CA English Yearly 2014

Current Affairs Half-Yearly eBook 2014
PREFACE
50
INTERNATIONAL
51
India and China inked 3 agreements including one to facilitate setting up of Chinese Industrial Parks
51
Jean-Claude Juncker named as the next president of the European Commission
52
Sri Lankas Parliament voted against the UNHRC probe into human rights violations
53
African Union Peace and Security Council restored membership of Egypt
53
Juan Manuel Santos re-elected as President of Colombia
54
Ugandas Sam Kahamba Kutesa elected President for the 69th Session of UNGA
55
Russia in-principle agreed on Indias nuclear liability law
56
Britain published Europes first Modern Slavery Bill to address slavery in 21st century
57
Reuven Ruby Rivlin elected as 10th president of Israel
59
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi sworn-in as President of Egypt
60
Petro Poroshenko sworn-in as President of Ukraine
60
UN General Assembly announced an award in honour of Nelson Mandela
61
Quebec became first province of Canada to adopt Right-to-Die Legislation
62
Recall of M.P. Bill introduced in the Parliament of Britain
63
Lithuania to become 19th country to adopt Euro as currency from 1 January 2015
64
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won Presidential election for third time
66
Palestinian Unity Government of Hamas and Fatah sworn-in by President Mahmoud

Abbas
67
Peter Mutharika sworn-in as President of Malawi
68
US deployed two Global Hawk drones on Misawa airbase in Northern Japan
68
US President announced to keep US troops in Afghanistan till 2016
69
Dalia Grybauskaite won the Presidential election of Lithuania
70
Russia and China signed 30 year deal on natural gas worth of 400 billion dollars
70
PEMRA suspended three Geo TV Channels for leveling allegations against ISI
72
Swiss voters rejected the Minimum Wage Initiative that introduced highest minimum wage
in the World
72
Qatar decided to abolish Sponsorship System for foreign workers
73
Moldova & Georgia to sign EU Association Agreement on 27 June 2014
74
Chinese premier Li Keqiang official visit to Africa concluded
75
Donetsk and Luhansk leaders declared independence from Ukraine
77
Five Nuclear Powers signed a protocol on Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone

Treaty
78
South Sudan Government and Rebel army signed a peace deal
80
US approved Diplomatic Mission for Syrian opposition in Washington
81
Panama Vice President Juan Carlos Varela won the Presidential Election
82
First Gurudwara to be built in Johannesburg
83
Worlds highest tunnel for high-speed train opened in China
84
India-made EVMs to be used in Namibias Presidential polls
85
Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana scheme launched in UAE
86
PLO adopted a plan to seek membership of International Organisations
87
Fatah and Hamas signed reconciliation agreement
88
Pakistan successfully tested short range ballistic missile-Ghazanvi
89
India and Bhutan signed agreement on development of hydropower projects
90
Abdelaziz Bouteflika won the Algerias Presidential election fourth time
91
Russia, Ukraine and West signed Deal to ease Ukrainian crisis
92
European Parliament approved the Banking Union reforms
93
EU Court struck down the EU Data Retention Directive
94
Spanish Parliament rejected referendum on Catalonian independence
95
Pro-Russian activists of Donetsk proclaimed their independence from Ukraine
96
NATO suspended all co-operations with Russia over Ukraine crisis
96
Myanmar started its first official census in 30 years
98
Japan announced 15000 crore loan for 5 Indian Projects
98
Deny access to websites infringing copyright: EU court to ISPs
99
President Barack Obama announced NSA reform plans
100
Japan signed an agreement to hand over nuclear material to the US
101
2400 km march over the demand to cancel Myitsone dam in Myanmar
101
Five Indian languages reinstated as official subjects in South African schools
102
Libyan Prime Minister sacked by the Parliament after tanker escaped rebel-held port 103
UNSC voted on a resolution condemning illegal Libyan oil export
104
UNSC extended mandate of UNAMA till March 2015
105
Britain handed over two military bases to Afghan troops in Helmand province
106
European Parliament passed a law to introduce a Universal Mobile Device Charger
107
Syrian Parliament approved new Election Law
108
India and United States Energy Dialogue held in New Delhi
109
Supreme Court of Maldives sacked Election Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek
110
Michelle Bachelet sworn-in as President of Chile for second term
111
India pledged to provide 4500 crore rupees Assistance Package to Bhutan
112
China announced the extension of Qinghai-Tibet railway line
113
National Security Advisor-level meet on Maritime Security Cooperation held in New Delhi
113
Third BIMSTEC summit 2014 held in Myanmar
115
Rail link between Kilinochchi to Palai inaugurated in Sri Lanka
117
India signed Public and Homeland security agreement with Israel
119
India and Israel signed an agreement on Cooperation in Public and Homeland security on
27 February 2014.
119
India and Saudi Arabia signed MoU on defence cooperation
119
Turkish President approved the bill restricting the judicial powers
120
Sri Lanka rejected the call of UNHRC for International Inquiry
120
India decided to block the US investigations over trade policies and patents laws of India
122
FNCII and CII agreed to organise Nepal-India Economic Summit annually
123
UNSC adopted resolution to boost humanitarian aid access in Syria
124
India and Canada signed three MoUs
126
G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meet
127
India and Bahrain signed Agreements to expand Cooperation in Key Areas
128
OPCW selected US and Finnish Companies to destroy remaining chemical weapons of

Syria
130
India and Kyrgyz Republic signed two agreements
131
Hillary R Clinton launched a new global review of data on women empowerment
131
Hillary R Clinton launched a new global review of data on women empowerment on 14

February 2014. The global review of data will analyse the advancement of women and
girls around the world since the mid 1990s.
131
Vice President of India launched India-China Year of Friendly Exchanges
132
Canada announced to open Consulate General in Bangalore
134
Afghan capital Kabul reported First polio case since 2001
134
Domestic Content requirement of Indias Solar Mission challenged by US
135
US Navy ANM66 bomb, the largest ever WWII bomb successfully dismantled
137
Union Ministry of Culture and Tate signed MoU
138
India and Germany signed 2 pacts for financial and tech co-operation
139
Work on widening Panama Canal suspended after dispute on rising costs
141
Libya destroyed entire chemical arsenal
142
North Korea and South Korea agreed to resume reunion of war-split families
143
Saudi Arabia King ordered jail terms ranging 3-30 years for mercenaries fighting outside
country
144
Nepal and India amended bilateral transit treaty
145
US warned China against move to declare new ADIZ over South China Sea
146
India launched Gandhi portal for British-Indian children
147
India and Fiji signed Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
148
India and Japan inked MoUs to strengthen cooperation in tourism and power generation
149
Russia & China to conduct war games in the Mediterranean Sea
151
India & UAE agreed to Promote Cooperation in Renewable Energy
152
USA allowed Sikh military men to wear turban
153
South Sudan Government and Rebels signed Ceasefire Agreement to end fighting
154
Cumbria University of UK became the first public university to accept fees in Bitcoin
154
India and Japan signed memorandum on tourism cooperation
155
Lanka urged Maldives to allow its fishermen in territorial sea waters
156
Emergency rule imposed in Thailand capital Bangkok for two months
157
Egypt approved the new Constitution in referendum
159
UN withdrew invitation to Iran to attend Syria Peace Conference
160
Obama established Af-Pak strategic partnership office
160
Peshawar, largest reservoir of polio in world: WHO
162
Hery Rajaonarimampianina declared as the President of Madagascar
163
India and South Korea inked pacts in different areas including trade and commerce
164
Sheikh Hasina sworn-in as Bangladesh Prime Minister
165
UN and partners launched No Lost Generation initiative to save Syrian children
166
Ali Larayedh, the Prime Minister of Tunisia resigned
168
Bangladesh new MPs took oath
168
India and Japan held Defence Ministerial Meeting
169
Pakistan planned 7 Nuclear Plants for 8900 MW of electricity by 2030
170
India & Saudi Arabia signed pact to protect interests of Indian domestic sector workers
171
Latvia became the 18th member of Euro Zone
172
NATIONAL
174
Union Government extended the deadline for implementing NFSA by three months
174
Union Cabinet approved pact with China for setting up industrial park
175
Union Ministry of Culture launched project Mausam to explore multi-faceted Indian Ocean
176
Union Government reconstituted 6 Cabinet Committees
177
Cabinet approved Committee to look into issues of safety & restoration of Mullaperiyar
Dam
178
Union Cabinet appointed Ex-CJI R C Lahoti as arbitrator in Vodafone tax dispute case 179
India became permanent signatory to Washington Accord
181
Narendra Modi scrapped four Standing Committees of Cabinet
181
Project Seabird phase II in Karwar, Karnataka got environment clearance
183
Private schools come under the provision of RTI Act: CIC
183
Candidates not disclosing information about assets can be disqualified: SC
184
President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to Whistleblowers Protection Bill 2011
185
SC quashed Kerala law on Mullaperiyar dam and ordered water level can be raised
186
SC upheld validity of Right to Education Act
188
Union Cabinet approved the Polavaram Project
189
Election Queue Management System introduced in India
190
Michael Hudson McHug, the ex-Australian judge appointed as arbitrator by SC
191
SC referred Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to Constitution Bench
191
CAG empowered to audit private telecom companies: SC
193
Union Government extended Tourist Visa-on-Arrival Scheme to the citizens of the South
Korea
193
ECI launched Election Visitors Programme 2014
195
SSB to induct Women as Combat Officers
196
SC directed the Union Government to furnish all records related to the inclusion of Jats in
OBC
197
Trial of government officers cant be quashed for sanction error: SC
198
Supreme Court seeks response from Centre on selection process of Lokpal
198
SC uphold the age of juvenile at 18 years
201
Supreme Court directed all States and UTs to implement Manual Scavengers Act
202
Nagaland and Assam became first two states to get Plastic Photo Identity Card
204
DoT issued new guidelines to tackle the threats of Cyber attack
204
SC directed Law Commission to look into issue of hate speeches
206
Election Commission set up multi agency grid to curb Black Money
206
Complete trial in criminal cases involving lawmakers within one year: SC to Lower Courts
207
Medical Visa not required in cases of Surrogacy for OCIs & PIOs
208
Union Cabinet approved a new rail coach manufacturing unit in Kolar
211
Union Ministry of H & FW inaugurated AIIMS Bhubaneswar
211
Supreme Court referred the issue of legalizing euthanasia to Constitutional bench
212
Largest Solar Power Plant of India launched in Madhya Pradesh
213
Union Government inaugurated the National Centre for Good Governance
214
Union Cabinet approved converting of 7200 km state roads into Highways
215
Bezbaruah Committee set up to look into the grievances of North Eastern people
217
Telangana draft Bill approved by Union Cabinet
218
People are free to adopt children irrespective of religious background: SC
219
Parliament passed Street Vendors Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending Bill
220
Death sentence of 3 convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case commuted to life impris-
onment
223
Union Home Ministry laid down guidelines for mercy petitions
225
Union Government made it mandatory to install GPS devices in public transport
226
Sikkim became first state to achieve 100 percent sanitation coverage
227
Cabinet approved Amendment to Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill 2014
229
Implement recommendations of Majithia Wage Board: SC
231
CCEA approved creation of National Programme on Prevention and Management of Burn

Injuries
232
Indias Visa-on-arrival facility extended for tourists of 180 nations, except eight
234
9.7 crore new voters added in the electoral rolls during 2009-14 period
235
CCEA approved implementation of National Mission Agricultural Extension and Technology
237
Union Ministry of Culture launched National Mission on Libraries
238
Indias first Mono rail inaugurated
239
Mother and Child Tracking Facilitation Centre Inaugurated
240
Union Government decided to fix two year tenure for IAS, IPS
241
Union Cabinet approved Amendments in OBC Central List for 13 States and 3 Union Territories
243
Union Cabinet approved Amendments to the Mental Health Care Bill
245
India Post to install 3000 ATM & 1.35 lakh micro-ATM by September 2015
246
Union Civil Aviation Ministry removed restrictions on Airbus A-380 in India
247
National Waterway-4 project launched in Tamil Nadu
248
PAN allotment process to undergo change from 3 February 2014
249
NALSA launched free legal service clinics across the country
250
Viscera test must in death due to poisoning: SC
251
Government approved Capacity Building Scheme and Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Climate
Change
252
Union Government of India extended the implementation of NFSA to Karnataka and

Chhattisgarh
253
Union Cabinet approved to set up Rail Tariff Authority
254
India registered an increase of five years in life expectancy rate
254
Forest STs to get additional 50 days wage employment under MGNREGA
255
SC directed to Government of India to place Shah Commission report by 27 January 256

Government gave nod to Guidelines for transparent TV ratings
257
Government approved installation of CCTV and GPS on public transport vehicles
259
CCEA nod for the implementation of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project
259
CCEA nod for establishment of Medical colleges for deficient states
262
CCEA approved the Central Sector Scheme, ILDP
263
Cabinet nod on sending President Reference to Supreme Court in Ganguly Case
264
Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill 2013 got assent of President
265
Centre sanctioned over 1000 buses for 13 cities under JNNURM
267
SC directed NCST to verify authenticity of ST status of Meghalaya CM
268
Government issued food safety guidelines for Integrated Child Development Services
scheme
269
ECONOMY
272
Union Government upgraded NIC-1987 to NIC-2008 to make it more investor friendly 272
Union Government granted Navratna Status to EIL and NBCC
273
UNCTAD released World Investment Report 2014
274
World Bank released a report on power sector reforms in India
276
RBI permitted NBFCs-ND to work as BCs for banks
279
RBI directed Banks and FIs to provide information to SIT
280
Railway passenger fares increased by 14.2 percent and freight charges by 6.5 percent 280
RBI asked banks to disclose sector-wise advances in financial statements
10
281
SEBI issued new norms for public issuance of debt securities
282
Union MSME Ministry launched Online Finance Facilitation Centre for SMEs
283
RBI simplified KYC norms for opening bank account
284
India became the second largest exporter of textiles in the world: UN Comtrade
285
RBI announced second Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement
287
RBI tightened acquisition & merger rules for Non-Banking Financial Companies
288
RBI permitted the banks to provide loans to exporters with 10 years tenure
289
RBI eased gold import norms under 20:80 Scheme
290
Bharatiya Mahila Bank included in Second Schedule of RBI Act, 1934
291
Nayak Committee to Review Governance of Boards of Banks in India submitted its report
to RBI
291
India to become the third largest oil consumer by 2025: US EIA
294
RBI allowed bank branches abroad to sell structured products
295
Indian companies are not permitted to raise External Commercial Borrowings: RBI
296
RBI allowed the minors of age above 10 years to open Savings bank accounts
297
Deadline ended for non-CTS cheques
298
Lalit Gupta committee on DIAL submitted its report to DGCA
299
DGCA allowed Portable Electronic Device including cellphones during Flights
301
RBI issued uniform accounting norms for Asset Reconstruction Companies
302
RBI will decide NPA guidelines rules: Gujarat High Court
303
Umesh Bellur headed GIRO Advisory Group submitted its report to RBI
304
IFFCO got permission from Quebec Provincial Government to set up Urea plant
306
Basel Committee issued Final standards to curb exposures of banks to customers
308
Securities of 7 firms to be moved from restricted to normal trading category: SEBI
309
World Trade to grow by 4.7 percent in 2014: WTO
310
India became net steel exporter after a gap of 6 years
312
MCA notified rules on providing insurance cover for public deposits
313
11
RBI approved banking licences to IDFC Ltd and Bandhan financial services
313
RBI capped WMA limit for central government at 35000 crore rupees for 2015 first half 315
EPFO announced to provide Universal Account Number from October 2014
316
Bank of India launched Instant Money Transfer Scheme
317
Government of India divested its 9 percent stake in Axis Bank
319
RBI issued notice to banks concerning discontinuation of Windows XP
320
SEBI issued new norms to ease KYC details for investors
320
IOC sold 10% government stake to OIL and ONGC
321
RBI hiked trade related remittance from 2 to 5 lakh rupees per transaction
322
CPSE-ETF new fund offer launched
322
Union Finance Ministry and SEBI finalized the norms for setting up CPSE-ETF
323
Union Government announced to build 200 low cost airports
324
India emerged as the largest non oil trading partner for Dubai in 2013-14
325
Indian Revenue Department tightened baggage rules to curb illegal Gold Import
326
Current Account Deficit declined to 0.9 percent of GDP in Quarter 3 of 2013-14
327
Workdays for tribals under MNREGA raised from 100 to 150
329
RBI issued guidelines to deal with distressed assets
329
NABARD formed Joint Liability Group to finance Small Farmers
331
Union Cabinet approved Coal Regulatory Authority
332
Gross NPAs of listed banks soared 35.2 percent during first three quarters of 2013-14 332
Government de-allocated six Coal Blocks due to delay in production
333
Second AE put Foodgrain production at 263.2 MT in 2013-14
334
Indias Economy to grow by 4.9 percent in 2013-14: CSO
335
RBI released draft Report on Enabling PKI in Payment System Applications
337
FAA downgraded safety ratings of Indian aviation
338
Union Cabinet approved second Phase of Bangalore Metro Rail Project
339
Agriculture Ministry issued guidelines on National Mission on Oil seeds and Oil Palm
340
12
India became third largest crude oil importer in the World
341
NIC and Union Ministry of MSME launched India Inclusive Innovation Fund
341
EGoM approved SUC of 5 percent of annual Gross Revenue on all new airwaves
343
RBI raised Repo Rate by 25 basis points to 8 percent
344
RBI issued new guidelines for loan restructuring in NBFCs
345
Finance Ministry nod for 1000 rupees minimum monthly pension plan
346
Currency notes issued before 2005 to be withdrawn: RBI
347
SEBI asked depositories to set up IT Strategy Panels
348
CCEA approved the sale of Governments residual stake of HZL
349
RBI appointed a Committee to Review Governance of Boards of Banks in India
350
Government extended Natural Manufacturing Policy benefits to Industry Clusters
351
IIFCL signed MoU with EXIM Bank of Korea
353
EGoM approved the sale of 10% stake in IOC to ONGC and OIL
354
Guidelines on New Land Policy for Major Ports of the Country Released
354
RBI included Hong Kong and Macau in the sensitive list
356
Pawar-led GoM gave nod for incentives to Sugar Industry
357
Sudan offered two oil and gas blocks to ONGC at Petrotech 2014
357
IRDA issued guidelines for investment in Equity Exchange Traded Funds
359
IRDA formed Suresh Mathur panel to suggest ways to improve FDI
360
Indian Economy GDP growth rate revised from 6.2 percent to 7 percent for 2011-12
361
Reserve Bank of India relaxed Foreign Direct Investment rules
362
SEBI notified stricter Settlement System for serious offences
362
Kelkar panel submitted report to Union Oil Ministry
363
SEBI barred cash Transactions in Collective Investment Schemes to check laundering 365
China to be become a partner in the proposed NIMZ in Andhra Pradesh
367
Reserve Bank of India selected CCIL as Legal Entity Identifier
368
RBI allowed Indian companies to issue non-convertible debentures
370
13
Financial Inclusix Index 2013 launched by credit rating agency CRISIL
371
Price of the Non-subsidized LPG hiked by 220 rupees per cylinder
372
ENVIRONMENT | ECOLOGY
374
UNEP RELEASED A REPORT TITLED THE ENVIRONMENT CRIME CRISIS
374
GREAT HIMALAYAN NATIONAL PARK CONSERVATION AREA INSCRIBED IN WORLD

HERITAGE LIST
376
US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ANNOUNCED TO CREATE THE WORLDS BIGGEST

MPA IN PACIFIC
377
IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES RELEASED
379
TROPICAL CYCLONE NANAUK EMERGED IN ARABIAN SEA
380
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND RELEASED THE REPORT TITLED MYSTERIOUS MEKONG 381
UNION MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FOREST LAUNCHED ONLINE ENVIRONMENT CLEARANCE
382
TERI RELEASED TERI ENVIRONMENT SURVEY 2014
383
US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ANNOUNCED NEW RULES TO CUT CARBON POLLUTION BY 30% BY 2030
385
AFTER 25 YEARS OLIVE RIDLEY CONSERVATION PROGRAMME RESUMED IN TAMIL

NADU
387
REVISED NCR NORMS RESTRICT TOURISM IN GREEN ZONES
387
CHANCES OF EL NINO WOULD EXCEED 65 PERCENT IN 2014: US CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER
388
NEW DANCING FROG SPECIES FOUND IN WESTERN GHATS
390
CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTING NUTRIENT CONTENT OF STAPLE CROPS: STUDY
392
NGT PROHIBITED DUMPING OF SEWAGE AND WASTE MATERIAL AT DHEERPUR WETLANDS
393
THE ONLY GORILLA OF INDIA, POLO DIED IN MYSORE ZOO
394
14
NEIGHBOURHOOD TREES CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED ON INTERNATIONAL MOTHER

EARTH DAY
395
CHERRAPUNJI REGAINED THE WORLD RECORD FOR HIGHEST RAINFALL IN 48

HOURS
396
AIR POLLUTION OVER ASIAN COUNTRIES STRENGTHENED PACIFIC STORMS: PNAS

STUDY
397
UNION MOEF CLEARED EXPANSION OF COAL MINE PROJECT IN ODISHA
398
UNION GOVERNMENT IMPOSED 45-DAY LONG FISHING BAN IN EAST COAST
399
QUAKE OF 8.2 MAGNITUDE RAISED TSUNAMI WARNING FOR LATIN AMERICAN

COAST
400
ASIATIC WILD DOG DHOLE SPOTTED IN WEST BENGAL FOR THE FIRST TIME
400
JAPAN ANNOUNCED TO CANCEL NEXT ANTARCTIC WHALING PROGRAMME AFTER

UN ICJ DECISION
401
IPCC RELEASED REPORT TITLED CLIMATE CHANGE 2014: IMPACTS, ADAPTATION

AND VULNERABILITY
404
GEAC REVALIDATED 10-GM CROPS FOR FIELD TRAILS
407
PARIS IMPOSED A PARTIAL CAR BAN TO COMBAT POLLUTION
407
PANASONIC ANNOUNCED POLLUTION COMPENSATION FOR CHINA WORKERS
408
VOLCANOES PROVIDED SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT TO SPECIES DURING ICE AGES:

STUDY
409
UNION MOEF ACCEPTED THE KERALA GOVERNMENTS RECOMMENDATIONS ON ESA

410
MISSION DOCUMENT ON NATIONAL MISSION FOR SUSTAINING HIMALAYAN ECOSYSTEM APPROVED
411
UNION MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT & FOREST APPROVED FIELD TRIALS FOR GM

CROPS
413
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ALLOWED IN ECO- SENSITIVE ZONES OF ARAVALI
415
15
100 TONS OF RADIOACTIVE WATER LEAKED AT FUKUSHIMA POWER PLANT
415
STUDY FOUND THAT FERTILIZATION DESTABILIZES GLOBAL GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEMS
416
COUNTRYS FIRST WILD DOG BREEDING CENTRE TO BE CREATED IGZP IN VIZAG

417
JAPAN SNOWSTORM LEFT 19 DEAD AND INJURED MORE THAN 1600 PEOPLE
419
US SNOWSTORM THAT LEFT 7 LAKH HOMES POWERLESS TERMED AS SNOWMAGGEDON
419
VOLCANO MOUNT KELUD OF INDONESIA ERUPTED
420
SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED NEW RIVER DOLPHIN SPECIES IN AMAZON; THIS IS FIRST

DISCOVERY IN 100 YEARS
421
NGT BANNED BURNING OF TYRES IN PUBLIC PLACES
423
OLDEST TIGRESS MACHLI FOUND IN RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK
424
IUCN RED LIST COMPLETED 50 YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE
424
FIRST ONLINE GLOBAL FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY ATLAS LAUNCHED
428
DELHI METRO AWARDED GSF CERTIFICATION FOR EFFICIENT ENERGY USE
429
WORLDS OLDEST FLAMINGO DIED AT ADELAIDE ZOO OF AUSTRALIA
431
INDIA RANKED 155TH IN GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT PERFORMANCE INDEX
431
SC ASKED MOEF AND RAILWAY MINISTRY TO EVOLVE STEPS TO PROTECT ELEPHANTS
433
2013 IS FOURTH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD FOR THE PLANET: REPORTS
436
CHILIKA LAGOON NAMED DESTINATION FLYWAYS BY UNWTO
437
BEIJING PASSED A NEW LAW TO CONTROL HAZARDOUS SMOG AND AIR POLLUTION
439
FIRST CLIMATE CHANGE THEATRE OPENED IN INDIA
440
AIR POLLUTION OF BEIJING 25 TIMES ABOVE WHO SAFE MARK
440
LEVEL OF GREENHOUSE GASES RISING RAPIDLY: UN REPORT
441
16
PARLIAMENT OF EUROPEAN UNION APPROVED CO2 EMISSION RESTRICTIONS FOR

COMMERCIAL VANS
443
DINOSAURS FOOTPRINTS SPOTTED IN JAISALMER: SCIENTISTS
445
POSCO GOT ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE NOD FOR 52000 CRORE RUPEES STEEL
PLANT IN ODISHA
446
REPORT TITLED ESTIMATION OF RETREAT OF GANGOTRI GLACIER RELEASED BY

GBPIHED
446
EXCEPTIONALLY RARE CONJOINED WHALES DISCOVERED
447
SC DIRECTED CENTRE TO APPOINT A NATIONAL REGULATOR TO OVERSEE IMPLEMENTATION OF FOREST POLICY
448
CHINA DESTROYED SIX TONNES OF SMUGGLED IVORY TO PROTECT DECLINING

ELEPHANT POPULATION
449
16TH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL

TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES COP16)
450
RARE ODONATE SPECIES FOUND IN WESTERN GHATS
451
ENDANGERED TIGERS, LIONS AND RED PANDAS DIED DUE TO CANINE DISTEMPER
VIRUS: SCIENTISTS
452
INDIAN PITTAS, ENDEMIC BIRD SPOTTED IN DELHI
452
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
454
HUMAN PROTEOME MAP DECIPHERING 84% OF HUMAN PROTEINS PUBLISHED 454

SCIENTISTS AT NDRI CLONED FEMALE BUFFALO CALF LALIMA
455
SCIENTISTS CREATED FIRST LIVING ORGANISM THAT TRANSMITS ADDED LETTERS

IN DNA
456
ARTIFICIAL BLOOD MADE BY UK SCIENTIST SET FOR FIRST HUMAN TRIAL BY 2016
457
SCIENTISTS CREATED MAN-MADE CHROMOSOME FOR COMPLEX-CELL ORGAN-
17
ISMS
458
INDIAN-AMERICAN SCIENTIST ANIL JAIN DEVELOPED FIRST 3D MODEL OF HUMAN

FINGERPRINT CALLED PHANTOM
459
DANISH AMPUTEE FIRST IN THE WORLD TO GET BIONIC HAND
460
US SCIENTISTS GENETICALLY ENGINEER TULASI TO INCREASE PHARMACEUTICAL

VALUE
461
KOREAN SCIENTISTS DEVELOPED ROBOT RAPTOR THAT CAN OUTRUN USAIN BOLT
461
PEEPER, THE HUMANOID ROBOT THAT CAN READ EMOTIONS UNVEILED BY SOFTBANK
462
ROBOTS CAN BE PROGRAMMED BY CASUALLY TALKING TO IT: CORNELL UNIVERSITY STUDY
463
WORLDS FIRST ANDROID NEWSCASTERS UNVEILED IN JAPAN
464
BOSTON DYNAMICS OF US DEVELOPED LIFE-SIZED ANTHROPOMORPHIC ROBOT

CALLED ATLAS
465
BLUEFIN 21- A ROBOTIC SUBMARINE - DEPLOYED TO SOLVE MYSTERY OF LOST

MALAYSIAN PLANE MH370
465
SCIENTIST DEVELOPED NEW BIOCHIP TO DETECT BLOOD SUGAR VIA SALIVA
467
NEW TITANIUM DIOXIDE TILES DEVELOPED TO FIGHT AGAINST AIR POLLUTION
467
SILVER NANOWIRES-BASED NANOSCALE FINGERPRINTS DEVELOPED TO PROTECT

CREDIT CARDS
468
A SMARTPHONE BATTERY NANODOTS THAT RECHARGES IN 30 SECONDS DEVELOPED
469
NIT ODISHA DEVELOPED TECHNOLOGY TO TURN PLASTIC INTO FUEL
470
NANOTECHNOLOGY MAY PREVENT CANCER FROM SPREADING
471
KUDANKULAM BECAME INDIAS FIRST NUCLEAR PLANT TO GENERATE 1000 MW

POWER
472
18
MIT SCIENTIST DESIGNED THE WORLDS FIRST FLOATING NUCLEAR PLANT
472
ANU VIDYUT PARIYOJANA LAUNCHED IN FATEHABAD, HARYANA
474
WORLDS MOST POWERFUL TELESCOPE ATLAST TO BE BUILT BY NASA TO TRACK

ALIENS LIFE
475
PSLV C23, CARRYING FIVE SATELLITES, LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY FROM SRIHARIKOTA
476
NASA DEVELOPED HIGH-TECH CAGES TO CARRY RODENTS TO ISS
477
NASA SIMULATOR SUCCESSFULLY RECREATED SPACE DUST
477
KOI-3278: A SELF-LENSING BINARY STAR SYSTEM FOUND IN LYCRA CONSTELLATION
478
KEPLER-186F, THE FIRST EARTH-SIZE PLANET DISCOVERED IN THE HABITABLE

ZONE
479
ISRO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED IRNSS 1B FROM SRIHARIKOTA
480
EUROPE LAUNCHED A SATELLITE, SENTINEL-1A TO MONITOR EARTH FOR CLIMATE

CHANGE
482
ISRO DECOMMISSIONED COMMUNICATION SATELLITE INSAT-3E
484
HR 5171 A, THE LARGEST EVER YELLOW HYPERGIANT STAR DISCOVERED
485
ASTERIOD NAMED 2000 EM26 WITH POTENTIAL HAZARD RACED PAST EARTH
486
MARS ORBITER SPACECRAFT, MANGALYAAN, COMPLETED 100 DAYS
487
AUSTRALIAN ASTRONOMERS DISCOVERED OLDEST KNOWN STAR IN UNIVERSE 488

RIVER OF HYDROGEN FLOWING THROUGH SPACE SEEN WITH GREEN BANK TELESCOPE
489
NASA DISCOVERED POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS ASTEROID 2013 YP139
491
SCIENTISTS MEASURED THE DISTANCE TO GALAXIES ACCURATE TO 1%
491
SATURNS RING 4.4 BILLION YEARS OLD
492
HUBBLE DISCOVERED CLOUDS ON NEW PLANETS
493
SCIENTISTS DEVELOPED SENSING SKIN TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN DETECT CRACKS
19
IN CONCRETE STRUCTURES
494
WORLDS FIRST ELECTRIC PLANE E-FAN COMPLETED ITS FIRST FLIGHT
495
SOLAR PLANE SOLAR IMPULSE 2 UNVEILED IN SWITZERLAND
496
NEW SOFTWARE APP SANDESH PATHAK DEVELOPED TO HELP FARMERS
497
FOLDSCOPE: A LOW COST MICROSCOPE INVENTED
498
NIST LAUNCHED WORLDS MOST ACCURATE CLOCK, NIST-F2
500
UNION MINISTER OF RT & H INAUGURATED ELECTRIC PASSENGER BUS
500
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS PRINTED EYE CELLS USING INKJET PRINTER

501
NEW EYEWEAR SYSTEM DEVELOPED TO GIVE SUPERHUMAN
502
CSIR AND IMD SIGNED AN AGREEMENT TO DEVELOP DRISHTI SYSTEM
502
TERI DEVELOPED CLOUD BASED OPEN-SOURCE WEB-GSI TOOL
504
ASI & GOOGLE JOINTLY LAUNCHED THE 360 DEGREE ONLINE VIEW OF INDIAN HERITAGE SITES
505
EMAIL MILES, A SYSTEM USING GPS DEVELOPED TO TRACK THE EMAILS
506
SCIENTIST DISCOVERED METHOD TO CURB GREENHOUSE GASES
507
SCIENTISTS DESIGNED MOCLIC SOFTWARE TO PREDICT WEATHER
508
WHO DECLARED EBOLA AS GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY
508
ITALIAN SCIENTISTS DESIGNED KIDNEY DIALYSIS MACHINE FOR NEWBORN BABIES

510
REPORT ON HEALTH FOR THE WORLDS ADOLESCENTS RELEASED BY WHO
510
UNIQUE ENZYME SOD DISCOVERED BY CSIR TO INCREASE SHELF LIFE OF FRUITS

AND VEGETABLES
512
3D MODEL OF MALARIA PARASITE GENOME CREATED FOR THE FIRST TIME
513
AMBAR SRIVASTAVA OF IIT-DELHI DEVELOPED TRUEHB HEMOMETER TO TEST HAEMOGLOBIN
514
WHO CERTIFIED INDIA AS POLIO FREE COUNTRY
516
20
AN ARTIFICIAL HEART THAT BEATS IN ANIMALS DEVELOPED
518
NEW MOLECULE HSP90 WITH POTENTIAL TO KILL MALARIA PARASITE DISCOVERED

519
NEW CLASS OF ANTIBIOTICS OXADIAZOLES DISCOVERED
521
RESEARCHERS AT CAPRISA DISCOVERED POTENT ANTIBODIES TO NEUTRALIZE HIV

521
INDIAN- AMERICAN SCIENTIST SANGEETA BHATIA DEVELOPED A CHEAP PAPER
TEST TO DIAGNOSE CANCER
523
NRI DR. HEMANT THATTE DEVELOPED SOMAH SOLUTION TO PRESERVE ORGANS

524
NEW LAYER OF CORNEA DISCOVERED BY INDIAN DOCTOR HARMINDER DUA
525
UNION GOVERNMENT LAUNCHED HIV SALVAGE THERAPY
526
UNION GOVERNMENT BANNED COSMETIC COMPANIES FROM TESTING ON ANIMALS
527
SMART CONTACT LENS UNVEILED BY GOOGLE TO MEASURE GLUCOSE LEVELS IN

TEARS
528
UNION GOVERNMENT ALLOWED IMPORTS OF FROZEN HUMAN EMBRYOS TO

BOOST INFERTILITY TREATMENT
529
INDIGENOUS GLUCOSE MONITORING DEVICE LAUNCHED BY UNION GOVERNMENT

530
CERT-IN DETECTED SMARTPHONE VIRUS DENDROID
532
HEARTBLEED: A NEW SECURITY THREAT
533
SOUTH CENTRAL RAILWAY LAUNCHED HYLITES
535
TALKING CARS UNVEILED: USA MAY SOON MADE IT MANDATORY BY 2017
535
UNION MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

LAUNCHED NATIONAL CLOUD
536
DEXTER, PRIVATE INFORMATION STEALING VIRUS, DETECTED IN ONLINE BANKING
21
TRANSACTIONS
537
INDIAS SUPERCOMPUTER, PARAM YUVA-II RANKED 1 IN INDIA
538
EARTHS LARGEST WATER RESERVOIR LOCATED INSIDE EARTHS MANTLE
539
MYCOPTER PROJECT TO BE UNVEILED IN BRAUNSCHWEIG, GERMANY IN NOVEMBER 2014
540
PALAEONTOLOGISTS DISCOVERED THE FOSSIL OF WORLDS LARGEST DINOSAUR

IN PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA
542
NEW ELEMENT 117 NAMED UNUNSEPTIUM SET TO JOIN THE PERIODIC TABLE
543
SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED NEW MINERAL PUTNISITE
544
INDIAN-AMERICAN ENGINEER ABRAHAM PANNIKOTTU ANNOUNCED TO DEVELOP

ZERO PRESSURE TYRES FOR US MILITARY
544
INDIAN ORIGIN BOY SHUBHAM BANERJEE DEVELOPED LOW COST BRAILLE PRINTER
545
RESEARCHERS AT CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES DEVELOPED FIRE-RESISTANT

PAPER
546
101ST INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS CONCLUDED
547
FIRST PAPERLESS PUBLIC LIBRARY OF WORLD BIBLIOTECH OPENED IN USA
549
SPORTS
550
Pankaj Advani won IBSF 6-Red World Snooker title in Egypt
550
Saina Nehwal won Australian Open Super Series title
551
35th National Games to be held in Kerala from 31 January to 14 February 2015
551
Jitu Rai became first Indian shooter to win three medals in successive ISSF Shooting
World Cup
552
India won three ODI series against Bangladesh 2-0
553
Magnus Carlsen bagged FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship
553
Sourav Ganguly joined Mudgal Committee on IPL spot-fixing
554
22
Rafael Nadal won French Open Title for the ninth time
554
Amla appointed as test cricket captain of South Africa
555
Wrestlers Yogeshwar Dutt and Sushil Kumar won Gold and Silver
555
Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Kings XI Punjab to win IPL 2014 for second time
556
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won Monaco Grand Prix of Formula One
557
Japan won the Thomas Cup 2014 of badminton
558
Real Madrid defeated Atletico Madrid 4-1 to win 10th UEFA Champions League Football
title
559
India won two medals in Archery World Cup Stage 2
559
Novak Djokovic won the Mens Italian Tennis Open 2014 for third time
560
Serena Williams won the Womens Italian Tennis Open 2014 for third time
561
Pankaj Advani won CCI Biliards title
562
Hockey India honoured heroes of 1975 World Cup team
562
AIBA approved Boxing India as the new provisional member to represent India
562
CISF inducted as associate member of HI
563
Manipur won Senior National Womens Football Champions title
564
Maria Sharapova defeated Simona Halep to win Madrid Open title
564
OSullivan named as Snookers Player of the Year
565
Mark Selby won World Snooker Championship 2014
566
Sania Mirza and Cara Black won WTA Portugal Open 2014
567
Wimbledon announced 10.8 percent increase in Prize Money
567
Adhiban won silver at Asian Continental Chess Championship
568
Indian Squash Player Saurav Ghosal won Dato Alex Lee Award 2013
568
Real Madrid won the Copa del Ray Football tournament of Spain
569
Bengaluru FC won I-League Football title
570
Benfica won 33rd Portuguese league Football title after four years
571
Meb Keflezighi won Boston Marathon 2014
571
23
Donna Vekic won the BMW Malaysian Tennis Open 2014
572
Kritsanakorn Sangaroon won the 2014 Thailand Tour womens title of ABF
572
Hockey India Appointed Harendra Singh as coach of junior team
573
BCCI named Ravi Shastri in three-member panel to probe IPL betting
574
Joshna Chinappa won inaugural Richmond Open of Squash
575
India won 12 medals at the 7th South Asia Judo Championship
575
CBI established Sport Integrity Unit to investigate sports fraud cases
576
Baroda won Syed Mushtaq Ali Cricket T20 Trophy
577
Nour El Sherbini defeated Dipika Pallikal to win Texas Open Squash final
577
Wilson Kipsang won London Marathon
578
Santoso won OUE Singapore badminton Open 2014
578
Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins announced retirement
579
Indias Heena Sidhu clinched Worlds No. 1 spot in 10 mts air pistol event
580
Lee Chong Wei & Shixian Wang won India Super Series Badminton titles
581
Australian cricket team won Womens T20 World Cup 2014
581
Punjab won Junior National Hockey Title 2014
582
Sri Lanka won its maiden ICC Twenty20 World Cup title
582
Viswanathan Anand rises to No. 3 in FIDE world chess rankings
583
Union Sports Ministry derecognised IABF
584
Viswanathan Anand won the Candidates Chess Tournament in Khanty Mansiysk
584
Djokovic defeated Nadal to win fourth Miami Masters crown
585
Lewis Hamilton Won Malaysian Grand Prix
586
Simon Santoso, Indonesian Shuttler won Malaysia Grand Prix gold
586
Heena Sidhu won silver medal in 10m Air Pistol Women final of ISSF World Cup
587
West Zone won crickets Deodhar Trophy 2014
587
India won 3rd South Asian Handball Championship title
588
Rusi Dinshaw, Pakistans only Parsi cricketer died
589
24
RSPB won senior women hockey National Title
589
Stuart Oliver won 1st-ever Indian truck-racing championship
590
Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai won BNP Paribas Open 2014
591
Novak Djokovic won Indian Wells final by defeating Roger Federer
592
Sachin Tendulkar voted Cricketer of the Generation
592
Karnataka won the Vijay Hazare Cricket Trophy 2013-14
593
Heena Sidhu and Chain Singh won Gold at 7th Asian Air Gun Championship
594
Mizoram won 68th Santosh Trophy of football by defeating Railways
594
Sri Lanka won Asia Cup 2014
595
Ragala Venkat Rahul won 2 Gold and 1 Silver at 16th Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships
595
Tamil Nadu and Railways won Federation Cup 2014
596
Sports Minister inaugurated National Cycling Academy in New Delhi
596
64th National Basketball Championship concluded
597
Hockey India accorded status of National Sports Federation
598
Graeme Smith announced retirement from cricket
598
Arvind Bhat won the German Open Grand Prix title
599
Roger Federer won Dubai tennis championship
599
South Africa won ICC under 19 World Cup 2014
600
Sourav Kothari won the National Billiard Championship title
600
Delhi Waveriders won the 2nd edition of Hockey India League cup 2014
601
The Sochi Winter Olympics 2014 concluded
602
Cheteshwar Pujara named as brand ambassador of Gujarat Election Commission
603
Renaud Lavillenie broke 21-year pole vault record of Sergey Bubka
604
Peng Shuai of China ranked World No. 1 in WTA Doubles Ranking
605
World Bridge Championship to be hosted by India in 2015
606
SAI set up 14 high-level expert committees
607
25
Karnataka won Irani Cup for the fifth time
607
IOC revoked suspension of IOA and allowed it to return in Olympic movement
608
Indian boxers finished Fourth at the 58th Bocskai International Tournament
610
Yulia Lipnitskaya is the youngest Russian to win gold medal in Winter Olympics
611
Abhinav Bindra won second gold medal in Inter Shoot Tri series Shooting
611
Sangakkara became second cricketer to hit triple century and a century in same match
612
Joshna Chinappa won Winnipeg Open title
612
Karnataka defeated Maharashtra to win the Ranji Trophy 2014
613
Kiwi Kathy Cross is first woman in ICC Umpires Panel
614
Saina won Syed Modi International India Grand Prix title
615
Churchill Brothers Won the 35th Football Federation Cup
615
MS Dhoni became first captain to play in four tied ODIs
616
OCA recognized Russian martial art Sambo and is now a part of Asian Games
617
Mahesh Bhupathi launched IPTL in Melbourne
617
Abhijeet Gupta won the Parsvnath International Grandmasters chess tournament
618
Mahesh Mangaonkar won Open du Gard squash title
619
Anju Bobby George declared winner of World Athletics Final, 2005
619
Vijay Zol selected captain of India to lead U-19 Cricket World Cup
620
75th National Table Tennis Championship
620
ONGC Men & Chhattisgarh Women won Federation Cup National Basketball Championship
621
Union Cabinet approved the National Youth Policy, 2014
622
Aditya Joshi became world no. 1 junior shuttler
623
Under-19 Asia Cup: India defeated Pakistan by 40 runs.
623
Serena Williams won the Brisbane International Title 2014
624
Wimbledon tennis event, The Road to Wimbledon, to be hosted outside UK for the first
26
time
624
CORPORATE
626
Google launched Project Android One to build ultra cheap Smartphones
626
Air India joined Star Alliance group
627
UK firm East India Company issued legal tender gold coin in honour of Sachin Tendulkar
628
GMR won arbitration award against Maldivian government
628
BHEL commissioned 68 MW Unit at Rampur Hydro Electric Project in Himachal Pradesh

629
DLF became first real estate developer to receive ISO Quality Certification
630
Google purchased Satellite Firm Skybox Imaging for 500 million US dollar
630
CAPL became Indias First NABL accredited Aquaculture Pathology Lab
631
RIL announced to buy 78 percent in Network18 for 4000 crore rupees
631
CCI approved Tescos plan to purchase 50% stake in Trent Hypermarket
632
OVL and Rosneft signed a deal to explore hydrocarbon in Arctic
633
Amul to set up five lakh litres per day capacity dairy plant in Varanasi
635
MTS announced to provide free Wi-Fi in Gurgaon Rapid Metro Rail
636
BHEL commissions Gas Turbine Generating Unit in Oman
636
Vic Gundotra head of Google+ resigned
637
Microsoft acquired Nokia handset business
637
IRCON signed MoU with Transparency International India
638
GMR signed the concession agreement with Mactan Cebu International Airport of Philippines
638
Cognizant acquired itaas, a US-based Digital Video Solutions Company
639
Cadbury India changed its name to Mondelez India Foods Limited
639
Hero MotoCorp formed JV with Nitol Nilloy of Bangladesh
640
27
Piramal sold its 11 percent stake in Vodafone India for 8900 crore rupees
640
BMB signed an agreement with Trends to promote Women Entreprenuership
641
HDFC Bank set World Record for Blood collection in a single day
642
Piramal Enterprises Ltd decided to acquire 20 percent stake in Shriram Capital
642
Union Cabinet approved the appointment of Narendra Kothari as Chairman of NMDC 643
Google bought Drone maker Titan Aerospace to deliver internet across the globe
643
Mahindra ShubhLabh Services and Univeg signed pact to supply branded fruits
644
Qatar based Doha Bank announced to open its First branch in Mumbai
645
USFDA banned imports from Indian plant of Apotex Pharma Co
645
Amazon launched set-top box named Fire TV
646
Union Ministry of Civil Aviation approved the Tata and Singapore airlines JV
646
Noel Tata appointed as next chairman of Trent
647
CCI imposed a fine of 1 crore rupees on Google
648
IBM unveiled SMAC solutions for telecom operators
649
GE Healthcare and CTSI announced to set up 25 cancer de
650
CEO of Marico Saugata Gupta promoted as Managing Director
650
TCPSL launched white Label Automated Teller Machines
650
e-Commerce firm ibiboGroup acquired Bangalore-based bus tracking service YourBus651

Indian Oil announced to build 30000 crore rupees refinery at Mundra in Gujarat
652
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation sued 16 world largest banks
653
Spice jet and Boeing signed a deal worth 4.4 billion dollar
653
Tech Mahindra and Alstom Transport announced to set up a global development centre
654
Airbus launched subsidiary Airbus India
654
New India Assurance announced Asha Kiran a health insurance cover for girl child
655
Tom Albanese appointed as CEO of Vedanta Resources
656
Bharti Airtel and Etisalat signed a pact to set up regional network infrastructure
656
28
Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs notified New CSR rules
657
Mahindra entered Bhutan with the launch of electric car e2o
660
Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Sahara Chief Subrata Roy
660
Venom GT, worlds fastest car recorded 435 kilometer per hour
661
Sun Edison to set up 18 MW Solar Park in Tamil Nadu
662
Coca-Cola announced to set up Accelerator Programme TARGET in India
663
Mahila Bank signed three health insurance Pacts with New India
664
Bharti Airtel Signed an Agreement with Loop Mobile
665
Worldfloat introduced Citydeals, a Social plus e-Commerce feature
665
ONGC and OIL signed Production Sharing Contract in two water Blocks of Bangladesh
666
BSE launched institutional trading platform on SME
666
Ashok Varadhan appointed co-head of securities division of Goldman Sachs
667
Mark Zuckerberg became the most generous donor of America in 2013
668
CCEA approved 10141 crore rupees FDI proposal of Vodafone
669
Production of Maruti 800 stopped by Maruti Suzuki India
669
Air Costa signed an agreement to buy 50 Embraer Jets
670
CCI approved Etihad Airways purchase of 50.1% stake in JPPL
671
Google purchased DeepMind Technologies of UK
672
Samsung and Google signed Global Patent Agreement
672
Federal Aviation Administration ordered safety checks of Boeing 767s
673
Wal-Mart registered Wal-Mart India Private Ltd in India
673
Etihad Airways demonstrated flight with Biofuel mix
674
Google acquired cybersecurity firm Impermium for 9 million dollar
675
3F tied up with Fuji Oil to set-up a joint venture Non-Dairy Cream Making Plant
675
RBI allowed Foreign Investors to invest in South Indian Bank
676
Biz Stone, Twitter Co-founder, launched JELLY
677
29
Facebook acquired Little Eye Labs for 90 crore rupees
677
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launched an all women branch in Pune
678
Central Government allowed Tesco to invest in brownfield entity
678
STATE
680
For the First, Fergusson College included the category of third gender in application forms
680
Maharashtra State Cabinet approved reservation for Marathas and Muslims in the State
680
Odisha government raised retirement age of employees to 60
682
Gujarat Chief Minister announced 33 percent quota for women in police force in Gujarat
682
UP Government raised retirement age of State Election Commissioner to 68 years
683
Kodela Siva Prasada Rao elected as the first Assembly speaker of AP after bifurcation 684
Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal bifurcated to create Alipurduar district
685
Union Health Ministry nod to set Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences in AIIMS Bhopal
685
Delhi LG Najeeb Jung approved the formation of DRSC to ensure road safety
686
Delhi became first kerosene-free city in India
686
Lt. Governor of Delhi Jung approved setting up of 500 water ATMs in Delhi
687
MP Government approved Narmada-Malwa-Gambhir Link Project
688
DMRC launched first Roof Top Solar Power Plant at Dwarka Sec21 metro station
689
Maharashtra government approved bifurcation of Thane district
690
Maharashtra Assembly passed a Bill to put a complete ban on dance bars across the
State
691
Madhya Pradesh Government donated one crore rupees for restoration of Gandhis Tolstoy Farm
692
30
Delhi LG Najeeb Jung approved Rapid rail link to Alwar, Panipat and Meerut
692
Sikkim Government notified to provide 12 percent job reservation for BPL candidates 694
LG Najeeb Jung constituted an Expenditure Finance Committee
694
Assam Agriculture University and ICAR signed MoU for opening KVK in Baksa district 695
Jammu and Kashmir raised retirement age of employee to 60
696
UP government ordered establishment of women helpline in each district of State
696
Goa Day observed on 30 May 2014
697
9th Sikkim State Legislative Assembly constituted
698
Punjab government gave approval to set-up Mega Food Park in Ludhiana
699
SDMC signed a MoU with GeoSpatial Delhi to provide UPIC for South Delhi properties 700
Floating hotel AB Celestial unveiled in Mumbai
701
J&K government approved scrapping of New Recruitment Policy, 2011
701
Election Commission announced results of 2014 Sikkim Assembly Elections
703
Language Martyrs Day observed on 19 May in Barak Valley, Assam
703
Election Commission announced results of 2014 Odisha assembly elections
704
Results of Arunachal Pradesh assembly elections announced by ECI
705
Andhra Pradesh assembly election results declared by ECI
705
Meghalaya Government banned rat-hole coal mining & coal transportation in the State 706
Odisha government inked agreement with TiE Silicon Valley
707
Bombay High Court ordered Maharashtra government to revise the electoral rolls
708
SC ordered CBI probe into Saradha chit fund scam
709
Delhi got its first Dolby Atmos audio technology
709
SC ordered audit of Sree Padmanabha temple under supervision of former CAG Vinod Rai
710
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry slapped notice on Idea Cellular for Pashmina
ad
711
DMRC completed the construction of first crossover viaduct of India at Karkardooma 712
31
First double-decker flyover opened at Mumbai
712
Mizoram Government refused to repatriate Bru refugees within three months
713
SMS based service Polling at your fingertips launched in Shillong
714
Jammu and Kashmir became first state to show No Smoking Area in elections booths 714
Gurgaon has the highest first time voters in Haryana
715
Chhattisgarh Government ordered high-level inquiry in Sukma Maoist attack
716
Hailstorm in Maharashtra damaged Rabi crops worth 5000 crore rupees
716
NDMC launched Stri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana
717
Assam became the first state to observe Child Protection Day
718
Reorganisation Committee constituted in Andhra to ensure smooth bifurcation of the state

718
Haryana State Budget 2014-15: Highlights
719
Economic Survey 2013-14 of Haryana: Highlights
720
Bihar Economic Survey : Highlights
722
Economic Survey 2013-14 of Himachal Pradesh
723
Sikkim Lokayukta Bill 2014 unanimously passed by Legislative Assembly
724
Karnataka Interim Budget 2014-15 presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
725
UP Assembly passed Water Management and Regulatory Commission Bill 2014
726
Rajasthan Interim Budget 2014-15: Highlights
727
Phase II of Vision 2023 released by Tamil Nadu Government
729
NTPC signed MoU to Develop Kajra Thermal Project of 1320 MW in Bihar
730
Union Cabinet approved Odia as Classical Language
730
K Rehman Khan inaugurated Minority Cyber Village in Rajasthan
732
Ten-day festival Taj Mahotsav began in Agra
733
Interim Budget 2014-15 of Bihar: Highlights
734
Sikkim won National Tourism Award 2012-13
735
President Rule imposed in Delhi after resignation of Kejriwal
736
32
First pro-Hindi Political Party of Tamil Nadu launched
738
Delhi Police launched a Helpline number 1093 for North-Eastern People
738
Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014 passed by the Assembly of the state
739
Delhi Government approved Delhi Nagar Swaraj Bill
741
Satellite Centre of PGIMER, Chandigarh to be established at Sangrur
743
Andhra Pradesh Interim budget for 2014-15 presented
743
Cabinet cleared Telangana Bill and decided not to give UT status to Hyderabad
744
Special Investigation Team constituted to probe Nido Tanias death
745
Rajasthan withdrew its approval for FDI in multi-brand retail
745
Allahabad High Court ordered CBI probe into alleged misappropriation of MGNREGA
funds
746
Uttrakhand Assembly passed new Lokayaukata Bill
747
Goa Government approved the proposal to increase Reservation for OBC to 27%
748
Arunachal Pradesh witnessed the first trial run of rail engine
748
Karnataka first State to provide Universal Health Coverage
749
Dryland Farming Programme for monsoon-dependent Maharashtra farmers
750
Delhi became first state to withdraw FDI in Multibrand Retail
751
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated ANTRI at Port Blair
751
Third phase of North Eastern Community Resource Management Project launched in Manipur
752
Chhattisgarh Government launched Toll Free Number 1100 to curb Corruption
752
Environmental Information dissemination centre set up in Choolai, TN
753
CCEA approved the Transmission system in Ladakh region
753
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh agreed to maintain Status Quo along the Inter-State
boundary
755
33
NEWS CAPSULE
756
Person Appointed
756
A.K. Dubey appointed as Chairman of Coal India Limited
756
Rajeev Topno appointed as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi
756
UNGA approved the name of Zeid al-Hussein to head OHCHR
757
Lt Gen Amit Sharma appointed as Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Forces Command757

Rasik Ravindra, an Indian scientist, elected to UNCLCS
757
Vishal Sikka appointed as CEO of Infosys
758
Ranjit Kumar appointed as Solicitor General of India
758
PK Mishra appointed as Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister
758
Indian-American Shefali Duggal appointed as member of Holocaust Memorial Council 759

Salvador Sanchez Ceren sworn-in as the President of El Salvador
759
Chandrashekhar Rao sworn-in as the First Chief Minister of Telengana
759
Ajit Doval appointed as new National Security Adviser
759
Mukul Rohatgi appointed as 14th Attorney-General of India
760
Nripendra Misra appointed as Principal Secretary to PM Narendra Modi
760
Ahmed Maitiq sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Libya
760
Indian management scholar Jitendra Vir Singh appointed Dean of Business School at
HKUST
761
Former IB chief Rajiv Mathur became sixth CIC
761
Anandiben sworn-in as first woman Chief Minister of Gujarat
762
Narendra Kumar Verma selected as MD of ONGC Videsh Ltd
762
President appointed Narendra Modi as Prime Minister
762
Naveen Patnaik sworn-in as Chief Minister of Odisha for fourth consecutive term
763
Pawan Chamling sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Sikkim for record 5th term
763
Jitan Ram Manjhi took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar
764
Nabam Tuki sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh
764
34
A.B. Pandya appointed as the Chairman of Central Water Commission
764
Kristin Lund of Norway became first-ever woman to head a UN Peacekeeping Force
765
Royal Navy Submarine Service appointed first female submariners
765
Secretary of the DBT, K. VijayRaghavan elected as foreign associate of the USNAS
765
Japanese foods firm Nissin Foods appointed Gautam Sharma as India MD
766
Suresh Kumar Reddy appointed as Indias first ambassador to ASEAN
766
Arvind Mayaram designated as Union Finance Secretary
767
Justice G Rohini appointed as the first women Chief Justice of Delhi High Court
767
Justice R M Lodha appointed as Next Chief Justice of India
767
Ratan Tata appointed member of China-backed Board of Boao Forum for Asia
768
Marie-Lousie Coleiro Preca sworn-in as President of Malta
768
Suresh Arora appointed DGP of Punjab Police
769
R Gandhi appointed as Deputy Governor of RBI
769
D K Pathak appointed as the new Director General of BSF
769
French President Hollande appointed Valls as new PM
770
Saudi King appointed half-brother Moqren as next heir to throne
770
Sunil Gavaskar appointed as Interim President of BCCI
770
Jens Stoltenberg appointed as Secretary General of NATO
771
General Sedki Sobhi sworn-in as Defence Minister and Army Chief of Egypt
771
Soma Mondal appointed first Women director of NALCO
771
Rakesh Sethi appointed as CMD of Allahabad Bank
772
FPSB appointed former SC Judge Srikrishna as its Chairman
772
Sheila Dikshit appointed as the new Governor of Kerala
772
Dinesh Sarraf appointed next ONGC chief
772
Ibrahim Mahlab sworn in as Prime Minister of Egypt
773
Matteo Renzi sworn-in as PM of Italy
773
Abdul Basit appointed as High Commissioner of Pakistan to India
773
35
Justice Mukul Mudgal appointed as Chief of BCCC
774
Jatinder Bir Singh appointed CMD of Punjab and Sind Bank
774
R.K.Tiwari appointed new Chairman of CBDT
775
N Ramachandran elected President of IOA
775
Marco Lambertini appointed Director-General of WWF International
775
Sanjeev Kulkarni appointed dean of Princeton University Graduate School
776
Union Government appointed Talukdar as head of DGH
776
Satya Nadella appointed as CEO of Microsoft
777
Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur appointed to head 7th Central Pay Commission
777
Poonam Khetrapal Singh took charge as Regional Director of SEARO
777
UN appointed Vivek Lall as Special Advisor
778
Manoj Vaish took charge as MD & CEO of MCX
778
Harish Rawat appointed 8th Chief Minister of Uttrakhand
779
Michel Rogers nominated as Director of NSA
779
Ajoy Misra elevated as the CEO and MD of Tata Global Beverages Limited
779
Professor Rakesh Khurana of Indian origin appointed as Dean of Harvard College
780
Kailash Meghwal elected as the Speaker of Rajasthan Assembly
780
Aruna Bahuguna first woman to be appointed as chief of National Police Academy
781
Catherline Samba-Panza elected CARs Interim President
781
Jamila Bayaz, first women to be appointed police chief of Kabul province
781
Sirajuddin Qureshi elected as the President of IICC
782
US Senate confirmed Janet Yellen as next Chairperson of Federal Reserve
782
Chandrashekhar appointed the President of NASSCOM
782
Pradhyuman Singh appointed as pro-tem speaker of 14th Rajasthan Assembly
782
S.K.Sharma appointed Chairman and Managing Director of BEL
783
36
Person Resigned
784
West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan resigned
784
M Shashidhar Reddy, the NDMA Vice Chairman resigned
784
Shekhar Dutt, the Governor of Chhattisgarh resigned
784
BL Joshi, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh resigned
785
Narendra Modi resigned as Gujarat CM to take over as PM
785
Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Resigned
785
PM Economic Advisory Council Chairman C Rangarajan resigned
786
Nitish Kumar resigned as Bihar Chief Minister
786
PM Manmohan Singh tendered his resignation to President
787
UN Envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi resigned
787
Prime Minister of Slovenia resigned
788
PM of South Korea Chung Hong-Won resigned
788
DHI suspended HMT MD Sreekumar for allegedly diverting funds
788
Nancy Powell resigned as the US Ambassador to India
789
Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi resigned as Army Chief of Egypt to run for Presidential Elections 789
Managing Director of Britannia Industries Vinita Bali announced to retire
789
Acting CEO and CFO of Jet Airways Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan resigned
790
KC Chakrabarty, Deputy Governor of RBI resigned
790
GK Pillai resigned as Chairman of MCX-SX
791
Nandan Nilekani resigned as chairman of UIDAI
791
Indian Navy Chief Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi resigned
791
Oldest Parliamentarian of India Rishang Keishing retired
792
United Bank of India CMD Archana Bhargava resigned
792
Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned as AP Chief Minister
792
Kingfisher Airlines CEO Sanjay Aggarwal resigned
793
Italy Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigned
793
37
Arvind Kejriwal resigned as Delhi CM
793
Vijay Bahuguna, the Chief Minister of Uttrakhand resigned
794
Ukraine Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigned
794
Aviation ministry removed V.P.Agrawal from position of AAI chairman
794
Garry Kenneth Toomey resigned from Jet Airways
795
Justice A K Ganguly resigned as chairman of WBHRC
795
Person on Visit
796
SAARC Countries Leaders visited India
796
India and Iran agreed to take a decision on Chabahar Port by March 2014
798
Erlan Abdyldaev, the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz Republic visited India
799
Ali Mohamed Shein, President of Zanzibar is on India visit from 1 to 9 February 2014
800
External Affairs Minister met US Secretary of State in Montreux
801
Bhutan King and Queen will visit India from 6-10 January 2014
802
BOTSWANAS OKAVANGO DELTA: 1000TH SITE INSCRIBED ON WORLD HERITAGE
Places in News
804
SITE LIST
804
ANCIENT PYU CITIES: FIRST SITE OF MYANMAR TO BE INSCRIBED ON THE UNESCO

WORLD HERITAGE LIST
804
MOSUL, IRAQ: 40 INDIAN WORKERS MISSING
805
TIKRIT, IRAQ: CAPTURED BY MILITANTS BELONGING TO ISIS GROUP
805
JINNAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KARACHI: ATTACKED BY TERRORISTS
805
RIVER BEAS ON MANALI-KIRATPUR HIGHWAY: 24 ENGINEERING STUDENTS

DROWNED
806
GAIRSAIN: UTTARAKHAND ASSEMBLY SESSION HELD
806
HEART PROVINCE: INDIAN ALEXIS PREM KUMAR ABDUCTED
807
38
MT GORICHEN PEAK, ARUNACHAL PRADESH: INDIAN AIR FORCE EXPLORED UNCLIMBED PEAK
807
PAYERNE AIRFIELD, SWITZERLAND: SOLAR IMPULSE 2 PLANE MADE ITS INAUGURAL

FLIGHT
808
ANANTNAG DISTRICT OF SOUTH KASHMIR: IAF MIG-21 CRASHED
808
KUDANKULAM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, TIRUNELVELI: SIX WORKERS INJURED AFTER HOT WATER SPILL FROM A VALVE
808
CHIBOK, NIGERIA: 250 SCHOOLGIRLS ABDUCTED BY BOKO HARAM MILITANTS
809
SOLOMON ISLANDS: EARTHQUAKE OF MAGNITUDE 8.3 ON RICHTER SCALE STRUCK

809
FORT HOOD MILITARY BASE, TEXAS, US: US ARMY MEN KILLED THREE SOLDIERS
810
BHAVANI ISLAND IN A.P. DEVELOPED AS NEW ADVENTURE SPORTS
811
SOUTH CHINA SEA: MALAYSIA AIRLINES MH370 DISAPPEARED
811
SEVASTOPOL: PRO-RUSSIAN FORCES SEIZED UKRAINES NAVY HEADQUARTERS 811

AJNALA IN AMRITSAR, PUNJAB: MORTAL REMAINS OF 282 INDIAN SOLDIERS RECOVERED
812
SOHAG, EGYPT: ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVERED LOST DYNASTY OF PHARAONIC

KINGS
812
GORAKHPUR RAILWAY STATION: ENTERED LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS AS WORLDS

LONGEST PLATFORM
813
KONU HIL IN SENAPATI DISTRICT, MANIPUR: WORLD WAR II AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE

FOUND
813
Person Died
814
Ramanarayanan, Tamil film director and producer, died at 65
814
Fernandao, the former Brazilian striker died in helicopter crash
814
39
Chester Nez, the last of World War II Navajo code talker died
814
Union Rural Development Minister Gopitnath Munde died
815
Indologist and Sanskrit Scholar Sukumari Bhattacharji died
815
Azlan Shah-The Father of Malaysian hockey died at 86
815
Maya Angelou, the American author and poet died
815
Donald Levine creator of Worlds first action figure died
816
N Srinivasan, the veteran nuclear scientist died
816
Russi Mody, the former Tata Steels Chairman died
816
Founder of Leela Group Hotels Krishnan Nair died
817
British actor Bob Hoskins died at 71
817
Arturo Licata, the Worlds oldest man died in Italy at age 111
817
Canadian Author Alistair Macleod died
818
Veteran pro-democratic Journalist of Myanmar Win Tin died
818
John C. Houbolt, the unsung hero of the NASAs Apollo Program, Died
818
Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez died at 87
818
Mickey Rooney, the American film actor died
819
Ashish Bose foremost demographer died at 83
819
VK Murthy, the renowned cinematographer died
820
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Anja Niedringhaus shot dead in Afghanistan
820
Former President of Guinea Kumba Yala died at 61
820
Adolfo Suarez, the first elected Prime Minister of Spain, died
821
Former Brazilian international footballer Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini died
821
Khushwant Singh, the renowned author and journalist died
821
T C Teli, former Arunachal Pradesh Minister died
822
Former Sierra Leone President, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah died
822
Joe McGinniss, author of Fatal Vision died
822
Veteran Actress, Sheila MacRae died at 92
823
40
Legendary Guitarist Paco de Lucia passed away
823
Harold Ramis actor, director of Comedy films died at 69
823
Eminent painter Prokash Karmakar died
824
Hindi writer and Jnanpith Award winner Amar Kant died
824
Carnatic music Vocalist R K Srikantan died at 94
825
Balu Mahendra, the award winning film director and cinematographer died
825
Silverine Swer, Meghalayas first Padma Shri Awardee died
825
Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Oscar-winning American actor died
825
Raymond Weil, the pioneer of Swiss watch died
826
Karl Slym, MD of Tata Motors died
826
Sudhir Mahato, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Jharkhand died
826
Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin spiritual leader of Dawoodi Bohra community died 827
Famous Bengali Actress Suchitra Sen died
827
Famous Marathi writer Namdeo Dhasal died
828
Israels Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died
828
IIa Pathak social activist died at 80
828
Vishwanath Ramachandra, the former Ranji Trophy cricketer of Mumbai died
829
Portugals former footballer Eusbio died
829
Indias Former Shooting Coach Tibor Gonczol died
829
Singer Phil Everly Died at age 74
830
Awards | Honours
831
Shah Rukh Khan Conferred with Knight of the Legion of Honor
831
Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik won prize at World Cup of Sand Sculpting-2014 831
Inaugural Tang Prize winners for 2014 announced
832
Noted Hindi poet Kedar Nath Singh selected for Jnanpith Award 2013
833
Salman Rushdie selected for 2014 Pen Pinter prize
833
41
World Food Prize Foundation announced World Food Prize for 2014
833
Indian origin physicist Tejinder Virdee honoured knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II
834
C Radhakrishnan selected for Moortidevi Award
834
Somasundaram conferred with Bharat Ratna JRD Award for 2013
834
Irish Author Eimear McBride won Baileys Prize for fiction
835
Anand Mahindra became first Indian to receive Harvard Medal
835
Edinburgh University awarded honorary degree to Former President APJ Abdul Kalam 835
Vikaram Sunderam won Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic of James Beard Awards 2014
836
Caparo Group won International Business of the Year award 2014
836
Two Indian-Americans Manjusha P. Kulkarni and Ranjana P. selected for Champions of

Change
837
Indian-American Mitul Kadakia won 2014 Gregory Bradeb Memorial Fellow of the Year
Award
837
IAA received International Arch of Europe Award
838
Project Mobile Seva under DeitY won the 2014 United Nations Public Service Award
838
The 15th International Indian Film Academy Awards 2014
839
John Travolta honoured the Most Popular All Time International Star in India at IIFA
awards
840
Time Magazine released The 100 Most Influential People in the World list
840
Mathangi Sathyamurthy to receive M S Subbulakshmi Award 2014
841
61st National Film Awards: Ship of Theseus won Best Feature Film
841
India born poet Vijay Seshadri won 2014 Pulitzer Prize in poetry category
842
Ratan Tata received Knight Grand Cross award by UK Government
843
Legendary Poet Gulzar selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2013
844
The list of 100 Most Influential Asian People of 2014 released
845
Koyal Rana won the Miss India 2014 title
845
MS Dhoni won United Kingdoms 2014 Asian award for outstanding achievement in sports
42
846
HAL received the Most Efficient Navratna Award 2013
847
Zubin Mehta won special jury award of Times Now NRI Awards 2014
847
Shigeru Ban, Japanese architect won the Pritzker Architecture Prize 2014
848
Govind Mishra, the Hindi writer selected for Saraswati Samman 2013
848
Physicist Rajesh Gopakumar selected for G D Birla Award 2013
849
Indian Journalist Shubranshu Choudhary won Google Digital Activism Award 2014
850
Ekhon Nedekha Nadir Xipaare won audience choice award in North Carolina film festival
850
Tomas Halik won Templeton Prize 2014
851
Indian acid attack victim, Laxmi won International Women of Courage Award
851
Chandi Prasad Bhatt won Gandhi Peace Prize for 2013
852
Angela Merkel awarded with Israeli Presidential Medal of Distinction
852
Madan Babu won Protein Science Young Investigator Award for 2014
853
The 67th BAFTA Awards
853
Killa, a Marathi film, bagged Crystal Bear award at 64th Berlin International Film Festival
854
President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Award of Honour of Rotary International
854
Sachin Tendulkar and CNR Rao conferred with Bharat Ratna
855
Anand Kumar, the founder of Super30 got Ramanujan Mathematics award
856
56th annual Grammy Awards for 2014 announced
856
UNWTO Ulysses Awards for Innovation announced
857
India-born Prof A J Paulraj won 2014 Marconi Prize
858
Cyrus Mistry won the DSC prize 2014
858
Yushi, Taiwanese poet awarded Thiruvalluvar award
859
Deepika and Farhan won best actors at 20th Screen Awards
859
President presented Sunil Gangopadhyay Award 2012 & 2013
860
43
Andhra Pradesh bagged Oil and Gas Conservation Award, 2013
861
71st Golden Globe Awards 2014
861
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards conferred by the President
862
Books | Authors
864
Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. the Obamas written by by Edward Klein
864
A Bad Character authored by Deepti Kapoor
864
Warrior State: Pakistan in the Contemporary World written by T V Paul
864
The Substance and the Shadow: Biography of actor Dilip Kumar authored by Uday Tara
Nayar
865
Book titled Getting India Back on Track released
865
Anticipating India - The Best of National Interest authored by Shekhar Gupta
865
Post Haste: Quintessential India written by B.G. Verghese
866
My Years with Rajiv and Sonia written by R.D. Pradhan
866
A Stamp is Born authored by C. R. Pakrashi
866
Arctic Summer written by novelist Damon Galgut
867
The Candidate written by Anirudh Bhattacharyya
867
A Rebel And Her Cause: Life and Work of Rashid Jahan written by Rakhshanda Jalil
867
Hard Choices authored by Hillary Clinton
868
Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths authored by PC Parekh
869
The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh authored
by Dr. Sanjaya Baru
869
Lal Bahadur Shastri: Lessons in Leadership written by Pavan Choudary
869
The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-2014 authored by Carlotta Gall
870
Rationalised Roman for Kashmiri written by Dr. R L Bhat released
870
The Sahara Testaments written by Tade Ipadeola
871
India at Risk written by Jaswant Singh
871
44
Akbar, The Aesthete authored by Dr. Indu Anand
872
Ambedkar Awakening Indias Social Conscience written by Dr. Narendra Jadhav
872
Water, Peace and War - Confronting the Global Water Crisis written by Brahma Chellaney
872
The Hindus: An Alternative History written by Wendy Doniger
874
Leveraging Economic Growth for Collective Prosperity in South Asia - edited by Rashpal
Singh, Sucha Singh Gill and Neetu Gaur
874
Footlights written by Charlie Chaplin to be published
875
The New Bihar: Rekindling Governance and Development edited by NK Singh and Nicholas Stern
875
Sangharsh Ke Safar Ka Nayak Mulayam written by Omveer Tomar
876
Enoch, I am a British Indian written by Sarinder Joshua Duroch
876
Abbreviations | Terms
877
IOD-Indian Ocean Dipole
877
DACA: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival programme
877
Garuda V Indo-French Air Exercise
878
gTLDs: generic Top Level Domains
878
RRTS: Regional Rapid Transit System
878
SIMBEX - Singapore Indian Maritime Bilateral Exercise
879
READ Alliance: Read-Engage-Achieve-Dream Alliance
879
IRV2020 - Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020
879
PEACE-Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy
880
Committees | Commissions
881
K K Mehrotra Committee to inquire gas leakage in Bhilai Steel Plant
881
SC reconstituted SIT headed by Justice MB Shah to probe into Black Money Cases
881
45
SC constituted N R Madhava Menon Panel to give guidelines on government ads showing

politicians
882
Union Government constituted G K Pillai committee to study demand for Bodoland state
882
Union Cabinet approved the setting up Equal Opportunities Commission
883
Lok Sabha Speaker referred the pepper spray incident to Committee of Privileges
884
Pitroda Committee on Prasar Bharti submit report to Union Information and Broadcasting
Ministry
884
Nachiket Mor panel recommended setting up of specialized banks to cater to low income
households
886
ACCIDENTS & INCIDENTS
888
Nagaram Village: GAIL pipeline blast
888
Chhapra in Bihar: Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express derailed
888
Chureb railway station in Sant Kabirnagar district Gorakhpur Express derailed
889
Soma of Turkey: Coal pit collapsed
889
Mount Everest: Avalanche killed 12 Sherpas
889
Byungpoong Island: South Korean ferry drowned
890
Karoli district, Rajasthan: C-130J Super Hercules aircraft of IAF crashed
890
South China Sea: Malaysian Airlines plane with 239 aboard disappeared
890
Art | Culture
892
Jagannath Rath Yatra began in Puri and various other places in the country
892
Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area inscribed in World Heritage List
892
11th century stepwell Rani-ki-Vav in Gujarat included in UNESCOs World Heritage Site
list
893
Taiwanese poet Yu Hsi translated Tirukuural and Bharathis Poems in Mandarin language
46
893
Three day Leh Festival began in Leh region of J&K
893
Kawa Music Group of Jaipur to perform at XX Commonwealth Games 2014
894
India elected to Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage
894
Three Ancient Hindu temple statues returned to Cambodia
894
Spain suspended the 12th bull fight festival after matadors got injured by bulls
895
Gujarats monument Rani ki Vav to be digitally recreated under The Scottish Project
896
Brazil honoured 100 years of Indian cinema by releasing two postage stamps
896
Largest diamond of World and Mughal necklace to be auctioned in Geneva
897
Indian documentary Silent Screams won three awards at US festival
897
Union Ministry of Culture launched Logo of Festival of India in China
897
Giant torch unveiled in US to honour Chinmoy Kumar Ghose
898
Gulabi Gang documentary to be screened at New York India film festival
898
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag screened at seventh Asian Film Festival 2014 in Saudi Arabia
899
CIIL to document 500 endangered Indian languages
899
Sammakkaa Saarakka, the largest tribal religious congregation of world began
900
Film Black screened at Fakel Theatre in Moscow
900
Surajkund International crafts Mela began in Haryana
900
Dhanu Yatra of Bargarh started in Odisha
901
Losara New Year festival of Ladakh celebrated
901
Day | Week | Year
902
26 JUNE: INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING 902
25 JUNE: INTERNATIONAL SEAFARERS DAY
902
25 JUNE: WORLD VITILIGO DAY
902
23 JUNE: INTERNATIONAL WIDOWS DAY
903
47
23 JUNE: UNITED NATIONS PUBLIC SERVICE DAY
903
20 JUNE: WORLD REFUGEE DAY
903
17 JUNE: WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION
904
14 JUNE: WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY
904
12 JUNE: WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR
905
5 JUNE: WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
906
1 JUNE: GLOBAL DAY OF PARENTS
906
29 MAY - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPERS
906
21 MAY 2014: ANTI TERRORISM DAY
907
23 MAY: WORLD TURTLE DAY
907
22 MAY- INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
908
18 MAY-INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY
909
10-11 MAY: WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY
909
3 MAY: WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
910
25 APRIL: WORLD MALARIA DAY
910
22 APRIL: INTERNATIONAL MOTHER EARTH DAY
911
7 APRIL: WORLD HEALTH DAY 2014
911
2 APRIL: WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY
912
29 MARCH: EARTH HOUR
913
22 MARCH- WORLD WATER DAY
914
21 MARCH-WORLD POETRY DAY
914
21 MARCH: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FOREST
914
20 MARCH: WORLD SPARROW DAY
915
13 MARCH: WORLD KIDNEY DAY
916
8 MARCH: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN DAY
916
6 MARCH: WORLD DENTIST DAY
916
28 FEBRUARY: NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY
917
48
21 FEBRUARY: INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY
917
13 FEBRUARY: NATIONAL WOMEN DAY
918
13 FEBRUARY: WORLD RADIO DAY
918
4 FEBRUARY: WORLD CANCER DAY
918
2 FEBRUARY: WORLD WETLAND DAY
919
26 JANUARY: 65TH REPUBLIC DAY OF INDIA CELEBRATED
919
25 JANUARY: NATIONAL VOTERS DAY
920
24 JANUARY: NATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY
920
15 JANUARY: ARMY DAY
921
10 JANUARY: WORLD HINDI DAY
921
9 JANUARY: PRAVASI BHARTIYA DIWAS
921
4 JANUARY: WORLD BRAILLE DAY
922
49
PREFACE
The Current Affairs Half-yearly eBook 2014 is designed to provide all the events that happened from
1 January 2014 to 30 June 2014. The eBook is a comprehensive coverage of the news of the first six
months of the year 2014 that carries any probability of being asked in Civil Services Exam and Indian
Forest Service Exam and all the PCS exams. Besides, the eBook will also be useful for different types
of competitive exams like SSC, Banking, LIC, Railway and all other competitive exams.
The Current Affairs Half-yearly eBook 2014 covers important National and International events.
Besides, it covers important events from Economy, Science & Technology, Environment & Ecology,
Sports, States, and Important personalities, Report & Surveys, Books & Auhors and Awards. All the
sections covered provide the detailed description of the news and events that made headlines.
Events like Environment Crime Crisis Report of UN, Great Himalayan National Park included in
World Heritage Site, PM Narendra Modi visit to Bhutan Nachiket Mor Committee Recommendations,
U-19 Cricket World Cup, IRNSS-1B Navigation Satellite launched and many more are precisely
covered to allow you to identify the answers of the questions being asked in the exams.
Representation of verified facts and figures along with fine-tuned analysis and comment 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
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responsibilities lie as well in case of the advertisements, advertorials, and external contents.
50
INTERNATIONAL
India and China inked 3 agreements including one to facilitate setting up of Chinese Industrial Parks
List of Documents signed during the official visit of Vice President to China
Title
Remarks
Memorandum of
Understanding on
Cooperation on Industrial
Parks in India
Signed between Ministry of Commerce and Industry

and the Ministry of Commerce of the Peoples
Republic of China to further expand the scope of
bilateral trade and investment cooperation, and
promote cooperation between Chinese and Indian
enterprises including the development of industrial
parks in India so as to provide a platform for
cluster type development of the enterprises of both
countries.
Implementation Plan for

Provision of Hydrological
Information of the Yarlung
Zangbu/ Brahmaputra
River in Flood Season by
China to India
Signed between Central Water Commission and

the Bureau of Hydrology and Water Resources this
document states that Chinese side will provide
hydrological information of Yarlung Zangbu/
Brahmaputra River in flood season to the Indian
side, and the Indian side will provide the Chinese
side information regarding data utilization in flood
forecasting and mitigation and the information of the
related hydrological stations.
51
Memorandum of
Understanding concerning
communication and
cooperation of training
in the area of Capacity
Building of Public Officials
MOU between Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy

of Administration and China Executive Leadership
Academy Pudong to enhance understanding and
friendship by promoting exchange and cooperation in
the area of capacity building of public officials.
India and China on 30 June 2014 signed three agreements in the fields of commerce,
water resources and human resources development. The signed agreements will
facilitate China to set up industrial parks, share hydrological information during
Brahmaputra floods and impart training to public officials.
These agreements were signed after delegation level talks between Hamid Ansari,
the Vice President of India and his Chinese counterpart Li Yuanchao at Chinese
Parliament called Great Hall of People in Beijing. Hamid Ansari was on a visit to
China from 26 June to 30 June 2014.
Jean-Claude Juncker named as the next president of the

European Commission
Jean-Claude Juncker on 26 June 2014 was named as the next president of the
European Commission. He was backed by all EU member states, except Britain and
Hungary.
He will take his charge from November 2014. He will succeed Jose Manuel Barroso.
Jean Juncker is a former Luxembourg Prime Minister and veteran EU insider.
About Jean Junker

Jean-Claude Juncker is a politician. He was the longest-serving head of government
of any European Union country, and one of the longest-serving democratically elected
leaders in the world. He was the Prime Minister of Luxembourg from 1995 to 2013.
52
He was also the first President of the Eurogroup from 2005 to 2013 and Luxembourgs
Minister for Finances from 1989 to 2009.
Sri Lankas Parliament voted against the UNHRC probe into

human rights violations
Sri Lankas Parliament on 18 June 2014 voted a motion against the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRC) probe.
The resolution was passed to not to allow the UNHRC team into the country to
investigate alleged human rights abuses during the last phase of the civil war against
the LTTE.
The Sri Lankan government moved resolution was passed with 144 votes in favour,
10 against and 37 abstentions in the 225 member house.
The resolution stated that the investigation should not be carried out on the ground
that such a course of action is detrimental to the process of reconciliation and peace
and that it erodes the sovereignty, dignity and stature of Sri Lanka.
Background
Earlier, UNHRC passed a changed draft resolution on Sri Lanka on 27 March 2014 that
sought to authorize UNHRC to set up an independent international inquiry to probe
into human rights violations during Sri Lankan civil war against LTTE in Sri Lanka in
2009. The Sri Lankan government rejected the call by UNHRC for an international
inquiry on 25 February 2014.
African Union Peace and Security Council restored membership of Egypt

The African Unions Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) on 18 June 2014 unanimously
53
restored the membership of Egypt into the apex body of African nations. The decision
was reached at the meeting of the 15-member states of AUPSC in Addis Ababa,
Egypt. With this restoration, Egypt became eligible to participate in the PSC and
African Summit to be held later in June 2014 in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial
Guinea.
Background
Egypt was suspended from the 54-nation bloc in July 2013 after the ouster of the
President Mohamed Morsi by the then Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who is the
countrys current president.
Earlier, Nkosazana Dalmini-Zuma, the African Union chief in April 2014 had said that
Egypt would return to the Union after the implementation of its transitional roadmap.
The transitional roadmap comprised of three steps that was to be completed within
one year.
Juan Manuel Santos re-elected as President of Colombia

Juan Manuel Santos of Social National Party was re-elected as the President of
Colombia on 15 June 2014. He won the Presidential election with 51 percent of votes
against Right Wing candidate, Oscar Ivan Zuluaga with 45 percent of polled votes.
He will take charge as the President for the second term in August 2014.
Santos government began a peace deal with leftist FARC (Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias de Colombia in Spanish) rebels in 2012 and recently began the
preliminary talks with a second rebel group, ELN (National Liberation Army). The
peace deal will end more than 50 years of internal conflict and provide the peace to
the civilians.
Colombia (Republic of Colombia) is a country situated in the northwest corner of
South America. It is the third largest economy in South America.
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About Juan Manuel Santos

He was born in 1951.
He co-founded the Social National Unity Party in 2005 to support the presidency
of Alvaro Uribe.
He served as Minister of Foreign Trade in 1994
He was Minister of Defence from 2006 to 2009.
He became the President of Colombia for the first time on 20 June 2010.
Ugandas Sam Kahamba Kutesa elected President for the

69th Session of UNGA
Ugandas Foreign Affairs Minister, Sam Kahamba Kutesa on 11 June 2014 was elected
as the President of 69th Session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The
theme for the 69th session is Delivering on and Implementing a Transformative Post2015 Development Agenda.
He was the only candidate nominated for the Presidency for the 69th session from
African Union since it was the Africa Groups turn to have the Presidency.
He replaced the present John William Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda, who led the 68th
session of the 193-member UNGA.
For each session of UNGA, which is held every year, UNGA elects a President and 21
Vice-President on the equal geographical rotation basis from each region.
From India, it was Vijayalaxmi Pandit who was elected as the President of the Eighth
Session of UNGA.
Powers of the President

The President will be elected by the General Assembly for a term of one year. The
55
President shall declare the opening and closing of each plenary meeting of the
session.
He directs the discussions in plenary meeting, ensure observance of these rules,
accord the right to speak, put questions and announce decisions.
He shall rule on points of order and, subject to these rules, shall have complete
control of the proceedings at any meeting and over the maintenance of order
thereat.
The President can give limitation of time to the speakers, the limitation of the
number of times each representative may speak, the closure of the list of speakers
or the closure of the debate during the discussion of an item.
He may also propose the suspension or the adjournment of the meeting or the
adjournment of the debate on the item under discussion.
Russia in-principle agreed on Indias nuclear liability law

Russia on 10 June 2014 in-principle agreed on the Indian nuclear liability law. The
agreement paved the way for signing of the contract for Unit 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam
Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in July 2014.
Earlier in April 2014, India and Russia signed a General Framework Agreement on Unit
3 and 4 of KNPP after crossing the initial hurdle posed by the Civil Liability Nuclear
Damage (CLND) Act 2010. Though the Agreement was to be signed in October 2013
during the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs visit to Moscow. However, it was
not signed due to Russia raising certain objection over some clauses of the CLND
Act, 2010.
On 8 June 2014, Unit 1 of the KKNPP became the first nuclear power plant to attain
100% capacity of 1000 MW. The Unit 2 of KNPP will start generating power from
2014. Units 1 and 2 of KKNPP based on Tamil Nadu have been built with the help of
Russian assistance at the cost of 17200 crore rupees.
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About Civil Liability Nuclear Damage Act 2010

Civil Liability Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act 2010 passed by the Parliament in August
2010 limits the liability of the operator in case of nuclear incident. It secures the
operator the right to recourse under certain circumstances.
Apart from this, the CLND Act also provided a mechanism to compensate victims
of nuclear damage. The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Rules was notified under
the Act on 11 November 2011. The Rules stipulate certain mandatory clauses for
contracts that secure the operator the right to recourse. They also prescribe the
procedure to provide compensation to victims in case of nuclear incidents.
Britain published Europes first Modern Slavery Bill to address

slavery in 21st century
Britain on 10 June 2014 published the worlds first Modern Slavery Bill. The Bill was
published by the Home Secretary Theresa May in the House of Commons. The Bill
provides for life imprisonment if a person was involved in the heinous crime of trade
in human beings.
The Bill is first of its kind in Europe and one of its first in the world. It for the first time
specifically address slavery and trafficking in the 21st century.
The main components of the bill are:

The Bill will increase the maximum sentence available for the most serious offenders
from 14 years to life imprisonment.
Those who have a previous conviction for a serious sexual or violent offence will
face an automatic life sentence.
It also introduces Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders and Slavery and
Trafficking Risk Orders to restrict the activity of individuals where they pose a risk
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of causing harm.
The bill also called upon to create a new Anti-Slavery Commissioner. It will drive
an improved and more coordinated law enforcement response at all levels and it
will work in the interests of victims.
The bill will work upon to strengthen law enforcement powers at sea to close
loopholes.
The Modern Slavery Bill will ensure the protection and support to the victims
by
Giving the courts new powers to order perpetrators of slavery and trafficking to
pay Reparation Orders to their victims
Extending special measures so that all victims of modern slavery including
servitude and forced labour can be supported through the criminal justice process
Providing statutory guidance on victim identification and victim services
Providing an enabling power for child advocates to support child victims of
trafficking
Creating a statutory duty for public bodies including the police, local authorities
and immigration personnel to notify the National Crime Agency about potential
victims of modern slavery
Global Slavery in 21st century

According to the report of UN, there are almost 21 million people around the world
held as slaves. It is estimated that there are as many as 4000 people enslaved in the
UK alone.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimated that the profits of traffickers
worldwide are in excess of 32 billion US dollar each year.
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Indian and Modern day slavery

According to the recent Global Slavery Index released in 2013, India was ranked 4th
worst country indulging in modern day slavery and human trafficking.
The first ever Global Slavery Index found that between 13300000 and 14700000
are enslaved in India. It implied that India is home to nearly half of the worlds entire
number of 30 million slaves worldwide.
India stands fourth as per proportion but right on top of this shameful list when it
comes to absolute numbers.
Reuven Ruby Rivlin elected as 10th president of Israel

Reuven Ruby Rivlin on 10 June 2014 was elected as 10th president of Israel. Reuven
Ruby Rivlin is a member of Likud party.
He will succeed Shimon Peres. Rivlin will sworn-in on 24 July 2014. Rivlin has defeated
a long-time MP Meir Sheetrit by 63 to 53 in a secret run-off ballot.
Rivlin was elected after vote by members of the Knesset. Knesset is the name of the
parliament of the Israel. Rivlin was elected for a term of seven years.
He is expected to shift the presidencys focus from international affairs to more
domestic matters.
About Rivlin
He was born in Jerusalem. He was elected to the Knesset (parliament) in 1988 for the
first time.
He was elected as Minister of communications under then PM Ariel Sharon between
2001 and 2003. He was elected as Knesset Speaker in 2003 in an uncontested victory.
59
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi sworn-in as President of Egypt

Former army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was sworn-in as the President of Egypt in
Cairo on 8 June 2014. He is the fifth Egyptian President to come from Army and will
be the president for four years.
Sisi (59) won the election with 96.6 percent of the votes and defeated Hamdeen
Sabahi. He is the successor of Mohamed Morsi, who was overthrown in a military
coup. The coup was attempted by then Army Chief, Sisi.
About Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi was born in 1954.
He was Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces as well as Minister of
Defence from 2012 to 2014.
He was also appointed as First Deputy Prime Minister when he was a Minister of
Defense. To contest in the Presidential election, Sisi stepped down from his military
post.
In 2013, Sisi led a coup against Mohamed Morsi, the first democratically elected
president of Egypt after the ouster of long time leader Hosni Mubarak.
After the coup, Sisi appointed Adly Mansour as an interim president.
Petro Poroshenko sworn-in as President of Ukraine

Petro Poroshenko was sworn-in as the President of Ukraine in Kiev on 7 June 2014.
He was elected as President on 25 May 2014 with more than 54 percent of the vote.
He won the election against former President Yulia Tymoshenko, who scored 12.81
percent of the votes. The election was not held in Crimea, which was unilaterally
60
annexed by Russia in March 2014.

The term of office for the Ukrainian president is five years. In the Presidential election
of Ukraine if no candidate obtain an absolute majority in the first round then second
round will be held.
About Petro Poroshenko

Poroshenko was born in Bolhrad, in central Ukraine.
Poroshenko is the owner of the Roshen chocolates group.
He created Solidarity political party in 2001 and it was renamed as All-Ukrainian
Union Solidarity.
Poroshenko served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2010 and as the
Minister of Trade and Economic Development in 2012.
UN General Assembly announced an award in honour of Nelson Mandela

UN General Assembly on 7 June 2014 announced an award in honour of Nelson
Mandela. The award was announced to pay tribute to the achievements and
contribution of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela.
The terms of the criteria and the procedure for bestowing the prize will be established
within next six months i.e. December 2014. This is to be adopted by the Assembly no
later than November 2014.
Recently, UN General Assembly declared 18 July as Nelson Mandela International
Day.
About Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was the South Africas first black president after the first all-race
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polls in 1994. He died on 5 December 2013 at the age of 95 after battling a protracted
illness.
Quebec became first province of Canada to adopt Right-toDie Legislation

Quebec province of Canada on 5 June 2014 adopted legislation Right-to-Die that
allows terminally ill patients to kill themselves with a doctors help. The legislation
was adopted in a historic vote in the National Assembly with 94-22 majority.
With legalizing the legislation so called Dying with Dignity or Bill 52, Quebec became
first province of the country to legalize doctor-assisted death.
It seems that legislation that legalizes euthanasia or assisted suicide will call on a
judicial row with Ottawa, as federal law forbids euthanasia even with a persons
consent. On the other hand, Canadas federal criminal code also prohibits assisted
suicide and euthanasia and hence the legality of the legislation could be challenged.
Whereas, Quebec defended it by terming it a health issue, which falls under the
jurisdiction of the province and not federal jurisdiction as it is not a criminal act. It was
also defended by Quebec Premier Philippe Cauillard by terming that it deals with end
of life care and not euthanasia.
Other countries where Euthanasia is legal are

Netherlands
Belgium
Luxemburg
Assisted suicide is allowed in some countries like

Switzerland
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US states of Oregon, Washington and Vermont
Recall of M.P. Bill introduced in the Parliament of Britain

Queen of Britain on 5 June 2014 announced to introduce a new legislation bill Recall
of Member of Parliament (M.P.) Bill. The Bill will allow voters to sack misbehaving
MPs.
The Queen announced the Recall of MPs Bill that will allow constituents to force
a by-election if an MP behaves badly. The purpose of the Bill is to fill a gap in the
regulatory oversight of MPs by allowing voters to trigger a by-election
Recall of M.P. Bill

The voters will be required the signatures of at least 10% of registered voters
within an eight-week period to introduce the recall of M.P.
The new power of recall will be triggered only if MPs are given jail sentences or if
the House of Commons agree that they have engaged in serious wrongdoing.
Indias stand on Right to recall Bill

India is witnessing a constant rise in unethical and irresponsible behaviour on the part
of the elected legislators. In this backdrop, there has been a wide-spread demand to
have a right to recall or a right to de-elect our elected representatives.
The need to have a Right to recall was highlighted by the Hon. Supreme Court in
State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors. v. Shri Ram Singh. Right to recall is a democratic
tool which ensures a greater accountability in the political system as the electorate
retains control over those legislators who are underperforming or are misusing their
office for their selfish gains. As of today, India does not have a recall provision except
in certain states like Madhya-Pradesh or Chhattisgarh where people have the right to
recall their representatives in local bodies.
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Apart from this, the successful recall elections were held in local bodies of Chhattisgarh
in the year 2008.
Lithuania to become 19th country to adopt Euro as currency

from 1 January 2015
Lithuania will become the 19th country to adopt Euro as a Single currency from 1
January 2015. This was revealed by the European Union Commissions Convergence
Report released on 4 June 2014. Convergence Report examined whether Member
States satisfy the conditions for adopting the single currency Euro.
As per the report, Lithuania met all of the criteria among the eight countries which
showed interest to join Euro club. The eight countries are Bulgaria, the Czech Republic,
Croatia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden.
Although, EU commission asked the Lithuania to maintain low inflation rates but it is
not a worrisome aspect.
The commission expected inflation in Lithuania to accelerate to 1.1pc in 2014 from a
12-month average of 0.6pc measured to April 2014.The target is to maintain inflation
within the eurozone below but close to 2pc something that has been elusive in
recent years.
The Lithuanian central bank estimates that not being part of the eurozone cost
Lithuania roughly 2 percent of GDP in increased borrowing costs during the world
financial crisis.
Criteria to join Euro

In order to qualify to join the euro, a country must fulfill the following conditions:
Government debt no higher than 60pc of gross domestic product (GDP),
Budget deficit below 3pc of GDP,
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Low inflation and interest rates and

Countrys own currency has to be stable against the euro
About the Report

The 2014 Convergence Report is a regular biennial report. Convergence reports are
issued by the European Commission and the European Central Bank every two years,
or more often if a country intending to join the euro requests it. These reports form
the basis for the decision on whether a Member State may join the euro area.
About the Euro

The euro is the single currency shared by 18 of the European Unions Member States,
which together make up the euro area. The introduction of the euro in 1999 was a
major step in European integration: more than 333 million EU citizens now use it as
their currency.
Which countries have adopted the euro and when?

