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil

The Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil have been instituted by the Ministry of Human Resources Development to give recognition to distinguished scholars who have made outstanding contribution to the development of Classical Tamil language and literature. The Presidential Awardees are presented with a citation and shawl apart from a cash award of 5 lakh Rupees for Tolkappiyar and Kural Peedam awardees and 1 lakh Rupees for young Scholar Awardees.
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Karan Thapar Chosen for IPI-India Award for Excellence in Journalism 2013
Karan Thapar, television journalist chosen for the International Press Institute (IPI) India award for excellence in journalism 2013 on 8 October 2013 for his interviews on the Devils Advocate programme on CNN IBN. He was selected by a distinguished jury of editors and publishers headed by the former Chief Justice of India, A. S. Anand. The members of the jury included IPI-India Chairman and The Hindu Editor N Ravi, PTI Editor-in-Chief M K Razdan, Business Standard Chairman and Chief Editor T N Ninan and Malyala Manorama Senior Assistant Editor Riyad Mathew. Previous winners of the International Press Institute award include The Indian Express, NDTV, Outlook, Tehelka, Tribune and The Week.
About Karan Thapar

Karan Thapar is an Indian television commentator and interviewer. He is conducting programmes like Devils Advocate, The Last Word on CNN-IBN and India Tonight on CNBC TV 18. He also wrote books like Face To Face India - Conversations With Karan Thapar, Sunday Sentiments, Wisdom Tree, More Salt Than Pepper - Dropping Anchor With Karan Thapar, Harper Collins,
About the International Press Institute

The IPI was founded in October 1950. Its members are spread in over 120 countries. The International Press Institute is a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists. It is the institute dedicated to safeguarding the freedom of press, the protection of freedom of opinion and expression, the promotion of the free flow of news and information, and the improvement of the practices of journalism.
First National Award for Senior Citizens - Vayoshreshtha Samman, 2013 Presented
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented the First National Award for Senior Citizens -
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Vayoshreshtha Samman, 2013 on the occasion of International Day of Older Persons at a function in New Delhi on 1 October 2013.
The First National Award For Senior Citizens - Vayoshreshtha Samman, 2013 were given in the following categories:
National Award for Best Institution for providing services to senior citizens and Awareness Generation National Award for Best State in implementing the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (MWPSC) Act, 2007, & providing services and facilities to senior citizens National Award for Centenarian Senior Citizen National Award for Iconic Mother National Award for Lifetime Achievement National Award for Creative Art National Award for Sports & Adventure Award (Male) National Award for Sports and Adventure (Female)
Steps taken for senior citizens by the Government of India

1. In context with the senior citizens of India, The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 was enacted. 2. Apart from this, Model Rules were also brought out by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. 3. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment explained that ageing posed two main challenges- the need to ensure care and protection of the elderly so that they live a healthy, dignified and productive life and secondly, the older people must be looked at as partners in progress rather than a burden on society. 4. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment announced National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) in 1999 to ensure active and productive ageing by evolving a framework of providing financial, medical, social and emotional support. 5. Another policy called National Policy for Senior Citizens 2011 was also introduced. 6. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 essentially aims at creating an enabling mechanism to make the claim for maintenance simpler, speedier and affordable. 7. The grant-in-aid scheme called the Integrated Programme for Older Persons extends grants to NGOs for supporting old age homes, day care centres and mobile medi-care units. 8. The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment launched the Project NICE (National Initiative on Care for Elderly). This is implemented through National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), an
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autonomous body of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in 2000. 9. National programme for Health care of Elderly (NPHCE) has been formulated and implemented in the country through the ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The major objectives of the NPHCE include provision of dedicated health care facilities for elderly at various levels of State healthcare delivery system.
Ravi Shankar Narsimhan was presented with Friendship Award

A senior Indian journalist, Ravi Shankar Narsimhan, on 29 September 2013 was presented with Friendship award by China-the highest honor given to foreigners. Narsimhan is the executive editor in the overseas edition of the Beijing based China Daily. Ravi Shankar hails from Andhra Pradesh. Narsimhan has worked with China Daily for 11 years. He was given the award for helping China better tell its stories to the outside world. He is one among the 50 foreign experts from 20 countries and diverse fields, who have been rewarded. The Friendship Award is an annual award given by the Chinese government to honour outstanding foreign experts in China.
D. Purandeswari Presented the EPCES Export Awards to EOUs and SEZs

The Minister of State for Commerce and Industry D. Purandeswari on 30 September 2013 presented the Export Promotion Council for EOUs and SEZs (EPCES) Export Awards to EOUs and SEZs for Outstanding Export Performance. The objective of the awards was to recognise the meritorious efforts of EOUs and SEZ Units for their outstanding export performance for the year 2010-11. The awards were presented in the fields of gem and jewellery, engineering, plastic products, electronic, computer hardware, services, readymade garments, handicrafts, chemical and allied products, textile products and food products. It is important to note that the SEZ Scheme, which is operating in more than 130 countries, in one form or another, is contributing effectively in bringing investments, new technologies and best managerial practices. The EOU Scheme has also been reviewed after the withdrawal of income tax benefit. The exports from EOU and SEZ Sector are to the extent of 556295 crore Rupees during 2012-13 with a contribution of 34 percent to national exports. PC Nambiar, Chairman, EPCES informed that there is an export growth of 16 times from EOU and SEZ Sector since inception of the Council in 2003 and the contribution of this sector to national exports during 2012-13 is 34 percent. Minister of State for Commerce and Industry presented the export awards to EOUs and SEZ Units. Some of the prominent awardees included Reliance Industries Ltd., Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., Shree Ganesh Jewellery House and Moser Baer India Ltd. among others.
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Aung Suu Kyi Received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
Aung Suu Kyi on 23 October 2013 received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought at Strasbourg, France. She was chosen by the European Parliament in 1990. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought announced by the European Parliament in 1990 when she was under house arrest.
Other awards received by Aung Suu Kyi

Rafto Prize in the year 1990 Nobel Peace Prize in the year 1991 The government of India awarded her with Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in the year 1992
The government of Venezuela awarded her with International Simon Bolivar Prize . The Government of Canada in 2007 awarded her with Honorary citizenship, she was among the only four people by then to receive the award. She won the Wallenberg Medal in 2011.
About the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded each year by the European Parliament. The prize was set up in 1988 to honour individuals or organisations for their efforts on behalf of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Sakharov Prize for free speech is awarded annually in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov
Exhibition | Fare International Tourism Mart started in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh

The second International Tourism Mart (ITM) started in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh on 18 October 2013. It was officially inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh on 19 October 2013. It is the three-day event which will end on 20 October 2013. The International Tourism Mart is organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in association with the North-Eastern States and West Bengal.
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About the International Tourism Mart (ITM)

The International Tourism Mart (ITM) is the second one to be organised in the North Eastern region with the objective of highlighting the tourism potential of the region in the domestic and international markets. The ITM will bring together the tourism business fraternity and entrepreneurs from the eight North Eastern States of India and West Bengal. The event has been planned and scheduled to facilitate interaction between buyers, sellers, media, Government agencies and others. International buyers and media delegates from countries around the world and from different regions of the country are participating in the Mart and will engage in business-to-business meetings with sellers from the North East Region and West Bengal. The ITM will enable tourism product suppliers to reach out to international and domestic buyers and promote tourism in the region. Besides the foreign delegates, domestic buyers from other parts of the country and sellers from the North Eastern States and West Bengal will be participating in the Mart. Representatives of State Tourism Departments of these States will also be present to showcase their tourism destinations and to interact with the delegates. Apart from the business meetings, the three day event will include presentations, cultural evenings, sight-seeing visits to local attractions in and around Tawang and press meetings with the media. The North East Region of India comprising the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim and the state of West Bengal are endowed with diverse tourist attractions and products. The varied topography of the region, its flora and fauna, the ethnic communities with their rich heritage of ancient traditions and lifestyles, festivals, arts and crafts, make it an ideal holiday destination. More than 55 foreign delegates from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Myanmar, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, U.K., USA and Vietnam are participating in the ITM.
Exhibition on Development of the Hungarian Cultural Roots inaugurated at NGMA