1999 Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
Austria,
Portugal and
Finland
2001
Greece
2002
Introduction of euro banknotes and coins
2007
Slovenia
2008
Cyprus, Malta
2009
Slovakia
2011
Estonia
2014
Latvia
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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won Presidential election

for third time
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria won the Presidential election for the third time.
The Presidential Election result was announced by the Parliament Speaker Jihad
Laham on 4 June 2014.
Basher winning the elections means that he will stay as the President of Syria for
seven more years.
Bashar belonging to Baath Party won the election with 88.7 percent of the vote casted
in favour of him. The other two contesting candidates Hassan al-Nouri (National
Initiative for Administration and Change in Syria Party) and Maher Hajjar (Peoples
Will Party) won 4.3 percent and won 3.2 percent of casted votes respectively.
The voter turnout in the election was 73.42 percent. The polling took place only in
government-controlled areas, but not in parts of the north and east held by rebels.
About Syrian Presidential Election

This is the first time in a decade that multiple candidates fought the Presidential
elections. In earlier presidential elections, Assad and his father, Hafez Assad was
elected in single candidate referendums in which voters cast yes or no ballots.
The Presidential election 2014 was held in accordance with the new Constitution.
The new constitution, adopted following the Syrian constitutional referendum in
2012 changed the nature of the Presidential election from a referendum to a multicandidate electoral ballot.
Further it added a new Article 88, which introduced presidential elections and limited
the term of office for the president to seven years with a maximum of one re-election.
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Palestinian Unity Government of Hamas and Fatah sworn-in

by President Mahmoud Abbas
The Palestinian National Unity Government of Hamas and Fatah was sworn-in on
2 June 2014 by the Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas in West Bank
City of Ramallah. With the formation of new government, the Hamas government in
Gaza strip resigned.
The Unity Government will be headed by incumbent Palestinian Prime Minister Rami
Hamadallah and is composed of 17 independent ministers. The Unity Government
comprises of professionals and does not have members of neither Fatah and Hamas.
Three of them are women and half of them have served in last Palestinian Authority
government.
The new Government after assuming the office will oversee the Parliamentary and
Presidential elections in Palestine.
This swearing-in is historical as it signifies an end of seven years of bitter relations
between the two main Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, due to which Palestine
remained divided.
Before this reconciliation Abbas and Hamas ruled two different factions of
Palestine
Abbas ruled Israeli-occupied West Bank, which mainly depends on the foreign aid
Hamas that advocates for destruction of Israel ruled Gaza Strip after winning the
elections in 2006 and ousting the Fatah from Gaza in 2007.
However, Israel that has designated Hamas as a terrorist organisation has opposed
this reconciliation and formation of the unity government and has urged the world
leaders not to rush and recognise the new government. The security cabinet of Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also termed that now Israel will hold Abbas and
the new Palestinian government accountable for any rocket fire from the Gaza strip.
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Peter Mutharika sworn-in as President of Malawi

Peter Mutharika was sworn-in as President of Malawi on 31 May 2014. He won the
presidential election of Malawi by defeating previous President Joyce Banda. The
result was announced by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on 30 May 2014.
Peter Mutharika, the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party obtained 36.4percent
of the vote, former preacher Lazarus Chakwera came second with 27.8 percent of
the vote and Banda obtained 20.2 percent of the vote.
Banda called for the whole election to be annulled, denouncing serious irregularities
and claiming the contest was null and void. The High Court rejected to block the
release of the results following which Chief Election commissioner declared Mutharika
as the winner.
US deployed two Global Hawk drones on Misawa airbase in

Northern Japan
The US Air Force on 30 May 2014 deployed two Global Hawks on Misawa airbase
in Northern Japan. Global Hawk is an advanced long-distance surveillance drones.
Global Hawks drones will remain at Misawa Air Base, located some 590 kilometers
northeast of Tokyo, until October 2014. They will remain here until the typhoon season
at the drones home, Andersen Air Force Base, on the Guam islands in the western
Pacific gets over.
The first Global Hawk flew to Japan from its home base on 24 May 2014, while the
second arrived in Misawa on 28 May 2014. The two vehicles are expected to start
operating in the Asia-Pacific region in early June 2014.
Japans government is now planning to buy three US Global Hawk drones, because
deployment of these vehicles will help the country to familiarize itself with the aircraft.
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Analysis
The deployment of two drones is seen as US commitment to provide security to Asia
as part of its rebalancing of forces to the Pacific. This will enhance the ability of USA
Air Force to monitor nuclear activities in North Korea and Chinese naval operations.
About Global Hawk

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
surveillance aircraft. It was initially designed by Ryan Aeronautical and known as Tier
II+ during development.
In role and operational design, the Global Hawk is similar to the Lockheed U-2.
It is able to fly at a maximum height of 18.3 km and can fly continuously for 24 hours.
The Global Hawk is operated by the United States Air Force and U.S. Navy. It is
used as a high-altitude platform for surveillance and security. Missions for the Global
Hawk cover the spectrum of intelligence collection capability to support forces in
worldwide military operations.
US President announced to keep US troops in Afghanistan

till 2016
US President Barack Obama announced on 27 May 2014 to keep 9800 troops in
Afghanistan till the end of 2016. The announcement was made in Washington. The
final withdrawal of US combat forces was to take place in December 2014 but US
extended it for two years to withdraw the troops from Afghanistan fully.
The US till then will only focus on supporting counter-terrorism operations and training
Afghan security forces, and will not be engaged in combat missions.
At present, there are 32000 US troops in Afghanistan and over the course the number
of troops will be draw down to half about 4900 troops by 2015. The troops are
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consolidated in the Kabul and Bagram Air Field, the main US base in Afghanisthan.
The US will leave only enough troops for security for the American Embassy after
2016.
The post-war plan is contingent on the Afghan government signing a bilateral security
agreement with the US. Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai had refused to sign the
agreement.
Dalia Grybauskaite won the Presidential election of Lithuania

Dalia Grybauskaite, the Iron Lady of Lithuania, on 25 May 2014 won the Presidential
elections of Lithuania. As a result she became the first person to serve as the President
of Lithuania for consecutive second term. She served the first term as President from
2009 to 2014 as the term of President of Lithuania is five years.
In the second round of counting of votes, she emerged victorious by winning 58
percent of votes over her rival Zigmantas Balcytis of Social Democrat who garnered
42 percent votes.
She fought the Presidential election as an independent candidate and focused her
campaign on national security. She is a former EU Budget Chief
She fought the elections amid the concerns in the Baltic nations like Lithuania, Latvia
and Estonia that the annexation of Crimea by Russia is a symbol of vortex of threats
of being destabilized. All these three nations are the members of NATO and European
Union with Russian speaking minorities.
Russia and China signed 30 year deal on natural gas worth

of 400 billion dollars
China on 21 May 2014 signed a 30-year deal to buy Russian natural gas worth 400
70
billion US dollars in a financial year. The deal was signed during the Russian President
Vladimir Putin visit to China.
Gasport firm of Russia and China National Petroleum Corp signed the agreement.
As per the agreement, Gasport will supply 38 billion cubic metres of gas annually
to China National Petroleum Corp. The contract is worth a total of 400 billion US
dollars.
Besides, Russian President Putin also received the support from Chinese President
Xi Jinping over Ukraine crisis. Russia and China issued a statement calling for the
de-escalation of tensions in Ukraine and for peaceful and political ways to resolve
the existing problems. The two countries referred to the crisis as domestic.
Analysis
This has come as big relief for Russia which had been facing flak of the Western
powers over the Ukraine Crisis since its annexation of Crimea peninsula in March
2014. Besides, this was the only issue on which China hesitated to support Russia
in UN Security Council.
The signing of gas deal also has come as a big respite for Russia. The signing of
agreement means that now Russia will not have to depend on European countries for
selling its gas much and will help Russia overcome the impact of economic sanctions
imposed by the US and European countries over the Ukraine crisis.
Chinese support to Russia over Ukraine crisis might be an outcome of the recent
conciliatory steps taken by Putin. These steps includes ordering Russian forces
massed on the Ukraine border to return to bases and welcomed the initial contacts
between the Ukraine government and those calling for more power for largely Russianspeaking regions in the east.
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PEMRA suspended three Geo TV Channels for leveling allegations against ISI
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on 20 May 2014 suspended
three television channels of Geo TV network. Geo TV network is the countrys largest
and most influential.
These were suspended for leveling allegations against the Inter Service Intelligence
(ISI) and showing blasphemous morning show on its entertainment channel.
The three channels that have been suspended by the five-member Pakistani electronic
media watchdog are Geo News, Geo Entertainment and Geo Tez.
The committee that suspended the channels with immediate effect included Syed
Ismail Shah, Israr Abbasi and Pervez Rathore. Other two members of the Committee
did not participate.
As per the committee, the suspension will stay in effect until 28 May 2014. By then
another session of the committee will be called in to make a final call in relation to
cancellation of the licenses.
Swiss voters rejected the Minimum Wage Initiative that introduced highest minimum wage in the World
Swiss voters rejected the Minimum Wage Initiative on 18 May 2014. The initiative
was rejected by 77 percent of the Swiss voters.
The Minimum Wage Initiative, if passed, would have introduced highest minimum
wage in the world at 25 US dollars for an hour (or 22 francs an hour). The Initiative
was proposed by the Swiss Trade Unions backed by Socialist and Green parties in
light of the growing income inequality in Switzerland.
The growing income inequality has become a major concern in the developed world.
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It has led to increasing demand for increasing the minimum wages for lower-income
worker. For instance President Barack Obama proposed a minimum wage of 10.10
US dollars an hour for American workers. On the other hand, Germen Chancellor
Angela Merkel pushed for a minimum wage of 11.64 US dollars an hour from 2017
onwards.
Currently Switzerland does not have a national wide minimum wage while France
and Germany do have minimum wage. The pay in Swiss is determined by individual
employment contracts or via collective bargaining agreements and industry-specific
minimum wages.
The Federal Council (Swiss cabinet) and both houses of Parliament argued that the
measure did not take into account regional and sector differences that might merit
different pay. The setting of minimum wage at such a high wage would have made
difficult for low and unskilled job seekers to find work.
Qatar decided to abolish Sponsorship System for foreign

workers
Qatar on 14 May 2014 decided to abolish it controversial sponsorship system for
foreign workers. The sponsorship system (Kafala system) will be replaced with a
system based on employment contracts as part of a package of labour reforms.
Under the new system, the foreign workers will not have to obtain their employers
consent before leaving the country as is prevalent at present.
Now this process will be replaced with an automated system through the ministry of
interior. Under this automated system, the exit permit will be granted to an employee
after a 72-hour grace period prior to departure.
Background
The sponsor system for the foreign workers practiced by Qatar has been under
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international criticism by the human rights activists on account of its unfair treatment
to the foreign workers.
About 90 percent of total population of Qatar is expatriate of which around 1.3
millions are from Asian countries, mainly from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal
and Philippines. Maximum number of migrant workers and residents of Qatar are
under the sponsorship system.
Moldova & Georgia to sign EU Association Agreement on 27

June 2014
Moldova and Georgia on 13 May 2014 agreed to sign European Union (EU) Association
Agreement on 27 June 2014. The President of the European Council Herman Van
Rompuy revealed this in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
The signing of the Association Agreement will help strengthen the trade and political
ties between the EU and the two countries.
Besides, it will also help expedite the process of full membership for Moldova and
Georgia to the 28-EU bloc which is the original foreign policy objective of both the
countries.
The accord will also help defend the former Soviet republic countries from threats by
Russia which opposes the EUs eastward expansion.
Although the Agreement was to be signed at the end of the year 2014 but EU expedited
the process after the Russian annexation of Crimea in March 2014. EU fears that the
crisis in Ukraine may snowball to other regions of the erstwhile USSR and Russia
may annex these regions also.
In November 2013, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia agreed to sign the EU Association
Agreement. However, Ukraine under pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych
backed away from signing the Agreement triggering the protests in Ukraine.
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The end result of the whole episode was the ouster of pro-Russian President in
December 2013; annexation of Crimea by Russia in March 2014 and Ukraine signing
the Association Agreement with EU in April 2014.
Chinese premier Li Keqiang official visit to Africa concluded

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang eight day official visits to four nations of African continent
starting on 4 May 2014 concluded on 11 May 2014. These nations were Ethiopia,
Nigeria, Angola and Kenya. This was the first time that Li visited Africa since taking
office in 2013.
During the visit dozens of deal were signed between China and four African nations
covering areas as diverse as finance, trade and culture. The visit also included the
China Railway and Aviation Show and a light railway construction project.
Besides, China also agreed to work with Africa in building 3 networks: with highspeed railways, high speed roads and civil aviation.
Agreement on Building Railway Line in East Africa

The eight day visit concluded with the signing of an agreement with to build a 610km railway line linking Kenyas capital Nairobi with the Eastern port Mombasa.
China signed the agreement with the leaders of East Africa to build a new railway line
in East Africa. The railway line will link the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Nairobi and
will run on to Rwanda and South Sudan.
The agreement was signed in Nairobi (Kenya) by visiting Chinese premier Li Keqiang
and witnessed by the presidents of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.
Construction work on the standard gauge line will start from October 2014. The 610
km (380-mile) stretch from the coast to Nairobi is due to be completed by 2018.
The new standard gauge line will supplement a slower narrow gauge network that
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now only runs to Uganda whereas the new line is designed to go on to Rwanda and
South Sudan.
China Road and Bridge Corporation, a subsidiary of China Communications
Construction Company was appointed to construct the railway line.
The total estimated cost of production is 3.8 billion US Dollar. According to the terms
of the agreement, The Eximbank of China will finance 90 percent of the cost of the
first stage while the remaining 10 percent will be financed by Kenya.
The new railway will cut freight costs to 8 U.S. cents a metric ton (1.1023 tons) per
km from 20 cents now.
Construction of the original line began in Mombasa 1895 and the railway reached
Nairobi in 1899. It reached the shore of Lake Victoria in December 1901.
Analysis
The Li visit to Africa was made to further cement the comprehensive cooperation
partnership and take bilateral ties between China and African countries to a new
high. Trade and development were on top of the agenda as Li sought to establish his
vision of a new type of strategic partnership with African nations.
The timing of the visit is significant. 50 years ago former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai
made a landmark trip to Africa. The visit proved to be a major milestone in building a
long and fruitful relationship.
As of now the trade between African and China is worth over 210 billion US dollars.
This is over 2000 times what it was in 1960. And, for 5 years now, China has been
Africas largest trading partner. Moreover, Beijing has also supported over 270
infrastructure programs across the continent.
Infrastructure, like the Tanzara Railway connecting Tanzania and Zambia, the project
is a major symbol of Chinas commitment to the region.
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Donetsk and Luhansk leaders declared independence from

Ukraine
Leaders of Donetsk and Luhansk on 12 May 2014 declared Donetsk and Luhansk
region in the Eastern Ukraine as sovereign and independent State.
The declaration was made after the referendum in Donetsk and Luhansk which was
held on 11 May 2014. The result of the referendum in Donestk and Luhansk region
showed that 89 percent and 96.2 percent people in the region respectively supported
independence from Ukraine.
The self-proclaimed head of the Peoples Republic of Donetsk Denis Pushilin in
eastern Ukraine has declared the region a sovereign state and asked Russia to
consider allowing it to accede.
Aleksandr Malykhin, head of Luhansk election commission asked Russia to accept
integration of Luhansk into the Russian Federation.
Both the region now plans to ask the United Nations to recognize its independence. It
was also announced that both the region will not participate in Ukraines presidential
election, which is expected to be held on 25 May 2014.
Analysis
Russia annexed Ukraines southern autonomous republic of Crimea after a disputed
referendum in March 2014 and Ukraine now fears that Russia may repeat the same
in Donetsk, Luhansk and parts of southern Ukraine.
However, Russia signalled that it had no intention of annexing eastern Ukraine the
way it annexed Crimea in March.
Instead, Moscow wants to include eastern regions in negotiations on Ukraines future.
In other words, Russia is indicating that it prefers a political, not military, solution to
its worst standoff with the West since the Cold War.
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Negotiations on Ukraines future are central to a potential path towards peace outlined
on 12 May 2014 by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
The plan laid out by Swiss President Didier Burkhalter calls on all sides to refrain from
violence and urges immediate amnesty, talks on decentralisation and the status of
the Russian language.
About Donestk
Donestk is an industrial city in Eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius River. Administratively,
it is a centre of Donetsk Oblast.
Donetsk is a major economic, industrial and scientific centre of Ukraine with a high
concentration of companies and a skilled workforce.
According to the 2001 Ukrainian Census, Donetsk is the fifth-largest city in Ukraine.
About Luhansk
Luhansk is the administrative center in the easternmost Ukraine. The city itself is also
designated as its own separate municipality within the oblast. The current estimated
population is around 425848.
Five Nuclear Powers signed a protocol on Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty

The Five Nuclear Powers and UN Security Council members (United States, Russia,
China, Britain and France) on 6 May 2014 signed a new protocol on existing Central
Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (CANWFZ) Treaty in New York. The agenda of
singing the protocol was creation of a nuclear free zone in five central Asian countries
namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The UN Security Council five members have also agreed to put a ban on production,
purchase and placement of nuclear weapons on the territory of these Central Asian
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countries. But the agreement doesnt include a ban on peaceful nuclear energy.
Apart from this, the Protocol legally-binds the Nuclear Powers from using nuclear
weapons or threaten them to use nuclear weapons against CANWFZ Treaty parties
(Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). The term given
to the guarantees of non-use of nuclear weapons against the parties to the treaty is
negative guarantees.
The United States is not eligible to be a party to the CANWFZ Treaty, but as an NPT
nuclear weapons state is eligible to join the Treatys Protocol. The agreement occurred
on the sidelines of the two-week preparatory meeting for the Nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty review conference in 2015.
Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (CANWFZ) Treaty

The CANWFZ treaty is a legally binding commitment of Central Asian states
(Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) that demands not
to manufacture, acquire, test, or possess nuclear weapons.
The treaty was signed on 8 September 2006 at Semipalatinsk (a major Soviet nuclear
site), Kazakhstan. Hence it is also known as Treaty of Semipalatinsk, Treaty of Semei
or Treaty of Semey. The treaty included Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan,
Tajikistan and Kazakhstan and came into force on 21 March 20009. This is the worlds
first nuclear free zone located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Treaty and its Protocol will promote regional cooperation, security, stability and
peace in the region with a view to create the necessary conditions for the development
and prosperity of their peoples.
The CANWFZ Treaty complements the NPT and enhances the international
nonproliferation regime by prohibiting, among other things, the development and
testing of nuclear weapons within Central Asia.
Under the Treaty, the five Central Asian zone states will not allow the stationing of
nuclear weapons within their territories. These states are also required to adopt the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Additional Protocol. This protocol provides
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the IAEA with expanded access and authorities to ensure that all nuclear activities
are used only for peaceful purposes.
There are four other treaties on nuclear-weapons-free zones in

Treaties of Tlatelolco Latin America and the Caribbean
Treaty of Rarotonga South Pacific
Treaty of Bangkok Southeast Asia
Treaty of Pelindaba Africa (yet not entered into force but only required two more
ratifications for it)
The CANWFZ also requires its members to comply with the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty (CTBT).
Mongolias self-declared nuclear-free status has also been recognised through a
United Nations General Assembly resolution.
South Sudan Government and Rebel army signed a peace

deal
The South Sudan President Salva Kiir and rebel army leader Riek Machar on 9 May
2014 signed a peace deal in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The deal calls for immediate peace and end of the ongoing conflict in Jonglei state
between the two parties. The deal also calls for the formation of a transitional
government ahead of the drafting of a new constitution and new elections.
The general principles agreed by the parties were that will be in line with the constitution
of South Sudan includes
Creation of joint military technical committee,
Establishment of Greater Pibor administrative areas
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Funds for Greater Pibor areas

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn hosted the talks and he also signed
the deal. Bishop Paride Taban is the chief mediator of the peace process between
the government and rebels.
Background
The violence began when President Kiir accused the sacked Vice President, Machar,
of plotting a coup. Machar denied the allegation, but then marshalled a rebel army
named South Sudan Democrativ Movement/ Army (SSDM) Cobra faction to fight the
government.
In the new independent South Sudan, the conflict in Jonglei state left thousands
dead and nearly five million people in need of aids according to the UN estimation.
The United Nations (UN) has accused both the South Sudanese government and the
rebels of crimes against humanity, including mass killings and gang-rape.
The UN report released on 8 May 2014 revealed that widespread and systematic
atrocities has been carried out by the both parties in different public places like
homes, hospitals, mosques, churches and UN compounds.
In January 2014, a cessation of hostilities deal was signed by both sides but failed to
bring an end to the violence.
US approved Diplomatic Mission for Syrian opposition in

Washington
The Obama administration on 5 May 2014 gave approval to the Syrian opposition to
open its formal diplomatic mission in Washington. This office will not be an embassy
but will be considered as a foreign mission under the US law.
Apart from this, the administration also announced an increase in the non-lethal
assistance for them by 27 million US dollar. Earlier in December 2012, it recognised
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the council as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

This announcement of the State Department has upgraded the status of the Syrian
Opposition Council that previously was represented by an informal liaison office. The
announcement came a week ahead of a meeting between the senior US officials and
Ahmad al-Jarba, the visiting president of the opposition council.
Earlier, in March 2014 the State Department suspended operations of the Syrian
Embassy in Washington that represented the Assad government.
Panama Vice President Juan Carlos Varela won the Presidential Election
Panamanian vice-president Juan Carlos Varela on 4 May 2014 won the presidential
election. Varela will assume the office on 1 July 2014.
Varela won with 39percent of the votes, compared to 32percent for former housing
minister Jose Domingo Arias. Juan Carlos Navarro, a former mayor of the capital,
was running third in the seven-candidate field with 27percent.
Varela, a 50-year-old engineer, is the scion of one of Panamas richest families and
owner of a namesake rum distillery. He left the 2009 presidential race to throw his
conservative Panamenista partys support behind Martinelli in exchange for the vice
presidency.
Before breaking with Martinelli in 2011, he was the architect of the governments
popular 100 for 70 program that provides a 100 US dollar monthly stipend to
Panamanians over age 70 without a pension or retirement benefits.
About Panama
Panama is the southernmost country of Central America and the whole of North
America. It is situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America.
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Panama is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the
Caribbean to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The capital is Panama
City.
First Gurudwara to be built in Johannesburg

City of Johannesburg on 1 May 2014 agreed to allow construction of a place of
worship in form of a full-fledged Gurudwara in the city. With this agreement, this
Gurudwara will be the first one in Johannesburg, South Africa
The Gurudwara will be constructed on a land that was donated by African-born Sikh
businessman Harbinder Singh Sethi.
This decision was made following an eight-year long battle with mainly white South
African residents of an upmarket suburb. Due to the demand and battle, the Gurudwara
was run on a temporary basis so far. Till date the Parkmore Residents Association
had objection on development of the Gurudwara in the city. They alleged that initially
Sethi initially claimed that he would build a house on the land but later tried to use it
for temple facilities.
With this agreement of the city, the construction of the 15-million-rand Gurudwara
Sahib would start within next two months.
Background
This process of refrain has been in existence in many areas of South Africa since
a long time that was formerly reserved by the white community only. After the first
democratic elections in 1994, Indian South Africans started moving into these areas
and had attempted to build mosques and temples there.
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Worlds highest tunnel for high-speed train opened in China

The worlds highest tunnel for high-speed train in northwest China at an altitude
of 3607.4 metres became operational on 1 May 2014. The 16.3 km long tunnel
links Gansu province and Xinjiang provinces. The tunnel passes through the Qilian
Mountains with two sections and bridge.
The construction of the highest tunnel started in 2009. This rail line through the tunnel
has solved the most difficult part of the Lanxin high-speed railway. The 1776 km
high-speed railway links Lanzhou, capital of Gansu, with Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang
and runs across Gansu and Qinghai provinces to Xinjiang, traversing the Gobi Desert.
The line is designed for trains at over 200 km per hour and will cut the train travel time
between Lanzhou and Urumqi is eight hours from 20 hours. The line will be used at
end of 2014.
Taihang tunnel (27.8 km long) and Wushaoling tunnel (21.05km long) is the fifth and
ninth longest rail tunnel in the world respectively located in China.
List of other tunnels

1. The Seikan tunnel in Japan is the longest (53.85km) and deepest rail tunnel in
the world. It passes through Tsugaru Strait connecting the Hokkaido and Honshu
islands.
2. The Channel tunnel (50.5km long), located on the English Channel in the UK
and France borders is the longest undersea rail tunnel in the world. It connects
Folkestone in Kent, UK, to Coquelles in Pas-de-Calais, France.
3. The railway tunnel (11 km long) through Pir Panjal mountain range on the BanihalQazigund railway line in Jammu and Kashmir is longest in India.
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India-made EVMs to be used in Namibias Presidential polls

Namibian government on 30 April 2014 purchased 3400 India-made Electronic
Voting Machines (EVMs) for use in the countries Presidential Election, scheduled
in November 2014. With this Namibia became the first African country that will use
such machines in any of its Polls.
The 3400 EVMs were purchased by Namibia at a cost of Namibian 10 million dollar
(Dh3.4 million/approx $948,000) from a public sector unit, Bharat Electronic Limited
(BEL) based in Bangaluru.
Before ordering the India-made EVMs, the seven-member delegation from the
Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) visited polling stations in Karnataka including
Bengaluru, when the Lok Sabha polls were held on April 17 and were impressed by
the system
Reason for which officials of the Namibias Electoral Commission are keen on
purchasing the India-made EVMs
Faster results
Reduction in the number of spoilt ballots
Low expenses in conducting the polls
Elimination of potential avenues of manipulation avenues
Features like the None of the Above (NOTA) button in order to vote against all the
contesting candidates in a constituency
In-built clocks and Braille markings for the visually impaired
As it eliminates the possibility of vote tempering by displaying the time when the
vote was cast along with recording the ballot
It also gives hourly polling updates
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The India-made EVMs has already been used by other Asian countries to conduct
smooth and fair polls, like 3000 such machines in Bhutan.
Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana scheme launched

in UAE
Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY) was launched in the UAE in the
fourth week of April 2014. A leading Indian financial and health care service player has
tied up with the UAE Exchange to offer Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana
Scheme in the Gulf country.
The announcement of the launch was made in Abu Dhabi in the presence of T P
Seetharam, the Indian Ambassador to UAE and other senior officials from the Indian
Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
The implementation of the MGPSY scheme will be facilitated by UAE Exchange that
is offered by the Indias Ministry of Overseas in association with Alankit Assignments.
Its expected that the services of the scheme would be rolled out into all 17 ECR
countries that include the GCC Countries and Malaysia. GCC is a group of countries
and includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
About Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY)

Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY) Scheme is a pension and life
insurance scheme and is recognised by the Indian government.
Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY) is a special social security
scheme for overseas Indian workers on temporary work permit in 17 Emigration
Check Required (ECR) countries.
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
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natural death during the period of coverage.

It provides home and a life insurance cover for 1 lakh rupees during their work
abroad.
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 home, whichever is earlier.
It will be added to the Pension and Life Insurance (PLIF) account of each eligible
subscriber.
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.
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.
PLO adopted a plan to seek membership of International

Organisations
The central council of Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) on 27 April 2014
adopted a plan to seek membership of International Organisations. The Palestinian
Liberation Organization has decided to press its bid for statehood for Palestine by
signing on to 63 international UN conventions.
In addition, the PLO voted to ask the United Nations Security Council and General
Assembly to condemn Israel for settlement construction, anti-Palestinian actions in
Jerusalem, and harm to the status of churches and mosques, especially Al-Aqsa on
Jerusalems Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount.
The 120-member Central Council also affirmed its absolute rejection of Prime Minister
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Benjamin Netanyahus demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as the nationstate of the Jewish people.
However, the council voted to leave the door open to resuming negotiations with
Israel on the basis of international resolutions and on condition of an Israeli settlement
freeze.
Analysis
The Palestine became an observer state member of the United Nations in 2013 with
an overwhelming vote in favour of it. In November 2013, the Palestinians casted a
UN General Assembly vote for the first time and claimed the moment as a new step
in their quest for full recognition by the global body.
Most of the 193 members of the General Assembly applauded Palestinian ambassador
Riyad Mansour as he voted for a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia. The Palestinian mission cannot vote on UN resolutions but, under
UN rules, it and other observers such as the Vatican can vote in elections for judges
on international courts.
Israel and the United States have lobbied strongly against UN recognition of the
Palestinians, arguing that a separate state can only be achieved through direct
bilateral negotiations to end the decades old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel maintained its position that the Palestinian Authority is not a state and the
Palestinian Authority failed to meet the criteria for statehood.
Fatah and Hamas signed reconciliation agreement

The Fatah and Hamas on 23 April 2014 signed a reconciliation agreement to end their
difference and form a Palestinian Unity Government in Gaza Strip.
The agreement was signed in Gaza by the Prime Minister of Gaza strip and Hamas
leader, Ismail Haniyeh and Fatah-led Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO)
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delegation chief Azzam al-Ahmed.

The agreement states that an independent government headed by Palestinian
President headed by Mahmoud Abbas would be formed within five weeks.
The agreement also states that the two groups will work for the implementation of
Egyptian-brokered deal in 2011. The unity deal aimed at ending the political divide
between Gaza and the Palestinian Authority-ruled West Bank.
Besides, it also strives for reviving the Palestinian Legislative Council that has been
paralysed since 2007.
The agreement also calls for activating and developing the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO) so as to allow Hamas and other Palestinian groups to join the
institutions of organization.
Hamas and Fatah split violently in 2007. Previous reconciliation agreements have
never been implemented. Since 2007, Hamas has been in control of the Gaza Strip
and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority has been ruling in the West Bank.
Consequences
Israeli suspended the peace talks with the Palestinians on 24 April 2014 due to the
reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas. The Israel rejects Hamas as
terror organisation where the US and Europe hold the same position. Israel is planning
a series of sanctions against the Palestinian.
Pakistan successfully tested short range ballistic missileGhazanvi

Pakistan successfully test-fired short range ballistic missile Hatf-III named Ghazanvi
in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on 22 April 2014. The short range surface-to-surface ballistic
missile can carry nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 290 kilometers.
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The successful launch concluded the Field Training Exercise of Strategic Missile
Group of Army Strategic Forces Command.
The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Rashad Mahmood
congratulated all the Scientists and Engineers for the successful launch of Ghaznavi
Missile. He regarded the testing of missile as another mile stone which has further
strengthened the defence potential of Pakistan besides assuring peace in the region.
The successful test of the missile was also appreciated by the President Mamnoon
Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. They congratulated the participating
troops, scientists and engineers on their outstanding achievement.
In 1972, Pakistan began focusing on nuclear weapons development under the
leadership of then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Pakistan became a nuclear
power in 1998 and since then had routinely test-fires nuclear-capable missiles which
it claims are indigenously developed missiles.
India and Bhutan signed agreement on development of hydropower projects

India and Bhutan signed an agreement for the development of hydropower projects
in Thimphu, Bhutan on 22 April 2014. The inter-governmental agreement provides
framework for implementing four hydro-electric projects (HEP) totaling 2120 MW on
a joint venture model between public sector undertakings (PSU) of India and Bhutan.
The four projects are

600 MW Kholongchu project
180 MW Bunakha project (with 230 MW downstream benefit from Tala, Chukha
and Wangchu HEPs)
570 MW Wangchu project
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770 MW Chamkarchu project
The Hydropower cooperation between the two countries

It is a classic example of win-win cooperation
Providing clean electricity to India
Generating export revenues for Bhutan
Further strengthening our bilateral economic linkages
Three hydro-electric projects (HEPs) totaling 1416 MW are already operational in

Bhutan and are supplying electricity to India. The projects are Chukha project (336
MW); Kurichu project (60 MW); Tala project (1020 MW).
Other three HEPs totaling 2940 MW are under construction and are scheduled to
be commissioned by 2018. The projects are Punatsangchu-I project (1200 MW),
Punatsangchu-II project (1020 MW) and Mangdehchu project (720 MW).
Abdelaziz Bouteflika won the Algerias Presidential election

fourth time
Abdelaziz Bouteflika won the Presidency for the fourth time consecutively in Algeria
on 18 April 2014. He belongs to National Liberation Front party.
He won the presidential election with a huge 81 percent of the vote. In 2008, he won
the elections with 90 percent of the vote.
Ali Benflis, main opponent, received 12.18 percent of the total votes casted. Other
opponents Abdelaziz Belaid and Louisa Hanoune received 3.03 percent and 1.37
percent of the votes respectively.
Voters turnout stood at 51.3 percent of the registered voters which went down from
the 75 percent in 2009.
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In 1999, Bouteflika took office when Algeria was still in a civil war between the military
and Islamist militants and restored some economic stability. In 2012, he surpassed
Houari Boumedienne as the longest-serving President of Algeria.
The president is elected for five years term by the people in Algeria. The presidentship
was limited to two terms in the original constitution. However, the constitution was
amended in 2008 to remove the term limits.
Russia, Ukraine and West signed Deal to ease Ukrainian crisis

Russia, Ukraine and West (US and European Union) signed a deal to ease Ukrainian
Crisis. The deal was signed in Geneva on 17 April 2014.
The deal among the four parties agreed to restore security for all citizens. Besides to
disarm illegal armed groups who seized buildings in Ukraine and return the buildings
to their rightful owners. The agreement also called on all side to avoid from violence,
intimidation and provocation and to reject extremism of all forms.
Besides, to resolve the crisis the Ukrainian Government agreed to
Ukrainian government is ready to conduct a comprehensive constitutional reform
that will secure powers of the regions giving them a greater say in local governance.
The government also pledged a special status to the Russian language and vowed
to protect the rights of all citizens whatever language they spoke.
Back ground
Ukraine has faced months of turmoil. It all started with former President Viktor
Yanukovych wanted to have closer ties with Russia instead of Europe. As a result
there were protests against the president Viktor Yanukovych and in the month of
March 2014 the turmoil ended with annexation of Crimea by Russia.
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Inspired from the referendum and annexation of Crimean peninsula, the other three
ethnically Russian speaking population of Eastern Ukraine, viz., Donetsk, Kharkiv
and Lugansk have also demanded referendum.
European Parliament approved the Banking Union reforms

The European Parliament on 15 April 2014 approved the Banking Union reforms. The
banking reforms provides for a set of rules to supervise the eurozone banks and deal
with any future failures. It also puts an end to the era of taxpayers-funded bailouts of
defaulting banks.
The main features of the Banking Union reforms

To establish a new oversight system known as the Single Supervisory Mechanism
(SSM) under the European Central Bank (ECB) this will become operational from
November 2014.
SSM will be complemented by a Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM). SRM will
act on the advice of the ECB to stabilise or close down a bank before it can do any
wider damage to the economy
A fund of 55 billion euros (76 billion dollars) will be set up to cover the cost of
closures. The fund will be paid by a levy on the banks.
Customer deposits will be guaranteed up to 100000 euros, with the banks also
required to meet this commitment by setting aside enough reserves
Lenders must comply with stricter rules of conduct and capital levels. The aim is
to limit the amount of risk a lender can take on and to ensure that shareholders
and creditors shoulder the cost of any rescue, not the taxpayer.
Analysis
The Banking Union reforms are widely seen as essential for the monetary union of
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the euro single currency whose very existence came under threat as the debt crisis
forced Greece and then Ireland and Portugal to seek massive international bailouts.
However, the International Monetary Fund warned that more work was needed
because the procedures appeared too cumbersome to ensure a rapid solution if a
bank threatened the financial system.
EU Court struck down the EU Data Retention Directive

European Court of Justice (ECJ) on 8 April 2014 struck down the EU Data Retention
Directive that forced telecom operators to store private phone and email data for up
to two years.
ECJ ruled that the requirement for mobile operators and internet service providers to
retain data interfered with the fundamental rights of the citizens. It violated the right
to respect for private life and to the protection of personal data.
While the court noted that the law was useful in fighting serious crime, it ruled there
was insufficient oversight to prevent abuse and ensure the datas destruction at the
end of the retention period. The 28 member states of European Union (EU) were
asked to take the necessary steps to withdraw it.
The court gave the ruling in the backdrop of a petition filed by the Digital Rights
Ireland. The petitioners challenged the Irelands data retention law arguing that the
directive was a breach of the right to privacy under the European Convention on
Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The Directive was adopted by the EU in 2006. It mandated the EU states to store
individuals Internet, mobile telephone and text metadata the time, date, duration
and destination, albeit not the content of the communications themselves for six
months to two years. This was issued with the intention to fight terrorism.
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Spanish Parliament rejected referendum on Catalonian independence

The Parliament of Spain on 8 April 2014 voted to reject the request by the Catalan
authorities to hold a referendum on independence on 9 November 2014. In the voting
held 299 MPs voted against the motion, 47 (Catalan and Basque nationalist parties)
voted in support with one abstention.
Earlier, Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish Prime Minister warned that this referendum would
be an economic disaster for both Spain and Catalonia. He also claimed that the
Constitution of Spain says that referendum on sovereignty must be held nationally
and not regionally.
About Catalan (Catalonia) Nationalism

The region is one of the most developed regions of Spain with a population of 7.5
million. It accounts for a fifth of the Spanish economy and 16 percent of its population.
Catalonia, the land of artists Joan Miro and Salvador Dali and architect Antoni Gaudi,
is also home to some of Spains biggest companies, including banks Caixabank and
Sabadell, global infrastructure company Abertis and utility Gas Natural.
The Catalonia region already enjoys a wide degree of autonomy. The region already
has significant self-governing powers over its education and health systems and
its police. Yet the Catalan nationalism attained greater momentum after the recent
economic crisis in Spain.
The independence movement for the Catalonian region mainly arose from the
perception that tax system of Spain is extremely unfair and from the tussle over the
Catalan-language education system.
The authorities of Catalonia have been fighting with the Spanish government since
very long demanding Catalonian independence. In this regard, in December 2013,
Catalonian government had put forth two questions before the electorates of
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Catalonia. These were: whether they wanted Catalonia to be a state or they wanted
it to be an independent state.
Pro-Russian activists of Donetsk proclaimed their independence from Ukraine

Pro-Russian activists of Donetsk on 7 April 2014 proclaimed their independence
from Ukraine. The protesters asked Russia to send in troops to protect them from
the Ukrainian Government. They occupied the regional government headquarters in
Donetsk and set up a Peoples Council of Donetsk.
The self-proclaimed Council decided to call a referendum on splitting from Ukraine
and joining Russia before 11 May 2014. This demand for referendum is similar to the
demand for referendum in Crimea. The referendum will decide the status of region.
The region has maximum Russian speakers and they are showing their support over
the independence from Ukraine. In the event of referendum getting approved, the
region may witness annexation similarly on the lines of Crimea.
The activists of Donetsk were coordinating their referendum plans with pro-Russia
forces in Kharkiv and Lugansk. These three regions in the eastern Ukraine are the
most developed industrial regions bordering Russia and have much more in common
with neighbouring Russian provinces than with western Ukraine.
NATO suspended all co-operations with Russia over Ukraine

crisis
NATO condemning the annexation as illegal on 1 April 2014 suspended all cooperation
with Russia over the Crimea crisis. It also questioned Moscows claim to withdraw
troops from near the Ukrainian border.
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The decision to suspend all cooperation civilian and military - with Russia was
taken at the first meet of the Foreign Ministers of the 28-member NATO bloc since
the annexation of Crimea by Russia. The NATOs Foreign Minister meet was held at
Brussels, Belgium.
Besides, it was also agreed to look at options including situating permanent military
bases in the Baltic states to reassure members in Eastern Europe. Russias actions
in Ukraine have caused concern in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were part of
the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
NATO Foreign Ministers also decided to use their jet planes in air patrols in the region
later. It will be a routine exercise which analysts feel has added significance due to
the crisis.
It was also agreed not to renew the cooperation on counter-narcotics operation in
Afghanistan after the current session.
However, the Foreign Ministers of NATO agreed to continue dialogue in the NATORussia Council at ambassadorial level so as to allow exchange views, first and
foremost on this crisis. Also Russias mission at NATO would remain open but only to
discuss the Ukraine crisis.
In addition to the above developments, other developments that took place

in relation to Ukraine crisis were
Russian energy firm Gazprom announced an increase of the price it charges
Ukraine for gas from 1 April 2014.
Ukraines parliament ordered security services to disarm all illegal armed groups.
Members of Parliament of Ukraine voted to allow to hold joint military exercises
with NATO and other nations on Ukrainian soil
Russias upper house of parliament voted to pull out of a treaty with Ukraine on
the Black Sea Fleets presence in Crimea
The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to back a bill providing
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aid to Ukraine and imposing certain sanctions against Russia over the annexation
of Crimea.
Myanmar started its first official census in 30 years

Myanmar started its first official census in 30 years on 30 March 2014.The census
has been facilitated by United Nations Population Fund along with its donors, who
have contributed 65 million US dollar. The contribution has been made for focusing
on the technical aspects of the survey and neglecting political concerns.
As per the plan, the census will be recorded in 12 days operation and will be conducted
by 100000 teachers. During the process of the process, the representatives will draw
out information like childbirth and employment rates as well as migration figures.
Its expected that the data generated by the census would help the government in
developing appropriate policies for its citizens.
UN agency that is helping Burma to conduct its first census after three decades
has cliamed that the members of the long-persecuted Rohingya Muslim Population
are not being counted in the census. As per the agency, the census workers in the
violence-scarred state of Rakhine dont count any person when they reply Rohingya
as their identity of ethnicity.
This census exercise of the country is being boycotted by some ethnic communities
and they have said that they will provide false information as a sign of their protest
Myanmar or Burma is predominantly Buddhist nation of about 60 million and recently
it emerged from a half century of military rule. The last census was conducted in the
country in 1983.
Japan announced 15000 crore loan for 5 Indian Projects

Japan announced Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan for more than 15000
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crore rupees for 5 Indian Projects on 31 March 2014. This is the largest amount in the
history of the ODA loans ever signed in the single occasion.
The loan agreement was signed by Rajesh Khullar, Joint Secretary, Department of
Economic Affairs in the Union Finance Ministry and Takeshi Yagi, ambassador of
Japan to India.
Indian Projects covered under loan are:

New and Renewable energy development Project
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Energy Saving Project
Haryana Distribution System Upgradation Project
Delhi Mass Rapid Transport System Project
The ODA has allotted 1800 crore rupees loan to the power producers under New and
Renewable energy Development Project (Phase 2). The project aims to develop Solar
and Wind power. The ongoing project includes a loan of 220 crore rupees for solar
power project in Andhra Pradesh and a loan of 1160 crore rupees for wind power
projects in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat.
The ODA loan pledged about 8933 crore rupees to Delhi Mass Rapid Transport System
Project (phase 3). This will facilitate in expansion of Delhi metro apart from improving
transportation services. The project on completion will result in the extended length
of 329.4 Km.
Deny access to websites infringing copyright: EU court to

ISPs
European Union Court on 27 March 2014 ruled that Internet Service Providers (ISP)
can legally deny access to websites that infringe copyright to their customers. The
ruling is aimed at limiting online piracy. In its directive the Court also said that ISPs
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must ensure that this blocking activity of the websites may not deprive users from the
possibility of lawfully access to the information available.
The Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg in its decision upheld the
decision of an Austrian Court to compel an ISP to deny its customers access to the
website. This decision was made on the basis of the EU laws and regulations provide
power to ISPs to deny access to such websites. The European Court in its judgment
has also asked the Austrian Supreme Court to interpret the Copyright Directives of
EU and the basic rights enshrined in the EU legislation.
This decision came in the backdrop of the decision of the judges of Austrian court that
prohibited UPC Telekabel Wein (an internet service provider of Austria) from providing
access to its customers to the sites of two companies that holds movie rights. Earlier,
the two companies approached the Austrian court with a plea to prohibit access to
a website where some of their copyright films could be viewed and downloaded for
free.
President Barack Obama announced NSA reform plans

President Barack Obama on 27 March 2014 announced National Security Agency
(NSA) reform plan. The plans were aimed to end bulk collection of telephone records.
As per the legislation, the phone companies were allowed to store records of phone
calls and allow government agents to search the database with a court order.
The proposed legislation would curb the power of NSA and would defuse a controversy
over the governments sweeping surveillance activities on millions of Americans.
The collection of data needs congressional approval. Although, the plan addresses
the public privacy concern but it still allows the government to conduct surveillance
to thwart terrorist attacks.
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Japan signed an agreement to hand over nuclear material to

the US
Japan and the United States on 24 March 2014 signed an agreement for removal of
315 kilograms of weapon-grade Plutonium and Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) and
handover to United States. As per the deal, the fissile material would be transported
from Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to a
secure facility in the United States.
This deal was reached between the two nations during the 2014 International Nuclear
security summit in The Hague, Netherlands.
This deal of providing the highly enriched uranium and plutonium to US can be
considered as Japanese effort to prevent proliferation and abuse of nuclear material
by terrorists, which is the background of the nuclear summit. One of the main aims
of the summit is to reduce the amount of dangerous nuclear material in the world
that terrorists could use to make a nuclear weapon (highly enriched uranium and
plutonium).
Background
Japan in 1960s purchased the fuel from the US, which was used by Japan Atomic
Energy Agency for research purposes. The amount of plutonium holdings of Japan
that will be transferred to US is a fraction of Japans overall holdings.
2400 km march over the demand to cancel Myitsone dam in

Myanmar
Over a dozen of citizens of Myanmar started a march of 2400 km on 23 March 2014 to
protest against the construction of Myitsone dam. Mytisone dam is a hydro-electric
dam being built by China over the River Irrawady in Kachin state of Myanmar.
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The protestors were demanding for the permanent cancellation of the construction of
dam as it is environmentally hazardous. The construction of the dam was suspended
in 2011 but protesters now are worried that it may resume after the 2015 general
elections.
Myistone dam was supposed to export 90 per cent of its power to China. The cost
of the project is 3.6 billion US dollar.
Five Indian languages reinstated as official subjects in South

African schools
Five Indian languages were reinstated as official subjects that will be taught in South
African state schools. The five Indian languages which have been reinstated are Hindi,
Tamil, Gujarati, Telugu and Urdu. These languages were offered as official subjects in
schools of South Africa until 1994.
The development was confirmed by Nkosinathi Sishi, the Provincial Head of the
Education Department. In this regard the circular was issued to schools in South
Africa on 20 March 2014.
These languages first will be offered as an optional third language for learners only
in KwaZulu-Natal province where about 70 percent of the Indian-origin population
inhabit.
Further these five Indian languages along with Arabic language will be offered as
official subjects up to matric level (final year of schooling) in South Africa.
However, these languages as official subjects will only be offered at schools where
the number of learners makes it a viable option to hire specialist teachers in the
language concerned.
The five Indian languages Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Telugu and Urdu alongside Arabic
are referred as Eastern languages.
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Background
In 1994, Indian languages were removed from the official curriculum in South African
state schools. Still the schools have been running classes in Indian languages which
were not part of the official government-approved curriculum.
Since 2001 National Council for Eastern Languages in South Africa has been requesting
to recognize these Eastern languages as official subject to ensure survival of mother
tongues amid the growing westernization of Indian youth. 1.4 million Citizens of Indian
origins representative group in South Africa also pleaded for reinstating the Indian
languages as official subjects.
Libyan Prime Minister sacked by the Parliament after tanker

escaped rebel-held port
Parliament of Libya voted for removal of Ali Zeidan, the Prime Minister of the country
from his office on 12 March 2014. He was sacked after a tanker loaded with crude
oil from rebel-held port Es Sider port escaped the navy. This ouster has created a
worsening chaos in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
member states.
On removal of Zeidan, Abdallah al-Thinni, the Defence Minister of the country has
been sworn-in as the acting Prime Minister and he will be acting as the Prime Minister
till a new Prime Minister is not elected. The deputies will elect a new Prime Minister
within two weeks.
Earlier, the ship was seized by the countries navy, which escaped into the international
waters from the Libyas eastern Mediterranean coast, while being moved to a
government controlled port in western Libya.
Zeidan came into power in 2012 and was the first person to be elected by a free
parliamentary vote. Earlier, Libya was facing a one-man rule of a dictator Muammar
Gaddafi, who was ousted in 2011.
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Background
The armed militia of Libya controls three Libyan ports on the eastern side of the
country. At present the militia of the country is demanding for extension of its share
on wealth and power. Following the crisis of the country, the oil exports of the country
have declined sharply affecting its economy.
UNSC voted on a resolution condemning illegal Libyan oil export

UN Security Council (UNSC) on 20 March 2014 unanimously voted in favor of a
resolution 2146 (2014) that condemns the illegal (illicit) export of Libyan crude oils.
The Security Council also imposed sanctions on vessels carrying illicit oil shipments.
The Council has also called on the countries to prohibit ships carrying illegal Libyan
oil cargo from entering their ports. It has asked them to return the oil found on seized
vessels to Libya. The resolution of the Security Council has also authorised UN
member states to inspect any vessel that it suspects for illegal carriage of Libyan oil
after coordinating with the ships flag state.
This resolution 2146 (2014) was adopted following an incident that occurred earlier
in March 2014. The incident was a North Korean-flagged (DPRK) Vessel, named
Morning Glory, loaded crude oil that belonged to a joint venture between the Libyan
National Oil Company and some United States companies at the rebel-held port of
Sidra in eastern Libya.
As per the reports, the Morning Glory carried a cargo of estimated 20 million dollar,
which was seized by the US Navy in international waters off the coast of Cyprus. The
vessel was seized on a request of both Cyprus and Libya.
Background
Security Councils resolution was unanimously adopted under the Chapter VII of the
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United Nations Charter. The 15-member body condemned attempts to illicitly export
crude oil from Libya.
The new resolution has requested Libya to pass on the information to the Security
Council Committee that oversees the arms embargo, travel ban and assets freeze
imposed in the country by resolution 1970 (known as the 1970 Committee) of any
vessels transporting crude oil illicitly exported from Libya. It also decided that the
1970 Committee would designate those vessels for some or all measures authorized
in the resolution on case-by-case basis for a period of 90 days.
UNSC extended mandate of UNAMA till March 2015

The UN Security Council on 17 March 2014 extended the mandate of the United
Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year until 17 March
2015. The mandate is focused on local ownership and leadership regarding security,
governance and development in Afghanistan.
As per a release issued by UNSC, the 15-member council during the New York
meeting unanimously adopted a resolution saying that the mission would continue to
lead and coordinate international civilian efforts in Afghanistan, that includes support
for 2014 Presidential election on 5 April 2014, the 2015 Parliamentary elections and
future electoral processes.
The Presidential election of Afghanistan that is scheduled to be held on 5 April 2014
is the countrys third Presidential election and the two-term President, Hamid Karzai
is not eligible to run for it.
Background
The United Nations Council in 2002 adopted a resolution to form UNAMA to help
Afghanistan to achieve peace and development. The resolution in form of UNAMA
was scheduled to come to an end on 19 March 2014 but this meet has extended the
period to 17 March 2015.
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The Security Council Resolution was reached following a request of Afghan

government seeking UN to assist the country in laying foundation for sustainable
peace and development of the country.
On the other end, the UN mandated mission of the 50-nation International Force in
Afghanistan would expire by December 2014 and by the same time, the NATO-led
foreign combat troops will also return to their respective countries leaving behind
Afghanistan.
Britain handed over two military bases to Afghan troops in

Helmand province
British Forces on 17 March 2014 handed over its two important military bases in
southern Helmand province to Afghan security forces and closed down another
base. This action of handing over the bases to Afghanistan has been done under the
ongoing security transition process in Afghanistan.
Main Operating Base Lashkar Gah and Patrol Base of Lashkar Gah Durai in Helmand
were transferred to Afghan forces and Main Operating Base Price was closed down.
With this handling of the two bases and shutting down of one, the British troops now
controls only two operational bases in the Helmand province of the country, namely
Main Operating Base Camp Bastion and Observation Post Sterga. The Bastion camp
serves as the main base for UK personnel.
A statement of the British Defense Ministry claims that during the peak of its operations,
Britain had 138 military bases in Helmand province of Afghanistan of which majority
have already been handed over to the Afghan security forces. The statement also says
that the Afghan forces are now leading about 97 percent of all security operations
and are also carrying out over 90 percent of their training programmes.
The highest number of deployment of the British troops in Afghanistan happened
in 2009 with 9500 military personnel, which was the second largest contribution of
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soldiers in the 49-nation coalition in the country. The operations of UK (Britain) in

Afghanistan were largely concentrated in the Helmand province under the name of
operation Herrick.
Background
The British forces in Afghanistan are a member of the NATO-led International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF). The UN mandate has committed the withdrawal of all combat
forces in Afghanistan by December 2014.
European Parliament passed a law to introduce a Universal

Mobile Device Charger
European Parliament on 17 March 2014 passed a law to develop a common charger for
all mobile phones sold in the continent of Europe. European Parliament had amended
its radio equipment laws to develop a common charger for all mobile phones.
The law was approved by 550 votes to 12, with 8 abstentions.
The introduction of a common charger will serve the interests of both consumers and
the environment. It will help to put an end to charger clutter and would reduce 51000
tonnes of electronic waste annually.
European countries will have two years to transpose the rules into their national
laws and manufacturers will have an additional year to comply. Negotiations with
manufacturers to agree a common charger was started in 2009. It was expected that
the universal charging configuration would come into force by 2017.
As per the Expert estimation there are some 30 different types of charger currently in
the market. Phone makers such as Apple, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson
and ALCATEL have all signed an agreement to make their phones compatible with a
single, USB style charger.
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Syrian Parliament approved new Election Law

Parliament of Syria on 13 March 2014 unanimously approved a new election law that
allows multiple candidates to run for the post of President. This passage of the law
has opened the doors for other contenders apart from President Bashar Assad.
The new law permits only Syrian nationals or other person who have lived in Syria for
minimum 10 consecutive years to run for the Presidential election. The new law was
formulated on the basis of the new constitution that was passed in a referendum in
March 2012 that allows multiparty political system in Syria and multiple Presidential
candidates. The Presidential polls will be held between 60 and 90 days before the
end of term of Assad.
The election law adopted by Parliament was rejected by the opposition Syrian
National Coalition claiming it as illegitimate.
Background
Bashar Assads seven-year term in the office of the President will officially come to
an end on 17 July 2014. The new law was voted four months before end of the tenure
of Assads President Position. Apart from this, Baath Party has ruled on Syria since
it seized power in a 1963 coup. In the earlier Presidential elections under Assad and
his late father, Hafez Assad, were the only candidates.
The previous law granted power to the voters had the right to cast yes or no ballots
on whether they supported their nomination for presidency by the Parliament.
Apart from this, the Syrian conflict has entered into its fourth year in which more than
1 lakh people has been killed and about 2.5 million people has fled from the country
to the neighbouring countries.
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India and United States Energy Dialogue held in New Delhi

India and United States Energy dialogue was held in New Delhi from 5 March 2014
to 11 March 2014. The Dialogue was co-chaired by Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia,
Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, and Dr. Ernest Moniz, Secretary, U.S.
Department of Energy.
At the India-US Energy Dialogue India and United States agreed to promote scientific
cooperation, research & development for greater technological innovation and for
deployment of environmentally friendly technologies and products.
During the Dialogue, U S-India Joint Clean Energy Research and development Centre
had also brought up issues relating to progress on solar energy, advanced bio-fuels
and energy efficiency of buildings under PACE-R.
The dialogue will lead to business-to-business collaboration of both the countries.
The expected expanding trade and sound regulatory frameworks will emerge to
deliver energy solutions for sustainable growth of economies of both the countries
for benefit of their people.
The Energy Dialogue is part of the broader Indio-U.S. Strategic Dialogue. The Energy
Dialogue was launched in May 2005 with the last meeting held in September 2012 in
Washington DC. The next Dialogue will be held in the United States.
About PACE
In 2009, the India and US agreed to significantly increase collaboration on energy
security and clean energy and launched the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy
(PACE) for the purpose.
Partnership to Advance Clean Energy Research & Development (PACE-R) has been
working on research and development projects on solar energy, Building Energy
Efficiency and Second generation bio-fuels.
India and USA have also signed two separate MOUs for partnership in clean energy
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access (PEACE) and demand for air-conditioning sector.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Promoting Energy Access through
Clean Energy (PEACE) was launched in September 2013. It was launched to promote
increased energy access and to develop several priority activities.
Supreme Court of Maldives sacked Election Commissioner

Fuwad Thowfeek
The Supreme Court of Maldives on 9 March 2014 sacked the Election Commissioner
Fuwad Thowfeek and his deputy Ahmad Fayaz. They were sacked on charge of
contempt of court.
The Court also gave Fuwad Thowfeek a six-month jail sentence, suspended for three
years. That is jail sentence will come into effect only if he is found guilty of the offense
again during a three-year period.
The Court gave the jail sentence to Thowfeek for criticising courts interference
in the conduct of the Presidential poll held in September 2013. The court took
cognisance of the matter suo motu (by itself), and declared that Thowfeek and the
other Commissioners were in contempt of court.
The Court decision has put the question mark on the Parliamentary polls that was
scheduled to be held on 22 March 2014. The question mark emanates from both
Constitutional and operational angle. From the Constitutional viewpoint, the power to
appoint or dismiss members of the Elections Commission rests with the parliament,
the Majlis as per the Article 177 of the Constitution.
From the operational viewpoint, the sacking of Thowfeek and Fayaz and quitting of
one member already has left the five members Election Commission with only two
Election Commissioners. This is one short of a quorum that is required to take any
decision.
The US and the United Nations have expressed concern over the punishment of the
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Maldives Election Commissioner by the countrys Supreme Court. They had strongly
object to the recent actions of the Maldivian Supreme Court including trying and
convicting members of the Election Commission.
Background
Tensions between the judiciary and the Elections Commission arose after Thowfeek
spoke out against some controversial judgments by the Supreme Court pertaining
to presidential election held in September 2013. In the elections, Yameen Abdul
Gayoom, the brother of the Maldives former authoritarian ruler, Maumoon Abdul
Gayoom, eventually was elected as the Maldives new President. Gayoom won a
narrow victory over Mohamed Nasheed, who led the struggle for democracy and
was elected President in 2008 in the countrys first multiparty election.
Michelle Bachelet sworn-in as President of Chile for second

term
Michelle Bachelet was sworn-in as the President of Chile in Valparaiso. The 62-year
old Michelle, the socialist leader took the oath of the office on 11 March 2014. She
succeeded the conservative President Sebastian Pinera.
In the Presidential election conducted in December 2013, Michelle won 62 percent
of the vote in the second round against the 38 percent vote won by the conservative
leader Evelyn Matthei.
This is her second term in the office and with this swearing-in she became the first
Chilean President in over half a century to return for the second term.
The presidential sash was accepted by her from Isabel Allende, the President of
Senate and this passage of the sash from one woman to another has happened for
the first time in Chiles history.
After swearing-in some of the major challenges before her are to bring reform in
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political and economic structures that dates back to 1973-1990 during the dictatorship
of Gen Pinochet. She will also have to bring in changes to offer free education along
with reducing income disparity and reform healthcare.
Earlier, she held the position of the President of Chile between 2006 and 2010. In the
first term as the President, she was the first female president of Chile. Constitution
of Chile that is one of the richest countries in Latin America barred immediate reelection of Michelle to the Presidential post.
India pledged to provide 4500 crore rupees Assistance

Package to Bhutan
Government of India (GOI) announced to provide 4500 crore rupees Assistance
Package to Bhutan for its 11th Five Year Plan. The 11th Five Year Plan will cover the
period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2018. The package will help the landlocked country to
implement major projects over the 11th Five Year Plan that will improve the livelihood
of its people.
The decision was taken at the first meeting of the Small Development Project
Committee (SDP). The Committee reviewed the SDP activities of the 10th Plan and
expressed satisfaction with their positive impact on the livelihoods of the people in
rural Bhutan.
Out of 4500 crore rupees, 2800 crore rupees will be contributed as Project Tied
Assistance (PTA), 850 crore rupees as Small Development Projects and 850 crore
rupees as Development Subsidy or Program Grant to boost the Bhutanese economy
and help the RGOB to tackle the liquidity shortage.
During the visit of the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay to India
from 30 August 2013 to 4 September 2013 GOI agreed to provide Assistance Package
for Bhutans 11th Five Year Plan.
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China announced the extension of Qinghai-Tibet railway line

China announced on 6 March 2014 to extend the Qinghai-Tibet railway line to Xigaze
in Tibet. Xigaze is hometown of Panchen Lama. The proposed extension is the worlds
highest railway line.
Panchen Lama is a member of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference.
He holds an important position in the China Buddhist Association.
The 253-km Lhasa-Xigaze railway line will be open before October 2014. It will
run at 120 km per hour through valleys and over three bridges that run across the
Brahmaputra River or Yarlung Zangbo as it is known in China.
The new extension line will take travelers from Lhasa to Xigaze also known as Shigatse
in about two hours over five hours. Shigatse is an important monastery town home to
the Tashilhunpo monastery that has been the seat of the Panchen Lamas, and is an
important centre of pilgrimage for many Tibetans.
China has also proposed extending the line from Shigatse to the border with Nepal.
Through this extension China aimed to meet both political and military goals.
This move is expected to bring more tourists to the China-backed Panchen Lamas
hometown in Tibet. The rail network will also boost Chinas mobilisation capabilities
in remote Tibetan areas.
The Xigaze region borders Indias Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan. The new extension line
will make it easier for the China to carry men and machinery to the Indian border at
short notice.
National Security Advisor-level meet on Maritime Security

Cooperation held in New Delhi
India, Sri Lanka and Maldives on 6 March 2014 held national security advisor-level
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meet on maritime security cooperation in New Delhi. During the meet, the three sides
reviewed and expressed satisfaction over the progress in the implementation of
various activities in the identified areas.
Other major new areas discussed for cooperation in the meet included
Hydrography
Training in search and seizure operations
Exchanges between think tanks
Joint participation in adventure activities
Training on board Indian Sail Training Ships
The technical groups have also been asked to accelerate the implementation of joint
activities and work out a programme of cooperation in the new areas. Some steps
that has been achieved till date are
The cooperation between the coast guards, navies and other institutions of the
three countries has been achieved so far
The three countries have made efforts to set up practical means of cooperation
in the area of maritime security in the region, which doesnt affect any maritime
security discussion with any other country
The participant countries are also trying to put in place a system so that sea lanes
are safe and marine resources are not destroyed
The third Indian Ocean-centered maritime security trilateral meet was also attended
by two more island countries as guest namely Seychelles and Mauritius. The two
nations have also shown their interest to participate in future interactions.
At the second meeting in Colombo in July 2013, the three countries agreed on a
roadmap for cooperation in maritime security, comprising the following three
categories of activities
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Initiatives to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) through access to

systems run under the aegis of the International Maritime Organization (IMO),
such as Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) services and sharing of
Automatic Identification System (AIS) data
Training and capacity building initiatives in areas of MDA, Search and Rescue, and
Oil Pollution Response and
Joint activities including trilateral exercises, maintaining lines of communication on
illegal maritime activities, formulation of marine oil pollution response contingency
plans and cooperation in legal and policy issues related to piracy
The concept of trilateral meet begun in October 2011 after the three sides reached a
state of preparedness to respond on the illegal activity such as piracy depending on
their capability. The first NSA-level Trilateral Meeting on Maritime Security Cooperation
was held in Maldives. The fourth meet will be held in Maldives.
Third BIMSTEC summit 2014 held in Myanmar

Third BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation) Summit was held from 1 March to 4 March 2014 in Nay Pyi Taw,
Myanmar.
The following three pacts were signed

Memorandum of Association on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Permanent
Secretariat.
Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Cultural
Industries Commission (BCIC) and BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory
(BCIO).
Memorandum of Association among BIMSTEC Member Countries Concerning
Establishment of a BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate.
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The Third BIMSTEC summit was attended by the heads from six countries and Special
Envoy of the Prime Minister of Thailand, namely
Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Prime Minister of Nepal
President of Sri Lanka
Prime Minister of Bhutan
President of Myanmar
During the summit, to enhance regional cooperation in energy sector, it was decided
that the Third BIMSTEC Energy Ministerial Meeting will be held in Nepal in 2014 and
the Fourth BIMSTEC Energy Ministerial Meeting will be held in 2015 in Bhutan.
Highlights of the summit

The members recognised the threat that terrorism poses to peace, stability and
economic progress and agreed for closer cooperation in combating all forms of
terrorism and transnational crimes.
The members agreed to explore collaborative initiatives amongst the Member
States towards addressing the adverse impacts of climate change in the BIMSTEC
region.
The members decided to move forward towards finalization of the draft Agreement
on Trade in Goods with agreed General Rules of Origin and Product Specific Rules.
It was also decided to work in the direction of signing an agreement on dispute
settlement procedures and the Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance
in Customs Matters under the Framework Agreement on the BIMSTEC Free Trade
Area.
The members agreed to set up the BIMSTEC Network of Policy Think Tanks and
agreed to cooperate and coordinate for organizing activities like workshops and
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seminars, which includes audio-visual programmes to create public awareness on

BIMSTEC.
Earlier during the second BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Poverty Alleviation
summit in Nepal in January 2012 the Poverty Plan of Action was adopted and in
this summit the heads agreed to implement the Poverty Plan of Action. Sri Lanka
is going to host the Third Ministerial Meeting on Poverty Alleviation during the first
half of 2014.
About BIMSTEC
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC) was established in 1997 in Bangkok. It was a new sub regional grouping,
named BISTEC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
Myanmar (1997) and Sri lanka (1998) joined the group who were observers earlier
and they joined the group later.
The First BIMSTEC Summit was held in 2004 in Bangkok and the Second Summit
was held in 2008 in New Delhi.
The main purposes of BIMSTEC are to create

An enabling environment for rapid economic development
Accelerate social progress in the sub-region
Cooperate in projects that can be dealt with most productively on a sub-regional
basis and which make best use of available synergies.
Rail link between Kilinochchi to Palai inaugurated in Sri Lanka
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The 27.5 km long rail link between Kilinochchi to Palai in North Sri Lanka was
inaugurated on 4 March 2014 by Kumar Welgama, the Transport Minister of Sri
Lanka. The inauguration of was done in the presence of YK Sinha, the Indian High
Commissioner.
This rail link of North Sri Lanka has been reconstructed by IRCON, the Indian Railways
construction wing. IRCON under the plan will take the railways stretch to Jaffna
city in another three months. As part of the ceremonial inauguration the dignitaries
undertook a train journey from Kilinochchi to Pallai on the reconstructed track.
Other projects already completed under the project

Medawachchiya-Madhu Road segment inaugurated on 14 May 2013
Omanthai- Kilinochchi segment inaugurated by President of Sri Lanka on 14
September 2013
Background
The Northern Rail Line was destroyed completely in 1980s by LTTE rebels, which is
being reconstructed by IRCON.
The rail line has been reconstructed under the credit line of about 800 US dollar,
which was provided by the Government of India to the Sri Lankan Government to
undertake the northern railway reconstruction project in the country.
About IRCON
Ircon International Limited (IRCON) is a government company that was incorporated
by the Central Government (Ministry of Railways) under the Companies Act, 1956
on 28 April 1976. IRCON has widespread operations in several States in India and
in other countries namely Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Ethiopia,
Afganistan, U.K. Algeria and Sri Lanka.
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India signed Public and Homeland security agreement with

Israel
India and Israel signed an agreement on Cooperation in Public and Homeland security
on 27 February 2014.
Besides this, two other agreements were signed. These are:

Agreement on cooperation in legal assistance in criminal matters.
Agreement on protection of classified material.
These agreements were signed by Additional Secretary (Home Ministry) Rajiv Sharma
and Israeli Ambassador Alon Ushpiz.
Both the countries are facing wrath of terrorism and terrorism is a global threat. To
eliminate terrorism, such agreements are necessary for both the countries. Such
agreements also strengthen bilateral relations.
Earlier, India and Israel had signed the Extradition Treaty and Agreement for the
transfer of sentenced persons in 2012.
India and Saudi Arabia signed MoU on defence cooperation

India and Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence
cooperation pact to take their strategic partnership further in areas of security on 26
February 2014.
The pact was signed between India and Saudi during the visit of Saudi Arabias
Crown Prince, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to India (from 26 to 28 February 2014)
to discuss bilateral, regional and other issues of mutual interest.
The defence cooperation pact will allow exchange of defence-related information,
military training and education as well as cooperation in areas varying from hydrography
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and security to logistics.
Background
A new era of Indo-Saudi ties started in 2006, when King Abduallah bin Abdulaziz Al
Saud visited India, which was highest level political visit from Saudi Arabia to India.
It is also called as Delhi Declaration.
In 2010 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Riyadh and decided to elevate the
bilateral engagement to strategic partnership covering security, economic, defence
and political areas called as Riyadh Declaration.
Saudi Arabia is Indias fourth largest trade partner and also the largest crude oil
supplier has recorded bilateral trade at 43 billion US dollar in 2012-13.
Turkish President approved the bill restricting the judicial

powers
Turkish president Abdullah Gul approved the bill on restricting the judicial powers on
26 February 2014. This bill is about curbing the independence of the judicial powers.
The bill will give more control to the Justice ministry in comparison to the Supreme
Board of Judges and Prosecutors. This body is an independent body which deals
with the appointment of the judiciary.
In another development, the Turkish parliament approved another bill putting
restrictions on internet. The law would permit the telecommunication authority to
close the websites for violation of privacy. However, the authority would still need
courts approval within 24 hours. The authority would also have to obtain a court
order to access records of user activity.
Sri Lanka rejected the call of UNHRC for International Inquiry
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Sri Lanka rejected the call by United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for an
international inquiry. It was rejected by Sri Lanka government on 25 February 2014.
The call for international inquiry was made by the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights Navi Pillay in her report on post-civil war scenario in Sri Lanka.
Pillays draft report says that Sri Lanka is facing mounting international failing to
investigate allegations of war crimes. The report recommended for an independent,
credible criminal and forensic investigation to conduct with international assistance
into all alleged violations of human rights and humanitarian law.
The report also suggested for establishing a truth-seeking process and urged Sri
Lankan Government to take more steps to demilitarize the former war zone. Those
perpetrators of attacks on minorities, media and human rights defenders be arrested
and punished.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksas administration rejected Pillays report
expressing the recommendations as arbitrary, intrusive and of a political nature.
In another development the US is planning to propose a third resolution at the
UNHCR over Srilankas failure to properly investigate alleged atrocities and wars
crimes committed during the civil war. The US earlier had successfully carried out
two resolutions urging Sri Lanka to conduct its own investigation into allegations
against Sri Lankan government troops.
Background
In 2009 Sri Lankas civil war between the government troops and the Tamil Tiger
rebels (LTTE) ended. The LTTE fought for a separate state for the ethnic minority
Tamils in the north and east of Sri Lanka. The government troops crushed the Tamil
Tiger rebels which lead to mass graves which were discovered recently.
A UN report said almost 40000 Tamil civilians died in government attacks but Srilanka
denied such a high toll of deaths and later Sri Lankas Government declared that not
a single civilian was killed. In 2011 Sri Lanka acknowledged some civilian deaths and
announced a census of the war dead but its results were vague.
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Government troops were accused of deliberately shelling civilians, hospitals and

blocking food and medical aid to hundreds of thousands of people. The rebels were
accused of holding civilians as human shields, killing those who escaped their control
and recruiting child soldiers.
India decided to block the US investigations over trade policies and patents laws of India
India decided to block the investigations by the United States into its trade policies
and patent laws, and prepare for a battle at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on
24 February 2014.
India is furious about a threat of trade sanctions made by the US Trade Representatives
(USTR) office over its protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), preference for
domestic producers and non-trade barriers. India has since hardened its stance,
instructing officials not to allow any request from the United States International
Trade Commission (USITC) to examine Indias trade practices.
WTO cases and Consequences

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), which represents about 50 US
business groups, asked the USTR to designate India a Priority Foreign Country in
USTRs 2014 report. The designation appropriately will rank India among the very
worst violators of intellectual property rights and establish a process leading to
concrete solutions.
US regarded India as a serial trade offender where US firms unhappy about imports
of everything from shrimp to steel pipes and lack of fair access to the Indian market
for its goods. The USTR listed 12 report markets in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad
as being among the worst offenders globally for the sale of pirated software and
counterfeit goods.
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The US is going to fill its second case at the WTO over domestic content requirements
in Indias solar programme, which aims to ease energy shortages in Asias thirdlargest economy.
India urged the US administration consider the trade issues in the context of the
wider economic and strategic relationship between the two countries.
United States International Trade Commission

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is an agency of more
than 200 committed professionals with decades of specialized experience in trade
issues and regions of the world.
The USTR negotiates directly with foreign governments to create trade agreements,
to resolve disputes, and to participate in global trade policy organizations.
USTR was established in 1962, headquarters at Washington and other offices in
Geneva and Brussels.
FNCII and CII agreed to organise Nepal-India Economic Summit annually

The Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on 24 February 2014 agreed to organise NepalIndia Economic Summit every year. This summit will be held alternatively in the two
countries.
This decision on Nepal-India Economic Summit was made during a meet of the
President of FNCCI, Suraj Vaidya and incoming President of CII, Ajaya S Shriram at
the FNCCI secretariat in Kathmandu. Shriram is on the official visit to Nepal to take
part in the Nepal Economic Summit 2014 has been held from 24 February to 26
February 2014 with the slogan Destination Nepal for Investment.
Apart from this, two business organizations from India have also agreed to play a
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strategic role for developing hydropower projects that have been long pending in
Nepal. The private sector has also agreed to make a joint study in Nepal to find out
the possible areas for improvement in the country for new trade treaty.
Economic Relation between India and Nepal

India is one of the largest foreign investor in Nepal after China. New figures released
by Nepals Department of Industry says that, China has took over India to become
the largest contributor of Foreign Direct Investment to Nepal over first six months of
the current fiscal year. Chinas investment in Nepal reached to 174 million US dollar
between July and December 2013.
India is also the major export destination of Nepal products. It is expected that this
meet and plan to organise Nepal-India Economic Summit every year will enhance the
promotion of bilateral economic and trade relations between the two countries.
The special relation between India and Nepal was initiated in 1950 with Indo-Nepal
Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which also defines the security relations between the
two countries. The agreement also governs both bilateral trade and trade transiting
Indian soil.
UNSC adopted resolution to boost humanitarian aid access

in Syria
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted a resolution on
22 February 2014 to boost humanitarian aid access in Syria to ease some civilian
suffering.
In the 15-member UNSC, the resolution was co-authored by Australia and Luxembourg
calling for an immediate end to all forms of violence in the country and strongly
condemned the rise of Al Qaida-affiliated terror.
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Highlights of Resolution
The Resolution demanded that all parties (in particular the Syrian authorities) will
promptly allow rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for UN humanitarian
agencies and their implementing partners, including across conflict lines and across
borders.
It strongly condemned the widespread violations of human rights and international
humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities. And also urged all parties involved in the
conflict to lift sieges of populated areas including in Aleppo, Damascus and Rural
Damascus, and Homs.
It also stressed the importance of medical neutrality and demanded the demilitarization
of medical facilities, schools and other civilian facilities.
The general secretary will submit a report to the members every 30 days from
the adaption of resolution specifying progress made towards the resolutions
implementation.
The resolution emphasized that the humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate
in the absence of a political solution and expressed support for the UN-sponsored
direct talks between Government and opposition representatives.
About UNSC
The Security Council is one of the six main organs established under the UN Charter,
headquarters at New York, US. The United Nations gives primary responsibility for
maintaining international peace and security to the Security Council.
The Security Council shall consist of fifteen Members of the United Nations. The
Republic of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America
shall be permanent members of the Security Council.
The General Assembly will elect ten other members of the United Nations to be nonpermanent members of the Security Council. The non-permanent members of the
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Security Council shall be elected for a term of two years.
India and Canada signed three MoUs

India and Canada on 24 February 2014 signed three MoUs for cooperation in health
sector, audio-visual co-production and skill development. At present David Johnston,
the Governor General of Canada is on a nine day visit (22 February 2014 to 2 March
2014) to India and this visit is the first by a Canadian Governor General since 1998.
These MoUs were signed after talks between Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of
India and David Johnston in New Delhi.
Features of the three MoUs

The MoU between the Department of Biotechnology and Grand Challenges
Canada would address the global health challenges especially women and child
healthcare
The audio-visual cooperation MoU is aimed at co-production in the field of film
and Television. This MoU will enable Indian and Canadian film producers to utilize
a platform for collaboration on various facets of film making. The agreement is
expected to deepen the engagement between the critical sectors of the film
industries of both countries there by, providing a new chapter of collaboration.
This agreement was signed by the Secretary Information and Broadcasting, Bimal
Julka and Stewart Beck, High Commissioner of Canada to India.
Under the MoU on skill development, the two organisations namely National Skill
Development Corporation and Association of Canadian Community College for
Skill Development will facilitate exchange and learning.
Other similar agreements in the field of audio-visual co-production signed

by Indian government are
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In 2005 signed an agreement with Italian government

In 2005, the Indian government also signed similar agreements with Government
of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
In 2007 it signed an agreement with Germany and Brazil
In 2010 with France
In 2011 with New Zealand
In 2012 with Poland and Spain
G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meet

The official theme of the meeting is restoring global growth.
The G20 nations set the target to increase global growth by at least two percentage
points over the next five years that is by 2019. To achieve the target a clear action
plan is yet to endorse.
The ambitious target would translate about 2 trillion dollar in economic activity.
The summit also produced a breakthrough on international tax avoidance, with all
nations agreeing to adopt a common reporting standard for the automatic exchange
of tax information and to detail plans for implementing it by September 2014.
The meeting had done little to reduce concerns over the U.S. Federal Reserves
decision to scale back its stimulus program as the job market improves.
The reduced flow of cheap money has unsettled investors in emerging markets and
contributed to sharp declines in some currencies. Political instability has also made
matters worse for countries such as Argentina, Turkey and Ukraine.
The annual G20 summit will be held in November 2014 in Brisbane.
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About G-20 Major Economies

The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier forum for its members international
economic cooperation and decision-making. Its membership comprises 19 countries
plus the European Union.
G20 leaders meet annually, additionally during the year Finance Ministers and Central
Bank Governors meet regularly to discuss ways to strengthen the global economy,
reform international financial institutions, improve financial regulation, and discuss
the key economic reforms that are needed in each of the member countries.
The G20 started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis. In 2008, the first G20 Leaders Summit
was held, and the group played a key role in responding to the global financial crisis.
It consists of the US, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the UK, Canada, China, France,
Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
South Africa, Turkey, and the European Union.
About G-20 Developing Nations

The G20, also known as the Group of 20 is a bloc of developing nations established
in 2003.
Distinct and separate from the G-20 major economies, the group emerged at the 5th
Ministerial WTO conference, held in Cancn, Mexico, in September 2003.
The G-20 accounts for 60 percent of the worlds population and 26 percent of worlds
agricultural exports.
India and Bahrain signed Agreements to expand Cooperation in Key Areas

India and Bahrain on 19 February 2014 signed three agreements in New Delhi during
the state visit of Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Kingdom of Bahrain to India. The
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two sides signed the agreements with a decision to expand their cooperation in key
areas that includes trade and business.
The agreements were signed in the presence of Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister
of India and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
List of MoUs/Agreements signed during the State Visit of King of Kingdom of Bahrain to India
Name of Agreement/ MoU
Remarks
The MoU aims at promoting and

Memorandum of Understanding for
strengthening bilateral cooperation
Cooperation in the fields of Youth
between the two countries in the field
and Sports between the Government of Sports & Youth through institutional
of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the
exchanges particularly through exchange
Government of the Republic of India of youth and sports teams in various
disciplines
This new MoU will replace the existing
Joint Committee for the Technical and
MoU on the Establishment of a "High Economic Cooperation (established in
Joint Commission for Bilateral
1981) by High Joint Commission, to be
Cooperation between India and
chaired by the Foreign Ministers, and will
Bahrain
serve as an umbrella framework for all
bilateral cooperation between the two
countries.
The MoU aims at promoting cooperation
between the FSI and the Diplomatic
Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
MoU between the Foreign Service
Kingdom of Bahrain, including exchange
Institute of MEA and the Diplomatic
Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of of information on structure and content
the Kingdom of Bahrain
of training programmes, exchange of
trainees, students, faculty members,
experts and researchers.
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The agreements were signed after delegation-level talks between the two leaders.
The two leaders also reviewed the bilateral trade and agreed to boost economic
cooperation in different sectors. Bahrain has looked forward for investments in their
country by Indian firms in various sectors.
OPCW selected US and Finnish Companies to destroy

remaining chemical weapons of Syria
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) selected two US
and Finnish companies to help destroy Syrias chemical arsenal. This is the part of an
ambitious plan to destroy all the chemical arsenal of Syria by 30 June 2014 that has
suffered a string of setbacks.
The two companies were chosen from 14 bids floated from around the world to
destroy the remainder of the chemicals arsenal of Syria. Finlands company Ekokem
and the US subsidiary of French company Veolia Environment would destroy chemical
weapon ingredients as well as some effluent left over from destruction activities
aboard a US ship.
Hydrolysis systems aboard the US ship Cape Ray are to mix the chemicals with
heated water and other chemicals to break down the lethal agents, resulting in a
sludge equivalent to industrial toxic waste.
Tenders to help destroy Syrias entire arsenal by 30 June 2014 deadline came from
a wide-range of companies, including Frances Airbus, China National Chemical
Corporation, Switzerlands Dottikon and US-based Paragon Waste Solutions.
Syria has declared around 700 tonnes of most dangerous chemicals, 500 tonnes of
less dangerous precursor chemicals and around 122 tonnes of isopropanol, which
can be used to make sarin gas.
The OPCW and the United Nations are participating in a joint mission overseeing the
destruction of Syrias chemical weapons programme under a UN resolution 2118
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approved in August 2013.
India and Kyrgyz Republic signed two agreements

India on 14 February 2014 signed two agreements with Kyrgyz Republic during the
visit of Abdyldaev Erlan Bekeshovich, Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz to India. The two
sides exchanged documents to facilitate mutual legal assistance in criminal matters
and to simplify visa regime for diplomatic and official passport holders.
List of agreements signed during the visit of foreign Minister of Kyrgyz are
S.No.
Name of the MOU/Agreement/Treaty
Signing of Protocol on Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters

Exchange of Instrument of Ratification
Exchange of Notification on the completion of internal procedures from

both the sides for implementation of Visa Free Agreement for diplomatic
and official passport holders
Hillary R Clinton launched a new global review of data on

women empowerment
Hillary R Clinton launched a new global review of data on women empowerment on
14 February 2014. The global review of data will analyse the advancement of women
and girls around the world since the mid 1990s.
Clinton announced the new partnership at New York University between the Clinton
Foundation and the Gates Foundation.
The Project will collect and review data on the progress of women since the 1995
United Nations Beijing conference. Data is needed to promote female participation in
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education, politics and the economy around the world.

The project is part of No Ceilings initiative of Hillary Clinton that aims at empowering
women in the 21st century.
Vice President of India launched India-China Year of Friendly

Exchanges
The Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari launched the India-China Year of
Friendly Exchanges on 11 February 2014. The Year 2014 has been designated by the
Governments of India and China as the Year of Friendly Exchanges.
The Year of Friendly Exchanges will help in forging a closer and stronger relationship
between India and China.
Other steps taken by India to forge closer and stronger relationship with
China
Encouraging Chinese companies to establish production and supply chains so as
to link the two economies. This will also ensure a more balanced trade. Presently,
there is a trade imbalance which is tilted in favour of China. One of the ideas, which
is being looked at carefully is of a dedicated Chinese Industrial Park in India.
The introduction of Chinese, as a language in middle schools in India. Recently,
22 Chinese teachers have come to teach at select CBSE schools across the
length and breadth of India. Greater interaction between the ordinary people
of two countries is a necessary condition for stronger overall bilateral relations.
More tourism, greater student exchanges and enhanced interaction between
Universities and Think-Tanks will help these two countries in evolving a better
mutual understanding and their respective places in the world.
The annual program in which one country is on a visit to the other country by a
group of 100 young person is another example of this initiative.
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Glimpses of India is a programme which highlights Indian culture in China.

In October 2013, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited China. These
high level meetings are important for further strengthening of bilateral relations
and thus it is necessary to continue high level exchanges between two countries
in the coming years. Enhancing strategic communication at the leadership level
imparts a healthy momentum to Strategic and Cooperative Partnership.
Why it is necessary to forge stronger relationship between India and China?

Such types of programme are important for both India and China because both the
countries are:
Ancient civilizations. The old Silk Route which connected both the nations, helped
not only to the exchange of goods and commodities but also to a flourishing
interchange of ideas, values and philosophies.
Home to followers of Buddhism. In fact, Buddhism travelled from India to China.
Indians gained immeasurably from Chinese monks and scholars such as Fa Xian
(Fa Hsian) and Xuan Zang (Huan Tsang) who came to India in search of Buddhist
scriptures. Analysts have pointed out many common threads between Hindu and
Buddhist philosophies on the one hand and Confucianism on the other.
Pioneers in scientific inventions. The concept of zero in number system originated
in India. The use of gun powder, the printing press and other technical innovations
made their way outward from China.
Developing countries and Emerging economies
Trade partners. Greater balance in trade will ensure its sustainability.
Neighbours and Strategic partners.
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Canada announced to open Consulate General in Bangalore

Canada announced to open a Consulate General Office in Bangalore on 11 February
2014. The office of the Consulate General of Canada will be located at the World
Trade Centre in the Bangalore.
The office of Consulate General will work on the supervision of Visa and Immigration
services.
The services will be offered for the entire South India. That is, the new office is
supposed to cater to the needs of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
According to officials in the High Commission of Canada, the services are expected
to commence by April 2014.
This would be the third office in India; the first two were in Mumbai and Chandigarh.
Canada has a consulate in Chennai and trade offices in Ahmadabad, Hyderabad and
Kolkata.
Canada first established its Trade Office in Bangalore in 1996. The Consulate General
is expected to reinforce Canadas strong commercial relations and make future
business easier providing immigration and visa services, according to a statement
from the High Commission.
Indian citizens have been eyeing at abroad education for higher studies, and thus the
new Consulate General would aid the students from South India to come in terms
with the admission procedure to Canadian educational institutions.
Afghan capital Kabul reported First polio case since 2001

The Capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, reported its first case of polio since 2001 on 11
February 2014. The three-year-old from a nomadic family living on the northeastern
edge of the city contracted the disease.
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After detecting the first case, Afghanistan has launched an emergency polio
vaccination campaign in Kabul.
The highly contagious polio virus remains endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but
Kabul city has not had reported case since the Taliban regime was ousted by a USled invasion in 2001.
The polio strain in the Pakistan and Afghanistan is identical. Around 1.5 million children
crossed the frontier every year, which causes cross-border transmission. Nearly all of
the cases in Afghanistan in 2013 were in regions close to the Pakistan border.
Since the Afghan Taliban changed their policy, allowing vaccination in recent years,
there has been a decline in cases in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has deployed health
workers at the border crossings, attempting to monitor all children who cross, and
vaccinating those at risk.
Besides Afghanistan and Pakistan, Nigeria is the only other country in the world where
polio is still endemic. In all the three countries Islamic extremists have obstructed
health workers, preventing polio eradication campaigns from taking place.
Domestic Content requirement of Indias Solar Mission

challenged by US
Domestic content requirement of Indias solar mission on 10 February 2014 was
challenged by the United States, which it alleged as discriminatory and against
international norms including the laws of WTO. It has badly affected the American
domestic solar panel manufacturing industry.
The decision was taken by US as a measure to protect 10000 American jobs in solar
industry and to have a significant pie in the second largest solar market of the world.
Domestic content requirements of Indias solar mission in Phase II discriminates
against US solar cells and modules by requiring to use India-manufactured solar
cells and modules instead of US or other imported equipment. At present the WTO
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dispute consultations with India has been requested by US in relation of concerning

domestic content requirements in Phase II of Indias Solar Mission. Union Cabinet in
October 2013 approved the measures governing the implementation of Phase II of its
National Solar Mission. Under the Phase II of the Solar Mission implementation, India
has imposed domestic content requirements under which solar power developers
should use Indian-manufactured solar cells and modules instead of US or other
imported equipment.
Background
India launched its National Solar Policy on 11 January 2010 named as Jawaharlal
Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). The Phase I of the national policy was
composed of two parts
Batch 1 of policy implementation: India required developers of solar photovoltaic

(PV) projects employing crystalline silicon technology to use solar modules
manufactured in India.
Batch 2: India expanded this domestic sourcing requirement to crystalline silicon
solar cells as well.
In the phase II of the solar draft policy, India has considered expansion of the scope
of the domestic content requirements further to include solar thin film technologies
and at present the majority is comprised of US solar exports to India.
Elements of Indias national solar policy appear to be inconsistent with Indias
obligations under the WTO agreements.
These obligations include

Article III of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994), which
generally prohibits measures that discriminate in favor of domestically produced
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goods versus imports

Article 2 of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures, which
prohibits trade-related investment measures that are inconsistent with GATT
Article III
Article 3 of the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM
Agreement), which prohibits conditioning a subsidy on the use of domestic over
imported goods
Article 5 of the SCM Agreement, which prohibits causing adverse effects on other
WTO Members through subsidies that discriminate against imported goods
US Navy ANM66 bomb, the largest ever WWII bomb

successfully dismantled
Hong Kong police on 7 February 2014 successfully dismantled the largest ever found
World War II bomb. The bomb was found in the city at the construction site, which
was discovered on 6 February 2014. It was unearthed near a Sikh Temple, residential
housing and hotels. The police evacuated 2260 people from the construction site.
The US Navy ANM66 bomb of nearly one tonne in weight was discovered by the
building workers in the Happy Valley District, near the citys famous downtown racing
track. The bomb disposal experts took a time of 15 hours to remove the live explosives
from the bomb.
The bomb weighed 900 kilograms and more than five meters long. Its diameter was
two feet and it is believed that the bomb was dropped by US forces in 1945. As per
the Police, the time was taken because the explosives inside the bomb were sensitive
and they needed to cut the shell in a low temperature environment.
Hong Kong was a former colony of British and it saw a fierce fight in December 1941
against the invasion of Japanese, who occupied it until 1945.
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Earlier, similar type of British shell was detonated in November 2013 in a controlled
explosion at the Peak. Similar unexploded wartime ordnances are routinely found in
the southern Chinese city.
Union Ministry of Culture and Tate signed MoU

Union Ministry of Culture and Tate on 6 February 2014 signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to develop collaborations focused on modern and contemporary
art. Pramod Jain, the Joint Secretary of Ministry of Culture and Judith Nesbitt, Head
of International Partnerships, Tate signed the agreement.
Aim of developing mutual understanding of British and Indian art is to provide a
framework for future projects and building on previous collaborations.
Agreement between Ministry of Culture and Tate mentions

Agreement of Tate to cooperate on institution to institution collaboration in areas
of common interest including exhibitions, scholarly research, collection care,
fellowships, loans and learning programmes
It has mentioned the commitment of Tate to collaborate exchanges between the
museum colleagues in both and the UK
It is predicted that this agreement would strengthen the Museum sector in India and
lead to a cross pollination of ideas. It ould also support the reciprocal exchange of
ideas and knowledge in the field of modern and contemporary art in India and the
UK. It will also allow deeper agreement with art for audiences in both the nations.
Background
Earlier in 2007, the Ministry of Culture of Government of India and National Gallery of
Modern Art, Delhi have worked in collaboration with Haus der Kunst and Tate Modern
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on the Amrita Sher-Gil exhibition that was displayed/shown in London and Munich
the same year. At present Tate Modern is working on an exhibition on word, sound,
power with Khoj International Artists in partnership. The exhibition is on display at
Khoj in New Delhi at present.
Also the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Tate has
supported the exchange of conservation expertise in Delhi, London and Bangalore in
the field of collection care.
About Tate
Tate is an institution of United Kingdom that houses its national collection of British art
and international modern and contemporary art. Tate is not a government institution,
but its main sponsor is the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is a network
of four art museums, namely
Tate Britain, London (until 2000 known as the Tate Gallery, founded 1897)
Tate Liverpool (founded 1988)
Tate St Ives, Cornwall (founded 1993)
Tate Modern, London (founded 2000)
The gallery was founded in 1897, as the National Gallery of British Art. Mission
of Tate is to promote public understanding and enjoyment of British, modern and
contemporary art.
India and Germany signed 2 pacts for financial and tech cooperation
India and Germany on 5 February 2014 signed two umbrella agreements for financial
and technical co-operation under Indo German bilateral Development Cooperation
framework. P Chidambaram, the Union Finance Minister and Gerd Mueller, the
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German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development signed the
pacts during their bilateral meeting.
These agreements were signed during an official visit of Joachim Gauck the President
of Federal Republic of Germany is on a six day (4-9 February 2014) State Visit to
India. President Joachim Gauck is being accompanied by a high-level delegation
including Ministers, Member of Parliament and business leaders.
The Umbrella Agreement on Financial Cooperation pertains to concessional loans
from Government of Germany for nine projects, namely
Himalaya Hydropower Programme (HPPCL)
Green Energy Corridors
Promotional Programme for Energy Efficient New Residential Housing-II (NHB)
Energy Efficiency in Thermal Power Plants (WBPDCL)
Affordable Housing Programme (NHB)
New Approaches in Microfinance and Microenterprise Finance (SIDBI)
Missing Middle Programme (SIDBI)
Madhya Pradesh Urban Sanitation and Environment Programme
Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystems Climate Proofing Project
The Umbrella Agreement for technical cooperation pertains for to 13 projects in

Energy, Environment and Sustainable economic development sectors, which are a
priority sectors under the bilateral development cooperation between the two nations.
The two sides also appreciated the constructive engagement between two countries
under development cooperation framework. The Germany Government has also
committed for funds amounting to 1.09 billion Euro, which is the ever highest ever
commitment so far since 1958.
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Work on widening Panama Canal suspended after dispute

on rising costs
The work on the project of widening the shipping route of Panama Canal was
suspended by the Panama Canal Authority on 5 February 2014. It was suspended
following dispute over rising costs.
Earlier, the Panamanian authorities were given a deadline to pay 1.6 billion dollars in
added costs to the project by the building consortium led by the Spanish Company
in January 2014.
The authority of the Panama Canal has refused to pay by blaming the building
companies for increased construction bill. This decision of the authority would have
an impact across the region because of the heavy investments made by many ports
who were expecting greater business following the widening of the Canal.
The cost of the project was originally expected about 5.25 billion dollars but it
overturned because of the raise of the project to 7 billion dollars.
About Panama Canal Shipping Routes

Panama Canal shipping route is one of the worlds most important shipping routes.
It is a 77.1 kilometer ship canal in Panama and connects the Atlantic Ocean to the
Pacific Ocean via the Caribbean Sea. It was opened on 15 August 1914 and is one of
the largest and most difficult engineering projects undertaken till now. Development
of the canal shortened the route traveling time taken by ships to travel between the
Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and allowed to avoid the route through hazardous Cape
Horn route via the Drake Passage or Strait of Magellan.
Portuguese sailor, Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to navigate through the
Strait of Magellan in 1520 by in the service of Charles I of Spain. This was done by
him during his global circumnavigation voyage.
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Libya destroyed entire chemical arsenal

Libya government announced on 5 February 2014 that it has destroyed its entire
chemical arsenal. It was announced by the Foreign Minister of Libya, Mohammed
Abdelaziz. The chemical arsenal destroyed included bombs and artillery shells filled
with mustard gas.
Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed that Libya has
become totally free of usable chemical weapons that might present a potential threat
to the security of local communities, the environment and neighbouring countries.
Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) visited the city of alRaogha to inspect the warehouse where Libyas largest outstanding stockpile of
mustard gas was present. Libya still holds stocks of low-grade precursor chemicals
but that programme has been put in place to destroy them by the end of 2016.
Since the OPCW covered only Gaddafis chemical weapons programme and it has
not addressed the stocks of concentrated uranium or yellowcake that it acquired in
its bid for a nuclear weapon.
Analysis
Gaddafi signed the chemical weapons convention and joined the OPCW in 2004.
After Libya signed the treaty, Gaddafis regime claimed that they destroyed about
54 percent of its mustard gas stocks and about 40 percent of the chemicals used to
manufacture the substance and 3500 bombs.
In 2011 a large stock of yellow cake was discovered at arms depot in southern city of
Sebha. Since then the stock pile was secured in collaboration with International Atomic
Energy Agency. The Centre for Strategic Studies asked the Libyan authorities to ensure
the concentrated uranium will be used in industrial, agricultural development and in
production of clean energy for the benefits of Libyans. The process of disarmament
was supervised by OPCW experts in 2012 and intensified in 2013 with the signing of
a deal with Washington. There was concern that the stockpiles might not fall into the
142
hands of ex-rebel militias.
North Korea and South Korea agreed to resume reunion of

war-split families
North Korea and South Korea agreed to resume reunion of war split families after a
gap of more than three years. The reunion will take place on 20-25 February 2014 at
Mount Kumgang resort of North Korea.
The reunion programme was started in 2000 following a historic inter-Korean summit.
But the programme was suspended in 2010 following the North Korea bombarding
shells on a South Korean border island.
The reunion is perceived as a small step towards making harmonious relations
between the two hostile neighbors. In fact, the two countries had agreed to hold a
reunion in September 2013. However, Pyongyang cancelled the event just four days
before its scheduled start citing hostility from the South. Thus, there are widespread
concerns about possible cancellation of the reunion again.
Another cause of concern is the Joint military drill between South Korea and
United States. North Korea has opposed joint drill and warned South Korea of dire
consequences if this drill takes place.
The 1950-53 Korean War led to the separation of the millions of Koreans. Since the
war ended without a peace treaty, the two countries are technically at war. Thus,
there is a prohibition on direct exchange of telephone calls or letters.
Libya government announced on 5 February 2014 that it has destroyed its entire
chemical arsenal. It was announced by the Foreign Minister of Libya, Mohammed
Abdelaziz. The chemical arsenal destroyed included bombs and artillery shells filled
with mustard gas.
Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed that Libya has
become totally free of usable chemical weapons that might present a potential threat
143
to the security of local communities, the environment and neighbouring countries.

Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) visited the city of alRaogha to inspect the warehouse where Libyas largest outstanding stockpile of
mustard gas was present. Libya still holds stocks of low-grade precursor chemicals
but that programme has been put in place to destroy them by the end of 2016.
Since the OPCW covered only Gaddafis chemical weapons programme and it has
not addressed the stocks of concentrated uranium or yellowcake that it acquired in
its bid for a nuclear weapon.
Analysis
Gaddafi signed the chemical weapons convention and joined the OPCW in 2004.
After Libya signed the treaty, Gaddafis regime claimed that they destroyed about
54 percent of its mustard gas stocks and about 40 percent of the chemicals used to
manufacture the substance and 3500 bombs.
In 2011 a large stock of yellow cake was discovered at arms depot in southern city
of Sebha. Since then the stock pile was secured in collaboration with International
Atomic Energy Agency. The Centre for Strategic Studies asked the Libyan authorities
to ensure the concentrated uranium will be used in industrial, agricultural development
and in production of clean energy for the benefits of Libyans.
The process of disarmament was supervised by OPCW experts in 2012 and intensified
in 2013 with the signing of a deal with Washington. There was concern that the
stockpiles might not fall into the hands of ex-rebel militias.
Saudi Arabia King ordered jail terms ranging 3-30 years for
mercenaries fighting outside country
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the King of Saudi Arabia on 4 February 2014 ordered
jail terms ranging from three to thirty years for the Saudi citizens, who are fighting
outside the country. This order has been passed to curb the number of people of
144
Saudi Arabia, who go outside their country to fight in other countries like Syria along
with the foreign fighters. This move is a follow-up of the reports on foreign fighters in
large numbers including people of Saudi Arabia, fighting in Syria and other countries.
The whip has been cracked by the King against the citizens who go out from Saudi
Arabia to fight alongside the rebels in Syria and other countries. Those people can
now be jailed for terms from 3 to 20 years. The military personnel convicted under the
act will be face a harsher punishment of jail terms ranging from 5 to 30 years.
The announced law will also be applicable to the members of local, regional and
international extremists as well as the terrorist groups. To draft and update a list of
illegal groups, a committee of members from various government organisations has
been formed by the King.
Nepal and India amended bilateral transit treaty

India and Nepal amended a bilateral transit treaty on 2 February 2014. The amendment
to the export procedure in the Memorandum to the Protocol to the Treaty of Transit
of 1999 will facilitate the transit of goods of third country origin exported from Nepal.
This amendment in the provisions of the Treaty of Transit brought into effect a
significant decision which was reached between the two sides during the Nepal-India
Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) meeting on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to
Control Unauthorised Trade held in Kathmandu, Nepal on 21 22 December 2013
The amendments in the transit treaty will

Facilitate the re-export of goods imported to Nepal for fairs and exhibitions.
Facilitate re-export of third country origin capital goods from Nepal for repair and
return as well as re-export of rejected goods from Nepal.
Facilitate Nepalese businesses as it will lead to re-export of goods imported from
third countries after value addition, for which a legal provision was made in Finance
145
Act of 2009.
Allow the movement of diplomatic cargo exported from Nepal and transiting
through India.
During the IGC held in Kathmandu, Nepal in December 2013, the two sides also
discussed other important trade facilitation measures. These were allowing the
movement of imported vehicles on their own power from Kolkata to Nepal and
facilitating the import of bulk cargo to Nepal by operationalising the multi-modal
transport link from Kolkata port through Jogbani Biratnagar and Sunauli Bhairahawa
land routes.
About India-Nepal bilateral trade

Nepal and India have a history of age-old relations in trade and commerce. India is
the largest trade partner of Nepal and source of foreign investment.
Total bilateral trade has reached US 3.21 billion dollar during Nepalese fiscal year
2009-10. During that year, Nepals imports from India amounted US 2.71 billion dollar
and exports to India remained about US 0.50 billion dollar.
US warned China against move to declare new ADIZ over

South China Sea
US on 31 January 2014 warned China against any move to declare a new Air Defence
Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea. This came after the reports of
Japanese media that says that China is preparing to announce another defence zone
in the area, which are driven by territorial disputes with the neighbouring countries.
Marie Harf, the deputy spokeswoman of State Department has said that any such
step of China would be seen as a provocative and unilateral act, which could raise
tensions and call into serious questions on China over its commitment to diplomatically
146
managing territorial disputes.

On part of Japan, Beijing claims the South China Sea in its entirety although areas
are long way from its shoreline. In 2013, China caused a storm when it declared ADIZ
above the East China Sea, which included islands at the heart of a sovereignty row
with Tokyo. China in December 2013 displayed its aggressive behavior towards the
ships and aircrafts of America in international airspace and waters..
India launched Gandhi portal for British-Indian children

India launched a Gandhi Portal named Search for Gandhi in London on 31 January
2014. With this India aims to popularize Mahatma Gandhi among children of British
Indians settled in UK.
High commissioner of India to UK Ranjan Mathai and Sam Pitroda launched this
portal.
The portal is meant for children aged 6 to 15 and will use audios, videos, creatively
integrated facts, games and quizzes.
Youth 4 Gandhi Foundation (Y4G) plans to propagate Gandhi and his values in children
which can be fun and includes a hint of seriousness attached to it.
The portal will use both English and Hindi to communicate the messages.
The website would contain five main sections. The Know Gandhi section will go
through Gandhis journey as a writer, philosopher and leader.
Meet Gandhi will take children on an online tour of Gandhi Smriti where he spent the
last days of his life and his belongings and glimpses of his life on display.
The website will take the children through a virtual tour of Raj Ghat where Gandhi
was cremated.
Gandhi Gaming will bring out the fun quotient carrying games and quizzes that will
educate youngsters about Gandhi through entertainment.
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The portal will also allow one to watch Gandhis iconic videos and hear the audios of
his most famous speeches.
India and Fiji signed Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement

Government of India and the government of Fiji on 30 January 2014 signed a
Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) for avoidance of double taxation and
prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
On behalf of India the agreement was signed by P. Chidambaram, Union Minister of
Finance and on behalf of Fiji it was signed by Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Attorney General
and Minister of Justice, Anti-Corruption, Public Enterprises, Communications, Civil
Aviation, Tourism, Industry and Trade.
The negotiation on the DTAA was reached in 2011 and this agreement will provide
tax stability to the residents of India and Fiji. It will also facilitate in mutual economic
cooperation as well as stimulate the flow of investment, technology and services
between the two countries. It also incorporates provisions for an effective exchange
of information and assistance in collection of taxes between tax authorities of the two
countries including exchange of banking information.
The maximum rate of tax that should be charged in the country of source will not
exceed the prescribed limit for such dividends, royalties, interest and fees for
technical services. The capital gains that are earned by the sale of shares will be
taxable in the country of source. The anti-abuse provisions have been incorporated
in the agreement to ensure that the benefits of Agreement are availed of only by the
residents of the two countries and to prevent any abuse of treaty.
The agreement will also help the two countries in

As per the DTAA the business profit will be taxable in the source state if the activities
of an enterprise constitute a permanent establishment in the source country
148
Profits derived by an enterprise from the operation of aircraft in international traffic

shall be taxable in the country of place of effective management of the enterprise
Dividends, interest, royalty income and fees for technical or professional services
will be taxed both in the country of residence and in the country of source
About Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA)

Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) means as an essential bilateral
agreements that has been reached between the countries like this case the
agreement on DTAA between India and Fiji. This is basically signed with an objective
to avoid taxation of income in both the countries and to promote economic trade and
investment between the two countries.
The Double Tax Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) is essentially bilateral agreements
entered into between two countries, in our case, between India and another foreign
state. The basic objective is to avoid, taxation of income in both the countries (i.e.
Double taxation of same income) and to promote and foster economic trade and
investment between the two countries.
Important advantages of DTAA are

Lower Withholding Taxes (Tax Deduction at Source)
Complete Exemption of Income from Taxes
Underlying Tax Credits
Tax Sparing Credits
India and Japan inked MoUs to strengthen cooperation in

tourism and power generation
India and Japan inked several pacts during the official visit of the Prime Minister of
Japan to India from 25 to 27 January 2014. Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan
149
was the Chief Guest of India on the occasion of the Republic Day parade on 26
January 2014.
The sides signed memorandum for strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism,
enhancing energy efficiency in telecom towers and power generation in the country.
During this tour of Shino Abe, the two countries inked several pacts and they includes
S.No.
Name of the Document
Remarks
Memorandum between Japan Tourism

Agency, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, MOU aims at promoting
Transport and Tourism, Government tourism between the two
of Japan and the Ministry of Tourism, countries
Republic of India in the field of Tourism
Implementing Arrangement between the

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology of Japan and the Agreement will help implement
Department of Science and Technology, bilateral Sand exchanges
Ministry of Science and Technology of
India
Memorandum of Cooperation between Memorandum

aims
at
the Bureau of Indian Standards and harmonizing
standards
Japanese Industrial Standards Committee between the two countries
MoU among New Energy and Industrial

Technology Development Organisation
(NEDO)
Japan
and
Department
of Economic Affairs, Ministry of
Communication
and
Information MoU aims at enhancing energy
Technology, Ministry of New and efficiency in telecom towers
Renewable Energy, Government of India
on a Model Project for Energy Management
Systems in Telecommunication Towers in
India
150
Exchange of Notes on ODA loan Project

is
financed
by
for
Uttarakhand
Forest
Resource Japanese Official Development
Management Project
Assistance
Exchange of Notes for the Project for

Grant aid under Japanese
Improvement of the Institute of Child
ODA
Health and Hospital for Children, Chennai
Japan Bank for International Cooperation

Japanese soft loan for power
(JBIC) Buyers Credit for NTPCs Kudgi
generation in India
Power Plant
Japan Bank for International Cooperation
Japanese loan for

(JBIC) loan for NTPCs Auraiya Power
generation in India
Plant
power
Russia & China to conduct war games in the Mediterranean

Sea
Russia and China will conduct their first ever naval war games in the Mediterranean
Sea from 1 February 2014.
The joint naval drill, involves Russias heavy nuclear missile cruiser Peter the Great
and Chinese frigate Yancheng.
The main purpose of the drill is to enhance the interoperability of Russian and Chinese
combat ships for joint operation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Russian and Chinese warships will perform joint manoeuvring, in the course of
which the Russian cruiser will set up a smokescreen and ship-borne helicopters of
the two vessels will practise landing on each others deck.
On 7 January 2014, both counties escorted the first consignment of Syrian chemical
weapons materials that has left the country on a Danish ship. This became the first
practical interaction between the Russian and the Chinese navies.
In July 2013, Russia and China held a three-day joint naval military exercise. The Naval
151
Interaction-2013 in the open waters off the Port of Vladivostok, Russia. It became
Chinas largest overseas military exercises in terms of the number of troops deployed
outside its territorial waters.
In recent years, the Chinese navy has participated in a series of joint exercises in the
Pacific and Indian oceans, while Chinese ground forces have taken part in land war
games organized by the SCO.
India & UAE agreed to Promote Cooperation in Renewable

Energy
India and UAE on 18 January 2014 agreed to promote cooperation in renewable
energy, especially in areas of solar energy and wind power. A Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) was signed to this effect in Abu Dhabi by Farooq Abdulla,
the Minister of New and Renewable Energy of India and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the
Minister of State of UAE.
The signed MoU allows the two countries to form a Joint Working Group for better
coordination through joint research on subjects of mutual interest like
Exchange and training of scientific and technical personnel
Exchange of available scientific and technologies information and data
Organization of workshops, seminars and working groups,
Transfer of know-how, technology and equipment on non-commercial basis
Earlier, India has launched in National Solar Mission (launched in 2010) under the
National Action Plan on Climate Change. India has been making efforts in promoting
energy in remote and un-electrified areas of the country. Indian Minister, Farooq
Abdulla also congratulated UAE for the hospitality extended by them during the 4th
Assembly session of IRENA.
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International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is mandated as the global hub
for renewable energy cooperation and information exchange by 124 Members (123
States and the European Union). Over 40 additional countries are in the accession
process and actively engaged. Formally established in 2011, IRENA is the first global
intergovernmental organisation to be headquartered in the Middle East.
IRENA supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves
as the principal platform for international cooperation, a centre of excellence, and
a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable
energy. IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms
of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar
and wind energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy
security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity.
USA allowed Sikh military men to wear turban

USA allowed the Sikh military men to wear turbans, head scarfs and other religious
clothing with their uniform. USA updated its policy on 23 January 2014.
This move is likely to improve military job prospects for members of the Sikhs
community in USA.
Although, the ban has not put off completely, instead USA army has put some
relaxation. Citing the security issues and military discipline, it has granted individualised
accommodations to serve in the U.S. Army while wearing turbans and maintaining
beards in a neat and conservative manner, both in accordance with operational
requirements and their Sikhs religious beliefs.
Whenever a service member requests such an accommodation it could be denied
only if an official determines that mission accomplishment needs outweigh the need
of the service member and each request will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
153
The Sikhs community was also allowed to wear protective equipment, including
helmets and gas masks, in conformity with safety requirements.
South Sudan Government and Rebels signed Ceasefire

Agreement to end fighting
The Government of South Sudan and rebels have signed a ceasefire agreement on
23 January 2014. The ceasefire deal between the two sides on cessation of hostilities
and question of the detainees took place in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Capital. The
deal has asked to end fighting within 24 hours.
As per the deal, the government has agreed to release 11 officials close to Machar,
who were detained after the fighting broke in the country. Any timeline has not fixed
for the release of the detainees. The second agreement covers the cessation of
hostilities.
Earlier, the government forces recaptured the two main cities under the control of
rebels that forced more than 500000 people from their homes during a month-long
conflict. With this signing it is expected that the country will achieve a complete
peace. This signing of the deal has been welcomed by US calling it a critical first
step. UK said it as an inclusive process if national reconciliation.
Background: Political dispute between Salva Kiir, the President and his former
deputy Piek Machar on 15 December 2013 escalated ethnic killings and full scale in
the country. Till now more than 70000 civilians are seeking shelter at the UN bases
across South Sudan. The estimates of UN say that more than 1000 people have been
killed in the ethnic killings.
Cumbria University of UK became the first public university

to accept fees in Bitcoin
154
Cumbria University of UK became the first public university to accept fees in digital
currency, Bitcoin. A system for processing the payments is already operational.
The payment of fees through Bitcoin will be only applicable to two new courses on
the roles of complimentary currencies in economic systems, which will be taught
from summer this year at the Institute for Leadership and Sustainability (IFLAS).
The University said it hoped that the acceptance of Bitcoins on these courses would
lead to learning by doing. The University supported Bitcoin due to its speed and
cost, others due the new era of financial freedom it could enable.
Cumbria is thought to be the first public university in the world to accept the currency,
although a private University in Cyprus announced last year that it would do so.
What is Bitcoin
Bitcoin is an online currency and payment system which enables the international
transmission of funds. Though thousands of merchants worldwide accept this
cryptocurrency so called because it uses cryptography to guarantee its security
it has often been associated with illicit activity, most notably with the online illegal
drug market called Silk Road.
How Bitcoin work:

Bitcoin is often referred to as a new kind of currency.
Each of the millions of Bitcoin currently in existence is represented by a unique online
registration number.
To receive a Bitcoin, a user must also have a Bitcoin address - a randomly generated
string of 27 to 34 letters and numbers - which acts as a kind of virtual post box.
India and Japan signed memorandum on tourism cooperation
155
India and Japan signed the Memorandum for strengthening cooperation in tourism
on 22 January 2014. The Memorandum will facilitate travel and tourist visits and
strengthen the tourism partnership between the two countries.
The main objectives of the Memorandum are

To expand bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector
To exchange information and data related to tourism
To encourage cooperation between Tour Operators and tourism stakeholders
including Hotel owners
To establish exchange programmes for cooperation in Human Resource
Development
To exchange visits of Tour Operators/Media/ Opinion Makers for promotion of two
way tourism
To exchange experience in the areas of promotion, marketing, destination
development and management
During 2013 India received 2.20 lakh tourists from Japan and the highest numbers of
visas on arrival were issued to the tourists from Japan. Buddhist heritage sites are a
great attraction for Japanese tourists to India.
Lanka urged Maldives to allow its fishermen in territorial sea

waters
Abdulla Yameen, the President of Maldives during his visit to Sri Lanka Colombo
has been asked by Sri Lanka to allow its fisherman the facility of innocent passage
through its territorial waters to the Arabian Sea. A discussion on the matter was done
during a bilateral meeting between the delegations in Colombo on 22 January 2014.
This is the first visit of Yameen to Sri Lanka since he assumed the office of the
156
President. He is on a three day official visit to Colombo. Similar such request has
been made by Sri Lanka to India following the cross of local fishermen of the country
have to cross the international boundary for tuna fishing.
Apart from this bilateral meet, Abdullah Yameen also met Mahinda Rajapaksa, the
President of Sri Lanka and both sides also agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation
in trade, banking and finance, agriculture, fisheries, defence and maritime sectors
and education.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is also called
as the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty. It is an international
agreement that came into existence of the third United Nations Conference on the
Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III), which took place between 1973 and 1982. The Law
of the Sea Convention has defined the rights and responsibilities of nations in their
use of the worlds oceans. It also provides the rights to establish guidelines for
businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources to
the countries. The Convention, concluded in 1982 and it replaced four 1958 treaties.
UNCLOS came into force in 1994 a year after Guyana became the 60th nation to sign
the treaty. At present 165 countries of the world as well as the European Union has
joined the Convention. This is a data as per the membership of August 2013.
Emergency rule imposed in Thailand capital Bangkok for two

months
60-day state of emergency has been imposed in Bangkok by the Thai government on
21 January 2014. The emergency has been imposed in the province to suppress the
anti-government protest that has blocked the parts of the capital and to take care of
the situation and to enforce the law. The emergency decree bans public gatherings,
censor the news reports and imposition of curfew for next 60 days. The emergency
157
measure came into effect from 22 January 2014.

Emergency was announced by the Deputy Interior Minister, Visarn Techateerawat
after a cabinet meeting. The government has also said that it has no plan to disperse
the protest movement that is led by the opposition Suthep Thaugsban.
Following the emergency, a leader of pro-government leader of red-shirt group has
been shot. The incident came as the protesters continued to block parts of Bangkok
with the demand of resignation of the Prime Minister. The emergency decree had
given a wide ranging power to the government, including control of crowds and
censor media.
To suppress the unrest of the country, the Prime Minister has already called-in for
elections on 2 February 2014. To issue a ruling on how and whether the ballot can
be delayed the Election Commission is expected to request the constitutional court.
Bangkok is witnessing anti-government protests with the demand to force Yingluck
Shinawatra, the Prime Minister of Thailand to step down. The protests of the country
started in November 2014. The protesters claim that Yingluk Shinawatra government
is influenced by her brother Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin was the prime minister of
Thailand from 2001 to 2006 and was ousted by a military coup in 2006. He exiled
himself in 2008 to avoid the two-year prison sentence.
With this emergency the Thai government hopes that the restrictions and curfews will
help it in quelling the street demonstrations and also restore calm. Whereas, before
this protests of people, the country has also witnessed demonstrations in 2010
which was named as the Red Shirt riots in Bangkok. The Red Shirts riots occurred in
Bangkok from March to May 2010 against the government led by the Democrat party
that demanded the then prime minister Abhisit Vejjaajiva to dissolve the parliament
and hold elections at the earliest. During the Red Shirt protest the protesters also
fought the military forces. The riots came to an end after the surrender of the leaders
of Red Shirt opposition after six day long violent clashes.
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Egypt approved the new Constitution in referendum

Egypt approved the new Constitution in a referendum held by the Egypts electoral
commission on 14 January 2014 .The proposed new Constitution was drafted by a
50-member committee headed by Amr Moussa in December 2013. The turnout in the
referendum was 38% and walloping 98% population voted yes in the referendum.
The new Constitution strengthens the Egypts three key institutions the military, the
police and the judiciary. Also, it provides for giving more rights to women and disabled
people.
It removed certain Islamist-leaning clauses while maintaining the principles of Islamic
sharia as the main source of legislation.
Main features of new Constitution

The President can serve a term of four years for two times and can be impeached
by the Parliament.
Islam remains the state religion but it provides for absolute religious freedom giving
some protection to minorities (Christians and Jews).
The state guarantees equality between men and women.
Parties may not be formed on the grounds of religion, race, gender or geography.
Military to appoint defence minister for next eight years.
The overwhelming support for the new Constitution is seen as citizens legitimizing
military government after the ouster of Morsi in 2013. The referendum shows that
citizens of Egypt indirectly support military chief General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi as
Presidential candidate.
159
UN withdrew invitation to Iran to attend Syria Peace

Conference
Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of United Nations on 20 January 2014 withdrew
the invitation for Iran to join the peace conference on Syrian crisis. This action was
taken following the Tehrans step to back the plan to form a Syrian transitional
government, which is the basis of the conference.
Apart from this, the other reason for the withdrawal of the invitation is reports that
indicate the political opposition of Syria saying, until the Secretary General retracts
the invitation to Iran, it would withdraw from the talks. US have also suggested to
UN headquartered in New York that it could support Irans participation if it explicitly
declared support for the action plan.
Peace Conference on Syrian Crisis has been planned to end the nearly three-year-old
civil war of Syria voicing deep disappointment. The one week long conference opening
will take place in Montreux, Switzerland on 22 January 2014 and its foundation for
the negotiations between the Syrian parties will begin on 24 January 2014 in Geneva.
The peace conference is the biggest diplomatic effort to end the three-year conflict.
Earlier, after Foreign Minister Javad Zarifs assurance to UN that his country
understands the basis of the talks in full implementation of an action plan, which
was adopted in the so-called Geneva Communique of 2012 allowed UN to invite
Iran to attend the conference. The Geneva Communique of 30 June 2012 remains
the internationally agreed framework for ending the crisis and calls for a transitional
government to lead to free and fair elections.
Obama established Af-Pak strategic partnership office

Ahead of the drawdown of US troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, US
President Barack Obama announced to establish an Af-Pak Strategic Partnership
Office (APSPO) on 18 January 2014. The objective is to oversee smooth transition
160
and promote normalised diplomatic presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

APSPO has been tasked to perform the specific project of supporting executive
departments and agencies in facilitating a partnership with the two South Asian
countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
APSPO will be a temporary office and would be based in Washington, Islamabad and
Kabul. It would promote security and stabilisation and transitioning to a normalised
diplomatic presence in both the countries.
The office will also aid in coordinating the final drawdown of the Department of States
civilian field operations and staff in Afghanistan.
Besides, it will also support agencies in transitioning to a partnership with the
governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the economic, diplomatic, cultural,
technology, and security fields. It will be particularly in the areas of program
management, rule of law, and program oversight.
Obama ordered curbs on NSA powers to use data

The US President Barack Obama ordered curbs on the use of bulk data collected
by National Security Agency (NSA) on 17 January 2014. The ban will cover all the
data related to the leaders of close friends and allies of the US and the records of
American.
The main highlights of the Obamas order are:

NSA will be required to get a secretive courts permission before accessing phone
records that are collected from hundreds of millions of Americans.
Government will not hold the bulk telephone metadata and will take steps to
modify the programme so that a judicial finding is required before the database is
queried.
Communication providers would be allowed to share more information with the
public about government requests for data.
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The US will not monitor the communications of its close friends and allies overseas
unless there is a compelling national security purpose.
Foreigners will get some protection against spying that US citizens enjoy.
The order curbing NSA powers came following worldwide criticism of US policy of
snooping the records of top leaders of the world including German Chancellor Angela
Merkel.
Further in December 2013, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that the NSAs
bulk collection program appeared to violate Fourth Amendment protections
against unreasonable searches, but he didnt issue a preliminary injunction against
unreasonable searches because of expected appeals.
Peshawar, largest reservoir of polio in world: WHO

Peshawar in Pakistan had the largest number of polio cases in the world in 2013. This
was revealed by World Health Organisation (WHO) in a global analysis for polio cases
on 17 January 2014.
The analysis by World Health Organisation (WHO) further said that Pakistan is the
only polio-endemic country which reported more polio cases in 2013 than in 2012.
Pakistan reported 83 cases in 2013 compared to 58 cases in 2012. In 2013, 369
cases were reported worldwide.
In Pakistan, 59 cases were from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), 10 from
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and seven each from Punjab and Sindh.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, of which Peshawar is the capital and adjoining tribal
districts, has been found to be the polio hotspot in Pakistan.
All the polio cases reported from Pakistan are type-1 cases. No report of type-3 polio
cases has been reported from Pakistan.
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The analysis by WHO suggested that viruses from Toba Tek Singh, Sahiwal, Lahore
and Multan are closely related with each other. This reflects a common source of
outbreak because of a significant immunity gap in the central region of Punjab.
As a result, the most immediate epidemiological challenge is to control this transmission
in the region. At the same time, building super high immunity in southern districts of
the province is needed to reverse previous trends of transmission moving to the
south after the central region outbreak.
Hery Rajaonarimampianina declared as the President of

Madagascar
Hery Rajaonarimampianina, a former Finance Minister of Madagascar on 17 January
2014 was declared as the new President of the nation. His election as the President
came as the result of the elections conducted on 20 December 2013 with an aim to
restore democracy in the nation. Hery Rajaonarimampianina was officially declared
as the president of the country by Francois Rakotozafy, the president of the electoral
court. He was successful in garnering 53 percent of votes in the elections.
The announcement of the results was delayed due to a pending court ruling over the
allegations of irregularities in voting. The allegation was made by his rival Robinson
Jean Louis, who was the candidate of the ousted President Marc Ravalomanana.
Louis has won 46.51 percent of the votes. About half of eight million eligible voters
were successful in casting their votes.
Hery is backed by Andry Rajoelina, who staged a coup in 2009 against the then
president Marc Ravalomanana. This coup attempt pushed Madagascar into a political
and economic crisis.
The ousted President Ravalomanana has gone to South Africa into an exile.
Madagascar was suspended by the African Union and Southern African Development
Community. With thios election, might be possible that the country will be allowed
back into the regional; bodied.
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The World Bank in its report on Madagascar estimated that the political crisis of the
country cost it around 8 billion dollar in lost growth. In 2012, the economy of the
country grew just by 3.1 percent, which made it to lag behind most African nations.
India and South Korea inked pacts in different areas including trade and commerce
India and South Korea have signed many pacts in different areas on 16 January 2014
to deepen economic cooperation and bolster defence engagements in New Delhi.
The agreements were signed after delegation level talks between Manmohan Singh,
the Prime Minister of India and Park Geun-hye, the President of South Korea in New
Delhi.
The pacts signed between the two countries include

Protection of Classified Military Information
Peaceful use of space and establishment of Nalanda University
The President of South Korea welcomed the Prime Minister of India for offering
development of joint defence hardware production.
This visit of the South Korean President will help in strengthening the strategic
partnerships between the two countries. For stronger India-Korea relations, sustained
trade growth with the expansion of the economic exchanges is necessary. At present
India and South Korea have robust economic relationships. In 2012, the bilateral
trade between the two countries was over 18 billion dollars.
Park Geu-hye President of South Korea is on a visit of India which started on 15
January and ends on 18 January 2014. She was accorded ceremonial reception
at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on 16 January 2014. The South Korean President is
accompanied by a delegation which includes the Foreign Minister, the Minister for
Science and the Minister for Trade and Industry. Her India-visit started after a week
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of clearance of the POSCO Steel Company project in India.
India-Japan conducted joint maritime exercise along Kochi

Coast
India and Japan held joint exercise in Kochi Coast on 14 January 2014. Indian Cost
Guard Ship ICGS Samrat and Japan Coast Guard Ship JCG Mizuho participated in
the exercise.
Joint exercises between India and Japan Coast Guards included cross-deck landing,
anti-piracy drills, search and rescue demonstration and a fire fighting demonstration.
The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between India and Japan Coast
Guards in the year 2006. The MoC provides that two countries Guards will meet
annually to discuss maritime issues of mutual concerns and formulate a cooperative
approach to address.
Anti-piracy procedures
Pollution control measures
Other areas of common measures and other areas of common professional
interest.
Earlier Malabar 2007 was performed between Self-Defence Forces of Japan and the
Indian Navy as a joint naval exercise in the Indian Ocean. Besides, the naval forces
of US, Australia and Singapore were participated in the Malabar 2007. The 2007 year
was declared as India-Japan Friendship Year.
Sheikh Hasina sworn-in as Bangladesh Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina along with her Cabinet of 49 Ministers was sworn-in before President
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Abdul Hamid at the Bangabhaban (the Presidents House) on 12 January 2014. Sheikh
Hasina was sworn-in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the third time.
The new Cabinet has 29 Ministers, 17 State Ministers, and two Deputy Ministers.
She had won an overwhelming majority in the Bangladesh general election held in
January 2014 by defeating opposition party, Jatiya party.
The Awami League has secured absolute majority in the 10th Parliament elections by
bagging 232 seats 105 contested and 127 uncontested.
The Jatiya Party was declared as the second largest party in the parliament bagging
33 seats 13 contested and 20 uncontested.
While the majorities in the new Cabinet are from Awami League, the rest are from
Jatiya Party, Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Jatiya Party (Manju).
UN and partners launched No Lost Generation initiative to

save Syrian children
No Lost Generation initiative has been launched by United Nations and its
humanitarian partners on 10 January 2014 to save millions of Syrian Children from
loosing generation amidst the civil war in the country. The Since past three years,
Syria is engaged into the civil war and due to this more than one million children are
leading their life as refugees.
Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of United Nations has added his support to the
campaign Initiative has been launched by UN refugee agency (UNHCR), UN Childrens
Fund (UNICEF), World Vision, Save the Children, and other NGO partners. No Lost
Generation emphasizes that saving a generation of potential leaders, teachers,
engineers, doctors and above all- peacemakers - protects the prosperity of an
entire society.
The No Lost Generation initiative has sought international aid of 1 billion dollar to
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help the children of Syria by not allowing them to lead their life of despair, broken
futures and diminished opportunities.
Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has asked the world for
massive and immediate international support at the period of crisis in Syria. This
move of UN has come ahead of the Syria donor conference on 17 January 2014 in
Kuwait.
The 1 billion dollars will be channeled through the UN agencies and their partners into
the programme in partnership with Governments and local communities by practical
opportunities to:
Deliver safe education
Protection from exploitation
Abuse and violence
Psychological support
Peace building efforts
Avert the loss of an entire generation with activities and interventions
To offer more opportunities for social cohesion and stability in an already volatile
region by restoring their hopes
The programme initiative will also include the strengthening and community-based
child protection systems to respond the needs of the girls, boys and families from highly
risk of abuse, exploitation, neglect and violence, while protecting children against
such risks. It will also include access of quality education to them via formal and nonformal approaches by introducing accelerated curricula for those children, who are
out of the school, vocational, and teacher training and other initiative programmes. It
will also create safe environments to reduce the exposure of childrens to such risks.
ince the crisis of Civil war began in Syria nearly three years ago, more than one million
children from Syria have become refugees of which more than 425000 are under the
age of five. The vast majority of these refugees have fled either to Lebanon, Jordan,
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Turkey, Egypt and Iraq. Among them, around 8000 children have been identified as
being separated from their families.
Ali Larayedh, the Prime Minister of Tunisia resigned

Ali Larayedh, the Prime Minister of Tunisia resigned from his office on 9 January
2014. With his resignation, the country will be led by the caretaker Government of
technocrats led by led by new Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa.
He resigned following a deal between the Islamist Ennahda Party of Ali Larayedh
and the secular opposition for a transition to the democracy in the country. Its likely
that the name of Mehdi Jomaa will be announced by the President of Tunisia for
appointment. Tunisia as a country has been the birthplace of the Arab Spring and its
transition to democracy.
Resignation of Ali Larayedh is being viewed as the failure of the party to manage the
transition of Tunisia to democracy after ouster of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the autocrat
of Tunisia in 2011. Under the compromise, the Ennahda party has paved a way for
main opposition Nidaa Tounes to relinquish power. As per the agreement the national
assembly of the country will vote on a new Constitution and the elections would be
held in 2014. An electoral council has been appointed to oversee the vote.
Bangladesh new MPs took oath

The newly elected MPs the Parliament of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina took the Parliamentary oath on 9 January 2014. With this oath ceremony, the
ruling Awami League formed the government for second consecutive term.
Earlier, Awami League secured an absolute majority in the Parliamentary elections
conducted on 5 January 2014. The oath of the 284 MPs was administered by Speaker
Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury of the 300 MPs. The remaining 16 MPs will be sworn later.
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The cabinet oath will be held on 12 January 2014.

The Bangladeshi Constitution mentions that Parliamentary members of the country
have to take the oath of the office within 3 days after publication of an official gazette that
notifies the elected candidates by Election Commission. The gazette notification has
been issued on the result of the 10th parliamentary election by Election Commission.
Bangladesh will witness re-polling in eight seats on 16 January 2014.
Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by two-times former Prime
Minister Khaleda Zia boycotted the elections and didnt contest in the elections
which happened on 5 January 2014. At present Khaleda, the former Prime Minister
at present is under de facto house arrest.
The Bangladeshi elections of January 2013 have been one of the deadliest violence
in the 43- year history of the country as 26 people were killed during the polling. Apart
from this, about 180 people have died since October 2013.
India and Japan held Defence Ministerial Meeting

India and Japan decided to strengthen defence Cooperation especially in maritime
security, at the Defence Ministerial Meeting held in New Delhi on 6 January 2014.
And also two countries decided to strengthen the Strategic and Global Partnership
between Japan and India.
The highlights of the visit of Japans Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera were
The Defence Minister of India will visit Japan in 2014 and continue to carry out
high-level mutual visits on annual basis.
In 2014, Delhi will hold the third 2 plus 2 dialogue and the fourth Defence Policy
Dialogue (Defence Secretary level).
To promote exchanges on UN Peacekeeping Operations between Japan
Peacekeeping Training and Research Centre, Joint Staff College (JPC), Central
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Readiness Force of Japan Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF) and Centre for UN
Peacekeeping (CUNPK) of the Indian Army.
In 2014 the Indian Navy will visit Japan to conduct joint exercises and conduct
bilateral exercises between Japan Maritime Self- Defence Force and Indian Navy
on a regular basis.
Conduct Expert exchanges in Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief and
Counter Terrorism between both Indian Army and Japan Ground Self Defence
Force (JGSDF).
Continue to conduct staff exchanges and discuss possibility of conducting staff
talks between Japan Air Self-Defence Force and Indian Air Force and professional
exchanges of test-pilots, professional exchanges in the field of flight safety and
between their transport squadrons.
Prime Minister of Japan will be the chief guest of Indias Independence Day on 26
January 2014.
Pakistan planned 7 Nuclear Plants for 8900 MW of electricity by 2030

Pakistan on 2 January 2014 announced its plan to set up seven functional nuclear
plants of 1100 MW each by 2030. The government is set to install 325 MW Chashma-4
(C-4) plant.
Pakistan took this decision to combat the problem of shortage of power supply in
the country. Nuclear power was set to become a major player in the countrys power
sector.
As per the Pakistan government, by 2030 the Pakistan Atomic Energy Comission
(PAEC) will be operating four nuclear power plants of 325 to 340 MW and seven
nuclear power plants with the capacity of 1100 MW each, in addition to four units of
300 MW, producing a total of 8,900 MW of electricity.
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The power generated through C-3 and C-4 (650 MW) will be linked to national grid
by 2016. Pakistan would install more nuclear power plants to generate 42000 MW of
electricity under its Vision 2050.
China has committed 6.5 billion dollar finance for the construction of a major nuclear
power project in the port city of Karachi.
China National Nuclear Cooperation (CNNC) has promised to grant a loan of at least
6.5 billion dollar to finance the project, which will have two reactors with a capacity
of 1,100 megawatts each.
Blackouts lasting more than half a day in some areas have infuriated many Pakistanis
and sparked violent protests, undermining an economy already beset by high
unemployment, widespread poverty, crime and sectarian and insurgent violence.
Pakistan had carried out its first nuclear tests in 1998, soon after India conducted
tests. Both refuse to join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which would oblige
them to scrap atomic weapons.
China has already helped supply two nuclear reactors at the Chashma nuclear power
complex in Punjab, while another two are also under construction with Chinese
assistance.
India & Saudi Arabia signed pact to protect interests of Indian domestic sector workers
India and Saudi Arabia on 2 January 2014 signed an agreement to protect the
interests and rights of Indian domestic sector workers in the Gulf Kingdom. The pact
was signed by Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and the visiting Adel bin
Mohammed Fakeih, the Labour Minister of Saudi Arabia in New Delhi.
The agreement signing was necessitated in the view of Indians, who are facing work
related problems in Saudi Arabia. The two countries have agreed on the need for a
comprehensive way to deal with such problems.
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The two sides have decided to set up a joint committee to meet periodically to
overcome the difficulties in implementing the agreement.
The pact has been signed with an objective to ensure authenticity and implementation
of employment contract and take an action against recruitment agencies that violates
the laws. At present around 28 lakh peoples are living in Saudi Arabia. Indians form
the largest expatriate community in the country. Of 500000 domestic workers in
Saudi Arabia, most people are working as maids, helpers, drivers and cleaners of
which around 10 percent are women.
The features of the agreement as per the official statements are:

It protects the rights of both the employers and domestic workers
It regulates the contractual relation between them
It ensures authenticity and implementation of the employment contract, takes
measures against recruitment agencies that will violate laws and establishes a
mechanism to provide 24 hours assistance to the domestic sector workers
The agreement was conseptualised in April 2013 during the visit of Vayalar Ravi to
Saudi Arabia.
Latvia became the 18th member of Euro Zone

Latvia on 2 January 2014 became the 18th member of the Euro zone. The small
ex-Soviet state has been preparing for the switch, since European Union finance
ministers formally announced in July 2013 that Latvia could adopt the Euro.
Both Standard & Poors and Fitch have raised the countrys credit ratings in anticipation
of its euro entry.
The economy of Latvia shrank by a quarter during 2008-2010, but then grew at the
fastest pace in the EU, expanding by 5.6 percent in 2012, after the government slashed
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spending and wages and hiked taxes in one of the harshest austerity programs in
Europe.
Latvia has recently emerged from the financial crisis to become the EUs fastestgrowing economy.
Latvia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and joined the European
Union and NATO in 2004. It has a population of two million -- nearly 30 percent of
Russian origin -- and annual gross domestic product of 28 billion dollar.
Latvia became the fourth smallest member of the currency area, ahead of Cyprus,
Estonia and Malta. Estonia joined the euro zone in 2011 and Lithuania aims to do so
in 2015.
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NATIONAL
Union Government extended the deadline for implementing
NFSA by three months
Union Government on 26 June 2014 extended the deadline for implementing National
Food Security Act by three more months. Food Security Act seeks to provide the
right to highly subsidised foodgrain to nearly two-third of the population
The decision to extend the deadline was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to discuss issues related to inflation and the monsoon.
The decision came on the back of 25 states and Union territories failing to implement
the NFSA that had come into effect on 5 July 2013, with the states given one year to
implement it. That is the deadline for implementing the Act was to expire on 5 July
2014.
So far, the Act has been completely rolled out in five States and partially in six States
out of 29 States.
States where the Act has been fully implemented are

Haryana
Rajasthan
Maharashtra
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Punjab
Chattisgarh
States where the Act has been partially implementation include

Delhi
Himachal Pradesh
Karnataka
Madhya Pradesh
Bihar
Chandigarh
More than 19 states and union territories are yet to implement the provisions of the
Act.
The effective implementation of the Act that seeks to provide the right to highly
subsidised food grain to nearly two-third of the population will protect the poor from
increased market prices of the food articles. The Food Security Act was passed
during the UPA government. The Act entitles people to get at least 5 kilograms of
food grain namely rice, wheat and coarse cereals per month at a highly subsidised
prices of 3 rupees, 2 rupees and 1 rupees respectively.
Union Cabinet approved pact with China for setting up industrial park
The Union Cabinet on 25 June 2014 approved an in principle memorandum of
understanding (MoU) between India and China for setting up industrial parks in the
country.
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The approval came during a Cabinet meet that was headed by Narendra Modi, the
Prime Minister of India. But, the details of the agreement will be available after the
agreement is signed.
This approval came at a time, when Hamid Ansari, the Vice-President of India will
be on a five days visit to China to celebrate the 60th year of Panchsheel that formed
the bedrock of India-China ties. He will be accompanied by Union Commerce and
Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Apart from this, as per the reports, China is interested in investing in India especially
in agro-processing, tourism and manufacturing. A recent study conducted by PHD
Chamber of Commerce revealed that China has emerged as biggest trading partner
in the current fiscal for India. It has replaced UAE. Trade between India and China has
reached 49.5 billion US dollar with 8.7 percent share in Indias total trade. The other
two nations are
US positioned at the second position with 8.1 percent share of 46 billion US dollar
UAE positioned at third position with 8 percent share at 45.4 billion US dollar
Union Ministry of Culture launched project Mausam to

explore multi-faceted Indian Ocean
Union Ministry of Culture on 20 June 2014 launched the Project Mausam at the 38th
session of the World Heritage Committee held in Doha, Qatar.
The aim of the Project is to explore the multi-faceted Indian Ocean world and collate
archaeological and historical research in order to document the diversity of cultural,
commercial and religious interactions in the Indian Ocean
Director General UNESCO expressed great interest in the project. Besides,
ambassadors of several countries namely China, UAE, Qatar, Iran, Myanmar, and
Vietnam have also expressed keen interest in the multi-faceted cultural project.
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First International conference on the project is scheduled to be held in February 2015

in New Delhi with national and international research partners and collaborators. The
central theme of this conference is Great Centres of Learning: Knowledge Societies
and the Making of the Indian Ocean region.
Project Mausam
Project Mausam was initially proposed by Ravindra Singh, Secretary, Union Ministry
of Culture. It is a Union Ministry of Culture initiative with Indira Gandhi National Centre
for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi as the nodal coordinating agency.
The main objective of the project is transnational nomination of Maritime Cultural
Routes, creation of a comprehensive database and UNESCO web platform on
Maritime Cultural Landscapes and Routes and; linking other UNESCO cultural
conventions with the World Heritage convention through this theme.
Endeavour of Project Mausam is to position itself at two levels

At the macro level the project is aimed to re-connect and re-establish
communications between countries of the Indian Ocean world and it would lead
to an enhanced understanding of cultural values and concerns
At the micro level the projects focus is on understanding national cultures in
their regional maritime milieu
Union Government reconstituted 6 Cabinet Committees

Union Government on 19 June 2014 reconstituted six important Cabinet Committees
of these four will be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and remaining two by
Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The six Cabinet Committees include Security, Political
Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, Economic Affairs, Accommodation and Appointments.
Of these six, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will head four Cabinet Committees
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namely Security, Political Affairs, Economic Affairs and Appointment Committee of

the Cabinet. Apart from this, the remaining two Cabinet Committees on Parliamentary
Affairs and Accommodation will be headed by the Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Cabinet members from NDA allies parties are Harsimrat Kaur Badal of Shiromani
Akali Dal, Ram Vilas Paswan of Lok Janshakti Party and Anant Geete of Shiv Sena.
The composition of the reconstituted Cabinet Committees is
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet will be headed by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and will have Minister of Home Affairs Raj Nath Singh as its member
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs will be headed by Prime Minister of
Narendra Modi and will have 13 other members
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs will be headed by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and will have other 9 members
The Cabinet Committee on Security will be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will have other 3 members
The Cabinet Committee on Accommodation will be headed by the Minister of
Home Affairs Raj Nath Singh and will have four members.
The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs will be headed by the Minister of
Home Affairs Raj Nath Singh and will have 10 members
On the other hand, the Prime Minister earlier in June 2014 scrapped the Cabinet
Committees related to prices, World Trade Matters, UIDAI and Management of
Natural Calamities and now their functions will be handled by the Cabinet Committee
on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
Cabinet approved Committee to look into issues of safety &

restoration of Mullaperiyar Dam
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Union Cabinet on 18 June 2014 approved constitution of a three-member Supervisory

Committee on the Mullaperiyar Dam. It will look into the issues about the safety and
restoration of the dam. The Committee was set up in the light of Supreme Court
judgment on the issue. SC earlier had directed Tamil Nadu and Kerala to raise the
level of water in the dam to 142 feet.
The panel will be headed by a senior official of the Central Water Commission and
will have one member each from Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
According to the decision of the Union Cabinet, Kerala will provide the office space
to the committee and cost will be borne by Tamil Nadu.
Background
The Supreme Court on 7 May 2014 directed the centre to set a three-member
committee while holding the dam to be safe. In its direction, it also asked Tamil Nadu
government to raise the water level of dam to 142 feet and ultimately to 152 feet after
completion of strengthening measures on the dam.
It directed to form the committee following apprehension of Kerala government about
the safety of the dam on restoration. It also said that the committee should have one
representative from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and one representative
each from the two states Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The five-judge Constitution bench of SC headed by CJI Justice R M Lodha also
struck down a law promulgated by the Kerala government. The law had declared the
dam as endangered and fixed the water level at 136-feet.
Union Cabinet appointed Ex-CJI R C Lahoti as arbitrator in

Vodafone tax dispute case
Union Cabinet on 17 June 2014 appointed Ex-Chief Justice of India (CJI) R C Lahoti
as arbitrator in Vodafone tax disputes case.
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On the other part, Vodafone has appointed renowned arbitrator and diplomat Yves
Fortier for the case.
The appointment of an arbitrator come after the notice was served to the Government
of India in April 2014 by the Vodafone under the Bilateral Investment Protection and
Promotion Agreement between India and the Netherlands for resolving the dispute.
The arbitration notice, however, led to the withdrawal of the conciliation offer by the
government in May 2014.
An Analysis of the Issue

According to the Indian government, the tax liability on Vodafone is 20000 crore
rupees. The said tax liability of Vodafone in India arose from the purchase of Hutch
Essar in 2007 for 11 billion US dollar, as it involved cross-border transfer of Indian
assets. Although, the basic tax demand were 7990 crore rupees.
Earlier in May 2014, India withdrew a conciliation offer to Vodafone on the issue
saying the telecom major had initiated arbitration without waiting for the Income Tax
Appellate Tribunal decision on another transfer pricing dispute that was seen as a
hurdle to engaging in conciliation talks.
The UPA-II Government led by former PM Manmohan Singh wanted the transfer
pricing dispute to be settled first so that conciliation talks with Vodafone on the
Hutchison Essar deal could go ahead.
In June 2013, the Cabinet under then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had approved
the conciliation with Vodafone to resolve the capital gains tax dispute related to its
2007 purchase of Hutch Essar for 11 billion dollars.
Further, the tax department had prepared a response to Vodafones notice of arbitration,
explaining that taxation is not a subject on which India is bound to provide fair and
equitable treatment under Article 4 of the India-Netherlands Bilateral Investment
Protection Agreement that speaks of national treatment and most favoured nation
treatment for foreign investors.
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India became permanent signatory to Washington Accord

India on 13 June 2014 became a permanent signatory to Washington Accord. The
Accord was signed by National Board of Accreditation at a meet of International
Engineering Alliance of WA member countries held in Wellington, New Zealand.
With India becoming the permanent signatory, India joined a select group of 17
countries who are permanent signatories of the Washington Accord (WA). The
signatory status will substantially increased global employment opportunities for
technical and engineering graduates of India.
To carry out comprehensive review and audit of NBA accreditation systems and
Practices, a review team was sent by the International Engineering Alliance (IEA)
Secretariat of the Washington Accord in December 2013 and January 2014. The
report was submitted by the review team in March 2014.
About Washington Accord

Washington Accord is an international agreement between prominent nations of the
world and is a charter that promotes mobility and quality assurance of engineers
across international boundaries. Charter of the accord needs setting-up of suitable
accreditation standards that ensures minimum quality of attainment for their
engineering graduates.
Narendra Modi scrapped four Standing Committees of Cabinet

Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India on 10 June 2014 decided to discontinue
four Standing Committees of the Cabinet. The discontinued standing committees
included Cabinet Committee on Management of Natural Calamities, Cabinet
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Committee on Prices, Cabinet Committee on World Trade Organisation Matters and

Cabinet Committee on Unique Identification Authority of India related issues.
The functions of these committees will be handled by

Cabinet Committee on Management of Natural Calamities: The functions of
this Committee will be handled by the Committee under the Cabinet Secretary
whenever natural calamities occur.
Cabinet Committee on Prices: The functions of this Committee will be handled by
the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
Cabinet Committee on World Trade Organisation Matters: The functions of this
Committee will be handled by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and,
whenever necessary, by the full Cabinet.
Cabinet Committee on Unique Identification Authority of India related issues:
Major decisions in this area have already been taken and the remaining issues will
be brought to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
Whereas, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will re-constitute the Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, the Cabinet
Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs and
the Cabinet Committee on Security. The CCEA is headed by Prime Minister and
includes the Finance, Commerce & Industry, Home and Defence ministers as other
members.
The previous government led by Manmohan Singh had 12 Cabinet Committees of
which 10 were headed by Prime Minister and the other two namely the Cabinet
Committee on Accommodation and Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs has
Defence Minister as its Chairperson.
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Project Seabird phase II in Karwar, Karnataka got environment clearance

Project Seabird Phase II in Karwar, Karnataka on 9 June 2014 got environment
clearance by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Project Seabird will be one of the largest naval bases of India and will be completed
in two phases. It will house various warships including Indias largest warship and
aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
About Project Seabird
Project Seabird was approved in 1999 to pursue the construction of the new naval
base at Karwar. Phase I was completed in 2005 and the base was commissioned on
31 May 2005. Development of Phase II commenced in 2011.
Largest Base
One completed, Project Seabird, Karwar in coastal Karnataka will become the
countrys biggest Naval base by 2025.
The base will enhance the Navys operational flexibility and strategic advantage in
the Indian Ocean region, including in anti-piracy efforts.
Moreover, the move to set up an exclusive naval base at Karwar is intended to
decongest Mumbai on the West coast and Visakhapatnam on the East coast, as the
two ports also have commercial shipping operations.
Also, the decision was prompted by Mumbais proximity to Pakistan and the Islamic
nations growing missile arsenal.
Private schools come under the provision of RTI Act: CIC

Central Information Commission on 4 June 2014 ruled that the private schools which
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were governed by a law such as the Delhi Education Act come under the provisions
of Right to Information (RTI) Act.
It ruled that aided or unaided, the school is duty bound under Sections 4 and 8 of
Delhi Education Act 1973 to abide by the regulatory conditions of service, payment
of salaries as prescribed for which school has to maintain records which provide an
inherent and implied right to information to their employees.
Under Right to Education Act 2009 also, the recognised school is under an obligation
to appoint eligible teachers and provide them with prescribed wages. This also reveals
that it has given inherent right to information to the teachers from their employers.
Background
The case relates to an ex-employee of Jindal Public School who filed an RTI application
with Directorate of Education seeking a certified copy of service book and other
details from her past employer.
The Directorate provided the information available with them but the school refused
to furnish the reply saying RTI Act does not apply on it.
Candidates not disclosing information about assets can be

disqualified: SC
The Supreme Court on 13 May 2014 held that Candidates fighting elections can be
disqualified if they fail to disclose information about assets and liabilities of even their
spouse and dependent children.
A bench comprising of Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar
said those who are contesting elections are bind by law and it was binding on the
candidate to give details on their background and education. If any candidate during
the filling of nomination leaves any space blank that requires details about assets
and liabilities, education and background would result into rejection by the returning
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officer at the scrutiny stage.

The court also said according to article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution it is the fundamental
right of the citizen to know about the candidates contesting the elections. This
is the primary reason for candidate to furnish information regarding the criminal
antecedents, educational qualifications and assets held by the candidate, his spouse
and dependent children.
CASE
The judgement came while dismissing an appeal filed by Kisan Shankar Kathore. He
was elected to Maharashtra assembly in the October 2004 elections from Ambernath
constituency in Thane District.
Kisan Shankar Kathores election was challenged by Arjun Dattatray Sawant, voter in
the constituency. In 2007, Bombay High Court allowed the plea for non disclosure of
outstanding electricity bills.
The apex court upheld the high court order saying that non-disclosure of outstanding
electricity dues was not a serious lapse, the non-disclosure of wife owning a flat and
vehicle and his interest/share in the partnership firm was a major and serious lapse.
President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to Whistleblowers Protection Bill 2011
Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India on 12 May 2014 gave his assent to the
Whistleblowers Protection Bill 2011. With this assent, the Whistleblowers Bill, 2011
became Whistleblowers Protection Act, 2011. The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on
11 December 2011 and by Rajya Sabha on 21 February 2014.
The Bill carries provisions for setting up regular mechanism to encourage persons
to disclose information on corruption or willful misuse of power by public servants,
which includes Ministers. The Bill also demands adequate protection to persons who
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reports corruption or willful misuse of discretion, which bring in a demonstrable loss

to the government.
The Bill was introduced in 2004 by the Union Government to empower the Central
Vigilance Commission for protecting whistle-blowers.
SC quashed Kerala law on Mullaperiyar dam and ordered water level can be raised
The Supreme Court of India on 7 May 2014 quashed the law passed by Kerala
Assembly on the Mullaperiyar dam. The Court also ruled that the water level of the
dam can be raised to 142 feet. Apart from this, the Apex Court has also appointed a
three-member Committee to supervise its safety aspects.
The quashed law is Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2006.
The committee will be headed by a representative from the Central Water Commission
and will include one member each from the two states. It will also oversee the repair
works.
This verdict of the Court came following a suit filed by Tamil Nadu in which the
state questioned the law enacted by Kerala in 2006 to restrict the water level in the
Mullaperiyar dam at 136 feet though the Supreme Court had permitted Tamil Nadu
to raise the water level up to 142 feet.
This verdict of the court came eight months after the hearing was completed by a five
member Constitutional Bench of Supreme Court led by Chief Justice RM Lodha. The
bench said that the 2006 law framed by Kerala was unconstitutional as it violated the
doctrine of separation of power.
Mullaperiyar dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in Kerala. It is located
881 meter above mean sea level, on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in
Thekkady district of Kerala, South India.
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Background
The increase in the water level of the dam had been demanded by Tamil Nadu to
support its agricultural needs. This demand of the state was opposed by Kerala by
pointing out concerns about the safety of the more-than-a-century-old lime-surkhi
structure and demanded building a new dam at Mullaperiyar.
To go into the safety aspects of the dam, the Supreme Court Bench in 2010 appointed
an empowered committee headed by former Chief Justice of India AS Anand. The
report of the study was submitted by the committee in April 2012.
In its recommendation, the panel suggested that structurally and hydrologically the
dam was safe and Tamil Nadu can raise the water level of the dam from 136 feet to
142 feet after carrying out certain repairs.
The constitutional bench comprised of

Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha, Justice H.L. Dattu, Justice Chandramauli Kr.
Prasad, Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice M.Y. Eqbal.
The Case -State of Tamil Nadu (Plaintiff) versus State of Kerala & another (Defendants)
Reference to the 5-Judge Constitution Bench

Initially, the matter was heard by a three-Judge Bench but the case was referred to the
Constitution Bench On 10 November 2009, as some of the issues framed in the suit
involved decision on certain substantial questions of law concerning interpretation of
the Constitution and in particular:
1. Articles 3 and 4 read with Article 246 of the Constitution;
2. Article 131 read with Article 32 of the Constitution (in the context of res-judicata)
3. Proviso to Article 131 read with Articles 295 and 363 of the Constitution and the
effect of the Constitution (26th Amendment) Act, 1971
4. The effect of decision of this Court in Mullaperiyar Environmental Protection Forum
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in the context of afore-referred constitutional provisions
Mullaperiyar dam: 1886 Lease Agreement

The dam was constructed under the Periyar Lake Lease Agreement dated 29 Octobers
1886 (1886 Lease Agreement) across Periyar river. The lease was of granted on
lease for 999 years from 01 January 1886. Kereal defended itself by stating that the
1886 Lease Agreement for 999 years lapsed under the provisions of Section 7(1)(b) of
the Indian Independence Act, 1947 (Act of 1947). From 1947 to 26 January 1950,
the lease was continued as a temporary lease on annual basis. After 26 January
1950, even the temporary continuation of the lease came to an end. The possession
of the land held and continued by the then Government of Madras and now Tamil
Nadu, after 26.01.1950 has no juridical basis.
SC upheld validity of Right to Education Act

The Constitution Bench of Supreme Court of India on 6 May 2014 upheld the
Constitutional validity of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. In its decision, the apex
court said that the Act is not applied to unaided minority institutions.
The five-judge Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court in its decision also upheld
the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009
and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010.
The Constitutional bench was headed by the Chief Justice of India, RM Lodha and
comprised of Justice AK Patnaik, Justice Dipak Misra, Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya
and Justice Ibrahim Kalifulla.
Earlier, the three-judge Bench of Supreme Court upheld the Constitutional validity
of the Act by a majority of 2:1 on 6 September 2010 in a case, Society for Unaided
Private Schools of Rajasthan vs Union of India & Anr. Following the decision of
the three-judge bench, the matter was sent to the Constitutional Bench to make a
decision on the validity of Clause (5) of Article 15 with effect from 20 January 2006
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and the validity of Article 21A of the Constitution inserted by the Constitution (EightySixth Amendment) Act, 2002 with effect from 01 April 2010.
Background
Clause (5) was inserted in Article 15 during the Constitution 93rd Amendment Act
2005. Under the Act, the States were given the power to make special provisions
for members of the SCs, STs and socially and educationally backward classes to
lay guidelines for admission to all educational institutions. The institutions included
private unaided institutions except the minority institutions.
The Parliament enacted the right to education in 2009 to provide free and compulsory
education to children between 6 and 14 years of age by inserting Article 21A.
The Act stated that any privately-managed unaided educational institutions have to
admit 25 percent students of weaker sections.
Union Cabinet approved the Polavaram Project

The Union Cabinet on 1 May 2014 approved the proposal for setting up of the
Polavaram Project Authority (PPA). It will be set up for the execution of the Polavaram
irrigation project.
The constitution of the Centrally-funded PPA and its governing body was in
accordance with the section 90 of AP Reorganization Act, 2014. The project cost
originally estimated at 10151 crore rupees rose to 16010 crore rupees.
The Polavaram Project Authority would be an autonomous body under the chairmanship
of a Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will be appointed by
the Centre. CEO will be of the rank of Additional Secretary to Government of India
(GoI) with a fixed tenure of three years.
The multipurpose Polavaram project is expected to irrigate 2.91 lakh hectares. It will
generate 960 mw of power and supply 23.4 tmc drinking water to Visakhapatnam
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city and also to Vizag steel plant. It will also facilitate an inter-basin transfer of 80
tmcft annually to the Krishna river basin.
All the assets and liabilities of the Polavaram project will be transferred to the authority
and a separate PPA fund would also be created to which the funds released by the
Centre will be credited.
The Authority will clear apprehensions about the project and instill confidence in both
the successor States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as also other riparian States
of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and carry out the project in a transparent and equitable
manner.
Centre will fund and execute the project and obtain all the requisite clearances
including environmental, forests and rehabilitation.
Election Queue Management System introduced in India

The Election Queue Management System, a first of its kind initiative was introduced
in India. It was introduced by the District Election Authority in Burdwan district, West
Bengal during Lok Sabha election held on 30 April 2014.
The Election queue management system helped voters to find out the level of crowd
in the polling booths in Burdwan district.
This system will help the voter in receiving information about the crowd in the queue by
sending an SMS with the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number to 9230085005.
The information was also available on the website Burdwan.nic.in and PS Queue Info.
It received 22800 SMS queries, 1800 mobile queries, 44000 web request from the
voters to know the information about the number of people in queue at polling booth
of Burdwan-Durgapur and Burdwan Purba.
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Michael Hudson McHug, the ex-Australian judge appointed

as arbitrator by SC
The Supreme Court of India on 29 April 2014 appointed former judge of the High Court
of Australia, Michael Hudson McHugh as the third arbitrator to resolve the dispute
between the Central government and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd
(RIL) on KG basin.
McHugh was named as the Chairman of the Arbitral Tribunal after the apex Court
on 2 April 2014 withdrawn the appointment of James Spigelman, ex-Chief Justice
and LG of New South Wales, Australia. His name was withdrawn after the Court was
informed by the Centre that his name was mentioned in the list of names proposed
by the Reliance group for appointment as an independent arbitrator.
On the issue of appointment of the independent arbitrator as the Chairman of the
Arbitral Tribunal was passed by Justice Nijjar on 31 March 2014. The other two
members of the tribunal are former Chief Justices of India -- S P Bharucha and V N
Khare
Former Justice Bharucha was nominated by Reliance as its arbitrator
Former Justice Khare nomination was chosen by Centre as its arbitrator
The decision of appointment of an international arbitrator as the Chairman was taken

by the Supreme Court for adjudication of dispute that exist between Reliance and the
government on the issue of recovery of cost for developing the countrys key natural
gas field in KG basin
SC referred Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to Constitution

Bench
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Supreme Court of India on 25 April 2014 referred the Rajiv Gandhi assassination
case to the Constitutional Bench. The Rajiv Gandhi assassination case pertains to
the remission of the life imprisonment of seven convicts. In its direction, the Supreme
Court said that the interim order of staying the Tamil Nadu Governments decision to
free them will continue.
The matter will be taken up by the Constitutional bench within three months. During
this period the Constitution bench will look into the constitutionality of the issue
whether the sentence of a prisoner, whose death penalty has been commuted to life,
can be remitted by the government.
The Chief Justice of India has the power to constitute a Constitution Bench
comprising five or more judges to hear substantial matters of constitutional law.
The decision of transferring the case to the Constitutional Bench was made by a SC
bench headed by Chief Justice of India, P Sathasivam. The decision was made by
the apex court while hearing the petition filed by the Centre challenging the Tamil
Nadu governments decision to remit the sentences.
The Tamil Nadu government led by Jayalalithaa on 19 February 2014 decided to set
free all the seven convicts in the assassination case.
Background
The Supreme Court on 20 February 2014 stayed the Tamil Nadu governments
decision to release the three convicts, namely Murugan, Santhan and Arivu. The
death sentence of these three convicts was commuted to life term by the SC on 18
February 2014.
The court has observed that there had been procedural lapses on the part of the
state government. Later the court stayed the release of convicts Nalini, Robert Pious,
Jayakumar and Ravichandran in the case.
At present, Santhan, Murugan and Arivu are lodged in the Central Prison, Vellore
and are in jail since 1991. The other four who played a role in Gandhis assassination
on 21 May 1991 in Sriperumnudur are also undergoing a sentence of life term. The
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assassins in January 1998 were convicted by a TADA Court and were awarded death
sentence, which was further confirmed by the Supreme Court on 11 May 1999
CAG empowered to audit private telecom companies: SC

Supreme Court (SC) of India on 17 April 2014 said that the national auditor, the
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is empowered to audit the revenues of private
telecom companies.
The judgement was given by the SC bench of Justice K S Radhakrishnan and Justice
Vikramjit Sen. The bench upheld the January 2014 decision of the Delhi High Court
which ruled that CAG within the meaning of the law is empowered to conduct revenue
audits of private telecom firms.
The court also issued a notice to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the
issue related to the important question of law and requires hearing.
The judgement was given against the backdrop of a petition filed by the private
telecom companies and Cellular Operators Association of India. In the petition they
challenged the January 2014 ruling of the Delhi High Court.
The judgment of Delhi High Court was quoted as erroneous by the senior advocate
Harish Salve, who was appearing on behalf of telecom firms. He claimed that section
16 of the CAG Act, doesnt allow CAG to audit the files of private firms.
Whereas the Union Government in its argument said that the revenue generated by
the licenses in private-public partnership ventures is required to be shared with the
Union government in line with the licensing agreements.
Union Government extended Tourist Visa-on-Arrival Scheme

to the citizens of the South Korea
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Union Government extended the Tourist Visa-on-Arrival Scheme to the citizens of the
South Korea (ROK) with effect from 15 April 2014.
The PM of India Manmohan Singh had conveyed this assurance to South Korean
President Madame Park Geun-hye during her State Visit to India in January 2014.
The Visa-on-Arrival Scheme holds validity for maximum of 30 days with single entry
facility. The facility will be offered at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru,
Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi airport. Fee charged will be 60 US dollar
or equivalent amount in Indian Rupees.
Naturally, tourists can also continue to avail the facility of obtaining visas at the
Embassy of India, Seoul prior to their travel to India, if they so prefer.
With the extension of TVOA facility to South Korea, the total number of countries to
which India has issued TVOA facility stands at 181 countries.
Background
In order to promote tourism, Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVOA) scheme was introduced
for the nationals of five countries, namely, Japan, Singapore, Finland, Luxembourg
and New Zealand with effect from 1 January 2010 for one year.
Further, TVOA scheme was introduced for the nationals of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
and Philippines with effect from 1 January 2011. For the nationals of Myanmar and
Indonesia it was allowed with effect from 28 January 2011.
TVOA is allowed for a maximum of two times in a calendar year to a foreigner with a
minimum gap of two months between each visit. TVOA shall be non-extendable and
non-convertible.
The foreigners of above mentioned countries may also avail of TVOA for up to 30 days
for medical treatment, for casual business or to visit friends/relatives, etc. The TVOA
facility is not applicable to the holders of Diplomatic/Official Passports. Further, TVOA
shall not be granted to the foreigners who have permanent residence or occupation
in India. Such persons can visit India on normal visa, as applicable.
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ECI launched Election Visitors Programme 2014

Election Commission of India (ECI) on 15 April 2014 launched the Election VIsitors
Programme (EVP) 2014. The EVP 2014 was launched as a part of South-South
Cooperation initiative of the ECI in partnership with United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP).
On the day of launch, seven senior officials from Namibia began their participation in
the EVP 2014 and left for the Karnataka State where the elections are scheduled to
be held on 17 April 2014.
As part of the EVP 2014, 50 foreign delegates from Election Management Bodies of
20 countries will visit India to have a first-hand experience of Lok Sabha Elections
2014.
The delegates have been divided into
four groups depending on their arrival
schedule. These four groups will be
briefed by the ECI on Indias electoral
system and the Lok Sabha Elections
2014. The briefing will be followed by
filed visits to the identified election
locations and an interaction with the ECI.
The EVP 2014 has recognised 4 election
locations in the country for the field visits
to give a first-hand experience to the
foreign delegates. These are Karnataka
(17th April), Uttar Pradesh (24th April),
West Bengal (30th April) and Himachal
Pradesh (7th May).
This is the first time that ECI is facilitating
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election visits from other countries on such a scale and under a structured programme.
The 20 countries which will be visiting India as part of EVP 2014 are Namibia, Nigeria,
Lesotho, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Uganda, Kenya, Bhutan and some
member-countries of League of Arab States (Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia,
Morocco, Somalia, Palestine, Iraq and Oman).
SSB to induct Women as Combat Officers

The Union Home Ministry on 13 April 2014 for the first time approved the recruitment
of young women as combat officers in Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). SSB is the second
largest border guarding force.
Young women under and up to the age of 25 years will be recruited as direct entry
officers in the rank of assistant commandants (ACs). The women officers will have
an opportunity to serve in far-flung border of Indian Territory like Nepal and Bhutan.
Till now, women could only don the combat uniform in the officer cadre in three other
central security forces, the Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security
Force and the Border Security Force.
However, In the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Force, women will still not be
inducted as officers deployed along the China border.
In 2007, the SSB was the first to recruit women in junior ranks of constables but since
then, the contingents were being commanded by male officers and hence a desire
was felt to have women officers in the paramilitary force.
About SSB
Sashastra Seema Bal or SSB is one of Indias Central Armed Police Forces. It is often
referred to as a paramilitary force. It is currently under the administrative control of
the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India. It was formerly known as
the Special Service Bureau.
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The highest-level headquarter of the force is the Force Headquarters (FHQ), also
called the Directorate General of SSB, located in New Delhi. Force Headquarter
(FHQ) is commanded by an officer of the rank of Director General (D-G). Current D-G
of SSB is Arun Chaudhary.
SC directed the Union Government to furnish all records related to the inclusion of Jats in OBC
The Supreme Court on 1 April 2014 directed the Union Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment to furnish records related to the inclusion of Jats in Other Backward
Class (OBC) category. The Ministry in its 4 March 2014 notification included Jats in
the OBC category in 9 States.
The direction was issued by a three-judge Bench of SC headed by Chief Justice of
India P. Sathasivam. The other two judges were Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Justice
N.V. Ramanawants.
The direction was given against the backdrop of a writ petition filed by OBC Reservation
Raksha Samiti, Ram Singh. In the writ petition it was argued that since the National
Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) had rejected inclusion of Jats in the OBC
list, therefore the 4 March notification needs to be quashed.
The Statutory body, NCBC on 26 February 2014 had rejected the proposal of inclusion
of Jats in OBC list. This decision was arrived after a detailed survey and hearing
views of all concerned stakeholders.
Experts said that the recommendations of the commission were binding on the
government as per the Indra Sawney Judgement (Mandal Case). But the Government
went ahead and permitted inclusion of Jats in OBC list of seven states.
The 9 states which were permitted to include Jats in OBC list are Bihar, Gujarat,
Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan (two districts of Bharatpur
and Dholpur), Delhi, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
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Trial of government officers cant be quashed for sanction

error: SC
Supreme Court of India on 1 April 2014 ruled that any error or irregularity in granting
sanction by the government to conduct trial against its officials in corruption cases
cannot be a ground to quash the criminal proceedings.
Holding that requirement of sanction is designed just to check on frivolous and
mischievous cases being filed against officials, a bench of Supreme Court headed by
the Chief Justice of India, P Sathasivam said a government servant cant be allowed
to take undue advantage of it.
The order was passed by the bench in reference to two petitions filed by Bihar
government dated 3 March 2011 and 23 March 2012 that challenged the verdict
of Patna High Court that quashed criminal proceedings against its officials on the
ground that sanction against officers were granted by the Law Department of the
state and not by their parent department.
Any error, omission or irregularity in the grant of sanction will not affect any finding,
sentence or order passed by a competent court unless in the opinion of the court a
failure of justice gas been occasioned. Specific provisions related to this are provided
in Section 19(3) of the Prevention of Corruption Act as well as in Section 465 of the
Criminal Procedure Code.
Supreme Court seeks response from Centre on selection

process of Lokpal
Supreme Court of India on 31 March 2014 issued a notice to the Union Government
and has sought its response on selection process of Chairperson and member of the
Lokpal. It has asked the center to justify within four weeks the Search Committee
198
Rules, 2014 that is framed under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
The bench of Supreme Court comprising Justice RM Lodha and Kurian Joseph has
directed the government on a petition filed by an NGO Common Cause questioning
the entire process for appointment of chairperson and members of the Lokpal. The
NGO in its plea is seeking its stay on the process. NGOs plea sought to declare the
pro illegal the rules under which selections are being done.
The NGO in its PIL has sought a declaration that certain provisions of the rules are
ultra vires of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act. It has also sought quashing of the
entire selection process initiated under the rules alleging that it is illegal, arbitrary and
violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.
It has said that the government is going ahead with the selection process despite
there being serious flaws in the rules under which selections are being done.
The notice of the Supreme Court was accepted by Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran
on the behalf of the Center.
As per the petition, earlier, Justice K T Thomas and Fali Nariman had already declined
the proposal to accept the offers on similar grounds at the post of the chairman and
member of the search committee respectively.
K.T.Thomas refused to head Lokpal Committee Search Panel

Retired Supreme Court judge K.T.Thomas refused to head the Lokpal Committee
Search panel on 3 March 2014. He was unanimously chosen to head the Search
Panel by the Lokpal Selection Committee on 21 February 2014.
Thomas refused on the ground that Lokpal Search panel will not be able to conduct
an independent probe. Eminent Lawyer Fali Nariman had also refused to become the
part of the Lokpal Search Panel.
Lokpal Search panel was constituted by the Lokpal Selection Committee chaired
by Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh. The Search panel was constituted in
accordance with the provisions of the Lokpal & Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
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The Search panel was mandated to scrutinize and recommend names to the Selection
Committee for the post of Lokpal Chairperson and 8 other members.
The Search Committee as constituted comprised of 8 members. The members of the
Search panel were Justice K T Thomas, Fali Nariman (senior advocate) S.Y.Qureshi
(former Chief Election Commissioner) ,Meenakshi Gopinath (Principal, LSR College),
Mrinal Miri (Educationist), Kaki Madhava Rao (ex-AP Chief Secretary), H.K. Dua (Rajya
Sabha MP), are the members of the Lokpal Search Panel.
Selection Procedure of the Lokpal

Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 lays down a two-layered Lokpal selection process.
Firstly, Lokpal Selection Committee must set up a Search Committee to shortlist
possible candidates for the 9-member Lokpal body including Chairperson. The
Selection Committee will comprise of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition,
Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Justice of India or any other Supreme Court judge he may
appoint and an eminent jusrist nominated by the President or any member.
Currently the Selection Committee comprises of the Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar,
Supreme Court Justice H L Dattu (representative of the Chief Justice of India), and
jurist P P Rao (the fifth member).
Secondly, Search Committee will finalise and recommend the names to the Selection
Committee. The Selection Committee may or may not consider the names for the
Lokpal.
Lastly, the Lokpal Selection Committee will forward the shortlisted names for the
constitution of Lokpal body to the President of India. Upon receiving the names,
President of India will appoint the Chairperson and other members of the Lokpal.
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SC uphold the age of juvenile at 18 years

The Supreme Court on 30 March 2014 uphold the age of juvenile at 18 years. SC
cited that the legislature has fixed the age which is constitutionally permissible.
Two petitions were filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy challenging the
constitutional validity of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act
2000.
The petitioners had sought fresh interpretation of the term juvenile in the statute and
leaving it to the criminal court, instead of Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), to determine
the juvenility of an offender in heinous crimes.
Under the Chief Justice P Sathasivam, a Bench was formed comprising of three
judges. The bench had rejected the petitions and upheld the constitutionality of
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000.
In the judgement, the bench opined that the Union legislature has adopted the
age of 18 as the dividing line between juveniles and adults and such a decision
is constitutionally permissible and all persons below the age of 18 are put in one
class/group by the JJ Act to provide a separate scheme of investigation, trial and
punishment for offences committed by them.
As per the Supreme Court, the object of the JJ Act was to rehabilitate the offenders
of under 18 years, so that they could become useful members of the society later on.
About Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 is the primary legal
framework for juvenile justice in India. The Act provides for a special approach towards
the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency and provides a framework for
the protection, treatment and rehabilitation of children in the purview of the juvenile
justice system.
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About Beijing Rules

In September 1980 the United Nations held its Sixth Congress on the Prevention of
Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in Caracas, Venezuela. The United Nations
Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice, often referred to
as the Beijing Rules was adopted.
It is a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly regarding the treatment of
juvenile prisoners and offenders in member nations.
About United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention and opened it for signature on
20 November 1989.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (commonly abbreviated
as the CRC, CROC, or UNCRC) is a human rights treaty which sets out the civil,
political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children.
Supreme Court directed all States and UTs to implement

Manual Scavengers Act
Supreme Court on 27 March 2014 directed all the States and Union Territories to
implement Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation
Act, 2013.
The three-judge Bench comprised of Chief Justice P Sathasivam, Justice Ranjan
Gogoi and Justice N V Ramana ordered a series of directions to abolish the practice
of manual scavenging and to prevent future generations from this inhuman practice.
The Apex court also deprecated the practice of manually removing night soil with
bare hands, brooms or metal scrappers.
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Directions issued by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court issued a slew of directions for rehabilitation of those involved in
manual scavenging by providing cash assistance, education and benefits of other
social welfare scheme.
At least one member of their family shall be given, subject to eligibility and
willingness, training in livelihood skill and shall be paid a monthly stipend during
rehabilitation period. Besides, one adult member of the family is given subsidy or
concessional loan for taking up an alternative occupation.
To address sewer deaths, it suggested that entering sewer lines without safety
gears should be made a crime even in emergency situations. And for such death,
a compension of 10 lakh rupees should be given to the family of the died.
The people who were employed as scavengers should be allotted residential plots
or constructed houses or money for such construction according to their eligibility
and willingness.
Persons released from manual scavenging should not have to cross hurdles to
receive what is their legitimate due under the law.
Safai karamchari women should be provided support for dignified livelihood in
accordance with their choice of livelihood schemes.
The Railways should take time-bound strategy to end manual scavenging on the
tracks and persons released from manual scavenging should not have to cross
hurdles to receive what is their legitimate due under the law.
Background
The direction of the Supreme Court came in the backdrop of writ petition filed by the
Safai Karamchari Andolan. In the writ petition it was argued that Manual scavengers
are considered as untouchables by the mainstream castes and discriminated them
socially. Besides, it also argued that dry latrines have not only continued to exist till
date in several States but also have increased to 96 lakh. Still these are being cleaned
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manually by scavengers belonging to the Scheduled Castes.

From the Official statistics of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
for the year 2002-03, there are 676009 identified manual scavengers in the country
and among them 95 percent are Dalits.
Nagaland and Assam became first two states to get Plastic

Photo Identity Card
Nagaland and Assam became the first two states to be issued with Plastic Photo Identity
Card for elections in India. It was announced by the Deputy Election commissioner
Sudhir Tripathi in Kohima on 12 March 2014. The voters of Nagaland and Assam
will be using the cards for the first time in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The
Election commission decided to provide plastic Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC)
instead of laminated paper card to voters in India to avoid duplication and forgery.
The Plastic Photo Identity Card will be issued through the Common Service Centre
of the central governments Information Technology department.
It has also declared Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Punjab and Tamil Nadu as the most expenditure sensitive states in the country. A
committee has been constituted for the monitoring of election expenditure.
Also, Election Commission has set-up flying squad, static surveillance team and
election expenditure monitoring committees to curb the use of money power during
elections.
DoT issued new guidelines to tackle the threats of Cyber attack

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Union Ministry of Communications
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and Information Technology on 17 March 2014 released guidelines to tackle the

threats of cyber attacks and hacking of websites.
DoT issued guidelines to all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to adopt new security
measures to advise customers to take necessary precautions to protect modems
from malware attacks and hacking attempts. Modem is an instrument that connects
a computer to the Internet.
DoT had written to all ISPs to assist customers to change the password of ADSL
(asymmetric digital subscriber line) modem to avoid unauthorised access to modem.
The password was normally installed by broadband service providers. The ADSL
modems are presently supplied by vendors with default set up of user ID and
password as admin.
An ADSL modem is a version of the regular DSL modem, that gives higher download
but lower upload speeds.
The DoT had said that ISPs should disable protocol ports on the modems which
otherwise may be used as hacking points to plant malwares.
The DoT had asked the ISPs to tell their customers to check their online daily usage,
and if any unexpected high usage of data is noticed, they may bring it to the notice
of the ISP concerned.
Consumers should also upgrade to latest firmware or software and ISPs should
disseminate the message to customers at the time of installation and at regular
intervals
Besides, Customers should also be advised to switch off their modem when not in
use.
DoT had asked all the ISPs to implement all the guidelines by May 2014 to ensure
security of almost 1.5 crore fixed-line broadband users.
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SC directed Law Commission to look into issue of hate

speeches
Supreme Court of India on 12 March 2014 directed the Law Commission to look into
the issue of hate speeches by social, political and religious outfits. In it direction the
court also asked the commission to frame guidelines to regulate such provocative
statements.
This direction was given by a bench of Supreme Court, which was headed by Justice
BS Chauhan and included Justice MY Eqbal and Justice AK Sikri. The direction was
given after the court refused to frame guidelines itself. It has directed the commission
to look into the matter and give its recommendation to the centre.
The Apex Court passed this order following a PIL filed by an NGO that alleges that
there is a need for guidelines. This PIL says that the hate speeches affects democratic
nature of the country and also violates the provisions given in the Constitution of
India.
The filed PIL has named Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh as the two states that
recently had witnessed incidents of alleged hate speeches.
Election Commission set up multi agency grid to curb Black

Money
The Election Commission on 11 March 2014 created a multi-agency grid of revenue
and security intelligence agencies. The aim is to curb the use of black money in Lok
Sabha and assembly polls. The intelligence agency will regularly update Election
Commission about suspected financial movements.
Election Commission in the first of its kind initiative had created a board of senior
officials drawn from ten financial and security intelligence departments.
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The intelligence agencies include the officials from income tax intelligence and
investigations, Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence,
Central Economic Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau and the security
forces of SSB, BSF, CISF and the Railway Protection Force.
The board will meet twice a week at Nirvachan Sadan to generate common leads and
flag suspect money instances.
About Election Commission

The Constitution of India has vested in the Election Commission of India the
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 VicePresident of India.
Election Commission of India is a permanent Constitutional Body. The Election
Commission was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25th January
1950. The Commission celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 2001.
Originally the commission had only a Chief Election Commissioner. It currently
consists of Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.
Complete trial in criminal cases involving lawmakers within

one year: SC to Lower Courts
Supreme Court of India on 10 March 2014 directed the lower courts to complete trial
in cases that involves lawmakers. In its direction, it has fixed a deadline of one year
for framing charges against them.
Supreme Court has also ordered the lower courts to expedite the proceedings against
sitting MPs and MLAs in criminal cases. The Court has also said that if in case the
trial is not completed within a year than the trial courts will have to give explanation
for not completion to Chief Justice of the respective High Court.
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In its direction, the Court has reserved the rights of extension of the time in the hands
in the Chief Justice of high court if in case, he is satisfied with the reason given by
the trial judge for his failure to complete the trial within the set time. This bench has
directed that all such proceedings that involve lawmakers must be conducted on a
day-to-day basis in order to expedite the trial.
These directions were given by a bench of Supreme Court that was headed by
Justice RM Lodha and the order was passed following a PIL filed by an NGO that
was seeking direction for expeditious trial in cases involving lawmakers.
Background
This direction was given following a PIL filed arguing that the trial of these lawmakers is
pending for years and this delay in framing charges allows them to enjoy membership
of the legislative body although they have been charged in different offences.
This step of the apex court can be considered as an important move to decriminalize
politics of the country. Earlier, the apex court in its direction passed in 2013 ruled
that lawmakers who are convicted of a crime will stand disqualified immediately.
Medical Visa not required in cases of Surrogacy for OCIs &

PIOs
Union Home Ministry issued an order on 6 March 2014 saying that an Overseas
Citizens of India (OCIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) can visit India without a
medical visa for commissioning surrogacy. This facility will be applicable for those
couples who are married for at least two years and will only require permission
only from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) or the Foreigners
Registration Office (FRO).
The notification also says that the Indian couples will have to fulfill
The foreign man and woman are duly married and the marriage should have
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sustained at least for two years.