The Secretary, Union Ministry of Culture Ravindra Singh and Minister of Human Resources, Government of Hungary Zoltn Balog on 17 October 2013 inaugurated an exhibition entitled From Organic Forms to Light Art: Selection from the Contemporary Hungarian Art at National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi.
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About the Exhibition

The exhibition was realised by the National Gallery of Modern Art and reflected the development of the Hungarian cultural roots and their impact on the world culture. The exhibition consists of several sections, but there are two main parts of it: one is the organic art and the other is light art, based on the connection between science, techniques and art. One of the basic features of Hungarian art is a simultaneous openness to different basic tendencies. The other basic feature of Hungarian art is having a catalysing force from living traditions, from Bla Bartk, Kroly Ks to Imre Makovecz. The third feature of this exhibition is the individual determination and multifaceted nature of Hungarian art which are all related. The exhibition showcases 40 Contemporary artists from Hungary with their range of artworks exploring divergent themes of art and architecture. Attila Csji, Vice President, Hungarian Academy of Arts has curated this exhibition defining significant contributions of these artists from Hungary including organic art, figurative and nonfigurative works, light art, graphics, sculptures and geometric art. The exhibition reflects development of the Hungarian cultural roots and their impact on the world culture with some of the outstanding works in different fields of arts in the past 30-40 years. The exhibition is open for public viewing till 31 October 2013. The exhibition is accompanied by the release of a comprehensive catalogue and a concert by Kobzos Ensemble. The concert will be performed at the NGMA on 28 October 2013. The show will travel to the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai (15 November 5 December) and National Gallery of Modern Art, Bengaluru (17 December 12 January).
Report | Survey 1.3 Million People died of TB Worldwide in 2012: WHO Report
Global Tuberculosis Report 2013 released by World Health Organization reveled that, Tuberculosis (TB) disease killed 1.3 million people worldwide in 2012, while India alone accounted for 26 percent of total TB cases globally. The Global Tuberculosis Report 2013 released on 23 October 2013 at London. Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs.
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Global Tuberculosis Report 2013 Highlights

The report found that global TB deaths decreased to 1.3 million in 2012, which is 100000 less than the previous year. Approximately 75 per cent of total TB deaths occurred in the African and South-East Asia Regions in 2012.
India and South Africa accounted for about one-third of global TB deaths. The report also found that the number of people ill with TB fell to 8.6 million in 2012. The largest number of incident cases in 2012 were India (2.0 million-2.4 million), China (0.9 million1.1 million) and South Africa (0.4 million0.6 million). The majority of TB cases worldwide in 2012 were in the South-East Asia (29 per cent), African (27 per cent) and Western Pacific (19 per cent) regions. India also accounted for 31 per cent of the estimated 2.9 million missed TB cases people who were either not diagnosed or diagnosed but not reported to National Tuberculosis Programmes (NTPs). WHO also expressed concern over multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) which claimed 170000 lives in 2012. The agency estimates that 450000 people fell ill with (MDR-TB) in 2012, with the highest burden in China, India and the Russian Federation. The report also revealed that between 1995 and 2012, 56 million people were successfully treated for TB in countries that had adopted WHOs global TB strategy, saving 22 million lives. The new data confirm that the world is on track to meet the 2015 UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of reversing TB incidence, along with the target of a 50 per cent reduction in the mortality rate by 2015 (compared to 1990).
What is Tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB primarily affects the lungs, but it can also affect organs in the central nervous system, lymphatic system, and circulatory system among others. The disease was called consumption in the past because of the way it would consume from within anyone who became infected. Tuberculosis is curable and preventable. TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. TB is generally classified as being either latent or active. Latent TB occurs when the bacteria are
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present in the body, but this state is inactive and presents no symptoms. Latent TB is also not contagious. Active TB is contagious and is the condition that can make you sick with symptoms. TB is a major cause of illness and death worldwide, especially in Africa and Asia. Each year the disease kills almost 2 million people. The disease is also prevalent among people with HIV/AIDS.
Key facts about Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide due to a single infectious agent. In 2012, 8.6 million people fell ill with TB and 1.3 million died from TB. Over 95 percent of TB deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and it is among the top three causes of death for women aged 15 to 44. .In 2012, an estimated 530000 children became ill with TB and 74000 HIV-negative children died of TB. TB is a leading killer of people living with HIV causing one quarter of all deaths. .Multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) is present in virtually all countries surveyed. The estimated number of people falling ill with tuberculosis each year is declining, although very slowly, which means that the world is on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goal to reverse the spread of TB by 2015. The TB death rate dropped 45 percent between 1990 and 2012. An estimated 22 million lives saved through use of DOTS and the Stop TB Strategy recommended by WHO.
Bangalore topped the list of Best Business Destinations in India

Bangalore topped the list of best business destinations in India as per the study done by Global Initiative for Restructuring Environment and Management on 21 October 2013. It was ranked on the basis of socio-economic and infrastructure factors. Chennai is at the second position, followed by Mumbai and Pune. Ahmedabad was placed at 8th position behind Indore (5th), Bhubaneshwar (6th) and Coimbatore (7th). Nagpur and Kochi are at ninth and tenth positions, respectively, while Hyderabad was ranked 12th. In the NCR region, Noida is at the 17th position while Gurgaon ranks 19th. Kolkata was placed at 18th position. Visakhapatanam is at 21st place. The study ranked the cities based on factors such as human capital, energy, water, transport, housing, healthcare, climate, office space availability and city culture, amongst others. These include basic eco-socio-economic factors critical in determining the growth of the city. The ranking offers companies across industries and sectors with valuable for future investment opportunities.
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STT should be Reduced to Give Boost to the Capital Market: SEBI Study
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) released the Development Research Group (DRG) Study entitled to Impact of Increased Derivatives-Trading in India on the Price-Discovery Process on 17 October 2013.
The main recommendations of the Development Research Group (DRG) Study

The study found that spot-market has been dominating the futures and option markets and that the dominance of futures market over options has diminished after the increase in Securities Transaction Tax (STT). The Study proposed that the Securities Transaction Tax should be reduced to give boost to the capital market.
About the Study

The objective of the study on Impact of Increased Derivatives-Trading in India on the PriceDiscovery Process is to examine whether the introduction of financial derivatives led to better price-discovery (PD) in India. This study is the first one to analyze individual stock-options in India. They studied using synchronous daily spot, futures, and option price on Nifty and ten randomly selected stocks. The study found that, while the spot-market is increasing its dominance over futures and options, the futures markets dominance over option-market has drastically fallen following the increase in Securities Transaction Tax.
About Securities Transaction Tax

Securities Transaction Tax (STT) is a tax being levied on all transactions done on the stock exchanges at rates prescribed by the Central Government from time to time. This would include shares, derivatives or equity-oriented mutual funds units. Pursuant to the enactment of the Finance (No.2) Act, 2004, the Government of India notified the Securities Transaction Tax Rules, 2004 and STT came into effect from 1 October 2004.
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Global Slavery Index 2013 estimated 30 Million People in the World Affected by Slavery
The inaugural Global Slavery Index published on 17 October 2013 revealed that around 30 million people across the world were living in the modern-day slavery. The Global Slavery Index 2013 was compiled by the Walk Free Foundation. The Walk Free Foundation explained in the meanwhile that India, by far, had the largest population of enslaved people. The problem of slavery was also prominent in West African nation of Mauritania, where the population of the slaves was 4 percent. The Walk Free Foundation also explained that the annual Global Slavery Index will help all the Governments of the world to tackle with the problem.
What is Walk Free Foundation (WFF)?