A letter from the Embassy of the foreign country in India or the Foreign Ministry of
the country should be enclosed with the visa application stating clearly that
1. The country recognizes surrogacy and
2. The child/children to be born to the commissioning couple through the Indian
surrogate mother will be permitted entry into their country as biological child/
children of the couple commissioning surrogacy.
The couple will furnish an undertaking that they would take care of the child/
children born through surrogacy.
The treatment should be done only at one of the registered ART (reproductive
technology) clinics recognized by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
The couple should produce a duly notarised agreement between the applicant
couple and the prospective Indian surrogate mother.
It also says that the couple will also have to provide an undertaking that mentions
that the couple will take care of the child.
Other provisions mentioned in the order for carrying out surrogacy are
The permission and certificates for commissioning surrogacy and liabilities of the
surrogate mother have been settled will be required before granting exit to the
child. The confirmation will be required from FRRO/FRO and the office will retain
a copy of the birth certificate
The notification has also mentioned that this facility will not be applied for foreigners
and they will have to obtain a medical visa. It also mentions that a wife of a foreign
national or OCI/PIO cardholder not involved in the treatment may not require a specific
medical visa
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Person of Indian Origin (PIO)

The new PIO Card Scheme, 2002, is in operation since 15 September 2002 and it
defines the guidelines for being issued a PIO Card and they include
He/She had any time held an Indian passport
He/She or either of his/her parents or grandparents or great grandparents was
born in India or permanent resident in India provided neither was at any time a
citizen of any other specific country
He/She is a spouse of a citizen of India or a person of Indian origin covered less
than 1 & 2 above
Iranian nationals of Indian Origin can be granted PIO card after MHA approval.
Foreigners holding PIO cards

The foreigners holding PIO cards can gain entry into India if valid PIO card is
presented along with the valid new foreign passport issued in lieu of the passport
endorsed on the PIO card.
However the foreigners are advised to have necessary endorsement of the
new passport from the competent authority on their PIO cards to avoid any
inconvenience.
A person of Indian origin, who is not a citizen of any of these countries, namely
a) Pakistan
b) Bangladesh
c) Sri Lanka
d) Bhutan
e) Afghanistan
f) China
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g) Nepal
Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Foreigners of Indian origin (except Pakistan and Bangladesh) are eligible to apply
under OCI scheme, if he/she possesses evidence of self or parents or grandparents:
Being eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of commencement of Indian
Constitution i.e. 26 January 1950
Belonging to a territory that became a part of India after 15 January 1947
Being a citizen of India on or after 26 January 1950
Union Cabinet approved a new rail coach manufacturing unit

in Kolar
The Union Cabinet on 28 February 2014 approved setting up of a new rail coach
manufacturing unit at Kolar, Karnataka. The unit will manufacture 500 coaches per
annum at an estimated cost of 1460.92 crore rupees with active participation of State
Government.
The Ministry of Railways will finance 50 percent of the cost. The government of
Karnataka will provide the remaining 50 percent of the project cost with escalation
and required land to the extent of about 1118.38 acres, free of cost.
The proposed plant shall help Indian Railways in ensuring timely availability of
passenger coaches to meet the increasing demands of passenger transportation.
Union Ministry of H & FW inaugurated AIIMS Bhubaneswar

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Gulam Nabi Azad inaugurated the All India
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Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar on 26 February 2014. During

inauguration an e-Card system was also introduced. e-Card system (also known as
health card) will help the patients to know about the disease, doctor assigned and
treatment.
Highlights of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar

It is built over an area of 125000 square metre.
It has three operation theatres (OTs), a recovery ward, four high dependant units.
It has overall 978 beds.
It has a 10-bed ICU along with 150 beds spanning different specialties.
It started the OPD services in the basic disciplines of medicine, surgery,
orthopaedics, dentistry and gynaecology in June 2013 which increased to 24
subsequently.
After the allocation of land by the state government, a satellite Centre of the AIIMS,
Bhubaneswar will be established at Balasore.
Under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Sahayata Yojana (PMSSY), the Union Government
has already approved establishing of four medical colleges at Balasore, Balangir,
Koraput and Baripada in Odisha. Further, two medical collages, at Berhampur and
Burla will be upgraded.
Including aforementioned and some other projects Union government has planned
an investment of 1250 crore rupees for the health sector of Odisha.
Supreme Court referred the issue of legalizing euthanasia to

Constitutional bench
The Supreme Court referred the petition seeking legalization of euthanasia to a fivejudge Constitution Bench on 25 February 2014. The Public Interest Litigation filed by
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NGO Common Cause sought to declare dying with dignity a fundamental right for
terminally ill patients.
A 3-Judge Bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam, Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Shiva
Kirti Singh while referring the issue to the Constitution Bench relied on two earlier
cases.
In 1996 Gian Kaur Case the Constitution Bench upheld that the right to live with
dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution will be inclusive of right to die with dignity.
However, the decision did not arrive at a conclusion for validity of euthanasia be it
active or passive.
In 2011 the Supreme Court rejected the plea for mercy killing of Aruna Shanbaug
who has been in a persistent vegetative state for the past 37 years and had laid down
elaborate guideline for carrying out passive euthanasia.
In view of the inconsistent opinions rendered in the two cases and also considering
the important question of law involved which needs to be reflected in the light of
social, legal, medical and constitutional perspective, the 3-Judge Bench referred it
to the issue to the 5-judge Bench.
Largest Solar Power Plant of India launched in Madhya

Pradesh
The largest 130-MW Solar Power Plant of India Welspun Solar MP Project was
launched at Bhagwanpur in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh on 26 February 2014. It
is also the Asias Largest Solar Power Plant. The Welspun Solar MP project was
constructed at a cost of 1100 crore rupees on 305 hectares of land. It will supply
power at 8.05 rupees a kWh.
This Project will raise Indian solar capacity by 7 percent.
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About Solar Power Capacity of India

The Union Government launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
(JNNSM) in 2010. India currently has a grid-connected solar-power capacity of 2208
MW.
The JNNSM aimed for India to reach an installed capacity of 20000 MW (or 20
gigawatts) of solar power by 2022.
The production cost of solar power in India has fallen by more than half in recent
years, from 17 rupees per kilowatt-hour (kWh) three years ago to 7.50 rupees per
kWh now. But these costs are still high compared to coal (2.50 rupees per kWh),
nuclear (3 rupees per kWh) or natural gas (5.5 rupees per kWh).
India is mapping its potential for solar-energy production across the entire country on
the basis of satellite imagery, in collaboration with the United States.
About Welspun Energy Ltd

Welspun Energy Ltd. (WEL) is the biggest developer of solar photovoltaic projects
of India. The energy arm of Welspun Group is an independent power producer with
plans to build grid connected 750MW of solar power & 1 GW of wind power plants
across India.
Union Government inaugurated the National Centre for Good

Governance
Union Government inaugurated the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG)
on 24 February 2014. NCGS is an apex think tank of the country in guiding and
implementing good Governance reforms.
National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) has been set up by upgrading the
National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR), Mussorrie.
The focus of the NCGG will be action oriented research in good Governance. The
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Centre will function as a national repository on information on best practices, initiatives

and methodologies that promote good Governance, e-Governance initiatives, change
management and capacity building within the Government.
The NCGG would work towards resolution of key issues in Governance, analyse
policy and programme implementation, develop action plans, support governance
reforms and help in developing synergy across various sectors and Ministries or
Departments.
The expected outcome of the NCGG will be in the form of research papers, best
practices on Governance reforms, policy analysis and options will provide the
necessary direction, guidance and capacity building inputs on Governance and
management issues to the Central and State Government organisations, Central
Training Institutes and State Administrative Training Institutes.
Governing body and Structure of NCGS

A Governing Body with Cabinet Secretary as the Chairman has been constituted for
NCGG. The affairs of the Society shall be managed under the overall superintendence,
direction and control of the Governing Body.
NCGG will also have 12 members Management Committee and Secretary of
Department of Personal and Training (DOPT) as the Chairperson.
NCGG will have a 3 tier structure. The first tier will consist of the internal Faculty
and Staff, the second of outside domestic experts and the third of international
consultants.
Union Cabinet approved converting of 7200 km state roads

into Highways
Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways decided to convert 7200 kms of
states roads into national highways on 23 February 2014.
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With this the total length of the state highways converted into National Highways
during the UPA regime would reach about 17000 km.
About 10000 km of state highways were declared national highways during the last
10 years.
These roads are spread across states including Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh besides bordering areas like Leh and Laddakh regions.
The present length of the National Highways in the country is about 80000 km.
The Union Ministry had received the proposals for declaration of more than 64000
kms of State roads as National Highways from various State Governments, against
which the Ministry has declared about 10000 kms. of roads/routes as new National
Highways.
Expansion of National Highway network is a continuous process and declaration of
new National Highway is taken up from time to time depending upon requirement of
connectivity, inter-se priority and availability of funds.
Once an stretch is declared as NH, development is carried as per the NH specification
stipulated by Indian Roads Congress. The criteria for declaration/conversion of State
Highways (SH).
The Ministry has devised an eleven points criteria for declaration of National Highways based upon the comments of the Planning Commission, are as
under:
Road which run through the length and breadth of the country.
Roads connecting adjacent countries.
Roads connecting the National Capital with State Capital and roads connecting
mutually the State Capitals.
Roads connecting major ports, non-major ports, large industrial centers or tourist
centers.
Roads meeting very important strategic requirement in hilly and isolated areas.
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Arterial roads which enable sizeable reduction in travel distance and achieve
substantial economic growth thereby.
Roads which help opening up large tracts of backward area and hilly regions
(other than strategically important ones).
National Highways grid of 100 km is achieved.
The road must be upto the standard laid down for State Highways (SHs) both
in its technical requirements as well as the land requirements. It will, however, be
ensured that the roads being upgraded generally satisfy the standards laid down
for SH but MDR and other roads required to be upgraded to form grid and connect
important/backward areas will also be considered.
The existing Right of Way (ROW) should be the property of the State Government
and must be generally free any type of encroachments.
The right of way required for the National Highways (preferably 45m, minimum 30m)
must be available for acquiring, free of encroachments and the State Government
would complete acquiring formalities within six months.
Bezbaruah Committee set up to look into the grievances of

North Eastern people
A committee was constituted under the chairmanship of M.P. Bezbaruah on 21
February 2014. The committee was constituted to look into the various kinds of
concerns of the persons hailing from the North Eastern States.
The committee was constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. M.P.Bezbaruah
is a Member of North Eastern Council.
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The Committee will look upon the issues as follows:1. To examine the various kinds of concerns, including the concerns regarding
security, of the persons hailing from the North Eastern States.
2. To examine the causes behind the attacks/violence and discrimination against the
people from the North-Eastern States.
3. To suggest measures to be taken by the Government to address these concerns.
4. To suggest legal remedies to address all the concerns.
The committee will interact with the students/professionals, NGOs, students
organizations and other persons from the North Eastern States living in Delhi to seek
their suggestions.
Telangana draft Bill approved by Union Cabinet

The Union Cabinet on 5 December 2013 approved the 10 districts Telangana draft
Bill. The Cabinet approved the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM) set
up to look into bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh for carving out a new state of Telangana.
The 29th state of India, Telengana will consist of ten districts, whereas Andhra Pradesh
will have 13 districts. Hyderabad will be the common capital for Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana for a period of 10 year.
The bill approved by the cabinet will be sent to the President, Pranab Mukherjee for
making a reference to the state assembly to obtain their views. When the bill will be
signed and returned by the President, it will be brought to the Parliament.
The highlights of the bill are:

1. Telangana will have 10 districts and the rest of Andhra Pradesh will have 13 districts
2. Hyderabad will remain the common capital for both states for a period not
exceeding 10 years
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3. The Government of India will extend financial and other support for the creation of
a new capital for the successor state of Andhra Pradesh, which will be identified
by an expert committee within 45 days of the gazette notification
4. A joint public service commission will be in place for the two states
5. Both the states will have special status under Article 371-D of the Constitution for
equitable opportunities for education and public employment
6. The Governor of Telangana will be responsible for security of life, liberty and
property of people, who resides in Hyderabad, the common capital area. He will
be assisted by two advisors to be appointed by the Government of India
7. To manage the resources and projects will on Krishna and Godavari rivers in an
amicable and equitable manner will be but be the Institutional mechanism with full
involvement and participation of Government of India
8. Polavaram will be declared as the national project, which will be executed by the
Union Government following all environmental and R&R norms
9. Matters related to coal, power, oil and gas division of assets and liabilities and
allocation of government employees
10. The bill also states that the Government of India will assist both the states for
their police forces to maintain the public order
11. The admission quotas in existence, in the higher technical and medical
institutions will continue for a period of five years
People are free to adopt children irrespective of religious

background: SC
Supreme Court of India on 19 February 2014 ruled that people are free to adopt
children irrespective of their religious background. This ruling of the Apex Court has
paved the way for adoption of a child by people hailing from Muslim community even
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though it is not allowed under their personal law.

The decision was made by the three-Judge bench of Supreme Court headed by the
Chief Justice of India, P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Shiva Kriti
Singh. The bench held that the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act,
2006 is a small step towards the concept of Uniform Civil Code mentioned in Article
44 of the Constitution of India.
The Court in its direction also said that the law has entitled adoption by people
belonging to any religion and any person, who does not submit himself to personal
law can adopt a child.
The bench said the Act is an enabling legislation that gives a prospective parent the
option of adopting an eligible child by following due procedure. This judgment of
Supreme Court came following a petition filed by activist Shabnam Hashmi 8 years
ago after being refused a permission to adopt.
Parliament passed Street Vendors Protection of Livelihood

and Regulation of Street Vending Bill
Parliament on 19 February 2014 passed the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood
and Regulation of Street Vending) bill-2014. The Bill provides protection of livelihoods
rights, social security of street vendors, regulation of urban street vending in the
country and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The Rajya Sabha
adopted the bill by a voice vote and without discussion and earlier it was adopted by
Lok Sabha on 6 September 2013.
The Street Vendors Bill aims at protect the rights of the urban street vendors and
regulating street vending activities. It also aims towards creation of a conducive
atmosphere where street vendors will be eligible to carry out their business in a fair
and transparent manner, without fear of eviction and harassment.
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Main features of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2014 are as follows
The Bill provides for constitution of a Town Vending Authority in each Local
Authority, which is the fulcrum of the Bill, for implementing the provisions of the
Bill.
In order to ensure participatory decision making for aspects relating to street
vending activities like determination of natural market, identification of vending
zones, preparation of street vending plan, survey of street vendors etc. It has
been provided that 40 percent members of the TVC will be from amongst street
vendors to be selected through election, of which one-third shall be women.
To avoid arbitrariness of authorities, the Bill provides for a survey of all existing
street vendors, and subsequent survey at-least once in every five years, and issue
of certificate of vending to all the street vendors identified in the survey, with
preference to SC, ST, OBC, women, persons with disabilities, minorities etc.
All existing street vendors, identified in the survey, will be accommodated in the
vending zones subject to a norm conforming to 2.5 percent of the population of
the ward or zone or town or city.
Where the numbers of street vendors identified are more than the holding capacity
of the vending zone, the Town Vending Committee (TVC) is required to carry out
a draw of lots for issuing the certificate of vending for that vending zone and the
remaining persons will be accommodated in any adjoining vending zone to avoid
relocation.
Those street vendors who have been issued a certificate of vending/license etc.
before the commencement of this Act, they will be deemed to be a street vendor for
that category and for the period for which he/she has been issued such certificate
of vending/license.
It has been provided that no street vendor will be evicted until the survey has been
completed and certificate of vending issued to the street vendors.
It has also been provided that in case a street vendor, to whom a certificate of
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vending is issued, dies or suffers from any permanent disability or is ill, one of his
family member i.e. spouse or dependent child can vend in his place, till the validity
of the certificate of vending.
Thus the mechanism is to provide universal coverage, by protecting the street
vendors from harassment and promoting their livelihoods.
Procedure for relocation, eviction and confiscation of goods has been specified
and made street vendor friendly. It is proposed to provide for recommendation
of the TVC, as a necessary condition for relocation being carried out by the local
authority.
Relocation of street vendors should be exercised as a last resort. Accordingly, a
set of principles to be followed for relocation is proposed to be provided for in
the second Schedule of the Bill, which states that
1. Relocation should be avoided as far as possible, unless there is clear and urgent
need for the land in question
2. Affected vendors or their representatives shall be involved in planning and
implementation of the rehabilitation project
3. Affected vendors shall be relocated so as to improve their livelihoods and standards
of living or at least to restore them, in real terms to pre-evicted levels
4. Natural markets where street vendors have conducted business for over fifty years
shall be declared as heritage markets, and the street vendors in such markets
shall not be relocated.
The thrust of the Bill is on natural market, which has been defined under the Bill.
The entire planning exercise has to ensure that the provision of space or area for
street vending is reasonable and consistent with existing natural markets. Thus,
natural locations where there is a constant congregation of buyers and sellers will
be protected under the Bill.
There is a provision for establishment of an independent dispute redressal
mechanism under the chairmanship of retired judicial officers to maintain impartiality
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towards grievance redressal of street vendors.

The Bill provides for time period for release of seized goods, for both perishable
and non-perishable goods. In case of non-perishable goods, the local authority is
required to release the goods within two working days and incase of perishable
goods, the goods shall be released the same day, of the claim being made.
The Bill also provides for promotional measures to be undertaken by the
Government, towards availability of credit, insurance and other welfare schemes
of social security, capacity building programmes, research, education and training
programme etc. for street vendors.
Section 29 of the Bill provides for protection of street vendors from harassment by
police and other authorities and provides for an overriding clause to ensure they
carry on their business without the fear of harassment by the authorities under any
other law.
The Bill specifically provides that the Rules under the Bill have to be notified within
one year of its commencement, and Scheme has to be notified within six months
of its commencement to prevent delay in implementation.
Death sentence of 3 convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination

case commuted to life imprisonment
The Supreme Court of India on 18 February 2014 commuted the death sentence of
three convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to life imprisonment. The decision
was made by the apex court following the delay of 11 years in deciding their mercy
plea by the central government.
The decision was made by the three-judge bench of Supreme Court that was headed
by the Chief Justice of India, P Sathasivam and included Justice Ranjan Gogoi and
Justice SK Singh. The court rejected the submission of the central government
that said that there was no unreasonable delay in deciding their mercy plea and it
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also condemned prisoners by saying that they did not went through an agonizing
experience as they were enjoying their life behind the bars. The Court in its decision
held that the prolonged execution of capital sentence was a dehumanizing effect on
the prisoners as they have been waiting for execution of the sentence because their
mercy pleas were not confirmed or replied in any other form.
The bench of the Court in its decision said that it was unable to accept the view of
the centre and thats why it has commuted the death sentence of convicts namely
Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan to imprisonment for life subject to remission by
the government.
The Court in its decision also suggested the government to handle the cases of
mercy petitions in a more systematized manner as the mercy pleas can be decided
at mush faster speed than it is being done at present. It also asked the Centre to
give timely advice to the President so that mercy petitions can be decided without
unreasonable delay.
Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi

Rajiv Gandhi was killed on 21 May 1991 and his assassins were convicted by a
TADA Court in January 1998. He died in the suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur near
Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist
organization from Sri Lanka was blamed for the attack. The death of Rajiv Gandhi
came a few days after India ended its involvement in Sri Lanka through an Indian
Peace Keeping Force in the Sri Lankan Civil War.
In the judgment, the TADA Court pronounced a death sentence and the same was
confirmed by the Supreme Court on 11 May 1999.
Norms provided in Constitution of India for commutation of death sentence

The Constitution of India in the clemency procedure under Article 72 provides the
power to the President
To grant pardons etc and to suspend, remit or commute sentences of any person
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convicted of any offence in certain cases like

1. In all cases where the punishment or sentence is by a Court Martial
2. In all cases where the punishment or sentence is for an offence against any law
relating to a matter to which the executive power of the Union extends
3. In all cases where the sentence is a sentence of death
Nothing in sub-clause (a) of clause (1) shall affect the power conferred by law on
any officer of the Armed Forces of the Union to suspend, remit or commute a
sentence passed by a Court Martial.
Nothing in sub-clause (c) of clause (1) shall affect the power to suspend, remit or
commute a sentence of death exercisable by the Governor of a State under any
law for the time being in force.
Power of Governor of a state to grant pardons, etc reprieves, respites or remissions of

punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted
of any offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of
the State extends.
These Constitutional provisions provide a hope to condemned prisoners and their
family members that the death sentence can be commuted into a life imprisonment.
Union Home Ministry laid down guidelines for mercy petitions

The Union Home Ministry laid down guidelines for mercy petition on 11 February
2014. The Ministry spelt out the broad parameters for considering mercy petitions
under Article 72 of the Constitution.
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The guidelines comprises of long delays in investigations/trial as well as age and

mental deficiency of the applicant and the grounds where clemency may be justified.
The guidelines issued are:

Personality of the accused (age, sex or mental deficiency) or circumstances of the
case (such as provocation).
Cases in which appellate court has expressed its doubt as to reliability of the
evidence but nevertheless decided on conviction.
Cases where it is alleged that fresh evidence is obtainable, mainly with a view to
seeing whether fresh enquiry is justified.
Where the High Court has reversed on appeal an acquittal by a session judge or
has on appeal enhanced the sentence.
Difference of opinion in a Bench of two judges, necessitating reference to the third
judge of the high court.
Consideration of evidence in fixation of responsibility in gang murder cases.
Long delays in investigations and trial etc.
The above guidelines are not specific but are rather in the form of broad guidelines.
The specific guidelines could not be framed for examining mercy petitions due to
vast majority of different type of cases and varied circumstances.
Union Government made it mandatory to install GPS devices

in public transport
The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways made it mandatory for public
transport vehicles running in major cities to install GPS. The announcement was
made on 9 February 2014.
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As per the directions of Union Ministry, All the owners of public transport are required
to install Global Positioning System (GPS) by 20 February 2014.
The project is a part of Nirbhaya Fund. The project involves setting up of closed
circuit television (CCTV) and using global positioning system (GPS) to ensure safety
and security of women and girls in distress.
In the first phase, the vehicles running in cities which had a population of more than
10 Lakh should install GPS facility.
The road ministry had earlier asked passenger vehicle owners to install these devices
by September 30, 2013.
About Nirbhaya Fund

The project was announced by Government of India in 2013 Union Budget.The
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had approved a 1405-crore rupees
project in January 2013.
The project aims to track and monitor public transport and provide alarm buttons for
alerting authorities.
It will be implemented within two years after allocation of funds to set up a National
Level Vehicle Security and Tracking System and City Command and Control Centre
with installation of GPS, CCTV in public road transport.
Sikkim became first state to achieve 100 percent sanitation

coverage
Sikkim became the first State in India to achieve 100 percent sanitation coverage
under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan Scheme on 9 February 2014. Sikkim achieved 100
per cent sanitation in rural and urban households, schools, sanitary complexes and
Aanganwadi centres.
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As per the latest progress report card released by the Union Ministry of Drinking
Water & Sanitation, all 610577 inhabitants in Sikkim have latrines with high sanitation
and hygiene
The achievement is the result of the initiative that was launched way back in 1999.
In 1999 Chief Minister Pawan Chamling launched the initiative for achieving full
sanitation in 7096 sq km area of the state covering both rural and urban areas in all
four districts of the State.
Besides, It was made mandatory for all Gram Sabhas to take up sanitation as a top
priority on their agenda.
So far, 163 panchayats in the State have been conferred monetary rewards Nirmal
Gram Puruskar for developing sufficient sanitation facilities of adequate quality in
their respective areas.
According to a survey conducted in 20 gram panchayats by Planning Commission,
17 village councils of Sikkim were declared as best performance panchayats, which
is highest in the country.
Sikkim also topped the list among all states of the country in net performance
indicators.
In 2008, Sikkim become the first ever Nirmal Rajya of the country. The status was
granted for achieving total sanitation coverage. Sikkim was awarded first-ever Nirmal
Rajya Award.
Background
In 1986, Union Government started the Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP)
primarily with the objective of improving the quality of life of the rural people and also
to provide privacy and dignity to women.
CRSP adopted a demand driven approach with the name Total Sanitation Campaign
(TSC) with effect from 1999.
To give a fillip to the TSC, Government of India also launched the Nirmal Gram Puraskar
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(NGP) that sought to recognise the achievements and efforts made in ensuring full
sanitation coverage.
Encouraged by the success of NGP, the TSC was renamed as Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan
(NBA). The objective is to accelerate the sanitation coverage in the rural areas so
as to comprehensively cover the rural community through renewed strategies and
saturation approach.
The main objectives of the NBA are as under:

Bring about an improvement in the general quality of life in the rural areas.
Accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to achieve the vision of Nirmal Bharat
by 2022 with all gram Panchayats in the country attaining Nirmal status.
Motivate communities and Panchayati Raj Institutions promoting sustainable
sanitation facilities through awareness creation and health education.
To cover the remaining schools not covered under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
and Anganwadi Centres in the rural areas with proper sanitation facilities and
undertake proactive promotion of hygiene education and sanitary habits among
students.
Encourage cost effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and
sustainable sanitation.
Develop community managed environmental sanitation systems focusing on solid
& liquid waste management for overall cleanliness in the rural areas.
Cabinet approved Amendment to Rights of Persons with

Disabilities Bill 2014
Union Cabinet on 7 February 2014 approved the proposal of the Department of
Disability Affairs to incorporate amendments in the proposed Rights of the Persons
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with Disabilities Bill 2014. The proposed amendments to the Bill are:
Definition of person with disability in terms of interaction with barriers
High support needs person enabled to take independent and inform decision also;
Definition of low vision will be notified by the Government
The appropriate Government to take necessary steps to ensure reasonable
accommodation for persons with disabilities
No person with disability will be discriminated on grounds of disability
Appropriate Governments to ensure that the persons with disabilities enjoy legal
capacity on an equal basis with others, in all aspects of life to have equal rights as
any other person before law
Recognizing legal capacity of person with disability, limited guardianship would
be the norm, to enable the person with disability to take joint decision with legal
guardian
Person with disability would also have the right to appeal against the decision of
appointment of legal guardian
Disability Certificate to be valid across the country
Educational institutions funded and recognized will have to provide inclusive
education for children with disability
The appropriate Governments to constitute to expert committee with representation
of persons with disabilities for identification of posts for Government employment
for persons with disabilities
Review period shortened from 5 years to 3 years in case of identified posts;
5 percent vacancies reserved for persons with disabilities will be computed against
the total number of vacancies in the cadre strength
National Commission and State Commission will have power to exempt any post
in an establishment from the purview of reservation for persons with disabilities
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For greater coverage and employability in Government sector, the appropriate

Governments to prescribe relaxation for upper age limit for employment of PWDs
National Commission shall formulate and enforce regulations
Background
The old version of the Bill was tabled in Rajya Sabha, which was approved by the
Union Cabinet on 30 December 2013 and disapproved by the rights activities. The
right activists, who opposed the old version of the bill, said it as the diluted version.
Implement recommendations of Majithia Wage Board: SC

The Supreme Court of India on 7 February 2014 ordered to implement the
recommendations of the Majithia Wage Board for journalists and non-journalists
in newspapers and news agencies. Supreme Court in its decision upheld the
recommendations of Majithia Wage Board on the pay structure and has directed for
revised salaried to be granted to the employees.
As per the decision, the revised wages have been made payable from 11 November
2011 the day the centre in its notification notified the recommendations. The Court in
its decision ruled that all the arrears will be paid in four installments within a year and
the recommendations should be implemented from April 2014.
The Apex court ordered this after dismissing the petitions of various newspapers that
challenged the recommendations of the wage board and its constitution.
The Supreme Court bench that passed the decision was headed by P Sathasivam,
the Chief Justice of India. In its decision the bench of the apex court said that the
wage Board followed proper procedures in giving the recommendations and the
allegations leveled against it and its constitution are not right.
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About Majithia Wage Board

The 6th Majithia Wage Board was constituted in 2007 by the Labour Ministry, which
announced an adhoc interim relief of 30 percent of basic pay with effect from January
2008. On 31 December 2010 the Board submitted its final recommendations, which
were notified by the Union Government on 11 November 2011. Justice G. R. Majithia
was the Chairman of the National Wage Boards for Working Journalists and other
Newspaper Employees.
The Board in its recommendation mentioned that monthly emoluments for the lowest
category of employee in the lowest class of establishment would work out to be
9000 rupees for the basic pay at floor level minimum wage of 5000 rupees. The
revised basic pay would however range from 9000 rupees to 17500 rupees for nonjournalists and from 13000 rupees to 25000 rupees for working journalists in the top
establishment having gross revenues of more than 1000 crores rupees.
CCEA approved creation of National Programme on Prevention and Management of Burn Injuries
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 6 February 2014 approved
the proposal to convert and expand the pilot Programme of Burn Injuries of the 11th
Plan period into a fully fledged National Programme on Prevention and Management
of Burn Injuries (NPPMBI) during the remaining part of the 12th Plan period.
The cost for development of the Infrastructural facilities for burn management and
rehabilitation in 67 state Government Medical colleges in different states has been
estimated to 407.21 crore rupees. Apart from this, a budget of 17.16 crore rupees
has been also approved for completion of three Burn Units of the 11th Plan Pilot
Programme.
This plan has been taken into consideration with an aim of improving awareness
among people, especially the vulnerable groups that includes children, women and
industrial workers regarding prevention of burn injuries. It also aims towards creation
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of trained personnel for specialised treatment of burn injuries.
National Academy of Burns India (NABI)

National Academy of Burns India (NABI) is an all India organisation that was established
in 1992. It has membership of about 1000 members and is a representative of burns
scene for our part of globe amongst the other world of organization. It deals with
incidence of burns, management of burn injuries, rehabilitation of burn victims and
prevention of burn accidents.
CCEA approved 5 Port projects worth 17630 crore Rupees

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved 5 Port projects worth
17630 crore rupees on 5 February 2014. The projects are aimed at augmenting the
capacity of major ports by about 151 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
Out of 5 Port projects approved, four are container terminals and one is a multipurpose cargo berth project in Mumbai port.
The four container terminals proposed to be built at the major ports are Kandla Port
in Gujarat, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, Kolkata Port in
West Bengal and Ennore Port in Tamil Nadu.
These proposed projects will double the container handling capacity from the existing
11.57 million TEUs equivalent to 146 MTPA. TEU stands for Twenty-foot equivalent
unit which is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of
container ships and container terminals.
The capacity of the multi-purpose cargo berth proposed for Mumbai Port Trust will
be 4.5 MTPA to handle automobiles, iron and steel cargo etc.
Besides reducing the transaction costs by improving efficiency in handling operations,
these facilities with additional capacities are expected to promote the export - import
trade in the country.
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The Union Ministry of Shipping has targeted to award 30 projects in the current
financial year to add a capacity of about 282 MTPA at an estimated investment of
over 26400 crore rupees.
As against these targets, the Shipping Ministry has already awarded 23 projects at a
cost of over 9790 crore rupees for an additional capacity of 116 MTPA.
The capacity of Indian ports at present stands at a little over 1000 MTPA.
India has 12 major ports: Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Navi Mumbai),
Kolkata, Chennai, Visakhapatanam, Cochin, Paradip, New Mangalore, Mormugao
(Goa), Ennore, Tuticorin and Kandla.
Indias Visa-on-arrival facility extended for tourists of 180

nations, except eight
India on 5 February 2014 extended the facility of visa-on-arrival for the tourists of 180
nations after barring tourists of eight nations. The decision has extended the facility
to 180 countries from 11 nation tourists available at present including Finland, the
Philippines, Singapore and Japan. The decision was made in order to boost tourism
activity in the country.
This decision was disclosed by Rajeev Shukla, the Minister for State for Planning in
New Delhi on 5 February 2014 after a high-level meeting with representatives from
various ministries. In the communication, Rajeev Shukla said that the facility will be
implemented from next tourist season that will begin in October 2014.
The electronic Visa offered to the tourists would be valid for a period of 30 days from
the date of their visit to India. To receive the electronic version of the Visa, the tourists
will have to apply in the designated website along the required fees, which would be
granted within three days.
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The countries, who have been barred from the facility includes
Pakistan
Sudan
Afghanistan
Iran
Iraq
Nigeria
Sri Lanka
Somalia
The decision of the high-level meeting to offer visa on arrival can be treated as ironing
on the objections raised by the Union Home Ministry for extension of the facility to
nationals of 40 more countries that included US, UK and Germany. Home Ministry
nod was a prerequisite for extending the facility.
9.7 crore new voters added in the electoral rolls during 200914 period
The Election Commission of India added 9.7 crore new voters in the electoral list
during 2009-14 period or since 2009 Lok Sabha polls. It resulted into 13.5 percent
rise in the list of national voters countrywide.
The announcement was made on 5 February 2014 by the Election Commission after
finalizing the list on 31 January 2014.
Percentage wise growth in electoral list
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When viewed from percentage point of view Tamil Nadu successfully achieved the
highest growth with 29.3 percent rise in the enrollment of new voters during 2009
- 14 period. The growth of Tamil Nadu is higher than national average.
Tamil Nadu is followed by Haryana registering 28 percent growth, Madhya Pradesh
(25 percent) and West Bengal (19 percent).
Interestingly, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh had shown a decline in
voters of around 11.9 percent, 1.9 percent and 0.7 percent respectively between
the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
Growth in electoral list in absolute terms

In absolute terms, Uttar Pradesh registered the maximum growth by adding 1.8
crore voters to its rolls during 2009 - 14 period.
It is followed by Maharashtra added the largest number of voters followed by
West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
Growth in electoral list: Big States vis-a-vis Smaller States

The big states with double-digit growth in the size of their electorate since the 2009
Lok Sabha polls are Uttar Pradesh (15.5 percent), Uttarakhand (15.3 percent),
Rajasthan (14.2 percent), Bihar (13.9 percent), Chhattisgarh (13 percent) and
Punjab (11.8 percent).
Among the smaller states, Meghalaya showed a 21 percent rise in the number of
voters, followed by Puducherry (15.8 percent) and Tripura (14.4 percent).
Growth in electoral list among UTs

The electorate in Union Territories (UTs) also grew, with Chandigarh adding 11.5
percent voters since 2009 and Dadra and Nagar Haveli 25 percent.
Delhi registered a 9 percent increase in its electorate since 2009, with the 2014
electoral rolls, to be used for the coming general election, showing 1.21 crore
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voters.
Causes for increase in electoral list

Election Commission of India had launched the voter awareness campaigns like
SVEEP (The Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation) Wing and YUVA
(Youth United for Voter Awareness).
The campaigns was aimed to formulates policies and to lays down the framework.
It handles work related to all aspects of Voters Awareness & Education aimed
towards improving Electoral Participation in the country and building up a culture
of participative democracy among citizens. The SVEEP Wing commenced work in
2009.
CCEA approved implementation of National Mission

Agricultural Extension and Technology
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved on 4 February 2014
the implementation of the National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology
(NMAET) during the 12th Plan period.
The extension of NMAET and its components will be expanded and up-scaled
appropriately and implemented in a more coordinated and convergent manner.
The Mission will have a total outlay of 13073.08 crore rupees with Government of
Indias share of Rs. 11390.68 crore and State share of 1682.40 crore rupees.
NMAET consists of 4 Sub Missions

Sub Mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE)
Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)
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Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine (SMPP)
The NMAET has been envisaged as the next step towards this objective through the
amalgamation of these schemes.
The Mission Document has been prepared in keeping with the recommendations of
the Working Group of the Planning Commission and suggestions and inputs received
from extensive consultation with stakeholders, particularly farmers.
The common threads running across all 4 Sub-Missions in NMAET are Extension
and Technology. Therefore, while 4 separate Sub-Missions are being proposed for
administrative convenience, these are inextricably linked to each other at the field
level and most components thereof have to be disseminated among farmers and
other stakeholders through a strong extension network.
The aim of the Mission is to restructure and strengthen agricultural extension to enable
delivery of appropriate technology and improved agronomic practices to farmers.
This is envisaged to be achieved by a judicious mix of extensive physical outreach
and interactive methods of information dissemination, use of ICT, popularisation of
modern and appropriate technologies, capacity building and institution strengthening
to promote mechanisation, availability of quality seeds, plant protection etc. and
encourage aggregation of Farmers into Interest Groups (FIGs) to form Farmer
Producer Organisations (FPOs).
Union Ministry of Culture launched National Mission on

Libraries
President of India Pranab Mukherjee launched the National Mission on Libraries
(NML) on 3 February 2014. The mission was launched by Union Ministry of Culture.
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National Mission on Libraries has following features:

Creation of National Virtual Library of India
Setting up of NML model Libraries
Quantitative and Qualitative survey of Libraries
Capacity Building
The creation of a National Virtual Library of India (NVLI) is one of the major component
schemes of the National Mission on Libraries.
With the aim of equitable and universal access to knowledge resources, the National
Virtual Library of India would provide digital resources by digitizing the relevant
reading material in different languages, which would be shared at all levels.
The target users of NVLI will not only be students, researchers, doctors and
professionals but also the educationally, socially, economically and physically
disadvantaged groups. Thus, it would empower people with information in order
to create a knowledge society and also ensure preservation of digital content for
posterity.
This initiative of National Mission on Libraries will largely facilitate the internet savvy
people in making maximum use of library resources.
Indias first Mono rail inaugurated

Indias first monorail service was inaugurated by the Maharashtra Chief Minister
Prithviraj chavan on 1 February 2014 in Mumbai.
The First phase of Mumbai Monorail is comprised of 8.9 km long Wadala-Chembur
section. The first phase was constructed at the cost of 1900 crore rupees which have
seven stations.
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It will operate between 7 am and 3 pm at an interval of 15 minutes initially. The fully

air-conditioned monorails minimum fare will be five rupees while maximum fare will
be twenty rupees.
The monorail service will have four coaches, which will ferry about 2500 passengers
.The traveling time between Wadala and Chembur will be reduced from 40 minutes
to nearly 21 minutes at present.
Mumbai Mono rail will display itself in three colours green, pink and sky blue. Monorail
will have a smart card facility available like Delhi Metro.
About Mumbai Mono rail

The Mumbai Mono rail project has been implemented in two phases. The first phase
comprise the Wadala- Chembur where as the second phase will be extended to Sant
Gadge Maharaj Chowk in South Mumbai.
The Project is implemented by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority
with an association of Larsen and Toubro and a Malaysian infrastructure firm Scomi
Engineering.
Mother and Child Tracking Facilitation Centre Inaugurated

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the Mother and Child
Tracking Facilitation Centre at the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare in
New Delhi on 31 January 2014.
Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS) initiative was launched under National
Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in December 2009.
Characteristics Features of MCTS

MCTS is a name based web based service that captures the details of pregnant
women and children up to 5 years and tracks delivery of due services to them
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MCTS aims to ensure that every pregnant woman gets complete and quality ante
and post natal care and every child receives a full range of immunisation services
Besides monitoring delivery of mother and child health (MCH) services, MCTS
system makes use of opportunity to directly communicate with the ANMs, ASHAs
and pregnant women and parents of young children on their mobiles
It will also gather the data from the states on the health schemes and facilities
reaching the beneficiaries and to evaluate them
It will also generate awareness about their entitlements under various government
programs and schemes
The Facilitation Centre has 80 Helpdesk Agents (HAs) and will be operational from
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The feature of free inbound calls will be added in the Facilitation
Centre to seek guidance on health care related queries to both beneficiaries and
health workers
This facility will also be used for

Sending appropriate health promotion messages in voice and text to beneficiaries
that are relevant according to the month of pregnancy or age of the child
Transfer of Janani Suraksha Yojana benefits to pregnant women
Transfer of ASHA payment directly into their account which will ensure that ASHAs
receive full range of incentives payment timely and regularly
Training of ASHAs through an Interactive Voice Response(IVR) System as per need
and requirement
Union Government decided to fix two year tenure for IAS, IPS
The Union Government decided to amend the rules governing IAS, IPS and Indian
Forest Service (IFoS) officers to assure them at least two years in a given posting on
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30 January 2014. The rules were amended following the Supreme Courts direction to
check the unnecessary political interference.
The highlights of the amended rules for IAS/IPS/IFoS cadre

Every state will now have to make appointments of cadre officers on the
recommendation of a Civil Services Board constituted by it under chairmanship of
the chief secretary.
The transfer of a cadre officer before the minimum specified tenure can be done
only on the recommendation of the Board.
The competent authority may reject the recommendation of the board, but the
reasons thereof must be recorded.
A cadre officer appointed to any cadre post shall hold the office for at least two
years unless in the meantime, he/she is promoted, retired or sent on deputation
outside the state or training exceeding two months.
The fixed tenure may be specified by the state government in the case of cadre
officer appointed to non-cadre posts.
The Board shall examine cases of premature transfers, consider for transfer
before fixed tenure based on circumstances it thinks fit, and recommend to the
competent authority names of officers for premature transfer with reasons to be
recorded in writing.
The board can seek justification from the administrative department of the
concerned state for premature transfers, obtain comments or views of the officer
proposed to be transferred, and not recommend premature transfer unless satisfied
with the reasons.
The board shall also submit a quarterly report to the Centre giving details of officers
recommended to be transferred before the minimum tenure and the reasons
thereof.
Earlier in a path-breaking judgement given by the Supreme Court on 31 October
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2013, the SC had directed the Centre to ensure fixed tenure for bureaucrats. The
landmark judgment meant to curb political interference in civil services was delivered
by the Bench of Justice KS Radhakrishnan and Pinaki Chandra Ghose.
Not more than 13 States had notified IAS (cadre) rules for stability of tenure, while 11
states were yet to do so. The states of Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat and West Bengal
were disinclined to notify the rules, citing reasons like legal complications, existence
of a similar law and already stable tenures.
Union Cabinet approved Amendments in OBC Central List for

13 States and 3 Union Territories
Union Cabinet on 30 January 2014 gave its approval for making amendments in
the Central List of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in 13 states and three Union
Territories. The amendments have been done by way of inclusion/correction/deletion
of castes/communities as per the advices received from the National Commission for
Backward Classes (NCBC).
115 changes will be notified by the amendments, which were recommended by the
NCBC. The three Union Territories are Chandigarh, Delhi and Puducherry and the 13
states include
Andhra Pradesh
Bihar
Goa
Himachal Pradesh
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala
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Maharashtra
Punjab
Tamil Nadu
Uttarakhand
Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal
The amendments introduced in the OBCs central list will enable a person who belongs
to these castes/communities to avail the reservation benefits in government services
and posts. They will be also eligible in central educational institutions according to
existing policies. These will also be eligible for the benefits under various welfare
schemes, scholarships and others in those, which are being administered by the
Central Government that are available to persons belonging to the OBCs at present.
About National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)

The Government of India enacted the National Commission for Backward Classes
Act, 1993 (Act No. 27 of 1993) for setting up a National Commission for Backward
Classes at the Centre as a permanent body in pursuant of the direction of the Supreme
Court in the Mandal case judgement in the Indira Sawhney case.
NCBC Act 1993, Section 9 (Functions of the Commission) states that

The Commission shall examine requests for inclusion of any class of citizens
as a backward class in the lists and hear complaints of over-inclusion or underinclusion of any backward class in such lists and tender such advice to the Central
Government as it deems appropriate
The advice of the Commission shall ordinarily be binding upon the Central
Government
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The NCBC has been tendering advice to the Central Government from time to
time. In total 30 Notifications have been issued so far along with 2343 entries
(entry means a caste, including its synonyms, sub-castes) have been notified in
the Central list of OBCs for 24 States and six Union Territories.
Union Cabinet approved Amendments to the Mental Health

Care Bill
The Union Cabinet on 30 January 2014 approved the amendments in the Mental
Health Care Bill with an aim to empower people suffering from mental illness and to
protect their rights.
The Mental Health Care Bill 2013 was introduced in Rajya Sabha in August 2013
and was sent to Parliamentary Standing Committee, which recommended some
amendments.
The new bill seeks to decriminalise suicide and make access to affordable mental health
care a right for all. This is the first time in India, that a bill that seeks to decremanlise
acts of suicide by linking it to the state of mental health of the person attempting the
act has been presented in the Rajya Sabha and approved by the Cabinet.
As per the Bill People suffering from mental health attempting suicide would be
treated as mentally ill and therefore the act will be exempted from the provisions of
Section 309 of Indian Penal Code.
This bill has fulfilled the gap in the mental health law in the country after India
Ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that requires
hormonisation in its laws with those prevalent worldwide. The convention was signed
by India on 1 October 2007 and it came into force from 3 May 2008.
Now the Bill needs to be passed by the Parliament and further assented by the
President to replace the Mental Health Act of 1987.
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India Post to install 3000 ATM & 1.35 lakh micro-ATM by

September 2015
India Post announced to install as many as 3000 Automated Teller Machine (ATM)
and 1.35 lakh micro-ATMs by September 2015 on 27 January 2014. The facility will
be available for savings account holders of post offices across the country.
Initially, three ATMs were to be installed in New Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore by 5
February 2014.
After six months of launch of the service, India Post might get interoperability
permission from Reserve Bank of India (RBI). After that India Post will join the National
Financial Switch, which will benefit India Post account holders to transact at the
banks ATMs and vice versa.
The ATMs can be used only by 26 crore savings account-holders who save with the
postal department.
India Post is working with software major Infosys on this project.
The micro ATMs will be handheld devices to be operated at the post office level while
the ATM will be similar to the one operated by any commercial bank.
Postal savings are worth around 6.05 trillion rupees, which is half the savings in the
largest lender SBI and more than double that of the largest private sector lender ICICI
Bank.
The postal department, which has 1.55 lakh post offices over 90% of which are in
villages, offers the savings account to people across the country and pays an interest
of 4% per annum for such deposits. The account offers cheque facility at present.
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Union Civil Aviation Ministry removed restrictions on Airbus

A-380 in India
Civil Aviation Ministry decided to remove restrictions on flights of Airbus A-380 to
India on 27 January 2014. Now, flights of A-380 to India will be allowed to airports
which are equipped to handle them.
The decision was taken after due consultations with the Director General Civil Aviation
(DGCA), Air India and Airports Authority of India.
Highlights of the Aviation Ministry decision

The operations of A-380 aircraft would be subject to overall traffic entitlements
within the bilateral Air Service Agreements (ASAs) with different countries.
It was also decided that wherever the entitlements are not expressed in terms
of seats per week, the same should be rationalized and converted into seats per
week before allowing A-380 operations to India from these countries.
If any Air Service Agreement (ASA) specifically prohibits operation of A-380 to
India, it will be required to be amended before A-380 starts operations from that
country.
Before operations of A-380 are allowed, all the airports shall have to get DGCA
certification and make adequate preparation in terms of various services required.
Analysis
At present only 4 airports, that is, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore have the
required infrastructure for operations of A-380.
The ban on A- 380s was mainly due to concerns that foreign carriers may further hurt
state-run Air India by grabbing a larger share of international traffic.
The rule change will benefit carriers like Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Lufthansa and
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British Airways that operate the super-jumbo and fly to India, as well A380 customers
like Etihad and Qatar Airways who have yet to take delivery of the aircraft.
The operation of A 380s will help airports to generate more revenue, give more
comfortable and luxurious travel to passengers, liberalize the Civil Aviation milieu in
India and boost the image of Indian Civil aviation in the international market.
About Airbus A-380

The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured
by Airbus of France.
It is the worlds largest passenger airliner, and provides seating for 525 people in
a typical three-class configuration or up to 853 people in an all-economy class
configuration.
The A380 made its first flight on 27 April 2005 and entered commercial service in
October 2007 with Singapore Airlines.
Airbus headquartered in Toulouse designed the aircraft to challenge Boeings
monopoly in the large-aircraft market.
National Waterway-4 project launched in Tamil Nadu

Union Government launched the project for the development of the stretch of 37
Kilometer of the National Waterway-four (NW-4) between Sholinganallur to Kalpakkam
in South Buckingham Canal in Tamil Nadu. The project was launched on 24 January
2014.
NW-4 covers a total length of 1078 Km consisting of Kakinada-Puducherry canal
systems integrated with Godavari and Krishna Rivers.
Main components of the project include dredging and excavation to develop
navigational channel, construction of three terminals and navigational locks,
replacement of one existing bridge at Kelambakkam, and installation of navigational
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aids.
The project is expected to be completed in two years with 123 crore rupees.
The project will ease out the transportation problems in Chennai suburbs to a
great extent besides promoting tourist movement to important tourist spots at
Mahabalipuram and Puducherry.
Other stretches of the National Waterway-4, which covers the states of Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, would also be taken up for development
subsequently.
National Waterway
will starts from Allahabad to Haldia with a distance of 1620 km.
National Waterway
The NW 1 runs through the Ganges, Bhagirathi and Hooghly
1:
river system. It will be the longest National Waterway in India.
National Waterway a stretch on Brahmaputra River from Sadiya to Dhubri in
2:
Assam state.
National Waterway run from Kollam to Kottapuram. The 205 km long West Coast
3:
Canal is Indias first waterway with all time navigation facility.
National Waterway connect Kakinada to Pondicherry through Canals, Tank and
4:
River Godavari along with Krishna River.
National Waterway connects Orissa to West Bengal using the stretch on Brahmani
5:
River, East Coast Canal, Matai River and Mahanadi River Delta.
National Waterway It is the proposed waterway in Assam state and will connect
6:
Lakhipur to Bhanga in river Barak.
PAN allotment process to undergo change from 3 February

2014
PAN (Permanent Account Number) allotment process will undergo a change from 3
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February 2014. The official release mentioned that an applicant of PAN will have to
submit self-attested copies of Proof of Identity (POI), Proof of Address (POA) and
Date of Birth (DOB) documents. The applicant will also have to produce the original
documents for verification at the counter of PAN facilitation centres.
The notification also said that the POI, POA and DOB documents attached with the
application PAN form will be verified with their original documents at the time of
application submission. It also said that the original documents will not be retained
by the PAN Facilitation centre and will be returned back to the applicant as soon as
it is verified.
NALSA launched free legal service clinics across the country

National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) launched the 2648 village legal service
clinics across the country on 24 January 2014. The move aims to bring legal services
to the doorsteps of the weakest section of the country.
Chief Justice of India P.Sathasivam open free legal clinics in New Delhi. As per the
regulation, NALSA will set up village legal services clinics in one village in each Taluk
of the country.
On the lines of health centres in villages, these legal services will provide legal care
to villagers who are not aware about laws and their rights.
With the help of Para-legal volunteers and empanelled lawyers, clinics will also assist
villagers in getting BPL card, Election ID, Aadhaar Card, gas connection and other
government welfare schemes.
About NALSA
The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has been constituted under the Legal
Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free Legal Services to the weaker sections
of the society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.
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In every State, State Legal Services Authority has been constituted to give effect to
the policies and directions of the NALSA and to give free legal services to the people
and conduct Lok Adalats in the State. The State Legal Services Authority is headed
by the Chief Justice of the respective High Court.
Viscera test must in death due to poisoning: SC

Supreme Court made it mandatory for the investigating agency to seek viscera test
in death due to poisoning on 21 January 2014.
A bench of Justices Ranjana P Desai and J Chelameswar ruled that in all the cases
where poisoning is suspected, immediately after the post-mortem, the viscera should
be sent to the forensic science laboratories (FSL).
The prosecuting agencies should ensure that the viscera is, in fact, sent to the FSL
for examination and the FSL should ensure that the viscera is examined immediately
and report is sent to the investigating agencies/courts post haste.
The court took serious note of a number of cases relating to death by poisoning
which resulted in acquittal mainly because police failed to seek a viscera examination
from forensic science laboratories (FSL).
About Viscera test

In the Viscera test the internal organs of the body, specifically those within the chest
(as the heart or lungs) or abdomen (as the liver, pancreas or intestines) are tested
thoroughly.
The Forensic Science Laboratories provide scientific assistance in crime investigation
by way of examination of blood, semen, stains thereof and other.
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Government approved Capacity Building Scheme and Rajiv

Gandhi Institute for Climate Change
Union Government of India approved to set up Capacity Building scheme and Rajiv
Gandhi Institute for Climate Change on 21 January 2014.
The Capacity Building Scheme will attempt to build capacity at both centre and state
levels to assess impact of climate change and associated risks. The Scheme will be
worth 290 crore rupees. Besides, it will undertake and augment various activities in
consonance with the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and State
Action Plan on Climate change.
On the other hand, Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Climate Change Studies and Action
will be an autonomous body which will have four key functional areas. The areas are
related to
Environmental- scientific assessments and modeling
economic and legal analysis
monitoring and policy making
Training, capacity building and advocacy and database, documentation and
inventory management.
A committee of secretaries (CoS) will soon take a call on structure of institute and
the time period for its completion. The Committee of Secretaries will comprise of
secretaries in the ministries of environment and forest, finance, renewable energy,
agriculture, water resources and earth science.
About National Action plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)

The National Action plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was launched in 2008 by the
Union Government. It is comprised of eight government missions projecting Indias
contribution towards combating climate change.
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NAPCC includes action plan on solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable
habitat, conserving water, sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, a Green India mission,
sustainable agriculture and strategic knowledge platform for Climate Change.
The State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCC) should be in line with the
objectives of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and ensure its
implementation at the State level.
Union Government of India extended the implementation of

NFSA to Karnataka and Chhattisgarh
Union Government of India extended the implementation of National Food Security
Act (NFSA), 2013 to the States of Karnataka and Chhattisgarh on 18 January 2014.
With this the implementation of National Food Security Act has taken off now in seven
States/ Union Territories. These are Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi,
Punjab, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh. Uttrakhand and Chandigarh are also expected
to join NFSA soon.
Accordingly, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
allocated foodgrains to these seven States/UTs. The allocation of foodgrains was
made as per requirements projected by these States/UTs to implement the Act.
National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013

The Union Government of India notified the National Food Security Act, 2013 on 10
September 2013 to further strengthen the efforts to address the food security of the
people. The Act provides for coverage of up to 75% of the rural population and up
to 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted
Public Distribution System (TPDS), thus covering about two-thirds of the population.
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Union Cabinet approved to set up Rail Tariff Authority

The Union Cabinet approved to set up Rail Tariff Authority on 20 January 2014. Rail
Tariff Authority will be an advisory body which will advise the Railway Ministry on
fares. RTA will comprise of a chairperson and four members at the apex level.
At present railway fare and freight rates are set by the Railway Board in accordance
with the Railway Act, 1989.
The Rail Tariff Authority functions include

It will recommend fare revision from time to time taking into account input cost
and market condition.
It will aim to develop an integrated, transparent and dynamic pricing mechanism
for the passenger and freight segments of the Indian Railways business.
It will help the government to generate requisite surpluses for growth in the future.
RTA will be the first external pricing regulatory body for the countrys rail sector. The
RTA will be given mandatory powers only after the amendment of the Railway Act,
1989 by the Parliament.
The RTA will make recommendations to the Railway Ministry which usually will
have to accept it. If in case Railway Ministry disagrees, the ministry will send the
recommendations back to the RTA to review its decision.
India registered an increase of five years in life expectancy

rate
India registered an increase of five years in the average life expectancy rate. The
average life expectancy rate increased from 63.9 years in 2004 to 69.6 years in 2014.
The increase in the life expectancy was the result of consistent investments in public
254
health sector by the government.

Life expectancy is defined as the average number of years a person born in a given
country would live if mortality rates at each age were to remain constant in the future.
As per the census of 2011, the life expectancy in India was 65.48 years as compared
to the global average life expectancy of 67.88 years. Japan, Switzerland, San Marino
are the countries with highest average life expectancy of 83 years. On the other hand,
poor countries of Africa like Somalia, Lesotho have an average life expectancy of 50
years with Sierra Leone having the least life expectancy at 47 years.
Although India has improved its performance but it still has a life expectancy rate
which is relatively very low in South Asia. For instance, Bhutan has the life expectancy
of 65.79 years while Pakistan has managed to improve its overall Life expectancy to
67 years. Chinas life expectancy rate is 72.90 years, Bangladesh has life expectancy
of 70 years and Sri Lanka has life expectancy of 75 years.
Among the BRICS countries also India fares badly. For instance, Brazils life expectancy
rate stands at 74 years, Russias life expectancy is 69 years and South Africa has a
poor life expectancy of 58 years.
Forest STs to get additional 50 days wage employment under MGNREGA

The Union Ministry of Rural Development on 14 January 2014 decided to provide
an additional wage employment of 50 days beyond the stipulated 100 days under
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, MGNREGA for
Scheduled Tribe (ST) households in forest areas. This means that the ST households
in forest areas will receive the wages of 150 days.
As per Jairam Ramesh, the Rural Development Minister those tribals who have
received the land rights under the Forest Rights Act 2006 will be eligible for the
additional benefit. The additional man-day payment through MGNREGA also allows
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the households to undertake work on their land.

Under the Forest Rights Act 2006, about 14 lakh individuals and community titles were
distributed and of them about 8 lakh titles as individuals were given in Jharkhand,
Orissa, Chhattishgarh and Andhra Pradesh. The Forest Rights Act has been included
under the Indira Awaas Yojana for assistance.
SC directed to Government of India to place Shah Commission report by 27 January

The Supreme Court of India on 13 January 2014 directed the Government of India
to place the report of Justice Shah Commission on illegal mining in Odisha and
Jharkhand. The Court has asked the Government to place the report to it by 27
January 2014.
The green bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice AK Patnaik has also
ordered the government to provide a copy of the reports to the Central Empowered
Committee. The order was passed, when the advocate Prashant Bhusan alleged the
contents of the reports, which have been published in newspapers, are shocking and
the Apex Court should analyse it.
The report of the commission has been marked as a secret and thus it has been
decided to not to put it on the public domain, until it is tabled in the Parliament. The
reports have not been tabled in the Parliament till now, whereas under the Commission
of Inquiry Act 1952, a report of a committee should be tabled in the Parliament within
six months of its submission.
The case has been posted to 27 January 2014 for hearing, during the hearing, the
court will also hear the plea of the petitioner that seeks its direction for the centre to
extend the time period of the Shah Commission of inquiry by one Year. The extension
of the inquiry will help the commission to complete its inquiry highlighting the issues
in accordance with its terms of reference.
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About Justice Shah Commission on Illegal Mining of Iron and Manganese

The Government of India has set up Justice MB Shah Commission of Inquiry for
Illegal Mining of Iron Ore and Manganese vide Notification dated 22 November 2010.
The Commission was asked to recommend remedial measures to prevent mining
trade, transportation and export, which was done illegally pr without lawful authority.
The commission was headquartered in Mumbai and was given a time limit of 18
months from the date of its first sitting.
Government gave nod to Guidelines for transparent TV ratings

Union Cabinet on 9 January 2014 approved a comprehensive regulatory framework
in the form of guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India. The guidelines have
been launched with an aim to make television ratings transparent, credible and
accountable.
This was a long-awaited proposal for bringing out a comprehensive regulatory
framework which has been done to streamline the way TV channels are rated in the
country.
The framework will cover a detailed procedure for registration of rating agencies,
eligibility norms, terms and conditions of registration, methodology for audience
measurement, cross-holdings, complaint redressal mechanism, audit, disclosure,
sale and use of ratings, reporting requirements and action on non-compliance of
guidelines.
With a reasonable notice, the TRAI and I and B can conduct inspections of the rating
company as per the issued guidelines. The proposal has been designed following the
recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). This will help in
streamlining the process of rating viewership of TV channels.
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Highlights of the guidelines

All the rating agencies including the existing rating agencies shall obtain registration
from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
All the rating agencies should go through detailed registration procedure, eligibility
norms, terms and conditions, cross-holding norms, period of registration, security
conditions and other obligations.
No company will be allowed to hold not more than 10 percent of paid up equity in
both rating agencies and media Company.
Rating need to be technology neutral and shall capture across multiple viewing
platforms (cable TV, Direct-to-Home, Terrestrial TV etc).
The rating agencies should scale up a minimum panel size of 20000 households to
be implemented within six months of the guidelines coming into force. The panel
size shall be increased by 10000 every year until it reaches 50000 households.
The rating agency shall submit the detailed methodology to the government and
publish it on their website.
It shall set up an effective complaint redressal system with tool free number and
an internal audit mechanism.
The guideline would come into effect immediately from the date of notification and
30 days time would be given to the existing rating agency.
Background
In August 2008, TRAI recommended the self-regulation approach and established the
Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). The BARC could not operationalise
the TRP generating mechanism.
In 2010, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting constituted a Committee under the
chairmanship Amit Mitra to review the existing TRP system In India. The committee
recommended the self-regulation of TRPs by the industry was the best way forward.
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Government approved installation of CCTV and GPS on public transport vehicles

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 2 January 2014 approved a
proposal for setting-up of CCTVs and GPS devices on public transport vehicles in 32
cities for women safety.
The CCTVs will be installed under a unified system named National Vehicle Security
and Tracking System at national level and City Command and Control Centre for
global positioning system at state level. This will help in mapping the routes of the
public vehicles and it will also help in tracking the vehicles on their route. The violations
will be highlighted through the visual and text signals.
This facility will help in offering safety and security to women and girl child in distress
in minimum response time. The complete project will be implemented at a total
estimated cost of 1405 crore rupees and it will be executed within a period of two
years.
CCEA nod for the implementation of the Rural Water Supply

and Sanitation Project
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 2 January 2014 gave its
nod for the implementation of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Low
Income States of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. The project will be
implemented with the assistance of the World Bank over a period of six years (from
2013-14 to 2019-20).
This project will benefit the rural population of about 78 lakh persons including 44
lakh scheduled castes and more than 8 lakh scheduled tribes. The project will help
the people with improved piped water supply which will cover approximately 17400
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habitations in 2150 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the following 33 districts of the four
States.
The total Project cost of 6000 crore rupees will be financed through Government of
India [from the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) allocation 33
percent], State Government (fund sharing as per NRDWP guidelines 16 percent),
beneficiary contribution (1 percent) and external financing (World Bank-IDA funds
50 percent).
Government of India will repay the amount of US$ 500 million extended as credit by
the World Bank over a period of 25 years with 1.25 percent interest rate.
Assam: 7 districts (Hailakandi, Kamrup, Jorhat, Morigaon, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur

and Sibsagar) with estimated population coverage of about 14 lakh
Bihar: 10 districts (Patna, Begusarai, Munger, Muzzafarpur, West Champaran,
Nalanda, Nawada, Saran, Purnia and Banka) with estimated population coverage
of about 24 lakh
Jharkhand: 6 districts (East Singhbum, Dumka, Garwah, Palamu, SaraikelaKharsawan and Khunti) with estimated population coverage of about 12 lakh
Uttar Pradesh: 10 Eastern UP districts (Gorakhpur, Kushi Nagar, Deoria, Basti,
Ghazipur, Ballia, Allahabad, Sonbhadra, Bahraich and Gonda) with estimated
population coverage of about 28 lakh
The key features of the project are:

Strengthening and empowering of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as well
as ensuring direct involvement of beneficiary communities in the scheme
implementation. Schemes will be implemented with integral involvement of GPs
Sanitation in conjoint approach with water is conceptualized
component of the proposed project
260
as an integrated
The project will implement pilot programs such as 24/7 water supply provision in
select areas, and new technologies such as use of solar energy
There shall be an intensive Capacity Building programme for all stakeholders down
to the GP level
Intensive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) and Behavioural
Change Communication (BCC) programs will be carried out.
The project will support the universal provision of household connections, meters
for bulk water supply, and promotion of household meters, wherever appropriate,
There will be a focus on monitoring and surveillance of drinking water quality,
Grievance redressal measures of a GP, District and State level will be captured by
the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system proposed under the project,
Technical, financial, procurement and social audits during scheme planning,
implementation and O&M will be conducted
Demonstration of beneficiary support for the schemes through a onetime upfront
community contribution (Rs. 450 per household/ Rs. 225 for SC/ST household)
towards capital cost
The Project will adopt a phased approach for achieving full Operation and
Maintenance (O&M) cost recovery through user fees
Implementation of the project will improve the usage and access of piped drinking
water supplied into individual homes. This will help the women and children will be
beneficial because of the facility as at present they bear the burden of securing the
daily water supplies available to them.
By adopting a convergence approach with Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) and the
National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) the implementation of the project
will improve the sanitation conditions in the targeted district.
24 quality affected (arsenic/fluoride/iron) districts will be covered under the program
to provide potable water. The rural population will benefit from effective IEC and
261
Behavioral Change Communication (BCC) programs.
Background
The 12th Five Year Plan for Rural Water Supply envisages achieving piped water
supply coverage for 50 percent rural population in the country with 30 percent rural
population having household tap connections. This project is therefore conceptualized
to provide a focused thrust in the four low income states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand
which have less than 10 percent piped water coverage) and Uttar Pradesh (Eastern)
which has high incidences of JE/AES cases.
CCEA nod for establishment of Medical colleges for deficient

states
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 2 January 2014 approved
the proposal for establishment of 58 new medical colleges by upgradation of existing
district hospitals in deficient states. The CCEA has approved a proposal of the Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare to set up the new medical colleges attached with the
districts in existence or referral hospitals.
At present, the country has about 50000 MBBS seats and the government is planning
ahead to increase the seats to address the issue of shortage of doctors. This plan will
increase the MBBS seats by 5800.
The approved proposal says that there will be 100 MBBS seats in each medical college,
which will result in an increase of about 5800 MBBS seats in medical education. The
share of the central assistance for this will be over 8457 crore rupees and state share
of over 2513 crore rupees.
The funding pattern will be 90:10 by Central and State Governments respectively
for North Eastern States and special category States and in the ratio of 75:25 for
other States. Establishment of one medical college will cost 189 crore rupees. The
262
distance between the district/referral hospital and the medical college shall be within
10 kms and on two pieces of land.
This is a step at providing more doctor and increase the doctor-patient ratio, which
is low currently. India at present has 381 medical colleges with 49918 MBBS seats
registered with the Medical Council of India, the apex medical regulator in the country.
CCEA approved the Central Sector Scheme, ILDP

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Central Sector Scheme
Indian Leather Development Programme (ILDP) on 2 January 2014.
The Indian Leather Development Programme (ILDP) has been approved for the
implementation during 12th five year plan period aiming at overall development of
the leather sector.
Under Indian Leather Development Programme (ILDP), there are six sub-schemes
namely
Integrated Development of Leather Sector (IDLS),
Human Resource Development (HRD),
Support to Artisan (STA),
Leather Technology Innovation and Environmental Issues (former Upgradation/
installation of Infrastructure for Environmental Protection),
Mega Leather Cluster and
Establishment of Institutional Institutes
The six sub-schemes are proposed for continuation from the 11th Plan period for
implementation under the ILDP during the 12th Plan period with the total outlay of
990.36 crore rupees.
Implementation of ILDP would provide trained manpower to the industry and
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assistance to overcome the constraints of infrastructure in the industry.
Background
The ILDP was implemented during 11th Plan period and 13 sub-schemes were
implemented.
The expenditure incurred during 11th Plan period was 669.02 crore rupees.
The implementation of the ILDP employed around 50 thousand and supported 13
thousand artisans in different states of the country.
331 units have been approved for providing support for their modernization and
technology upgradation.
Cabinet nod on sending President Reference to Supreme

Court in Ganguly Case
The Union Government on 2 January 2014 approved a proposal for sending a
Presidential reference to Supreme Court for conducting a probe in judge AK Ganguly
case. Retired apex court judge A K Ganguly is accused into an allegation of sexual
harassment of a law intern.
The proposal that has been approved by the Union Cabinet was laid by the Home
Ministry to send a presidential reference to the Chief Justice of India. Apart from
the allegation of the sexual harassment of a law intern, Ganguly has been alleged
for violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) in Pakistan. As per the
Government of India, he was on a visit to Pakistan from 3 to 6 June 2013, where he
was a guest of a Pakistani national and also stayed in his residence in Karachi.
This act of Ganguly has qualified him to violation of the FCRA as an Indian Public
Servant. The FCRA Act mentions that a public servant of India should take permission
from the home Ministry of the Government of India for a foreign hospitality. The
allegation also mentions that Ganguly didnt took the central governments permission
264
neither he took a permission of the Governor of West Bengal for his Pakistan Visit,
as it is required under the Rule 6 of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission
(WBHRC) Rules of which he was a Chairperson.
Tickets of Ganguly for Pakistan was paid by a private organisation. As per the Home
Ministry, he took a paid employment, while conducting arbitration proceedings for
the All India Football Federation serving as the Chairman of WBHRC. This offence of
Ganguly gives power to the President of India for his removal under Section 23(2) (b)
of the Human Rights Act. Under the section, President can remove him directly from
the post of WBHRC Chairman without sending a presidential reference to Supreme
Court. The presidential reference to the Supreme Court for inquiry was necessitated
under Section 23(1) of the same Act, by making other allegations of Ganguly to fall
under the proven misbehavior.
Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill 2013 got assent of President

Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India on 1 January 2014 gave his assent to the
Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2013. With this accent, the Bill has turned to be an Act.
It provides creation of an anti-graft watchdog that will bring under its purview to even
the office of the Prime Minister with certain safeguards.
The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha during the winter session on 18 December
2013. Earlier, the amended Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 17 December
2013.
A copy of the Bill, which was signed by Meira Kumar, the Speaker of Lak Sabha was
sent to the Law Ministry by the secretariat on 1 January 2014. Further, the same was
forwarded for Presidents assent to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
After the signing by the President, the Bill has taken a shape of an Act following
certain procedures. For publication of the Act in the official gazette, the Bill will be
sent for signing to the Secretary of Legislative Department in the Law Ministry after
the assent of the President.
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The Bill aims to set-up an institution of Lokpal at Centre and Lokayuktas in the states
by the law enacted by respective legislatures within one year from the date of its
coming into effect.
Earlier in 2011, the Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha during its winter session, but
was debated in Rajya Sabha till the adjournment of its session before voting. Further,
a select committee of Rajya Sabha suggested some changes in the Bill of which
maximum were incorporated and approved by the Union Cabinet.
Important features of the Act are

As per the Act a Lokpal will be at the centre level and Lokayuktas will be at the
states levels
A Lokpal consist of a Chairperson and a maximum of eight members, of which 50
percent should be of judicial members
The Act provides that 50 percent of the total members of the Lokpal should be
from SC/ST/OBCs, minorities and women
The Chairperson and members of the Lokpal will be selected through a selection
committee, which include the Prime Minister of India, Lok Sabha Speaker, Lok
Sabhas leader of opposition, the Chief Justice of India or the Judge of the Supreme
Court nominated by the Chief Justice. Then the President of India will nominate
the eminent Jurist on the basis of the recommendations of the first four members
of the selection committee
The Prime Minister has been brought under the purview of the Lokpal
The jurisdiction of the Lokpal will cover all the categories of the public servant
Under its also comes any/all entities, which will receive the donations from a foreign
source in excess of 10 lakh rupees in context of Foreign Contribution Regulation
Act (FCRA)
The Act will provide adequate protection to the honest and upright public servants
266
The Act provide Lokpal the right to superintendence and direct any investigation
agency including the CBI on the cases, which will be referred to them from the
Lokpal itself
The Director of the CBI will be recommended by the high power committee that
will be chaired by the Prime Minister of India
Director will control the Directorate of Prosecution that is headed by the Director
of Prosecution
The Central Vigilance Commission will recommend the Director of Prosecution,
CBI for appointment
Lokpals approval will be required for the transfers of the officers of CBI, who are
investigating the cases referred by the Lokpal
The Act gives the provisions to attach and confiscate the property that has been
acquired by corrupt means even in the case that the prosecution of the case
remains pending
Clear time lines for preliminary enquiry and trial has been layed in the Act. It also
mentions setting-up of special courts towards the end of the trial
It mentions that a mandate for setting up the Lokayukta institution through
enactment of a law by the State Legislature within 365 days from the date on
which the Act was commenced
Centre sanctioned over 1000 buses for 13 cities under JNNURM

The Centre has sanctioned 1080 buses to thirteen cities of seven states under its
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme on 1 January
2014.
These states are Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim and
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Tripura. An official release said that these cities have also been sanctioned projects
relating to ancillary infrastructure like depots and workshops for urban transport.
Under the JNNURM phase-II, the Centre had sanctioned 1021 buses to Andhra
Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), out of which 737 are for four
mission cities Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati. The Corporation
got 1540 buses to the mission cities under phase-I in 2009.
The low floor buses facilitate easy boarding by women, old aged and differently-abled
persons without having to take to two or three steps as in the conventional buses.
There are facilities for persons to get into the bus in a wheel chair. Hyderabad for the
first time got semi-low floor midi buses. These buses have easy boarding facility than
the conventional ones and they would be deployed on the interior routes of the Old
city.
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is a massive city
modernisation scheme launched by the Government of India. It envisages a total
investment of over 20 billion dollar over a period of 7 years. It is named after Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.
The scheme was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in
December 2005, as a programme meant to improve the quality of life and infrastructure
in the cities.
SC directed NCST to verify authenticity of ST status of Meghalaya CM

Supreme Court (SC) of India on 20 January 2014 directed the National Commission
for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) to verify the authenticity of ST status of Mukul Sangma,
the Chief Minister of Meghalaya. The direction of the Apex Court came following a
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challenge by political rivals.

The bench of the Court headed by Chief Justice of India, P Sathasivam while hearing
a PIL filed by the All North East Indigenous Garo Law Promoter Association that has
challenged the ST status of Sangma refused to go into and said that the matter. He
said that it should be decided by the Commission and asked the commission to look
into the complaint and take a decision within eight weeks.
The association has demanded the cancellation of the ST certificate of Sangma that
has been issued to him. Sangma had won the 2013 Assembly election from the
Ampati Constituency in South Garo Hills.
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was established by amending
Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the
Constitutions (89th Amendment) Act, 2003. By this amendment, the erstwhile
National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by
two separate Commissions with effect from 19 February 2004 namely
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)
The term of office of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and each member is three years
from the date of assumption of charge. The Chairperson has been given the rank of
Union Cabinet Minister and the Vice-Chairperson that of a Minister of State and other
Members have the ranks of a Secretary to the Government of India.
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes functions from its Headquarters at
New Delhi and from the State Offices of the Commission located in six States.
Government issued food safety guidelines for Integrated

Child Development Services scheme
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The Government of India on 31 December 2013 issued food safety and hygiene
guidelines to prevent contamination of supplementary nutrition provided to pregnant
women and children. The guidelines were issued under the Integrated Child
Development Services (ICDS) scheme. The guidelines were issued by the Union
Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The issued guidelines have barred the anganwadi workers and helpers from wearing
nail polish, and artificial nails. The anganwadi workers and helpers have been asked
to trim their nails and should keep them clean while washing the hands. It has also
banned them from wearing wrist watches and rings and bangles or any type of
jewellery item, while cooking and serving food. These have been banned as these
jewellery items may carry foreign bodied and compromise with the hygiene standard.
The Operational Guidelines for Food Safety and Hygiene of ICDS has also mentions
that the workers and helpers should tie their hairs neatly and it should be covered. It
also mentions that any type of glass should not be allowed in the cooking areas.
As per the issued guidelines, an adequate precaution for cleanliness has been
issued for the staffs to prevent the food from getting contaminated during cleaning
of rooms, utensils or any other equipment. It has also mentioned that before using
any equipment, while cooking food should be washed with water.
It has also mentioned that toilets should be cleaned all the times to make safe disposal
of stool and wastes. It has said that the activity rooms, should be well ventilated and
also be spacious, which should be cleaned every day before the start of the functions
in the morning.
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme

Integrated Child Development Services scheme was launched on 2 October 1975.
ICDS Scheme represents one of the worlds largest and most unique programmes for
early childhood development. ICDS is the foremost symbol of Indias commitment to
her children Indias response to the challenge of providing pre-school education on
one hand and breaking the vicious cycle of malnutrition, morbidity, reduced learning
270
capacity and mortality, on the other.
Objectives: The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme was launched
in 1975 with the following objectives
To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years;
To lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development
of the child;
To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout;
To achieve effective co-ordination of policy and implementation amongst the
various departments to promote child development; and
To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and
nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education
Services: The above objectives are sought to be achieved through a package of

services comprising
Supplementary nutrition
Immunization
Health check-up
Referral services
Pre-school non-formal education
Nutrition & health education
The concept of providing a package of services is based primarily on the consideration
that the overall impact will be much larger if the different services develop in an
integrated manner as the efficacy of a particular service depends upon the support it
receives from related services.
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ECONOMY
Union Government upgraded NIC-1987 to NIC-2008 to make
it more investor friendly
Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 27 June 2014 upgraded the National
Industrial Classification -1987 (NIC-1987) to National Industrial Classification-2008
(NIC-2008).
The upgradation decision, with immediate effect, to NIC-2008 will assist new
businesses, being more investor friendly and internationally-attuned, as compared
to the previous version of NIC Code.
The NIC-2008 is an improved version over NIC-1987 which provides a more
contemporary industrial classification system in the light of changes in the structure
and composition of the economy, changing user requirements and compatibility with
international standards.
So far India has been using NIC-1987. NIC-1987 version is applicable for the purpose
of classification of activities in respect of industrial license/ IEM proposals submitted
to the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion.
About National Industrial Classification

The National Industrial Classification (NIC) is an essential Statistical Standard for
developing and maintaining comparable data base according to economic activities.
272
Such classifications are frequently used in classifying the economically active

population, statistics of industrial production and distribution, the different fields of
labour statistics and other economic data such as national income.
In India, Central Statistical Organisation has been finalising National Industrial
Classification since 1960.
The issue of standardization of industrial classification at the international level was
deliberated in the First International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) as
early as 1923.
Union Government granted Navratna Status to EIL and NBCC

The Union Government on 24 June 2014 granted Navratna status to Engineers India
Ltd (EIL) and National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC).
Department of Public Enterprises under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and
Public Enterprises granted the navratna status to enhance the greater financial and
operational autonomy.
The Navratna status to two Central Public Sector (CPSEs) will provide the companies
greater leeway in deciding on business propositions such as forming joint ventures
or taking call on projects involving major investments.
About Engineers India Ltd

EIL has emerged as one of Indias leading companies in the engineering consultancy.
EPC sector with a diverse portfolio of projects in oil and gas, petrochemicals, mining
and metallurgy, fertiliser, power and infrastructure sectors.
About National Buildings Construction Corporation

NBCC provides civil engineering construction services in wide gamut of projects of
varied nature, complexities & at socio-political geographical locations, both at home
273
& overseas. NBCC has been operating in infrastructure segment as well, wherein it
has been executing projects such as chimneys, cooling towers, and various types of
power plant works.
Criteria for Navratna status

The Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) fulfilling the following criteria are
eligible to be considered for grant of Navratna status:
Having Schedule A and Miniratna Category-1 status.
Having at least three Excellent or Very Good Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) ratings during the last five years.
Having a composite score of 60 or above out of 100 marks based on its performance
during the last three years on the following six identified efficiency parameters
such as Net Profit to Net Worth, Manpower cost to cost of production or services,
Gross margin as capital employed, Gross profit as Turnover, Earnings per Share
and Inter-Sectoral comparison based on Net profit to net worth.
UNCTAD released World Investment Report 2014

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on 24 June 2014
released its World Investment Report 2014.
The Report reveals an encouraging trend: after a decline in 2012, global foreign direct
investment flows rose by 9 per cent in 2013, with growth expected to continue in the
years to come.
Main Highlights of the Report

After the 2012 slump, global FDI returned to growth, with inflows rising 9 percent
in 2013, to 1.45 trillion dollars.
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UNCTAD projects that FDI flows could rise to 1.6 trillion dollars in 2014, 1.7 trillion
dollars in 2015 and 1.8 trillion dollars in 2016, with relatively larger increases in
developed countries.
FDI flows to developed countries increased by 9 percent to 566 billion dollars,
leaving them at 39 per cent of global flows
FDI flows to developing economies reached a new high of 778 billion dollars, or
54 per cent of the total.
The balance of 108 billion dollars went to transition economies.
Developing and transition economies now constitute half of the top 20 ranked by
FDI inflows.
Developing and transition economies together invested 553 billion dollars, or 39
per cent of global FDI outflows, compared with only 12 per cent at the beginning
of the 2000s.
Mega-regional groupings shape global FDI. The three main regional groups
currently under negotiation (TPP, TTIP, RCEP) each account for a quarter or more
of global FDI flows, with TTIP flows in decline, and the others in ascendance.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) remains the largest regional economic
cooperation grouping, with 54 per cent of global inflows.
The poorest countries are less and less dependent on extractive industry
investment. Over the past decade, the share of the extractive industry in the value
of greenfield projects was 26 per cent in Africa and 36 per cent in LDCs.
Manufacturing and services now make up about 90 per cent of the value of
announced projects both in Africa and in LDCs.
Private equity FDI is keeping its powder dry. Outstanding funds of private equity
firms increased to a record level of more than 1 trillion dollars. Their cross-border
investment was 171 billion dollars, a decline of 11 per cent, and they accounted
for 21 per cent of the value of cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As).
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State-owned TNCs are FDI heavyweights. UNCTAD estimates there are at least
550 State-owned TNCs from both developed and developing countries with
more than 15000 foreign affiliates and foreign assets of over 2 trillion dollars. FDI
by these TNCs was more than 160 billion dollars in 2013.
FDI from State-owned TNCs, although constitutes less than 1 per cent of the
universe of TNCs, but they account for over 11 per cent of global FDI flows.
India and World Investment Report 2014
India slipped to the fourth position in the latest ranking of most favoured destinations
for investment by transnational corporations.
On the other hand, China retained its top position as the worlds most attractive
investment destination followed by the US and Indonesia at second and third
place
In 2013, India was the worlds third most attractive destination for investment
by transnational corporations. India was the second most favoured investment
destination in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010.
FDI inflows into India grew by 17 percent to 28 billion dollars in 2013.
India was ranked 14th among the top 20 global economies, receiving the maximum
FDI in 2013.
World Bank released a report on power sector reforms in

India
World Bank on 24 June 2014 released a report on power sector reforms in India. The
report titled More Power to India: The Challenge of Distribution was released in New
Delhi.
The report was made on the basis of study conducted at the request of the Government
of India.
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The report reviews Indian power sector across key areas of access, utility performance,
and financial sustainability. It identified electricity distribution to the end consumer
as the weak link in the sector.
The report recommended freeing utilities and regulators from external interference,
increasing accountability, and enhancing competition in the sector in order to move
it to a higher level of service delivery.
Highlights of the Report

Indias annual per capita power sector consumption at around 800 kWh is among
the lowest levels in the world.
Total accumulated losses in the power sector stood at 1.14 trillion rupees in 2011.
These losses are overwhelmingly concentrated among distribution companies
(discoms) and bundled utilities State Electricity Boards (SEBs) and the State
Power Departments.
Due to accumulated losses, the power sector debt reached 3.5 trillion rupees in
2011, as much as 5% of Indias GDP.
Over 60% of the sectors accumulated losses in 2011 came from the states of
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Jharkhand. Uttar Pradesh alone
accounted for 40% of the sectors accumulated losses.
While grid connectivity has increased, over 200 million people without power live
in electrified villages.
It takes seven procedures and 67 days to get a power connection for a commercial
establishment in India. In China it takes 28 days, in Thailand 35, and in Singapore
36 days.
In 2010 some 87% of the domestic electricity supplied India-wide was subsidized.
Over half of subsidy payments (52%) India-wide went to the richest 40% of
households in the country in 2010
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Factors responsible for increasing losses in the power sector

The cost to discoms of purchasing power has risen faster than revenues
Fuel shortages and the need for expensive fuel imports by generators and
generation inefficiencies
Rising interest expenses and tariffs not keeping pace with costs over the years
Under-collection of bills and delayed collection of payments
More than one-fifth of electricity purchased being collectively lost by the utilities
Key recommendations
Power distribution in India needs sweeping reforms, if it is to bring back the country
to a high growth trajectory and meet its goal of expanding access to electricity to all
by 2019. The key recommendations given by the report are:
State governments should pay subsidies transparently, fully, and on time, when
they mandate free power supply.
State governments must also improve the targeting of subsidies so resources are
not wasted and actually reach the poor.
Utilities must be freed from government interference and their management
professionalized. Despite corporatization, utility boards remain state-dominated
and are rarely evaluated on performance.
Banks/lenders should hold utilities accountable for efficient operation and not
lend to those that are not credit-worthy.
Regulators should transparently revise tariffs in line with efficient costs, hold utilities
to service standards, and create a predictable environment for decision-making.
Consumers need to pay for the power they use, and hold regulators and state
governments accountable for quality of power they supply.
Union government should pledge no future bailouts, give regulators autonomy
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and adequate resources, and hold them accountable for their performance.
Union government should also allow competition to create pressure for efficient
operation, and promote rural access to electricity in a financially responsible
manner.
RBI permitted NBFCs-ND to work as BCs for banks

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 24 June 2014 permitted the non-deposit taking
Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs-ND) to act as Business Correspondents
(BCs) for commercial banks. This was done with an aim of spread financial inclusion.
NBFCs-ND can be engaged as BCs subject to following conditions

It should be ensured that there is no comingling of bank funds and those of the
NBFC-ND appointed as BC.
There should be a specific contractual arrangement between the bank and the
NBFC-ND to ensure that all possible conflicts of interest are adequately taken
care of.
Banks should ensure that the NBFC-ND does not adopt any restrictive practice
such as offering savings or remittance functions only to its own customers and
forced bundling of services offered by the NBFC-ND and the bank does not take
place.
Apart from this, the RBI also did away the rule that made it compulsory for banks to
attach each outlet and sub-agent of a BC to a specific branch. Earlier, banks were
allowed to assign BC outlets to a branch within 30 km in case of semi-urban and rural
areas and five kilometer for metropolitan regions. This action has been taken with an
aim to ensure adequate supervision for BCs.
This decision of RBI came following the recommendation of Nachiket Mor Committee
on accelerating the flow of credit to those at the bottom of the pyramid and enlargement
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of catchment area of the Business Correspondents (BCs), including through possible

inclusion of new entities as BCs.
RBI directed Banks and FIs to provide information to SIT

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 23 June 2014 directed all banks and financial
institutions to provide information and documents to the Special Investigation Team
(SIT).
Background
The SIT under the chairmanship of former Justice M B Shah was constituted by the
Union government on 27 May 2014. The panel was constituted in pursuance of the
May 2014 judgement of the Supreme Court.
The panel has jurisdiction in cases where investigations have commenced or are
waiting to be initiated or have been completed.
India requested the Switzerland government to expeditious sharing of bank
information, that is, the details of Indians having unaccounted money in Swiss banks.
According to central bank of Switzerland (SNB), Indian money in various Swiss banks
rose by 43 percent during 2013 to close to 14000 crore rupees, including the money
held directly by Indian clients and those through fiduciaries or wealth managers.
Railway passenger fares increased by 14.2 percent and

freight charges by 6.5 percent
Indian Railways on 20 June 2014 increased the passenger fare by 14.2 percent in all
classes and freight charges by 6.5 percent. The revised rates will be effective from
25 June 2014.
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Under the passenger fare hike, there was a flat 10 percent increase in all classes and
an additional 4.2 percent increase under fuel adjustment component (FAC)-linked
revision scheme has been made. With this one of the biggest hike, the cash-strapped
railways will be able to garner 8000 crore rupees annually through the pre-budget
decision.
The Railways had earlier issued a notification on May 16 effecting hike in passenger
fare by 14.2 percent across the board and freight charges by 6.5 percent from May
20. However, it was withdrawn by the UPA government in light of the Lok Sabha
elections.
RBI asked banks to disclose sector-wise advances in financial statements

Reserve Bank of India on 18 June 2014 asked banks to disclose sector-wise advances
in the Notes to Accounts to the financial statements from financial year 2014-15
onwards.
RBI in its direction asked the banks for disclosure on priority sector such as agriculture
and allied activities, advances to industries sector eligible as priority sector lending,
services and personal loans and non-priority sector advances such as agriculture
and allied activities, industry, services and personal loans.
It also said that the banks may also make disclosure on sub sectors where the
outstanding advances exceed 10 percent of the outstanding total advances to that
sector.
This step has been taken on the recommendations of the Committee on Comprehensive
Financial Services for Small Businesses and Low Income Households headed by
Nachiket Mor. It will encourage banks to actively manage their exposures to various
sectors, including priority sector.
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SEBI issued new norms for public issuance of debt securities

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 17 June 2014 issued new norms
for public issuance of debt securities. The new norms were issued with a view to
tighten the norms governing the public issue of debt securities.
Guidelines
The debt securities have to be of minimum of 100 crore rupees for both nonbanking finance companies (NBFCs) and non-NBFC issuers.
The issuer need to make additional disclosures and attain atleast 75 percent of
the base issue size.
If the issuer does not receive minimum subscription, the entire application money
will have to be refunded within 12 days from the date of the closure of the issue
along with interest at the rate of 15 per cent per annum for the delayed period.
SEBI prescribes a minimum subscription limit of 90 percent in case of an initial
public offering.
In case of public issue of non-convertible debentures (NCDs), the issuer can
decide the amount of minimum subscription and disclose the same in the offer
document.
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FIIs) investment in non-convertible shares or debentures
will be included within the 51-billion US dollars limit meant for corporate debts.
SEBI exempted the issuers of tax-free bonds from the minimum subscription limit
as specified by the Central Board of Direct Taxes. It also sought to increase the
transparency of utilisation of the proceeds.
Debt Securities
A debt security is an investment in bonds issued by the government or a corporation.
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At the time of purchasing a bond, the acquisition costs are recorded in an asset
account, such as Debt Investments. Acquisition costs include the market price paid
for the bond and any investment fees or brokers commissions.
Debenture is a bond which is not secured by any asset or collateral is known as a
debenture. Debentures are mostly long term in nature and at times, the holder has an
option of exchanging debentures for stocks of the issuing company. Debentures are
of two types: Convertible debenture and Non Convertible debentures.
Convertible debentures are those which can be converted into company stocks.
These types of debentures generally command a lower interest rate when compared
with non convertible debentures.
Non convertible debentures are those which cannot be converted into company
stocks. These types of debentures generally command a higher interest rate when
compared with convertible debentures.
Union MSME Ministry launched Online Finance Facilitation

Centre for SMEs
Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Kalraj Mishra on 16
June 2014 launched Online Finance Facilitation Centre (OFFC) for Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs). OFFC is an initiative of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The Centre was launched with an objective to facilitate access to finance and credit
for SMEs.
About Online Finance Facilitation Centre (OFFC)

The centre will operate as a one-stop-shop by providing collective financing
options for SMEs from various major financial institutions
It will also facilitate the SMEs across the country with documentation and
preparation of bankable project proposals.
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The complete Know Your Customers (KYCs) norm will help Banks / financial
institutions to render quick delivery.
OFCC in order to facilitate credit to SMEs will sign Memorandum of Understanding
with seven financial institutions. These are Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank,
Federal Bank, Muthoot Fincorp Ltd, Religare Finvest, DCB Bank, EXIM Bank and
State Bank of Travancore.
This move of CII came in line with the recommendation of an Inter-ministerial panel
on Accelerating Manufacturing in Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Sector headed
by Madhav Lal.
The panel had recommended that ministries and departments may consider engaging
industry associations to serve as a single window for hand-holding MSMEs and help
in pursuing banks to increase credit flow into the sector.
RBI simplified KYC norms for opening bank account

Reserve Bank of India on 9 June 2014 eased the KYC norms for opening bank
account. In its notification it said that only one documentary proof of address (either
the current or permanent) can be used to open bank account or for periodic updation.
It also said that in case the address mentioned as per proof of address undergoes a
change than fresh proof of address may be submitted to the branch within a period
of six months.
In conditions, when the furnished address by customer is not the local address or
address where he is residing then the bank may take a declaration of the local address
on which the correspondence will be made by the bank with customer. Whereas,
no proof of address of correspondence or local address will be required in such
conditions. The address may be verified by the bank through positive confirmation
such as acknowledgement of receipt of
Letter, cheque books, ATM cards
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Telephonic conversation
Visits and others
The notification also said that due to any reason the customers address changes
then he should intimate the new address for correspondence to the bank within two
weeks of such a change.
About Know Your Customer Norm (KYC)

KYC is a term used for customer identification process.
The objective of the KYC guidelines is to prevent banks being used, intentionally
or unintentionally by criminal elements for money laundering.
KYC has two components - Identity and Address. While identity remains the same,
the address may change and hence the banks are required to periodically update
their records.
RBI issued guidelines to banks under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act,
1949 and Rule 7 of Prevention of Money-Laundering Rules, 2005.
These guidelines were issued on the recommendations made by the Financial
Action Task Force (FATF) on Anti Money Laundering (AML) standards and on
Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT).
RBI issued KYC guidelines in 2004 to which banks had to become compliant by
31 December 2005.
India became the second largest exporter of textiles in the

world: UN Comtrade
India became the second largest exporter of textiles in the world. This was revealed
by the recent data released by UN Comtrade in Global Textiles as well as Apparel
Exports.
285
Global Textile Exports

In Global Textiles Exports, India overtook Italy to become the second largest
exporter. China still remains the largest exporter of textiles in the world.
Indias share in Global Textiles increased by 17.5% in the year 2013 compared to
2012. As a result Indias share in the global textile exports in 2013 is 5.2%
Currently Indias textiles exports to the world stand at 40.2 billion US dollars.
Indian textile exports grew by 23%. This is in contrast to global textile growth
rate of only 4.7%, and China and Bangladesh growth rate of 11.4% and 15.4%
respectively.
This growth in the increase in share of the textiles exports from India is mainly due
to the growth in the Apparel and Clothing sector which accounts for almost 43%
of the share alone.
Apparel Export
In the apparel exports ranking of India improved from 8th position in 2012 to 6th
position in 2013.
Indias apparel exports, was to the tune of 15.7 billion US dollars in 2013, as
against 12.9 billion US dollars in 2012.
Among the top five global clothing suppliers except for the Vietnam; Indias apparel
exports growth was highest registering 21.8% growth during the year 2013.
Apparel exports from India accounts for 3.7% of share in the global readymade
garment exports
The improvement in the position of India in both the textile exports and apparel exports
is the result of the Government policy of diversification of market and product base.
Besides, India also leveraged its raw material strengths and followed sustained better
compliance practices which attracted the buyers and international brands across
globe to source from India.
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RBI announced second Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced second Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy
Statement on 3 June 2014. RBI in its second bi-monthly monetary policy statement
has kept the policy rates unchanged.
Based on the assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation the
following changes has been taken
The repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 8.0 percent.
The cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0 percent of net
demand and time liabilities (NDTL).
Reduced the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) of scheduled commercial banks by 50
basis points from 23.0 percent to 22.5 percent of their NDTL with effect from 14
June 2014
Introduce a special term repo facility of 0.25 percent of NDTL to compensate fully
for the reduction in access to liquidity under the ECR with immediate effect.
The policy is continued to provide liquidity under 7-day and 14-day term repos of
up to 0.75 percent of NDTL of the banking system.
The reverse repo rate under the LAF remained unchanged at 7.0 percent and the
marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 9.0 percent.
Assessment of the macroeconomic situation in India

Though inflation in India has slowed, the RBI still considers many factors that could
inflame inflation such as weak rain during the June-September monsoon due to
chance of the occurrence of El Nino.
India current account deficit (CAD) narrowed sharply to 1.7 percent of GDP for 2013-
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14 due to decline in gold imports, although other non-oil imports also contracted
with the weakening of domestic demand.
In April 2014, the trade deficit narrowed sharply due to resumption of export growth
after two consecutive months of decline, and the ongoing shrinking of import demand.
The foreign direct investment supported inflows of portfolio investment and external
commercial borrowing, kept external financing conditions comfortable and helped
add to reserves.
RBI tightened acquisition & merger rules for Non-Banking

Financial Companies
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI,) tightened merger rules for non-bank finance
companies (NBFCs) to ensure fit and proper character of the management of NBFC.
The RBI on 26 May 2014 notified the Non-Banking Financial Companies (Approval
of Acquisition or Transfer of Control) Directions, 2014. The directions will come into
force with immediate effect.
The direction includes the prior written permission of the Reserve Bank of India
shall be required for any takeover or acquisition or control of an NBFC, whether by
acquisition of shares or otherwise.
Previously, only deposit-taking NBFCs required approval of RBI for a takeover or
merger.
Besides, any merger or amalgamation of an NBFC with another entity or any merger
or amalgamation of an entity with an NBFC which will result in acquisition or transfer
of shareholding in excess of 10 percent of the paid up capital of the NBFC will also
need approval of RBI.
The written approval of RBI will be required before approaching the court or tribunal
seeking order for mergers or amalgamations with other companies or NBFCs.
288
About Non-Banking Financial Companies

Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the
Companies Act, 1956 NBFCs perform similar activities of banks like deposits and
make lends.
But NBFC cannot accept demand deposits, cannot issue cheques drawn on itself,
deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation
is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike in case of banks.
NBFC does not include any institution whose principal business is that of agriculture
activity, industrial activity.
RBI permitted the banks to provide loans to exporters with

10 years tenure
The Reserve Bank of India on 21 May 2014 allowed banks to provide loans to exporters
with tenures of up to 10 years.
RBI gave the permission to banks to allow only those exporters who have a minimum
of three years satisfactory track record to receive long term export advance up to
a maximum tenure of ten years. It will be utilized for execution of long-term supply
contracts for export of goods.
Conditions for availing the loan

An interest rate limit of 200 basis points above the London interbank offered rate
(Libor), a global benchmark, is put for availing the loan.
RBI should be reported if exporter receives loans of 100 million US dollars or
above transaction.
The contract of overseas party or buyer should be inspected and must clearly
specify the nature, amount and delivery time-lines of products over the years and
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the penalty in case of non-performance or contract cancellation.