The Walk Free Foundation was established in May 2012. It is the 20-strong team based in Perth on the Australian west coast. WFF was founded by the philanthropists Andrew Forrest -- the chairman of Fortescue Metals Group along with his wife Nicola. WFF receives backing from the former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Britains ex-prime minister Tony Blair, current Australian PM Tony Abbott and philanthropists Bill Gates, Richard Branson and Mo Ibrahim. WFF brought together the best experts in the field, data from the outside sources as well as their own analysis in order to compile the index which includes 162 countries of the world.
Definition of Slavery according to WFF

The WFF defines modern slavery as something which includes slavery itself along with other slavery-like practices such as forced marriage, debt bondage, forced labour and human trafficking. This also includes exploitation of children and the sale of children. Slavery, according to WFF, is the hidden crime, because of which it becomes difficult to monitor it.
Countries with the top rankings in Global Slavery Index 2013

The countries that had the top rankings in the Global Slavery Index 2013 included Pakistan, Haiti and Mauritania. Apart from these countries, others in the top rankings included India, Nepal, Moldova, Benin, Ivory Coast, Gambia and Gabon. It is important to note that Moldova, which was once the part of Soviet Union, was the only European nation in the top 10 ranking of the Global Slavery Index 2013.
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The Global Slavery Index 2013 described Mauritania as a country which had deeply entrenched hereditary slavery and where the people in slavery were traded and given away as the gifts. Russia stood at the 49th position, China at 84th, United States at 134th, France at 139th and Britain remained low on 160. The total numbers of the most people in modern slavery were: India (13.95 million), followed by China (2.95 million) and Pakistan (2.1 million). The survey revealed that 72 percent of people in modern slavery lived in Asia. The Global Slavery Index 2013 revealed that by far the largest proportion of this problem is the exploitation of Indian citizens within India itself, particularly through debt bondage and bonded labour. The survey also revealed that the estimated 2.9 million people in modern slavery in China included forced labour of men, women and children in many parts of the economy, including domestic servitude and forced begging, the sexual exploitation of women and children, and forced marriage. The WFF explained that among the Top 10 nations, Moldova and Ivory Coast were working hard in order to address this issue. Also, the efforts in the top three- Mauritania, Haiti and Pakistan, were the token at best and non-existent at worst.
Global Hunger Index Report 2013: India Ranked at 63rd Position

2013: Global Hunger Index: The challenge of hunger: building resilience 2013 global hunger index to achieve food and nutrition security The 2013 Global Hunger Index (GHI), released on 14 October 2013 by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Welthungerhilfe, and Concern Worldwide- revealed that 842 million people were chronically under nourished across the world. The 2013 GHI is calculated for 120 countries, its scores are based on three equally weighted indicators.
The GHI combines three equally weighted indicators into one score:
1.The proportion of people who are undernourished. 2.The proportion of children under five who are underweight. 3.The mortality rate of children younger than age five. An increase in a countrys GHI score indicates that the hunger situation is worsening, while a decrease in the score indicates improvement in the countrys hunger situation.
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Report Highlights
The 2013 Index indicates that global hunger is decreasing; the 2013 world GHI score has fallen by 34 percent from the 1990 GHI score. Yet world hunger still remains serious, with 19 countries suffering from levels of hunger that are either alarming or extremely alarming. South Asia has the highest regional GHI score, followed by Africa south of the Sahara while Burundi, Eritrea and Comoros have the highest levels of hunger.
India Performance
India has moved from 65 to 63 in the Global Hunger Index, making a marginal improvement since 2012, but continues to suffering far behind other emerging economies. The score for India has improved slightly from 22.9 in 2012 to 21.3 in 2013. Within SAARC countries also, India continued to trail behind Pakistan and Bangladesh on the index. The level of hunger in India remained at alarming levels and the report also noted that it is one of the three countries outside Sub-Saharan Africa to fall in this category. The other two are Haiti and Timor-Leste. India continued to record one of the highest prevalence of children under five who are underweight, at more than 40 per cent. 1.Undernourished population 2010-12: 17.5 Per cent 2.Underweight children <5years 2008-12: 40.2 Per cent 3.Under-5 Mortality 2011: 6.1 Per cent
South Asia Region

South Asia continued to have the maximum number of hungry people in the world, followed by sub-Saharan Africa. Social inequality and the low nutritional, educational, and social status of women are major causes of child under-nutrition in the South Asian region.
Emerging economies Performance

Other emerging economies with high growth trajectories have done a much better job at pulling people out of hunger, when in comparison to India. China improved its ranking by 57.69 per cent between 1990-2012, while India showed a 34 per cent improvement in the same period. Brazil, in comparison, had a much better score to begin with and by 2012 entered the select block of nations doing the best to fight hunger.
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Countries that have achieved the highest progress on this front included Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba, Ghana, Thailand and Vietnam -all achieving more than 55 percent increase in their Global Hunger Index score.
About Global Hunger Index

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger globally and by country and region. Calculated each year by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the GHI highlights successes and failures in hunger reduction and provides insights into the drivers of hunger. By raising awareness and understanding of regional and country differences in hunger, the GHI aims to trigger actions to reduce hunger.
The theme of the 2013 GHI report is resilience in theory and in practice.
To reflect the multidimensional nature of hunger, the GHI combines three equally weighted indicators in one index number: 1. Undernourishment: the proportion of undernourished as a percentage of the population (reflecting the share of the population with insufficient calorie intake); 2. Child underweight: the proportion of children younger than the age of five who are underweight (low weight for age reflecting wasting, stunted growth, or both), which is one indicator of child undernutrition; and 3. Child mortality: the mortality rate of children younger than the age of five (partially reflecting the fatal synergy of inadequate dietary intake and unhealthy environments). The GHI ranks countries on a 100-point scale. Zero is the best score (no hunger), and 100 is the worst, although neither of these extremes is reached in practice.
The International Food Policy Research Institute

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI was established in 1975 to identify and analyze alternative national and international strategies and policies for meeting the food needs of the developing world, with particular emphasis on low-income countries and on the poorer groups in those countries.
Welthungerhilfe
Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest nongovernmental aid organisations in Germany. It provides fully integrated aid from one source, ranging from rapid emergency relief to reconstruction programmes,
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as well as long-term projects with local partner organisations following the principle of help toward self-help. Since its foundation in 1962, more than 6800 projects have been carried out in 70 countries with a total funding of 2.39 billion euros, striving for a world without hunger or poverty.
Concern Worldwide
Concern Worldwide is an international non-governmental humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the worlds poorest countries. The mission is to help people living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives which last and spread without ongoing support from Concern. To achieve this mission Concern engages in long term development work, responds to emergency situations, and seeks to address the root causes of poverty through development education and advocacy work. Concern currently works in 27 of the worlds poorest countries.
Social Media users to reach 91 Million by December 2013: IAMAI & IMRB Report
A latest report on Social Media in India 2013 released by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International on 8 October 2013 revealed- the number of social media users in urban India is expected to grow by 17 per cent by December 2013 due to the increasing affordability of smartphones and availability of cost-effective data plans.
Report highlights
The report estimates that the number of social media users by October 2013 will be 86 million and by December 2013, will be 91 million, showing an overall growth of 17 per cent since June 2013. The number of social media users in urban India reached 78 million by June 2013. Social networking through mobile phones is widely observed with 19.8 million users accessing the websites on mobiles and Facebook was the most accessed website. Afforadable mobile Internet plans additionally serve to increase usage levels. Non-working women are tipped to be the next emerging demographic segment with nearly 10 per cent of them accessing social media. Based on the number of eligible voters, data of actual voter turnout from the Election Commission of India and field interviews, the report estimates that there could be a vote swing of 3 to 4 percent in 24 states states where the internet users are sizeable. The survey was conducted across 35 cities of the country.
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About IAMAI
The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) was established in 2004 to address the challenges facing the digital and online industry including mobile content and services, online publishing, mobile advertising, online advertising, ecommerce and mobile & digital payments among others. internet and Mobile Association of India is a not-for-profit industry body registered under the Societies Act, 1986
India is Largest Recipient of Foreign Remittances: World Bank Report