These exports advances cannot be used to liquidate rupee loans, which are
classified as non-performing assets as per RBI norms.
The exporters should have the capacity, systems and processes in place to ensure
that orders over the duration of the tenure can be executed.
This direction will help the exporters and ensure capital flows to fulfill long-term
contracts.
RBI eased gold import norms under 20:80 Scheme

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 21 May 2014 eased the gold import norms under
the 20: 80 Scheme.
Under the 20:80 Scheme, Star trading houses and premier trading houses, which
are registered as nominated agencies by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade
(DGFT) now can import gold.
With this move the number of institutions which imports gold will go up and will
increase supply of gold. Besides, it will also lead to fall in the prices of gold.
The RBI had imposed severe restrictions on gold imports to combat the Current
Account Deficit (CAD) and sliding rupee in July 2014. RBI prescribed a 20:80 formula,
which tied imports with exports of gold.
Under the 20:80 Scheme, an importer has to ensure that at least 20 percent of every
lot of imported gold is exclusively made available for exports as finished good and
the balance for domestic use. The facility was available to the selected banks only
and other entities were barred from imports of gold.
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Bharatiya Mahila Bank included in Second Schedule of RBI

Act, 1934
Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) was included in the second schedule of the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934. The inclusion of the BMB in the second schedule was
announced by RBI in a notification issued in Mumbai on 21 May 2014.
With the inclusion of BMB, total number of scheduled commercial banks in India now
stands at 90. As on 2 May 2014, there were 89 Scheduled commercial banks in India.
The inclusion of BMB in the second schedule of the RBI Act, 1934 means that now
it will be eligible for loans from RBI on bank rate and also acquired membership of
clearing houses.
About Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB)

Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) is the first all-women bank of India. It started functioning
on 19 November 2013 with a capital of 1000 crore rupees. Key objectives are to focus
on the banking needs of women and promote economic empowerment.
The bank was incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 on 5 August 2013 and
received the certificate of commencement of Business on 22 August 2013 and
Banking License from RBI on 25 September 2013. Its Corporate Office is at the IFCI
Towers of Nehru Place in New Delhi.
The Bank at present has 23 branches across the country and is aimed to add 55 - 60
branches in the financial year 2014-15. For girl child it has BMB Nanhi Kali Recurring
Deposit Scheme. Chairman and Managing Director - Usha Ananthasubramanian
Nayak Committee to Review Governance of Boards of Banks

in India submitted its report to RBI
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The committee to review Governance of Boards of Banks in India on 13 May 2014

submitted its report to Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The committee was constituted
under the chairmanship of P. J. Nayak. He is a former Chairman and CEO of Axis
Bank.
Committee has submitted list of recommendations:

The Report projected the capital requirements till March 2018 in order that provisions
are prudent, there is adequate balance sheet growth to support the needs of the
economy, and capital is in line with the more demanding requirements of Basel 3.
The financial position of public sector banks is fragile, partly masked by regulatory
forbearance. Forbearance delays, but does not extinguish, the recognition of this
fragility. Capital is significantly eroded with the proportion of stressed assets rising
rapidly.
The boards are disempowered, and the selection process for directors is
increasingly compromised. Board governance is consequently weak. It is unclear
that the boards of most of these banks have the required sense of purpose, in
terms of their focus on business strategy and risk management, in being able to
provide oversight to steer the banks through their present difficult position.
The onus of remedying this situation through radical reform lies primarily with
the Central Government. In the absence of such reform, or if reform is piecemeal
and non-substantive, it is unlikely that there will be material improvement in the
governance of these banks. This could impede the Governments objective of
fiscal consolidation. The fiscal cost of inadequate reform will therefore be steep.
The Report proposed that the Government distances itself from several bank
governance functions which it presently discharges. For this purpose it recommends
that the Bank Nationalisation Acts of 1970 and 1980, together with the SBI Act
and the SBI (Subsidiary Banks) Act, be repealed, all banks be incorporated under
the Companies Act, and a Bank Investment Company (BIC) be constituted to
which the Government transfers its holdings in banks. The Governments powers
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in relation to the governance of banks should also be transferred to BIC.

The process of board appointments, including appointments of whole-time
directors, needs to be professionalised and a three-phase process is envisaged.
Governance difficulties in public sector banks arise from several externally imposed
constraints. These include dual regulation, board constitution, wherein it is difficult
to categorise any director as independent; significant and widening compensation
differences with private sector banks, leading to the erosion of specialist skills;
external vigilance enforcement though the CVC and CBI; and limited applicability
of the RTI Act.
The Report proposed the need for wide-ranging human resource policy changes.
These would encompass getting younger people into top management, for which
a demographic opportunity has now arisen, and which would thereby lead to
longer tenures; and succession planning.
There is also a need to envision afresh the process of countering corruption through
a redesign of the existing process of vigilance enforcement. The Report argues that
present modalities are damaging and erode the ability of the banks to compete
strategically, besides being only weakly effective in combating corruption.
Governance issues in private sector banks originate from an altogether different set
of concerns. There are issues which arise from ownership constraints stipulated
by RBI, which could misalign the interests of shareholders with those of the
management. In several other jurisdictions, these constraints are less rigid.
In order to permit certain kinds of investors to take larger stakes, it is proposed
that a category of Authorised Bank Investors (ABIs) be created, comprising all
diversified funds which are discretionally managed by fund managers and which
are deemed fit and proper.
It is proposed that an ABI be permitted a 20 per cent equity stake without regulatory
approval, or 15 per cent if it also has a seat on the bank board. All other financial
investors should be permitted upto 10 per cent.
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The Report proposes increasing the continual stake ceiling to 25 per cent. It also
proposes that for distressed banks, private equity funds - including sovereign
wealth funds - be permitted to take a controlling stake of upto 40 per cent.
The Report also proposed that the principle of proportionate voting rights should
constitute part of the regulatory bedrock that fosters good governance.
RBI should attempt to diversify boards in banks where independence is not visible,
by mandating prior RBI approval for directors in such banks. RBI should also
mandate a separation between board oversight and executive autonomy.
Terms of reference of the committee

The terms of reference of the committee include to analyse the representation on
banks boards to see whether the boards have the appropriate mix of capabilities and
the necessary independence to govern the institution, and to investigate possible
conflicts of interest in board representation, including among owner representatives
and regulators.
India to become the third largest oil consumer by 2025: US

EIA
India will become the worlds third largest oil consumer by 2025 according to the US
Energy Information Administration (EIA). The US Energy Information Administration
(EIA) released its annual Energy Outlook on 7 May 2014.
At present, India is the fourth largest oil consumer in the world behind the US, China
and Japan.
According to the Energy Outlook

India will overtake Japan to become the third largest oil consumer behind the US
and China by 2025.
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Indias oil consumption growth rate will be the highest in the world with a 3 percent
compounded annual growth rate from 2012 to 2040.
The oil consumption of India will reach 6.11 million bpd in 2030 and 8.33 million
bpd in 2040.
In 2013, India overtook Japan to become the worlds third-biggest crude oil
importer. India imported 3.86 million bpd of crude oil which was nearly 6 percent
higher than Japans imports of 3648372 bpd.
Besides, the Energy Outlook has projected that the US oil consumption will rise from
18.21 million bpd of oil in 2012 to 19.23 million bpd in 2020.
However, beyond 2020 the oil consumption in the US is projected to fall to 18.97
million bpd in 2025 and to 18.42 million bpd in 2040. At present, the US is the world
largest oil consumer but with almost no demand growth.
Chinas oil consumption is projected to rise from 10.36 million bpd in 2012 to 15.70
million bpd in 2025 and 20.48 million bpd in 2040 with a compounded annual growth
rate of 2.5 percent.
RBI allowed bank branches abroad to sell structured products

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 12 May 2014 notified that foreign branches or
subsidiaries of Indian banks are allowed to offer structured financial and derivative
products that are not specifically permitted by it in the domestic market.
These activities are permitted only at the established financial centers outside India
like New York, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Dubai and others.
It also notified to the banks dealing with such products will have to ensure that their
foreign branches or subsidiaries that will deal with these products in foreign jurisdiction
have an adequate knowledge, understanding, and risk management capability for
handling such products. At other centers, banks may offer only those products that
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are specifically permitted in India.

In its notification, RBI also asked the Indian banks with branches and subsidiaries in
foreign countries to make sure that the products being provided in overseas location
should be in compliance with host country regulations, with prior approval from their
Board and appropriate authority in these foreign jurisdictions.
In its notification, RBI has also asked the banks to get necessary permission under
Section 6(1)(m) or 19 (1)(c) of the Banking Regulations Act 1949 (depending on the
case) from the RBI or Government of India which are not permitted under the Banking
Regulations Act, 1949 / respective Statute of the Public Sector Banks
By easing the norms for functioning of overseas branches of Indian Bank, the RBI has
revised the rules passed on 1 December 2008 that mandated domestic lenders to
consult with RBI before offering complex derivative products, which are not allowed
at home to overseas customers.
The step of RBI to allow domestic banks to offer structure derivatives through overseas
branches is a move that would help in improvement of their income.
Indian companies are not permitted to raise External Commercial Borrowings: RBI
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 9 May 2014 barred Indian companies from raising the
External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) from overseas branches and subsidiaries of
Indian banks for refinance or repayment of the Rupee loans raised from domestic
banking system. The notification of the central bank for changes in the ECB policy
comes into force with immediate effect.
As per RBIs notification, the restrictions are applicable in cases like take-out financing,
infrastructure financing and spectrum allocation and other repayments. The direction
of RBI was issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management
Act, 1999 (42 of 1999).
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The ECB loans are much cheaper than the domestic loans and thats why some
companies use the arbitrage available to their advantage.
Earlier in April 2014, the RBI also restricted the banks from issuing guarantees to
offshore joint ventures and subsidiaries of Indian companies to avail foreign currency
loans to repay rupee credit.
RBI allowed the minors of age above 10 years to open Savings bank accounts
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 6 May 2014 issued the guidelines to allow the minors
of age above 10 years to independently open and operate savings bank accounts
and use other facilities like ATM and cheque books.
Till now, banks allowed minors to operate bank accounts only along with a parent
or a guardian. All children and teenagers below the age of 18 are considered minors
under current rules.
RBI took this initiative to promote the objective of financial inclusion and also to bring
uniformity among banks in opening and operating minors accounts.
Highlights of the guidelines:

All minors can now open a savings/fixed/recurring bank deposit account through
either his/her natural guardian or legally appointed guardian.
Banks may keeping in view their risk management systems, fix limits in terms
of age and amount up to which minors may be allowed to operate the deposit
accounts independently.
The banks can also decide on the minimum documents which are required for
opening of accounts by minors.
Banks are free to offer additional banking facilities like Internet banking, ATM/debit
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card, cheque book facility, etc, subject to the safeguards that minor accounts are
not allowed to be overdrawn and that these always remain in credit.
On attaining majority, the minor would be required to confirm the balance in his/
her account.
If the account was operated by the natural/legal guardian, fresh operating
instructions and specimen signature of the minor should be obtained and kept on
record for all operational purposes.
Deadline ended for non-CTS cheques

The deadline for switching to new format bank cheques under the Cheque Truncation
System (CTS) ended on 30 April 2014. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) started the
process of migration to CTS cheques in New Delhi and Chennai from 24 September
2011.
Transactions with cheques that have Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) and
not CTS technology will be delayed from 1 May 2014.
Now, the non- CTS cheques will be likely to take four days or more from the date of
deposit to credit the amount. Banks will now clear non-CTS cheques on Mondays
and Fridays only.
Significance of CTS cheques

The CTS system will take transactions online. In the bank where a deposit is made
will scan cheque image data and bank will make an instant electronic transmission
of the money to the recipient.
The truncation in CTS puts a stop to physical transfer of cheques from one branch to
another. Banks will truncate the physical instrument and instead of dispatching the
cheque itself, will send an electronic image of the cheque to the banks where they
are to be credited.
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The system will reduce transaction time from a few days to a few minutes.
Also, CTS system will enhance security and reduce the cost of transferring and
processing cheques.
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) is a character-recognition technology used
mainly by the banking industry to ease the processing and clearance of cheques and
other documents.
The MICR encoding known as the MICR line is at the bottom of cheques which
includes bank code, bank account number, cheque number, cheque amount, and a
control indicator.
The technology allowed MICR readers to scan and read the information directly into
a data-collection device. The MICR E-13B font has been adopted as the international
standard in ISO 1004:1995.
Future Aspect
RBI has decided to extend the adoption of CTS cheques countrywide in phases.
Tamil Nadu, Kerala,Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and the Union territory of Puducherry
will implement the system under the Chennai grid.
Lalit Gupta committee on DIAL submitted its report to DGCA

Lalit Gupta Committee on Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) submitted its
report to DGCA on 24 April 2014. The committee was set up by Directorate General
of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in January 2014.
It has recommended that airports near Delhi like Jaipur, Lucknow and Amritsar
should be upgraded to Category-IIIB level of Instrument Landing System, which has
a runway visibility range of 150 feet or almost near-zero visibility condition. CAT IIIB
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is operational at the India Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).
General recommendations made by the Committee

All airlines would have to annually provide details on how many of their aircraft
were equipped to operate under CAT-IIIB situations and crew members trained to
fly in such conditions.
The Committee has also given recommendations for setting up of a procedure for
dealing with stranded passengers if the flight is delayed or diverted at Delhi and
other alternate airports.
Meteorological department should upgrade the meteorological facilities at IGIA
and its designated alternate airports. In this regard, integration of meteorological
data in one panel should be considered.
Additional Runway Visual Range (RVR) equipment should be installed wherever
needed and a provision of live RVR for all the runways at IGIA be made at Air
Traffic Control (ATC) Unit.
ATC shall establish Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) Unit to implement capacity
adjustment and collaborative decision making procedures.
ATC shall separate Cat I traffic from Cat II/III traffic as applicable for holding at
Delhi. ATFM Unit shall decide when to suspend Cat I/II holding at Delhi.
Recommendations of the Committee to deal with Fog

A dedicated fog forecast should be provided at three hour intervals for IGIA and
alternate airports.
New equipment for measuring instantaneous low level wind, temperature, moisture
content should be commissioned at IGIA for increasing accuracy of forecast (onset
and lifting timings of fog).
Airport operators shall not schedule any maintenance work at IGIA and alternate
airports during the fog period unless it is unavoidable.
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During fog season, operators shall not be allowed to file IGIA as alternate airport
without prior permission of ATC.
AAI shall ensure that required navigational aids are maintained in fully serviceable
conditions both at IGIA and alternate airports during fog period.
Operators shall deploy only Cat IIIB compliant aircraft along with qualified flight
crew during winter season to/from IGIA. For this purpose, operators must ensure
adequate capacity build-up in terms of aircraft capability and crew qualification
well in time before the onset of next fog season.
All scheduled airlines shall provide their detailed Cat III status indicating aircraft
and crew numbers through a consolidated return to DGCA every year.
The committee was set up with the objective to make Delhi a zero diversionary airport
without compromising safety of aircraft operations. The Delhi International Airport
Limited has witnessed a total of 289 diversions during the last three winter seasons.
There were 57 diversions in 2011, 89 in 2012 and 143 last year.
DGCA allowed Portable Electronic Device including cellphones during Flights

The Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) on 23 April 2014 decided to allow the
use of Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) including cellphones during flights. DGCA
amended CAR Section 5 Series X Part I relating to air safety.
PEDs can now be used freely on flight mode, allowing passengers to play games,
watch movies or even catch up with work on their smart phones in all phases of a
flight.
The use of PEDs shall be in the non-transmitting mode commonly called flight/airplane
mode. The amended CAR also directs all operators for reporting of any suspected
or confirmed PED interference or smoke or fire caused by PEDs to the DGCA. It also
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laid down the guidelines for the crew training.

Earlier, there was a restriction on India airspace on Wi-Fi and use of mobiles in flight
mode.
The DGCA examined the new and current regulations of the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) with a
view to change the Indian law. FAA and EASA allowed the use of PEDs at the start of
the year 2014.
The scheduled operators, during their meeting with the Director General Civil Aviation,
raised the demand for allowing use of PEDs during all phases of flight in the flight/
airplane mode.
RBI issued uniform accounting norms for Asset Reconstruction Companies

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 23 April 2014 issued uniform accounting standards
for Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs). The norms were issued with regard
to acquiring non-performing loans, recognising revenue and management fees to
ensure common treatment for firms.
RBI issued guidelines on uniform accounting standard for ARCs are as under
Acquisition cost (Pre and post acquisition)

Expenses incurred at pre acquisition stage for performing due diligence etc. for
acquiring financial assets from banks/ Fls should be expensed immediately by
recognizing the same in the statement of profit and loss for the period in which such
costs are incurred.
Revenue Recognition
1. Yield should be recognised only after the full redemption of the entire principal
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amount of Security Receipts.

2. Upside income should be recognized only after full redemption of Security Receipts.
3. Management fees may be recognized on accrual basis. Management fees
recognized during the planning period must be realized within 180 days from the
date of expiry of the planning period.
Valuation of Security Receipts (SRs)

Considering nature of investment in SRs where underlying cash flows are dependent
on realization from non performing assets, it can be classified as available for sale.
Applicability of Operating Cycle Concept under Schedule VI
Capital and Reserves will be treated as liabilities on liability side while investment in
SRs and Long term deposits with banks will be treated as fixed assets on the assets
side.
These recommendations are based on the views of the Key Advisory Group (KAG)
headed by Alok Nigam constituted by the Union Government on ARCs in 2011. The
new norms will be effective from the accounting year 2014-15.
RBI will decide NPA guidelines rules: Gujarat High Court

The High Court of Gujarat on 2 April 2014 restored the power of the Reserve Bank of
India to decide the period after which the bad loan can be called as a non-performing
asset (NPA). The bench of the High Court of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattachrya and
Justice J B Pardiwala said that the Section 2(1)(o) of Securitization and Reconstruction
of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest(SARFAESI) Act is held
unconstitutional.
The decision of the Parliament to take away the power from RBI to decide NPA
guidelines was termed wrong by the High Court. RBI was the regulator for the
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banking, non-banking institutions and securitization agencies for deciding the period
after which the loans can be treated as the NPA till the amendment in 2004 to the
Act. After the amendment, the financial institutions were freed to decide their own
regulations for NPA, which was decided separately by each firm.
RBI in 2004 set the NPA period

For banks 90 days
For Non Banking Financial Companies 180 days
The ruling of the High Court came on the petitions filed by several defaulters of banks
and NBFCs questioning every institution deciding its own NPA period. They claimed
it a violation of right to equality.
About SARFAESI (Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and

Enforcement of Securities) Act, 2002
SARFAESI (Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement
of Securities) Act, 2002 gives powers to seize and desist to the banks under which
the banks need to send a notice in writing to the defaulting borrower requiring it to
discharge its liabilities within 60 days. In case the borrower fails to comply with the
notice than the bank can take recourse to one or more following reasons
Take possession of the security for the loan
Sale or lease or assign the right over the security
Manage the same or appoint any person to manage the same
Umesh Bellur headed GIRO Advisory Group submitted its report to RBI
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Government Internal Revenue Order (GIRO) Advisory Group (GAG) under the
chairmanship of Prof. Umesh Bellur on 23 April 2014 has submitted its report to
Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The Reserve Bank of India constituted the GIRO Advisory Group (GAG) in October 2013
to implement a national GIRO-based Indian Bill Payment System. It is a centralised
process that allows payments for utility bills, educational fees and insurance premium
by just visiting the bank branch.
Recommendation of the GIRO Advisory Group

It has suggested a mechanism for centralised bills payment system in India.
Advisory Group has suggested setting up two Organisations, Bharat Bill Payment
Services (BBPS) and the Bharat Bill Payment Operating Units (BBPOUs).
It recommended a tiered structure where the Bharat Bill Payment Services (BBPS)
will be the authorised standard setting body while the Bharat Bill Payment Operating
Units (BBPOUs) will be the authorised operational units, working in adherence to the
standards set by the BBPS.
The BBPS will function as a not-for-profit organisation which has necessary
experience in the payment systems space, while the BBPOUs may be operated on
commercial lines by existing entities in the bill payments space as well as new entities
interested in this segment. The BBPS will also handle the settlement responsibilities
arising out of the transactions in the system.
All the entities in this tiered structure will operate under the uniform and single brand of
the BBPS. This will also ensure a uniform dispute resolution and customer grievance
redressal mechanism, thereby building trust and confidence in such a centralised bill
payment system.
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IFFCO got permission from Quebec Provincial Government to

set up Urea plant
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Ltd (IFFCO), Indias leading fertiliser cooperative,
got permission from the Quebec Provincial Government to set up a 1.6 billion US
dollar Urea plant. Quebec province, Canadas largest, is located in the east-central
region of the country.
A decision in this regard was taken on 26 March 2014 by the cabinet of the Quebec
Provincial Government and was notified in the official gazette of Quebec on 19 April
2014.
The proposed Urea plant will have a production capacity of up to 1.6 million tonnes
of urea and 760000 tonnes of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF).
La Coop federee, an agri-food organisation in Quebec that is one of the project
shareholders, has agreed to purchase some 500000 tonnes of urea a year for
distribution across the province, Canada and several US states.
The plant is scheduled to be commissioned by 2017.
In January 2013, IFFCOs Canadian subsidiary acquired the land for the plant. The
site is at Becancour Port and Industrial Park, which provides access via land, rail
and water to markets across North America. The deep-water port will also facilitate
exports, especially to markets in Europe.
About IFFCO
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Limited (IFFCO) was registered as Multi-unit
Co-operative Society in 1967. Under Multistate Co-operative Societies act 1984 &
2002, it was deemed to be registered as a Multistate Co-operative Society. The
Society is primarily engaged in production and distribution of fertilizers.
IFFCO commissioned ammonia - urea complex at Kalol and Kandla in Gujarat in
1975. Other Ammonia - urea complex was set up at Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh in 1981.
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The ammonia - urea unit at Aonla was commissioned in 1988.

IFFCO runs the Indias oldest ammonia-urea plant at Kalol, Gujarat.
IFFCO Chairman and Managing Director U S Awasthi
SEBI issued detailed Corporate Governance Norms

Capital market regulator of India, the Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on
17 April 2014 issued detailed corporate governance norms for listed companies. The
norms have been launched for stricter disclosures and protection of investor rights,
including equitable treatment for minority and foreign shareholders.
SEBI has amended clauses 35B and 49 of the listing agreement and the new rules
will be effective from 1 October 2014. The norms requires companies to set certain
things, namely
The listed companies need to provide the option of facility of e-voting to shareholders
on all resolutions proposed to be passed at general meetings
To get shareholders approvals for related party transactions
Establish whistle blower mechanism
Elaborate disclosures on pay packages
Have at least a woman director on their boards
The issued norms of SEBI are associated with the new Companies Act and are aimed
to encourage companies to adopt best practices on corporate governance. The new
set of norms was approved by the SEBI board during its meeting held in February
2014.
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Basel Committee issued Final standards to curb exposures

of banks to customers
The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision on 15 April 2014 issued Final standards
for measuring and controlling large exposures of banks to customers. These standards
will take effect from 1 January 2019.
The committee consisted of banking supervisors from nearly 30 countries. The
committee framed a new rule limiting how much business a bank can undertake with
a single customer.
Highlights of the guidelines

Guidelines were aimed to minimise the risk of fallout from a counterparty going
default without imposing excessive burdens on financial firms.
The framework was designed so that the maximum possible loss a bank could
incur if such a default were to occur would not endanger the banks survival as a
going concern.
In cases where the banks counterparty is another bank, large exposure limits will
directly contribute towards the reduction of system-wide contagion risk.
The framework will also contribute to strengthening the oversight and regulation
of the shadow banking system by extending the scope of coverage to exposures
to funds, securitisation structures and collective investment undertakings.
The existing rule leaves it to supervisors to impose a 25 percent cap on exposures,
meaning each exposure cannot be more than a quarter of the banks total regulatory
capital holdings.
A tighter limit will apply to exposures between banks that have been designated
as global systemically important banks (G-SIBs). This limit has been set at 15%
of Tier 1 capital.
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The Committee will by 2016 review the appropriateness of setting a large exposure
limit for exposures to qualifying central counterparties (QCCPs) related to clearing
activities, which are currently exempted.
It will also review the impact of the large exposures framework on monetary policy
implementation.
The committee planned to review whether a limit should be set on a banks
exposure to clearing houses, currently exempted, which meet new tougher
operating standards by 2016.
Besides, the final standard has revised its initial proposals related to measuring and controlling large exposures of banks to customers. These are:
The definition and the reporting thresholds are now 10% of the eligible capital
base (instead of the 5% initially proposed);
the treatment of a limited range of credit default swaps (CDS) used as hedges in
the trading book has been modified so that it is more closely aligned with the riskbased capital framework;
the initially proposed granularity threshold for exposures to securitisation vehicles
has been replaced with a materiality threshold related to the capital base of the
bank (calibrated at 0.25% of the capital base); and
A treatment that will recognised particular features of some covered bonds.
Securities of 7 firms to be moved from restricted to normal

trading category: SEBI
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the market watchdog on 15 April
2014 said that stock exchange may consider shifting securities of seven companies
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to normal trading category from restricted segment.
The seven companies that could be shifted includes

Panorama Capital Market
Noble Polymers
Adarsh Mercantile
Panafic Industrials
Classic Global Finance and Capital
Appu Marketing and Manufacturing
Jackson Investments
The bourses may consider shifting these securities from the Trade for Trade
Settlement (TFTS) to a Normal Rolling Settlement as these firms have established
connectivity with both depositories NSDL and CDSL. SEBI in a circular has advised
the exchanges to report it the action taken in this regard in the monthly/quarterly
development report.
About restricted trading category

The trade for trade segment is a restricted category and it doesnt allow any
speculative trading and delivery of shares and payment of the consideration amount
is mandatory.
World Trade to grow by 4.7 percent in 2014: WTO

World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 14 April 2014 projected that the world trade will
grow by 4.7 percent in 2014. It also projected that the growth in 2015 will slightly be
faster at 5.3 percent, which is 20 year average growth rate.
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The growth percent of 2014 is more than double of what was achieved in 2013
(2.2 percent). In 2013, the trade growth rate was slow due to a combination of flat
import demand in developed economies and moderate import growth in developing
economies. On the export side, both developed and developing economies only
managed to record small, positive increase.
Highlights
The trade forecast for 2014 has been upgraded to 4.7 percent from 4.5 percent
and 5.3 percent increase in trade is forecasted for 2015.
In 2013, Asia recorded the fastest GDP growth at 4.2 percent, which was almost
equal to growth in the previous two years. It was followed by Africa (3.8 percent),
Middle East (3.0 percent), South and Central America (also 3.0 percent), the
Commonwealth of Independent States (2.0 percent), North America (1.8 percent)
and Europe (0.3 percent).
In 2013, World merchandise trade grew 2.1 percent in volume terms, very close to
the 2.3 percent increase from the previous year.
The rise in financial market volatility was most keenly felt in emerging markets with
large current account deficits. This especially true in India, where output growth
from 2.6 percent in the second quarter to 7.2 percent in the third and then 3.9
percent in the fourth.
In 2013, exports of Asia grew faster than any other region, with a 4.6 percent rise
that is followed by North America and Europe.
Imports are growing faster in Asia (4.4 percent) followed by the Middle East,
Africa, North America and Europe. Chinas purchases from abroad jumped nearly
10 percent.
India suffered a sharp drop of 2.9 percent in its imports due to its economic
slowdown. The exports of India fall short of the targets of 325 billion dollars in
2013-14 and touched 312 billion dollars.
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India became net steel exporter after a gap of 6 years

India became net steel exporter in 2013-14 after a gap of six years. Total steel exports
by India during the fiscal year 2013-14 stood at 5.59 million tonnes (MT), as against
imports of 5.44 MT according to Joint Plant Committee (JPC), a unit of the Union
Steel Ministry.
Steel consumption of India grew by 0.6 percent (in 2013-14) to 73.93 MT. About 4.1
percent higher exports and 31.3 percent decline in imports helped India to become
net exporter of steel once again. Volatile Rupee and low demand-supply ratio lead to
higher exports, and slow domestic economy caused poor domestic demands which
resulted in lower import costs.
This trend is likely to continue in 2014-15 as both private and public producers are
aiming for more export to compensate for subdued domestic demand. Rashtriya
Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) exported 1 lakh tonne steel last year. It now has kept target of
tripling this amount in the current fiscal. Similarly, Steel Authority of India (SAIL) had
registered a 30 percent growth in exports in 2013-14 and aims to more than double
the shipments to 1 MT in 2014-15.
Background
Presently, India is the fourth largest steel maker. India had been a steel importer from
2007-08 to 2012-13. About 60 percent of the countrys total steel demand is made
by the Construction sector and about 15 percent is consumed by automobile sector.
About JPC
JPC is an institution established by the Government of India for creation and
maintenance of a complete databank on the Indian steel industry, to collect data on
this industry. Joint Plant Committee is headquartered at Kolkata with four regional
offices in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.
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MCA notified rules on providing insurance cover for public

deposits
Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) notified rules on providing insurance cover
for public deposits. The rules called Regulations for Acceptance of Deposits by
Companies was notified under section 73(2) (d) of the Companies Act 2013.
Section 73(2) (d) of the Act provides a mandatory insurance cover for public deposits
garnered by companies and a penalty of up to 18% annual interest for defaulters.
The rules were notified on 26 March 2014 and become operational from 1 April 2014.
Every company under sub-section (2) of section 73 and every other eligible company
inviting public deposits shall enter into a contract providing for deposit insurance at
least thirty days before the issue of circular or advertisement.
The deposit insurance contract shall specifically provide that in case the company
defaults in repayment of principal amount and interest thereon, the depositor shall be
entitled to the repayment of principal amount of deposits and the interest thereon by
the insurer up to the aggregate monetary ceiling as specified in the contract.
Provided that in the case of any deposit not exceeding 20000 rupees, the deposit
insurance contract shall provide for payment of the full amount of the deposit and
in the case of any deposit in excess of 20000 rupees the deposit insurance contract
shall provide for payment of an amount not less than 20000 rupees for each depositor.
All deposit-taking companies would need to maintain a Deposit Repayment Reserve
Account with a scheduled bank and this account would need to have at least 15% of
the total amount of deposits.
RBI approved banking licences to IDFC Ltd and Bandhan financial services
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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 2 April 2014 granted in-principle approvals to
IDFC Ltd and Bandhan Financial Services Pvt. Ltd to start new banks in India. These
approvals have been granted under the guidelines on licensing of new banks in the
private sector. The two have been granted the permission to set-up banks from a
field of 25 aspirants.
The two applicants received the in-principle approval following the recommendation
of High-Level Advisory Committee (HLAC) set up by RBI that claimed these two
as suitable. The approvals would be valid for a period of 18 months and within this
period these firms will have to comply with the rules stipulated by the RBI.
RBI in its statement said that the HLAC had also recommended that in the case of
Department of Posts, which has applied for licence, it would be desirable to consider
the application separately in consultation with the Government of India.
The two entities, Bandhan based in Kolkata and IDFC based in Mumbai that has
received the approvals are non-banking finance companies. Bandhan is a microfinance
institution and IDFC is classified as an infrastructure finance company.
Since 2004, these two entities became the first one to be issued new bank licence.
Kotak Mahindra Bank and YES Bank were given a licence in 2004.
Other big names of the aspirants, who are seeking the approval
Aditya Birla Nuvo
Bajaj Finserv
LIC Housing Finance Ltd
L&T Finance Holdings
Reliance Capital
Religare Enterprises
Shriram Capital
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Background
The in-principle approvals to these entities as a precautionary measure have been
granted by RBI as after consulting the Election Commission. Earlier, the Union
Finance Minister in his budget speech for the year 2010-11 announced that there is a
need to extend the geographical coverage of banks and improve access to banking
services. Further, on 22 February 2013, RBI issued guidelines for licensing new
banks. The HLAC was set up on 30 October 2013 under the chairmanship of former
RBI Governor, Dr. Bimal Jalan and the committee comprised other three members.
The other three members were
C.B. Bhave, former Chairman, SEBI
Usha Thorat, former Deputy Governor, RBI
Nachiket Mor, Director, RBI Central Board
HLAC was set to screen the applications and recommend licenses only to those
applicants who complied with the guidelines.
RBI capped WMA limit for central government at 35000 crore

rupees for 2015 first half
RBI in consultation with Union Government on 1 April 2014 capped the Ways and
Means Advances (WMA) limits for the first half of the new financial year 2014-15
(April 2014-Sep 2014) at 35000 crore rupees.
This notification of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is aimed at triggering fresh flotation of
market loans when the government utilises 75 percent of the WMA limit. The second
half of the limit would be fixed in September 2014.
The interest rate on WMA/overdraft will be based on

a) WMA: Repo Rate
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b) Overdraft: Two percent above the Repo Rate

Under the notification of the WMA limit, the Reserve Bank had retained the flexibility
for revision of the limits at any time in consultation of the government. The flexibility
would be used in consideration of the prevailing circumstances.
As per the notification, the government will have to maintain a minimum balance
of not less than 100 crore rupees with RBI on Fridays, on the date of closure of
governments financial year and on 30 June i.e. the closure of the annual accounts of
the RBI and not less than 10 crore rupees on other days.
Background
The overdrafts beyond 10 consecutive working days will not be allowed on the basis
of agreement of 26 March 1997 between the Union Government and RBI. WMA is
used by the government to manage its short-term liquidity that arises during the
interregnum of its planned market borrowing.
EPFO announced to provide Universal Account Number from

October 2014
Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on 24 March 2014 announced to
provide Universal Account Number (UAN) to its five crore subscribers from 1 October
2014.
Permanent or Universal Account Number (UAN) will facilitate subscribers to avoid
filing Provident Fund (PF) account transfer claims on changing jobs. After getting
UAN, a subscriber would not be issued new PF account number on joining new
employer.
The UAN would be one account number which would be allotted to a subscriber for
various schemes run by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for their
entire service period with different employers.
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C-DAC will prepare a roadmap for implementing the UAN programme.

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is the premier research
and development organisation under the Union Ministry of Communications &
Information Technology for carrying out R&D in IT, Electronics and associated areas.
Significance of UAN
It will facilitate subscribers to avoid filing provident fund (PF) account transfer claims
on changing jobs.
It is expected to provide great relief to the workers in organised sector who frequently
change jobs, specially the construction sector.
The UAN will help reduce the workload of the EPFO. During 2012-13, EPFO received
over 12 lakh claims for transfer of PF account on changing of jobs by its subscribers.
About EPFO
The Employees Provident Fund came into existence with the promulgation of the
Employees Provident Funds Ordinance on the 15th November 1951. It was replaced
by the Employees Provident Funds Act, 1952.
It is now referred as the Employees Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions
Act, 1952. The Employees Provident Funds Bill aims to provide for the institution of
provident funds for employees in factories and other establishments.
Bank of India launched Instant Money Transfer Scheme

Bank of India (BoI) on 24 March 2014 launched Instant Money Transfer (IMT) scheme
in Mumbai. IMT scheme allows customers to withdraw cash without using either debt
card or credit card at BoIs IMT-enabled ATMs. This is the first-of-its-kind initiative
launched by a public sector bank.
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Characteristic Features of IMT Scheme

IMT is an innovative domestic money remittance facility.
It allows the customer to send money to a receiver only by using the receivers
mobile number through the banks ATM and retail internet banking facility.
The receiver can withdraw money from a Bank of Indias ATM without using a card.
The monthly withdrawal limit prescribed for IMT transaction is 25000 rupees for
receiver, and per transaction limit of 10000 rupees.
IMT is valid for 14 days only from the date of issue. After 14 days the transaction
expires and the sender is credited back with the IMT amount.
IMT can also be cancelled by the sender before its expiry and withdrawal.
Process of Transaction under IMT Scheme

The sender initiates IMT by providing receivers mobile number, four digits sender
code, the IMT amount and authorises the transaction from either banks ATM or
banks internet banking.
The sender provides receivers name, address and mobile number to the bank
either on SMS or Internet banking.
The receiver receives the notification of IMT on his mobile phone, along with a
four-digit SMS Pin.
The sender separately communicates the four-digit sender code to the receiver.
The receiver, after getting these two pieces of information - one from the sender and
the other on SMS, walks into the banks nearest IMT-enabled ATM and withdraws
cash by punching in the mobile number, sender code, and SMS Pin.
Background
The IMT scheme was launched following the RBI Governor Raghuram Rajans
announcement made in February 2014 that RBI is currently working on a new system
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that will allow users to withdraw cash from ATMs even if the recipient doesnt have
a bank account. Through this service, RBI was looking to cater to the unbanked
population in urban and rural areas.
Earlier in September 2010, Axis Bank launched a similar mobile-based bank-agnostic
domestic remittances service for its India customers. Axis Bank had partnered with
Empays Payment Systems to launch the service.
Chairman and Managing Director of Bank of India is V. R. Iyer.
Government of India divested its 9 percent stake in Axis Bank

The Government of India divested its 9 percent stake in Axis Bank on 21 March 2014.
The divestment resulted into generation of 5500 crore rupees.
Through a trust fund called Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI),
Government of India disposed 42.26 million shares or 9 percent of Axis Banks share
capital.
Axis Bank is the third largest private sector bank of India in which Government of
India holds 20.7 percent share by assets.
The share sale is part of the governments campaign to raise revenues and meet its
revised fiscal deficit target of 4.6 percent of gross domestic product in the financial
year ending on 31 March 2014.
Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) bought 85.46 lakh shares or 20.23 percent of the
total 42.26 crore shares on offer with an investment of 1122 crore rupees. Citigroup
Global bought 38.23 lakh shares with an investment of 503 crore rupees followed
by New World Fund (26.88 lakh shares) and Goldman Sachs Singapore (23.50 lakh
shares).
Now, SUUTI will remain the largest shareholder with 11.72 percent stake followed by
LIC.
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Citigroup Inc, JPMorgan Chase & Co and JM Financial Ltd were appointed by the
government in January 2014 to manage the stake sale.
RBI issued notice to banks concerning discontinuation of

Windows XP
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued notice to banks on 19 March 2014 to take
measures to counter the threat expected to arise from discontinuation of Windows
XP from 8 April 2014.
Microsoft the maker of the Windows XP operating system will be withdrawing support
for the operating system from 8 April 2014. Microsoft introduced Windows XP in
October 2001.
The withdrawal of Windows XP means that no updates and patches for bugs will be
issued by the Microsoft. As a result, the banking system of India largely running on
Windows XP may become vulnerable to viruses and other cyber attacks.
However, Indian Banks Association (IBA) has said that banks are well prepared
to tackle the threat arising from the discontinuation of Windows XP. Thus, neither
branches nor cash vending machines will be shut down once Microsoft stops support
to the system from April 8.
SEBI issued new norms to ease KYC details for investors

SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) on 20 March 2014 notified a new set
of norms to ease the process of Making Know-Your-Client (KYC) for investors. The
newly issued set of norms will allow various market entities like brokers and Mutual
Funds to get details from the centralized KYC agencies, instead of carrying out a
fresh KYC verification procedure.
This facility will allow the market intermediary to access the centralized KYC
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Registration Agency system in the case the client is already KYC complaint to verify
and download the clients details from the Agencys system.
About KRA (KYC Registration Agency)

SEBI issued the SEBI {KYC (Know Your Client) Registration Agency (KRA)},
Regulations, 2011 with a view to bring uniformity in the KYC requirements for the
securities markets. For this it initiated usage of uniform KYC by all SEBI registered
intermediaries. In pursuant of the abovementioned regulation, SEBI approved the
NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML), which is a wholly owned subsidiary
of National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL), to function as a KRA.
Overall, the KRA is the institution that maintains the KYC details of the investor and
the wholly-owned subsidiaries of stock exchanges and depositories are eligible to
act as KRA.
IOC sold 10% government stake to OIL and ONGC

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) sold 10 percent of government stake (for 5340 crore
rupees) to the Oil India Limited (OIL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on
14 March 2014. Earlier, government shareholding in IOC was 78.92% which has now
reduced to 68.92 percent.
The aim of this deal was to encourage the disinvestment programme by the government
of India. Till date, overall disinvestments have raised about 10434 crore rupees. This
transaction was an Off-market transaction. Both the OIL, ONGC together bought 5
percent stake each at 220 rupees per share. This was for the first time for OIL to hold
shares in IOC whereas, ONGCs holding in IOC increased to 13.77 percent from 8.77
percent.
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RBI hiked trade related remittance from 2 to 5 lakh rupees

per transaction
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 13 March 2014 hiked the trade related remittance
limit from 2 lakh rupees to 5 lakh rupees per transaction with immediate effect. It also
increased the number of transaction handled by exchange houses.
RBI decided to increase the limit of trade transactions on a review of the permitted
transactions under the Rupee Drawing Arrangements (RDAs). These changes have
been included in Memorandum of Instructions for Opening and Maintenance of
Rupee/Foreign Currency Vostro Accounts of Non-resident Exchange Houses.
Earlier, in 2009 RBI rationalised norms on maintenance of rupee/foreign currency
Vostro accounts of non-resident Exchange Houses. It was in view of the increased
number of transactions being handled by the Exchange Houses and the rapid
developments in the communication facilities.
Besides RBI informed that the government has notified the repurchase of its securities
through reserve auction for an aggregate amount of 15000 crore (face values). Bids for
the auction will be submitted in electronic format on the RBI crore Banking Solution
(E-Kuber) system on 18 March 2014.
CPSE-ETF new fund offer launched

Goldman Sachs Asset Management announced the launch of CPSE-ETF (Central
Public Sector Enterprise- Exchange Trade Fund) new fund offer (NFO) on 14 March
2014. The fund will open for retail investors on 19 March 2014.
CPSE ETF is an open-ended Index Exchange Traded Scheme NFO. It will be listed
on the exchanges in the form of an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), which tracks the
Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) index.
The CPSE Index, comprise ONGC, Gail, Coal India, Indian Oil, IOC, PFC, CCL, BEL
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and EIL. The index makes government to disinvest some of its stake in select CPSEs
through ETF route. The scheme provides an opportunity to investors to invest in these
PSUs at a discount of 5 percent on the Reference Market Price of the underlying
shares of CPSE Index.
Retail individual investors can invest a minimum of 5000 rupees and in multiples of 1
rupee thereafter up to 2 lakh rupees.
Union Finance Ministry and SEBI finalized the norms for setting up CPSE-ETF
Union Finance Ministry and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 11
March 2014 jointly finalized the norms of investment for setting up Central Public
Sector Enterprises (CPSE) - Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). The Empowered Group of
Ministers (EGoM) headed by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had approved floating
the CPSE ETF.
Main Highlights
Individual investors can invest for CPSE-ETF in between 5 thousand rupees to 10
lakh rupees.
CPSE ETF is an open-ended fund and the units would have a face value of Rs.10
per unit.
The CPSE ETF comprised shares of 10 blue-chip companies.
Companies listed in the ETF basket are ONGC, IOC, Coal India, GAIL, REC,
Oil India, Container Corporation, Power Finance, Engineers India and Bharat
Electronics Ltd.
The ETF is expected to fetch 3000 crore rupees to the exchequer. The CPSE-ETF
is an additional way to meet the target of Disinvestment of Government of India.
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Goldman Sachs is acting as the asset management company for the ETF.
This first-of-its-kind ETF is also likely to have certain unique features like loyalty
incentive and upfront discount to attract retail investors.
CPSE-ETF is made up of a basket of shares of different CPSEs that tracks an index

fund. ETF will trade like a stock on the exchange. Gold ETFs dominate the market in
India.
ETFs were introduced in India in 2001. At present, there are about 33 ETFs with
assets under management of close to 11500 crore rupees held by 6.2 lakh investors.
Union Government announced to build 200 low cost airports

Union Government on 10 March 2014 announced to build 200 low cost airports in
the next 20 years. The move is aimed at expanding connectivity to Tier-II and TierIII cities. The development of low-frills airports will significantly reduce the cost of
operations.
The announcement is expected to trigger a sharp increase in the aircraft fleet and
the MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) business. India is expected to add 370
aircraft worth 27 billion US dollar by 2017.
Union Government also planned to build fifteen low-cost airports till 2020 under the
Greenfield Airport Policy, 2008. Airports Authority of India planned to invest 1500
crore rupees in the development of non metro airports during the 12th Plan.
Union Government also planned to invest over 120 billion US dollar in the development
of airport infrastructure , improvement in connecting infrastructure , development
of world class air navigation services infrastructure and other related activities to
improve the air connectivity.
The non-metro airports presently account for only about 30 per cent of the total air
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traffic. It is expected to rise to 45 per cent in the next few years. This growth will result
in increase in the number of aircraft operating in India to 1000 from the present 400
by 2020.
India is one of the fastest growing aviation market in the world. Currently, Indian
aviation market ranks ninth but it is expected to become the third largest after US
and China by 2020.
Indian airport system is poised to handle 336 million domestic and 85 million
international passengers by 2020, from the current level of 121 million domestic and
41 million international passengers.
India emerged as the largest non oil trading partner for Dubai
in 2013-14
Report released by Dubai Department of Economic Development on 10 March 2014
marked India as the largest non oil trading partner of Dubai in 2013-14. The bilateral
trade between the two countries in 2013-14 crossed 37 billion US dollar, which is 10
percent of the overall trade.
The report also says that the exports and re-exports from India have also marked a
significant rise in the period.
Bilateral Trade of four countries with Dubai

China bilateral trade was of about 36.7 billion US dollar
US bilateral trade was of about 23.4 billion US dollar
Saudi Arabia - bilateral trade was of about 23 billion US dollar
UK - bilateral trade was of about 15.2 billion US dollar
The report claimed that in terms of bilateral trade with Dubai, India was followed by
China, US, Saudi Arabia and UK.
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In terms as the export partners India, Turkey and Switzerland emerged as the leading
countries. In re-exports, Saudi Arabia booked the first position followed by India and
Iraq. China emerged at the top position in the list of top imports partner and was
followed by US and India.
Indian Revenue Department tightened baggage rules to curb

illegal Gold Import
Union Government of India (Indian Revenue Department) on 6 March 2014 tightened
baggage rules for inbound Indian passengers. According to the step, the passengers
will have to provide details of source of funds for importing the metal as well as the air
tickets. The baggage rule has been tightened to check gold smuggling in the country
and to prevent misuse of gold import facility.
Circulation issued by the Revenue Department circular says that

The baggage receipt that is issued by the customs will include engraved serial
number on gold bars
The Central Board of Excise & Customs directive has said that the passengers
bringing gold in any form, which includes ornaments, will have to declare itemwise inventory that is being imported with baggage receipt
These norms have been revised and tightened following sudden increase (spurt) in
import of gold by eligible passengers via airports in the country.
This rule has been hardened as the eligible passengers (Persons of Indian Origin or
an Indian returning to India after a period of six months of stay abroad) are allowed to
import gold up to 1 kilogram by paying 10 percent customs duty in foreign currency.
The passenger should be a passenger who holds a valid passport issued under the
Passport Act, 1967.
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Background
In recent past, the Reserve Bank of India and the Union government have expressed
concerns over the sudden increase of import of gold in the country. These increases
were also felt even after measures taken by them to curb import of gold to reduce the
widened Current Account Deficit (CAD).
Steps taken to curb excessive import of gold to the country were

Import duty of 10 percent in 2013
Linking the imports to exports under the 20:80 scheme
Analysis
Tightening of baggage rules have been done even after imposition of 10 percent
amount on gold import may be because this step would have triggered gold smuggling
in recent past. The eligible passengers have been targeted by the government as
smugglers hires eligible passengers or NRIs to import gold in the country.
Current Account Deficit declined to 0.9 percent of GDP in

Quarter 3 of 2013-14
Current Account Deficit (CAD) declined to 0.9 percent of Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) in Quarter 3 (October - December) of 2013-14.
This was revealed by the Report on Developments in Indias Balance of Payments
released by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 5 March 2014. Also, as per the report
CAD reached to its lowest in the past eight years.
Other highlights
Rising exports and moderation in gold imports have pulled down Indias current
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account deficit (CAD) sharply to 4.2 billion dollar in Quarter 3 of 2013-14.

The export was increased due to the significant growth especially in the exports of
engineering goods, readymade garments, iron ore, marine products and chemicals.
On the other hand, merchandise imports recorded a decline of 14.8 per cent at
112.9 billion dollar in Q3 of 2013-14.
Decline in imports was primarily led by a steep decline in gold imports. This was
amounted to 3.1 billion dollar as compared to 17.8 billion dollar in Q3 of 2012-13.
The declined in CAD was happened due to government imposed curbs on gold
imports and the Reserve Bank of Indias subsidy for Non-Resident Indians US
dollar deposits.
CAD narrowed to 31.1 billion dollar or 2.3 per cent of GDP in April-December 2013
from 69.8 billion dollar or 5.2 percent of GDP in April-December of 2012.
The CAD reflects the difference between inflow and outflow of foreign currency. It
stood at 31.9 billion dollar or 6.5 per cent of GDP in October-December quarter
of 2012-13.
On a Balance of Payment (BoP) basis, merchandise exports increased by 7.5 per
cent at 79.8 billion dollar) in Q3 of 2013-14. The quantum of export was 3.9 per
cent in Q3 of 2012-13.
Current Account Deficit (CAD)

A measurement of a countrys trade in which the value of goods and services it
imports exceeds the value of goods and services it exports.
The current account also includes net income, such as interest and dividends, as
well as transfers, such as foreign aid, though these components tend to make up a
smaller percentage of the current account than exports and imports.
The current account is a calculation of a countrys foreign transactions, and along
with the capital account is a component of a countrys balance of payment.
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Workdays for tribals under MNREGA raised from 100 to 150

Union Government of India on 28 February 2014 raised the number of workdays
under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005)
from 100 days to 150 days. This hike in the workdays will benefit 14 lakh families in
India and the decision Union Cabinet will come into effect from April 2014.
Apart from this, those tribal beneficiaries, who have received land rights under the
Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 will be eligible for 50 days wage employment under the
rural job scheme.
The beneficiaries of this hike in workdays will be available for those who have
completed 100 workdays in that particular financial year. Such people will be given a
job card of different color to distinguish from the regular MNREGA workers.
Background
The government under Forest Rights Act 2006 has given titles to around 14 lakh
individual and community of which around 8 lakh individual titles include states
namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa.
RBI issued guidelines to deal with distressed assets

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines for revitalising distressed assets
on 26 February 2014. The guidelines suggested the forming of Joint Lenders Forum
(JLF) and adoption of Corrective Action Plan (CAP) for operationalising the framework.
Highlights of the Guidelines:

Before a loan account turns into a NPA, banks are required to identify incipient stress
in the account by creating three sub-categories under the Special Mention Account
(SMA1) category. SMA Sub-categories.
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SMA-0: Account will fall in this category if the Principal or interest payment not
overdue for more than 30 days but account showing signs of incipient stress.
SMA-1: If the Principal or interest payment overdue between 31-60 days
SMA-2: If the Principal or interest payment overdue between 61-90 days
RBI to set up a Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC) to
collect, store, and disseminate credit data to lenders.
Banks are advised that as soon as an account is reported by any of the lenders
to CRILC as SMA-2, they should mandatorily form a committee to be called Joint
Lenders Forum (JLF) if the aggregate exposure (AE) of lenders in that account is
1000 million rupees and above.
The RBI suggested infusion of more equity into their companies by promoters and
transfer of their holdings to a security trustee or an escrow arrangement till the
turnaround of the company.
The Indian Banks Association (IBA) would prepare a master JLF agreement and
operational guidelines for JLF which could be adopted by all lenders.
While JLF formation and subsequent corrective actions would be mandatory
in accounts having AE of 100 crore rupees and above, in other cases also the
lenders would have to monitor the asset quality closely and take corrective action
for effective resolution as deemed appropriate.
For accounts with AE of 500 crore rupees and above, the techno-economic viability
study and restructuring package would have to be subjected to an evaluation by
an independent evaluation committee (IEC) of experts.
The IEC would be required to give its recommendation in these cases to the JLF
within 30 days.
Thereafter, considering the views of IEC, if the JLF decided to go ahead with
the restructuring, the restructuring package, including all terms and conditions
as mutually agreed upon between the lenders and the borrower, would have to
be approved by all the lenders and communicated to the borrower within next 15
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days for implementation.
NABARD formed Joint Liability Group to finance Small Farmers

Rural development agency National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD) announced to form a new concept called Joint Liability Group (JLG) on 24
February 2014.
JLG aimed to provide institutional credit to small farmers like share croppers, oral
lessees and agricultural labourers.
JLG scheme will be highly beneficial for states like Punjab and Haryana where average
land holdings are shrinking and strength of such farmers is large in these states.
Similar on the pattern of Self Help Groups (SHG), NABARD will provide refinance
facility to banks for providing loans and financial assistance to small and marginal
farmers who are normally deprived of finance.
NABARD has already 41 lakh SHGs which are credit linked.
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of NABARD is H K Bhanwala.
About Joint Liability Group (JLG)

A Joint Liability Group (JLG) is an informal group comprising preferably of 4 to10
individuals but can be up to 20 members, coming together for the purposes of availing
bank loan either singly or through the group mechanism against mutual guarantee.
The JLG members would offer a joint undertaking to the bank that enables them to
avail loans. The JLG members are expected to engage in similar type of economic
activities like crop production.
The management of the JLG is to be kept simple with little or no financial administration
within the group. JLGs can be formed primarily consisting of tenant farmers and
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small farmers cultivating land without possessing proper title of their land / rural
entrepreneurs engaged in non-farm activities.
Union Cabinet approved Coal Regulatory Authority

The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of Coal Regulatory Authority (CRA) on
20 February 2014. The proposal for setting up CRA was made by the Union Coal
Ministry.
The regulator is a non-statutory entity. Its orders will be advisory and not mandatory
in nature.
It will be empowered to specify the principles and methodology to determine the
price of raw and washed coal and any other by-product generated during washing.
The regulator will not have the power to decide the price in the domestic market, and
Coal India will continue to enjoy its freedom to set the rates. The regulator will also
have no say in the allocation of coal acreages.
It will not have the power and functions that are vested with the Coal Controller
under the present law. Powers, such as the settlement of disputes over quality, will
be transferred to the regulator once the bill is passed.
However, it will regulate testing methods to declare grades or quality, specify the
procedure for automatic sampling and adjudicate upon disputes. It will also monitor
the closure of mines and the approval of mining plans.
The regulatory authority will go a long way in cleaning up the muck that has accumulated
in this sector. This will make the sector competitive and increase private participation.
Gross NPAs of listed banks soared 35.2 percent during first

three quarters of 2013-14
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The gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of listed banks rose 35.2 per cent to 2.43
trillion rupees during the first three quarters of the current financial year 2013-14.
Stressed loans of listed banks rose to 50 per cent for the calendar year 2013, even
as the banks struggle to recover their dues and restructure loans.
Bad loans stood at 138613 crore ruppes for December 2013 against 92398 crore
rupees in December 2012.
Among the listed banks, SBI had the highest share of gross NPAs at 67799 crore
rupees followed by PNB at 16596 crore rupees, and Bank of Baroda at 11926 crore
rupees.
ING Vysyas net NPAs increased the most at 359 per cent, followed by Bank of
Maharashtra at 352 percent.
ICICI Banks gross NPAs rose 8.2 per cent, or by 791 crore rupees to 10399 crore
rupees. The level of bad loans was 9607.75 crore rupees as on 31 March 2013.
About NPA
Banks usually classify any commercial loans as non-performing assets which are
more than 90 days overdue and any consumer loans which are more than 180 days
overdue. More generally, an asset which is not producing income.
Government de-allocated six Coal Blocks due to delay in production

The Union Government of India on 18 February 2014 de-allocated six coal blocks
given to firms following delay in production. This de-allocation has been done on the
recommendation made in this regard by an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) that was
headed by Additional Secretary, Coal as its Chairman.
The IMG was set-up to review the progress of development of captive coal blocks
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that were allotted to private companies.
Firms whose blocks has been de-allocation includes

Hindalco Industries
Tata Power
Century Textiles and Industries
J K Cement
The decision made by Coal Ministry to de-allocate the coal blocks given to JSPL and
Sterlite has been put on hold in view of cases pending in courts.
Earlier on 17 February 2014, the Ministry de-allocated 10 coal blocks allocated to firms like
Adani Power
Jindal Steel and Power Ltd
Uttam Galva Steels
ACC Cement
Second AE put Foodgrain production at 263.2 MT in 2013-14

Union Agriculture Ministry released the Second advance estimates of Crop Production
on 14 February 2014. As per the estimate, Foodgrain production is likely to touch a
record of 263.2 million tonnes in 2013-14, as against the benchmark high of 259
million tonnes achieved in 2011-12. This would be the highest foodgrain production
ever achieved in the country.
The estimated foodgrain production of 263.2 for 2013-14 million tonnes is higher
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than the foodgrain production of 257.13 million tonnes in 2012-13. This is 6 million
tonnes higher than the production in 2012-13.
Record production of rice, wheat, oilseeds and cotton has contributed to the overall
rise in foodgrain output in the 2013-14. Also, a good monsoon along with improved
sowing of both kharif (summer) and rabi (winter) crops have improved prospects of a
better foodgrain production in 2013-14.
The rice output is expected to be 106.19 million tonnes, as against 105.24 million
tonnes produced in 2012-13. Wheat production is expected to be 95.60 million tonnes
compared to 93.51 million tonnes produced in 2012-13.
The output of Pulses in 2013-14 has gone up to 19.77 million tonnes compared to
18.34 million tonnes in 2011-12. Coarse cereal production increased by 1.5 million
tonnes to 41.64 million tonnes.
The total oilseeds production is expected to be 329.83 lakh tonnes as against 309.43
lakh tonnes in 2012-13. Production of rapeseed and mustard is likely to be an alltime high at 82.51 lakh tonnes, compared to 80.29 lakh tonnes in 2012-13.
Indias Economy to grow by 4.9 percent in 2013-14: CSO

Central Statistics Office (CSO) in its release on 8 February 2014 estimated that Indias
economic growth in the current (2013-14) fiscal will be 4.9 percent as compared to
the growth rate of 4.5 percent in 2012-13. In its release, CSO said that the growth rate
in the manufacturing and mining sectors will continue to remain a cause of concern.
CSO in its estimation said that the Per Capita Income at current prices will be 74920
as compared to 67839 during 2012-13. This rise in Per Capita Income has rose by
10.4 percent. CSO has also decided the Net National Income at factor cost at current
prices will be 92.4 lakh crore rupees during 2013-14 as compared to 82.6 lakh crore
rupees during 2012-13. This will be a rise of 11.9 percent. It also highlighted the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the year 2013-14 will be 105.4 lakh crore rupees
showing a growth rate of 12.3 percent over the First Revised Estimate of GDP for the
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year 2012-13 of 93.9 lakh crore rupees.

The advance estimates of the Central Statistics Office (CSO) that is functional under
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation are based on
Level of agricultural production from the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of
Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC), Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
Monthly accounts of Union Government Expenditure maintained by Controller
General of Accounts (CGA)
State Government expenditure maintained by Comptroller and Auditor general of
India (CAG)
The estimations also depends upon the performance of key sectors like transport
including railways, road, air and water transport etc. It has also taken into consideration
of things like communication, banking and insurance. The advance estimates at
current prices are derived by estimating the implicit price deflators (IPDs) at sectoral
level from the relevant price indices.
Earlier, in its revised estimates from the provisional forecast of 5 percent, CSO lowered
the growth for 2012-13 fiscal to 4.5 percent. C Rangarajan, the Chairman of the
Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council described this revision as encouraging
indication that the economic slowdown is over.
Economic Statistics
Economic Statistics covers statistics on Employment, Industry, National Accounts,
Prices, Transport and Communication and Trade. Some of the statistics is compiled
using administrative data while others are through conducting business surveys.
There are instances where a combination of administrative and business surveys
data are used to augment each other.
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RBI released draft Report on Enabling PKI in Payment System Applications

A draft technical report on making payment system effective was released by Reserve
Bank of India on 7 February 2014. RBI in its report of the Technical Committee on
Enabling Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in Payment System Applications said that
the objective of an effective payment system is to ensure a safe, secure, efficient,
robust and sound payment system in the country.
RBI has kept the report open for public comment and suggestions till 28 February
2014. Public Key Infrastructure enabled electronic payment systems that has been
introduced by the RBI are
RTGS
NEFT
CBLO
FOREX Clearing
Government Securities Clearing
Cheque Truncation System (CTS)
The RBI report said that in the year 2012-13 the non-PKI enabled payment system
like clearing of MICR/Non MICR, electronic credit system, credit card and debit cards
contributed to 75 percent, which in value terms is only 6.3 percent. It also mentioned
that the payment systems enabled on non-PKI, MICR clearing and non-MICR clearing
contributed to 37 percent and 10 percent in volume terms and 69 percent and 25
percent in value terms.
The report in its highlights has also included security features in existing payment
system applications and feasibility in implementing PKI in all payments system
applications. The Group has also recommended that banks may carry out in phases
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PKI implementation for authentication and transaction verification.

The report has also mentioned that the issuing banks will also have to convert the
older credit or debit cards with the magstripe into EVM chip and pin-enabled ones.
The systems of payment are subjected to various financial risks like

Credit risk
Liquidity risk
Systemic risk
Operational risk
Legal risk
The need to recognise the security and safety to be robust was needed following the
increase in the adoption of electronic payment products and delivery channels for
transactional needs.
The Reserve Bank of India had, in September 2013, constituted a group to prepare
an approach paper for enabling PKI for Payment Systems in India. The members of
the constituted group were from banks (State Bank of India and ICICI bank), Institute
for Development and Research in Banking Technology-Certifying Authority (IDRBTCA), Controller of Certifying Authority (CCA), New Delhi and Reserve Bank of India
[(Department of Technology (DIT), Department of Payment and Settlement Systems
(DPSS), Department of Government and Bank Accounts (DGBA) - Core Banking
Solution (CBS) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).
FAA downgraded safety ratings of Indian aviation

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US downgraded the safety ratings of
Indian aviation on 31 January 2014. The safety ratings have been downgraded from
top to the second category. The downgrading would affect expansion of flights by
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Indian carriers to the United States.

The downgrade from Category I to II means that Indian aviation regulator does not meet
the safety standards set by the UN agency, International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The downgrading of Indian aviation was taken after Director General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) failed to address all the 33 concerns raised by the FAA in its safety audit
conducted in September 2013 and December 2013.
Among the concerns raised by the FAA over 33 issues were filling up of several senior
positions including those of full-time Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs), beefing up
of aviation safety training programmes and preparing manuals and documentation
on certain safety issues.
The FAA downgrade of Indias safety rankings would effectively bar Air India and Jet
Airways from increasing flights to the US from what they currently operate or have
any new code-share relationships with any US airline.
However, it does not mean that these airlines are unsafe but show that the DGCAs
safety oversight may not be enough to properly monitor safety performance of Indian
carriers.
The FAA over the years has downgraded ratings of several nations including that of
close ally Israel, Mexico, Venezuela and the Philippines. It has used downgrade as
more of a tool to pressurise countries to shape up their regulatory schemes but not
as a warning of imminent safety problems.
Union Cabinet approved second Phase of Bangalore Metro

Rail Project
The Union Cabinet on 30 January 2014 approved the second phase of Bangalore
Metro Rail Project to improve public transport system and provide additional public
transport infrastructure in the city. It is named as Namma Metro and will cover a
distance of 72 kilometer in the second phase.
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Construction in the second phase includes construction of four extension lines of the
East-West and North-South corridors of Phase 1 and two new lines also.
The government will make an investment of estimated 26405 crore rupees of which
5281 crore rupees will be the share of the central government and 8983 crore by
Karnataka government. The remaining 12141 crore rupees will be raised through
debt. The project is scheduled to be completed in five years.
At present, the Bangalore Metro (Namma) is operational for about 6.7 kilometer, which
was the part of phase one of the project. The Bangalore Metro rail Corporation has
created the project jointly share of center and state with 50:50 equity.
Agriculture Ministry issued guidelines on National Mission

on Oil seeds and Oil Palm
Union Agriculture Ministry on 31 January 2014 issued detailed guidelines and strategy
for implementation of National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm. The issued scheme
is aimed at enhancement of production of traditional and tree-borne oilseeds. The
scheme also seeks to bring-in large area under the oil palm cultivation. Under the 12th
five-year plan, the government has sanctioned 3507 crore rupees for the Mission.
Implementation of the strategy includes

Increasing Seed Replacement Ratio
Irrigation coverage under oilseeds from 26 to 36 percent
Diversify of area from low yielding cereal crops to oilseed crops and inter-cropping
of oilseeds with cereals, sugarcane and pulses
Use of fallow land after paddy and potato cultivation
Active involvement of all the stakeholders would be implemented under the scheme
of which 75 percent cost will be borne by centre and 25 percent by the states. The
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fund flow will be monitored strictly to ensure benefits of the Mission reaches to the
targeted beneficiaries at a proper time.
India became third largest crude oil importer in the World

India overtook Japan to become the third largest crude oil importer in the World. As
per the data released by Reuters on 30 January 2014, India imported 3.86 million
barrels-per-day of crude oil in the year 2013.
Indias crude oil imports were nearly 6 percent higher than Japans customs-cleared
imports of 3648372 barrels-per-day (211716710 kilolitres).
Recently, China had overtaken USA to become the worlds largest importer of crude
oil.
Worlds Top Five Oil-Importing Countries

1.
China: China imports 6.30 million barrels per day
2.
U.S.A: USA imports 6.24 million barrels per day
3.
India: India imports 3.86 million barrels per day
4.
Japan: Japan imports 3.64 million barrels per day
5.
Germany: Germany imports 2.67 million barrels per day
NIC and Union Ministry of MSME launched India Inclusive

Innovation Fund
India Inclusive Innovation Fund (IIIF) was launched by the National Innovation Council
(NIC) and the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) on 27
January 2014. IIIF seeks to combine innovation and the dynamism of enterprise to
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solve the problems of citizens at the base of the economic pyramid in India.
Main characteristics of the IIIF

IIIF will help create a new class of capital or venture capital to set up and scale
entrepreneurial skills and innovation in the firms delivering goods and service to
the poorest of the country.
The Fund will invest in innovative ventures that are scalable, sustainable and
therefore profitable.
It will address social needs of less privileged citizens in areas such as healthcare,
food, nutrition, agriculture, education, skill development, energy, financial inclusion,
water, and sanitation and employment generation.
It will also partner the entire ecosystem in this space, including incubators,
angel groups, and also public R&D programmes and laboratories to support the
commercialisation and deployment of socially relevant innovative technologies
and solutions.
The Fund will be registered under SEBIs Alternative Investment Fund Category I
guidelines.
The initial corpus of fund is 500 crore rupees with the Union Ministry of MSME
committing 20 percent and rest would be given by banks, insurance companies,
overseas financial and development institutions. The Funds eventual aim is to
expand the corpus to 5000 crore rupees in next two years.
The Government will set up Asset Management Company (AMC) to take the
responsibility of day to day operations of the fund. The AMC will build a mentoring
network, incubation and provide training and skills development programmes to
entrepreneurs and IIIF assisted companies.
A Governing Council comprising government nominees as well as eminent persons
from the fields of public service, industry, finance and entrepreneurship will provide
oversight and ensure the purpose of the fund is maintained.
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EGoM approved SUC of 5 percent of annual Gross Revenue

on all new airwaves
The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on 27 January 2014 approved a Spectrum
Usage Charge (SUC) of 5 percent of the annual gross revenue on all new airwaves
acquired in auction. The telecom operators in existence till now have to pay the
weighted average of their existing SUC and 5 percent if they acquire new spectrum.
The decision of the EGoM would be sent to the cabinet for its final approval.
Kail Sibal, the Union Telecom Minister informed that 5 percent will be charged for
all new spectrums that will be sold but it will be charged at weighted average. No
protection of revenue will be charged.
The SUC for Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum would continue to remain
at 1 percent because the existing contractual obligation has not been amended by the
government. But the BWA will have to pay a SUC of 5 percent for the new airwaves
that they will acquire. The companies will also have to separately report about the
revenue earned from the BWA airwaves and new spectrums.
Background
The Government of India at present gets average SUC of 4.8 percent on the airwaves
which have been allocated till date. The same has been fixed at 5 percent. The EGoM
that is headed by Union Finance Minister, P Chidambram has been recommended
with three options and they include
A levy of 3 percent with weighted average
5 percent with weighted average
Continuation of the existing regime
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The charge is annually levied by the government as a percentage of revenue earned

from telecom services.
This decision of EGoM came following a application written to the Department of
Telecom to take a call on SUC before auction starts on 3 February 2014.
RBI raised Repo Rate by 25 basis points to 8 percent

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the Repo rate under Liquidity Adjustment Facility
(LAF) by 25 basis points from 7.75 percent to 8 percent. Besides, it kept the cash
reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4 percent of net demand and
time liability (NDTL). The decision to raise the repo rate and keep the CRR unchanged
was announced by the RBI in its Third Quarter Monetary Policy Review on 28 January
2014.
As a result, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted at 7 percent, and the
marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 9.0 percent.
The Main highlights of the Third Quarter Policy Review

Global uncertainty continues to surround the prospects for some emerging
economies, with domestic fragilities getting accentuated. Financial market
contagion is a clear potential risk.
Domestically, some loss of momentum of growth is likely in Quarter 3 of 2013-14,
despite a strong pick-up in rabi sowing.
The current account deficit (CAD) for 2013-14 is expected to be below 2.5 percent
of GDP as compared with 4.8 percent in 2012-13.
Over the ensuing 12-month horizon, and with the current policy stance, the CPI
inflation is expected to be on the upside risk of 8 percent in 2014-15.
Real GDP growth can be expected to firm up from a little below 5 percent in 201314 to a range of 5 to 6 percent in 2014-15, with risks balanced around the central
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estimate of 5.5 per cent.

Following the recommendation of the Dr. Urjit Patel Committee, monetary policy
reviews will ordinarily be undertaken in a two-monthly cycle, consistent with the
availability of key macroeconomic and financial data. Accordingly, the next policy
review is scheduled on 1 April 2014.
RBI issued new guidelines for loan restructuring in NBFCs

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines for loans restructured by nonbanking finance companies (NBFCs) on 23 January 2014. The new guidelines are
intended to create a level-playing field between NBFCs and other commercial banks.
The guidelines issued on loan restructuring for NBFCs were based upon the
recommendations of Mahapatra Committee. Mahapatra Committee headed by B
Mahapatra, Executive Director at RBI, was appointed by the RBI in October 2013.
The new guidelines issued are

NBFCs to have more flexibility to deal with stressed loans but it is mandatory for
them to set aside a substantial amount of provisions to cover restructured loans.
NBFCs, like commercial banks, are required to set aside a 5% provision against
restructured loans. For existing stock, the provisions will go up to 5% in a phased
manner by March 2017.
At present, a majority of the NBFCs are not allowed to accept public deposits and
most of their funding needs are met by borrowing from commercial banks.
An infrastructure loan given by an NBFC will become a non-performing asset (NPA)
if the project fails to take off commercially within two years from the original date
of commencement of commercial operations (DCCO), unless it is restructured and
becomes eligible for classification as a standard asset.
If the loan is given to a non-infra project, it will become an NPA if the borrower fails
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to commence commercial operations within one year from the original DCCO,
even if it is regular as per record of recovery, unless the loan is restructured.
NBFCs will have to make a provisioning of 0.25% of the loan amount for such
loans.
For commercial real estate loans, an extension of DCCO will not be considered
as restructuring if the revised DCCO falls within a period of one year from the
original date of commercial commencement. Hence, such loans will be treated as
standard assets without attracting higher provisioning.
A special classification benefit will be provided to corporate debt restructuring
cases, including small and medium enterprises. The benefit will, however, be
withdrawn with effect from 1 April 2014.
Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)

NBFCs are company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 engaged in the
business of loans and advances.
The Reserve Bank of India is entrusted with the responsibility of regulating and
supervising the NBFCs by virtue of powers vested in Chapter III B of the Reserve
Bank of India Act, 1934.
They are different from the commercial banks in the sense that they cannot accept
demand deposits and do not form a part of any payment settlement.
Also, deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation
is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike in case of banks.
Finance Ministry nod for 1000 rupees minimum monthly

pension plan
Union Finance Ministry on 23 January 2014 approved a proposal to provide minimum
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monthly pension of 1000 rupees to workers of organised sector, under the Employees
Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS-95). The proposal will be in effect from 1 April 2014 and
will benefit around 27 lakh pensioners. The government will provide an additional
contribution of over 1200 crore rupees to ensure minimum monthly pension.
Now it depends on the decision of Union Labour Minister, Oscar Fernandes to take
it to the Cabinet for approval. At present the subscribers get 500 rupees per month
despite working for 30 years.
Apart from this the Finance Ministry has also approved a proposal seeking raise
of the basic wage ceiling under the Employees Provident Fund Scheme from the
existing 6500 rupees to 15000 per month. Employees who get the basic wages
more than 6500 rupees per month (including basic pay and dearness allowance) are
not covered under the social security scheme run by EPFO. The Employee Pension
Scheme is run by Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
Currency notes issued before 2005 to be withdrawn: RBI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to withdraw all currency notes issued
prior to 2005 from circulation on 21 January 2014.
From 1 April 2014, Banks will provide exchange facility to the general public for
exchanging the pre-2005 issued bank notes. The notes issued before 2005 do not
have the year of printing on the reverse side.
However, bank notes issued before 2005 would continue to be legal tender. That
is banks are required to exchange the notes for their customers as well as for noncustomers. From 1 July 2014, those wanting to exchange more than 10 pieces of
500 and 1000 rupee notes in a bank where they do not have an account will have to
provide proof of residence and identity.
The move by the RBI is to capture the money flows into the system and also to help
flush out counterfeit notes. This would leave currency hoarders with no option but to
liquidate their unaccounted holdings by spending or exchanging them.
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As of March 2012, as many as 5 lakh fake bank notes had been detected in the
banking system, a 31% jump from the year before. In its annual report, RBI asked
banks to ensure that the notes they receive over the counter are sent back into
circulation only after they being properly authenticated.
Globally, it is a practice across central banks to phase out banknotes at regular
intervals.
SEBI asked depositories to set up IT Strategy Panels

SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) on 22 January 2014 constituted the
Depository System Review Committee (DSRC) to undertake a comprehensive review
of the Indian depository system. Based on the recommendations of DSRC, following
guidelines are issued to strengthen the Information Technology (IT) governance
framework of depositories.
Depositories shall formulate an IT strategy committee at the Board level of depository
to provide insight and advice to the Board in various areas that may include
1. Developments in IT from a business perspective.
2. The alignment of IT with the business direction.
3. The availability of IT resources to meet strategic objectives.
4. Competitive aspects of IT Investments.
5. Alignment of the IT architecture to the organization needs and its approval.
6. Setting priorities and milestones.
The circulation says that the Depositories shall formulate an IT strategy document
and an Information Security policy which should be approved by the Board and
reviewed annually.
The guidelines were issued by SEBI following the recommendation of a committee
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to strengthen the IT governance framework of depositories formed by the regulator

in December 2012 to review the depository system in India. The depositories have
the mandate to help firms in converting their physical shares or securities into
dematerialized or demat form. They also have been asked to maintain the shares
and supervise proper conversation and reconciliation of their total share capital by
the companies.
A circular of SEBI has asked the depositories to formulate an IT strategy committee
at board level. This has been done to provide an insight and advice in various areas,
which include developments in IT from a business and competitive aspects of IT
investments.
This circular has been issued in exercise of powers conferred under Section 11(1) of
the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 which reads with Sections 19
of the Depositories Act, 1996 to protect the interest of investors in securities and to
promote the development of, and to regulate the Securities market.
CCEA approved the sale of Governments residual stake of

HZL
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 20 January 2014 approved the
sale of the Governments residual stakes of the Vedanta group controlled Hindustan
Zinc (HZL). The approval has allowed the sale of the stakes worth 16500 crore rupees
of HZL. At present, the government holds 29.5 percent stakes of the company. The
CCEA was headed by Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India.
This approval came following the consent of the Attorney-General of India on the
proposal. The Attorney-General gave his consent for the sale of the stakes as HZL is
no more a public sector company. Whereas, his previous view was to get an approval
of the Parliament as the company was created by an Act.
Earlier in 2002, the government sold a majority of stakes of Indias largest zinc maker
to Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Resources.
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RBI appointed a Committee to Review Governance of Boards

of Banks in India
Reserve Bank of India on 20 January 2014 constituted an Expert Committee to
Review Governance of Boards in India. The expert committee will be chaired by
PJ Nayak, the former Chairman and CEO of Axis Bank and includes other eight
members namely S. Raman, Shubhalakshmi Panse, Pratip Kar, Joydeep Sengupta,
Harsh Vardhan, Somasekhar Sundaresan, J. Sagar and Krishnamurthy Subramanian.
The terms of reference of the Committee would be

To review the regulatory compliance requirements of banks boards in India
To judge what can be rationalised and where requirements need to be enhanced
To examine the working of banks boards including whether adequate time is
devoted to issues of strategy, growth, governance and risk management and
will also review central bank regulatory guidelines on bank ownership, ownership
concentration and representation in the board
To analyse the representation on banks boards to see whether the boards have
the appropriate mix of capabilities and the necessary independence to govern the
institution, and to investigate possible conflicts of interest in board representation,
including among owner representatives and regulators. In this regard to also
assess and review the fit and proper criteria for all categories of directors of
banks, including tenor of directorship
To examine board compensation guidelines, and any other issue relevant to the
functioning of banks boards and the governance they exercise
The Committee is expected to submit its report within three months from the date of
its first meeting.
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Before this committee, the RBI formed a similar panel in 2002 under the chairmanship
of AS Ganguly and seeked it tp provide suggestions to find ways to make the role of
board members more effective. The drafted report was mainly applicable for private
banks.
Government extended Natural Manufacturing Policy benefits

to Industry Clusters
The Union Government on 18 January 2014 extended the benefits of the Natural
Manufacturing Policy (NMP) throughout the country. These extended benefits would
be applicable whenever industry will organize itself into clusters and adopt a self
regulatory model. This extension has been done to boost the manufacturing sector.
The issued guidelines of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)
mentions that all the incentive provided to National Investment and Manufacturing
Zones (NIMZs) will be available to all such clusters. Apart from the NIMZ, the policy
benefits are also applicable to manufacturing industry across India, whenever the
industry is able to organise itself into clusters and adopts a model of self-regulation
as enunciated in the policy.
The guidelines have also mentioned that all such benefits or dispensations except
NIMZ specific benefits or dispensation as available to the policy is also available for
the manufacturing industry cluster. It also says that clusters as per the guidelines
will be a concentration of manufacturing industry units located within a clearly
demarcated geographical area notified by the state government. To manage each
cluster, the state government has to constitute a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that
will be headed by a government official.
Other important points of the guidelines issued are:

The policy also aims to create 100 million additional jobs over the next decade
The zones that has been accorded with benefits like exemption from capital gains
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tax, simplified procedures and easier exit norms.

Technology acquisition and development fund and greater access to institutional
finance will be accessed to the SME units in the clusters
There exists a provision for suitable representation of the industrial units on the
Board of the SPV, which will be responsible to facilitate the clearances that are
required to set up in the cluster and/or for running the units. Filling of the periodic
returns will be facilitated by SPY to the Units III the cluster by designing an
appropriate single window mechanism
Incentives under NMP for the manufacturing equipment and technologies used
to produce energy from sun, geothermal, wind, clean coal technology and carbon
sinks management will also be accessed by the units in a cluster
Incentives provided to the clusters will consist if the 5 percent interest reimbursement
of the nominal interest charged by lending agency and 10 percent capital as subsidy.
In case the private sector units in the cluster will undertake a PPP project for skill
development in coordination with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)
the government will provide a weighted standard deduction of 150 percent of the
expenditure, which will not include the land and building. This will be done only to
encourage the private sector participation in the skill development.
The Natural Manufacturing Policy 2011 was done with an aim to raise the share of
manufacturing to 25 percent of GDP by 2022 from its present 16 percent. The union
government proposed to set up a mega integrated industrial townships.
Comment: These benefits might help India in recovering the industrial production
which contracted by 2.1 percent in November 2013. This contraction was the
lowest in past six months and all this happened due to the poor performance of the
manufacturing sector.
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IIFCL signed MoU with EXIM Bank of Korea

India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) on 17 January 2014 signed an
agreement with the Export-Import Bank of Korea (K-EXIM) for infrastructure finance.
As per the IIFCs statement the signed MoU covers cooperation in project and
investment financing related to infrastructure as well as other finance areas of mutual
interest.
The Union government has already drawn up plans to make huge investments in
infrastructure sector. The Korean government has also shown its keen interest in
development of infrastructure in India as it has a variety of overseas experience.
The MoU was exchanged between the S.B. Nayar, Chairman and Managing Director
of IIFCL and Kim Yong-hwan, Chairman and President, K-EXIM. This MoU between
the IIFCL and K-EXIM has been signed at the time of India visit of the South Korean
President Park Geun-hye.
About India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL)

IIFCL was incorporated under the Companies Act as a wholly-owned Government
of India company in January 2006 and commenced operations from April 2006. It
basically provides long term finance to viable infrastructure projects through the
Scheme for Financing Viable Infrastructure Projects through a Special Purpose
Vehicle called India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL), broadly referred to
as SIFTI.
About Export-Import Bank of Korea (K-EXIM)

K-EXIM is a Korean government funded export credit agency, which provides export
financing with the guarantees that includes other forms of credit services to facilitate
trade. It also looks forward to the overseas investment of the Korean companies. It
was established in 1976 and since its establishment has supported the export-led
economy of Korea and facilitated economic cooperation with the foreign countries.
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EGoM approved the sale of 10% stake in IOC to ONGC and

OIL
Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) headed by Union Minister of Finance P
Chidambram approved on 16 January 2014, the sale of 10 percent government stake
in Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil
India Limited (OIL).
ONGC and OIL will buy a part of the governments stake in Indian Oil Corp for a total
of 4700 crore rupees to 5000 crore rupees. It will help the government meet part of
its disinvestment target of 40000 crore rupees set for the financial year 2013-14.
The government opted to sell the 10% stake in IOC through block deal on stock
exchange. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) rule for block deal
says that the rate should be one per cent higher or lower than previous days closing
price.
At present, Union Government of India holds78.92 percent stake in IOC whereas
ONGC already holds 8.77 per cent stake in IOC.
The 10% disinvestment in IOC was approved by the Cabinet last year. However, the
decision was deferred due to opposition from the Union Ministry of Oil and Natural
Gas and IOC Chairman RS Butola. They had cautioned the government against
launching a public offer in light of the weak market and falling shares of IOC.
Guidelines on New Land Policy for Major Ports of the Country

Released
The Union Shipping Ministry on 16 January 2014 unveiled new policy guidelines
for major ports. The policy guidelines have been released with an aim to help them
leverage their land resources for commercial advantage.
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The policies will help in carrying out leasing and licensing of port land in a transparent
manner as this provides necessary framework for land allotment by major ports. The
Union Shipping Ministry has also cleared 20 port projects involving an investment of
6000 crore rupees, envisaging 102 million tonnes in capacity in the first nine months
of the fiscal.
The guidelines have also reduced the discretion powers and has prescribed tendercum-auction as the most preferred method of allotment.
The new policy guidelines says

Land can be allotted only through licensing in custom bond areas by inviting
competitive bidding, while land outside custom bond areas can be leased through
tender-cum-auction
There is also a provision to license land outside custom bond areas, but it should
be only for port related activities.
The Boards of respective ports can approve leasing of land for a period up to 30
years. For leasing of land beyond 30 years and up to 99 years, approval of the
Government has to be obtained through the mechanism of Empowered Committee.
The guidelines has also made it mandatory to draw land use plan by covering all land
owned and managed by all the 12 major ports of the country. The issued guidelines
are applicable on all the ports except for land related to township areas of the Mumbai,
Kandla and Kolkata. The new policy guidelines for land management are part of the
process of port reforms and liberalization.
The central owned ports operate in a comparatively regulated environment, while
the non-major ports that comprise state ports and private ports enjoy substantive
flexibility. By issuing these guidelines the government is trying to create a level playing
field for major and non-major ports.
As a part of reform process in the Port sector tariff setting in major ports was liberalized
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and indexed to inflation and minimum efficiency standards were prescribed for cargo
terminals in 2013. The 12 major ports of India handle approximately 61 percent of the
cargo traffic. The major ports are Mumbai, Kandla, JNPT, Marmugao, New Managlore,
Cochin, Chennai, Ennore, V O Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata
(including Haldia).
An annual conference titled Ports in India was also conducted on 15 January 2014.
It was attended by Vishwapati Trivedi, the Shipping Secretary.
Overview: About 2.64 lakh acres of land is being used by the major ports of the
country, which can be considered as the major resource. The land has not been
utilised to an optimum level which in return has given less returns of the use of lands.
The new policy might link the value of land with the prevailing market rates.
RBI included Hong Kong and Macau in the sensitive list

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) included Hong Kong and Macau in the sensitive list
of countries along with Pakistan and China on 15 January 2014. Macau and Hong
Kong are two Special Administrative Regions controlled by China.
This means that establishments from Hong Kong and Macau will require prior approval
of RBI for setting up business or related activities in India. The activities include
establishment of liaison, branch, project offices or any other place of business.
To this effect, Regulation 4 of Foreign Exchange Management (Establishment in India
of Branch or Office or Other place of Business) Regulations, 2000 has been amended
to substitute words, Iran and China, with words Iran, China, Hong Kong and Macau.
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran and China are already included in
the sensitive list.
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Pawar-led GoM gave nod for incentives to Sugar Industry

The Group of Ministers (GoM) on 16 January 2014 approved the incentives to the
sugar industry for exports of up to 40 lakh tonnes of raw sugar for two years. The
GoM was headed by Sharad Pawar, the Union Agriculture Minister.
The panel was constituted by Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India on 28
November 2013 to address the financial problems faced by the sugar industry. With
this plan, raw sugar will be promoted as a new product in the international market. As
per K V Thomas, the Union Food Minister the quantum incentives would be worked
out by taking inputs from the Finance Ministry.
The panel in its recommendation to the government asked to provide an incentive
on the export of raw sugar on per ton basis on the export of 40 lakh tonnnes. The
incentive would be adjusted from the Sugar Development Fund (SDF).
Earlier, the government provided the subsidy of 1450 rupees a tonne in 2007-08 on the
export of 60 lakh tonnes of sugar. But this time, the incentive will be only applicable
on the export of the raw sugar and the current incentive plan is being worked at
present. Generally India produces only white sugar, which is largely consumed in
the country itself. Due to high production costs and low selling price, the 80000
crore rupees sugar industry of India is facing financial problems. The CCEA on 26
December 2014 cleared a proposal that allows a loan amount of 6600 crore rupees,
which will be interest-free to the sugar companies. The loan interests will be borne
by the SDF and the government itself.
Sudan offered two oil and gas blocks to ONGC at Petrotech

2014
Oil-rich Sudan offered two oil and gas blocks to ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) on the
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sidelines of Petrotech 2014 on 14 January 2014. The offer by Sudan will help India
strengthen its energy ties with the African nations.
Sudan offered the onland Block 8 and Block 15 to the OVL on a nomination basis.
Block 8 will have an oil discovery while Block 15 will have exploration acreage. OVL will
evaluate the data and take 100 percent rights if it finds them feasible for investment.
OVL, the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp, has been present in Sudan since
2003. In 2003, it acquired 25 percent stake in the Block 1, 2 and 4 of the Greater Nile
Project (GNOP) and Sudan Crude Transport System.
Greater Nile Oil Project (GNOP) is spread over an area of 49500 square kilometres in
the Muglad Basin, located about 700 km southwest of the capital city of Khartoum.
It also owns a 1504 km crude oil pipeline from the oilfield in Heglig to Port Sudan at
Red Sea.
Union Minister of Oil and Natural Gas, Veerapa Moily welcoming the offer from
Sudan also held talks with his Azerbaijan counterpart Natig Aliyev on the sidelines
of Petrotech 2014. The Azerbaijan minister welcomed Indian participation in both
upstream and downstream projects.
OVL in 2013 bought a stake in the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oilfields as well as the
Baku-Tbilsi-Ceyhan pipeline, which was supported by Azerbaijan. The southwestern
Asian nation is now keen to get Indian participation in more producing assets.
Earlier, ONGC and Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) signed an initial agreement for
broad cooperation. The agreement could lead to KPC picking up stakes in the ONGC
Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd (OMPL) and ONGC Petro-Additions Ltd (OPAL)
projects.
OMPL petrochemicals complex is subsidiary of Mangalore Refinery and
Petrochemicals. OPAL petro chemicals project is a joint venture of GAIL and Gujarat
State Petroleum Corp (GSPC) in Gujarat.
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IRDA issued guidelines for investment in Equity Exchange

Traded Funds
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) released a draft on
allowing investment in Equity Exchange Traded Funds (ETF). This step is considered
as a crucial step towards achieving disinvestment target.
The Government plans to meet this target by transferring shares in public sector
companies to Equity ETFs. It is expected that there will be around 11 PSUs in the
Equity ETFs and by selling shares, the government would reduce volatility in PSU
stocks.
The Draft guidelines are:

Equity ETFs would be restricted to the schemes of Mutual Funds that are registered
with Securities and Exchange Bureau of India (SEBI) and governed by SEBI (Mutual
Funds) Regulations, 1996.
Any investment in the Equity ETF would be considered as investment in mutual
funds.
Equity ETFs would come under current exposure norms applicable to investment
in mutual funds.
Equity ETFs in mutual funds should be registered with the SEBI.
Equity ETFs cannot hold more than 15% of fund in a single company and needs
to ensure that total exposure to a sector cannot be more than 30%.
Equity ETF should be listed on at least two Exchanges having nationwide terminals
and should not have any overseas investments.
Equity ETFs are those funds whose unit price is derived from basket of underlying
equity shares. These baskets of securities differ depending upon the nature of ETF.
The main difference between ETFs and other types of index funds is that ETFs dont
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try to outperform their corresponding index, but simply replicate its performance.
The advantage of using ETFs is that ETFs combine the range of a diversified portfolio
with the simplicity of trading a single stock.
IRDA formed Suresh Mathur panel to suggest ways to improve FDI

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) formed a new committee
headed by Suresh Mathur to suggest ways to enhance Foreign Domestic Investment
(FDI) in insurance intermediaries (other than insurance companies) and Third party
administrators (TPA). The Committee would consist of ten members.
The Terms of Reference of the Committee are:

To explore the options of further increasing FDI limit for insurance intermediaries.
To analyse possible impact of such increase on the industry and other related
sectors.
To review the related international practices.
To examine to what extent, if possible, the FDI limit can be increased in intermediaries
and study the international practices in this regard.
Presently, a foreign company cannot hold more than 26% shares in an insurance
company. But, in case of insurance intermediaries there is no such restriction.
There was also a consistent demand for increasing the foreign shareholding in
insurance brokers from the existing limit of 26% to 100%. The aforesaid proposed
change would not require any modification in the Insurance Act. But, In case of
increasing foreign shareholding in an insurance intermediary or TPA, the insurance
act would get modified
There is a long pending Insurance bill in Rajya Sabha since 2008. This bill seeks to
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raise the FDI limit in insurance sector from existing 26% to the 49 %.
Indian Economy GDP growth rate revised from 6.2 percent to

7 percent for 2011-12
The GDP growth rate of Indian economy for 2011-12 will be revised from 6.2 to about
7 percent. This was done to correct a miscalculation due to faulty data produced
earlier. Earlier data underestimated industrial output by about 7 percentage points.
The underestimation of GDP growth rate by 7 percentage points was on account of
underestimation of real factory output growth by Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
data. The IIP data had significantly underestimated real factory output growth for
2011-12 at 2.9 percent.
However, on the basis of more reliable data for industrial output produced by Annual
Survey of Industries (ASI), the industrial output in 2011-12 had grown by 23.6 percent
in nominal and about 15 to 16 percent in real terms.
ASI data is considered more comprehensive and accurate than IIP data. It comes with
a lag of 20 months. In the interim, the government estimates industrial production
using IIP data.
The IIP has been consistently underestimating Indias industrial output but the
magnitude of the problem has increased since 2005-06. The accumulation of errors
over the years has led to wider variations between the IIP and the ASI data in the last
couple of years.
GDP data for a fiscal year undergoes three rounds of revisions; the process takes
three years. The Central Statistical Offices (CSO) will be releasing the Second Revised
Estimate for 2011-12 on 30 January 2014. The First Revised Estimate for 2011-12
was 6.2 per cent.
As per the Quick Estimates, Indian economy will grow at a decade-low growth rate
of 5 percent in 2012-13.
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Reserve Bank of India relaxed Foreign Direct Investment

rules
The Reserve Bank of India relaxed the rules of Foreign Direct Investment on 9 January
2014. The decision is aimed at providing exit option to the foreign investors. The
investors can exit their investments by selling their holding of equity or debt.
The relaxation was expected to facilitate higher foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows
into India. India saw a drop of 15 percent in FDI inflows from April 2013 to October
2013.
The exit option given to the foreign investors is subject to the condition that any FDI
will have a minimum lock-in period without any assured return. The lock-in period
for defence and construction sector has been kept at three years and for all other
sectors it will be at least a year.
For a listed company the non-resident investor can exit at the market price prevailing
at the stock exchanges. In case of unlisted company an investor can exit from equity
shares at a price not exceeding the price arrived at on the basis of return on equity.
SEBI notified stricter Settlement System for serious offences

SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) on 9 January 2014 launched
(Settlement of Administrative and Civil Proceedings) Regulations, 2014 that provides
guiding factors for dealing with settlement processes. As per the new notifications
the serious offences such as illegal money pooling, insider trading and fraudulent
trades are excluded from the scope of settlement.
The set of regulations have been notified with retrospective effect from 20 April 2007,
the day when the existing consent settlement system was introduced by SEBI.
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Under the new norms, SEBI has expanded the list of violations which cannot be
settled. It also provides for the involved entity to file settlement plea within 60 days of
the show cause notice served to them by SEBI. It has also cleared that the charges
and related costs would not be considered upon the payment of settlement also in
the cases in which the applicant has already been a party to two earlier settlements.
Any case pending before the court or a tribunal would not be settled under the
new norms. The new norms have also mentioned the minimum amount to be paid
by entities, which will vary as per the charges against them. These charges will be
highest for the promoters.
The norms has also defined the role of the internal committee and high powered
advisory committee in order to impart transparency in the process. It has provided
for the terms of settlement in monetary as well as non-monetary terms or both.
The terms of settlement would include the payment of settlement amount and other
related costs, closure of business, voluntary suspension of registration and other
appropriate directions, as per the new norms.
The amount of settlement will be credited in the Consolidated Fund of India and the
legal cost will be included in the general fund of SEBI. The illegal gains (if any) will be
credited in SEBIs Investor Protection and Education Fund.
Kelkar panel submitted report to Union Oil Ministry