The World Bank report entitled Migration and Remittance Flows: Recent Trends and Outlook-2013-16 released on 2 October 2013 revealed that India emerged as the largest recipient of foreign remittances among developing economies in 2013. In 2013 Non-Resident Indians (NRI) sent a record 71 billion Dollars home compared to 70 billion dollars in 2012. According to a Word Bank report NRIs are estimated to remit up to 85 billion dollars a year by 2015. World Bank in its report stated India and China will represent nearly a third of total remittances to the developing world in 2013. The surge in remittances continues despite the recent decline in Rupees against the Dollar. The gulf countries account for nearly 40 per cent of remittances in India while it was 48 percent to South Asian countries.
Report Highlights
1. The developing world is expected to receive 414 billion Dollars in migrant remittances in 2013, an increase of 6.3 percent over the previous year (2012). This is projected to rise to 540 billion Dollars by 2016. 2. Globally, the worlds 232 million international migrants are expected to remit earnings worth 550 billion Dollars in 2013 and over 700 billion Dollars by 2016. 3. The top recipients of officially recorded remittances for 2013 are India (with an estimated 71 billion Dollars), China (60 billion Dollars), the Philippines (26 billion Dollars), Mexico (22 billion Dollars), Nigeria (21 billion Dollars), and Egypt (20 billion Dollars). Other large recipients include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Ukraine. 4. As a percentage of GDP, the top recipients of remittances, in 2012, were Tajikistan (48 percent), Kyrgyz Republic (31 percent), Lesotho and Nepal (25 percent each), and Moldova (24 percent). 5. Growth of remittances has been robust in all regions of the world, except for Latin America and
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the Caribbean, where growth decelerated due to economic weakness in the United States. 6. In India, remittances are larger than the earnings from IT exports. With the weakening of the Indian rupee, a surge in remittances is expected as nonresident Indians take advantage of the cheaper goods, services and assets back home. Remittances to India are expected to reach 71 billion Dollars in 2013. Remittance is the act of transmitting money to a distant location to fulfill an obligation. International remittances are transfers of funds by foreign workersremitterswho are living and working in other countries typically to their families who are still living in their home countries.
827 Million Undernourished People are Living in Developing Countries: UN Report

The United Nations food agencies (Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP)) released a report on The State of Food Insecurity in the World on 1 October 2013.It highlighted that Some 842 million people or roughly one in eight suffered from chronic hunger in 2011-13 not getting enough food to lead active and healthy lives.
Highlights of the State of Food Insecurity in the World report

1. A total of 842 million people in 201113 or around one in eight people in the world were estimated to be suffering from chronic hunger, regularly not getting enough food to conduct an active life. This figure is lower than the 868 million reported with reference to 201012. The total number of undernourished has fallen by 17 percent since 199092. 2. The vast majority of hungry people 827 million live in developing regions where the prevalence of undernourishment is now estimated at 14.3 percent where as 15.7 million people live in developed countries. 3. While the estimated number of undernourished people has continued to decrease, the rate of progress appears insufficient to reach international goals for hunger reduction in developing regions the 1996 World Food Summit (WFS) target, which is to halve the number of hungry people by 2015, and the 2001 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) hunger target, which is to halve the proportion of hungry people in the total population by 2015. 4. While at the global level there has been an overall reduction in the number of undernourished between 199092 and 201113, different rates of progress across regions have led to changes in the distribution of undernourished people in the world. Most of the worlds undernourished people are still to be found in Southern Asia, closely followed by sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Asia. The regional share has declined most in Eastern Asia and South-Eastern Asia.
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Meanwhile, the share has increased in Southern Asia, in sub-Saharan Africa and in Western Asia and Northern Africa. 5. Africa remains the region with the highest prevalence of undernourishment with more than one live in people estimated to be undernourished. 6. Both the number and proportion of people undernourished have decreased significantly in most countries in Asia, particularly in South-Eastern Asia, but progress in Southern Asia has been slower, especially in terms of the number of people undernourished. 7. The prevalence of undernourishment is lower in Western Asia than in other parts of the region but has risen steadily since 199092. With a decline in prevalence from 31.1 to 10.7 percent, the most rapid progress was recorded in South-Eastern Asia, followed by Eastern Asia. 8. The Asia region as a whole is nearly on track to achieve the MDG hunger target. The target has already been reached in the Caucasus and Central Asia, East Asia and South-Eastern Asia, while it has nearly been reached in Latin America and the Caribbean. 9. Food security is a complex condition. Its dimensions availability, access, utilization and stability are better understood when presented through a suite of indicators.
Report Entitled Primary Census Abstract for Slum Released

Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India on 30 September 2013 released report on families living in slum areas. The slum report highlighted Households Population, sex ratio and growth rate, Child population and child sex ratio and Scheduled Caste population etc.
Highlights of slum census report

1. The people who are living in slums increased from 52 million in 2001 to 65 million 2011. 2. Slum population grown slower than the average urban population over 2001-2011. 3. Women living in slums participate at a higher rate in the workforce than the urban average. 4. More Scheduled Castes (SCs) are living in slums with 1 out of every five slums residents belonging to SC, compared to just over one out of 10 for urban India as a whole. The proportion of SCs living in slums has risen over the last decade. 5. Scheduled Castes in slums have shown far better sex ratios than other urban communities. 6. According to census 2001 total number of towns having slums 1743.The number of towns increased to 2613 in 2011. 7. The child sex ratio (0-6 years) of an average slum household is 922 girls for every 1000 boys, compared to 905 for urban India. 8. Top five states in slum population are Maharashtra(12 million),Andhra Pradesh(10 million), West
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Bengal(6.4 million), Utter Pradesh(6.2 million ) and Tamil Nadu(5.8 million) 9. Three types of slums have been defined in Census notified, recognised and identified. 10. In 2011 census slums have been earmarked in all the statutory towns irrespective of their population size based on the same definition as in 2001. 11. States/Union territories not reporting Slums Census 2001 are Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep. But in 2011 only Manipur, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep not reported any slums.
Probable reasons for upcoming slums

Urbanization Industrialization Higher productivity in the secondary and tertiary sector against primary sector.It makes cities and towns centres of economic growth and jobs. Cities act as beacons for the rural population as they represent a higher standard of living and offer opportunities to people not available in rural areas. This results in large scale migration from rural to urban areas. Census report also highlighted the negative consequences of urban pull. It results in upcoming of slums characterised by housing shortage and critical inadequacies in public utilities, overcrowding, unhygienic conditions etc.
Definition of slums
According to the Slum Area Improvement and Clearance Act, 1956 slums have been defined as mainly those residential areas where dwellings are in any respect unfit for human habitation by reasons of dilapidation, overcrowding, faulty arrangements and designs of such buildings, narrowness or faulty arrangement of streets, lack of ventilation, light, sanitation facilities or any combination of these factors which are detrimental to safety, health and morals. According to UN Habitat a slum is characterized by lack of durable housing, insufficient living area, and lack of access to clean water, inadequate sanitation and insecure tenure.
Indian Firms Perform Best In the BRICS Countries: Transparency International

Transparency International (TI) released a report on 17 October 2013 tilted Transparency in Corporate Reporting: Assessing Emerging Market Multinationals .The report is related on 100 of the fastestgrowing, companies based in 16 emerging Countries.
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Highlights of the report