The Kelkar Committee submitted the first part of its report on 8 January 2014. The
committee recommended continuing with the present production-sharing regime in
contracts for blocks and allows companies to recover exploration and production
costs.
A Committee was set up under Vijay Kelkar on 13 May 2013 to suggest ways of
raising domestic oil and gas output. The panel was entrusted with the task of drafting
a plan to reduce Indias dependence on overseas energy by 2030 and submit a report
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within six months.
Suggestions of committee:
It suggested administering Production-Sharing Contracts (PSC) without any
changes and strengthening the Directorate-General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) for
better administration.
Shifting to an open acreage regime, where companies can pick exploration areas
through the year rather than wait for periodic auctions that offer areas identified
by the government.
The panel has called for setting up a National Data Repository (NDR) that will
preserve and promote the countrys natural resources data.
The second part of the report would cover pricing and taxation issues and is likely to
be submitted in February 2014.
Under the present regime, oil companies can recover all costs of successful and
unsuccessful wells from sales of oil and gas before sharing profit with the government.
The suggestions in the first part of the Kelkar Committee report are contrary to the
royalty-sharing regime suggested by C. Rangarajan Committee, which has been
accepted by the government. Under royalty -sharing regime companies are required
to state upfront the quantum of oil or gas they would share with the government from
the first day of production.
Rangarajan Committee had suggested for royalty sharing regime without cost
recovery to check gold plating of investments by companies. Royalty sharing regime
is prevalent in developed countries.
However, Kelkar Committee has opined that royalty sharing regime is not workable in
Indian conditions wherein the exploration of oil & gas blocks are still under-developed.
Thus, the Kelkar panel favoured the revenue sharing model for shallow and on-land
blocks that are less cost-intensive than deep sea exploration.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had criticised the PSC regime on
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grounds that it encouraged companies to increase capital expenditure and delay the
governments share.
SEBI barred cash Transactions in Collective Investment

Schemes to check laundering
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 9 January 2014 made it compulsory
for all investments into Collective Investment Scheme (CIS) funds to be made
through banking channels and not in cash. SEBI has raised the step to prevent
money laundering activities through such scheme. The norms came into effect from
9 January 2014.
The newly released norms will help in improving transparency in fund-garnering
activities through CIS activities. It will also make it easier to identify the source of
funds and real investors involved in the schemes.
SEBI has amended the regulations of Collective Investment Schemes Regulations
1999 that is mentions under Section 30 section 11 of the Securities and Exchange
Board of India Act, 1992 (15 of 1992). With this amendment the regulations can be
called as the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Collective Investment Schemes)
(Amendment) Regulations, 2014.
The step was taken by SEBI in light of the past investments cases in which investors
have been defrauded through illegal CIS activities in which the operators claim to
return the money on being caught by the regulators and law enforcement agencies.
Under this scheme, the person will have to make an application for registration as
per the Collective Investment Management companies as any scheme, which is
prohibited under any law will not be considered as the CIS. The CIS Company will
comply with the Know Your Client guidelines.
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Collective Investment Schemes

A Collective investment scheme is any scheme/arrangement, which satisfies the
conditions, referred to in sub-section (2) of section 11AA of the SEBI Act. Any scheme/
arrangement made or offered by any company under which the contributions, or
payments made by the investors, are pooled and utilised with a view to receive
profits, income, produce or property, and is managed on behalf of the investors is a
CIS. Investors do not have day to day control over the management and operation of
such scheme/arrangement.
The following do not constitute a collective investment scheme

Any scheme/arrangement made or offered by a co-operative society or a society
being a society registered or deemed to be registered under any law relating to
co-operative societies for the time being in force in any State
Any scheme/arrangement under which deposits are accepted by non-banking
financial companies
Any scheme/arrangement being a contract of insurance to which the Insurance
Act, applies
Any scheme/arrangement providing for any Scheme, Pension Scheme or the
Insurance Scheme framed under the Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous
Provisions Act, 1952
Any scheme/arrangement under which deposits are accepted under section 58A
of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956)
Any scheme/arrangement under which deposits are accepted by a company
declared as a Nidhi or a mutual benefit society under section 620A of the Companies
Act, 1956 (1 of 1956)
Any scheme/arrangement falling within the meaning of Chit business as defined in
clause (d) of section 2of the Chit Fund Act, 1982 (40 of 1982)
Any scheme/arrangement under which contributions made are in the nature of
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subscription to a mutual fund
Collective Investment Management Company

A Collective Investment Management Company is a company incorporated under
the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 and registered with SEBI under the SEBI
(Collective Investment Schemes) Regulations, 1999, whose object is to organise,
operate and manage a Collective Investment Scheme.
Collective Investment Scheme

Entities, which were operating a collective investment scheme at the time of
commencement of CIS Regulations i.e. (15 October 1999), are deemed to be an
existing collective investment scheme.
China to be become a partner in the proposed NIMZ in Andhra

Pradesh
China decided to be one of the partners in the proposed National Investment and
Manufacturing Zones (NIMZ) in Andhra Pradesh on 6 January 2014. Chittor, Medak
and Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh will be the centre of the NIMZ.
China would provide both technical and investment support . Each NIMZ was
expected to attract an investment of 30000 crore rupees. The project under NIMZ
will be supported by both Central and state government.
About NIMZ
National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZ) was proposed by Ministry of
Commerce and Industry in 2010 in order to increase the overall share of manufacturing
in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of India.
The objective is to increase the share of manufacturing to 25 percent by 2022 in the
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GDP of India.
To increase the rate of job creation so as to create 100 million additional jobs by
2022, to enhance global competitiveness, domestic value addition, technological
depth and environmental sustainability of growth.
Under NIMZ there would be a provision for the creation of Special Purpose Vehicle
(SPV).
Reserve Bank of India selected CCIL as Legal Entity Identifier

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) selected the Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (CCIL)
for issuing globally compatible legal entity identifiers (LEIs) on 6 January 2014.CCIL
will act as a local operating unit for issuing globally compatible legal entity identifiers
(LEIs )in India.
Legal Entity Identifiers (LEI) are a 20-character unique identity code assigned to
entities which are parties to a financial transaction.
Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (CCIL) will issue unique identifier codes to the
eligible legal entities participating in financial markets across the globe on a nonprofit cost recovery basis.
CCIL is recognised by the Regulatory Oversight Committee of the global LEI system
and the unique identity codes issued by it will be accepted globally.
Once the infrastructure is set up, the LEI numbers will be mandatory for Over-theCounter (OTC) derivative transactions. The implementation of the global LEI system
is led by the Financial Stability Board (FSB).The functioning of CCIL as LEI will be
under the regulation and oversight of the Reserve Bank of India.
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About Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (CCIL)

The Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (CCIL) was set up in 2001 for providing exclusive
clearing and settlement for transactions in Money and Foreign Exchange.
In 2013 the Reserve Bank designated CCIL as a critical Financial Market Infrastructure
(FMI) for oversight.
Recently CCIL was granted the status of a Qualified Central Counterparty (QCCP).
Background
The global financial crisis underscored the lack of a common, accurate and sufficiently
comprehensive identification system for parties undertaking financial transactions
across the globe.
International regulators recognised the importance of the LEI as a key component of
necessary improvements in financial data systems.
The G20 Summit 2011held at Cannes endorsed FSB for the development and
maintenance of a global LEI system. FSB also lead the co-ordination of international
regulatory work.
FSB comprises of a Regulatory Oversight Committee (ROC), Central Operating Unit
(COU) and Local Operating Units (LOUs).
A Regulatory Oversight Committee has the ultimate responsibility for the
governance of the GLEIS.
A Central Operating Unit (COU) is the pivotal operational arm of the GLEIS and
Local Operating Units (LOUs) will provide the primary interface for entities to
register for the LEI system.
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RBI allowed Indian companies to issue non-convertible

debentures
The Reserve Bank of India on 6 January 2014 allowed the Indian companies to issue
non-convertible or redeemable preference shares or debentures to non-resident
shareholders as bonus. This facility will also encompass the depositories that act as
the trustees for the American Depository Receipt/Global Depository Receipt ADR/
GDR holders.
The decision has been taken by RBI in order to rationalize and to simplify the
procedures that the company will issue shares or debentures by way of distribution
as bonus from its general reserves.
As per the notification, has made the preference shares, which excludes nonconvertible/redeemable preference shares and convertible debentures, (except
optionally convertible or partially convertible debentures) a subject of Foreign Direct
Investment Scheme. Earlier, RBI was granting permission for such issuances on a
case-to-case basis.
RBI has simplified the norms following the references of some companies of India for
issuing a non-convertible or redeemable bonus preference shares or debentures to
non-resident shareholders from their general reserve under a scheme. This has been
permitted with an arrangement by a court following the provisions of the Companies
Act.
Apart from this RBI in another notification said that the Maintenance, Repairs and
Overhaul (MRO) will be treated as the part of the airport infrastructure, which will
facilitate external commercial borrowings for the sector.
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Financial Inclusix Index 2013 launched by credit rating agency CRISIL

Indian credit-rating agency CRISIL launched a Financial Inclusix Index 2013 on 2
January 2014. The index showed an improvement in the financial inclusion in India.
The index showed an improvement of 2.7 percent in the year 2012. The score was
the highest since 2009. The index was based on the data provided by Reserve Bank
of India (RBI).
The all-India CRISIL Inclusix score of 42.8 on a scale of 100, reflects under-penetration
of formal banking in the country. The index measured the financial inclusion in each
of the 638 districts of India.
Highlights of the Index are:

Overall 79 million new savings accounts were opened in 2012 which was 12.6 per
cent more than in the year 2011.
Agricultural credit accounts grew at 11.1 per cent, the most since fiscal 2009.
The number of bank branches in the bottom 100 districts increased by 6 per cent,
faster than the all-India growth of 5.6 per cent.
One in two Indians had a savings account and one in seven has access to bank
credit.
The six largest cities in the country have 10 per cent of the bank branches whereas
the bottom 50 districts have merely 2 per cent of the bank branches.
The four key elements driving the CRISIL Inclusix Index score up by 2.7 in fiscal 2012
were:
New deposit accounts in three regions north, south and east. This contributed
42% to the rise in CRISIL Inclusix Index.
The north, by adding 2.4 million new credit accounts, contributed 11% to the indexs
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increase.
Almost 30% of the 5125 new branches were added in the south, which contributed
9% to the increase. Credit penetration in the top 50 districts jumped significantly as
small-borrower accounts surged.
Thus, the CRISIL recommended:

To speed up inclusion, financial services need to flow beyond the south and the large
cities, and
Policy makers need to incentivise expansion of banking services in the districts
that have low CRISIL Inclusix scores through an increase in branch network and
partnerships with other players.
About CRISIL Inclusix Index

CRISIL Inclusix index is a comprehensive index to measure the progress of financial
inclusion in India across 638 districts.
It is a relative index measured on a scale of 0 to 100.
It combines three critical parameters of basic banking services branch penetration,
deposit penetration, and credit penetration into one metric.
Price of the Non-subsidized LPG hiked by 220 rupees per

cylinder
The price of non-subsidized LPG was hiked on 1 January 2014 by 220 rupees per
cylinder. The LPG cylinder of 14.2 kg that a consumer buys beyond entitled nine
cylinders at subsidized rates will have to pay 1241 rupees per cylinder now in Delhi. A
subsidized, 14.2-kg cylinder of LPG costs Rs 414 in Delhi. In Mumbai it will cost 1264
rupees and 50 paise, whereas in Kolkata it will cost 1270 rupees and in Chennai it
will cost 1234 rupees per cylinder. As per the state-owned fuel retailers, the price has
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been hiked in view of the firming international rates. Since December 2013, the price
of the non-subsidized LPG rates has been increased three times. On 1 December
2013, the price was hiked by 63 rupees per cylinder and on 11 December it was
increased by 3.50 rupees, when the commission for LPG dealers and distributors
was raised by the Government.
The supply of the subsidized domestic LPG cylinder was capped by the Government
of India to six per household in September 2012, which was increased to nine a
household in January 2013. Any requirement above the limit of nine cylinders has to
be purchased at the market rates. There exists no capping on the supply of a nonsubsidized cylinder to a consumer.
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ENVIRONMENT | ECOLOGY
UNEP RELEASED A REPORT TITLED THE ENVIRONMENT
CRIME CRISIS
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on 24 June 2014 released a report
titled The Environment Crime Crisis at the first United Nations Environment Assembly
in Nairobi, Kenya. The Report is a rapid response assessment by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and INTERPOL.
According to the report, Global environmental crime, worth up to 213 billion US dollars
each year, is helping finance criminal, militia and terrorist groups and threatening
the security and sustainable development of many nations. This compares to global
Overseas Development Assistance of around 135 billion US dollars.
ILLEGAL TRADE IN FLORA AND FAUNA: HIGHLIGHTS

The illegal trade in fauna and flora (other than fisheries and timber) has been
estimated by different sources to be worth 7 billion dollars to 23 billion dollars
annually.
For the forest elephant, the population declined by an estimated 62 per cent
between 2002 and 2011. Poached African ivory may represent an end-user street
value in Asia of 165 million dollars to 188 million dollars of raw ivory, in addition to
ivory from Asian sources.
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94 per cent of rhino poaching takes place in Zimbabwe and South Africa, which
have the largest remaining populations. Here, the involvement of organized
syndicates has seen poaching rise from less than 50 in 2007 to over 1000 in 2013.
Rhino horn poached last year is valued at around 63 million dollars to 192 million
dollars.
Even conservative estimates suggest that the illegal trade in great apes is
widespread. From 2005 to 2011, a minimum of 643 chimpanzees, 48 bonobos,
98 gorillas and 1019 orangutans are estimated to have been lost from the wild
through illegal activities. The real figure is more likely to be around 22000 great
apes lost to the wild over that period.
ILLEGAL TRADE IN TIMBER: HIGHLIGHTS

Illegal logging and forest crime has an estimated worth of 30 billion dollars to 100
billion dollars annually, or 10 to 30 per cent of the total global timber trade.
An estimated 50 to 90 per cent of the wood in some individual tropical countries
is suspected to come from illegal sources or has been logged illegally.
The EU and the US annually import approximately 33.5 million tons of tropical
wood in all its forms. It is estimated that 62 to 86 per cent of all suspected illegal
tropical wood entering the EU and US arrives in the form of paper, pulp or wood
chips.
One terrorist group operating in East Africa is estimated to make between 38
million dollars and 56 million dollars per year from the illegal trade in charcoal
Militia and terrorist groups in and around African nations with on-going conflicts
may earn 111 million dollars to 289 million dollars annually from their involvement
in, and taxing of, the illegal or unregulated charcoal trade
RECOMMENDATIONS
Acknowledge the multiple dimensions of environmental crime and its serious
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impact on the environment and sustainable development goals, and help support
sharing of information.
Implement a coordinated UN and national approach to environmental crime by
helping to coordinate efforts on environmental legislation and regulations, poverty
alleviation and development support.
Support UNEP as the global environmental authority to address the serious and
rising environmental impacts of environmental crime and to engage the relevant
coordination mechanisms of the UN system to support countries and national,
regional and international law enforcement agencies with relevant environmental
information.
Encourage the donor community to recognize environmental crime as a serious
threat to sustainable development and revenues, and to support national, regional
and global efforts for the implementation and enforcement of targeted measures
to curb the illegal trade.
Strengthen environmental legislation, compliance and awareness and call upon
enforcement agencies and countries to reduce the role of the illicit trade in threat
financing to non-state armed groups and terrorism.
Identify end-user markets and implement consumer awareness campaigns.
Strengthen institutional, legal and regulatory systems to further combat corruption
and ensure that the legal trade is monitored and managed effectively.
GREAT HIMALAYAN NATIONAL PARK CONSERVATION AREA

INSCRIBED IN WORLD HERITAGE LIST
The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA) inscribed in the
World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee. It was inscribed at the 38th
session of the World Heritage Committee held on 23 June 2014 in Doha, Qatar.
The GHNPCA was inscribed on the basis of criterion (X) of UNESCO Guidelines. The
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Criterion X is to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ
conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of
outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.
GHNP inscription will serve to expedite integration of other Protected Areas into a
huge GHNP Conservation Area of ca. 2850 km2.
The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA) has Greater
Himalayan National Park (kullu district of Himachal Pradesh), Sainj and Tirthan
Wildlife Sanctuaries. It includes the Upper Mountain glacial and snow melt water
source origins of the westerly flowing JiwaNal, Sainj and Tirthan Rivers and the northwesterly flowing Parvati River.
GHNPCA is home to several Rare and Threatened species including the Western
Tragopan, Chir Pheasant, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Musk Deer, Asiatic Black Bear,
Himalayan Tahr, Blue Sheep and Serow.
The boundaries of GHNP are also contiguous with the recently established (2010)
Khirganga National Park, the Pin Valley National Park in Trans-Himalaya, Rupi-Bhabha
Wildlife Sanctuary in Sutlej watershed and Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary.
US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ANNOUNCED TO CREATE

THE WORLDS BIGGEST MPA IN PACIFIC
Barack Obama, the US President, on 17 June 2014 announced the plans of creating the
worlds biggest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the middle of Pacific Ocean. Obama
used his executive authority for the creation of the protected area. The area will be
finalised after consultations with scientists, fishing and conservation organisatons.
The aim is to further extend the existing zone of protected area of the US known as
the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.
With this fishing and drilling activities for exploitation would be banned from an area
that would eventually cover 2 million square kilometers. The extended zone would
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double the worlds fully protected marine reserves.

Till date, President Obama has used his executive authority 11 times to safeguard
the areas on land. But he used his authority for 12th time in context of Ocean after
scientists and activists have pressed him to do the same for untouched underwater
regions.
SIGNIFICANCE
Marine Protected Areas currently make up around 2.8% of the worlds oceans but
the areas that have a full ban on fishing, drilling and other activities are much smaller,
which increases the significance of the US move. Less than 1% of the global ocean
is fully protected.
Conserving marine species isnt just the preserve of large nations like the US. In recent
days the tiny Republic of Kiribati announced that the Phoenix Islands Protected Area,
will close to all commercial fishing by the end of 2014. This fishing zone, which is
close to the newly extended US MPA, is within a region that is home to the largest
remaining stocks of tuna on Earth.
ABOUT THE PACIFIC REMOTE ISLANDS MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT

The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument was created under the
authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906 by President George W Bush on 6 January
2009. The monuments extend to 50 nautical miles from the mean low water lines of
Howland Baker and Jarvis Islands, Johnston, Wake, and Palmyra Atolls and Kingman
Reef.
The area is controlled by the US and consists of seven scattered islands, atolls and
reefs that lie between Hawaii and American Samoa.
Essentially uninhabited, the waters that surround these remote islands are home to
a wide range of species including corals, seabirds, sharks and vegetation not found
anywhere else in the world.
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IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES RELEASED

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released the Red List
of Threatened Species on 12 June 2014. The Japanese Eel has been listed as
Endangered whereas the Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo (the mascot of the 2014
FIFA World Cup) remained Vulnerable.
HIGHLIGHTS OF REPORT
The Japanese Eel (Anguilla japonica) has been listed as Endangered due to loss
of habitat, overfishing, barriers to migration, pollution and changes to oceanic
currents.
The Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus 2014 FIFA World
Cup mascot,) remained Vulnerable due to a 50 percent loss of its dry shrubland
Caatinga habitat.
Over 94 percent of lemurs are threatened with extinction. Out of 101 surviving lemur
species 22 are critically endangered, including the largest of the living lemurs the
Large-bodied Indri. Lemurs are threatened by destruction of their tropical forest
habitat in Madagascar.
A total of 48 are endangered, Madame Berthes Mouse Lemur (Microcebus berthae)
and 20 are Vulnerable. Mittermeierthem is one of the most threatened groups of
vertebrates on Earth.
The Banana Orchid (Myrmecophila thomsoniana) - National flower of the Cayman
Islands is included in the list of Endangered.
Governor Laffans Fern (Diplazium laffanianum) is Extinct in the Wild due to the
destruction of its habitat by human activities and introduction of invasive alien
species.
The Yarkon Bream (Acanthobrama telavivensis) and Kiss-lip Himri (Carasobarbus
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kosswigi), fish species found only in Israel improved statues from extinct to
Vulnerable.
About 80 percent of temperate slipper orchids (North America, Europe and
temperate Asia) and 79 percent of these popular ornamental plants are threatened
with Extinction
Freckled Cypripedium (Cypripedium lentiginosum) is among the Endangered and
has fewer than 100 individuals remaining in south-eastern Yunnan in China and Ha
Giang province of Vietnam. It is declined due to over-collection and deforestation.
Dickinsons Cypripedium (C. dickinsonianum) is also endangered and has only a
few scattered populations in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the worlds oldest
and largest global environmental organisation. It was founded in 1948, is a leading
authority on the environment and sustainable development. It is headquartered in
Geneva, Switzerland.
TROPICAL CYCLONE NANAUK EMERGED IN ARABIAN SEA

Tropical cyclone Nanauk emerged in east-central Arabian Sea on 11 June 2014. This
was declared by the India Met Department and the cyclone is likely to affect the
southwest monsoon.
It is at present centered over east-central and adjoining west-central Arabian Sea
near latitude 18.0 North and longitude 65.0 East, about 830 km west-southwest of
Mumbai, 650 km southwest of Veraval and 700 km east-southeast of Masirah Island
(Oman).
Although, at present the cyclone is moving at the speed of 12 km per hour towards
Oman away from Indias west coast. However, it will pick up in intensity and the
landfall is expected around 15 June 2014.
If the cyclone maintains its current direction away from India, it will have an adverse
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affect on the monsoon but if it changes its direction and moves towards the
Maharashtra and Gujarat coast, then these areas would receive heavy to very heavy
rainfall.
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND RELEASED THE REPORT TITLED

MYSTERIOUS MEKONG
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on 5 June 2014 released the report titled Mysterious
Mekong. According to the report, 367 exotic new species were discovered in the
greater Mekong region in Southeast Asia.
Among the new species discovered in the Greater Mekong in 2012 and 2013, there
are 290 plants, 24 fish, 21 amphibians, 28 reptiles, 1 bird and 3 mammals.
The report also highlighted that Greater Mekong region forms one of the five most
threatened biodiversity hotspots in the world.
Some of the reasons which have added pressure on the region, according to the
report, include rapid unsustainable development, poorly planned infrastructure,
uncontrolled and non-transparent extractive activities, agricultural expansion and
rampant wildlife trade. Warmer temperatures, and more extreme floods, droughts,
and storms as a result of climate change, only exacerbate these pressures.
SOME OF THE IMPORTANT SPECIES DISCOVERED

The Cambodian Tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk)
The White-head Burmese viper (Azemiops kharini) in the Yunnan, Guangxi and
Vietnam
A new freshwater pufferfish (Tetraodon palustris) in the Mekong Basin of Thailand
Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi)
The Hunch Bat of Vietnam (Hipposideros griffini)
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Rainbow Lizard (Lygosoma veunsaiensis) from Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia

Helens Flying Frog (Rhacophorus helenae) from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
New penis head fish (Phallostethus cuulong) from Mekong Delta region of Vietnam
Zero-masked Water Snake (Homalopsis mereljcoxi) from Cambodia, Thailand and
Vietnam
Blind Huntsman Spider (Sinopoda scurion) from Laos
Skydiving Parachute Gecko (Ptychozoon kaengkrachanense) from Thailand
Fishzilla Walking Snakehead fish (Channa longistomata) from Vietnam
The Greater Mekong region of Southeast Asia, through which the Mekong River flows,
consists of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Yunnan province and
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. The region is home to some
of the planets most charismatic and endangered wild species, including the tiger,
Asian elephant, Irrawaddy dolphin, saola, and Mekong giant catfish. Between 1997
and 2011 an incredible 1710 new organisms were described by science in these
landscapes.
UNION MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FOREST LAUNCHED

ONLINE ENVIRONMENT CLEARANCE
Union Ministry of Environment and Forest on 5 June 2014 launched the online
environment clearances for industrial and infrastructure projects.
The online submission for terms of operation (ToR) and environment clearance
proposals became effective from 5 June 2014. However, these processes will be
made entirely online from 1 July 2014 to improve transparency in the system.
The new system will monitors stage wise approval and compliance mechanism. It will
also ensure security of information while simultaneously maintaining transparency in
dealings between the ministry and the applicant.
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Under the online system, an applicant will be able to monitor stage-wise process
of their application and there is a time limit for the entire process with stage-wise
timelines.
Later the ministry may include the penalty provision if a delay at any stage remains
unexplained.
The e-clearance mechanism is the first in a series of online approvals that the
government proposes to put in place. In the next stage, forest clearances will be
made online and work has begun to give mining-related approvals as well through
the same route.
TERI RELEASED TERI ENVIRONMENT SURVEY 2014

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on 3 June 2014 released TERI Environmental
Survey 2014. According to the Environment Survey 2014, a large percentage of urban
population feels that the climate change is a reality and has worsened.
TERI Survey claimed that the effect of environment degradation is worse in the cities
of India and restriction on urbanization is not a solution but should be carried with
minimum impacts on the environment.
TERI Survey highlighted that a holistic approach is needed to improve to environmental
conditions by government at national and local level. Formulating of new and improved
policies is the need of the hour and it can be achieved by understanding the attitudes,
perception, awareness and opinion of citizens towards their local environment.
KEY FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY

A large majority of respondents perceived deterioration in air quality.
The state of green cover and diversity of birds was also thought to have worsened
by the majority in all cities except in Coimbatore and Pune where it was perceived
to have been improved.
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A greater proportion of respondents perceived an improvement as compared to

those who perceived a worsening in drinking water quality (except in Guwahati)
and availability (except in Guwahati and Indore).
A mixed picture emerged on the issue of waste management. A higher number
of respondents from cities, such as Coimbatore, Delhi, Kanpur, and Pune noted
an improvement, while the opposite was true in other cities such as Guwahati,
Jamshedpur, and Pune
Overall, comparing the perceptions about changes in environmental quality
across cities, it can be seen that deterioration in environmental quality across
environmental parameters was perceived to be more in Guwahati and Jamshedpur
as compared to other cities
A majority of the respondents across the urban agglomerates adding up to
90% of the total sample felt that global warming was a reality.
The majority in all cities felt that the mean temperature had increased while rainfall
had decreased (except in Indore where people felt that it had increased).
The majority of population in Pune, Coimbatore and Guwahati felt that environment
and development two went hand-in-hand
The population of Mumbai, Delhi, Kanpur and Indore were in favour of prioritizing
environment over development
It should be noted that about 25% of the respondents in some cities (Mumbai and
Delhi) and a higher share in others (Pune and Jamshedpur) felt that development
should be prioritized over the environment.
Close to 90% felt that improper waste management imposed severe (67%) to
moderate (23%) health hazards.
There was overwhelming response for a ban on polythene bags in all cities and
by all income groups except in Kanpur where a majority from low-income families
were not in favour of banning the polythene bags.
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MEASURES RECOMMENDED BY TERI SURVEY

Certain measures directed by TERI to urban citizens to reduce impact on the
environment and make a holistic approach towards it by promoting sustainable
pattern include
Water conservation in homes and localities
Recycling of waste
Expansion of public transport
PROCESS OF SURVEY
On behalf of TERI the survey was carried out by Innovative Consumer Research &
Business Consulting (ICRB). Between December 2013 and February 2014, it surveyed
more than 11214 respondents of diverse socio-economic segments of the society in
eight cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kanpur, Coimbatore, Jamshedpur, Guwahati
and Indore
Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is a not-for-profit research institute that was
established in 1974 to tackle and deal with the problem that will be faced by mankind
in the coming years. The problems included gradual depletion of the earths finite
energy resources which are largely non-renewable and existing methods of their use
which are polluting. Director General of TERI - RK Pachauri
US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ANNOUNCED NEW RULES

TO CUT CARBON POLLUTION BY 30% BY 2030
US President Barack Obama on 2 June 2014 announced new rules to cut carbon
pollution from existing Power plants by 30% till 2030.
The announcement involved to cut carbon dioxide emission 30 percent from 2005
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level. The new rule was announced by The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It
also announced to cut by 2030 particle pollution, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide
by more than 25 per cent as a co-benefit.
Moreover, new rules provide multiple options for states to achieve their emission
targets.
SIGNIFICANCE
The target set by the US government could be achieved as the emissions had
already fallen by about 10 percent by 2013 from the 2005 baseline level, partly due
to retirement of coal plants in favor of cleaner-burning natural gas.
New target to curb pollution would have significant effects on health of citizens of
USA. As EPA estimates that reducing exposure to particle pollution and ozone could
prevent up to 150000 asthma attacks in children and as many as 3300 heart attacks
by 2030.
The new rules could transform the power sector. Currently, US Government relied on
coal for nearly 38 percent of electricity.
States could improve power plant heat rates, can use more natural gas plants to
replace coal plants, ramped up zero-carbon energy, such as solar or nuclear; and
increasing energy efficiency.
CARBON EMISSION POLICY WILL ALSO BENEFIT INDIA

The new ambitious carbon emission standards announced by the Obama administration
can usher in a great India-US cooperation on low-carbon growth strategies.
The new low carbon growth strategies will build new standards for the other developing
countries.
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AFTER 25 YEARS OLIVE RIDLEY CONSERVATION PROGRAMME RESUMED IN TAMIL NADU

After 25 years, Olive Ridley Conservation Programme was resumed on 23 May 2014
in Tamil Nadu by Wildlife wing of the Forest Department. Department has set up a
hatchery at Besant Nagar.
Further, the department has built a concrete tomb near the hatchery to create
awareness of Olive Ridley turtle conservation. As per the data of the department, this
season had witnessed more than 700 Olive Ridley deaths along the coast between
Chennai and Marakkanam.
In the current egg-laying season (between January and March), the groups identified
85 nests with 9784 eggs. All of them were collected and deposited in the hatchery.
Of the total, only 8834 eggs have hatched.
On an average, there were more than 150 eggs in each nest, and it would take 45
days for them to hatch.
On the eve of World Turtle Day the foresters reviewed the hatching rate and the
mortality rate of the young ones that were released into the sea between Neelangarai
and Marina beach.
REVISED NCR NORMS RESTRICT TOURISM IN GREEN ZONES

Revised norms of NCR Planning Board on 14 May 2014 restricted tourism in green
zones in NCR. Tourism activities wont be allowed in the Natural Conservation Zones
(NCZs) in NCR.
The board also decided that the sacred Mangar Bani and a 500-metre buffer radius
around it will be earmarked as a no-construction zone.
Earlier, the board members agreed to limit construction in NCZs such as Aravalis,
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riverbeds and major water bodies. It was also decided that only regional recreation
activities will be permitted with no construction exceeding 0.5% of the area with the
prior permission from competent authorities.
Delhi government and Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) had objected
to Haryanas proposal to allow more construction in these sensitive zones. MoEF
mentioned that both the revised regional plan and Haryana sub-regional plan should
not be finalized till mapping of forest areas by members was completed.
According to the MoEF, the geo-referenced maps of Haryanas 19 districts were
incomplete and not compatible to the directions of Supreme Court.
CHANCES OF EL NINO WOULD EXCEED 65 PERCENT IN 2014:

US CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER
The US Climate Prediction Center on 5 May 2014 predicted that there is high
probability of development of weather-altering El Nino in Pacific Ocean in 2014. In its
forecast it said that El Nino would exceed from 50 percent to 65 percent.
The prediction comes close on the heel of prediction made by the Australian Bureau
of Meteorology. In the second week of May 2014 Australian Bureau updated that El
Nino development would be up to 70 percent.
The last time El Nino to form was in 2009 to 2010.
ABOUT EL NINO
El Nino is one part of Southern Oscillation phenomenon and is caused due to an
abnormal warming of surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific along the
coast of Peru. The phenomenon of El Nino is not favourable for Indian Monsoon
Scientists also call this phenomenon the El Nino/Southern Oscillation or ENSO for
short. South American fishermen have given this phenomenon the name El Nino, which
is Spanish for The Christ Child, because it comes about the time of the celebration
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of the birth of the Christ Child-Christmas.

On the other hand, La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in
the Equatorial Pacific and is supposed to be favourable for Indian Monsoon.
EFFECTS OF EL NINO
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), El Nino
effects are
El Nino affects the atmosphere above it and changes the weather patterns around
the globe
El Nino leads to less rain in India, Australia and Central America in the summer
Mild conditions across the northern US in the winter and a cooler summer
More rain across the South
EFFECT ON INDIAN MONSOON

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a 60 per cent probability of
El Nino in 2014 along with a below-normal monsoon projection. A strong El Nino can
cause drought-like conditions.
According to Skymet, a private weather forecaster, El Nino and Indian monsoon are
inversely related. The most prominent droughts in India - six of them - since 1871
have been El Nino droughts, including the recent ones in 2002 and 2009.
However, not all El Nino years led to a drought in India. For instance, 1997/98 was a
strong El Nino year but there was no drought. On the other hand, a moderate El Nino
in 2002 resulted in one of the worst droughts.
Historical data for 126 years (1880-2005) compiled by Skymet show that about 90
per cent of all evolving El Nino years have led to below-normal rainfall and 65 per
cent of evolving El Nino years have resulted in droughts. However, one thing is clear
that El Nino years do affect monsoon rainfall in India. During this time, the rainfall is
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generally below normal, which has its bearing on crop production.

El Nino directly impacts Indias agrarian economy as it tends to lower the production
of summer crops such as rice, sugarcane, cotton and oilseeds. The ultimate impact
is seen in the form of high inflation and low gross domestic product growth as
agriculture contributes around 14 per cent to the Indian economy.
NEW DANCING FROG SPECIES FOUND IN WESTERN GHATS

14 new species of dancing frogs were discovered in the Western Ghats of southern
India by the scientists/biologists. These tiny acrobatic amphibians (frogs) were found
by Indian biologists led by Sathyabhama Das Biju, professor of University of Delhi.
Listing of these new species of the study was published in the Ceylon Journal of
Science on 8 May 2014. This discovery has brought the number of known Indian
dancing frog species to 24.
The species were discovered after 12 years of extensive field studies that was
conducted across the mountains of Western Ghats in states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka and Maharashtra. They were identified by using molecular DNA markers
and morphological descriptions.
The Indian Dancing frogs have been scientifically named as Micrixalidae and their
family comprises a single genus Micrixalus. Name of the species has been derived
by their style of unusual kicks used to attract the mates.
SOME CHARACTERISTICS FEATURES OF THE NEW FOUND SPECIES

The species of other dancing frogs are found in Central America and Southeast Asia.
The Indian family evolved about 85 million years ago.
They breed after the yearly monsoon in fast-rushing streams. Their size is a reason
that breeding happens only when the level of stream drops down.
These frogs are tiny in shape and are not bigger than a walnut and they can be swept
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away easily in the mountain stream.
DANCING BEHAVIOUR OF NEW FOUND SPECIES

Dance is done only by males: dancing is a part of their unique behavior for breeding
and is called foot-flagging. In the process of the dance, they stretch, extend and
whip their legs out to the side and this activity is performed to attract attention of the
females.
The biologists suggests that the dance is performed because might be possible that
the females have trouble in hearing mating croaks over the sound of water flowing
through perennial hill streams.
The biologists also suggested that dance depends upon the size of the frogs, bigger
one dance more.
NEW SPECIES OF SNAKE HIMALAYANUS DISCOVERED IN HIMALAYAS

A new species of brownish pit viper, Himalayanus was discovered by the Chinese
scientists. The genetic analysis identified Protobothrops himalayanus as new species
of snake. The discovery was published in Asian Herpetological Research.
It was first spotted at Jilong valley in Southern Tibet Autonomous Region in 2012. It
was named Himalayanus in honour of its home Himalayas. The local people called
the snake as the holy region of the Himalayas.
The Himalayanus with a round head and copper-coloured eyes is about 1.5 metres
in length, is fierce and aggressive reptile. Himalayanus is mostly found on the south
flank of the Himalayas.
Currently, there are 12 valid species in the genus Protobothrops, of which seven are
known to inhabit China and many of them prefer at high elevations of mountain areas.
ABOUT RESEARCH TEAM

Chinese Scientists carried the largest scientific study since the 1970 on wild life
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at Mount Everest in Tibet. As part of study, the research team led by Hu Huijian
and researchers of the South China Institute of Endangered Animals started their
expedition in October 2010.
The team has travelled an area of 32000 sq km and has so far discovered and
identified 499 species of vertebrates, including eight species of fish.
CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTING NUTRIENT CONTENT OF STAPLE CROPS: STUDY

Scientists warned that rise in the level of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) will badly hit the
nutritional content of Zinc and Iron available in key cereals like wheat and rice. The
study was led by Dr. Samuel Myers of the Harvard School of Public Health and was
published in journal Nature published on 7 May 2014.
Zinc and Iron are two nutrients, received by almost two million people globally eating
crops. At present the Earths atmospheric CO2 concentration is about 400 parts per
million and is increasing at a fast pace.
The warning was issued after conducting experiments by simulating conditions
expected by mid-century.
FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

It reported decline of two important nutrients namely Zinc (Zn) and Iron (Fe) in
wheat, rice, soybeans and field peas.
Scientists found a decline of 9 percent in level of Zinc and 5 percent in the level of
Iron, when compared to the levels of these two nutrients in the wheat compared
under normal conditions.
The rice grown with elevated CO2 levels had a loss of 3 percent zinc content and
5 percent in iron.
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In case of corn and sorghum, the nutrient content seemed to be stable because
these crops use a kind of photosynthesis that concentrates CO2 in their leaves.
METHODOLOGY ADOPTED
To examine the effect of increased CO2 level on nutritional content of staple crops,
Scientists from Harvard University conducted simulated experiments by growing
staple crops in open-air fields in CO2 concentrations at the level of 550 parts per
million, which is the forecasted CO2 levels for Earth by 2050.
They grew 40 varieties of six different grains and legumes including sorghum and
corn at seven different locations across three continents namely the United States,
Australia and Japan.
Concentration of CO2 level in open-air fields was increased by the use of a system
known as Free Air Concentration Enrichment (FACE). The FACE system pumps outs,
monitors and adjusts ground-level CO2 in the air to stimulate future conditions.
NGT PROHIBITED DUMPING OF SEWAGE AND WASTE MATERIAL AT DHEERPUR WETLANDS

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 29 April 2014 prohibited dumping of sewage
and waste materials at wetlands. The Delhi Metro Rail Authority used to dispose of
waste material at the Dheerpur Wetland.
Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal filed a plea in the NGT accusing that DMRC workers
were using the wetland for open defecation and dumping of solid waste in Dheerpur
which leads to deposition of extra soil that was threatening the existence of the water
body.
The Tribunal issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, Delhi
government, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), and sought their responses on
a plea seeking protection of wetlands. The next hearing was scheduled on 28 May
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2014.
The area is a part of marshland and was important for environment because of
its biological productivity, niche for many species, flood control, recreational and
aesthetic values and recharging ground water sources
THE ONLY GORILLA OF INDIA, POLO DIED IN MYSORE ZOO

Polo, the only Gorilla in Indian Zoo died on 26 April 2014 in Mysore Zoo. It died due to
respiratory infection and age related ailments after being treated for about a month.
Till few years back, 43-year-old male Western Lowland Polo was the Asias lone
Gorilla. It was gifted to the Mysore zoo by Irelands Dublin Zoo on 12 August 1995.
ABOUT GORILLAS
Gorillas are generally found in the tropical and subtropical forests in Central Africa.
These are kept in the list of Endangered to Critically Endangered, depending on the
subspecies.
There are two subspecies of gorillas. These are lowland & upland subspecies of
Western gorilla species and Mountain & Eastern Lowland subspecies of Eastern
Gorilla species.
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES OF GORILLAS

Western lowland gorilla (scientific name Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Cross River gorilla (scientific name Gorilla gorilla diehli)
Mountain gorilla (scientific name Gorilla beringei beringei)
Eastern lowland or Grauers gorilla (scientific name Gorilla beringei graueri)
Among these, the Cross River Gorilla at present are listed among the worlds rarest
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great ape with it population of only 250 to 300.
NEIGHBOURHOOD TREES CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED ON INTERNATIONAL MOTHER EARTH DAY

Neighbourhood Trees Campaign was launched on International Mother Earth Day by
the India Biodiversity Portal on 22 April 2014. The Campaign will be organized from
22 April to 27 April 2014.
It is a unique citizen science project that aims to document tree species across the
country through crowd sourcing. The Crowd sourcing is the practice of obtaining
needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of
online community.
Neighbourhood Trees campaign is probably the first Crowd sourcing project in India.
Such crowd-sourcing projects have been popular in the West.
The campaign is part of the TreesIndia group activity on the India Biodiversity Portal
in association with ATREE, SeasonWatch, Nizhal (Chennai), Keystone Foundation
(Kotagiri), Strand Life Sciences and Azim Premji University.
The aim of the online campaign is to spread awareness on the importance of trees and
to aggregate information on tree diversity across the country. As a part of campaign,
volunteers need to click photographs of trees in their gardens and neighbourhood
and sign up at treesindia.in and upload their observations.
The campaign hopes to create a page for each of the around 7500 tree species
across India. All data gathered will be openly accessible and in the public domain. It
will also popularise the portal and help it grow into a rich and open-access repository
on biodiversity.
Some of the Citizen participation based environment documentation and conservation
programmes in India and across the World are: tree census project by the Chennai
Corporation and the Neralu tree festival in Bangalore, SeasonsWatch, Eflora India
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and the Million Tress initiative in New York.
ABOUT INDIA BIODIVERSITY PORTAL

India Biodiversity Portal is a unique repository of information on biodiversity of India.
The Portal aims to provide open and free access to biodiversity information. It enables
widespread participation by all citizens in contributing to and accessing information
on Indian biodiversity.
The portal intends to mobilise a collaborative community that will build high-quality
map-based multimedia information on Indias biodiversity.
CHERRAPUNJI REGAINED THE WORLD RECORD FOR HIGHEST RAINFALL IN 48 HOURS

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) panel on 4 April 2014 announced that
Cherrapunji in India regained the world record for highest rainfall in 48 hours with
2493 millimeters. The previous highest rainfall in Cherrapunji was recorded on 1516
June 1995.
The previous world record for 48-hour rainfall was held by La Reunion Island in the
Indian Ocean. La Reunion Island holds the record with 2467 millimeters from April
1958. L Reunion is a French island with a population of 840974 inhabitants located
in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Mauritius.
La Reunion is frequently hit by tropic cyclones and received large amounts of rainfall
over its mountains. It continued to hold the record for the most rainfall over periods
of 12-hours and 24-hours from 1966. The record of highest 72 hours and 96 hours
was made in 2007.
The new 48-hour record reaffirms Cherrapunji (also known as Sohra) as one of the
wettest places on Earth. Cherrapunji also hold record rainfall for a 12-month (oneyear) period, with 26470 mm (86 feet 10 inches) of rain from August 1860 to July
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1861.
Cherrapunjis extensive rains are the result of summer monsoon depressions
interacting with its mountainous topography.
Cherrapunji is situated on a plateau in the state of Meghalaya at an average elevation
of 1484 metres (4 869 ft), facing the plains of Bangladesh.
AIR POLLUTION OVER ASIAN COUNTRIES STRENGTHENED

PACIFIC STORMS: PNAS STUDY
A study titled Assessing the effects of Anthropogenic Aerosols on Pacific storm track
using a multi-scale global climate model was published in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in the US. The lead author of the study was
Yuan wang.
FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

The study identified a link between increased pollution in Asian countries and
changes in weather systems over the Pacific Ocean.
The study noted that air pollution in China and other Asian countries is having farreaching impacts on weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere.
Man-made aerosols conclusively impact cloud formations and mid-latitude
cyclones linked with the Pacific storm track. This caused clouds to grow denser,
resulting in more intense storms above the ocean.
The study identifies the most common aerosols as sulfates which predominately
come from coal-fired power plants. Other pollutant particles released by vehicle
emissions were also detected. Once in the atmosphere these particles reflect and
absorb sunlight and can have both a cooling and warming effect on climate zones.
Aerosols over the North Atlantic effect storms over the North Atlantic, and aerosols
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in the monsoon region over South Asia can affect circulation around the whole of
the world.
The Pacific storm track transports heat and moisture. The transfer of heat and
moisture seems to be elevated over the storm track downstream, signifying that
the Pacific storm track has strengthened because of the Asian air pollution outflow.
China is leading in terms of development in Asia which resulted into the highest
air pollution.
Northern cities of China are the leading polluted cities as most of the power
plants and steel manufacturing plants are located in the north of China. The study
reported that air quality standards were only met on 48 days in 2013 in Beijing.
METHODOLOGY ADOPTED
Scientists utilized the comprehensive emission data gathered by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and examined two scenarios: one for an air pollution
rate in the pre-Industrial era 1850 and one from 2000.
An aerosol is a colloid of fine solid particles or liquid droplets, in air or another gas.
Examples of aerosols include haze, dust, particulate air pollutants and smoke.
UNION MOEF CLEARED EXPANSION OF COAL MINE PROJECT

IN ODISHA
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest accorded environmental clearance
(with some conditions) to the expansion of Bhubaneshwari opencast project in
Odisha. This project belongs to Mahanadi Coalfield Ltd, a subsidiary of Coal India
Ltd.
The clearance was given for the expansion from 20 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum)
to 25 MTPA of Mahanadi Coalfields subject to compliance of terms and conditions.
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The maximum production from the above mine at any given time should not
exceed the limit as prescribed in the Environment Clearance.
The production should be within the same mining lease area among others.
No mining operations will be undertaken in the forest land until clearance has
been obtained under the provisions of Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
One needs to seek and obtain approval under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980
for diversion of the entire forest located within the mining lease within a period of
two years from the date of issue of guidelines (February 1, 2013), failing which the
mining lease will be reduced to the non-forest area plus the forest area.
In the case of reduction in mine lease area, one will need to get a revised mining
plan approved from the competent authority for reduced area and enter into a new
mining lease as per reduced lease area.
UNION GOVERNMENT IMPOSED 45-DAY LONG FISHING BAN

IN EAST COAST
The 45-day long annual ban on fishing in the territorial waters along the east coast
of the country started from the midnight on 14 April 2014. The ban was imposed by
Union Government.
This ban is imposed annually to ensure time and space for the fish and other marine
life to breed and multiply. During this period, the mechanized boats are barred from
entering the deep seas for fishing till mid-night of 31 May 2014.
Following the ban, more than 650 mechanized and 2100 engine boats operating from
the fishing harbor in Visakhapatnam were anchored. The ban will be monitored by the
State Fisheries Department in all the nine sea faring districts of Andhra Pradesh as
per the directives of the Union Government.
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More than 17 thousand people dependent on the fishing industry will have to look for
alternative employment other than catching fish to keep going.
Andhra Pradesh under Presidents Rule and model code of conduct for the General
Elections under enforcement the fisher folk, this time; have not been assured of any
relief assistance and supply of free rice during the closed season like in the preceding
years.
QUAKE OF 8.2 MAGNITUDE RAISED TSUNAMI WARNING FOR

LATIN AMERICAN COAST
Tsunami warning was triggered on 1 April 2014 for the Latin Americas entire Pacific
coastline after an earthquake of 8.2 magnitudes struck off the northern Chile. The
US Geological Survey has said that the quake was very shallow, only 10 kilometers
below the seabed, striking 86 kilometer north-west of the mining area of Iquique.
After the earthquake, some areas of Chile have been struck by waves of up to 2
meter (about 6 feet) leading to power cuts, landslides and fires. The Pacific Tsunami
Warning Center (TWC) said that the coasts of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama,
Costa Rica and Nicaragua are at the risk of tsunami.
Following the warning, the Chilean authorities have ordered speedy evacuation of
coastal areas. Reports of landslides hitting the highways are also there.
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER (TWC)

UNESCOs Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission established the Pacific
Tsunami Warning System in the mid-1960s.
ASIATIC WILD DOG DHOLE SPOTTED IN WEST BENGAL FOR

THE FIRST TIME
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Dhole -the Asiatic Wild Dog was spotted for the first time in the Jaldapara National
Park (West Bengal). Three months earlier, they were spotted in the nearby areas such
as Buxa and Mahananda and Neora valley.
Usually they are found throughout in south of River Ganges, southern part of Western
Ghats and Eastern Ghats, Central India Highlands, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,
Meghalaya.
Dhole is listed under endangered category in the IUCN Red list. In a group, Dhole can
be dangerous for the tigers too.
The IUCN data informs that about 2500 mature wild dogs remain in wild and the
trend of declining population will continue. Major factors behind their falling numbers
are loss of habitat, diseases, decreasing preys and increase in competition.
JAPAN ANNOUNCED TO CANCEL NEXT ANTARCTIC WHALING

PROGRAMME AFTER UN ICJ DECISION
Japan on 4 April 2014 announced to cancel its next Antarctic whaling programme
after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of United Nation (UN) ordered an end to
Whaling Programme of Japan.
The move was taken for the first time in more than 25 years.
Japan has decided to cancel research whaling Programme in the Antarctic for the
fiscal year 2014-15. But Japan will continue its research whaling programme in other
areas including the northern Pacific. Japan also has a coastal whaling program that
is not covered by a commercial whaling ban.
ICJ RULING ON JARPA-II

The Hague-based ICJ issued a landmark ruling that found the Antarctic programme
was a commercial activity disguised as science and ordered Japan to revoke existing
whaling licences.
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The UNs International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherland on 31 March
2014 has ruled that the Japanese government must halt its whaling programme Jarpa
II in the Antarctic Ocean. Japan has agreed to abide by the decision.
ICJ agreed the programme was not for scientific research as claimed by Tokyo. The
courts decision is considered legally binding. Presiding Judge of ICJ Peter Tomka
ruled that the court has decided, by 12 votes to four, that Japan should withdraw
all permits and licenses for whaling in the Antarctic and refrain from issuing any
new ones. Japan had caught some 3600 minke whales since 2005 but the scientific
output was limited.
The court ruled that Japan had not complied with its obligations covering scientific
research as set out in Article 8 of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation
of Whaling.
BACKGROUND
In 2010, Australia filed a case in ICJ alleging that the Whaling programme run by
Japanese Government was not for scientific research. Rather the programme was
commercial in nature.
Japan signed up a moratorium on whaling in 1986 under the International Whaling
Commission, but continued whaling in the north and south Pacific under provisions
that allowed for scientific research.
Although there is ban on commercial whaling under the International Whaling
Commission of 1986, but Japan was permitted to kill a certain number of whales
every year for what it called scientific research. The meat from the slaughtered whales
is sold commercially in Japan.
The sale of meat from the hunts in restaurants and supermarkets, while not illegal,
prompted accusations from Australia and other anti-whaling nations that Japan was
cloaking a commercial operation under the name of scientific research.
Japan had failed to prove that under its programme Jarpa II the purpose to pursuit
hundreds of minke whales in Antarctic waters every year was scientific in nature.
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Japan had maintained that its annual slaughter of 850 minke whales and up to 50
endangered fin whales every year was necessary to examine the age, health, feeding
habits, exposure to toxins and other characteristics of whale populations, with a view
to the possible resumption of sustainable commercial whaling.
JARPA-II PROGRAMME
In 2005, Japan began a new program called JARPA II. The objectives of the JARPA
II are the following:
Monitoring the Antarctic ecosystem (whale abundance trends and biological
parameters; krill abundance and the feeding ecology of whales; effects of
contaminants on cetaceans; cetacean habitat);
Modeling competition among whale species and future management objectives
(constructing a model of competition among whale species; new management
objectives including the restoration of the cetacean ecosystem);
Elucidation of temporal and spatial changes in stock structure; and
Improving the management procedure for Antarctic minke whale stocks.
INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION (IWC)

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is the global intergovernmental body
charged with the conservation of whales and the management of whaling. It is set up
under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling signed in 1946. The
Commission has a current membership of 88 Governments from countries around
the World.
In 1986 the Commission introduced zero catch limits for commercial whaling. This
provision is still in place today, although the Commission continues to set catch limits
for aboriginal subsistence whaling.
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ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, is the main judicial
organ of the UN. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.
Its 15 judges are elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council, voting
independently and concurrently. The Court decides disputes between countries,
based on the voluntary participation of the States concerned. If a State agrees to
participate in a proceeding, it is obligated to comply with the Courts decision. The
Court also gives advisory opinions to the United Nations and its specialized agencies.
IPCC RELEASED REPORT TITLED CLIMATE CHANGE 2014:

IMPACTS, ADAPTATION AND VULNERABILITY
UN report titled Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability was
released on 30 March 2014. The report also called the Fifth Assessment Report on
Climate Change has warned that the increasing magnitude of global warning will
have severe, pervasive and irreversible impact on the climate. The UN backed panels
report was finalised by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
8 RISKS IDENTIFIED BY IPCC

Risk of death, injury, ill-health, or disrupted livelihoods in low-lying coastal zones
and small island developing states and other small islands, due to storm surges,
coastal flooding, and sea-level rise.
Risk of severe ill-health and disrupted livelihoods for large urban populations due
to inland flooding in some regions.
Systemic risks due to extreme weather events leading to breakdown of infrastructure
networks and critical services such as electricity, water supply, and health and
emergency services.
Risk of mortality and morbidity during periods of extreme heat, particularly for
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vulnerable urban populations and those working outdoors in urban or rural areas.
Risk of food insecurity and the breakdown of food systems linked to warming,
drought, flooding, and precipitation variability and extremes, particularly for poorer
populations in urban and rural settings.
Risk of loss of rural livelihoods and income due to insufficient access to drinking
and irrigation water and reduced agricultural productivity, particularly for farmers
and pastoralists with minimal capital in semi-arid regions.
Risk of loss of marine and coastal ecosystems, biodiversity, and the ecosystem
goods, functions, and services they provide for coastal livelihoods, especially for
fishing communities in the tropics and the Arctic.
Risk of loss of terrestrial and inland water ecosystems, biodiversity, and the
ecosystem goods, functions, and services they provide for livelihoods.
IPCC REPORT AND INDIA

In this report, IPCC has held Global Warming responsible for Unseasonal rains in
India. The panel warned that uncontrolled Global warming will adversely impact food
production thereby increasing food cost.
It also said that Global warming can result in lack of fresh water. Panel also emphasized
that it is manmade global warming. The report warns that due to global warming,
poorer Nations may see fall in their GDP by 2%.
IMPACT OF GLOBAL WARMING ON INDIA

Unseasonal rains
Increasing Water Scarcity
Lower Wheat Yields
Increased incidence of heat waves
Shrinking Himalayan Glaciers
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SUGGESTIONS BY THE IPCC PANEL WITH RESPECT TO INDIA

Government should use available Knowledge and Objective Information
Upcoming government should address distortions in diesel prices
Should encourage climate friendly schemes such as Solar power generation
Strict implementation of the National Action plan on climate change
IPCC DEFINITION OF CLIMATE CHANGE

The Report has defined Climate Change as a change in the state of the climate
that can be identified (e.g., by using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/
or the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically
decades or longer.
Climate change may be due to natural internal processes or external forcings such
as modulations of the solar cycles, volcanic eruptions, and persistent anthropogenic
changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use.
Similar summit in 2015 will be held in Paris with a focus on creation of new international
climate treaty to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The first phase of the summit came
to an end in 2012
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading scientific
international body for the assessment of climate change and was established under
the auspices of the United Nations (UN). It was established by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
in 1988 with an aim to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current
state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts. In the same year, the UN General Assembly endorsed the action
by WMO and UNEP in jointly establishing the IPCC.
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GEAC REVALIDATED 10-GM CROPS FOR FIELD TRAILS

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) on 21 March 2014 revalidated ten
varieties of Genetically Modified (GM) crops including wheat, rice, maize, cotton and
sorghum for field trails.
Revalidation of GM crops varieties was required due to the lapse of validity period
on account of State governments not allowing field trial. The GEAC had given its
clearance in those 10 cases way back in 2011 and 2012.
The committee allowed multi-national seed companies to go for confined field trials
of these varieties. The companies desiring to go for confined field trials, however, will
have get it approved first by the respective State governments because agriculture is
a State subject under Constitutional provision.
The GEAC under the chairmanship of Hem Pande, Additional Secretary in the Union
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) did not take decision on any new cases
in its meeting.
The green light for trials, which comes just ahead of the elections, provides hope to
major promoters multinational and Indian of GM crop technology.
PARIS IMPOSED A PARTIAL CAR BAN TO COMBAT POLLUTION

France on 17 March 2014 introduced driving restrictions in Paris to tackle dangerous
pollution levels. Under the scheme drivers are allowed to use their cars only on
alternate days, according to the odd or even numbers on their licence plates.
Parking will be free for vehicles with even number plates on a particular day. The
residents are encouraged to carpooling or car-sharing sites to work out their
commutes and rides. Free public transport including cycle and electric car-sharing
schemes also introduced to combat smog.
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The restrictions will be reviewed on a daily basis to determine if an extension is

necessary.
The last restricted driving scheme was introduced in October 1997 in response to
pollution from heavy diesel fumes. It lasted one day.
Paris is more prone to smog than other European capitals because of Frances diesel
subsidies and its high number of private car drivers.
As per the European Environment Agency (EEA) data, there was 147 microgrammes
of particulate matter (PM) per cubic metre of air in Paris - compared with 114 in
Brussels, 104 in Amsterdam, 81 in Berlin and 79.7 in London.
PANASONIC ANNOUNCED POLLUTION COMPENSATION FOR

CHINA WORKERS
Japanese electronics firm Panasonic announced on 12 March 2014 to pay its
employees a pollution premium to workers who are working in China. The move was
announced as part of Panasonics pay negotiations.
Panasonic became the first firm to explicitly pay more due to Chinas air quality
problems. Unrelenting smog has become a focus for public discontent particularly in
prosperous urban areas such as Beijing. Urban areas of China are experiencing the
worst level on Chinas air quality index.
The readings of pollution particulates in Beijing soared to 15 times the daily maximum
recommended by the World Health Organisation.
THE ISSUE
The issue gained attention in 2008 when the US embassy installed a pollution
monitoring system on its roof in Beijing to detect the level of PM2.5. An official
analysis revealed that out of 74 Chinese cities only three met national air quality
standards.
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Particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrograms or less can enter the human blood
stream through a persons lungs and contribute to asthma, cancer or heart trouble.
VOLCANOES PROVIDED SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT TO SPECIES DURING ICE AGES: STUDY

A study by international team of researchers suggested that volcanoes and heated
rocks allowed plants and bugs to survive during the ice ages that occurred on earth
20000 years ago. The team of scientists was led by Dr Ceridwen Fraser from the
Australian National University and Dr Aleks Terauds from the Australian Antarctic
Division.
The study was conducted by the team as a part of National Academy of Science, US
initiative to deal with climate change.
The conclusion has helped to uncover the fact that how some living species succeeded
(adapted climate change) in areas covered by glaciers. The study suggests that the
volcanoes worked as an oasis for life during that period and provided cozy home
to species during ice ages. The cozy environment was provided due to geothermal
features of volcanoes that includes hot springs.
In the process of study, they collected tens of thousands of Antarctic species like
mosses, bugs and lichens. During their discoveries they found maximum number of
species close to the volcanoes and fewer further away.
At least 16 active volcanoes are available in Antarctica since ice age. Around 60
percent of Antarctic invertebrate species are found nowhere else in the world. The
study was published on 10 March 2014 in the journal Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.
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UNION MOEF ACCEPTED THE KERALA GOVERNMENTS RECOMMENDATIONS ON ESA

Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) accepted the recommendations of the
Kerala Government regarding Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) boundaries on 4
March 2014.
The Kerala government recommended to keep agricultural, plantations and habitations
out of ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) identified by the High-Level Working Group
(HLWG) on the conservation of the Western Ghats.
It has also been decided that the MoEF will consider recommendations of the other
States in Western Ghats region based on similar on-ground exercise. If such, proposals
are forwarded to the MoEF within 60 days of issuance of the draft Notification.
Earlier Kerala State Government had constituted an expert committee to study the
impact of HLWG recommendations and to assess ground level information on 21
October 2013. The State Government also set up Panchayat level Committees in
the villages falling within ESA to undertake field verification and interaction with the
stakeholders.
Based on the recommendations of the Expert Committee report, the Kerala State
Government suggested certain changes in the demarcations and boundaries of ESAs
within the state.
MoEF considered the recommendations of the Kerala Government regarding ESA
boundaries and the draft Notification is being issued by the MoEF incorporating the
said modifications.
KASTURIRANGAN PANEL REPORT ON WESTERN GHATS

Union Ministry of Environment and Forest approved the Kasturirangan Panel Report
on Western Ghats on 18 October 2013. According to the report, nearly 37 percent of
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the total area defined as the boundary of the Western Ghats is ecologically sensitive.
The Panel recommended a ban on development activities in 60000 sq km ecologically
sensitive area ESA) spread over six states of Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa,
Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This imposed ban was protested by activities like agriculture
and day to day activities.
Then the Environment Ministry issued an order on 20 December 2013, following the
in principle acceptance of the Ksatrurirangan committee report. The order clarifies it
does not impact the continued occupation of land in possession of the local people
or affect their day to day activities or normal livelihood.
MISSION DOCUMENT ON NATIONAL MISSION FOR SUSTAINING HIMALAYAN ECOSYSTEM APPROVED

Union Cabinet of India on 28 February 2014 approved the Mission document on the
National Mission for sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE). This mission has
been launched under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and the
budget for implementation of the mission will be 550 crore rupees during 12th Five
Year Plan period.
The Mission has been developed with its primary objective to develop a sustainable
national capacity to continuously access the health status of the Himalayan Ecosystem
and enable policy bodies in their policy-formulation functions. The mission will also
assist states in the India n Himalayan Region with implementation of actions selected
for sustainable development.
THE NMSHE WILL ADDRESS A VARIETY OF IMPORTANT ISSUES LIKE

Himalayan glaciers and associated hydrological consequences
Prediction and management of natural hazards
Biodiversity conservation and protection
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Wild life conservation and protection

Traditional knowledge societies and their livelihood
Capacity in regulation of science and critical peer evaluation to help governance
issues related to sustenance of the Himalayan Ecosystem
Assist in restoration and rehabilitation process of Uttrakhand
This mission would also assess the vulnerability of the Himalayan region to climate
change scientifically in dimensions like physical, biological and socio-cultural aspects.
OTHER IMPORTANT AIMS OF THE MISSION

To build and support capacities at central and state levels to assess climate change
and formulation of response measures to challenges in the Himalayan region
Safeguard the communities in the Himalayas from the impacts of climate change
through evidence based policy formulation and enhanced research and capacity
(major beneficiaries marginalized and vulnerable communities)
STATES UNDER NATIONAL HIMALAYAN MISSION

The 12 Himalayan States of India in the Indian Himalayan region (IHR) has been
covered under the Mission of which 10 are hill states and two are partial hill States,
namely Jammu & Kashmir; Himachal Pradesh; Uttarakhand; Sikkim; Arunachal
Pradesh; Nagaland; Manipur; Mizoram; Tripura; Meghalaya; Assam; and West Bengal.
IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL HIMALAYAN MISSION

The Government of Indias, Department of Science and Technology has been given
the responsibility to coordinate the implementation of the Mission (NMSHE) and a
Mission cell (NMSHE Cell) will be created at the Climate Change Programme Division
of the Department of Science and Technology. This cell will be headed by a Mission
Director.
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NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE (NAPCC)

NAPCC was launched in June 2008 by the Prime Minister`s Council on Climate
Change to fulfill Indias vision in context to climate change. In recent times, climate
change has evolved as an important area of concern and has laid ahead a challenge
for environmental and development planning.
NAPCC comprises of eight national Missions and these are:

National Solar Mission
National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
National Water Mission
National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system
National Mission for a Green India
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
UNION MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT & FOREST APPROVED

FIELD TRIALS FOR GM CROPS
Union Ministry of Environment & Forest approved field trials for Genetically Modified
(GM) crops rice, wheat, cotton and maize on 26 February 2014. Ministry of Environment
& Forest cleared Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committees (GEAC) decision to
allow gene modification field trials for food crops.
Field trials are pilot projects that are conducted to test efficacy of the seeds. Earlier,
field trial of the crops was stalled by GEAC (countrys apex bio-safety regulatory
authority) till a verdict was given by Supreme Court of India on a Public Interest
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Litigation filed by activist Aruna Rodrigues opposing GM field trails.

Technical Expert committee recommended an indefinite temporary prohibition on
trails until certain shortcomings in the process were addressed by the government.
Later the court asked the government to submit an affidavit on its position and the
government is expected to submit it soon.
In November 2013, the Maharashtra government became the first state to permit
field trials of GM food crops. The companies like Bioscience, Mahyco, and BASF
India would go ahead with trails for genetically modified crops.
GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS

The Genetically modified (GM) crops that are derived from organisms whose genetic
material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally.
The genetic modification could be aimed at altering the nutrient content of food,
reducing its allergenic potential or improving the efficiency of food production
systems.
GENETIC ENGINEERING APPRAISAL COMMITTEE (GEAC) FUNCTIONS:

To permit the use of GMOs and products thereof for commercial applications.
To adopt producers for restriction or prohibition, production, sale, import & use
of Genetically Modified Organisms both for research and applications under EPA.
To approve for conduct of large scale field trials, evaluation of large scale field trial
data and final approval for release of transgenic crop in to the environment.
To authorize large scale production and release of GMOs and products thereof
into the environment.
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CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ALLOWED IN ECO- SENSITIVE

ZONES OF ARAVALI
Union Government announced to notify the revised regional plan for NCR (2021) on
24 February 2014.
The plan allowed tourism activities in ecologically sensitive zones and permitted
constructions in nature conservation zones (NCZ) beyond the current 0.5 percent
cap.
Nature conservation zones include most part of the Aravalis, riverbeds and areas
surrounding other major water bodies. The NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) has
approved the plan.
The previous plan was prepared in 2005. It had earlier mentioned that only regional
recreational activities like parks, wildlife sanctuaries etc were allowed in NCZs with a
limit of construction not exceeding 0.5 percent of land.
The revised sub-regional plan of Haryana suggests that besides recreational activities
(including tourism) other activities such as agriculture, horticulture, pisiculture, social
forestry and plantation including afforestation may be allowed in NCZs.
Haryana has already prepared the draft plan for Mangar region, proposing a mega
tourism complex in the area that has a sacred forest.
The move was claimed as disastrous for green belts such as the Aravalis by
environmentalists
100 TONS OF RADIOACTIVE WATER LEAKED AT FUKUSHIMA

POWER PLANT
100 metric tons of radioactive water leaked from a holding tank at Japans Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant on 20 February 2014.
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The leak of an estimated 100 metric tons of highly contaminated water was discovered
by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).
The water leak was highly radioactive with a reading of 230 million becquerels per
litre of radioactive isotopes. A becquerel is a unit used to measure radioactivity.
WHO guidance advises against drinking water with radioactivity levels higher than
10 becquerels per litre.
The level is about 7.6 million times the governments limit for water allowed to be
released into the ocean.
The leak, according to TEPCO, might have been caused by a faulty valve in the pipes
that transfers water from a decontamination facility to storage tanks.
However, the contaminated water had not reached the Pacific Ocean because the
tank is located several hundred metres away from the sea and there are no spillways
near the tank.
The Fukushima nuclear plant was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011
faced multiple problems including leaks and power cuts since the disaster.
Since the incidence, TEPCO has been storing the enormous volumes of water
contaminated at the site in a steadily growing collection of containers.
According to TEPCO, as many as 20 trillion becquerels of cesium-137, 10 trillion
becquerels of strontium-90 and 40 trillion becquerels of tritium have found their way
into the sea by way of groundwater leaks between May 2011 and August 2013.
STUDY FOUND THAT FERTILIZATION DESTABILIZES GLOBAL

GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEMS
A new research study named Nutrient Network (NutNet) published in the third week of
February 2014 says that use of fertilizers in farming and industries have destabilizing
effects on global grassland ecosystems.
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The study was carried out by an international team of researchers and scientists
from Lancaster University and University of Minnesota, who found that the natural
ecosystem creates more stable ecosystems overtime, because of less synchronized
growth of pants.
The conclusion on the study was compiled, when the team was exploring the theory
that whether spread of fertilizer by farmers when coupled with the atmospheric
nitrogen is brought back to the ground through rainfall has an effect on the grassland.
The team found destabilization of the natural eco-system as a result.
The team discovered that the balance output of the ecological safety net on
addition of fertilizer was upset across diverse grassland as the various organisms
in those disappeared. The team assessed the effect of fertilizer on 41 sites across
5 continents. The experimental network included eco-systems from alpine areas of
China to Serengeti in Tanzania.
This study was the first international experiment of this size with the use of naturally
occurring sites. This study was made possible following a grass-roots campaign
named NutNet (Nutrient Network) and supported by scientists to carry out an ecology
research. This study was published in the international journal Nature.
COUNTRYS FIRST WILD DOG BREEDING CENTRE TO BE CREATED IGZP IN VIZAG

Central Zoo Authority on 18 February 2014 selected the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park
(IGZP) of Vizag for creation of a conservation breeding centre for the endangered wild
dog Dhole. This will be the first zoo in India to have a breeding centre for Dholes
and it will be created in two to three months. 50 lakh rupees will be invested to
undertake the project.
IUCN has classified Dholes as an endangered species. The population of wild dogs
has gone up from just two to 22 in the country in a series of successful in-breeding
of wild dogs in the zoo. 22 is the highest number of wild dogs in captivity in India.
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CAUSE IDENTIFIED BY IUCN FOR DWINDLING NUMBER OF WILD DOGS OR

DHOLES
Habitat loss
Depletion of prey base
Persecution and possibly disease caused from domestic and feral dogs
Interspecific competition as the destruction of forest corridors has lead them to
fight with other predators
ASSESSMENT INFORMATION OF DHOLES BY IUCN

2004 Endangered
1996 Vulnerable
1994 Vulnerable (Groombridge 1994)
1990 Vulnerable (IUCN 1990)
1988 Vulnerable (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1986 Vulnerable (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)
CONSERVATION ACTIONS TO PROTECT DHOLES IN INDIA

In India, the Dholes is protected under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Act of 1972
(permission is required to kill any individual unless in self-defence or if an individual
is a man killer). The creation of Project Tiger Reserves in India has provided some
protection for populations of the dukhunensis subspecies as potentially it is thought
that the Project Tiger could potentially maintain dhole prey bases in areas where
tigers and dholes coexist.
Dhole is Asiatic wild dog or Indian wild dog. Its scientific name is Cuon Alpinus and it
is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member
of the Henus Cuon that differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and
greater number of teats.
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JAPAN SNOWSTORM LEFT 19 DEAD AND INJURED MORE

THAN 1600 PEOPLE
Japan in fourth week of February 2014 faced a severe snowstorm that has killed 19
people and left more than 1600 people injured. This snowstorm weather has also
sparked widespread transport chaos. People of the country have been trapped in
small communities because they have been cut off by snow-locked roads and railway
lines.
The meteorological agency of Japan in its latest forecast said that now the storm is
moving towards northernmost Hokkaido. In its announcement, the agency has also
issued warning of heavy snowfall and avalanches along with high waves along the
northeastern coast. Hokkaido is the place that was battered by a quake that sparked
tsunami almost three years ago.
To help people in the distressed areas, the members of Japans Self-Defence forces
have also stepped in.
The weather of Japan gone worst after snow began falling on 15 February 2014
in Tokyo and piled up to 26 centimeters by 15 February 2014. This is the heaviest
snowfall witnessed by people of the country in almost of one decade.
US SNOWSTORM THAT LEFT 7 LAKH HOMES POWERLESS

TERMED AS SNOWMAGGEDON
Huge snow storm that blanketed the densely North-East of United States in third
week of February 2014 after wreaking havoc with ice in South has been termed as
Snowmaggedon. This snow blanketing has led to power cut in about 7 lakh 50000
houses, mostly in South Carolina and Georgia. The natural calamity has also led to
cancellation of 6500 flights.
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Due to this weather calamity at least 18 people have lost their lives and people in
about 22 states from Texas to Maine have been affected due to the weather change.
The storm has dumped up to 15 inch of snow in Washington DC region and 8 inch
around New York City.
This deadly storm packed with snow and ice has triggered widespread road
accidents. This brutal freezing action of the weather in the country has been termed
as historic Snowmaggedon by major television networks of US and forecasters. This
snowmaggedon has sent the temperatures across US to -34C low. It is expected that
the sleet and freezing rain will set-up along I-95, the major interstate highway that
runs the length of eastern seaboard.
Following the impacts of the snowy wave, Barack Obama, the US President has
declared a state of emergency in Georgia and South Carolina and he has also ordered
to deploy federal resources to help deal with the frigid storm.
VOLCANO MOUNT KELUD OF INDONESIA ERUPTED

Volcano Mount Kelud of Kediri district (main island of Java) of Indonesia erupted
on 13 February 2014 after rumbling for several weeks. Following this eruption, the
government of the country has ordered around 2 lakh people of 36 villages within 10
kilometers of the crater to evacuate. The eruption spewed ash and sand 17 kilometers
into the air.
The volcanic eruption has resulted in the closure of three international airports
namely Jogyakarta, Solo and Surabaya. The closure action was taken because the
ash released during the eruption has darkened the skies across the country, which
has reduced visibility. The ashes can also pose danger to the engines of the aircrafts.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency said that the spewed ash and gravel of the
volcano flew as far as 200 kilometers away. The noise of this mountain eruption
was heard at a distance of 130 kilometers from Surabaya and even further afield
in Jogakarta. Reports say that the ash has covered the grounds of both the cities,
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which is falling till now.

Last time, Mount Kelud erupted in 2007. In 1990, its eruption killed more than 30
people leaving behind more than 100 injured. Before the eruption of 1990 a powerful
eruption happened in 1919 in which about 5000 people were killed.
Earlier in January 2014 an eruption occurred on the island of Sumatara on Mount
Sinabung in which 14 people were killed.
REASON FOR VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN INDONESIA

Indonesia falls across a series of geological fault-lines, which makes it prone for
frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of
Fire and acts as a belt of seismic activities around the basin of the Pacific Ocean.
Being in the area of colliding continental plates, Indonesia witnesses regular powerful
earthquakes and often sees volcanic eruptions.
The 1731-meter Kelud is among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Mount
Kelud is also considered as one of the most dangerous volcanoes of the country. Till
date the eruptions of Mount Kelud has claimed more than 15000 lives since 1500,
which includes 10000 deaths in a massive volcanic eruption of 1568.
SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED NEW RIVER DOLPHIN SPECIES IN

AMAZON; THIS IS FIRST DISCOVERY IN 100 YEARS
Scientists in January 2014 discovered a new species of river dolphin in the Amazon
River system. This discovery is the first discovery in almost 100 years and it is believed
that this species will be enlisted as endangered status of IUCN Red list.
The small group of river dolphins was discovered by a team of experts from Federal
University of Amazons in Manaus, Brazil. The research was published in the journal
Plos One.
This species has been named as botos and were found in the Araguaia basin where
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they were separated from other populations by only a narrow canal and series of
rapids. Araguaian boto name was suggested by the team who discovered the fact
that this species is distinct after closer inspection and DNA test.
Scientists say that these Araguaian botos are the closest relatives of Inia geoffrensis
and Inia boliviensis genetically. But it varies from other two species as they have
different number of teeth and has a wider skull. Due to local taboos, these dolphins
are generally not hunted directly in Amazon but they face risks from the hydroelectric
projects, boat traffic, and pollution.
Scientists feel that this species of dolphins were separated from other group of dolphins
about two million years ago, which has caused the difference between them in terms
of genetics and morphological basis. They have also discovered the evidences that
individual species from the Araguaia River represent a distinct biological group.
Over a 12 week study, the experts have observed around 120 Araguaian animals and
following the study they have estimated that not more than 600 species are left in the
complete river basin.
OTHER RECENT SPECIES DISCOVERED IN AMAZON

Since 1918, this discovery of Araguaian variety of dolphins is the first discovery. The
last discovery of river whales species by the scientists was Lipotes vexillifer (Chinese
baiji), now extinct. These whales were declared as functionally extinct after a survey
mission conducted in 2006 that failed to find a single specimen of the species.
Apart from this discovery, scientists in October 2013 discovered a new species of
arapaima (a giant torpedo-shaped fish) in the central Amazon waters of Brazil.
In August 2012, the scientists of Brazil discovered a new species of blind snake
named as atretochoana eiselti, related to salamanders and frogs. This species was
discovered after a hydroelectric dam was drained over a river connected to Amazon.
This species was discovered by biologists at the bottom of the bed of Madeira River
in Rondonia.
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NGT BANNED BURNING OF TYRES IN PUBLIC PLACES

National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 7 February 2014 issued a ban on the process
of burning of tyres at public places like roads and areas surrounded by residential
buildings. The order was passed following the actions of burning tyres during the
religious and political possessions by groups as it cause health hazard.
Burning tyres creates toxic smoke, which is also a serious environmental threat. This
ban was issued by Western Zone Bench of NGT after hearing a petition against the
Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the State of Maharashtra.
The plea was filed by a group of 14 lawyers with a complaint that the process of
burning tyres is a serious threat to environment and overall on humans. The petition
was filed in the tribunal in November 2010.
The 14 petitioners in their petition wanted a ban to be issued on tyre burning on/
during the occasions of agitations might be possible by religious or political groups.
The NGT, Pune in its order said mentioned the names of three states for compliance
on the order it passed namely Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The issued ban will led to penal consequences in Section 26 of the National Green
tribunal Act, 2010 to the person/group that neglects the order of ban. National Green
tribunal Acts, Section 26 says that any failure in following the order can result into
a penalty of 10 crore rupees that can be extended up to 25 crore rupees or/and
imprisonment for a period of three years.
National Green Tribunal (NGT) was established on 18 October 2010 under the National
Green Tribunal Act 2010. It was constituted for effective and expeditious disposal of
cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other
natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment
and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for
matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. New Delhi is the Principal Place of
Sitting of the Tribunal. The other four places of its sittings are Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata
and Chennai.
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OLDEST TIGRESS MACHLI FOUND IN RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK

Machli, Queen Mother of tiger dynasty was found in the Ranthambhore National Park
on 5 February 2014. The tigress was missing from 9 January 2014 from zone 5 of the
park.
The 17-year-old Machli is the longest living wild-tigress in the world, besides being
the most photographed big cat. The tigress was identified as T-16.
Machli had survived in the dense forest by hunting her own prey despite her advanced
age.
Two dozen camera traps were installed at strategic locations in the tiger territory and
teams of over 200 officials patrolled the park since Machli went missing.
Machli was in the last phase of her life. The life span of a tiger in the wild is about 12
years. Machli is akin to a 120-year-old human being. At this age, her fewer sightings
are not unusual.
Machli was restricted to a limited area in the national park, as four tigers had intruded
into her conventional abode.
IUCN RED LIST COMPLETED 50 YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE

IUCN on 30 January 2014 announced that it is celebrating 50 years of the IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species in guiding conservation action and policy decisions. The
Red list of IUCN is the worlds most comprehensive information source on the global
conservation status of animal, plant species and fungi related to livelihoods.
The IUCN Red list acts as a powerful tool to inform and catalyse action for biodiversity
conservation and policy change for things that are critical to protect the natural
resources that is needed by us to survive. It also provides the information on population
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size as well as trends depending upon the range and habitat needs of species.
PROCESS OF HOW THE RED LIST OF IUCN HELPS IN SAVING THE SPECIES
Conservation Planning It provides the information that is related to speciesbased conservation actions. It also helps in identifying globally important sites for
conservation including important Plant Areas, important bird areas, key biodiversity
areas and alliance for zero extinction sites.
Decision-making It helps in by influencing the decisions of conservation at multiple
scales that includes environmental impact assessments to international multilateral
environments agreements
Monitoring Indicating the current status of species and revealing trends in their
extinction risk over time, to track progress towards biodiversity targets.
15 BIRDS OF INDIA IN THE IUCN CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

RED LIST OF BIRDS
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of the birds indicates
15 species of birds from India as critically endangered. The information about the
critical endangered birds is available on the IUCN Red list version 2013.
15 BIRDS THAT ARE UNDER THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED LIST OF IUCN

RED LIST ARE
Baers Pochard (Aythyabaeri)
Forest Owlet (Heteroglauxblewitti)
Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotisnigriceps)
Bengal Florican (Houbaropsisbengalensis)
Siberian Crane (Grusleucogeranus)
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Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchuspygmeus)

Sociable Lapwing (Vanellusgregarius)
Jerdons Courser (Rhinoptilusbitorquatus)
White backed Vulture (Gypsbengalensis)
Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogypscalvus)
White-bellied Heron (Ardeainsignis)
Slender-billed Vulture (Gypstenuirostris)
Indian Vulture (Gypsindicus)
Himalayan QuailB (Ophrysiasuperciliosa)
Pink-headed Duck (Rhodonessacaryophyllacea)
THE REASON FOR DECLINE IN NUMBER OF BIRD IN INDIA

Loss, modification, fragmentation and degradation of habitat
Environmental contaminants
Poaching
Use changes mainly conversion of large areas to intensive crop cultivation
Changes in cropping pattern due to various reasons including implementation of
irrigation schemes
Increased pesticide usage and livestock-grazing
High levels of disturbance
Developmental activities like mining and hydel projects. This also includes collision
of the birds with vehicles, wind turbines and power lines
STEPS TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA FOR CONSERVATION OF

BIRDS
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For conversion of the remaining habitats in the wet lands, grass lands and forests
and river line across the countries, the steps taken by the government are:
For protection and management of protected areas the government of India
provides financial and technical assistance to state/union territory government.
The financial and technical support is also provided for forests protection under
centrally sponsored schemes
India has signed into several major international conventions related to conversion
and management of wildlife, which includes the endangered species of birds
The Central Government has enacted the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 for
protection of wildlife including birds. The Act provides for creation of Protected
Areas for protection of wild life and also provides for punishment for hunting of
specified fauna including birds specified in the schedules I to IV thereof. Important
habitats of birds have been notified as Protected Areas under the Act
Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 have been framed for
protection of wetlands, in the States, which are habitats of birds. The Centrally
Sponsored Scheme of National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-System also
provides assistance to the States for management of wet lands including Ramsar
sites in the country.
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been established for control of illegal trade in
wildlife, including endangered species of birds and their parts and products.
Research and monitoring activities on birds are promoted by the Government
through reputed research organizations. Wildlife Institute of India, Bombay Natural
History society and Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History are some
of the research organizations undertaking research on conservation of birds.
The Indian Government has banned the veterinary use of diclofenac drug that has
caused rapid population decline of Gyps vulture across the Indian Subcontinent.
Conservation Breeding Programmes to conserve these vulture species have been
initiated at Pinjore (Haryana), Buxa (West Bengal) and Rani, Guwahati (Assam) by
the Bombay Natural History Society.
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FIRST ONLINE GLOBAL FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY ATLAS

LAUNCHED
The first online Global Freshwater Biodiversity Atlas was launched by BioFresh
Platform on 29 January 2014. BioFresh Platform is the network for global freshwater
diversity information platform and is funded by European Union.
The online Atlas of freshwater biodiversity presents spatial information and species
distribution patterns was launched at the landmark Water Lives symposium held in
Brussels, Belgium.
The newly launched online atlas is a response from freshwater scientists to key
geographical information and spatial freshwater biodiversity across different scales.
The online Atlas adopts a book-like structure allowing easy browsing through its four
thematic chapters
Patterns of freshwater biodiversity
Freshwater resources and ecosystems
Pressures on freshwater systems
Conservation and management
The Atlas will help in managing and protecting the freshwater for generations to come.
Biodiversity of Freshwater Ecosystems: Status, Trends, Pressures, and Conservation
Priorities.
The Atlas has been edited by a pan-European group of freshwater science and
conservation experts from 12 research institutes. It is supported by key international
organsiation, which are active in the field of freshwater biodiversity research and
conservation.
BACKGROUND
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Freshwater that is quite important for diverse habitats covers only 1 percent of total
earths surface and is a home for about 35 percent of all vertebrate species. Studies
show that the freshwater life on earth is declining at an alarming rate as it is faster
than any other component of global diversity.
At present the demand of the policy is the protection of freshwater from the energy,
food and sanitation sectors. At present scenario is to frame a policy that integrates
of freshwater life and the ecosystem services it provides. The policy calls-in with real
and pressing demands on freshwater resources from the energy food and sanitation
sectors.
DELHI METRO AWARDED GSF CERTIFICATION FOR EFFICIENT ENERGY USE

The Delhi Metro was awarded the prestigious Gold Standard Foundation (GSF)
certification standard for using the energy efficiently on 2 February 2014. Delhi Metro
became the first ever Railway system in the world with GSF certification standard.
GSF standard certification is a globally accepted certification standard for carbon
mitigation projects. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) registered for the
certification standard for its energy efficiency measures undertaken in 51 stations in
Phase II of the DMRC Project.
All the energy efficiency measures after being verified by the GSF auditors showed
that during Phase II
The energy efficiency measures were primarily undertaken in the heating, venting
and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, lighting system and other energy efficient
measures of station buildings;
The measures adopted in the HVAC system resulted in reduction in electrical
energy consumption; and
The undertaken measures lead to tremendous amount of energy savings and was
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more efficient than Phase I. It resulted in reduction of carbon dioxide emissions

by at least 25%.
The Gold Standard certification process ensures genuine quality and like all high end
products, Gold standard carbon offset carry a price premium. The UN rate for one
Carbon credit, at present is 70 cents, where as Gold Standard gives 4-5 Euros.
The Gold Standard registration will help DMRC to earn 7000-7500 amount of VERs
(credits) per annum for next ten years. Delhi Metro is also working on other projects
to get them registered under Gold Standard.
In 2008, DMRC had become the first Metro or Railway project in the world to be
registered by the United Nations under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
which has enabled it to claim carbon credits.
ABOUT CARBON RATING

Carbon Ratings are an important building block in the determination of pricing
recommendations. Carbon Ratings measure the overall quality and likely performance
of an emission reduction project. All factors that are likely to influence the projects
capacity to generate CERs (or other units) are considered.
ABOUT GOLD STANDARD FOUNDATION

The Gold Standard is an award winning certification standard for carbon mitigation
projects and is recognised internationally as the benchmark for quality and rigour in
both the compliance and voluntary carbon markets.
Established in 2003 by WWF, the Gold Standard is the only certification standard
trusted and endorsed by more than 85 NGOs worldwide.
Gold Standard projects must adhere to a stringent and transparent set of criteria
developed by the Secretariat, overseen by an independent Technical Advisory
Committee and verified by UN accredited independent auditors.
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WORLDS OLDEST FLAMINGO DIED AT ADELAIDE ZOO OF

AUSTRALIA
Worlds oldest flamingo known as Greater died at the age of 83 on 30 January 2014
at Adelaide Zoo of Australia. Greater was brought to the zoo in 1933 and lived long
with the Chilean flamingo named Chilly, who is in his 60s. Chilly is the only remaining
flamingo in Australia.
The worlds oldest Flamingo was the last Greater flamingo that has resided in Australia.
Its known that the lifespan of the flamingos is of about 25 years in the wild but they
can live for many decades in captivity.
GREATER FLAMINGO
The Greater Flamingo scientific name Phoenicopterus roseus is the most widespread
species of the flamingo family. These birds are found in the Africa, southern Asia (India
and Pakistan), Spain, Albania, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Italy and France. A
single bird was seen in 1988 on the North Keeling Island.
These birds are pink birds and found mainly in warm and watery regions as well as in
the environments of saline and alkaline lakes. The Greater flamingos are the only tall
pink bird found anywhere. They also have long, lean, curved necks and black-tipped
bills with a distinctive downward bend.
INDIA RANKED 155TH IN GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT PERFORMANCE INDEX

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2014 was released on 25 January 2014.
As per the Index, India was ranked 155 out of 178 countries with an index score of
31.23 points in its efforts to address environmental challenges.
India was ranked behind neighbouring countries China at 118, Pakistan at 148 and
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Nepal at 139 respectively.

Among the BRICS countries, South Africa was placed at 72nd position, followed by
Russia (73), Brazil (77) and China (118).
EPI ranks how well countries perform on high-priority environmental issues mainly in
the areas of protection of human health from environmental harm and protection of
ecosystems.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EPI

The two objectives that provide the overarching structure of the 2014 EPI are
Environmental Health and Ecosystem Vitality.
The 178 nations in the index represent 99 per cent of the global population, 98 per
cent of the worlds total land area, and 97 per cent of the global GDP.
The country with the highest EPI is Switzerland which is followed by Luxembourg,
Australia, Singapore, and Czech Republic.
The bottom five performers in the EPI are Somalia, Mali, Haiti, Lesotho, and
Afghanistan. All the low performers are grappling with civil unrest, significant economic
development pressures, and political turmoil.
Urbanisation without sufficient investment in environmental safeguards is the key
reason for emerging economies poor showing when it comes to air quality, biodiversity
and habitat protection.
ABOUT EPI
The EPI is prepared by Yale and Columbia Universities in collaboration with the World
Economic Forum (WEF) as well as with support from the Samuel Family Foundation
and the McCall MacBain Foundation.
The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is constructed through the calculation
and aggregation of 20 indicators reflecting national-level environmental data. These
indicators are combined into nine issue categories, each of which fit under one of
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two overarching objectives.
NINE ISSUE CATEGORIES USED TO CONSTRUCT ENVIRONMENT PERFORMANCE INDEX

I Environmental Health
i) Health Impact: Child Mortality
ii) Air Quality: Household Air Quality AND Air Pollution PM 2.5 Exposure
iii) Water and Sanitation: Access to Sanitation and Access to drinking water
II- Ecosystem Vitality

iv) Water resources: Wastewater treatment
v) Agriculture: Agricultural subsidies and Pesticide regulation
vi) Forests: Change in Forest cover
vii) Fisheries: Coastal shelf fishing pressure and Fish stock
viii) Biodiversity and Habitat: Terrestrial Protected Areas; Critical Habitat Protection;
and Marine Protected Areas
ix) Climate and energy: Climate + energy
SC ASKED MOEF AND RAILWAY MINISTRY TO EVOLVE STEPS

TO PROTECT ELEPHANTS
The Supreme Court on 23 January 2014 asked the Union Ministry of Environment
and Forests (MoEF) and Ministry of Railways to evolve steps to prevent death of
elephants on rail tracks.
The SC bench of Justice Radhakrishnan and Justice Vikramjit Sen asked both the
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ministries to study the measures adopted last year by Karnataka government that
helped in minimising the casualty of tuskers.
The apex court also turned down the plea of the Ministry of Railways to modify its
order of 10 December 2013. In its December 2013 order SC had asked the Ministry
of Railways
to take steps to reduce speed of trains while travelling through forests inhabited
by elephants;
to change rail routes passing through forests; and
to discontinue the movement of goods trains at night in certain sections where
such accidents have been witnessed.
The Ministry of Railways had sought modification of courts direction to divert
fast-moving and night trains on Siliguri- Falakata section and for discontinuing the
movement of goods trains at night between Siliguri and Alipurduar in West Bengal.
The bench said that the MoEF and Railways will examine all these aspects and submit
their detailed suggestions and steps they are going to take so that such untoward
incident would not happen in future and wildlife could be protected.
The SC gave its judgement after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Shakti
Prasad Nayak. In his PIL he sought direction for taking appropriate steps to prevent
killings of elephants hit by fast-moving trains passing through their habitats and also
by electrocution. He has also sought the framing of guidelines including strategies to
protect elephants from being victims of such incidents.
KARNATAKA ELEPHANT TASK FORCE REPORT

The Karnataka Elephant Task Force was headed by Prof. Raman Sukumar which
submitted its Report to the Karnataka High Court in September 2012. The main
recommendations of the Task Force are
Three zones are proposed for this purpose, each with a different set of conservation
objectives and goals. These zones are Elephant Conservation Zone, Elephant-
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human Co-existence Zone, and Elephant Removal Zone.

Establish a Karnataka Elephant Expert Group, within the State Wildlife Board,
with a broad mandate to plan, advise, and assist in elephant conservation and
management in the state.
Loss and fragmentation of elephant habitats due to ill-planned commercial
infrastructure projects and natural resource extraction
A high-level effort needs to be taken up by the State Government to legally
consolidate elephant habitats
Improving connectivity between elephant habitats with greater legal cover is
recommended.
Managing land use in non-forest areas adjoining designated forests.
Reducing pressures on elephant habitat from large scale human resource use
Mitigating and managing elephant-human conflicts
In all cases of elephant mortality, the Task Force has recommended that all post
mortem examinations be held with external observers.
Strengthening and streamlining administration for elephant conservation
The State shall make the fullest use of land use regulation provisions of the
Environment Protection Act, 1986 by notification of Ecologically Sensitive
Areas around key wildlife habitats so that threats posed by ill-planned tourism
infrastructure are minimised.
Coordinating mechanism between the border sharing States needs to be set up.
The KFD needs to develop capacity, in partnership with non-governmental agencies
if needed, for conducting research and monitoring for elephant conservation and
management.
For welfare and management of captive elephants, the measures suggested among
others include strengthening of captive elephant establishment, maintenance
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of service registers for individual elephants, and introducing the art of humane
training and management.
ABOUT PROJECT ELEPHANT (PE)

Project Elephant (PE) was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as
a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objectives:
To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors
To address issues of man-animal conflict
Welfare of domesticated elephants
Under PE, financial and technical support is being provided to major elephant bearing
States in the country.
The Project is being mainly implemented in 13 States / UTs, viz. Andhra Pradesh,
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Small support is
also being given to Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
2013 IS FOURTH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD FOR THE

PLANET: REPORTS
Two top American scientific agencies NOAA and NASA in their separate releases
have confirmed the trend of global warming is continuing. The releases were made
on 22 January 2014.
Annual climate report of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
shows that above-average annual temperature was experienced in most of the planet
in 2013. As per the release, 2003 was the fourth warmest year, since record keeping
began in 1880. The temperature of 2013 tied with the temperature experienced by
the world in 2003.
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As per the report of the combined global land and ocean surface temperature was
recorded 0.62 degrees Celsius (1.12 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 20th century,
which is average 13.9 Celsius (57 degree Fahrenheit).
A second analysis by the NASA scientists came forward with a different result that
says that the global temperature of the year 2013 tied with the temperature recorded
in 2006 and 2009. It says that the recorded temperature is the seventh warmest year,
which is in record.
Process of detecting the global temperature used by the two agencies is slightly
different but they agree on the trend of calculation.
As per the data of past 134 years, global warming due to the building-up of the
greenhouse gases has been attributed as the reason for the rise in temperature.
It has been attributed by the climate scientists depending on the nature of carbon
dioxide released in the atmosphere of the planet, which is released from the emissions
caused from transport vehicles, industries and power. As per NASA, CO2 is at its
highest level in the atmosphere in the 8 lakh year long atmosphere. It has recorded
the rise of the gas to 400 parts per million in 2013 as compared from 285 parts per
million in 1880.
CHILIKA LAGOON NAMED DESTINATION FLYWAYS BY UNWTO

Chilika lagoon in Odisha was named Destination Flyways by the United Nations World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on 21 January 2014. The lagoon was named so for
its sustainable and resilient destination for migratory birds.
Chilika is the only site to be selected from Asia by the UNWTO and was included
in a list of eight such sites. The Destination Flyways initiative of UNWTO aims at
promotion of sustainable tourism.
The status will help Chilika Development Authority (CDA) to develop strategies for
protection of migratory birds through creation of innovative tourism and livelihood
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products. The chief executive of Chilika Development Authority (CDA) is Ajit Kumar
Pattnaik
The Chilka Lake was recommended by six international agencies. These agencies
were Secretariat of the Convention of Biological Diversity, Convention of Migratory
Species, Ramsar Convention Secretariat, World Heritage and Man and the Biosphere
Programmes of UNESCO.
Earlier in January 2014, the UNWTO commissioned a mission for Chilika in January
2014 headed by Virginia Trapa (a member of UNWTO).
This season, around 7.19 lakh migratory birds have been sighted in the 1100-sq km
lagoon which is less than the previous years. Last winter, around 8.77 lakh birds of
180 species had visited the lake and 8.83 lakh birds of 167 species had visited the
blue lagoon in 2012.
CHILIKA LAKE
Chilika Lake is situated on the east-coast of India in Orissa. It is the largest brackish
water lake in Asia with estuarine character that sprawls along the east coast.
It is the largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowl found anywhere on the
Indian sub-continent. It is one of the hotspot of biodiversity in the country, and some
rare, vulnerable and endangered species listed in the IUCN Red List of threatened
Animals inhabit the lagoon for at least part of their life cycle.
UNITED NATIONS WORLD TOURISM ORGANISATION (UNWTO)

UNWTO is the United Nations specialized agency responsible for the promotion
of sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
It was founded on 27 September 1970 and from 1979 onwards, the foundation
day is celebrated as World Tourism Day.
In 1975, the first WTO Secretary-General is appointed and the General Assembly
establishes WTO headquarters in Madrid, Spain.
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UNWTOs has a membership of 156 countries, 6 Associate Members and over 400
Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism
associations and local tourism authorities.
BEIJING PASSED A NEW LAW TO CONTROL HAZARDOUS

SMOG AND AIR POLLUTION
Beijing, the Chinese Capital on 22 January 2014 passed a regulation to curb air
pollution featuring emission controls. The comprehension measure to tackle air
pollution also carries harsher penalties in the citys latest effort to battle its notorious
smog. At present the Chinese capital city is plagued by its dangerous unclean air.
This is the first pollution warning of China in 2014.
The regulation was voted in favour by the Beijing Municipal Peoples congress. This
regulation has replaced the guidelines issued in 2000 and is being considered as the
first of its kind.
As per the issued guidelines with the regulation, China has decided to slash coal
consumption and also to close polluting mills, smelters and factories. The newly
issued regulation also seeks to boost the nuclear power and natural gas use.
With this regulation, Beijing is struggling to reduce the air pollution of Beijing and
nearby areas as the new plan has strengthened the ability of the city to monitor. The
violators of the issued guidelines will also be punished for violation of the rules.
As per a drafted pollution prevention plan of Beijing that was published include fines
of 10000 Yuan to 100000 Yuan. The penalties for the vehicle owners exceeding the
set emission rules will be fined with 3000 Yuan. Apart from Beijing, 10 provinces like
Tianjin and Shanghai are covered as per the regulation.
BACKGROUND
China is under pressure to reduce air pollution to address the cause of the hazardous
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smog in January 2014, which carried pollution levels more than 20 times that is
considered as unhealthy by the World Health Organisation (WHO). On 16 January
2014 the fine particulate pollution named as PM 2.5 reached around 500 micrograms
in per cubic meter.
FIRST CLIMATE CHANGE THEATRE OPENED IN INDIA

First Climate Change theatre was opened at Pushpa Gujral Science City in Kapurthala,
Punjab on 16 January 2014. The theatre will educate people on climate change. This
is the second theatre in the world to be opened after Canada.
The theatre is 18 metre in diameter and it is set up in a dome-shaped building with a
seating capacity of 125 persons. The 25-minute film shows what worst can happen
if humans do not take action on current or impending problems which could threaten
civilization.
The film starts by giving a glimpse of future - floods, droughts, earthquakes and other
natural disasters. Then Earth introduces itself and talks to the audience about current
situation and impacts it is experiencing due to global warming.
AIR POLLUTION OF BEIJING 25 TIMES ABOVE WHO SAFE

MARK
Air pollution of Beijing, China has reached to dangerous levels on 16 January 2014
and people of the city have been warned to take precautions.
US embassy monitoring post said that the air pollution of the city was 25 times higher
than the mark that is considered safe by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Thick smog that has been named as Airpocalypse (impenetrable toxic fog) allowed
visibility to people about a few hundred meters only. The complete city was covered
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with dense gray smog.

This was the first incident of the season in which waves carried extremely dangerous
pollution that was concentrated with toxic small particles. Due to these smog
commuters of Beijing was supposed to wear industrial strength face masks.
Air pollutants have plagued maximum major cities of China as the country has long
sacrificed the protection of environment on the name of economic development.
The air of China on the became hazardous after it passed the Beyond Index of 300
at which concentration of fine matter become many times then the exposure limit
recommended by WHO.
LEVEL OF GREENHOUSE GASES RISING RAPIDLY: UN REPORT

IPCC UN report on 17 January 2014 warned about rise of the level of greenhouse
gases and it calls for greater global efforts to tackle the issue. The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report has also mentioned that if the current situation
continues that hugely expensive technology will be required.
The report has mentioned that during 2000 to 2010, the CO2 has grown by 2.2 percent
per year and this rise is almost twice higher from the growth of the period of 1970 to
2000. It also has asked the global community to cut the emissions without any delay
and also suggested to make a shift towards the clean energy.
The report has also mentioned that the speed with which CO2 will be continued than
the conservation process that has been initiated will fail to respond to the impact of
the environment.
The report has also accused the population and economic growth at a fast pace for
the rise of the greenhouse emissions. It also asks the government to spend more on
switching towards cleaner energy.
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COPENHAGEN CLIMATE CONFERENCE 2009

The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference or COP-15 raised climate change
policy to the highest political level. Close to 115 world leaders attended the highlevel segment, making it one of the largest gatherings of world leaders ever outside
UN headquarters in New York.
It significantly advanced the negotiations on the infrastructure needed for effective
global climate change cooperation, including improvements to the Clean Development
Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol.
Significant progress was made in narrowing down options and clarifying choices
needed to be made on key issues later on in the negotiations.
It produced the Copenhagen Accord, which expressed clear a political intent to
constrain carbon and respond to climate change, in both the short and long term.
COPENHAGEN ACCORD
The Copenhagen Accord contained several key elements on which there was strong
convergence of the views of governments.
This included the long-term goal of limiting the maximum global average
temperature increase to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial
levels, subject to a review in 2015.
There was, however, no agreement on how to do this in practical terms. It also
included a reference to consider limiting the temperature increase to below 1.5
degrees - a key demand made by vulnerable developing countries.
Developed countries promises to fund actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and to adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change in developing countries.
Developed countries promised to provide 30 billion US dollars for the period 20102012, and to mobilize long-term finance of a further 100 billion US dollars a year
by 2020 from a variety of sources.
Agreement on the measurement, reporting and verification of developing country
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actions, including a reference to international consultation and analysis, which

had yet to be defined.
The establishment of four new bodies: a mechanism on REDD-plus, a HighLevel Panel under the COP to study implementation of financial provisions, the
Copenhagen Green Climate Fund, and a Technology Mechanism.
The work of the two central negotiating groups, the AWG-LCA and the AWG-KP
was extended by the COP.
PARLIAMENT OF EUROPEAN UNION APPROVED CO2 EMISSION RESTRICTIONS FOR COMMERCIAL VANS
The Parliament of Europe approved new carbon dioxide restrictions for commercial
vans on 14 January 2014 that will slash emissions by 28 percent from 2020.
Under the rules are all new light commercial vehicles sold across the European Union
(EU) will emit a maximum 147 grammes of carbon dioxide per kilometre instead of
203 grammes as per the level set in 2007. The legislation would be reviewed in 2015.
As per the Climate Commissioner of Europe Connie Hedegaard, the set target of
emission is accessible and is not too expensive for manufacturers.
The European Commission said that the 12 percent of emissions is done by vans
of the European market for light-duty vehicles. These emissions contribute for 1.5
percent of total European Union carbon dioxide emissions.
Similar scheme will be voted by the lawmakers of Europe in February 2014. The
scheme will limit carbon dioxide emissions in new passenger cars that have been
held up by concerns in Germany that has a powerful auto industry.
Earlier in November 2013, Berlin agreed to the scheme of reduction of emission
of CO2 to 95 grammes per kilometer for 2020. Also the European Union has set a
target of emissions by new cars to 130 grammes of Co2 per kilometer by 2015. This
emission target symbolises 18 percent improvement over the standards set in 2007.
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STANDRARDS SET BY EU IN 2007

Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from light commercial vehicles: In 2007, the
European Council made a firm undertaking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
20 percent by 2020. This Regulation forms part of that initiative by setting limits for the
CO2 emissions from light commercial vehicles, whilst maintaining the competitiveness
of the European automotive industry. Transport is one of the European Unions (EU)
foremost common policies. This Decision contributes to meeting the commitment
made by the European Union to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent
by 2020 in relation to 1990 levels.
THE 20 PERCENT TARGET: ACTUAL AND POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES

Three types of actual and possible consequences of the 20 percent reduction target
ACTUAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

The financial crisis which began in 2008 brought a 14 percent reduction in emissions
compared to 1990 levels. The European Commission recently carried out an analysis
of the estimated cost of achieving the 20 percent targets, taking the recession into
account. It emerged that the cost of implementing these objectives decreased by 30
percent in comparison to the 2008 estimates.
Nevertheless, the crisis had negative consequences for undertakings competitiveness,
which means that investment is still required in order to achieve the 20 percent
reduction target.
ACTUAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE GREEN REVOLUTION

As a result of the crisis, certain investors decided to turn to less energy-greedy
infrastructures. For example, in 2009 renewable energies accounted for 61 percent
of new electricity generating capacity in the European Union (EU).
However, competition is fierce in this field and the EU must maintain its competitiveness
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in relation to countries such as China and the United States.
POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF STAYING UNDER A 2C GLOBAL TEMPERATURE INCREASE

To achieve the goal of staying under a 2C global temperature increase, the EU
must reduce emissions on its territory by 70 percent compared to 1990 levels. The
International Energy Agency has estimated that at the global level, every year of
delayed investment on more low-carbon energy sources adds EUR 300-400 billion
to the price tag.
ECO-INNOVATION
Suppliers or manufacturers may reduce their CO2 emissions by using innovative
technologies which may contribute up to 7 grams of CO2/km.
DINOSAURS FOOTPRINTS SPOTTED IN JAISALMER: SCIENTISTS

An International team of 34 scientists on 13 January 2014 spotted the footprints of
Dinosaurs at Thaiat village in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. At present, the team of
scientists from a number of countries is camping in Jaisalmer to study the fossils of
Dinosaurs found in sandy desert areas.
The research related to fossils is centered on the evolution, extinction and paleo-biogenography of the dinosaurs. The team of scientists also includes scientists from
India. It also includes scientists from France and Germany.
The team of the scientists is being led by Dr Jan Schlogl of Slovakia has observed the
footprints on the basal rocks of Thaiat Scrap Section and identified it as footprints of
Pterosaurs (flying dinosaur). Similarly, the bone fragments of Pterosaurs have been
recorded earlier by Dr PK Pandey of the University of Rajasthan.
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The first footprint discovered was only 5 cm long, the shape and name of the species
has been called as Grallator (it is a specific name given to the footprint). The second
footprint was about 30 cm long, which is three toed (tridactyl footprint) has been
named as Eurontes Giganteus.
The team of scientists are on a visit to Rajasthan on the sidelines of the 9th International
Congress on the Jurassic System, which is held between 6 to 9 January by the
Department of Geology of University of Rajasthan.
POSCO GOT ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE NOD FOR 52000

CRORE RUPEES STEEL PLANT IN ODISHA
POSCO, the South Korean steel maker giant on 10 January 2014 received environment
clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) for a steel plant
worth 52000 crore rupees in Odisha. The project was in the pipeline for clearance
and all for past eight years.
The clearance has come a week ahead of the India visit of the President of South
Korea, Geun Hye. This clearance to POSCO has paved a way to build the steel plant
with an annual production capacity of 12 million tones.
With this investment, POSCO project will emerge as the largest foreign direct
investment in India, which was stalled since 2005 because of the problems related to
land procurement and environmental clearance.
Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha has also cleared the proposal of granting
of Prospecting Licence (PL) over Khandadhar mines for the mega steel project near
Paradip, as per the sources.
REPORT TITLED ESTIMATION OF RETREAT OF GANGOTRI

GLACIER RELEASED BY GBPIHED
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G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development (GBPIHED) released

the Report titled Estimation of retreat of Gangotri glacier on 7 January 2014. The
estimation of retreat has been measured using rapid static and kinematic GPS survey.
THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

Gangotri glacier is retreating in the Himalayas and its volume and size are shrinking
between Gaumukh and Bhojbasa.
There is some disintegration in the upper regions of the Gangotri glaciers due to
tectonic activities.
Retreat of Gangotri glaciers in this decade was higher than in the previous decade
due to global warming.
ABOUT GANGOTRI GLACIERS

The Gangotri is one of the largest Himalayan glaciers in Uttarkashi district,
Uttarakand.
The glaciers originate at about 7100 meter above the sea level and are 30.2 km
long and width that varies between 0.5 and 2.5 km.
The River Bhagirathi, one of the main tributaries of the Ganga, originates from
Gangotri glacier.
EXCEPTIONALLY RARE CONJOINED WHALES DISCOVERED

Fishermen found a conjoined gray whale calves in the lagoon in Baja California in
second week of January 2014 as per the Mexican officials. The discovery of the
conjoined gray whale is exceptional and rare. This discovery is exceptional because
till date any precedent of such a whale has not been found.
The whale was found alive in the lagoon of Ojo de Liebre, which opens to the Pacific
Ocean in the Baja California peninsula but it died shortly after birth according a
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government biologist. Its predicted by the death was due to parapagus malformation.
Conjoined twinning has been reported in other mammals, which includes birds,
amphibians, fish and reptiles, but it is rare in whales.
The Siamese whales found were four meter long and weighed a half. The whales
were linked at the waist with two full heads and tail fins. The gray whales swim
towards south from Bering Sea of Alaska to Mexico for warmer water, where they
mate and give birth. They swim towards the warmer water because it eases the
birthing process as believed.
The discovery of these whales has been for the first time, since the process of
conducting the whales began in 1985. The discovery has been verified by an official
from the National Natural Protected Areas Commission (CONAP) during his visit.
SC DIRECTED CENTRE TO APPOINT A NATIONAL REGULATOR

TO OVERSEE IMPLEMENTATION OF FOREST POLICY
The Supreme Court of India on 6 January 2014 directed the Government of India to
appoint a national regulator to oversee the implementation of forest policy. The court
rejected the contention that there is no need for such a body.
The Supreme Court Bench of three judges, which was headed by A K Patnaik and
comprised justices SS Nijjar and FMI Kalifulla, while hearing a PIL, also ordered the
Centre to file an affidavit on compliance of its order by 31 March 2014. The bench
also observed that directing the implementation of the national regulator is must as
the present system under the central government was deficient.
The bench of the Court in its order said to the Union of India to appoint a regulator with
its offices in as many states as possible. The judgment was passed after rejecting the
plea of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) that there is no need to need
to appoint such a regulator to oversee the implementation of forest policy.
In its order the Court made it clear that the regulator will see the implementation of
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the Forest Policy of 1988, while the clearances will be made under the Forest Act
by the MoEF only. The national regulator will deal directly the Environment Impact
Assessment (EIA) notification of 2006 for every project.
The Courts order came on an MoEF plea that was seeking the modification of the
2011 decision in which the it directed the centre to appoint a national regulator for
appraising projects enforcing environmental conditions for approvals and to impose
penalties on polluters.
There was no need to set up a green regulator to oversee matters related to environment
clearances and pleaded for modification of its order to set a body was said by the
centre in 2013.
CHINA DESTROYED SIX TONNES OF SMUGGLED IVORY TO

PROTECT DECLINING ELEPHANT POPULATION
China destroyed more than six tonnes of smuggled elephants ivory in Guangdong
province on 6 January 2014. The move signaled that China is willing to play a greater
role in protecting dwindling elephant populations.
It marked the third significant ivory crush globally over the past six months. In June
2013, the Philippine government crushed more than five tonnes of ivory, and in
November 2013 the U.S. government crushed almost six tonnes.
Chinas move was in line with the tentative steps that it had taken towards playing a
greater role in protecting wildlife outside its borders.
In January 2013, China led an international task force of law-enforcement officers
from nine countries aimed at cracking down on wildlife crime syndicates. A month
long campaign resulted in the seizure of 6.5 tons of ivory as well as other animal
parts.
At a global conservation conference in March 2013, China co-sponsored with the
U.S. measures to increase the level of protection afforded to more than 40 animal
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species. These 40 animal species are predominantly threatened by Chinese diners.

Amongst other steps, China is implementing its comprehensive National Ivory Action
Plan in consultation with the CITES Standing Committee. Also, China led the first
cross-continent wildlife enforcement effort known as Operation Cobra.
However, China has been reluctant to move against legal markets for the sale and
trade of wild animals in China. State-sanctioned ivory engravers each year receive an
allocation that China legally bought from a handful of African nations in 2008.
A study by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2012 found that China is the only country in East Asia
where demand for ivory is expanding in line with household incomes.
16TH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION

ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF
WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES COP16)
It was held in Bangkok in March 2013, to address the threats posed to wildlife, to
people and their livelihoods through poaching and smuggling, especially with respect
to the African elephant.
The figures released through the CITES programme Monitoring the Illegal Killing of
Elephants (MIKE) showed that an estimated 22000 elephants were illegally killed in
2012 in Africa.
The data compiled from 42 MIKE sites across 27 African countries, demonstrate that
current levels of elephant poaching in Africa remain far too high. It could soon lead to
local extinctions if the present killing rates continue.
The situation is particularly acute in Central Africa, where the estimated poaching
rates are twice the continental average.
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OUTCOME OF CITES COP-16

CITES Parties recognized the need for targeted and time-bound actions to be
undertaken along the entire illegal ivory trade chain and to tackle both supply and
demand. The ivory trade chain extends from African range States to transit nations
and countries that are the final destinations and markets.
The CITES Standing Committee further reinforced the collective efforts taken by
CITES Parties by agreeing with the eight key States in Africa and Asia that are part
of the illegal ivory trade chain on the preparation of national ivory action plans. This
action plan will contain all the details of the urgent measures the eight key States will
undertake to combat illegal trade in ivory.
RARE ODONATE SPECIES FOUND IN WESTERN GHATS

A rare odonate species was spotted for the first time in the southern parts of Western
Ghats on 5 January 2014.
The species is known to use tree holes as a larval habitat. The species was found
to bred in the tree holes of evergreen and semi-evergreen forests in the southern
Western Ghats. Western ghats was a biodiversity hotspot.
Many species of odonates are known to use phytotelmata (plant-held waters), as a
breeding habitat worldwide. But no species are known to breed in phytotelmata in
India.
Odonates are mainly aquatic insect group and their part of lifecycle completed
through aquatic environment. All rivers with the riparian zones, perennial streams
and meadows form key areas of the reserve and provide best opportunity to the
odonates to flourish.
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ENDANGERED TIGERS, LIONS AND RED PANDAS DIED DUE

TO CANINE DISTEMPER VIRUS: SCIENTISTS
Endangered tigers, red pandas and lions are perishing due to infection caused
by Canine Distemper Virus (CDV). The Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI)
scientists in Bareilly found CDV in the blood samples of dead animals.
The disease has been found in the dead bodies of the animals of Dudhwa Tiger
Reserve, Patna Zoo and many areas of West Bengal and Darjeeling.
ABOUT CANINE DISTEMPER VIRUS

CDV is a common disease in domestic dogs.
CDV affects different systems of the body including nervous and respiratory
system in these animals.
CDV breaks down the immunity system and causes various secondary bacterial
infections, which leads to death.
It spreads in the animals that eat dogs infected with the virus and/or drink water
from same source.
INDIAN PITTAS, ENDEMIC BIRD SPOTTED IN DELHI

India Pitta, a small and colourful bird which is endemic was spotted at Aravalli
Biodiversity Park in Delhi after 60 years recently.
A rare butterfly, Striped Blue Crow, was also seen for the first time at Aravalli
Biodiversity Park.
Indian pitta is mainly found in the Himalayan foothills and Western Ghats in winters is
mainly seen in closed canopy forest.
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Pittas belong to the family of Pittidate that has 32 species distributed throughout
Asia, Africa and Australia.
The bird is also known as the Blue-Winged Pitta, the Bengal Pitta, the Painted Thrush
and Navaratna in Hindi because of it vibrant colours.
The bird sighting was last reported by omithologist Usha Ganguli in her book A Guide
to the Birds of Delhi.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

HUMAN PROTEOME MAP DECIPHERING 84% OF HUMAN
PROTEINS PUBLISHED
Human Proteome Map (HPM) deciphering 84% of human proteins was published in
British Journal Nature on 28 May 2014. This is for the first time that a near complete
protein maps of human beings.
The draft map of human proteome was drawn by an international team of scientists
led by Akhilesh Pandey of the Johns Hopkins University in the U.S and Harsha Gowda
at the Institute of Bioinformatics in Bangalore.
The proteins deciphered have been derived from 30 histologically normal human
samples and have been encoded from 17294 genes. The identified proteins cover
more than 84% of the annotated protein-coding genes in humans. The number of
identified proteins, as per the study, stands at 30057.
The draft map of the human proteome was prepared using high-resolution Fouriertransform mass spectrometry.
The research could offer deeper insight into why humans suffer from diabetes, cancer
and cardiac problems among other diseases.
From bacteria to humans, genes are made up of units of DNA known as base pairs.
The sequence of base pairs in genes informed about a cells molecular machinery what
proteins to produce. Ultimately, it is the proteins that carry out a myriad processes
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essential for life.
SCIENTISTS AT NDRI CLONED FEMALE BUFFALO CALF LALIMA

Scientists at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) on 2 June 2014 cloned
female buffalo calf, Lalima. Lalima was produced through indigenously developed
Hand-guided Cloning Technique.
Lalima weighs 42-kg and is a female calf. It is the seventh buffalo clone produced by
NDRI.
Scientists used the institutes indigenously developed hand-guided cloning technique
where somatic cells from an ear of a Murrah buffalo were taken to produce a clone.
Murrah is high milk yielding mature buffalo.
The team of the scientists involved in the production of this cloned calf, are Dr. S.K.
Singla, Dr. M.S. Chauhan, Dr. R.S. Manik, Dr. P. Palta, Dr. Shiv Parsad and Dr. Basanti
Jyotsana.
In the Lalima case, she was produced after standard gestation period, born through
normal parturition without any assistance and had normal birth weight.
IMPORTANCE OF THE HAND-GUIDED CLONING TECHNIQUE

This new achievement of producing cloned calf from adult lactating animals by Handguided Cloning technique will facilitate faster multiplication of elite germplasm and
help to face the challenges of increasing demands of milk due to growing human
population.
The worlds largest population of buffaloes is in India and they contribute about 55
per cent of the total milk production in the country.
Practically there are two windows in which cloning technique will be very useful to
dairy sector for faster multiplication of superior germplasm i.e. (i) through males by
producing clone of progeny tested bulls and (ii) through females by producing clone
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of high yielding lactating females.
ABOUT CLONING
Cloning is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical
individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants
reproduce asexually. Cloning is the process which is used to create copies of DNA
fragments (molecular cloning), cells (cell cloning), or organisms.
Dolly, a Finn-Dorset ewe, was the first mammal successfully cloned from an adult
cell. She was cloned at the Roslin Institute in Scotland and lived there from her birth
in 1996 until her death in 2003 when she was six.
SCIENTISTS CREATED FIRST LIVING ORGANISM THAT TRANSMITS ADDED LETTERS IN DNA
Scientists have engineered a bacterium whose genetic material includes an added
pair of DNA letters or bases that is not found in the nature. Cells of this unique
bacterium can replicate the unnatural DNA bases more or less normally for as long
as the molecular building blocks are supplied to it.
This bacterium has been engineered by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute
(TSRI).
Generally two pairs of DNA bases namely A-T and C-G encodes the life on Earth
in all its diversity, while the newly engineered bacterium is an organism that stably
contains these two bases along with the third, unnatural pair of bases.
CONCLUSION OF SCIENTISTS WITH THIS NEWLY CREATED DNA LETTERS

As per the scientists this solution shows, that other solution for storage of information
is possible and it also took them closer to expanded-DNA biology. This expansion will
lead them to many applications from new medicines to new kinds of nanotechnology.
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The team led by Romesberg has been working since 1990 to find the pairs of
molecules that could serve a new fundtional DNA bases - and, in principle, could
code for proteins and organisms that have never existed before.
This report was published on 7 May 2014 in an advance online publication of the
journal Nature.
ARTIFICIAL BLOOD MADE BY UK SCIENTIST SET FOR FIRST

HUMAN TRIAL BY 2016
Researchers in the UK on 14 April 2014 for the first time announced to conduct a test
on patient of artificial blood made from human stem cells. The trial was conducted
by the team of Professor Marc Turner, medical director at the Scottish National Blood
Transfusion Service (SNBTS) at the University of Edinburgh.
The trial test would be conducted in 2016. The trial will involve three patients with
thalassaemia, a disorder of the RBCs that requires regular transfusions. They will
receive around 5 ml of blood initially to test whether the cells behave normally in the
body.
If successful, the trial could pave the way for manufacturing of blood on an industrial
scale. The successful trial could even supersede donated blood as the main supply
for patients.
Blood cells freshly made in the laboratory are likely to have a longer life span than
those taken from donors, which typically last no more than 120 days.
They would also be free from infectious agents such as viruses or the rogue prion
proteins that cause Creuzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).
Trial test would aim to produce relatively rare O rhesus negative blood that can safely
be given to 95% of the population, and the skin cell donors will have to belong to this
blood group.
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The blood cells will be created from ordinary donated skin cells called fibroblasts
which are genetically reprogrammed into a stem cell-like state. The resulting induced
pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to develop
into virtually any kind of body tissue.
Chemicals will be used to coax the iPS cells to mature into red blood cells suitable
for injection into a living person.
A 5 million pound strategic award from the Wellcome Trust charity have funded the
research being carried out by a consortium that includes blood donation services in
England, Scotland and Ireland.
SCIENTISTS CREATED MAN-MADE CHROMOSOME FOR COMPLEX-CELL ORGANISMS

Scientists of an International team have created the first artificial chromosome
for complex cell organisms. Earlier, chromosomes have been created for simpler
Prokaryotic cells. This artificial chromosome was functioning like a normal cell when
it was inserted inside a Yeast cell.
The new chromosome is known as SynIII. The process involved designing and
creating 273871 base pairs of DNA - fewer than the 316667 pairs in the original
chromosome. The research is significant as the Yeast organisms consist of Eukaryotic
cells like Humans, plants and animals. Yeast share about a 2000 genes with humans.
The invention thus can play a significant role in redesigning the animals and other
complex life forms.
PROCESS
Researchers identified coding of one of yeasts 16 pair of chromosomes.
They used software to remove its repetitive and less used regions and added tags
to it.
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They then created an artificial version of this altered chromosome.

The artificial chromosome was inserted inside a yeast cell.
It was able to reproduce like normal cells.
Yeast gained new functions such as chemical switching which help researcher to
scramble the chromosome into thousands of different variants which can make
genetic manipulations far easier.
About 50000 changes were made to the DNA code of the chromosome.
The research can help in design, synthesis and organisation of an entire eukaryotic
genome.
INDIAN-AMERICAN SCIENTIST ANIL JAIN DEVELOPED FIRST

3D MODEL OF HUMAN FINGERPRINT CALLED PHANTOM
Indian-American scientist Anil Jain on 6 March 2014 developed the first 3D model of
a human fingerprint called Phantom. The development could boost the accuracy of
fingerprint-matching systems and improve security technology.
The team of computer scientists led by Arun Jain at Michigan State University
developed the 3D image by first making a two-dimensional image of a fingerprint
and then mapping it to a 3D finger surface. The 3D finger surface complete with all
the ridges and valleys that make up the human fingerprint, is made using a 3D printer.
Although the 3-D model does not yet have the exact texture or feel of a real finger.
However, it could advance fingerprint sensing and matching technology.
The ultimate goal is to have a precise fingerprint model with known properties and
features that can be used to calibrate existing technology used to match fingerprints.
Tools like this would help improve the overall accuracy of fingerprint-matching
systems, which eventually leads to better security in applications ranging from law
enforcement to mobile phone unlock.
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Anil Jain is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and at present is the lead computer scientist
& Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University. He has six US patents on
fingerprint matching and has written a number of books on biometrics and fingerprint/
facial recognition.
DANISH AMPUTEE FIRST IN THE WORLD TO GET BIONIC HAND

Dennis amputee, Aabo in February 2014 became the first person to receive a bionic
hand, which allows life-like sensation to be felt from the devices artificial fingers. The
Dennis amputee was able to feel what was available in his hands by the sensors,
which has been connected to his nerves of his upper arm.
This work was done by the Italy surgeons, who connected the hand with the nerves
in his upper arm. These relayed signals direct to his brain, which allows him to control
the force of his grip. Restoration of senses of touch and feel to amputees is a major
goal in the field of neuro-engineering.
Aabo lost his hand in a firework accident about a decade before. The research
project was carried out by an international team, which included robotic experts from
Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
The sensors to the artificial hand sensed the measure information about touch
using computer algorithms in which the research team of scientists transformed the
electrical signals they emitted into an impulse that sensory nerves could interpret.
The researchers implanted four electrodes onto the nerves in the patients upper arm
during the operation that were connected to the artificial sensors in the fingers of the
prosthetic hand, which allows him to touch and pressure and sent feedback directly
to the brain. Details of the operation of the amputee were published in the journal
Science Translational Medicine.
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US SCIENTISTS GENETICALLY ENGINEER TULASI TO INCREASE PHARMACEUTICAL VALUE

Scientists at Western Kentucky University, US genetically engineered Tulasi or basil
to enhance its pharmaceutical value.
Scientists genetically engineered Tulsai to produce eugenol, a compound found in
basil. Eugenol has a pharmaceutical value which controls the breast cancer. Tulasi is
a medicinal plant and has anti-cancerous compounds called metabolites.
ABOUT TULASI OR BASIL

Tulasi is scientifically called Ocimum tenuiflorum or Ocimum sanctum.
Tulasi leaves are used in Ayurvedic medicine and it is known to promote the
longevity of life.
The herb Tulasi is used to cure the respiratory disorders and to combat cardiac
disorders.
KOREAN SCIENTISTS DEVELOPED ROBOT RAPTOR THAT CAN

OUTRUN USAIN BOLT
Korean Scientists on 1 June 2014 developed robot Raptor that can outrun Usain
Bolt, the fastest man on the Earth. The Raptor was developed by Korean Scientists
at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
The robot Raptor is very fast, although, robot can run only on a treadmill. The Raptor
can run at 46 kilometers per hour or 28 miles per hour much faster than the Olympic
sprinter Usain Bolt who run at top speed of 44.7kph (27.44 mph).
The Cheetah is even faster than both Bolt and the robot Raptor. It is capable of
running as fast as 47 kph (29.3 mph).
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CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF RAPTOR

The robot has two nimble legs and a mechanism that mimics a tail
Raptor is a compact, 3kg machine, with legs made of lightweight composite
material
Raptor has feet made from carbon-fiber prosthetic blades.
Raptor has springs for its Achilles tendons.
Raptor has a tail that helps keep him balanced, the tail moves back and forth like
a spinning counterbalance to keep the robot steady.
Raptor used its tail to dodge or jump over obstacles like wooden blocks that are
placed in its way. It can even use the tail to help it knock some of the obstacles
out of its way.
PEEPER, THE HUMANOID ROBOT THAT CAN READ EMOTIONS

UNVEILED BY SOFTBANK
Worlds first humanoid robot named Peeper that can communicate and read emotions
was unveiled in Japan on 5 June 2014 by a mobile phone company Softbank Corp.
The robot will go on sale for general public in Japan in February 2015 and will be
priced 198000 yen (1900 US dollar).
The humanoid robot equipped with an emotion engine and can recognise emotions
by reading facial expression, body language and tone of voice was engineered by
Softbank after teaming up with French robot maker Aldebaran Robotics SAS.
ABOUT PEPPER, THE HUMANOID ROBOT

It is 120 cm tall and weighs 28 kilograms
Pepper is also loaded with sensors that include touch sensors in its hand
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Uses sensors to monitor the happenings around before making an independent

decision
It can learn things by interactions with humans and the experiences will be
uploaded on internet and shared with other peepers through cloud database
CEO of Softbank Corp, Masayoshi Son demonstrated the capabilities of Peeper of
talking and reading human emotions in Urayasu, Japan.
ROBOTS CAN BE PROGRAMMED BY CASUALLY TALKING TO

IT: CORNELL UNIVERSITY STUDY
A new study at Cornell University demonstrated that robots can be programmed by
causally talking with them. Till date, they needed specific instructions to conduct a
particular task.
The study was conducted at Robot Learning Lab of Cornell University under Ashutosh
Saxena, Assistant Professor of Computer Science. At present, Saxena is involved
in teaching the robots to understand instructions in natural language from different
speakers, account for missing information and adapt to the environment at hand.
The robot has built-in programming language with certain commands that can
translate the human sentences for the robot. For example command find (pan), grasp
(pan), carry (pan, water tap), fill (pan, water), carry (pan, stove) and so on and these
instructions can be translated for the robot by the software and will be Fill a pan with
water, put it on the stove, and heat the water.
Saxenas robot is equipped with a 3-D camera and can scan its environment and
identify the objects in it by using computer vision software and was previously
developed in Saxena lab and the robot has been trained to associate objects with
their capabilities.
Saxena along with his graduate students namely Dipendra K Misra and Jaeyong
Sung will describe their methods from 12 to 16 July 2014 at the Robotics: Science
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and Systems conference at the University of California, Berkeley.
WORLDS FIRST ANDROID NEWSCASTERS UNVEILED IN JAPAN

Worlds first Android Newscasters was unveiled in Japan on 24 June 2014. The
Android was unveiled at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
in Tokyo at an exhibition called Android: What is a Human.
The two androids, Kodomoroid (Kodomo meaning child) and Otonaroid (otona
meaning adult) take the form of a girl and a woman respectively.
The two androids can interact with humans, read the news and read Tweets in several
different voices. Although, their silicon skin and limited facial movement makes them
appear somewhat strange.
Both androids will work at Tokyos National Museum of Emerging Science and
Innovation. The androids will interact with visitors to collect data for studies into
human-robot interactions.
THE MAN BEHIND THE ANDROID NEWSCASTERS: PROFESSOR HIROSHI

ISHIGURO
Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro, director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at the Osaka
University Graduate School of Engineering Science unveiled the Android newscasters
under his project: a pair of android newscasters.
Ishiguro, who has been developing robots for over 20 years, hopes that his research
will help develop more intelligent robots to be used in a large range of potential roles.
Ishiguro also has a robot built in his own image, which he sends overseas to give
lectures, and had previously developed the Telenoid R1, a robot designed for
telepresence communications, which is also on display at the exhibition.
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BOSTON DYNAMICS OF US DEVELOPED LIFE-SIZED ANTHROPOMORPHIC ROBOT CALLED ATLAS

Boston Dynamics of US developed a life-sized Atlas Anthropomorphic robot called
Atlas. The robot was developed as a part of a challenge to create a robot that could
go at the places, which are dangerous to humans.
The Atlas robot has been designed not as a warrior but it is a humanitarian machine
and will be used for the rescue purposes at the time of natural disasters.
The 6-foot-2-inch Atlas is a powerful robot in the form of an adult human. It moves
with a variety of lifelike and natural behavior, including dynamically-balanced walking,
calisthenics, manipulation and user-programmed tasks.
This robot has been developed by Boston Dynamics and is a brainchild of project of
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
BLUEFIN 21- A ROBOTIC SUBMARINE - DEPLOYED TO SOLVE

MYSTERY OF LOST MALAYSIAN PLANE MH370
Bluefin 21 - a robotic submarine - was launched on 14 April 2014 to solve the mystery
of the lost Malaysian plane MH370. The decision of sending a Bluefin-21 was taken
when the search team felt that the batteries of Black Box had expired making them
incapable of sending signals.
This autonomous unmanned under water vehicle was launched from the Australian
navy ship Ocean shield and would go under Indian Ocean.
This submarine can create three-dimensional sonar map of any debris on the seafloor
by using its side-scan sonar.
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ABOUT BLUEFIN-21
It is autonomous, underwater, highly modular vehicle.
It can carry payloads and multiple sensors simultaneously.
Its high energy capacity makes it capable of carrying extended operations even at
the greatest depths.
It can operate from various ships of opportunity worldwide.
Ease in transportability is another cause behind its application in time-critical and
remote operations.
The vehicle design consists of battery modules, swappable payload sections for
in-field mission reconfiguration. Its small size and capability to be launched and
recovered from a simple A-frame or docking head allow it to take advantage of
ships of opportunity. Use of INS provides the best possible navigation accuracy
to Bluefin-21.
BACKGROUND
Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 operating a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft on 8 March
2014 disappeared from the radar screens over the South China Sea with 239 people
on board. The plane when disappeared was heading towards Beijing from Kuala
Lumpur. Initially a multinational team searched the plane in the South China Sea.
Later it was learned that the plane had might have moved along two corridors:
1. Northern corridor (Border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to northern Thailand).
2. Southern corridor (Indonesia to the southern Indian Ocean).
However, by analyzing satellite data, United Kingdom satellite telecommunications
company Inmarsat and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) concluded
that Flight MH370 flew along the southern corridor. Its last known last position was
in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth.
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SCIENTIST DEVELOPED NEW BIOCHIP TO DETECT BLOOD

SUGAR VIA SALIVA
US scientists at Brown University have developed a new biochip sensor to detect
blood sugar via saliva.
The advance is an important step towards a device that would enable people with
diabetes to test their glucose levels without drawing blood.
The biochip is made from a one-inch-square piece of quartz coated with a thin layer
of silver. Etched in the silver are thousands of nanoscale interferometers tiny slits with
a groove on each side.
The new chip makes use of a series of specific chemical reactions combined with
plasmonic interferometry, a means of detecting chemical signature of compounds
using light.
The device is sensitive enough to detect differences in glucose concentrations
that amount to just a few thousand molecules in the sampled volume. The grooves
measure 200 nanometers wide, and the slit is 100 nanometers wide about 1000
times thinner than a human hair.
NEW TITANIUM DIOXIDE TILES DEVELOPED TO FIGHT AGAINST

AIR POLLUTION
New titanium Oxide tiles were developed by the research team from University of
California to fight against Air Pollution. The coating of titanium dioxide mixture when
applied to roof will clean up the air of surrounding area.
The coating when applied to an average-sized residential roof breaks down the same
amount of smog-causing nitrogen oxides per year as a car driven 17703km.
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Researchers had calculated that 21 tonnes of nitrogen oxides would be eliminated

daily if tiles on one million roofs were coated with their titanium dioxide mixture. The
coating will cost only about 5 US dollar or 300 rupees.
Nitrogen oxides are formed when certain fuels are burned at high temperatures.
Nitrogen oxides then react with volatile organic compounds in the presence of
sunlight to create smog.
ABOUT THE PROCESS

First of all, the researchers coated two identical off-the-shelf clay tiles with different
amounts of titanium dioxide, a common compound found in everything from paint to
food to cosmetics.
The tiles were then placed inside a miniature atmospheric chamber that the students
built out of wood, Teflon and PVC piping. The chamber was connected to a source
of nitrogen oxides and a device that reads concentrations of nitrogen oxides.
They used ultraviolet light to simulate sunlight, which activates the titanium dioxide
and allows it to break down the nitrogen oxides. They found the titanium dioxide
coated tiles removed between 88 per cent and 97 per cent of the nitrogen oxides.
They also found there was not much of a difference in nitrogen oxide removal when
different amounts of the coating were applied, despite one having about 12 times as
much titanium dioxide coating.
SILVER NANOWIRES-BASED NANOSCALE FINGERPRINTS

DEVELOPED TO PROTECT CREDIT CARDS
Scientists from South Korea had developed Silver nanowires-based nanoscale
fingerprints. This nanoscale fingerprint would help protect the credit cards and other
gadgets. The research was published in March 2014 in the journal Nanotechnology.
Lead author of the research was Professor Hyotcherl Ihee from the Korea Advanced
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Institute of Science and Technology and the Institute for Basic Science.
Silver nanowires based Nano fingerprints are made by randomly placing 20 to 30
individual nanowires, each with an average length of 10 to 50 micro metre. The
nanowire pattern would be based on a thin plastic film. The wire would be embedded
into credit card to make it impossible to counterfeit the object.
The nanowire pattern is invisible to the naked eye. The nanowire pattern can be
tagged with a unique ID, or bar code, which could enable a quick search in a database
and ease the process of authentication or counterfeit identification.
The pattern was prepared by synthesizing a solution containing individual silver
nanowires, coating the nanowires with silica, doping them with specific fluorescent
dyes and then randomly dropping them onto a transferable film made from flexible
polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
The fluorescent dyes allowed the patterns to be authenticated under an optical
microscope and could add another layer of complexity to the fingerprints if a number
of different coloured dyes are used.
The fingerprints could be produced at a cost of less than 1 US Dollar per single
pattern.
A SMARTPHONE BATTERY NANODOTS THAT RECHARGES IN

30 SECONDS DEVELOPED
An Israeli startup StoreDot on 8 April 2014 developed a new smart phone battery
called Nanodots. The new battery can recharge a smart phone in just 30 seconds. The
firm demonstrated the battery Nanodots at the Microsofts Think Next symposium in
Tel Aviv, Israel.
The Nanodots batteries are made of naturally occurring crystals made of short chain
of amino acids called peptides. These are two nanometers in diameter with significant
chemical properties. These are:
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Due to their small size they can help improve electrode capacitance and electrolyte
performance.
It can fully charge a dead battery of a smart phone in seconds rather than hours.
These are environment friendly and non-toxic as compared to other Nanodot and
quantum-dot technologies that are heavy metal based.
These batteries are cheap to manufacture because nanodots are naturally
abundant, and it employs a basic biological mechanism of self-assembly.
In essence, Nanodots are a new generation of electrodes with new materials called
Multi Function Electrode
Although the battery demonstrated is the size of a small brick, but the company has
announced to develop the device small enough to pack into a standard smartphone
by 2016.
The advance could change the way we interact with portable electronics, and perhaps
even help realise the dream of a fast-charging electric car.
NIT ODISHA DEVELOPED TECHNOLOGY TO TURN PLASTIC

INTO FUEL
National Institute of Technology, Odisha, developed a commercially viable technology
for efficiently rendering common polymer, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) into a
liquid fuel.
This discovery may lead to re-using discarded plastic bags and other products to
address growing demands for fuel globally. Study was published in International
Journal of Environment and Waste Management.
LDPE is used to make container, medical and laboratory equipment, computer
components and plastic bags.
The team heat up the plastic waste to between 400 and 500 degrees celsius over
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a kaolin catalyst (a clay mineral containing aluminum and silicon).This caused the
plastics long chain polymer chains to break apart in a process known as thermocatalytic degradation. The process released large quantities of much smaller, carbonrich molecules.
An analytical method called Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was
used to characterise these product molecules and found the components of their
liquid fuel to be mainly paraffins and olefins 10 to 16 carbon atoms long.
This makes the liquid fuel very similar chemically to conventional petrochemical fuels.
Kaolin acts as a catalyst by providing a large reactive surface on which the polymer
molecules can sit and so be exposed to high temperature inside the batch reactor,
which breaks them apart.
Recycling initiatives are in place across the world but much of the polyethylene waste
ends up in landfill, dispersed in the environment or in the sea.
The process, if implemented on a large scale, can reduce pressures on landfill as
well as ameliorating the effects of dwindling oil supplies in a world with increasing
demands on petrochemicals for fuel.
NANOTECHNOLOGY MAY PREVENT CANCER FROM SPREADING

Nanotechnology may prevent cancer from spreading by using sticky nanoparticles.
Researchers of Cornell University (US) have designed these sticky nanoparticles.
These are made by attaching Trail protein and other proteins to the nanoparticles.
As per the results of earlier trial tests, Trail protein has the ability to kill cancer cells.
These sticky nanoparticles are injected into blood stream which attaches themselves
with the white blood cells. Tests revealed that as soon as sticky nanoparticles came in
contact of cancel tumor cells which had broken off the main tumour and were trying
to spread, it kills them. It thus prevent tumour from spreading into other regions. The
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test results are significant in human blood and mice.

The lead researcher Professor Michael King suggested that sticky nanoparticles
should be used before surgery or radiotherapy. This move would help in removing
tumour cells from the main tumour.
KUDANKULAM BECAME INDIAS FIRST NUCLEAR PLANT TO

GENERATE 1000 MW POWER
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant on 8 June 2014 became Indias first nuclear plant
to generate 1000 MW power. Unit I of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant reached its
full capacity.
With this, the total nuclear energy contribution will increase to 5789 MW. Work on the
Unit-first of Kudankulam Plant was completed in 2013.
Before Kudankulam, Tata Mundra project in Gujarat had the distinction of being the
largest single generation unit in operation with 800 MW power capacity.
ABOUT KUDANKULAM POWER PLANT

Plans for the Kudankulam facility were first drawn up in 1988. It was supposed to
open in 2011 but it was delayed due to the large public protests.
The plant is the 20th nuclear power station connected to Indias power grid.
The Kudankulam nuclear plant project attained criticality in July 2013. Criticality is
the point when a nuclear chain reaction becomes self-sustaining.
MIT SCIENTIST DESIGNED THE WORLDS FIRST FLOATING

NUCLEAR PLANT
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Scientist of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on 17 April 2014 designed

the worlds first floating nuclear plants. Jacopo Buongiorno, Michael Golay and
Neil Todreas of MIT presented the concept of the design at an American Society of
Mechanical Engineers symposium.
In case of a tsunami or earthquake, the imminent danger to a nuclear plant is cooling
failure inside the reactor. The floating nuclear plant would be automatically cooled by
surrounding seawater in case of a major tsunami.
There are no particular limits to the size of such plants. The plant could be anywhere
from small, 50-megawatt plants to 1000-megawatt plants.
Also, a floating platform several miles offshore, moored in about 100 metres of water,
would be unaffected by the motions of a tsunami as earthquakes would have no
direct impact at all.
The concept of Floating nuclear plant was based on two technologies, one is lightwater nuclear reactors and the other is offshore oil and gas drilling platforms.
IMPORTANCE OF FLOATING NUCLEAR PLANT

It will be a boost for Asian countries, as these countries has a combination of high
tsunami risks and a rapidly growing need for new power sources. It would make a lot
of sense for Japan as well as places such as Indonesia, Chile and Africa.
The design of plant could also help to address practical construction issues that
have tended to make new nuclear plants uneconomical.
Shipyard construction allowed for better standardization and the all-steel design
eliminate the use of concrete which is responsible for the construction delays and
cost overruns.
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ANU VIDYUT PARIYOJANA LAUNCHED IN FATEHABAD, HARYANA

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation of 2,800 Megawatt nuclear
power plant in Fatehabad district of Haryana on 13 January 2014.
The project named as Anu Vidyut Pariyojna, will have four units of 700 MWes each
and it will be built at a cost 23502 crore rupees.
They are Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) which will use natural uranium
as fuel and heavy water as both coolant and moderator.
The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) will build these reactors.
This is the first time Haryana will have a nuclear project.
In the second stage, the NPCIL will build two more PHWRS of 700 MWe each at the
Gorakhpur site of Haryana.
The nuclear plant will accelerate the pace of development of the area and it would
also generate more employment opportunities.
The NPCIL is already building four PHWRS of 700 MWe each, two units each at
Kakrapara in Gujarat and Rawatbhatta in Rajasthan. The units at Kakrapara are under
advanced stage of construction and they will attain criticality in 2016.
NPCIL is the sole body responsible for constructing and operating Indias commercial
nuclear power plants. The company had 21 nuclear reactors in operation at seven
locations. Total installed capacity of nuclear reactors is 5780 MWe.
INDIAS THREE-STAGE NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAMME

Programme was formulated by Dr. Homi Bhabha in the 1950s. The objective of the
plan is to secure the countrys long term energy independence, through the use of
uranium and thorium reserves found in the monazite sands of coastal regions of
South India.
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The first stage consists of the pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR), the second
stage consists of fast breeder reactors (FBR) and the third stage consists of advanced
heavy water reactors (AHWR).
WORLDS MOST POWERFUL TELESCOPE ATLAST TO BE BUILT

BY NASA TO TRACK ALIENS LIFE
The Royal Astronomical Society, London on 24 June 2014 unveiled the National
Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) plan to build ATLAST or Advanced
Technology Large Aperture Space Telescope in Portsmouth. Once, built, it will be the
Worlds most powerful and largest telescope.
The telescope will be able to analyze the environment of other planets and able to
track the existence of aliens life. The telescope will track the species which are about
30 light years away.
The telescope will be prepared and set up in space itself, due to the large size of
telescope it is not possible to send the telescope to space from earth via rocket.
For the setting up the telescope, NASA will send a group of astronauts to space via
Orion rocket.
FEATURES OF THE ATLAST TELESCOPE

The telescope will be about four times larger than the existing 44 feet- Hubble
Space Telescope.
The mirror inside the telescope will have a diameter of around 52 feet, which will
be the largest mirror ever created by any man on Earth.
The telescope will be located at a distance of 10 lakh miles.
Telescope to be ready by 2030
According to Scientists, the telescope will help astronomers in exploring more than
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60 odd new planets. It will also give insights into the proportion of oxygen and other
gases in space, which either is, the reason for sustaining life on other planets, or
vice-versa.
PSLV C23, CARRYING FIVE SATELLITES, LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY FROM SRIHARIKOTA

ISROs PSLV C23 was launched on 30 June 2014 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre
at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The PSLV C23 carried five satellites belonging to
four countries namely France, Germany, Canada and Singapore.
All these five satellites were launched under commercial arrangements that ANTRIX
(ISROs commercial arm) has entered with the respective foreign agencies.
On its way, PSLV C23 separated all five satellites, one by one into their intended orbit
and these satellites are
The French Earth observation satellite SPOT-7 of 714 kg which is similar to Indian
Remote Sensing System (IRSS)
14 kg AISAT of Germany
NLS7.1 (CAN-X4) & NLS7.2 (CAN-X5) of Canada weighing 15 kg and the 7 kg
respectively from University of Toronto, Institute of Aerospace studies/Space
Flight Laboratory
VELOX-1 of Singapore from Nanyang Technological University is a technology
demonstrator for design of image sensor, MEMS-based determination and control
system and inter-satellite RF link
Till date, ISRO has launched 35 satellites of foreign countries onboard its workhorse,
the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
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NASA DEVELOPED HIGH-TECH CAGES TO CARRY RODENTS

TO ISS
NASA has developed high-tech cages to carry rodents to the International Space
Station (ISS) from Earth. The rodents carried by the cages will allow the researchers
to study the long-term effects of microgravity on mammalian physiology.
The first flight of the Rodent Habitat modules will be carried out in August 2014
aboard an unmanned SpaceX Dragon cargo ship.
The high-tech cages have been developed by NASAs Ames Research Centre in
Moffett Field, California and the new habitats are designed to transport the animals
to space station as part of their long-term accommodation.
The design of the transport module can fit into the racks in the pressurised cargo
section of the Dragon spacecraft. It has an access module for moving the rodents
from the transporter to the stations rodent habitat without having the mice escape
and take up residence behind the control panels. Every habitat module provides as
many as 10 mice or six rats with all of the basics like water, food, fresh air and lighting
needed by them to live comfortably aboard the station.
The habitat modules include data downlink capability that enables monitoring of
environmental conditions such as temperature. The crew in space and scientists and
veterinarians on the ground will be able to monitor behavior and overall health of the
rodents on a daily basis through the visible light and infrared video system.
Overall, these rodents will help in studying the genetic strains of rodents and roles
played by specific genes in gravity sensing and responses.
NASA SIMULATOR SUCCESSFULLY RECREATED SPACE DUST

Scientists of NASAs Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California have
reproduced the processes that occur in the atmosphere of the red giant star and
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lead to the formation of planet-forming interstellar dust. The complete work was
performed on Earth itself and the information of reproduction of the process was
notified by NASA in its release of 7 May 2014.
The processes that occur in the atmosphere of the red giant star were reproduced
by using a specialized facility called the Cosmic Simulation Chamber (COSmIC). The
facility COSmIC has been designed and built at Ames and it allows scientists to
recreate and study dust grains similar to the grains that form in the outer layers of
dying stars in the laboratory.
With this facility the Scientists have planned to use the dust to gather clues to better
understand the composition and the evolution of the universe.
Scientists in their study found the materials which make up the building blocks of the
universe are much more complicated than it was originally anticipated.
STEPS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL WORK

The team of scientists the process of work started with small hydrocarbon molecules
which were expanded in the cold jet spray in COSmIC and then exposed them to
high energy in an electric discharge. Further, they detected and characterized the
large molecules that were formed in the gas phase from these precursor molecules
with highly sensitive detectors. Then these precursor molecules were collected the
individual solid grains formed from these complex molecules and imaged using
Ames Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).
KOI-3278: A SELF-LENSING BINARY STAR SYSTEM FOUND IN

LYCRA CONSTELLATION
A student astronomer Ethan Kruse found a self-lensing binary star system in the
Lycra constellation. A binary star system is a place where two stars are so close that
their gravitational interaction causes them to orbit about a common centre of mass.
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KOI-3278 looks like an upside-down planet and it could pave the way for new
method of studying binary star systems. This discovery was done at the University of
Washington by using the planet-hunting Kepler Space Telescope. The details of the
study were published on 18 April 2014 edition of journal Science.
The two stars of KOI-3278, at a distance of about 2600 light-years (a light-year is
5.88 trillion miles) take turns being nearer to earth as they orbit each other in every
88.18 days. The two stars are about 43 million miles apart, approx distance of planet
Mercury from Sun. The white dwarf, a cooling star thought to be in the final stage of
life, is about Earths size but 200000 times more massive.
The finding has improved a research of 2013 undertaken by the California Institute
of Technology, which detected similar self-lensing effect minus the brightening of the
light because the two stars being studied were much closer together.
White dwarfs are used as indicators of age in the galaxy in astronomy. Expansion
of understanding of white dwarfs help astronomers by taking them a step closer to
learn the age of galaxy.
The research was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA.
WHAT IS GRAVITATIONAL LENSING?

Gravitational Lensing is a common tool of astronomy that is used to detect planets
around the distant stars within the Milky Way Galaxy. This process is among the first
methods used to confirm Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity. Lensing within
the Milky Way Galaxy similar to same is called as microlensing.
KEPLER-186F, THE FIRST EARTH-SIZE PLANET DISCOVERED

IN THE HABITABLE ZONE
Astronomers on 17 April 2014 announced that they have discovered an Earth-size
planet, named Kepler-186f. The planet is located in the habitable zonea range of
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distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the planets surface. It is a part
of the Kepler-186 system, which is located about 500 light-years from Earth in the
constellation Cygnus.
This Kepler-186f also called as the Earth cousin, orbits around a red dwarf (M dwarf),
which is a type of star much smaller and dimmer than Earths sun. Our galaxy has
about 100 billion stars of which seven out of every ten of them are M dwarfs.
The astronomers have claimed that discovery of Kepler-186f has confirmed that
Earth-size planets actually exist in the habitable zones of other stars. This also signals
a significant step closer to find a world similar to earth.
SIZE AND THE PERIOD OF ORBITING THE STAR BY KEPLER-186F

The astronomers claimed that the exoplanet is known to be less than 10% larger
than Earth but they doesnt know about its mass, composition and density.
It orbits its star in 130 days and it receives one-third energy from its star as Earth
receives from our sun.
The Kepler-186 systems star is half in size and mass of the sun and is a home of
four inner planets
Prior to the discovery of Kepler-186f, a similar Earth-like planet was Kepler-62f that
was 40% larger than the size of Earth and it also orbited its star in habitable zone.
Kepler-186f is a tip-of-the-iceberg discovery.
Elisa Quintana is the Study leader and is a planetary scientist at NASA Ames Research
Center at Moffett Field.
ISRO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED IRNSS 1B FROM SRIHARIKOTA

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on 4 April 2014 launched Indias 2nd
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regional navigational satellite, IRNSS 1B from Sriharikota Space Station of Andhra

Pradesh. The launch of IRNSS series would enable India to have its own reliable and
independent navigational resources for itself.
The satellite was lifted off by the Polar Satellite Vehicle (PSLV) C 24 at 5.14 pm.
IRNSS (Indian Regional navigational satellite) was injected by the launch vehicle after
four stages of 19 minutes of its take off from Sriharikota.
This launch of IRNSS 1B is the 25th successful launch of the PSLV series by ISRO.
This launch of the satellite had brought India close to join the group of selected
nations namely US, Russia, China, Japan and European countries.
IRNSS series launch will benefit India from its applications including terrestrial, aerial
and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management.
It will also provide visual and voice navigation for hikers and travelers.
ABOUT INDIAN REGIONAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM (IRNSS)

Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is an independent regional
navigation satellite system that has been designed with an aim to provide position
accuracy better than 10m over India and the region extending about 1500 kms around
India.
As per ISRO, the series of satellite would provide an accurate real time Position,
Navigation and Time (PNT) services to users on a variety of platforms with 24x7
service availability under all weather conditions.
THE IRNSS SYSTEM MAINLY CONSISTS OF THREE COMPONENTS, NAMELY

Space Segment (Constellation of Satellites & SignalInSpace)
Ground Segment and
User Segment
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PLAN OF POSITIONING OF SEVEN SATELLITES OF IRSS

Three satellites will be placed in the Geostationary Equatorial orbit
Two satellites each will be placed in the Geosynchronous orbit (GSO) with equator
crossing at 55 deg East and 111.5 deg East and an inclination of 29 deg
Two spare satellites are also planned to be realized
OTHER FEATURES OF IRNSS

IRNSS will have two types of signals in L5 and S-band centre frequency, with the
L band centre frequency being 1176.45 MHz and S-band centre frequency being
2492.028 MHz. Both L5 and S-band consist of two downlinks.
IRNSS will also provide two basic services such as Standard Positioning Service
(SPS) for common civilian users and Restricted Service (RS) for special authorised
users.
The best part of IRNSS is that the navigation software of the series is being developed
indigenously at ISRO Satellite Center.
ISRO is collaborating with NPL to realise a space qualified Rubidium Atomic Frequency
Standard.
Further, by the end of 2014 India would send two more satellites and three others
will be sent in the beginning of the year 2015. These launches would make the
constellation complete and provide a unique position to India in the world. India has
also planned to launch the unique Mark III satellites by June 2014.
EUROPE LAUNCHED A SATELLITE, SENTINEL-1A TO MONITOR

EARTH FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
Europe on 3 April 2014 launched a satellite named Sentinel-1A, designed to monitor
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Earth for climate change and environmental damage and help disaster relief operations.
Sentinal-1 is the first in a constellation of hi-tech satellites and was lifted off aboard
Soyuz rocket from Kourou, French Guiana of the European Space Agency (ESA).
The 2.2-tonne satellite will scan the Earth with cloud-penetrating radar and is the first
of half a dozen orbital monitors that will be built and launched under the 5.19-billion
US dollar (3.786-billion-euro) Copernicus project, a joint undertaking of ESA and the
European Union (EU).
Sentinel-1A after taking off separated itself from the rockets upper stage and further
will be followed by a partner, Sentinel-1B, which will be launched till end of the year
2015.
ABOUT SENTINAL-1
Sentinel-1 is a two satellite constellation with the prime objectives of Land and
Ocean monitoring. The goal of the mission is to provide C-Band SAR data continuity
following the retirement of ERS-2 and the end of the Envisat mission. To accomplish
the goal the satellite has carried a C-SAR sensor that will offer medium and high
resolution imaging in all weather conditions. The C-SAR is capable of obtaining night
imagery and detecting small movement on the ground, which makes it useful for land
and sea monitoring.
Sentinel-1 is the first of the six missions in the framework of the Copernicus initiative
and is composed of a constellation two polar-orbiting satellites, namely Sentinel1A and Sentinel-1B. These two satellites will share the same orbital plane, while
operating day and night performing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging.
SENTINEL-1 SERVICES INCLUDE APPLICATIONS LIKE

Monitoring sea ice zones and the Arctic environment
Assimilation of sea ice observations in the forecasting systems
Surveillance of marine environment, including oil-spill monitoring and ship
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detection for maritime security

Monitoring land surface motion risks
Mapping of land surfaces: forest, water and soil, sustainable agriculture
Mapping in support of humanitarian aid in crisis situations
ABOUT COPERNICUS
Copernicus is formerly known as GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and
Security) and is the European Unions Earth observation and monitoring programme,
a user driven programme, building on the existing national and European capacities
and establishing new infrastructure and services.
ISRO DECOMMISSIONED COMMUNICATION SATELLITE INSAT-3E

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO on 1 April 2014 decommissioned the
Communication Satellite INSAT-3E. The satellite was decommissioned after it
completed ten and half years in orbit as it had stopped working on 29 March 2014.
The satellite was facing problems for quite some time. Earlier it ran out of the onboard oxidizer. The oxidizer along with fuel keep it Earth-locked and fixed over India
and helped satellite to perform daily functions.
In September 2012, the satellite blinked and disrupted services for about 24 hours and
was restored later. Also since 2009, only 25 transponders out of 36 were functioning
properly.
ISRO claimed that there will not be any adverse impact on the users. It has started
shifting process of the INSAT-3E users on to standby capacities on some of its other
satellites on 22 March 2014. The process is still going on.
Now, the ISRO have 189 transponders on its ISRO/GSAT fleet. Other 91 additional
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transponders leased on foreign satellites.

In order to prevent collision of the satellite with other working spacecrafts of other
countries, the Master Control Facility at Hasan will move the satellite into a higher
orbit.
The satellite was launched in September 2003 and was expected to give 15 years
of service. The third generation satellite had 36 transponders (24 C-band and 12
extended).
During its service span, INSAT-3E performed following functions:

Its C-band supported communication networks of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation,
National Thermal Corporation and BSNL and other organizations.
Its 10 extended C-band transponders supported VSAT operators.
It provided tele-education services to the distant users.
It provided high communication services.
It facilitated efficient TV broadcast services.
HR 5171 A, THE LARGEST EVER YELLOW HYPERGIANT STAR

DISCOVERED
Researchers have discovered the largest yellow star measuring 1300 times more than
the diameter of sun. The star dubbed HR 5171 A, was discovered nearly 12000 lightyears from Earth in the constellation Centaurus is the largest member of the family
of yellow stars of which our sun belongs. The new image of the star was released on
12 March 2014.
The star was studied by a team lead by Oliver Chesneau of the Cote dAzur Observatory
in Nice, France with the Very Large Telescope in Atacama, Chile. In their study they
found that the yellow hyper giant star is much bigger than it was expected.
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The researchers claimed that it is one of the ten largest stars found and is about 50
percent larger than red supergiant Betelgeuse. The star is about one million times
brighter than the Sun. Yellow hypergiants are very rare and only about a dozen of such
stars are known in our galaxy of which the most famous known is Rho Cassiopeia.
These stars are among the biggest and brightest known stars and are at an unstable
stage of their lives and are changing rapidly. This instability allows them to expel
material outwards by forming a large extended atmosphere around themselves.
The team has also discovered a companion star of HR 5171 A that orbits it every 1300
days. The smaller companion is only slightly hotter than the surface temperature of
5000 degrees Celsius of HR 5171 A.
ASTERIOD NAMED 2000 EM26 WITH POTENTIAL HAZARD

RACED PAST EARTH
An asteroid named 2000 EM26 raced past the Earth at a distance of 3.4 million
kilometer on 17 February 2014. The asteroid 2000 EM26 was tracked by the Slooh
Space Camera atop the Mount Teide in Canary Island, Spain.
The asteroid 2000 EM26 equal to the size of three football fields is 270 meters in
diameter and is moving at the speed of 12.37 kilometers per second.
The streaking of 2000 EM26 asteroid past the Earth took place one year after another
asteroid exploded over Chelyabinsk in Russia on 13 February 2013. The explosion of
the asteroid had injured 1200 people and sent shock waves shattering windows and
damaging buildings in Chelyabinsk.
The closest NEOs that moved quickly past Earth in our lifetimes was asteroid 2012
DA14 a 40000 ton space rock with 30meter diameter.
ABOUT ASTEROID REDIRECT MISSION (ARM)

Tracking the asteroids or Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) has been a significant endeavour
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for NASA and the astronomical community. So far 10731 known near- Earth objects
have been discovered.
Towards this NASA is in the process of developing an Asteroid Redirect Mission
(ARM). ARM will be the first ever mission to identify, capture and redirect an asteroid.
ARM plans to use capabilities of the new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System
rocket and high-power solar electric propulsion to capture an asteroid in near future.
In developing ARM, NASA is assessing two concepts to robotically capture and
redirect an asteroid mass into a stable orbit around the Moon.
In the first concept, NASA will capture and redirect an entire asteroid. In the other
concept, NASA will retrieve a large, boulder-like mass from a larger asteroid and
return it to the lunar orbit.
In both the cases, astronauts aboard an Orion spacecraft will then study the redirected
asteroid mass in the vicinity of the Moon and bring back samples.
MARS ORBITER SPACECRAFT, MANGALYAAN, COMPLETED

100 DAYS
The Mars Orbiter spacecraft, also called Mangalyaan, completed 100 days in space
on 12 February 2014. As per the rough estimation, it has covered a third of its journey
towards the Red Planet.
Till now it has completed its curved travel of 190 million km towards Mars (the Red
Planet) out of its total journey of 680 million km which it will be covering it over the
next 210 days.
Although the orbiter has travelled 160 million km in a semicircular path, it is 16 million
km away from Earth if an imaginary straight line is drawn between the two because
Earth is also moving in the same direction.
The ground station of ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC)
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has been continuously monitoring it from Byalalu on the outskirts of Bangalore,

Karnataka. ISTRAC is due to do a few course corrections as the orbiter covers the
remaining 490 million km using the pre-set propulsion system.
All the five instruments on the Mars orbiter were switched on for tests and were
found to be performing well on 6 February 2014,
Subsequent to six orbit raising manoeuvres around the Earth following the launch,
the Trans Mars Injection (TMI) Manoeuvre on 1 December 2013 gave necessary thrust
to the spacecraft to escape from Earth and to initiate the journey towards Mars, in a
helio-centric orbit.
Three more such trajectory correction manouevres are slated for April 2014, August
2014 and September 2014. Then the spacecraft will be inserted into an orbit around
Mars by an operation called Mars Orbit Insertion on 24 September 2014.
The Mangalyaan is scheduled to be near the Red Planet around mid-September after
travelling nearly 300 days.
The first interplanetary probe, Mangalyaan, was launched from Satish Dhawan Space
Centre, Sriharikota on 5 November 2013. The main objective of Indias launch is to
check whether Mars ever had an environment in which life evolved and to explore
Mars surface, topography, mineralogy and atmosphere.
AUSTRALIAN ASTRONOMERS DISCOVERED OLDEST KNOWN

STAR IN UNIVERSE
Astronomers of Australian National University discovered the oldest known star in the
Universe on 11 February 2014. The discovery was published in the journal Nature.
The star, known as SMSS J031300.36-670839.3, is in the Milky Way galaxy and
some 6000 light years from the Earth. The star was formed shortly after the Big Bang
13.7 billion years ago.
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The star was discovered using the ANU SkyMapper telescope at the Siding Spring
Observatory, which is searching for ancient stars as it conducts a five-year project
to produce the first digital map of the southern sky. The discovery of the star was
confirmed using the Magellan telescope in Chile.
The composition of the newly-discovered star shows it was formed in the wake of
a primordial star, which had a mass 60 times that of our Sun. The iron content of
the star was used to determine its age. The low iron content in the star suggests
it was formed in a low energy explosion. This is a new discovery, as it means early
supernovae were more varied in their energy than previously thought.
The discovery allowed astronomers for the first time to study the chemistry of the
first stars, giving scientists a clearer idea of what the Universe was like in its infancy.
The discovery will open the way for new approaches in examining the origins of the
Universe.
This new discovery suggests early stars were much larger and would have burned
more lithium than experts previously realised. The stars burn the lithium, they blow
up, and dont emit much iron. This helps bring the lithium abundance into line with
what the Big Bang theory predicts.
The Big Bang created a universe filled with hydrogen, helium and extremely small
amounts of lithium. Iron, along with other elements, was forced in stars and supernovae.
While modern stars were created from multiple star explosions and contain many
different elements, older stars are more simplistic in terms of composition.
RIVER OF HYDROGEN FLOWING THROUGH SPACE SEEN WITH

GREEN BANK TELESCOPE
Astronomers discovered a River of hydrogen flowing through space on 28 January
2014. Scientists had discovered the never seen before river using the Green Bank
Telescope (GBT) of National Science Foundations Robert C. Byrd.
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The River flow in nearby galaxy named NGC 6946 and is around 22 million light years
from Earth. Team of scientists was led by D.J. Pisano from West Virginia University.
It may help the scientists to explain how certain spiral galaxies keep up their steady
pace of star formation.
Until now, scientists have discovered that the fuel for star formation had to come
from somewhere. Spiral galaxies like Milky Way typically maintain a rather tranquil
but steady pace of star formation.
Rivers of hydrogen-known as cold flows may be ferrying hydrogen through intergalactic
space, fuelling star formation. But this was too diffused to detect, until now.
Others, like NGC 6946, which is located approximately 22 million light years from
Earth on the border of the constellations Cepheus and Cygnus, are much more active,
though less-so than more extreme starburst galaxies.
This raises the question of what is fuelling the sustained star formation in this and
similar spiral galaxies.
Using the GBT, Pisano was able to detect the glow emitted by neutral hydrogen gas
connecting NGC 6946 with its cosmic neighbors. This signal was simply below the
detection threshold of other telescopes.
The GBTs unique capabilities, including its immense single dish, unblocked aperture,
and location in the National Radio Quiet Zone, enabled it to detect this tenuous radio
light.
Astronomers have long theorized that larger galaxies could receive a constant influx
of cold hydrogen by syphoning it off other less massive companions.
In looking at NGC 6946, the GBT detected just the sort of filamentary structure that
would be present in a cold flow, although there is another probable explanation for
what has been observed.
It is also possible that sometime in the past this galaxy had a close encounter and
passed by its neighbors, leaving a ribbon of neutral atomic hydrogen in its wake.
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NASA DISCOVERED POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS ASTEROID

2013 YP139
NASA discovered a new potentially hazardous asteroid named 2013 YP139 on 29
December 2013. It was confirmed by the NASA on 15 January2014.
It was first discovered by NASAs Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
(NEOWISE). The Researchers at the University of Arizona used the Spacewatch
telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory southwest of Tucson to confirm the
discovery.
The 2013 YP139 is about 43 million kilometers from Earth. On the basis of Infrared
brightness, it is found to be 650 meters in diameter and extremely dark like a piece
of coal. NEOWISEs sophisticated software picked up the moving object against a
background of stationary stars.
The asteroid circles the Sun in an elliptical orbit titled to the plane of solar system. It
is possible for its orbit to bring it as close as 482803 km from Earth, a little more than
the distance to the Moon. But it will not come that close within the next century.
NEOWISE was originally called as Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) which
made the most comprehensive survey to date of asteroids and comets.
In 2010 and early 2011, WISE discovered more than 34000 asteroids and characterised
158000 throughout the solar system. Its reactivation in September 2013 followed 31
months in hibernation.
SCIENTISTS MEASURED THE DISTANCE TO GALAXIES ACCURATE TO 1%

Scientists for the first time measured the distance to galaxies more than six billion
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light years away accurate to 1%.

The analysis was revealed on 9 January 2014.
This new map was created from the BOSS Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic
Survey using Sloan Foundation Telescope. This survey is one of the four projects
being carried out by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-111), at the Apache Point
Observatory in New Mexico.
The analysis incorporates spectra of 1277503 galaxies and covers 8509 square
degrees of the sky visible from the northern hemisphere. This is the largest sample
of the universe ever surveyed at this density. Since 2009, BOSS has been collecting
the data and will continue to gather till June 2014.
The BOSS map used baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs) as a standard measurement
of the distance between galaxies. A BAO is an imprint of pressure waves from the
early universe suspended in the barren depths of intergalactic space.
Further, the phenomenon known as BAO is a subtle ripples in the distribution of
galaxies throughout the Universe. These ripples were created during the formation of
the early universe as particles of light (photons) and protons and neutrons (collectively
known as baryons) created mammoth pressure waves pulsing through the cosmos.
The new results were presented by Schlegel and his team at the 223rd meeting of the
American Astronomical Society.
SATURNS RING 4.4 BILLION YEARS OLD

Saturns iconic rings were formed about 4.4 billion years ago said the researchers
at the University of Colorado. This was announced at the annual meeting of the
American Geophysical Union on 3 January 2014.
The new study was conducted using data gathered by the NASAs Saturn-orbiting
Cassini spacecraft.
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The main rings are believed to be extremely old, rather than hundreds of millions of
years old said the researchers.
Saturns main ring system is huge but razor-thin, measuring about 280000 kilometres
across but just 33 feet or so in the vertical direction.
The rings are composed primarily of water ice, but they contain small amounts of
rocky material contributed by micrometeoroid bombardment.
The University of Colorado researchers used Cassinis Cosmic Dust Analyser
instrument to measure how frequently such tiny particles cruise through the Saturn
system.
The researchers were able to reconstruct the orbits of many of these particles,
finding that the lions share come from the Kuiper Belt, the ring of icy bodies beyond
Neptunes orbit.
HUBBLE DISCOVERED CLOUDS ON NEW PLANETS

Hubble discovered the two new planets, GJ 436b and GJ121 4b, providing the
weather forecast for a planet outside our solar system.
The Astronomers led by University of Chicago Laura Kreidberg and Jacob Bean W
determined that both the planets covered with clouds and contains hydrogen.
These clouds hide any information about the composition and behaviour of the lower
atmosphere and surface.
GJ 121 4b is about 40 light years away from Earth in the constellation Ophiuchus.
GJ436b is similar in mass to Neptune and GJ 121 4b is considered a Super Earth
planet because of its mass is intermediate between those of Earth and Neptune.
ABOUT HUBBLE
The Hubble space Telescopes launched in 1990 that orbits Earth. Its gaze has helped
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determine the age of the universe and the existence of dark energy.
SCIENTISTS DEVELOPED SENSING SKIN TECHNOLOGY THAT

CAN DETECT CRACKS IN CONCRETE STRUCTURES
Scientists on 24 June 2014 developed new sensing skin technology that can detect
cracks in concrete structures.
Scientists from North Carolina State University and the University of Eastern Finland
have developed the technology.
The technology will allow the authorities to respond quickly to damage in everything
from nuclear facilities to bridges.
HOW IT DETECTS THE CRACK IN CONCRETE STRUCTURES

The sensing skin is painted onto the structure, over the electrodes. A computer
programme then runs a small current between two of the electrodes at a time, cycling
through a number of combinations.
Every time the current runs between two electrodes, a computer monitors and records
the electrical potential at all of the electrodes on the structure. This data is used to
calculate the sensing skins spatially distributed electrical conductivity. If the skins
conductivity decreases, it means the structure is damaged.
ABOUT SENSING SKIN TECHNOLOGY

The skin is an electrically conductive coat of paint that can be applied to new or
existing structures. The paint can inh any number of conductive materials. It will make
the skin inexpensive. Electrodes are applied around the perimeter of a structure.
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WORLDS FIRST ELECTRIC PLANE E-FAN COMPLETED ITS

FIRST FLIGHT
The Worlds first Electric plane named E-Fan on 9 May 2014 successfully completed
its first flight. The first flight was carried in Bordeaux, France.
E-Fan was manufactured by the Toulouse-based Airbus. It is a small experimental
aircraft and is powered by 120 lithium-ion polymer batteries and can fly with speed
of 220kmph. The length of the E-Fan is little more than 19 metres and makes a noise
lightly more than hairdryer and is co-friendly profile.
An hour flight with the E-Fan will cost only 16 US dollar as compare to 55 US dollar
for a flight in a petrol powered plane of the same size. E-Fan will bring the cost
of travel down by more than a third and reduces the carbon emission. It is a step
towards greener, quieter and cheaper.
SOME OF THE OBSTACLES OF E-FAN WHEN COMPARE TO LARGER AIRCRAFTS

Relatively low speed
Small size
Flight duration is restricted to a few hours
The manufacturers may further develop the technology to make larger aircrafts that
would be powered by a hybrid system.
THE MANUFACTURER PLANS FOR TWO VERSIONS OF THE E-FAN

Two-seater E-Fan 2.0 will be a fully electric training aircraft
Four-seater E-Fan 4.0 will be used for both training and general flight purposes
and will be powered by a hybrid system
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SOLAR PLANE SOLAR IMPULSE 2 UNVEILED IN SWITZERLAND

The upgraded solar-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 was unveiled on 13 April 2014 at
Payerne Air Force Base of Switzerland. The solar plane will circumnavigate the world
in March 2015. The solar plane can fly around the world for five consecutive days
without using any fuel.
Swiss pilots Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard have developed the solar
powered aircraft. Solar Impulse 2 is a bigger and better version of the single-seater
prototype that first took flight five years ago.
The entire airplane weight only 2.3 metric tons (2.54 tons). To maintain its weight
budget, the materials in the updated plane are lighter than before, and it has more
efficient electric motors.
The upgraded aircraft has a wingspan that is 72 meters longer than a Boeing 747
commercial jet. The wings are covered with 17000 solar cells that power the planes
various systems.
The maximum speed of aircraft is 140 kilometers per hour (87 mph).
The original plane demonstrated that a solar-powered plane can fly through the night,
hop from Europe to Africa and cross the width of the United States.
The plane have an autopilot function, a toilet, a comfortable business-class seat and
enough space in the ergonomic cockpit for the pilot to lie down and either exercise a
little bit, or get some rest.
The purpose of the round-the-world flight is to showcase cutting-edge renewable
technologies developed by some 80 companies involved in the project.
ABOUT SOLAR PLANE

First prototype Solar Plane named HB-SIA successfully completed its first flight
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on 7 April 2010. The plane was entirely powered by the solar energy by charging
its batteries. The flight was conducted for 87 minutes and it reached an altitude
of 1200m. The plane successfully fled across Europe, Mediterranean Sea and the
United States.
The plane was developed at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Laussanne (EPFL)
NEW SOFTWARE APP SANDESH PATHAK DEVELOPED TO

HELP FARMERS
A new software app Sandesh Pathak was developed to help the illiterate farmers.
The app uses text-to-speech method to help the farmers.
This application has been jointly developed by C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram , C-DAC
Mumbai, IIT Kharagpur, IIT-Madras and IIIT Hyderabad.
FEATURES OF THIS APP

It takes the received SMS message as input
It then produce content of the SMS message in form of a speech as output
It supports five Indian languages Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarathi and Telugu
with options to select language
The TTS engines of all these languages have been tested on the agriculture
domain-related texts and fine-tuned accordingly
It provides options to choose speed of the voice as normal, slow, slower, fast and
faster.
It can be downloaded from the Appstore of the Mobile Seva Project of government
of India.
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CONTENT OF SMS
advice about dealing with problems such as fertilizer, insect, weed and disease
management
updates on latest technology
weather forecast information
However, the app has its own limitations. It is not equipped to read out bilingual
messages.
In Phase two, following activities would be undertaken:

To develop bilingual app.
To include 13 languages such as Malayalam, Kannada, Rajasthani, Assamese etc.

To include 13 flavours of English (with regional accents).
More institutes will be roped in IIT Guwahati, IIT Mandi, SSN College Chennai, DAIICT Ahmedabad, University of Guwahati and IISc, Bangalore.
The app is part of the project launched by the Union Government to help farmers
read messages. This new application will enable SMS messages to be read out loud
thus facilitating their understanding.
The app was developed because farmers are not able to read the received advice in
the form of SMS and as a result they are unable to use the advice.
FOLDSCOPE: A LOW COST MICROSCOPE INVENTED

A team of Scientists led by Manu Prakash from Stanford University developed an
amazingly cheap microscope namely Foldscope (due to it folding design). The
research was published in Stanford Daily, US in the first week of April 2014.
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COMPOSITION OF FOLDSCOPE
Foldscope is made up of paper and contains three parts as follows:
a slip of paper which acts as the slide on which the specimen is kept;
a slide for the ball-shaped lens;
a piece that contains an LED light. This light will help in illuminating the subject
under examination.
MECHANISM
The users need to place their eyebrow against the paper with their eye close to the
lens to view the sample similar to traditional microscope.
Thumbs of users will control Magnification and image panning. This process also
includes sliding to view different parts of the image.
To control magnification a simple flexing mechanism is used.
CONCERNS
Eye strain;
Ergonomics;
Examination of potentially infectious samples very near to the human body.
To address these concerns, Researchers are now working on development of different
type of microscopes. Future Foldscopes will be designed in such a way that each
type of disease will have a correlating microscope which will be used exclusively
for particular disease. Foldscope will minimize price and bypass the difficulty of
optimization present in traditional multipurpose microscopes.
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NIST LAUNCHED WORLDS MOST ACCURATE CLOCK, NISTF2

The US Department of Commerces National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) in the first week of April 2014 launched a new atomic clock, named as NIST-F2.
The clock has been designed to serve the new US civilian time and frequency, along
with the current NIST-F1 standard.
NIST has claimed that the NIST-F2 would neither gain nor lose a second in about
300 million years as it is three times as accurate as its predecessor NIST-F1. NIST-F1
has served as the standard, since 1999. Both these clocks use a fountain of cesium
atoms to determine the exact length of a second.
The scientists of NIST claimed that according to the International Bureau of Weights
and Measures (BIPM) data (NIST-F2) is the worlds most accurate time standard.
BIPM is located near Paris, France. To produce the Coordinated Universal Time
(UTC), the international standard time, the agency collates data from atomic clocks.
In the present world many technologies like cellular telephones, Global Positioning
System (GPS) satellite receivers and the electric power grid rely on the high accuracy
of atomic clocks.
UNION MINISTER OF RT & H INAUGURATED ELECTRIC PASSENGER BUS

Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways (RT&H) R. Ramalinga Reddy inaugurated
an electric passenger bus in Bangalore on 27 February 2014. This bus is a first of its
kind in India and has zero emission level.
It is an initiative of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Cooperation (BMTC) with the
coordination of Utopia. Initially for trial runs the bus will be used between Kempe
Gowda and Kadugodi for 3 months.
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Main Features of the Bus

Eco friendly with zero emission level.
It has capacity of 31 seats.
It has a range of 250 km.
Battery management designed to monitor the temperature and voltage of electric
cells to ensure safety.
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS PRINTED EYE CELLS

USING INKJET PRINTER
In a bid to cure blindness, Cambridge University scientists successfully printed new
eye cells using inkjet printing technology for the first time on 10 February 2014.
One of the main reasons behind many eye diseases is the loss of nerve cells in the
retina which can further lead to the blindness. The retina consists of the precise
arrangement of cells for effective vision.
Scientists found that Piezoelectric Inkjet Printer can print the cells derived from the
central nervous system and eyes.
This printer on receiving a specific electrical pulse ejected the cells from a sub
millimeter diameter nozzle. They also used a high definition video technology to
record the printing process with high resolution and optimized their procedures.
The results showed that printed cells remained healthy and retained their ability to
survive and grow in culture. But, these results are preliminary. It was also confirmed
that this printer can print two types of cells from the retina of adult rat- ganglion cells
and glial cells. Ganglion cells transmit information from the eye to specific regions of
the brain whereas Glial cells provide support and protection of neurons.
For the first time, this technology has been used successfully to print mature central
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nervous system cells. Scientists believe that this technique can produce artificial
tissue grafts made from the variety of cells found in the human retina. These tissue
grafts can later be used in curing blindness.
NEW EYEWEAR SYSTEM DEVELOPED TO GIVE SUPERHUMAN

The US based company Innovega unveiled a new eyewear system, the iOptik, on 11
January 2014. The eyewear system was showcased at the International Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The new eyewear system combines high-tech contact lenses and Google Glass-like
smart glasses to provide the wearer with superhuman vision.
The iOptik system has been developed to take the concept of wearable technology
to the next level. The prototype features up to six times the number of pixels and 46
times the screen size of mobile products that rely on conventional optics.
The contact lenses provide the wearer with enhanced focusing abilities. It also allows
the wearer to see objects and images that are very close up, as well as those that are
some distance away, in great clarity.
The glasses unlike Google Glass cover the whole eye. They are integrated with flatpanels or micro-projectors that create a virtual canvas, onto which digital media
such as photos, maps and social media updates can be projected. They can also
play games and watch films that mimic IMAX performance.
CSIR AND IMD SIGNED AN AGREEMENT TO DEVELOP DRISHTI SYSTEM

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and India Meteorological Department
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(IMD) signed a partnership agreement on 22 May 2014 for joint production of Drishti
system.
The agreement was signed by Dr Shyam Chetty, Director, CSIR-NAL and Dr LS
Rathore, Director General of Meteorology, IMD. The agreement encompassed a
wide range of research & development activities for further development of various
meteorological sensors.
The agreement paves the way for operational deployment of Drishti system at different
airports where IMD provides aeronautical meteorological services. A mega project
for installing nearly 70 such systems at various Airports of the India is being jointly
undertaken by the two organisations.
Seven Drishti systems are working in three international airports. Out of seven, one
each has been installed at Choudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow,
(for the last 3 years) and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
(for the last 1 years). Five systems are working in countrys most stringent CAT IIIB
airport, viz., Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, for the last two years.
This cost-effective product is a mandatory system required at all airports as per
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and World Meteorological Organisation
(WMO). The system is extremely robust with high mean time between failures.
ABOUT DRISHTI SYSTEM

Drishti system is a sophisticated instrument for assessment of Runway visual range,
which is a critical parameter for safe landing and takeoff of aircraft in poor visibility.
Drishti Transmissometer, a visibility measuring system is an innovative, indigenous
product first of its kind, designed and developed by CSIR-NAL to cover the wide
span of lowest to highest visibility (< 25 to > 2000 meters) aiding pilots for safe
landing and take-off.
Web enabled health monitoring, remote control of the system from any location in the
country for accessing the data and for maintenance are the other important features
of this state of the art system. Servicing is made user friendly and cost-effective by
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modular electronics and virtual instrumentation concepts in the design.

Drishti has also received several prestigious awards during 2013-14 from National
Research Development Corporation (NRDC), Institution of Electronics and
Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), India, and Indian Electronics & Semiconductor
Association (IESA) as the most innovative, meritorious product of the year.
TERI DEVELOPED CLOUD BASED OPEN-SOURCE WEB-GSI

TOOL
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on 13 March 2014 developed its first ever
cloud based open-source Web-GIS tool. The tool was developed to estimate the
rooftop solar power potential for Indian cities.
The development of Web-GIS tool project was supported by

Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF)
Chandigarh Renewable Energy Science and Technology Promotion Society
(CREST)
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)
Confederation of Industry (CII)
SOME FEATURES OF WEB-GIS TOOL

It will act as a Decision Support System (DSS) to carry out the pre-feasibility
assement of putting rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system for a particular location.
It will help users to estimate potential green-house gas (GHG) mitigation through
solar rooftop route for a given location.
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The web-GIS tool first will be launched in Chandigarh and later in other cities.
The government was already providing subsidies to the private sector to produce
renewable energy.
If seen in international trends perspective, than Germany is one of the countries of
the world that produces 25 percent of its energy in form of solar power. Apart from
this, there are many other countries who are also investing in renewable energy for
the benefit of the environment. This practice also helps in saving cost on production
of energy.
ASI & GOOGLE JOINTLY LAUNCHED THE 360 DEGREE ONLINE

VIEW OF INDIAN HERITAGE SITES
Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) joined hands with the Google to launch the 360
degree online view of the Indian heritage sites on 20 February 2014.
The aim is to create a dynamic, immersive online experience by which people within
India and around the world can understand and engage more of Indias diverse
cultural heritage.
Under the first part of the project, a total of 30 heritage sites from across the nation
have been mapped using the Street View Trekker of Google. Under the Street View
Trekker a person gets a step by step walk around virtual tour of the place.
The Indian heritage sites that have been mapped include the likes of Taj Mahal, Raigad
Fort, Nagarjuna Konda Buddhist Stupas, Fatehpur Sikri, Qutub Minar, Humayuns
Tomb, Red Fort, Aga Khan Palace, Agra Fort and more.
The 30 monuments will also be now available to viewers on GoogleMaps and on the
World Wonders site, part of Google Cultural Institute.
In October 2013, Google had announced its project to capture the panoramic image
of 100 Indian Heritage sites with Union Ministry of Culture and ASI. In pursuance of
the signed agreement with ASI and Union Culture Ministry, Google created a virtual
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walkthrough application using its Street View Trekker technology for the first time in
India.
ABOUT STREET VIEW TREKKER TECHNOLOGY

The Street View Trekker technology was introduced in 2012, which is a Street View
camera platform, with 15 cameras on board that capture a 360-degree view of the
area around. It is mounted on a wearable backpack and the total unit weighs around
20 kilograms. The operator walks through pedestrian routes and is designed to reach
places that can be accessed by foot.
EMAIL MILES, A SYSTEM USING GPS DEVELOPED TO TRACK

THE EMAILS
A new system Email Miles using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to
calculate the number of miles an email has travelled before reaching an inbox was
developed on 18 February 2014.
The system uses GPS technology and internet tracking to determine where a message
was sent and where it was received. It then calculates the total distance between the
two and displays it on the screen alongside a map.
The system was developed by Inventor Jonah Brucker-Cohen to show how indirect
the route of many emails can be.
Brucker-Cohen said the system does all of its time and distance calculations using
the internet and a coordinate mapping system. When all of the mileage amounts
are tallied, it adds them all and provides the user with a map, the countries and
continents and miles the email travelled.
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SCIENTIST DISCOVERED METHOD TO CURB GREENHOUSE

GASES
Scientists discovered a new method to convert harmful greenhouse gases into
chemicals which can produce synthetic fuels on 2 February 2014.
A team of researchers at the University of Delaware has developed a highly selective
catalyst capable of electrochemically converting carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas)
to carbon monoxide with 92 percent efficiency. The carbon monoxide then can be
used to develop useful chemicals.
It was found that when a nano-porous silver electrocatalyst was used, it was 3000
times more active than polycrystalline silver, a catalyst commonly used in converting
carbon dioxide to useful chemicals.
Silver is considered a promising material for a carbon dioxide reduction catalyst
because of it offers high selectivity approximately 81 percent and because it costs
much less than other precious metal catalysts. Additionally, because it is inorganic,
silver remains more stable under harsh catalytic environments.
The exceptionally high activity is likely due to the UD-developed electrocatalysts
extremely large and highly curved internal surface, which is approximately 150 times
larger and 20 times intrinsically more active than polycrystalline silver.
The active sites on the curved internal surface required a much smaller than expected
voltage to overcome the activation energy barrier needed drive the reaction.
To validate whether their findings were unique, the researchers compared the
UD-developed nano-porous silver catalyst with other potential carbon dioxide
electrocatalysts including polycrystalline silver and other silver nanostructures such
as nanoparticles and nanowires.
The research teams work is supported through funding from the American Chemical
Society Petroleum Research Fund and University of Delaware Research Foundation.
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SCIENTISTS DESIGNED MOCLIC SOFTWARE TO PREDICT

WEATHER
Researcher from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) designed the
software Monitoring Climate Change (Moclic) through which is possible to organise,
store and operate geo-referenced data from climate elements.
Moclic can calculate bio and agro climatic indicators such as humidity, aridity, rain
erosion and rainfall concentration.
Using the new software information regarding temperature can be known more
accurately which feeds on data from weather stations in any state or country.
Moclic project allows an agronomist to obtain annual rainfall records and relate them
to the crops production figures for explanation of a possible event.
It is also possible to identify desiccation processes in a region which comes useful
while considering the seeds that can resist droughts or the optimization of rainwater
catching techniques, storage or types of irrigation.
The software is very simple and can be used by decision making characters, as
governors, breeders, physicians, farmers, students or anyone whose repercussions
could have economic politic or social effects.
WHO DECLARED EBOLA AS GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY

The World Health Organization (WHO) on 6 August 2014 declared Ebola as Global
Health Emergency. The decision was taken after a two-day emergency session held
in Geneva. During the two-day session, WHO appealed for global aid to help afflicted
countries.
Ebola has so far claimed at least 932 lives and infected more than 1700 people since
outbreak of the virus in Guinea in March 2014.
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States of emergency has been declared across Ebola affected West African nations,
including Libera, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
ABOUT EBOLA DISEASE

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe human disease.
Ebola Virus was formerly known by the name Ebola haemorrhagic fever.
There are five distinct species of the Ebola virus: Bundibugyo, Cote dIvoire,
Reston, Sudan and Zaire.
Bundibugyo, Sudan and Zaire species have been associated with large outbreaks
of Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) in Africa causing death in 25-90% of all clinically
ill cases, while Cte dIvoire and Reston have not.
EVD outbreak is generally witnessed in villages of Central and West Africa, near
tropical rainforests.
The virus spreads through contact with an infected animal mainly Fruit bats of the
Pteropodidae family.
Person suffering from Ebola Virus develops symptoms after two to three days
of contracting with virus. These symptoms can be fever, sore throat, headache,
nausea, muscle pain. In worst of cases, person may get affected with Diarrhoea
along with poor functioning of liver and kidneys.
Ebola-infected patients require thorough care. No specific treatment or medications
are available to cure such patients.
Ebola Virus was first witnessed in 1976 when it infected people of Nzara, Sudan,
and Yambuku in Democratic Republic of Congo. Yambuku is a village near the
Ebola River. The disease Ebola Virus took its name from that river.
Professor Peter Piot of London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine discovered
the Ebola virus in 1976 from a blood sample of a dying Catholic nun in Congo.
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ITALIAN SCIENTISTS DESIGNED KIDNEY DIALYSIS MACHINE

FOR NEWBORN BABIES
Italian scientists designed kidney dialysis machine for newborn babies. The study
was published in the medical journal The Lancet on 23 May 2014.
Prof Claudio Ronco, from the International Renal Research Institute at San Bortolo
Hospital in Vicenza, designed and developed the new machine to treat babies and
small infants weighing between 2kg and 10kg.
The machine is capable to safely treat a newborn baby with multiple organ failure.
Existing dialysis machines are only designed for adults and have to be adapted for
use in newborns. Dialysis machines for adults can cause complications when used
in very young children.
The new continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) machine named CARPEDIEM
(Cardio-Renal Pediatric Dialysis Emergency Machine) was created to overcome the
problems of existing dialysis machines.
The new machine replaces the lost function of the kidney by removing excess fluid
and urine from the body through blood vessels.
It allows the use of a much smaller-sized catheter than normal which could prevent
damage to blood vessels in babies.
It is estimated that 18% of low-birth weight infants are affected by acute kidney injury
and it is increasingly common in children admitted to hospital with an incidence of
almost 20% in children admitted to intensive care.
REPORT ON HEALTH FOR THE WORLDS ADOLESCENTS RELEASED BY WHO

Report on Health for the worlds adolescents was released on 14 May 2014 by World
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Health Organisation (WHO). The report revealed that depression is the predominant
cause of illness and disability for both boys and girls aged 10 to 19 years.
According to the Report, the top 3 causes of adolescent deaths globally are road traffic
injuries, HIV/AIDS, and suicide. Worldwide, an estimated 1.3 million adolescents died
in 2012.
MAIN HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT

Road traffic injuries top cause of death: Road traffic injuries are the number 1 cause
of adolescent deaths globally, and the number 2 cause of illness and disability. Boys
are disproportionately affected, with more than three times the rate of deaths than
that of girls.
Increasing access to reliable and safe public transport can reduce road traffic
injuries among adolescents. Road safety regulations (e.g. alcohol and speed limits),
establishing safe pedestrian areas around schools, and graduated licensing schemes
where drivers privileges are phased in over time, can all reduce risks.
Mental health problems take a big toll: Globally, depression is the number 1 cause of
illness and disability in this age group, and suicide ranks number 3 among causes of
death. Some studies show that half of all people who develop mental disorders have
their first symptoms by the age of 14.
Adolescents with mental health problems need to be given the care they need. This
can prevent deaths and avoid suffering throughout life.
Pregnancy and childbirth-related deaths have fallen: Deaths due to complications of
pregnancy and childbirth among adolescents have dropped significantly since 2000,
particularly in regions where maternal mortality rates are highest. WHOs South-East
Asia, Eastern Mediterranean and African Regions have seen estimated declines of
57%, 50% and 37%, respectively. Despite these improvements, maternal mortality
still ranks second among causes of death among 15 to 19-year-old girls globally,
exceeded only by suicide.
Deaths due to HIV rising: Estimates suggest that the number of HIV-related deaths
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among adolescents is rising. The increase is predominantly in the African Region, at

a time when HIV-related deaths are decreasing in all other population groups. HIV
now ranks as the second cause of deaths in adolescents globally.
Some other infectious diseases still major causes of death: Due to childhood
vaccination, adolescent deaths and disability from measles have fallen markedly, by
90% in the African Region between 2000 and 2012. However, common infectious
diseases that have been a focus for action in young children are still killing adolescents
New data on adolescent health behaviours: The survey had showed that less than 1
in every 4 adolescents does enough exercise and in some countries as many as 1 in
3 is obese. But some trends in adolescent health-related behaviours are improving.
For example, rates of cigarette smoking are decreasing among younger adolescents
in most high-income countries and in some middle- and low-income countries as
well.
Critical period for preventing chronic disease: Adolescence is an important time for
laying the foundations of good health in adulthood. Many health-related behaviours
and conditions that underlie the major non-communicable diseases start during this
period of life.
UNIQUE ENZYME SOD DISCOVERED BY CSIR TO INCREASE

SHELF LIFE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
A Unique enzyme Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) was discovered by Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The enzyme will help increase shelf life of
fruits and vegetables.
The enzyme was discovered by CSIR-IHBT during a survey at an altitude of over
10000 feet in the Western Himalayan region from Potentilaastrosangunia plant
growing under snow cover.
The characteristic features of this SOD lies in its stability and functionality ranging
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from sub-zero to high temperature (above 40C) with varying specific activity.
The CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its industry partner Phyto
Biotech, Kolkata. The MoU was signed to formalize technology transfer for production
of unique enzyme.
This unique enzyme will also be useful during cryosurgery and preservation of
organelles (specialized sub-unit within cell that has a specific function). The cryosurgery
is an application of extreme cold to destroy diseased tissue.
Owing to its high antioxidant properties and multiple uses, the SOD enjoys high
demand and price in the global market.
3D MODEL OF MALARIA PARASITE GENOME CREATED FOR

THE FIRST TIME
Scientists from University of California, Riverside created a 3D model of the human
malaria parasite genome for the first time. The 3D model was created at three different
stages in the life cycle of parasite. The creation of 3D model will help in identifying
new anti-malaria drugs.
The study was published in the journal Genome Research on 16 April 2014.
WHY THE NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF 3D MODEL

To understand the biology of an organism or any cell type, Scientist needs to
understand the following
The information encoded in the genome sequence;
How the genome sequence is compacted and physically organised in each cell or
tissue;
How the changes in the 3D genome architecture can play a critical role in regulating
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gene expression, chromosome morphogenesis and genome stability.