Indian firms perform best in the BRICS countries. Russian firms occupied second place in the score. China got the lowest rating of the BRICS economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). Eight of the 10 worst-performing companies were Chinese, such as state-owned Chery Automobile Co Ltd. 50 percent of the companies with the lowest scores are privately owned. Companies from India like Tata Communications, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Steel and Vedanta Resources scored 92 percent and topped in the score. 79 companies published a statement that they are committed to complying with all laws, including anti-corruption laws. But almost half did not have an unequivocal statement of zero tolerance of corruption.
Transparency International (TI) used following three metrics in the report

Reporting on anti-corruption programmes (ACP): covering inter alia bribery, facilitation payments, whistleblower protection and political contributions Organisational transparency (OT): including information about corporate holdings Country-by-country reporting (CBC): including revenues, capital expenditure and tax payments
Defence | Security India developed Surface-to-Surface Missile Pragati

India developed a new tactical surface-to-surface missile Pragati, which has a range between 60-170 km. The missile is on offer to Indias friendly countries. The Pragati missile is based on the Prahaar missile and it has been developed by the DRDO for the Army. It was put on display at a defence exhibition at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (ADEX 2013). Besides Pragati tactical missile, DRDO showcased, Akash missile system and Tejas LCA and its variants. The LCA is a DRDO project which remains to be completed and the aircraft has not been inducted by
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the IAF so far. ADEX 2013 hosted more than 300 companies from 33 nations. DRDOs participation in ADX 2013 commemorates the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and South Korea.
INS Sunayna commissioned into Indian Navy

The Indian Navy on 15 October 2013 inducted into service its largest offshore patrol vessel (OPV), INS Sunayna, at the Southern Naval Command. The ship was designed and built by the public sector Goa Shipyard. The ship is equipped with the most advanced communication, navigation and electronic warfare equipment besides a 76-mm SRGM (Super Rapid Gun Mount), and close-in weapon system (CIWS). INS Sunayna will strengthen the Indian Navy capability to safeguard the maritime interests. The vessel is expected to fill the vital gap in the Southern Naval Commands patrol capability. The vessel also has the ability to embark an advanced light helicopter (ALH) or a Chetak search and rescue helicopter. Two more vessels of this class will be delivered to the Navy between this yearend and mid-2014.
India successfully Test-Fired Nuclear Capable Prithvi-II Missile from Odisha

India on 7 October 2013 successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile with a strike range of 350 km from Chandipur Integrated test range in Odisha. The surface-to-surface missile was test fired from a mobile launcher. The last user trial of Prithvi-II was successfully carried out from the same base on 12 August 2013.
Prithvi-II Missile Specifications

Inducted into Indias Strategic Forces Command in 2003, the Prithvi II missile is the first missile to be developed by DRDO under Indias Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. It is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1000 kg of warheads and thrusted by liquid propulsion twine engines, uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory. The Prithvi-II missile is equipped with advanced high accuracy navigation system and guided by an innovative guidance scheme. The improved Circular Error Probability (CEP) achieved by the missile is a testimony to specify the efficacy of this missile system. Prithvi uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring capabilities and comes within metres of its target.
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Books & Author
Indian Painting: Themes, History and Interpretations by Professor B N Goswami

The Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh on 18 October 2013 released a book on Indian painting written by Prof. B.N. Goswami in New Delhi.
About Professor B N Goswami

Prof. B.N. Goswami is a distinguished art historian, and a leading authority on Indian art and is Professor Emeritus of Art History at the Panjab University, Chandigarh. His work covers a wide range Profile and is regarded, especially in the area of Pahari painting, as having influenced serious critical thinking. He received many honours including the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship, the Rietberg Award from Switzerland for Outstanding Research in Art History, the Padma Shri (1998) and the Padma Bhushan (2008) from the President of India. Prof. Goswamy has written extensively and has been responsible for major exhibitions of Indian art in Paris, San Francisco, Zurich, San Diego, and Frankfurt. As Visiting Professor, he has taught at Universities of Heidelberg, Pennsylvania, California (at Berkeley and Los Angeles), Zurich, and Texas (at Austin), and lectured extensively at museums and universities in Europe, the U.S., and India.
Brazilian Football Legend Pele launched a Book Titled 1283

Brazilian football legend Pele on 16 October 2013 launched a new book titled 1283. It is the number of goals scored by Pele. It contains 1283 texts. The book documents his career. The 500-page limited edition book of the player widely regarded as the greatest ever weighs 15 kg and has a recommended retail price of 1700 US dollars. Edson Arantes do Nascimento better known as Pele is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is regarded by many experts, football critics, former players, current players and football fans in general as the best player of all time.
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The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton became the Longest Novel to Win the Man Booker Prize
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Eleanor Catton, the New Zealand author, at the age of just 28 years, became the youngest ever winner of the Man Booker Prize for her novel The Luminaries on 15 October 2013 at the Londons Guildhall. Her 832-page novel The Luminaries is the story of 19thcentury goldfields, which won 50000 Pound Man Booker Prize 2013 along with a trophy, and Emmanuel Roman. It is important to note that The Luminaries is also the longest work to win this prize in the history of 45 years of Man Booker Prize. The Luminaries is the longest ever book to win this Prize, beating Hilary Mantels 672-page Wolf Hall which received the Man Booker Prize 2009.
About The Luminaries

The novel entitled The Luminaries is set on the goldfields of New Zealand in 1866. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013 earlier and eventually also won the prize. The Luminaries is the second novel by Eleanor Catton and was published by Granta in September 2013. It is primarily a murder mystery set in New Zealand and has an astrology theme running throughout. Robert Macfarlane, Chair of the panel of judges described it as animated by a weird struggle between compulsion and conversion: within its pages, men and women proceed according to their fixed fates, while gold as flakes, nuggets, coins and bars ceaselessly shifts its shapes around them. Eleanor Catton was just 25 years old when she started the book The Luminaries.
The Third Curve: a Book Written by Film Director Mansoor Khan Released
The Third Curve: The End of Growth as We Know It: Mansoor Khan
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan on 11 October 2013 released Mansoor Khans book The Third Curve:
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The End of Growth as We Know It at the India International Centre in New Delhi. Mansoors book: The Third Curve describes the co-relation between the compulsions of economic growth and the limits imposed on man by nature. The Book also emphasises on the end of the economic growth.
About Mansoor Khan

Mansoor Khan is an alumnus of IIT-Mumbai, Cornell University and MIT, Boston and Bollywood film Director. Mansoor Khan, son of film maker Nasir Hussain, made his directorial debut with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) which launched the career of his cousin Aamir Khan.
Autobiography of Malala Yousafzai entitled I am Malala Released

I Am Malala: the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban
The autobiography of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by the Taliban for supporting girls education released on 8 October 2013 in London. Malala Yousafzais story is detailed in I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban, co-written with British journalist Christina Lamb, and tells of the day two Taliban gunmen boarded her school bus on 9 October 2012, and shot her in the head. The autobiography talks about Yousafzais life as an activist under the Talibans brutal rule in northwestern Pakistan in the mid-2000s, when the group banned female education and bombed local schools. The book also hints at her ambition to enter Pakistani politics, and talks about her fathers brief flirtation with Islamic fundamentalism as a youngster. Malala Yousafzai now lives in Birmingham, where she received specialist medical treatment after the shooting. The book also tells of her homesickness and her struggle to adjust to life in England. Malala Yousafzai has also been nominated for 2013s Nobel Peace Prize.
About Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani school pupil and education activist from the town of Mingora in the Swat District of Pakistans northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban militant in October 2012 after she campaigned for girls right to education.
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Mythily Sivaraman wrote a book Haunted by Fire Essays On Caste, Class, Exploitation and Emancipation
Haunted by Fire: Essays on Caste, Class, Exploitation and Emancipation: Mythily Sivaraman
The book titled Haunted by Fire: Essays on Caste, Class, Exploitation and Emancipation authored by Mythily Sivaraman released in International Centre in New Delhi on 1 October 2013. The book focused on essays range from agrarian unrest, caste oppression, land, labour and wages, the centrality of class struggle, the early promise of change, the radical course of left struggles, the coercive apparatus of the state, issues of impunity and the way the Emergency worked out on the ground.
About Mythili Sivaraman

Mythili Sivaraman is a Women Rights Activist. She is currently one of the Vice Presidents of the All India Democratic Womens Association (Womens wing of Communist Party of India (Marxist)). She worked as a Research Assistant in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN (July 1966 to mid-1968).
Day | Week | Year United Nations Day observed across the World on 24 October
24 October- United Nations Day
The United Nations Day was observed across the world on 24 October 2013. The UN Day is observed to mark the anniversary of entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. The founding document was ratified on this day by its signatories, including the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. With this, the United Nations came into being officially. 24 October is celebrated and observed as the UN day since the year 1948. In the year 1971, the UN General Assembly recommended that this day should be observed as the public holiday by the Member States.
What happens on this day?

United Nations Day is actually a part of the United Nations Week which is observed from 20 October to 26 October. This day is devoted to the purpose of creating awareness among the
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people regarding the aim and achievements of the United Nations. Traditionally, on this day, exhibitions, discussions and meetings are being organised across the world. These discussions, exhibitions and meetings revolve around the achievements and goals of the United Nations. Various international schools across the world also observe the United Nations Day by celebrating the diversity of the student body. The celebrations include the shows of cultural performances as well as food fair from across the world.
Police Commemoration Day observed on 21 October to Memorise Police Martyrs

21 October- Police Commemoration Day
Police Commemoration Day was observed on 21 October 2013 at the Police Memorial, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. On this day, tribute is paid to the martyred Police personnel. At the Police Commemoration Day, the Martyrs Book was brought to the memorial in slow march. Names of 579 martyrs who sacrificed their lives from 1 September 2012 to 31 August 2013, were announced on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day. The guard presented arms in Salami Sasthra and trumpeters sounds the last post and flag of all forces was slowly brought to half mast. The martyrs who were remembered belonged to all the states including 40 from Jharkhand.
Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day observed on 21 October

21 October 2013: Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day
Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day was observed on 21 October 2013 across the world to create awareness of the need to prevent iodine deficiency. Presently, one third of the world population is exposed to the risk of iodine deficiency disorders. Over 740 million people in 130 countries are facing the health problem. In India, more than six core people are suffering from iodine deficiency disorders including endemic goiter and 88 lakh people from mental or motor handicaps.
Importance of Iodine
A lack of iodine in the diet may lead to mental retardation, goiter, or thyroid disease. Iodine is required for the synthesis of the thyroid hormones like T- 4 and T-3 and it is essential for
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normal growth, development and well-being of all humans. It is a micronutrient and normally required around 100 to 150 micrograms for normal growth and development.
India efforts
In 1984, the Government of India adopted a policy decision with the goal of Universal Iodization of Salt. The sustained efforts of Salt Commissionerate over the last two decades in implementing the policy initiatives and the cooperation of the salt manufacturwers have resulted in significant progresss on Salt Iodisation Status in the country. The National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme has been included in the Prime Ministers 20-point programme.
World Osteoporosis Day was celebrated

20 October 2013: World Osteoporosis day
World Osteoporosis day was celebrated across the world on 20 October 2013. Osteoporosis occurs when there is a loss in the peak bone mass and loss of calcium leading to hip, knee and shoulder fractures. World Osteoporosis Day is observed annually on 20 October, and launches a yearlong campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. It is organised by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). World Osteoporosis Day involves campaigns by national osteoporosis patient societies from around the world with activities in over 90 countries. World Osteoporosis Day was launched on 20 October 1996 by the United Kingdoms National Osteoporosis Society and supported by the European Commission. Since 1997, the day was organised by the International Osteoporosis Foundation. In 1998 and 1999, the World Health Organization acted as co-sponsor of World Osteoporosis Day. The Deficiency of vitamin D and lack of mineral-rich food are the other causes of calcium loss in the bones. For this, doctors advise exposure to sun. Similarly, people suffering from arthritis, liver diseases or who sweat excessively too are prone to bone diseases. The bone diseases among women are a common occurrence, but of late, Osteoporosis, is fast affecting men, mostly after they turn 60. It is estimated that there will be around 36 million people in the world suffering from the disease by the end of this year.
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International Day for the Eradication of Poverty observed on 17 October

17 October 2013: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was observed on 17 October 2013 to promote peoples awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries.
Theme for the year 2013 is:

Working together towards a world without discrimination: Building on the experience and knowledge of people in extreme poverty United Nations General Assembly in 1993 by resolution 47/196 designated International Day for the Eradication of Poverty to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries. Fighting poverty remains at the core of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the post2015 development agenda.
Background
The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to 17 October 1987. On that date, more than 100000 people gathered in Paris, France, to honor the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. Since that moment, individuals and organizations worldwide observed October 17 as a day to renew their commitment in collaborating towards eradicating poverty. In December, 1992, the UN General Assembly officially declared 17 October as the date for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (resolution 47/196 of 22 December 1992). In December 1995, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (19972006), following the Copenhagen Social Summit. At the Millennium Summit in 2000, world leaders committed themselves to cutting by half the number of people living in extreme poverty by the year 2015.
World Food Day observed every year on 16 October

16 October: World Food Day
World Food Day celebrated on 16 October every year across the world since 1981. The main objective of the World Food Day is to strengthen national and international solidarity in the struggle
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against hunger, malnutrition and poverty and draw attention to achievements in food security and agricultural development.
Theme of the World Food Day 2013

The Theme of the World Food Day 2013 is Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition
About World Food Day

World Food Day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1979. World Food Day on 16 October was first observed in 1981. Organisations around the world mobilise advocacy campaigns and events on 16 October to strengthen the political will to end hunger. World Food Day offers the opportunity to strengthen national and international solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty and draw attention to achievements in food security and agricultural development.
World Standards Day celebrated by SCS Global Services

14 October 2013: World Standards Day
World Standards Day was celebrated on 14 October 2013 by SCS global services. This years theme is - International Standards Ensure Positive Change. International standards represent the consensus view of the worlds leading experts in industry sectors ranging from energy utilities and energy efficiency to transportation, climate change and healthcare. The standards are ensuring that products, services and environments become more accessible to persons with disabilities. SCS conducts accredited certification to recognized sustainability and environmental leadership standards in fields such as responsible forestry, carbon offset verification, food safety, green building, life cycle assessment and more.
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International Day of Rural women observed on 15 October

15 October 2013: International Day of Rural women
International Day of Rural women was observed on 15 October 2013 across the world to recognize the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty. The Day recognizes rural womens importance in enhancing agricultural and rural development worldwide. This International Day of Rural women, established by the General Assembly in its resolution 62/136 of 18 December 2007. The first International Day of Rural Women was observed on 15 October 2008 by the United Nations.
Significance of Rural woman

Rural women play a critical role in the rural economies of developed and developing countries. In most parts of the developing world they participate in crop production and livestock care, provide food, water and fuel for their families, and engage in off-farm activities to diversify their families livelihoods. Additionally, they carry out vital functions in caring for children, older persons and the sick.
World Arthritis Day Observed on 12 October

12 October 2013: World Arthritis Day
World Arthritis Day is observed across the world on 12 October 2013 to raise awareness about Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs). The Day is celebrated each year on 12 October to raise awareness of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases amongst the medical community, people with RMDs and the general public. World Arthritis Day was established in 1996 by Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI) and is celebrated each year on 12 October.
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The aims of World Arthritis Day are

To raise awareness of RMDs amongst the medical community, people with RMDs and the general public. To influence public policy by making decision-makers aware of the burden of RMDs and the steps which can be taken to ease it. To ensure all people with RMDs and their caregivers are aware of the vast support network available to them.
About Arthritis
Arthritis means joint inflammation, and its used to describe different diseases and conditions that affect joints, the tissues that surround joints, and other connective tissues in the body. Two of the most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
International Day of the Girl Child observed on 11 October

11 October 2013: International Day of the Girl Child
International Day of the Girl Child observed on 11 October 2013 across the world to recognise the girls rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. The for the year 2013 is Innovating for Girls Education This years Day focuses on innovating for girls education. Smart and creative use of technology, policies, partnerships and, most of all, the engagement of young people, themselves, are important for overcoming barriers to girls learning and achievement. The International Day of the Girl Child promotes girls human rights, highlights gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys and addresses the various forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by girls around the world. The United Nations General Assembly on 19 December 19, 2011 adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognise girls rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.
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UN Data about Girls

One in three women and girls experience abuse in their lifetime. More than half of sexual assaults are committed against girls under 16 years of age. Globally, more than one in three young women aged 20-24 years are married before the age of 18.
World Mental Health Day observed on 10 October

The World Mental Health Day Observed on 10 October 2013 across the world to raise awareness about mental illness and its effects on people. The theme for the year 2013 is Mental health and older adults World Mental Health Day is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries. This day, every year thousands of supporters come to celebrate this annual awareness program to bring attention to Mental Illness and its major effects on peoples life worldwide. World Health Organization also develops technical and communication material and provides technical assistance to the countries for advocacy campaigns around the World Mental Health Day. Medical Data states that one in four people globally experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. In India prevalence of mental disorders is six to seven percent for common mental disorders and about two percent for severe mental disorders. The Government of India has also introduced The Mental Health Care Bill 2013 in Parliament on 19 August 2013. The bill seeks to safeguard the right to access mental healthcare, right to protection from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and right to equality.
The Indian Air Force Day Celebrated Across India on 8 October

8 October: The Indian Air Force Day
The Indian Air Force Day is celebrated on 8 October 2013. It is the 81st anniversary of the Indian Air Force. On this day, various celebrations are organised across the country along with parades at the airbases all over India.
About the Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force is the air arm of Indian armed forces. The primary responsibility of Indian Air Force is to keep the Indian airspace protected as well as
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conduct aerial warfare during the wars. The Indian Air Force was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire. Therefore, every year 8 October is celebrated as the Indian Air Force Day. After the independence of India in the year 1947, the Royal Indian Air Force served India and the word Royal was thereafter dropped after India became Republic in the year 1950. After the year 1947, the Indian Air Force has been involved in four major wars, two of which included the wars with Pakistan and China. The major operations of IAF include Operation Poomalai, Operation Cactus, Operation Meghdoot and Operation Vijay. It is important to note that at present, the President of India Pranab Mukherjee serves as the ex-officio Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force. The Air Force is commanded by the Air Chief Marshal (ACM), who is the four-star commander and the Chief of Air Staff.
World Habitat Day observed across the World on 7 October

First Monday of October every year: World Habitat Day
World Habitat day is observed across the world on 7 October 2013. The purpose of this day is creation of the global awareness regarding the State of the towns and cities and the basic human right to adequate shelter. First Monday of October every year is designated as the World Habitat Day by the United Nation.
Theme of World Habitat Day 2013

The theme of the World Habitat Day 2013 is Urban Mobility to encourage people to shift towards more sustainable modes of transportation. In the year 2012, the theme was Changing Cities, Building Opportunities.
About the World Habitat Day

The World Habitat Day is observed every year on the first Monday of October, as designated by the United Nation. The first World Habitat Day was celebrated in the year 1986. The primary objective of observing and celebrating this day is to reflect the state of cities as well
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as towns along with the basic human right to adequate shelter. The World Habitat Day celebrations also aim to remind the global community about its collective responsibility for protection of the habitat for future generation. On this day, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme gives the Habitat Scroll of Honour awards. These awards have been into existence since the year 1989. The objective of the award is to acknowledge the initiatives of those who make contributions towards the fields associated with the human habitats.
The Ninth Formation Day of National Disaster Management Authority observed at New Delhi
4 October- Formation Day of National Disaster Management Authority
The ninth Formation Day of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) took place in New Delhi at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 4 October 2013. At the occasion, Army Chief General Bikram Singh and Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi were also present. The primary focus at the ninth Formation Day of National Disaster Management Authority was at the recent massive tragedy of Uttarakhand. The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, at the occasion explained that rains and floods in Uttarakhand opened the facts about Indias vulnerability to disasters and the need to take effective measures to prevent such disasters and contain their fall-out when they occur. During the occasion, the Prime Minister of India also honoured the people from the Indian Air Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Disaster Response Force, Civil Administration, civilian air crew and the community at large who helped during the natural calamity at Uttarakhand.
About the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

The National Disaster Management Authority has been in existence for 8 years now. Apart from the National Disaster Management Authority at the national level, State Disaster Management Authorities and District Disaster Management Authorities have also been set up in a large number of States and Union Territories. NDMA is the Indias apex body in the area of disaster management. It not only lays down our policies on disaster management but also lays down guidelines for the State Authorities to follow while making their own State Plans. It recommends funding for disaster management efforts and takes the other measures required for prevention and mitigation of disasters and capacity building for disaster management.
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The International Day of Non-Violence observed on 2 October

2 October- The International Day of Non-Violence
The International Day of Non-Violence was observed on 2 Octoberacross the world on the occasion of birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The International Day of Non-Violence is also known as Gandhi Jayanti in India. In the year 2004, Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian Nobel laureate took the proposal of International Day of Non-Violence to the World Social Forum in Bombay. On 15 June 2007 the United Nations General Assembly established 2 October as the International Day of Non-Violence. The resolution of the UN General Assembly asked the members of UN system to commemorate 2 October as the International Day of Non-Violence and disseminate the message of non-violence through public awareness and education.
How is International Day of Non-Violence observed or celebrated?

People, NGOs as well as the Governments across the world observe this day through different activities as well as events. These activities and events include: Broadcast announcements as well as news articles for promotion of the day Discussions, seminars, press conferences as well as public lectures in context with the nonviolence Photo exhibitions which highlight the issues and adverse effects related to violence Awareness campaigns Light ceremonies Prayer meetings It is important to note that the International Day of Non-Violence is strongly associated with Mahatma Gandhi, also known as the Father of the Nation of India. He is also symbolised as the peace leader.
The National Voluntary Blood Donation Day observed on 1 October

The National Voluntary Blood Donation Day on 1 October celebrated every year in India since on 1 October 1975.It is organised by National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) and National AIDS Control Organisation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Government of India.
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The main objectives of National Voluntary Blood Donation Day

To increase awareness among the people and the importance of voluntary blood donation. To achieve 100 percent Voluntary Blood Donation, so as to be able to give the safest blood to the needy patients. To have enough blood stock in our blood banks for any eventuality. To give our thanks and reinforce the self esteem of those who donate blood voluntarily, so that they continue to do so regularly. To inspire those who has not donated blood but are in good health, to start donating blood. To inspire those donors who donate blood only for their relatives or friends, to donate voluntarily.
Legal Protection in India for blood donation

Safe blood transfusion comes under the legal protection as it is life saving and also fatal. Fundamental right under part III of Indian Constitution (Article 21) spells out that no person shall be deprived of his life. The Consumer Protection Act of 1986 also covers blood as a commodity. Indian Panel code chapter XIV, sections 269 and 270 also provide for protection against spread of infectious diseases due to negligent and malignant acts. Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 also establishes regulations for blood banking and transfusions.
Criteria for blood donors as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940:
Age is between 18 to 65 years. Body weight is 45 kg and above. Pulse rate 60 to 100 per minute and regular Blood Pressure of Systolic 100 to180mm of mercury; Diastolic 50 to100mm of mercury. Hemoglobin minimum 12.5gm/100ml of blood. temperature should not exceed 37.50C.
About National blood transfusion council

In accordance with the directive of the Supreme Court, National Blood Transfusion Council was constituted in 1996 as a Registered Society. Main objectives of National blood transfusion council Promote voluntary blood donation Ensure safe blood transfusion Provide infrastructure to blood centres
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International Day of Older Persons observed on 1 October

Every year from 1991 onwards on 1 October is observed as the International Day of Older Persons. The day celebrated every year to recognise the contributions of older persons in the society and examines the issues that affect their lives. The theme of the 2013 International Day of Older Persons day is the future we want: what older persons are saying. World-wide there are around 600 million persons aged 60 years and above. It will double by 2025 and will reach virtually two billion by 2050.The vast majority of them living in the developing world.
About the International Day of Older Persons

United Nations General Assembly (by resolution 45/106) designated 1 October the International Day of Older Persons in 1990. This was preceded by initiatives such as the Vienna International Plan of Action on ageing which was adopted by the 1982 World Assembly on Ageing.
Miscellaneous Prime Minister of India inaugurated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Museum in Ahmedabad
Prime minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh on 29 october 2013 inaugurated the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Museum at Ahmedabad, Gujarat. About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Museum
Sarda Vallabhbhai Patel National Museum was established in the memory of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was an Indian freedom fighter. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Museum has been developed at the cost of 28.54 crore rupees in 36 thousand sq meter area. Eight feet tall statue of Sardar Patel along with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru is the main attraction of this National museum. Museum has rich and rare collection of personal belongings of Sardar Patel apart from valuable gifts received by him. Miniature of Sardar Patels residence, school, jail and other places associated with his life are also created in this museum. Visitors can also see the special 3D film on role of Sardar Patel in Indias freedom struggle apart from 14 multimedia interactive displays.
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About Sarda Vallabhbhai Patel

Sardar Vallabhai Patel was an Indian freedom fighter and one of the great social leaders of India. Vallabhbhai Patel was born on 31 October 1875 in Nadiad, a small village in Gujarat. He is one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress and one of the founding fathers of the Republic of India. After Indias independence, he became the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India. He was the man behind the consolidation of 565 semi-autonomous princely states to form a united India.
NOTA votes have No Effect on Poll Winner: Election Commission of India

The Election Commission of India on 28 October 2013 clarified that if the number of electors who had utilised the NOTA (None Of The Above candidates) option in the EVM or Ballot paper exceeded the votes polled by any of the candidates, the candidate with the highest number of votes would be declared winner. The clarification has been issued in the wake of the Supreme Courts direction to provide NOTA provision to voters in the forthcoming Assembly electionsin Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Delhi and Rajasthan. The Election Commission also made it clear that the NOTA will not be applicable in case only one candidate is in the fray. In this case the candidate will be elected-as per provisions of Section 53(2) of the Representation of People Act, 1951. Background The NOTA option was made mandatory by the Supreme Court of India on 27 September 2013 and gave the direction to the Election Commission of India to provide none of the above options at the end of the list of candidates contesting an election in a constituency. The Election Commission of India ordered on 13 October 2013 the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union territories to provide for None of the Above (NOTA) option in electronic voting machines (EVMs) and ballot papers.
India Post Released Postage Stamp on the Golden Jubilee of Bhakra Dam
India Post on 22 October 2013 released a commemorative postage stamp on the Golden Jubilee of Bhakra Dam. A two-inch stamp marking the 50th anniversary of Bhakra Dam was released in Nangal by Union minister of water resources Harish Rawat. The dam was dedicated to the nation by the then
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Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru on 22nd October in 1963. India Post earlier issued a commemorative postage stamp on Bhakra Dam on 15th Dec 1988 on its silver jubilee. Bhakra dam is the first structure in India which will have two commemorative postal stamps in its name.
About Bhakra dam

The Bhakra dam, located at a gorge near the upstream Bhakra village in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, is Indias second tallest at 225.55 m (740 ft) high next to the 261m Tehri Dam. Its reservoir, known as the Gobind Sagar, stores up to 9.34 billion cubic metres of water. Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab are getting water for irrigation from the Bhakra Dam.
Manmohan Singh Conferred Honorary Doctorate by Moscow State Institute of International Relations
Moscow State Institute of International Relations, the diplomatic school of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia conferred an Honorary Doctorate to Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India on 21 October 2013. Honorary Doctorate conferred to Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India during the official visit to Russia. He became the first Indian to receive an honorary doctorate from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. While accepting the Honorary Doctorate the Indian Prime Minister lauded the special Indo-Russian friendship and told that Russia has stood by India at moments of great international challenge, when our own resources were limited and our friends were few. Following Indias independence and consistently since then, India and Russia have built a sound partnership.
About Moscow State Institute of International Relations

Moscow State Institute of International Relations is the diplomatic school of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. It was founded on 14 October 1944. It is the oldest and the most renowned school in Russia for preparing specialists in international relations and diplomacy.
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64th Raising Anniversary of Territorial Army celebrated in New Delhi

Prime Ministers Territorial Army Day Parade was organised to commemorate the 64th raising anniversary of Territorial Army at the Army Parade Ground at New Delhi on 9 October 2013. Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh was the chief guest. The parade was attended by Chief of Army Staff, Gen Bikram Singh, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne and other civil and military dignitaries, including military and defence attachs from friendly foreign countries. The parade was commanded by Colonel DS Chauhan and comprised of 10 Marching Contingents, 15 Bands and Three Tableaus of Railway Engineer, Oil Sector and Ecological Territorial Army Units. Apart from this, the PARA Territorial Army units demonstrated expert slithering techniques from Advance Light Helicopters (Dhruv). Territorial Army has become a force to reckon with and has augmented the Regular Army in all spheres. It comprises of Infantry, Home and Hearth, Oil Sector, Railway Engineer and Ecological Territorial Army units.
The Twelve Day-Long NCC Thal Sainik Camp concluded successfully

The twelve day-long NCC Thal Sainik Camp concluded successfully on 7 October 2013. The closing ceremony of the NCC Thal Sainik Camp was held at the Garrison Parade Ground in Delhi Cantt. The closing ceremony was addressed by Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan, GOC-in-C, South Western Command. 1360 Cadets, both boys and girls drawn from 17 NCC Directorates covering all the States and Union Territories of the country participated in the camp. The Cadets during the camp competed in a number of activities, like shooting, Obstacle Crossing Training, Map reading and other Institutional Training Competitions spread over twelve days.
Aim of the Thal Sainik Camp

The primary aim of the Thal Sainik Camp is to give an exposure to salient aspects of Army Wing Training and generate healthy competitive spirit by conducting competitions contributing towards Inter-Directorate Republic Day Banner in addition to fostering a sense of discipline, leadership and National Integration amongst participating cadets. At the closing ceremony, trophies were awarded to the winners for various competitions. It is important to note that NCC is the largest uniformed youth organisation which is involved in grooming the youth of the country into motivated citizens and leaders.
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Vice President of India released a commemorative postage stamp of Baba Jumdev

The Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari released a commemorative postage stamp in the memory of Baba Jumdev at a function in Gondia, Maharashtra on 30 September 2013. Baba Jumdev was a prominent spiritual leader and revered social activist. He was a spiritual guide and a social reformer for who worked towards the service of humanity. M. Hamid Ansari explained that through a postage stamp, the social and spiritual message of Baba Jamudev will reach all over the country. Baba Jamudev made valuable contributions towards reforming and improving the society. He called upon his followers to be good human beings by adhering to compassion and forgiveness. On the occasion, Union Minister of Heavy Industries Praful Patel was also present.
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Oct 2013

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