Thus, the Scientists at California University used a chromosome conformation
capture method and high throughput sequencing to analyse the organisation of the
genome of p.falciparum in the natural state of the cell. Scientists then used the maps
of all physical interactions to generate a 3D model of the genome for each stage of
the parasite life cycle.
Once the scientists understand how the malaria parasite genome is organised in
the nucleus and which components control this organisation. Then it is possible to
disrupt the genome architecture and the parasite development too. Hence, genome
architecture is critical in regulating gene expression and in regulating genes that are
critical for parasite virulence.
THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

The team found the genes that are need to be highly expressed in the malaria
parasite. Those genes are involved in translation and genes tend to cluster in the
same area of the cell nucleus.
On the other hand genes need to be tightly repressed, like genes involved in
virulence are found elsewhere in the 3D structure in a repression center. Virulence
genes in the malaria parasite are responsible for the survival of Parasite in the
humans.
Team found these genes are all organised into one repression center in a distinct
area in the nucleus and seem to drive the full genome organisation of the parasite.
The team successfully mapped all physical interactions between genetic elements
in the parasite nucleus.
AMBAR SRIVASTAVA OF IIT-DELHI DEVELOPED TRUEHB HEMOMETER TO TEST HAEMOGLOBIN
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Ambar Srivastava of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi on 29 March 2014

developed the TrueHb Hemometer to test haemoglobin. The device of the size
of a mobile phone is the first case of an innovation from biomedical engineering
department of IIT-Delhi actually getting productized.
The device has been validated by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
for its efficacy. It will help identify and tackle anaemia effectively in India which has a
very high prevalence of anaemia and the related maternal deaths from it.
Srivastava has established a company named Wrig Nanosystems Pvt Ltd to produce
and commercialise TrueHb Hemometers.
The device was developed with funding from the Technology Development Board of
the Department of Science and Technology at IITs Centre for Biomedical Engineering.
The Centre for Biomedical Engineerign was established in 1971 as a joint venture
between IIT and AIIMS to develop healthcare technologies.
ADVANTAGES OF TRUEHB HEMOMETER OVER OTHER DEVICES

The price of TrueHb meter is expected to be lower at 25000 rupees compared to
the CBC counter which at present is the gold standard for haemogram tests in
labs. It costs around 2 - 10 lakh rupees.
It can be charged like a mobile phone and allows up to 300 tests per charge when
compared to CBC counter that require continous power supply.
In terms of size also, it is better than CBC counter which is at least twice the size
of a personal computer compared to mobile phone-size of TrueHb meter.
It is also ultraportable as it weighs under 800gm and has a sleek optoelectronics
design.
It is also better than the paper-based colour cards that use a colour scale to
provide a rough estimate of haemoglobin values. Such cards give a range and not
an exact value of the haemoglobin level.
TrueHb works like a conventional glucometer and works with just a tiny drop of
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blood from a pinprick on the disposable strip. It not only reads the accurate level
within 45 seconds, but also stores up to 1000 such readings.
WHO CERTIFIED INDIA AS POLIO FREE COUNTRY

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 27 March 2014 certified India as a Polio
Free country. The declaration came along with WHO declaring South-East Asia region
comprising of 11 countries also as polio free.
The decision of certifying all the 11 countries of South-East Asian Region including
India as polio-free was taken by an independent panel of the South-East Asia Regional
Certification Commission for Polio Eradication (SEA-RCCPE).
The achievement has also made the South-East Asian Region, fourth WHO Region
for being certified as polio-free. The WHO South East Asia Region has 11 Member
States namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, India,
Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.
Last time in 2002, the European Region was certified as the third WHO Region to be
certified as polio-free. Other regions to be certified as the WHO Polio Free Region
are:
Region of the Americas certified as WHO Region in 1994
Western Pacific Region certified as WHO Region in 2000
With, this certification to the South-East Asian Region, now about 80 percent of
worlds population lives in the polio-free certified regions.
POLIO-FREE WORLD BY 2018

The certification came for the region came at time when countries are preparing to
introduce Inactivate Polio Vaccine (IPV) as a replacement of the Oral Polio Vaccines
(OPV). The IPV dose would be implemented in these countries by the end of 2015
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as a part of their commitment to the Global Polio Endgame Plan. The plan has been
introduced with an aim to ensure a polio-free world by 2018. At present, the IPV dose
is provided in more than 120 countries of the world.
STEPS TAKEN BY INDIA TO FIGHT THE POLIO DISEASE

For the first time, India introduced the oral polio vaccine in 1985 under the
Universal Immunisation Programme. The programme was started in the backdrop
of over 200000 cases of polio annually (as per estimates of the Indian Academy
of Pediatrics).
Indias first national polio immunization campaign to stop polio was launched in
1995 (19 years ago) after finding that the disease is crippling about 50000 children
every year.
The last case of polio in India was reported on 13 January 2011 from Howrah
district of West Bengal. Till 2009 India was a country that reported about half of
global polio cases.
ABOUT POLIOMYELITIS (POLIO)

Poliovirus is a highly infectious viral disease that is transmitted mainly from personto-person through the fecal-oral route and on average, depending on the serotype
(poliovirus type 1, 2 or 3). A single case of paralytic polio represents 200 to 1000
silent infections surrounding the case.
Polio is a disease that can be prevented only through immunization but there is no
cure for it.
Polio (poliomyelitis) is a disease that mainly affects children under age group of 5
years
One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, 5
percent to 10 percent, die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.
Polio cases have decreased by over 99 percent since 1988, from an estimated
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350000 cases then, to 406 reported cases in 2013. The reduction is the result of
the global effort to eradicate the disease.
At present, the disease remains endemic mainly in three countries namely Pakistan,
Afghanistan and Nigeria. In 1988, 125 countries were listed under this category.
FACTS ABOUT POLIO CERTIFICATION

The fourty-first World Health Assembly in 1988 adopted a resolution for the worldwide
eradication of polio. The polio-free certification for any nation requires that it has not
registered case of wild polio for continuous three years in presence of high quality
surveillance. This process for certification was established in 1995 during the first
meet of the Global Certification Commission (GCC).
AN ARTIFICIAL HEART THAT BEATS IN ANIMALS DEVELOPED

An artificial heart that beats in animals was developed by the scientists at Harvard
Medical School led by Ali Khademhosseini. The development could help in repairing
damaged hearts enabling millions of people around the world live longer, healthier
lives.
Scientist presented the development at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of
the American Chemical Society (ACS) held on 19 March 2014. ACS is the largest
scientific society of world.
HOW THE ARTIFICIAL HEART WAS DEVELOPED

Scientists in order to develop the artificial heart similar to natural heart developed a
new family of hydrogel using a stretchy human protein called tropoelastin.
The hydrogel are natural protein which are soft and contain a lot of water like human
tissues. Also hydrogel can be tuned to attain chemical, biological, mechanical
and electrical properties which are essential for regeneration of any human tissue.
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However, existent hydrogel did not have the needed elasticity as the natural human
heart have.
In order to overcome this, scientists uses a stretchy human protein called tropoelastin
to give the newly developed hydrogel the much needed resilience and strength that
is important in keeping intact the elasticity of the natural heart.
Upon the newly developed hydrogel, scientists then developed the artificial cells. To
make sure the cells form the right structure scientists used 3-D printing and micro
engineering techniques to create patterns in the gels. These patterns coax the cells
to grow the way the researchers want them to.
These newly developed hydrogel is micro patterned and elastic and can be further
used as cardiac patches. This elastic natural hydrogel can be used for the regeneration
of other tissues such as blood vessels, skeletal muscle, heart valves and vascularized
skin.
Currently, the best treatment option for patients with major heart damage is an organ
transplant.
NEW MOLECULE HSP90 WITH POTENTIAL TO KILL MALARIA

PARASITE DISCOVERED
A new molecule Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90) with potential to kill malaria parasite
was discovered in the second week of March 2014. The new discovery could help in
effective treatment of malaria. The discovery was made by the researchers from the
University of Geneva led by Didier Picard.
PROCESS
Team goal was to determine if there was a difference between the human form and
the parasitic form of HSP90 and can be used for curative purposes.
Team used sophisticated computerized model tools to characterize the various
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tridimensional conformations of the parasites HSP90. They found another pocket

capable of binding inhibitory substances, completely absent in its human alter ego.
Team used supercomputer to perform the screening of virtual library which contains
more than a million chemical compounds and selected the five candidates which
fit in the pocket of binding inhibitory substances. Virtual screening uses computerbased methods to discover new ligands (ions) on the basis of biological structures.
The simulations were conducted to analyse the dynamics of interaction between
the HSP90 and the candidate. This led to the discovery of inhibitors which interact
specifically with the Plasmodium falciparum chaperone.
Later the molecules were tested in vitro in different systems. The biologists
demonstrated in particular the toxicity of those inhibitors on Plasmodium falciparum
cultures, in sufficient doses to kill the parasites without affecting the infected red
blood cells.
ABOUT HSP90
The Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90) plays a central role for several factors involved
in the life cycle, survival and resistance of the pathogen. HSP90 acts as a chaperone
which helps other proteins during both normal and stressful periods.
During high fever HSP90 protects parasitic proteins in the plasmodium. HSP90 also
participates in the maturation of the pathogen in human red blood cells.
ABOUT MALARIA
Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite and transmitted by a mosquito. The two
parasite species Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax cause malaria in
humans.
The parasite multiplies inside red blood cells and liver cells and causes, fever,
chills, anemia, vomiting and convulsions. The disease can lead to kidney failure,
permanent neurological damage, coma and death.
The most severe form of malaria is caused by infection with Plasmodium falciparum
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and eradication of this parasite is even more difficult as it becomes resistant to

treatments.
NEW CLASS OF ANTIBIOTICS OXADIAZOLES DISCOVERED

Scientists discovered a new class of antibiotics called oxadiazoles on 9 March 2014.
Oxadiazoles can treat antibiotic resistant infections such as methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.
A group of researchers at the University of Notre Dame discovered the new class.
The team was led by Mayland Chang and Shahriar Mobashery.
MRSA is a bacterium that developed resistance to penicillin and certain other groups
of antibiotics. Scientists had screened 1.2 million compounds. They had found that
the oxadiazole inhibits a penicillin-binding protein, PBP2a, and the biosynthesis of
the cell wall that enables MRSA to resist other drugs.
The oxadiazoles are also effective when taken orally. This is an important feature as
there is only one marketed antibiotic for MRSA that can be taken orally.
MRSA has become a global public-health problem since the 1960s because of its
resistance to antibiotics. Only three drugs currently are effective treatments, and
resistance to each of those drugs already exists. The researchers have been seeking
a solution to MRSA for years.
RESEARCHERS AT CAPRISA DISCOVERED POTENT ANTIBODIES TO NEUTRALIZE HIV

Researchers at Center for the AIDS Program of Research (CAPRISA) discovered
potent antibodies which can neutralize and kill multiple strains of HIV. The study was
published in the scientific journal, Nature on 3 March 2014.
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Researchers studied how a South African womans body referred to as CAPRISA 256
(abbreviated to CAP256) responded to her HIV infection by making potent antibodies.
These potent antibodies are also called as neutralizing antibodies because of their
ability to kill multiple strains of antibodies.
How the potent antibodies were developed

The potent antibodies were made by the researchers by first identifying the antibodies
present in the blood of the CAP256 and then duplicating these antibodies by cloning
it in the lab. The cloned antibodies were then used to elucidate the pathway followed
by the immune system to make these potent antibodies.
Findings of the Research

In their earlier research in 2013, researchers at CAPRISA discovered that a shift in the
position of one sugar molecule on the surface of the HIV virus led to the development
of broadly neutralising antibodies against HIV.
However, in the research conducted on CAP256, the researchers were also able to
isolate a broadly neutralizing antibody and trace its origins to understand exactly
how it rose. This could lead to new HIV vaccine strategies that are able to stimulate
the rare precursors of these protective antibodies.
The study conducted on CAP256 also showed that broadly neutralising antibodies
have some unusual features. These antibodies generally have long arms which
enabled them to reach through the sugar coat that protects HIV. Moreover these
antibodies had long arms right at the outset requiring less time and fewer changes to
become effective in killing HIV.
All HIV infected people respond to HIV by making antibodies. In most patients, these
antibodies are not able to kill a wide range of HIV which is described as a lack
of neutralization breadth. However, in a few infected people, they naturally make
antibodies that neutralize many different kinds of HIV, with their broadly neutralizing
antibodies.
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South African Department of Health (SADH) has more interest in this development
than anyone else in the world since South Africa has the largest burden (30 percent)
HIV infection globally.
About the CAPRISA consortium

The Research team was led by Professor Lynn Morris of National Institute for
Communicable Diseases (NICD). The CAPRISA consortium included scientists from
the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, the University
of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Cape Town, Vaccine Research Center of the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, US and Columbia University in
New York.
Funding for the research

The research was primarily funded by the US National Institutes of Healths Vaccine
Research Center and the South African Department of Science and Technology.
The South African researchers also have fellowships from the Wellcome Trust, the
Fogarty International Center, the National Research Foundation and the Poliomyelitis
Research Foundation.
INDIAN- AMERICAN SCIENTIST SANGEETA BHATIA DEVELOPED A CHEAP PAPER TEST TO DIAGNOSE CANCER
An Indian-American scientist Sangeeta Bhatia developed a cheap, simple, paper
test that can detect cancer on 24 February 2014. Sangeeta Bhatia is professor at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The research ended the need for expensive tests such as mammograms and
colonoscopy. The diagnostic is based on urine sample. It could reveal within minutes
whether a person has cancer or not.
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The paper test relies on nanoparticles that interact with tumor proteins called
proteases, each of which can trigger release of hundreds of biomarkers that are then
easily detectable in a patients urine.
The concept of a synthetic biomarker technology to amplify signals from tumor
proteins would be hard to detect on their own. These proteins, known as matrix
metalloproteinase (MMP), help cancer cells escape their original locations by cutting
through proteins of the extracellular matrix, which normally holds cells in place.
The MIT nanoparticles are coated with peptides (short protein fragments) targeted
by different MMPs. These particles congregate at tumor sites, where MMPs cleave
hundreds of peptides, which accumulate in the kidneys and are excreted in the urine.
In the original version of the technology, these peptides were detected using an
instrument called a mass spectrometer, which analyzes the molecular makeup of a
sample.
To create the test strips, the researchers first coated nitrocellulose paper with
antibodies that can capture the peptides. Once the peptides are captured, they flow
along the strip and are exposed to several invisible test lines made of other antibodies
specific to different tags attached to the peptides.
If one of these lines becomes visible, it means the target peptide is present in the
sample. The technology can also easily be modified to detect multiple types of
peptides released by different types or stages of disease.
NRI DR. HEMANT THATTE DEVELOPED SOMAH SOLUTION TO

PRESERVE ORGANS
NRI Dr. Hemant Thatte developed a 21-chemical solution named SOMAH Solution
on 20 February 2014. The solution could preserve a donated organ for up to a week
before a transplant. SOMAH Solution in Sanskrit means elixir of immortality.
In studies conducted on pigs, the solution has been found to be effective in
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preserving tissues for up to a week. The study on pigs showed that the hearts stored
in SOMAH solution for 24 hours can be resuscitated without medicines as against
other solutions that allow for only four hours. That is, with the help of SOMAH, the
process of deterioration can be slowed down. So, it can be used for long distance
transportation.
The biggest advantage of SOMAH is that it can be used at room temperatures. If
an organ can be maintained in the same energy status it was used to before being
retrieved, the organ is in a better state when transplanted. It can get into rhythm
sooner.
At present, hearts and lungs need to be transplanted within 4-6 hours of being
recovered from a brain-dead donor, the liver within eight hours and kidneys within a
little more than 24 hours. Moreover, the available organs cannot be transported longdistance for transplant and have to be made available locally.
Dr. Hemant Thatte is a senior cardiovascular surgeon at Harvard University who was
born in Dadar and raised in Pune. Dr Thatte has worked in Harvard for more than
two decades. Over a decade ago, he synthesized a solution called GALA that could
preserve blood vessels used as bypass channels during heart surgeries. GALA is in
use across the US and France.
NEW LAYER OF CORNEA DISCOVERED BY INDIAN DOCTOR

HARMINDER DUA
A new layer in the human cornea was discovered by the Indian doctor Harminder
Dua at The University of Nottingham in 2014. It plays a vital role in the structure of
the tissue that controls the flow of fluid from the eye.
The research was published in a paper in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
The new finding could shed new light on glaucoma. The new layer named as Duas
Layer is just 15 microns thick but incredibly tough. Comprised of thin plates of
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collagen, it sits at the back of the cornea between the corneal stroma and Descemets
membrane.
It makes an important contribution to the sieve-like meshwork, the trabecular
meshwork (TM), in the periphery of the cornea.
The TM is a wedge-shaped band of tissue that extends along the circumference of
the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye.
It is made of beams of collagen wrapped in a basement membrane to which
trabecular cells and endothelial cells attach. The beams branch out randomly to form
a meshwork.
Scientists had previously believed the cornea to be comprised of five layers - from front
to back the corneal epithelium, Bowmans layer, the corneal stroma, Descemets
membrane and the corneal endothelium.
Pressure within the eye is maintained by the balance of aqueous fluid production by
eye tissue called the ciliary body and drainage principally through the TM to the canal
of Schlemm, a circular channel in the angle of the eye.
Defective drainage through the TM is an important cause of glaucoma, a condition
that leads to raised pressure in the eye that can permanently affect sight. Around 1
to 2% of the worlds population yearly has chronic glaucoma and globally around 45
million people have open angle glaucoma which can permanently damage the optic
nerve - 10% of whom are blind.
It is hoped the discovery will offer new clues on why the drainage system malfunctions
in the eyes of some people, leading to high pressure.
Glaucoma is a devastating disease caused by defective drainage of fluid from the
eye. Glaucoma is the second largest leading cause of blindness of world.
UNION GOVERNMENT LAUNCHED HIV SALVAGE THERAPY
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Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched third-line drug therapy for
people living with HIV/AIDS on 12 February 2014. The third-line therapy also called
salvage or rescue therapy is prescribed for people who have limited drug options left.
The announcement for the salvage therapy was made by Union Health Minister Ghulam
Nabi Azad at the launch of at the launch of the National AIDS Control Programme
Phase IV (2012-2017).
The highly expensive therapy will be provided free. The third-line therapy would
enhance longevity and improve the quality of life of patients.
The Union Health Ministry also extended free anti-retroviral therapy (ART) to more of
them by revising the eligibility norm.
For receiving free ART, the minimum CD4-count limit had been reduced from 500 to
350. The count is a measure of the viral load.
ANTI RETROVIRAL THERAPY

Anti Retroviral therapy (ART) consists of the combination of at least three antiretroviral
(ARV) drugs to maximally suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of HIV
disease.
Huge reductions have been seen in rates of death and suffering when use is made of
a potent ARV regimen, particularly in early stages of the disease.
Furthermore, expanded access to ART can also reduce the HIV transmission at
population level, impact orphanhood and preserve families.
UNION GOVERNMENT BANNED COSMETIC COMPANIES

FROM TESTING ON ANIMALS
Union Government banned cosmetic companies from testing on animals. The
notification prohibiting testing of cosmetics on animals was issued by the Union
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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 27 January 2014.

The rules prohibiting testing of cosmetics on animals will become effective within
45 days of it being made public. The ban implies that no cosmetic which has been
tested on animals in the country will be allowed to be sold.
With this India became the first country in South Asia to ban the testing of cosmetics
and its ingredients on animals.
To give effect to the notification, the amendment was made in the Drug and Cosmetics
Act, 1945. The amendment provides that any cosmetic product which carries out
animal testing will face action as per provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and
the Animal Cruelty Act. The Union Ministry of Health decided to amend the rules
after issues were raised by certain organizations and Members of Parliament, and to
follow standards in line with the European Union (EU). EU in 2013 implemented the
final phase of the EU law which made the testing of cosmetics on animals completely
illegal.
However, the ban will not prevent companies from importing and selling animal-tested
cosmetics in the country. Companies are still free to outsource their animal testing
to other countries and then import newly animal-tested cosmetics and ingredients
back into India. To prevent this, India must also ban the import and sale of cosmetic
products and ingredients that have been newly animal-tested anywhere in the world.
Israel and the 27 countries that make up the European Union have implemented
both testing and sales bans to bring an end to cosmetics animal suffering in their
respective jurisdictions.
SMART CONTACT LENS UNVEILED BY GOOGLE TO MEASURE

GLUCOSE LEVELS IN TEARS
Google X Lab unveiled a smart contact lens that can help diabetics to measure
their glucose level in tears on 17 January 2014. The smart contact lens has been
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developed in collaboration with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) by

Brian Otis and Babak Parviz.
The contact lens uses a tiny wireless chip and a minituarized glucose sensor. Besides
it uses an antenna, thinner than a human hair, to measure tear glucose with better
accuracy. The lens also uses tiny LED lights to warn users when their glucose levels
cross certain thresholds.
The company is currently testing prototypes of contact lens that can take about one
reading per second.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes affects 347 million
people worldwide. In 2004 alone, 3.4 million people died as a result of high fasting
blood sugar.
The International Diabetes Federation data shows that one in ten people across the
worlds population are forecast to have diabetes by 2035.
UNION GOVERNMENT ALLOWED IMPORTS OF FROZEN HUMAN EMBRYOS TO BOOST INFERTILITY TREATMENT
Union Government allowed the import of frozen human embryos for artificial
reproduction on 15 January 2014. The decision allowed foreign couples to bring in
frozen human embryos and rent a surrogate womb in India for the baby to be born.
The relaxed rules will also apply to other infertility related treatment such as in-vitro
fertilization (IVF).
On the one hand, the decision will give boost to the infertility treatment and on the
other it will open a huge segment of the medical tourism market.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will give a No Objection Certificate
(NOC) to ensure the quality control of imports. There is no restriction on implantation
of imported frozen embryo in a surrogate either but the conditions for granting of
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NOC are stringent.

The documents required for an NOC include a certification of registration of the ART
clinic. The ART Clinic will recommend the transfer of embryos or gametes and clinic
in India with name and address of its in-charge where the treatment will happen.
The foreign clinic has to certify the woman that she cannot conceive or that such
conception may lead to undesirable medical implications. There should be certification
that at least one of the gametes was from the infertile couple.
The ART clinic has to certify that foreign clinic details of the couple like from which
country, name and address of the couple. The foreigns counterpart has to certify
that the embryo was generated in their clinic and there was no sex selection. The
couple has to furnish identification documents and proof of marriage.
INDIGENOUS GLUCOSE MONITORING DEVICE LAUNCHED BY

UNION GOVERNMENT
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched two indigenous Glucose
Monitoring Device, Suchek and QuickcheQ, on 13 January 2014. The launching of
two kinds of glucometers and testing strips will make mass screening and detection
feasible.
Suchek is designed and developed by Nanobios Lab, Indian Institute of Technology,
Mumbai.
Suchek is very useful for health camps as it has a mobile application, which helps
save, trend and analyse blood glucose levels at an individual level.
QuickcheQ is designed and developed by the Birla Institute of Technology, Hyderabad
with funding from the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR).
These will be manufactured by Biosense Technologies and will be available in the
open market in the next six months.
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Among the non-communicable diseases, diabetes is rapidly rising all over the world.
Globally, it is estimated that 382 million people living with diabetes. India alone is
reported to have more than 65 million cases of diabetes, the second largest number
after China.
Under the national programme on prevention and control of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and stroke, more than 53 million people have been screened for
diabetes and more than 50 million for hypertension.
ABOUT DIABETES
Diabetes, diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the
person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is
inadequate, or because the bodys cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both.
Patients with high blood sugar will typically experience polyuria (frequent urination),
they will become increasingly polydipsia(frequent thirst) and polyphagia( frequent
hunger).
THREE TYPES OF DIABETES

TYPE 1 DIABETES
The body does not produce insulin. People usually develop type 1 diabetes before
their 40th year, often in early adulthood or teenage years.
Patients with type 1 diabetes will need to take insulin injections for the rest of their
life. They must also ensure proper blood-glucose levels by carrying out regular blood
tests and following a special diet. Approximately 10% of all diabetes cases are type
1.TYPE 2 DIABETES
The body does not produce enough insulin for proper function, or the cells in the
body do not react to insulin (insulin resistance).
Some people may be able to control their type 2 diabetes symptoms by losing weight,
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following a healthy diet, doing plenty of exercise, and monitoring their blood glucose
levels.
Approximately 90% of all cases of diabetes worldwide are of this type.
GESTATIONAL DIABETES
This type affects females during pregnancy. Some women have very high levels of
glucose in their blood, and their bodies are unable to produce enough insulin to
transport all of the glucose into their cells, resulting in progressively rising levels of
glucose.
CERT-IN DETECTED SMARTPHONE VIRUS DENDROID

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) on 26 March 2014
detected a Smartphone Virus called Dendroid. It directed the users of Android
smartphone to be beware of Dendroid as it can compromise the data stored on the
users phone.
Virus once activated could change the command and control server of a users
personal Android phone and intercept private SMSes coming in or going out.
Dendroid is the virus of the deadly Trojan family. It is being used to create trojanised
applications that infect Android-based smartphones. Dendroid is a HTTP RAT having
a sophisticated PHP administration panel and an application APK binder package.
To tackle the virus dendroid CERT-In has issued some guidelines for the users. These are:
Do not download and install applications from untrusted sources, install applications
downloaded from reputed application market only.
Check for the permissions required by an application before installing. Run a full
system scan on device with mobile security solution or mobile antivirus solution
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Users are advised to use device encryption or encrypting external SD card feature
available with most of the Android OS.
Users are also advised to keep an eye on data usage (application-wise usage
also) and unusual increase in mobile bills and keep an eye on device battery usage
(application-wise usage also).
Avoid using unsecured and unknown Wi-Fi networks. There may be rogue Wi-Fi
access points at public places used for distributing malicious applications and
make a practice of taking regular backup of Android device.
ABOUT CERT-IN
The CERT-In is the nodal agency to combat hacking, phishing and to fortify securityrelated defences of the Indian Internet domain.ol health scheme of the government,
and all point of care use, including for use at home.
HEARTBLEED: A NEW SECURITY THREAT

Heartbleed is a new security threat which adversely impacts the online safety of
internet users worldwide. This threat can result into compromising of confidential
information. This problem is limited to OpenSSL, a variant of SSL/TLS, but OpenSSL
software is used by a large no. of websites.
This threat is believed to be a result of a programming error in OpenSSL software by
Robin Seggelmann a German Software developer. About two years ago, he submitted
new features of OpenSSL while working on its update. In one of the features, he forgot
to validate a variable containing length and so did his coworkers. This essentially
means that an opening is created in SSL/TLS, an encryption technology marked by
the small, closed padlock and https: on Web browsers to show that traffic is secure.
Another worry of the security experts is that this error had been unnoticed since past
two years.
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IMPACT
This error makes it possible to snoop on Internet traffic even if the padlock is
closed.
Secured keys which are used for deciphering the confidential data can be accessed
without the knowledge of owners.
This can result into of compromising of emails, commerce applications and instant
messages and other encrypted information.
Anonymous persons can snoop information from computer server and steal
information.
REMEDIAL MEASURES
Though a new fixed version of OpenSSL has been released but now the individual
website administrators are required to use this version and make required changes.
On an individual level, one needs to change passwords, but the websites which are
being used needs to implement the newer fixed version.
5 TOOLS WHICH CAN HELP IN SECURING ONLINE DATA

Tor Browser: It encrypts total network traffic of your computer and help in browsing
online anonymously.
B1 Archiver: It helps in archiving and making the data password protected. Thus,
it facilitates in sending confidential information in a routine manner.
OpenPuff: This tool uses steganography to merge your data in a multimedia files.
The receiver needs to use file password (shared by the sender) to read the file.
CryptoCat: This tool is helpful in securing online chatting.
TrueCrypt: This tool helps in creating hidden volumes and encrypting hard drives.
Instagram, Tumblr, Google, Yahoo, Gmail, Yahoo mail, Amazon web services and
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GoDaddy were some of the major service providers.
SOUTH CENTRAL RAILWAY LAUNCHED HYLITES

The South Central Railway (SCR) launched Hyderabad Live Train Enquiry System
(HYLITES) on 10 February 2014. It is the first of its kind in India developed by South
Central Railway on out-sourcing basis.
ABOUT HYLITES
HYLITES is a GPS (Global Positioning System) and GPRS (General Packet Radio
Service) based smart phone application that operates on android platform
HYLITES will display real time information of the live status information like arrival,
departure, platform numbers etc from Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Kachiguda
stations
It also gives information about all running MMTS (Multi-Modal Transport System)
and local trains
TALKING CARS UNVEILED: USA MAY SOON MADE IT MANDATORY BY 2017

USA may soon allow the talking cars to be mandatory by 2017. The announcement
was made on 4 February 2014 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) of the US.
Talking cars is the communication technology which enables cars to send out location,
speed and direction data 10 times a second.
The new vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology cars will be able to
communicate with each other. This will help towards preventing tens of thousands of
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crashes every year.

Approval follows a test project that begun in 2012 in which vehicles equipped with
wireless devices were used to warn drivers about specific hazards such as an
impending collision at a blind intersection, or a vehicle stopped ahead.
Cars will also be able to communicate with infrastructure like stop signs and traffic
lights, and with motorcyclists, bicyclists and even pedestrians with specially equipped
smart phones. That data will enable the cars to warn drivers to slow down, brake,
turn on their windshield wipers or not to change lanes.
The technology can help avert rear-end, lane change, and intersection crashes. But
the systems do not include automatic braking or steering.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and safety advocates have pushed
to make cars safer so passengers would be more likely to survive crashes.
Automakers seem largely on board with the technology, which would add about $100
to $300 to the cost of a car.
The full transition from current vehicle fleet to a connected fleet will take at least 10
years.
UNION MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHED NATIONAL CLOUD
Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology launched the National
Cloud under MeghRaj Initiative on 4 February 2014. The National Cloud is being
implemented by National Information Centre (NIC).
The National Cloud will help the departments to procure ICT services on demand in
the OPEX model rather than investing upfront on the CAPEX.
The Cloud Services available are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a
Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and Storage as a Service (STaaS).
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The features of the National Cloud includes self service portal, multiple Cloud
solutions, secured VPN access and multi location Cloud.
ABOUT MEGHRAJ
Government of India embarked upon an ambitious initiative GI cloud named MeghRaj
to utilize and harness the benefits of Cloud Computing.
The focus of GI cloud is to accelerate delivery of e-services while optimizing ICT
spending of the Government. It will ensure optimum utilization of the infrastructure
and speed up the development and deployment of e Gov applications.
The architectural vision of GI Cloud encompasses a set of discrete cloud computing
environments spread across multiple locations, built on existing or new (augmented)
infrastructure, following a set of common protocols, guidelines and standards issued
by the Government of India.
GI Cloud Strategic Direction Paper and GI Cloud Adoption and Implementation
Roadmap are two policy reports prepared by the Department of Electronics &
Information Technology (DeitY).
ABOUT CLOUD COMPUTING

Cloud computing is a type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources
rather than having local servers or personal devices to handle applications.
In cloud computing, users access software applications remotely through the Internet
or other network via a cloud application service provider.
DEXTER, PRIVATE INFORMATION STEALING VIRUS, DETECTED IN ONLINE BANKING TRANSACTIONS

Dexter, a private information stealing virus, was detected by Computer Emergency
Response Team India (CERT-In) in online banking transaction space on 19 January
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2014. The virus is particularly more threatening for the users of credit card while
making payments at the shopping counters.
When the credit card is swiped at the point of sale (POS), the virus Dexter steals
the confidential data like card holders name, account number, expiration date, CVV
code and other discretionary information. This leak of the information could lead to
financial loss and phishing attacks on the card.
Earlier in December 2013, RBI made it mandatory for debit card holders to punch in
their PIN every time when they make a purchase. The order was passed following the
spread of virus of Trojan Family which was detected at the Point of Sale (POS).
INDIAS SUPERCOMPUTER, PARAM YUVA-II RANKED 1 IN INDIA

PARAM Yuva-II Indias supercomputer rated 1st in India, 9th in the Asia Pacific Region
and 44th in the world among the most power efficient computer systems as per the
Green500 List.
It was announced at the Super computer Conference (SC 2013) in Denver, Colorado,
US.
PARAM Yuva-II was developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing
(C-DAC).
C-DAC is the second organization worldwide to have carried out the Level 3
measurement of Power versus Performance for the Green500 List
PARAM Yuva II uses hybrid technology, processor, co-processor and hardware
accelerators.
PARAM uses hybrid technology to provide the peak compute power of 520.4
Teraflop/s using 210 kilowatt power.
The interconnect network comprises of homegrown PARAMNet-III and Infiniband
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FDR System Area Network.

This system is designed to solve large and complex computational problems.
The system has 200 Terabytes of high performance storage, and requisite system
software and utilities for parallel applications development.
ABOUT SUPERCOMPUTERS
A Super computer is the fastest type of computers that is typically used for scientific
and engineering applications which handles very large databases or does a great
amount of computation or both.
In general Supercomputers consume a lot of electrical power and produce much
heat.
To reduce heat, it requires elaborate cooling facilities, which increases the Total
Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a supercomputer.
Green500 ranks computer systems in the world according to compute performance
per watt and providing a world ranking based on energy efficiency.
Energy consumed by supercomputers is measured at various Levels L1, L2, and
L3.
EARTHS LARGEST WATER RESERVOIR LOCATED INSIDE

EARTHS MANTLE
Earths largest water reservoir might be located deep inside the Earths mantle. This
was revealed by a study published in the journal Science on 13 June 2014.
The study was conducted by the Northwestern geophysicist Steve Jacobsen and
University of New Mexico seismologist Brandon Schmandt.
The study is the first to provide direct evidence that there may be water in the area of
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the mantle known as the transition zone the layer between lower mantle and upper
mantle.
The findings will aid scientists in understanding how the earth formed, what its current
composition and inner workings are and how much water is trapped in mantle rock.
ABOUT THE DISCOVERY

In the study, geophysicists found that deep pockets of subterranean magma indicating
presence of water were located about 643 km beneath North America. The water is
not in a liquid, ice or vapour form. The fourth form of water is trapped inside the
molecular structure of the minerals in the mantle rock.
The discovery found the evidence that melting may occur about 643 km deep in the
Earth. H2O, that is, water were stored in mantle rocks where the mineral ringwoodite
is present.
The discovery suggest water from the Earths surface can be driven to such great
depths by plate tectonics which eventually caused partial melting of the rocks found
deep in the mantle.
Scientists have long speculated that water is trapped in a rocky layer of the Earths
mantle located between the lower mantle and upper mantle, at depths between 400
km and 660 km.
As per the analysis of researchers, if just one per cent of the weight of mantle rock
located in the transition zone is H2O, it would be equivalent to nearly three times the
amount of water in our oceans.
MYCOPTER PROJECT TO BE UNVEILED IN BRAUNSCHWEIG,

GERMANY IN NOVEMBER 2014
myCopter Project will be unveiled in Braunschweig in Germany on 20 November
2014. This was announced by myCopter coordinator Prof. Dr. Heinrich Blthoff.
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myCopter Project conceived in 2007 aims to design Personal Aerial Vehicles and an
effective, efficient and user-friendly Personal Aerial Transportation System.
The initial project is almost complete, and the next phase of MyCopter will end on
myCopter Project Day.
For the project, six research institutions of Europe have collaborated to study the
feasibility of developing small commuter helicopters. The European Union had
granted 4.7 million US dollar for the project.
INSTITUTES INVOLVED IN MYCOPTER PROJECT

Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tubingen, Germany: Studying driver
feedback technologies that are already showing up in cars.
University of Liverpool, United Kingdom: Working towards making flying as accessible
as driving and developing an efficient paradigm to train the average person.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland: Working on ways to
automate the operation of the helicopters by conducting testing on drones.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne: Studying how to avoid collisions.
Among other things, they are looking at how birds fly in dense flocks.
Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis in Karlsruhe, Germany:
Involved in surveying Europeans about what they might think about flying cars, to
see how they would be accepted.
German Aerospace Center in Braunschweig: Researchers will come together and try
out the technologies developed at the various institutions in a real test helicopter.
ABOUT MYCOPTER PROJECT

It was proposed in response to a 2007 European Union report called Out of the Box:
Ideas About the Future of Air Transport. The report solicited ideas from researchers
on radical changes to Europes existing transportation system, including ideas for a
personal air vehicle.
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The project was the brainchild of Heinrich H. Blthoff, director of perception, cognition
and action at the Max Planck Institute, Germany.
The myCopter project aims to make specific advances in three major research areas:
User-centred Human Machine Interface and Training
Automation
Socio-technological assessment
PALAEONTOLOGISTS DISCOVERED THE FOSSIL OF WORLDS

LARGEST DINOSAUR IN PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA
Palaeontologists on 16 May 2014 discovered the fossil of the world largest dinosaur
fossils. It was found near a desert in La Flecha, situated 125-km west of Trelew in
Patagonia, Argentina.
The fossil of the dinosaur was excavated by the palaeontologists from Argentinas
Museum of Palaeontology Egidio Feruglio, headed by Dr Jose Luis Carballido and Dr
Diego Pol.
The fossils of the worlds largest dinosaur measured 40 metres in length, 30 metres in
height and weighed 77 tonnes. The fossil remains included bones from the dinosaur
neck and back, along with pieces of the tail and legs.
This plant-eating dinosaur belonged to species of Titanosaurs from the family of
Sauropod dinosaurs that were characterized by their enormous stature and long
necks and tails. It lived around 95 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period.
The discovered fossils of Titanosaurs were larger than the previous record holder,
Argentinosaurus, also found in Patagonia, Argentina in 1987.
ABOUT DINOSAURS
Dinosaurs first appeared about 228 million years ago during the Triassic period,
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achieved stunning dimensions during the ensuing Jurassic Period and then
disappeared at the end of the Cretaceous Period about 65 million years ago.
A sparrow-sized bird called Qiliania, which lived about 120 million years ago in China,
was the smallest dinosaur, weighing a mere 15 grams.
NEW ELEMENT 117 NAMED UNUNSEPTIUM SET TO JOIN THE

PERIODIC TABLE
New Element 117 which is temporarily called Ununseptium with 117 protons set to
join periodic table.
It is the second-heaviest element ever created by humans after ununoctium, or
element 118. Elements beyond atomic number 104 are referred to as super-heavy
elements.
The latest instance of the discovery of this element was made by a team at the GSI
Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research in Germany. The report was published in
Physical Review Letters.
Ununseptium will get an official name soon and will be considered a Group VII element.
It was to be put into the same family as fluorine, bromine and chlorine.
Ununseptium was produced by accelerating ions of calcium (which has 20 protons)
into a target of berkelium (which has 97).
The ununseptium was observed to have a half-life of 50 milliseconds, or one twentieth
of a second. It will gradually decay into lighter elements, emitting alpha particles
(helium nuclei in the process. And the lighter elements formed have a greater half-life
than ununseptium.
The newly created elements half-life was too short for it to be chemically studied, but
after examining the alpha particles, researchers concluded that the original element
indeed had an atomic number 117.
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The element was discovered back in 2010 by a group of American and Russian
physicists with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR).
Element 117 will join the periodic table once the International Union of Pure and
Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) confirmed its existence. After the confirmation, the body
will name the new element and it will be added to the periodic table.
SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED NEW MINERAL PUTNISITE

Scientists discovered a new mineral Putnisite in Western Australia on 22 April 2014.
The mineral was named after the Australian mineralogists Andrew and Christine
Putnis.
The mineral was discovered during prospecting by a mining company in Western
Australia. It was handed on to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation (CSIRO) for initial research and then to Elliott for more detailed analysis.
New mineral is unique in structure and composition among the 4000 known mineral
species of world. The mineral is of very unusual combination as it combines the
elements strontium, calcium, chromium, sulphur, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen.
The mineral Putnisite was found in a surface outcrop at Lake Cowan, north of
Norseman in Western Australia. The new mineral occurs as tiny crystals, no more
than 0.5 mm in diameter and is found on a volcanic rock.
It appears as dark pink spots on dark green and white rock which, under the
microscope, appears as square, cube-like crystals.
INDIAN-AMERICAN ENGINEER ABRAHAM PANNIKOTTU ANNOUNCED TO DEVELOP ZERO PRESSURE TYRES FOR US
MILITARY
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An Indian-American engineer Abraham Pannikottu on 7 March 2014 announced to

develop Zero Pressure tyres for the US military. The Zero Pressure tyres will continue
to run even after being shredded by roadside bombs or gunfire.
The new AEG Zero Pressure tyres will withstand a minimum of 50 mph speeds for
300 miles once its punctured.
The Zero Pressure tyres worked better at carrying heavier loads and can quickly
move soldiers out of dangerous way.
Although the US military vehicle tyres are now equipped with run-flat inserts but the
defence department wanted to upgrade to a zero pressure tyres.
Abraham Pannikottu is working with his team at Akron, Ohio-based American
Engineering Group (AEG). US department of defence has facilitated the team with a
grant of USD 1 million to develop Zero Pressure tyres.
The AEG prototype is developing a technology which could cater with the overheating
and has the tyres flexibility. However, this technology eventually could be used on
all- terrain vehicles, as well as mining and construction vehicles.
In 2006, Pentagon honored Pannikottu & his group for designing airless tyres for the
Stryker armored vehicle. This award was for exceptional performance that exemplifies
the goal of bringing innovative technologies to the soldier.
The company has patents pending for the Zero Pressure tyres technology.
Abraham has a mechanical engineering degree from Sardar Vallabhbhai National
Institute of Technology (Surat, Gujarat). He later completed graduate studies in
polymer science at the University of Akron. He has written several research articles
on engineering applications of rubber.
INDIAN ORIGIN BOY SHUBHAM BANERJEE DEVELOPED LOW

COST BRAILLE PRINTER
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A 12 year old boy of Indian Origin Shubham Banerjee developed a low cost Braille
Printer on 23 February 2014.
By using a 350 dollar LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 set, he had developed a Braille
Printer to help blinds.
The invention was named as Braigo, a mash-up of Braille and LEGO. Users can type
in letters, and the Braigos needle will hammer out the translated message in raised
dots on paper.
LEGO Mindstorms EV3 is a remarkably powerful and functional robotics kit people of
any age can use to build some impressive and complicated projects.
ABOUT BRAILLE PRINTER

Braille printers receive data from computer devices and emboss that information in
Braille onto paper through the use of solenoids that control embossing pins.
Braille printers typically print on heavyweight paper and use up more pages for the
same amount of information than pages printed on a regular printer.
They are also slower and noisier. Inter-point printers are Braille printers that emboss
Braille on both sides of a page. The price of a Braille printer is directly related to the
volume of Braille it produces.
RESEARCHERS AT CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES DEVELOPED FIRE-RESISTANT PAPER

Researchers with Shanghai institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Science
developed a new type of paper that is resistant to fire on 14 February 2014. The
research was published in Chemistry - A European Journal.
The paper will not catch fire even at 1000 degrees Celsius temperature. This new
paper is formed from calcium phosphate compound.
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The novel kind of inorganic paper is flexible and incombustible, but still feels like
ordinary paper. It can be torn, folded, and destroyed by strong acid.
It can be used for important documents to preserve for long periods of time.
101ST INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS CONCLUDED

The 101st Annual Session of Indian Science Congress (ISC) was held at the University
of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir from 3 February 2014 to 7 February 2014. The event
was inaugurated by Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India.
The President of the 101st ISC was Prof. R C Sobti.
The theme of the 101st ISC was Innovations in Science and Technology for Inclusive
Development. This is pursuance of the policy Science healing and innovative unveiled
by Honble Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on 3 January 2013 at Kolkata.
During this session, an attempt was made to showcase the recent developments in
the field of Science & Technology in the country and abroad.
As many as 12000- 15000 delegates including Noble Laureates, Senior Scientists,
Teachers, Young Scholars and Students had participated and present their research
findings.
BACKGROUND
The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) owes its origin to the foresight and
initiative of two British Chemists, namely, Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor
P.S. MacMahon.
The Association was formed with the following objectives:

To advance and promote the cause of science in India
To hold an annual congress at a suitable place in India
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To publish such proceedings, journals, transactions and other publications as may

be considered desirable
To secure and manage funds and endowments for the promotion of Science
including the rights of disposing of or selling all or any portion of the properties of
the Association.
To do and perform any or all other acts, matters and things as are conductive to,
or incidental to, or necessary for, the above objects.
The first meeting of the Congress was held in January 1914 at the premises of the
Asiatic Society, Calcutta, with the Honourable Justice Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, the
then Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University, as President.
The Silver Jubilee Session of the Science Congress was held at Calcutta in 1938
under the Presidentship of Lord Rutherford of Nelson but due to his sudden death,
Sir James Jeans took the chair. It was at this Jubilee Session that the participation of
foreign scientists in session of the Indian Science Congress was first initiated.
The Science Congress celebrated its Golden Jubilee in October 1963 at Delhi with
Prof.D.S. Kothari as General President.
The Diamond Jubilee Session of the Science Congress was held at Chandigarh in
January 1973 under the Presidentship of Dr S Bhagavantam.
The Indian Science Congress Association celebrated its Seventy Fifth year of its
inception, popularly called otherwise, Platinum Jubilee, in 1988, with Prof C N R Rao
as General President.
The 100th edition of the Indian Science Congress was held in Kolkota in January
2013 under the Presidentship of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India. The
theme of the 100th ISC was Science for shaping the future of India.
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FIRST PAPERLESS PUBLIC LIBRARY OF WORLD BIBLIOTECH

OPENED IN USA
First Paperless public Library of the World BiblioTech was opened in the USA State of
Texas on 4 February 2014. The traditional libraries have been replaced with high-tech
gadgets that cater to both adults and children.
Registered residents of the Texas will be able to access over tens of thousands of
titles from e-readers for free.
According to its website, the 1.5 million dollar BiblioTech currently has 600 e-readers,
200 pre-loaded enhanced e-readers for children, and 48 computer stations, 10
laptops and 40 tablets to use on-site.
Paperless technology will also help to manage funds. The team members arent tied
up re-shelving, filing and categorising.
They spend most of their time providing one-on-one instruction with visitors, teaching
people how to use devices and how to source materials. Its a more interactive library
experience.
Replacement costs have also been factored in to the project. Thefts can be easily
prevented as devices cannot access the internet once they leave the library.
Traditional libraries require much larger load-tolerances in construction due to
the weight of materials, so are more costly to build. Book collections also require
environmental controls that are costly to maintain.
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SPORTS
Pankaj Advani won IBSF 6-Red World Snooker title in Egypt
Pankaj Advani, the Indian cueist on 29 June 2014 won his maiden IBSF 6-Red World
snooker title at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. To win the title, he defeated Kacper Flilpiak
of Poland in a game that lasted for an hour.
The win helped Advani to create a history of being the first player in the world to win
world titles in the long and shorter formats of both billiards and snooker. For Advani,
this was maiden 6-Red World title and ninth overall. This win also took, Advani to
highest tally of world titles by any Indian cueist in the Open (Mens) category.
About Pankaj Advani

He won his first world title at the age of 18 and is only Asian to have ever won both
the Billiards and Snooker World Championships
He is also one of the youngest Indians to be honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel
Ratna award
He has also been conferred with the Arjuna and Padmashree awards
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Saina Nehwal won Australian Open Super Series title

Saina Nehwal, Indian badminton ace, on 29 June 2014 won 750000 US dollar
Australian Open Super Series by defeating Carolina Marin of Spain in straight-game
21-18, 21-11 in final played at Sydney.
This is the second title win of the year for sixth-seeded, Saina Nehwal. The previous
title for her was Indian Open Grandprix Gold in Delhi. On the other hand, this was first
World Super Series final for World Number 11, Carolina Marin.
35th National Games to be held in Kerala from 31 January to

14 February 2015
35th National Games dates were announced on 26 June 2014 at the Members
Lounge of the Kerala Legislative Assembly complex, Thiruvananthapuram by Indian
Olympic Association (IOA). The games will be held at 32 different venues across
seven districts of Kerala from 31 January to 14 February 2015.
The dates for the games were formally approved by Union Minister for Sports and
Youth Affairs Sarbanand Sonowal on behalf of Government of India.
The 35th National Games will be held in 36 disciplines and will see a total of 11641
participants that includes 7744 athletes. The participants will compete for a total of
365 gold and silver medals as well as 477 bronze medals.
This is for the second time Kerala will be hosting the National Games. For the first
time, Kerala conducted the 27th National Games in 1987.
Logo and the Mascot of the Game

The logo and the mascot of the 35th National Games was unveiled on 11 December
2009.
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Mascot: Ammu, the Great Indian Hornbill

Logo: Design in the pattern of Kanikonana (Indian Laburnum Cassia) also resembling
a nettipattom (festival elephants mask)
Indian Olympic Association Secretary-general - Rajeev Mehta
Indian Olympic Association President - N Ramachandran
Goodwill Ambassador of 35th National Games - Sachin Tendulkar
Last two National Games were held in

2011 Ranchi, Jharkhand (34th National Games)
2007 Guwahati, Assam (33rd National Games)
First National Games were held in 1924 in Lahore as Indian Olympic Games. In 1940
Indian Olympic Games were changed to National Games. First National Games after
independence were held in Lucknow in 1948.
Jitu Rai became first Indian shooter to win three medals in

successive ISSF Shooting World Cup
Jitu Rai on 19 June 2014 became the first Indian to win three medals in successive
ISSF Shooting World Cup.
Also, by winning his first-ever Gold medal and One Silver at the ongoing ISSF World
Cup in Maribor, Slovenia, he became the first Indian shooter to win two medals at the
same World Cup.
He won Gold medal with 200.8 points on 19 June 2014. The Silver medal was won by
Spains Pablo Carrera and the Bronze medal was won by Russias Anton Gourianov.
He won Silver medal in 50-meter pistol on 16 June 2014. In 50-meter pistol event,
the Gold was won by Damir Mikec of Serbia.
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Earlier in second week of June 2014, he had won Silver medal in 10-meter air pistol
event in ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany.
Jitu Rai is a Junior Commissioned Officer in Indian Army and was trained at Armys
Marksman Unit. He won his first individual medal, the Silver medal, in 10-meter air
pistol event in 2013. Currently he holds 26th place in World Shooting Ranking.
India won three ODI series against Bangladesh 2-0

Indian cricket team on 19 June 2014 won the three One Day International (ODI) series
against Bangladesh 2-0. With India already having won the first two ODIs, the third
and final ODI was abandoned due to rain at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur,
Bangladesh.
India was captained by: Suresh Raina
Bangladesh was captained by: Mushfiqur Rahim
Man of the Series: Stuart Binny of India
The main highlight of the series was Stuart Binny taking six wickets for four runs in
the second ODI, which is best bowling figures by any Indian in ODIs. The previous
bowling record by any Indian was held by Anil Kumble who took 6 wickets for 12
against the West Indies in 1993 in Kolkata.
Magnus Carlsen bagged FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship

Magnus Carlsen, the world number one chess player on 18 June 2014 bagged the
FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship title in Dubai. To win the Gold medal, he
scored 11 of 15 points. The silver medal was won by Fabiani Caruana who was
positioned at the second position. Indias Vishwanathan Anand clinched the bronze
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medal after being at the third position in the tournament. Former World Champion
Viswanathan Anand settled for the bronze medal after finishing the tournament
undefeated.
The World Rapid Chess Championship took place from 16 to 18 June 2014 in the
Chess Club of Dubai.
Sourav Ganguly joined Mudgal Committee on IPL spot-fixing

Sourav Ganguly, the former Indian cricket captain, joined the Mudgal Committee on
IPL spot-fixing as an expert on cricketing affairs on 8 June 2014.
The Mudgal committee headed by Justice (retired) Mukul Mudgal is probing IPL betting
and spot fixing scandals of 2013. It is investigating on the 13 names submitted by it
to Supreme Court in a sealed envelope in February 2014 after a preliminary inquiry.
It was appointed in October 2013 by the Supreme Court to investigate the fixing
allegations that took place during the IPLs 2013 season.
The Supreme Court in its direction asked the probe committee to select a cricketer
of impeccable repute and integrity to help the committee on the cricketing matters
related to IPL betting and spot fixing.
Rafael Nadal won French Open Title for the ninth time
Rafael Nadal (rank no. 1) of Spain won the French Open title 2014 for the ninth time
on 8 June 2014. He is the first men to win five French Open titles in a row. He won
against Novak Djokovic (rank no. 2) of Yugoslavia with 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, and 6-4 in the
final.
He made 66 wins and one defeat in 10 year at the French Open (Roland Garros).
With this win, he made total 14 Grand slams and second among the men with Pete
Sampras (14 Grand Slams).
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Apart from this, Maria Sharapova of Russia won the title against Simona Halep of
Romania in the final of the French Open womens singles. With this win she made
fifth Grand Slam title.
Amla appointed as test cricket captain of South Africa

Hashim Amla was appointed as new test captain of South African cricket team on 3
June 2014. Amla is the successor of Graeme Smith who retired in March 2014 after
serving the test side of South African cricket for more than a decade.
After being named as the Captain of the test cricket, 31-year-old Amla of Indian-origin
became the first black South African to lead the national side. He is also the fifth
permanent Test captain of Proteas (nickname of South African cricket team), since
they were readmitted to international cricket in 1992 after Kepler Wessels, Hansie
Cronje, Shaun Pollock and Smith who announced his international retirement in
March. Earlier during the apartheid era, the South-African cricket team included only
white people.
Wrestlers Yogeshwar Dutt and Sushil Kumar won Gold and

Silver
Wrestlers Yogeshwar Dutt and Sushil Kumar on 1 June 2014 won Gold and Silver
respectively at the International wrestling tournament held in Sassari city of Italy.
London Olympics Bronze medalist Yogeshwar won the Gold medal in his new weight
category of 65kg. On the other hand, two-time Olympic medalist Sushil won the
Silver in his new weight category of 74kg.
Besides, World Championship bronze medalist Bajrang and Satywart Kadian won
Silver medal in the 61kg category and 97kg category respectively. Krishan Kumar
won bronze in the 120 category in mens freestyle.
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In womens category: Shilpi Sheoran and Joyti won the bronze in the 55kg category
and in the 75kg category respectively.
Overall putting a strong performance before the Commonwealth Glasgow Games
2014, India won 7 medals which included 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 3 Bronze medals. India
has sent a team of 12 wrestlers to participate in the game.
Background
The World Wrestling Federation in 2013 dropped 60kg and 66kg from its programme
and introduced variations in the other weight categories. Now, wrestlers from 66kg
and 74 kg have to compete in one weight division.
Sushil had won a Bronze medal at Beijing Olympics in 2008 and a Silver medal at
London in 2012 in the 66kg category. On the other hand, Yogeshwar had won a
Bronze medal at London Olympics in 2012 in the 60kg division.
Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Kings XI Punjab to win IPL

2014 for second time
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on 1 June 2014 won the seventh edition of Indian
Premier League 2014 by defeating Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) by three wickets in the final
played at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. This is the second title triumph for KKR
after their maiden win back in 2012.
Batting first Wriddhiman Saha century in 49 balls helped KXIP to set a mammoth
score of 199 run to be chased by KKR. Batting second as chasers, KKRs Manish
Pandey fuelled a match-winning 94 off 50 balls.
With this win, Kolkata Knight Riders that choose to field first after winning the toss
has now joined Chennai Super Kings, as a team that has claimed two IPL trophies.
Earlier, KKR defeated Chennai Super Kings in the final match in 2012.
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Man of the Match: Manish Pandey

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena, Bruce Oxenford, S Ravi, CK Nandan
Referee: Roshan Mahanama
Captains of the two teams

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir
Kings XI Punjab: George Bailey
The previous winners of the IPL are as follows

IPL Season 1: Rajasthan Royals
IPL Season 2: Deccan Chargers
IPL Season 3: Chennai Super Kings
IPL Season 4: Chennai Super Kings
IPL Season 5: Kolkata Knight Riders
IPL Season 6: Mumbai Indians
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won Monaco

Grand Prix of Formula One
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany on 25 May 2014 won Monaco Grand Prix
of Formula One. This was his second victory of the season and fifth of his career.
The Mercedes, with this win, finished at first and second position for the fifth straight
time and has swept all six races this season.
Rosberg finished 9.2 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain
who came second. The third place was taken by Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo of
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Australia. Ferraris Fernando Alonso of Spain finished at fourth.

The drivers standing after Monaco Grand Prix are as follows: (i) Nico Rosberg of
Germany; (ii) Lewis Hamilton of Britain; (iii) Fernando Alonso of Spain; (iv) Daniel
Ricciardo of Australia; and (v) Nico Hulkenberg of Germany
After the Monaco Grand Prix, the top five teams are as follows: (i) Mercedes; (ii) Red
Bull Racing; (iii) Ferrari; (iv) Force India; and (v) McLaren
Japan won the Thomas Cup 2014 of badminton

Japan won the Thomas Cup 2014 of badminton on 25 May 2014. Japan team defeated
the Malaysian team 3-2 in the finals held at Siri Fort Complex in New Delhi. This was
Japans first maiden Thomas Cup.
Also, with this win, Japan became the fourth nation to win the Thomas Cup after
Indonesia, China and Malaysia.
Malaysia won the last of their five Thomas Cup titles in 1992 and was runner-up in
1994, 1998 and 2002. Besides, it won three Bronze medals at Thomas Cup in 2006,
2008 and 2010.
About Thomas Cup

The Thomas Cup or Mens World Team Championships was first staged in 1948-49
and the Uber Cup or Womens World Team Championships for the first time in 19567. Since 1984, both the events are held biennially.
The idea for the competition and the donation of the trophy was by the first President
of the BWF, Sir George Thomas, the legendary player who won 21 All England titles.
Of the twenty-eight Thomas Cup tournaments held since 19481949, only four
nations have won the title. Indonesia is the most successful team, having won the
tournament thirteen times. China, which did not begin to compete until the 1982
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series, follows Indonesia with nine titles, while Malaysia has won five titles.
Real Madrid defeated Atletico Madrid 4-1 to win 10th UEFA

Champions League Football title
Real Madrid on 24 May 2014 defeated Atletico Madrid 4-1 at Lisbon to win their 10th
UEFA Champions League Football title and first since 2002.
The highlight of the match was that all the three winning goals by Real Madrid was
done in the extra-time play after the match was tied 1-1 in the 90-minutes play.
The three goals in the extra-time on part of Real Madrid were done by Gareth Bale,
Marcelo goal, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It was Madrids fourth win in as many finals and came in the clubs 200th match in the
competition a landmark previously reached by only one club, Manchester United.
The 4-1 score line was the second biggest win in a UEFA Champions League final
after AC Milans 4-0 victory over FC Barcelona in 1994.
Real Madrids victory was not only a record tenth triumph in the European Cup but
also a record fourth in the UEFA Champions League era, placing them one ahead of
Milan and Barcelona.
The win also meant that Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti became the second
coach to win the European Cup three times after Bob Paisley who led Liverpool to
glory in 1977, 1978 and 1981.
India won two medals in Archery World Cup Stage 2

India on 18 May 2014 won two medals, viz., Silver and Bronze medal, at the Archery
World Cup Stage 2 held at Medellin, US.
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Mens Recurve Team

The Silver medal was won by India in the mens recurve team. The Indian recurve
team comprised of Sanjay Boro, Atanu Das and Thupuvoyi Swuro.
The Gold was won by the world champions Korea. The Korean team comprised of
Kim Woojin, Ku Bonchan and Oh Jin Hyek.
The US men team defeated China to take the bronze medal.
Mixed Category
The Indian mixed team of Das and Laishram Bombayla Devi won the Bronze medal
against the Mexican team of Roman Aida and Vivas Alcala Pedro.
The Gold was won by Korea and Silver medal won by the Brazil.
Novak Djokovic won the Mens Italian Tennis Open 2014 for
third time
Novak Djokovic won the mens Italian Tennis Open 2014 held in Rome, Italy on 18
May 2014. Novak of Serbia defeated Rafael Nadal of Spain 4-6, 6-3 and 6-3 in the
final. This is Novaks third Italian Open and his 44th title overall.
The Italian Open won by Novaks was his 19th career Masters Title and his 19th win
against Nadal in 41 meetings.
Rafael Nadal had won the Rome Masters for the maximum number of seven times.
In the womens, Serena Williams of US won the Italian Open 2014 against Sara Errani
of Italy.
The Italian Open 2014 was held in Rome Italy from 11 May 2014 to 18 May 2014.
It is red clay tennis tournament after French Tournament. It is also known as Rome
Masters or Italians Championships.
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Serena Williams won the Womens Italian Tennis Open 2014

for third time
Serena Williams of US won the Womens Italian Tennis Open 2014 on 18 May 2014.
She defeated World No. 11 Sara Errani of Italy 6-3, 6-0 in the final held in Rome, Italy.
This was the third Italian Open won by Serena. For the first time she won the Italian
Open in 2002 and the second Italian Open was won by her in 2013.
Also, the win gave Serena her 60th WTA titles and as a result she moved to Number
7 position on the all-time list for most WTA titles.
The six highest on the all-time list for most WTA titles are Martina Navratilova (who
won 167 WTA titles), Chris Evert (154), Steffi Graf (107), Margaret Court (92), Evonne
Goolagong Cawley (68) and Billie Jean King (67).
Besides, Errani is the first Italian to make to the final of Italian Open since 1985.
In the mens section, Novak Djokovic of Serbia defeated Rafael Nadal of Spain to win
the Italian Open for the third time.
About Italian Open

The Italian Open is an annual red clay tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. The
event is also known as the Italian Championships and Rome Masters.
Rafael Nadal has won the title a record seven times and consecutively 3 titles in
mens.
In womens, Chris Evert from US won the title a record of five time and consecutive
titles won Conchita Martinez of Spain
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Pankaj Advani won CCI Biliards title

Pankaj Advani on 14 May 2014 won Cricket Club of India (CCI) Classic Billiards and
Snooker tournament. He defeated two-time world runner-up Dhruv Sitwala 1425-447
in the final.
The Bangalore-based Eight-time world champion Pankaj Advani also won the Highest
Break award for the 530, which he scored against Devendra Joshi in the quarterfinals.
At the halfway mark of the four-hour final, Sitwala was trailing 227-787 with the aid of
a 95 break. While, Advani had procured breaks of 243, 193, 98, 87 and 78.
Hockey India honoured heroes of 1975 World Cup team

Hockey India (HI) honoured heroes of 1975 World Cup team on 14 May 2014. Hockey
India (HI) felicitated 13 living members of the 1975 World Cup.
Hockey India honoured the team with a cheque of 175000 rupees to each member.
Ajit Pal Singh was the captain of the 1975 team. Other members were Ashok Kumar,
Aslam Sher Khan, Brigadier (retd) Harcharan Singh, Leslie Fernandez, Varinder Singh,
Ashok Diwan, Michael Kindo, BP Govinda, Brigadier (retd) HJS Chimni, VJ Phillips,
Onkar Singh and Kaliah PE.
The 1975 World Cup team was felicitated on the eve of announcement of the squad
for the World Cup. The Hockey World Cup will be held in The Hague in May 2014. Till
now, India had won the gold medal in Hockey world Cup only once in 1975.
AIBA approved Boxing India as the new provisional member

to represent India
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The International Boxing Association (AIBA) Executive Committee on 15 May 2014

approved the application of Boxing India (The Bout outside the Ring) as the new
provisional member of AIBA to represent India.
The approval came after the AIBA Executive Committee was convinced that the new
vision and the initiatives proposed by Boxing India would help revive the sport of
boxing in the India in a professional and ethical manner.
Boxing India would be a provisional member of AIBA until the ratification by AIBA
congress. The ratification will be done on the basis of recommendations given by the
AIBA Evaluation Committee.
The newly selected Boxing India now should submit its plan to hold General Assembly
to conduct elections for its executives, which needs to be approved by AIBA. The
AIBA Member Federation in India will be officially launched after the elections and
will start governing the sport of boxing in India with the full recognition of AIBA.
Earlier on 3 March 2014, the AIBA Executive Committee had decided to end the official
relationship of AIBA with the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation and provisionally
exclude the national federation from AIBA membership. This action was taken due to
serious violations of the AIBA Statutes and Bylaws.
Following this, AIBA launched an Evaluation Committee to assess the applications
of potential groups/individuals to establish a new AIBA National Federation in India
which would support the principles of AIBA in terms of ethics and fairness.
CISF inducted as associate member of HI

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on 13 May 2014 was inducted as an associate
member of Hockey India (HI). The induction of the CISF will enable it to take part in
all the National championships.
Hockey India currently has 26 permanent member units, 20 associate members, 2
members through State Olympic Associations, 5 Academy Members and 1 Hoc-Key
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Member.
About CISF
CISF came into existence in 1969 under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
It was formed to provide integrated security cover to the Public Sector Undertakings
(PSUs) which in 1960s occupied the commanding heights of the economy.
Its current Director-General is Arvind Ranjan, IPS.
Manipur won Senior National Womens Football Champions

title
Manipur on 12 May 2014 won the 20th Senior National Womens Football
Championships title at the Golaghat Stadium in Assam. To clinch the title, Manipur
defeated the defending champions Orissa by 3-1.
Bala Devi of Manipur scored two goals and the third was made by Oinam Benbem
(the AIFF Womens Player of the Year)
Sakina Nesa of Orissa reduced the margin of goals by scoring a goal in the last
minutes
At the end of the tournament, Bala Devi was adjudged as the player of the tournament.
Last time, Manipur won the Championships in 2010.
Maria Sharapova defeated Simona Halep to win Madrid Open

title
Maria Sharapova of Russia on 11 May 2014 won the Mutua Madrid Open Tennis title.
To win her 1st Madrid Open title, Sharapova defeated the Romanian Simona Halep
1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the finals.
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With this win, Sharapova has captured 31st career title. For Halep, this was first
appearance in the finals at one of the WTAs Premier tournament.
Earlier in 2013, Sharapova lost the finals of Madrid to Serena Williams. Since 2011,
the eighth seed Sharapova has lost only three times on the clay and all the defeats
by the hand of world number one Serena Williams.
Rafael Nadal won Madrid Open Title

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal on 11 May 2014 won his 27th ATP World Tour Masters
1000 title at Mutua Madrid Tennis Open final. He won after Kei Nishikori of Japan was
forced to withdraw with a back injury when was trailing 2-6, 6-4, 3-0 in the final set.
With this win Nadal of Spain became the first player to win four Madrid open tennis
titles.
His previous victories were

In 2005 against Ljugicic
In 2010 against Federer
In 2013 against Wawrinka
The Madrid open title is the third ATP World Tour trophy for Nadal of the season.
The first two includes his win in Doha against Monfils and in Rio de Janeiro against
Dolgopolov.
The win at Madrid Open has fetched 1000 Emirates ATP Rankings points to Nadal
and has also ensured that he remns World No.1 through the end of International BNL
dItalia.
OSullivan named as Snookers Player of the Year

Ronnie OSullivan on 8 may 2014 was crowned World Snookers Player of the Year at
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the sports annual awards ceremony in London. Apart from this, OSullivan was also
handed the Fans Player of the Year award after being voted by snooker supporters.
During the 2013/14 season, he won four titles, which included the Masters in January
when he beat Mark Selby 10-4 in the final. He triumphed in the Welsh Open in March
2014 by rounding off a 9-3 defeat of Ding Junhui with a 147 break. This was 12th
maximum of his career and a new record too.
Awards given in the ceremony are

World Snooker Player of the Year: Ronnie OSullivan
Snooker Writers Player of the Year: Ding Junhui
Fans Player of the Year: Ronnie OSullivan
Rookie of the Year: John Astley
Performance of the Year: Mark Selby
Magic Moment of the Year: Mark Selby
Special award for 100 Centuries: Neil Robertson
147 Club (players making a 147 during the season): Neil Robertson, Judd Trump,
Mark Selby, Dechawat Poomjaeng, Gary Wilson, Shaun Murphy, Ronnie OSullivan
Hall of Fame inductees: Dennis Taylor and Cliff Thorburn
Mark Selby won World Snooker Championship 2014

Mark Selby of England won the World Snooker Championship 2014 in Sheffield,
England on 6 May 2014. He won the title against the defending champion Ronnie
O Sullivan with 18-14 in the final. This is his first World title and he was runner-up in
2007. With this win he was ranked world no 1 in the Snooker.
Mark Selby, 30, won cash prize of 300000 pounds and he is the ninth player to win
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Triple Crown (World Championship, the Masters and UK Championship).

Earlier he won three Master titles (2008, 2010 and 2013) and a UK Championship in
2012.
The other titles include the Welsh Open in 2008 and the Shanghai Masters in 2011.
Champion O Sullivan won the World title for five times, ranked 19 and this was the
first world final he lost.
Sania Mirza and Cara Black won WTA Portugal Open 2014
Sania Mirza of India and Cara Black of Zimbabwe on 3 May 2014 won womens
doubles title at the WTA Portugal Open 2014 held in Oeiras, Portugal.
Sania and Cara won the title by defeating the Czech Russian team of Eva Hrdinova
and Valeria Solovyeva 6-4, 6-3 in the final. This is the first title and third final of the
season for Sania and Cara who ended runners-up at Indian Wells in March 2014 and
at Stuttgart event in April 2014. Sania and Cara shared 9919 euro as prize money and
earned 280 ranking points each for the title.
In 2013, Sania and Cara pair won the women doubles title at the China Open 2013
and the Toray Pan Pacific Open 2013.
Wimbledon announced 10.8 percent increase in Prize Money

Wimbledon on 29 April 2014 announced an increase of 10.8 percent (to 25 million
Pound) in the total prize amount for this years Wimbledon. It is an increase of 2.4
million Pound over 2013. Apart from this, the All England Club on the same day
announced an increase of 12.5 percent in prize money for each singles player in the
first three rounds. As per the declaration, the champion will receive a cheque of 1.76
million pound a 10 per cent (160000 pound) increase from 1.6 million pound in 2013.
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Doubles prize money for The Championships, which runs from 23 June to 6 July,
increases by 8.7 percent, while there is a 6.1 per cent increase for the mixed doubles.
This year overall, 17 match courts will be held at the All England Club, venue of
The Championships. There will be three-week gap between Roland Garros and The
Championships in 2015 that will run from 29 July to 12 July.
Adhiban won silver at Asian Continental Chess Championship

Grand Master Adhiban won silver medal at the Asian Continental Chess Championship
held in Sharjah on 26 April 2014. With this silver he got an entry in the World Chess
Cup 2015 that will be held at Baku, Azerbaijan.
Adhiban ended up with 6.5 points whereas Yu Yangyi of China won the gold medal
ending with 7 points. Ni Hua of China won bronze medal with 6.5 points. Rustam
Kasimdzhanov stood at the fourth place (6 points) and Weng Yan of China at the fifth
place (6.5 points).
In the womens championship, Irine Kharisma Sukandar of Indonesia won the gold
medal. Atousa Pourkashiyan of Iran won the silver and Tan Zhongyi of China got
bronze.
The 13th Asian Continental Chess Championship and Womens Chess Championships
2014 was held from 16 April to 26 April 2014 in Sharjah, UAE. The top five of Asian
Continental Championship 2014 will qualify for the World Cup Championship 2015.
Indian Squash Player Saurav Ghosal won Dato Alex Lee Award
2013
Indian Squash Player Saurav Ghosal won Dato Alex Lee Award 2013 on 24 April
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2014. He was selected for the award by the Asian Squash Federation (ASF) for being
the Outstanding Asian Mens Player of the Year 2013.
Also, the Indian mens team was awarded the ASF Award for being the Outstanding
Mens Team of The Year 2013. The Indian mens team comprised Ghosal, Harinderpal
Sandhu, Ramit Tandon, Mahesh Mangaonkar along with coaches Cyrus Poncha and
Gautam Das.
The presentation ceremony of the awards will be conducted on 15 June 2014 in
Hongkong.
Ghosal was ranked No.1 in the Indian mens team at the World championships in
2013. He was a quarterfinalist at the World open. He was the highest ranked Asian
male at No.15.
Earlier, the Indian team attained its best ever position of seventh at the World
Championships held in France.
Real Madrid won the Copa del Ray Football tournament of

Spain
Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey Cup on 16 April 2014. They defeated Barcelona
2-1 in the final played at Mestalla in Valencia, Spain.
In the final, it was Gerath Bales second goal that sealed the victory for Real Madrid.
The esteemed Spanish club won the cup for the 19th time.
The highlight of the final match was the Gale Beraths second goal in the 85th minute.
The winger from Wales sprinted from the halfway line into the penalty area before
slipping the ball brilliantly between the legs of Barca goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto.
About the Copa del Rey tournament

The Copa del Rey football tournament or Kings Cup is an annual football cup
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competition for Spanish football teams. Like the Emperors Cup in Japan the
tournament is one of the most well-known football competitions bearing the name of
a monarch.
The competition was founded in 1903, thus making it the oldest Spanish football
competition. The winner of Copa del Rey goes to the UEFA Europa League; but if the
winner also qualifies for UEFA Champions League, then the losing finalist goes into
the Europa League. Barcelona has won the cup on the most occasions, with 26 wins.
Bengaluru FC won I-League Football title

Bengaluru FC Club on 21 April 2014 won the I-League Football title in their debut
season. Bengaluru FC Club defeated Dempo Sports Club 4-2 in the league match
held at Shillong.
The win helped the Bengaluru FC club accumulate 44 points and take an unassailable
lead with one round still to be played. East Bengal and Salgaocar Football Club will
play for the second and third spot.
Bangalore FC Club scored through Sean Rooney (2nd), Robin Singh (56th), John
Menyongar (79th) and Captain Sunil Chhetri (90+7). Sunil Chhetri with 20 goals is
leading the tally of total goals in the I-League.
Sunil Chhetri is also the Captain of the Indian Football team.
About I-League
I-League is an Indian professional league for association football clubs. It is the
countrys top football competition. The league consisted of 14 clubs. It operates on
a system of promotion and relegation with the I-League 2nd Division.
If you have any Question/Point on the above information, please ask/discuss it in the
Current Affairs Group.
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Benfica won 33rd Portuguese league Football title after four

years
Benfica on 21 April 2014 won the 33rd Portuguese Football league title after four
years. Benfica won the tittle by defeating the Olhanense by 2-0. Benfica won its first
domestic title in 2009-10.
Benfica secured the title by winning 11 straight games in the league. Benficas 11th
successive league win gave them an unassailable seven-point lead over secondplaced Sporting with two games to play.
Benfica also reached the final of the Portuguese Cup, and the semifinals of the Europa
League and Portuguese League Cup.
Benfica and Porto have monopolized the league title since Sporting Lisbon last won
it in 2001-02.
About Benfica
Benfica is a Portuguese multi-sport club based in Lisbon, Portugal. The club is mostly
known for its professional football team. The club was founded on 28 February 1904.
It is the most supported club in Portugal and has one of the largest fan-base in the
world. Benfica is the worlds twenty-sixth richest football club in terms of revenue.
Meb Keflezighi won Boston Marathon 2014

Meb Keflezighi on 21 April 2014 became the first US male athlete to win the Boston
Marathon in three decades (since 1983). The women winner of the marathon was Rita
Jeptoo of Kenya and this was her second consecutive win at the Boston Marathon.
Second and third winner among the male runners - Wilson Chebet and Frankline
Chepkwony of Kenya
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Second and third winner among the women - Buzunesh Deba and Mare Dibaba
both of Ethiopia
About Boston Marathon

Boston Marathon is an annual event and is held on Patriots Day i.e. the third Monday
of April. It started in 1897. It is worlds oldest annual marathon and is ranked as one
of the worlds best-known road racing events. It is one of six World Marathon Majors
and is hosted by several cities in Greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts.
Donna Vekic won the BMW Malaysian Tennis Open 2014

Donna Vekic of Croatia won the BMW Malaysian Open 2014 at Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia on 20 April 2014. The win made Donna Vekic richer by 43000 dollars. BMW
Malaysian Open 2014 was held from 14 to 20 April 2014.
Donna Vekic (ranked 95) beats Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia (ranked 10) 5-7, 7-5
and 7-6 in the final. This was hers first maiden Womens Tennis Association (WTA)
singles title.
Recently, Vekic had lost to Cibulkova at the Indian Well Open, United States of
America. She was a finalist in Tashkent open 2012 and Birmingham Open 2013.
In Womens Doubles, Timea Babos of Hungary and Chan Hao Ching of China won
Womens Tennis Association (WTA) title in the BMW open Malaysian Open.
Babos and Chan defeated Zheng Saisai of China and Chan Yung Jan of China 6-3,
6-4 in the final. This is Babos first doubles title of the season since victory in Sydney
in January 2014. It is third career title for Hao Ching.
Kritsanakorn Sangaroon won the 2014 Thailand Tour womens title of ABF
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Kritsanakorn Sangaroon of Thailand won the 2014 Thailand Tour womens title of Asian
Bowling Federation (ABF) on 19 April 2014 at Blu-O Rhythm & Bowl Ratchayothinon
in Bangkok, Thailand. It is Kritsanakorn Sangaroons first career Asian Bowling
Federation (ABF) Tour title.
Kritsanakorn defeated Benchawan of Thailand 223-183 in the final.
In semifinals, Kritsanakorn topped Angkana Netrviseth with 198-173, while Benchawan
Poungthong won against Tanaprang Sathean with 207-179.
In Mens Final, Shaik Abdul Hameed of India won the 2014 Thailand Tour title of Asian
Bowling Federation. He defeated Mahamood Al Attar of UAE 242-183 in the final.
Hockey India Appointed Harendra Singh as coach of junior

team
Hockey India on 19 April 2014 appointed former senior coach Harendra Singh as the
coach of the junior mens team. Harendra will join the training camp of the team on
25 April 2014.
The appointment was confirmed to groom the team for the 2016 Hockey World Cup.
The 2016 World Cup will be hosted in India.
Harendra Singh had earlier coached national teams for several major events.
Starting his coaching career in 1998, Harendra has an experience of 379 matches
which includes Sydney Olympic (2000), World Cup (2005-Jr, 2006 and 2010), Asian
Games (2006 and 2010), Asia Cup (2004-Jr and 2009), Champions Challenge (2009)
and various other tournaments.
His achievements as a coach already includes 8 gold, 5 silver and 9 bronze medals
with senior and junior teams in various international tournaments.
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BCCI named Ravi Shastri in three-member panel to probe

IPL betting
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on 20 April 2014 chose names of the
panelists to be a part of a three-member panel to probe into allegations of betting
and spot-fixing during the sixth edition of IPL. The three member panel will comprise
The former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Jai Narayan Patel
The former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, RK Raghavan
The former India captain-turned-commentator, Ravi Shastri
The BCCI will propose these names to the Supreme Court of India on 22 April 2014
and the final decision will be made by the apex court that who will investigate the
matter fairly.
Earlier, the Supreme Court bench comprising Justice AK Patnaik and Justice FM
Ibrahim on 16 April 2014 directed to BCCI to come up with ways to take the probe
forward by highlighting its institutional autonomy. It also asked BCCI to respond on
the conduct of the probe by 22 April 2014.
Background
This probe panel will be formed on the basis of the report submitted by Justice
Mudgal Committee on IPL betting scam. The Mudgal Committee in its report has
accused 12 prominent cricketers and N Srinivasan.
At present, N Srinivasan has been suspended as the President of BCCI and his
suspension will remain until conclusion of the probe doesnt ends.
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Joshna Chinappa won inaugural Richmond Open of Squash

Joshna Chinappa won inaugural Richmond Open of Squash at the Country Club of
Virginia, US on 19 April 2014. Chinappa won against Australian Champion Rachael
Grinham. Chinappa (ranked 21) scored 11-9, 11-5 and 11-8 in the finals and this was
her first win in six meetings over Rachael Grinham (ranked 16).
This was Chinappas ninth Women Squash Association (WSA) tour title in Country
Club of Virginia. This was the 16th final of Joshna and 65th for Grinham since her
career started in 1998. Joshna was defeated by the Grinham at the Texas Open held
from 8 April to 13 April 2014 in US.
India won 12 medals at the 7th South Asia Judo Championship

Indian judokas won 12 medals at the seventh South Asia Judo Championships held in
Kathmandu, Nepal from 10 April 2014 to 13 April 2014. The 12 medal haul included10
Gold, one Silver and one Bronze medal.
2014 Indian Medalists:

Men
Name
Category
Medal
Navjot Chana
60Kg
Gold
Irom Sanju Singh
66 Kg
Gold
Navdeep Chana
73 Kg
Gold
Vikender Singh
81 Kg
Gold
Avtar Singh
90 Kg
Gold
100 Kg
Silver
Gold Khaidem Yaima

Singh
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Women
Name
Category
Medal
Angom Anita Chanu
52 Kg
Gold
Suchika Tariyal
57 Kg
Gold
Garima Chaudhary
63 Kg
Gold
Huidrom Sunibala Devi
70Kg
Gold
Ch Jina Devi
78 Kg
Gold
Rajni Bala
48Kg
Bronze
About South Asia Judo Championships

South Asian Countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka participated in the seventh South Asia Judo Championship.
Sixth South Asia Judo Championships was held in Pakistan in 2013 and India won
10 Gold and silver.
CBI established Sport Integrity Unit to investigate sports

fraud cases
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) established a Sport Integrity Unit on 15
April 2014 to investigate the cases related to fraud in sports. Betting and Match fixing
are the most common cases of sports fraud.
CBI had held discussions with officials of International Cricket Council (ICC) and
Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) before setting up the unit.
Objective of this Unit

combating malpractices in sports
coordinating with sports federations and law enforcement agencies
investigating and inquiring into matters related to sports fraud
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International Scenario
Internationally, the Australian Federal Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation (United
States), some European countries has established special dedicated units to
investigate with cases of sports fraud.
Baroda won Syed Mushtaq Ali Cricket T20 Trophy

Baroda on 14 April 2014 won the National Syed Mustaq Ali Cricket T20 Trophy title
after defeating Uttar Pradesh in the final match by three runs. The final match of the
tournament was played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Batting first Baroda scored 144 runs at the loss of seven wickets and Uttar Pradesh
while chasing the score finished at 141 for six in twenty over.
Earlier in 2012, Baroda won the title at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
Captain of Uttar Pradesh - Akshdeep Nath
Captain of Baroda - Aditya Waghmode
Nour El Sherbini defeated Dipika Pallikal to win Texas Open

Squash final
Indias Dipika Pallikal on 14 April 2014 was defeated by Egyptian Nour El Sherbini
(ranked 13th) in the title clash of the Womens Champion Fiberlass Texas Open squash
tournament at Houston, United States. With this loss, the world number 12, Dipika
ended up as the runner-up in the 50000 US Dollar tournament.
She lost the final clash by 7-11, 11-5, 7-11 in a game that lasted for 48 minutes.
Earlier, Dipika defeated eighth-ranked Madeline Perry of Ireland in the semifinal.
This tour of 22-year-old Dipika was her biggest tour in her career in which she was
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successful to climb into the finals.
Wilson Kipsang won London Marathon

Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) won the 34th London Marathon on 13 April 2014. He
completed the 26.2-mile route in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 29 seconds. He won the title
for the second time. He earlier won it in 2012. Stanley Biwott (Kenya) secured second
and Tsegaye Kebede secured third position. London based double Olympic champion
Mo Farah got eighth rank.
Other results
In womens race, two time world Champion, Edna Kiplagat(Kenya) came first by
completing track in 2:20:21 time that is 3 seconds ahead of Florence Kiplagat.
In the womens wheelchair race, Tatyana McFadden came first in a record time of
1:45:11 and defended her London title.
About London Marathon

This event is a long distance running event. For the first time, the event was organized
in 1981. The 35th London Marathon will be held on 26 April 2015.
Santoso won OUE Singapore badminton Open 2014

Simon Santoso (Indonesia) won the OUE Singapore badminton Open 2014 for the
first time on 13 April 2014. He defeated Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia), badmintons world
number one player by 21-15, 21-10 in final match held in Singapore. Santoso won
300000 US Dollars for this victory.
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Other results
In women final match, Wang Yihan (China) won over Li Xuerui (China) by 21-11, 2119.
In Mens doubles, Cai Yun, Lu Kai (China) won over Lee Sheng Mu, Tsai Chia hsin
(Taiwan) by 21-19, 21-14.
In Womens doubles, Bao Yixin, Tang Jinhua(China) won over Christinna Pedersen,
Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Denmark) by 14-21, 21-19, 21-15.
In Mixed doubles, Liliyana Natsir, Tontowi Ahmad (Indonesia) won over Riky Widianto,
Puspita Richi Dili (Indonesia) by 21-15, 22-20.
Singapore Open is a major sporting even in Badminton. It started in 1987.
Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins announced retirement

Gareth Hopkins the former New Zealand wicketkeeper on 11 April 2014 announced
his retirement from cricket. He announced his retirement after a career spanning over
17 years.
Hopkins made his test debut on 5 June 2008 against England at Trent Bridge, as
usual Wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum played in a specialist batsman role. He
contributed a total of 27 runs and took 3 catches in New Zealands innings defeat.
The 37-year-old Hopkins played four Tests, 25 one-dayers and 10 Twenty20
internationals with his last Test and ODI appearance coming against India back in
2010.
In domestic cricket, Hopkins played for Northern Districts, Canterbury, Otago and
moved to Auckland in the 2007-08 season, where he finished his career.
He scored 7550 runs in 158 first-class matches, including 17 centuries and 34 half-
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centuries, and claimed 435 catches and 26 stumpings.

He also played 203 List A matches in which he hit 4013 runs at 27.11. He aggregated
1279 runs in 83 matches in T20s.
A highlight of his tenure as captain came when he led Auckland to successive HRV
Cup titles in 2011 and 2012.
Hopkins was the second veteran of New Zealand domestic cricket to announce his
retirement after Shanan Stewart.
Indias Heena Sidhu clinched Worlds No. 1 spot in 10 mts air

pistol event
Heena Sindhu, the Indian shooter on 7 April 2014 clinched the Worlds Number One
spot in 10 meters air pistol event. By achieving this fete, she became the first Indian
pistol shooter to be ranked at the top position in the list.
Sindhu clinched the first spot in the rankings list by replacing the world champion
Zorana Arunovic of Serbia with total pf 1699 rating points. Zorana is now placed at
the second position in the list with 1514 points. Chinas Wenjun Guo with 1190 points
is placed at the third position.
The rankings was released by International Shooting Sport Federation claimed
that Sindhu was successful in achieving the World Number 1 spot through her
performances in the recent events.
Earlier, Sindhu won a gold medal in the Asian Air Gun Championship in March 2014
and she also finished with a silver medal at the ISSF rifle or pistol World Cup in Fort
Benning in United States. In the world Cup 2013 in Munich she shot a world record
score to win a gold medal.
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Lee Chong Wei & Shixian Wang won India Super Series Badminton titles
Defending champion, Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia on 6 March 2014 won the mens
singles title of 250000 US dollar India Super Series Badminton in New Delhi. To retain
the mens singles title, he defeated Chen Long of China in straight-game by 21-13,
21-17. This was the third title for World Number one badminton player Chong Wei,
of the season.
On the other hand, second seed Shixian Wang won the womens singles title by
defeating top seed Li Xuerui 22-20, 21-19.
The womens double title was clinched by Yuanting Tang and Yang (F) Yu of China
after defeating the Korean pair of Kyung Eun Jung and Ha Na Kim 21-10, 13-21, 2116.
Australian cricket team won Womens T20 World Cup 2014

Australian women cricket team on 6 April 2014 won the Womens World Twenty20
Cup 2014 cup defeating England in the final match in Mirpur, Dhaka. It defeated
England by six wickets with 29 balls left to be bowled. This was the third successive
Womens World Twenty20 title won by Australian womens cricket team.
Australias captain Meg Lanning (she was the highest scorer of the tournament
with 257 runs)
Englands captain Charlotte Edwards
Player of the match SJ Coyte (Australia)
Player of the series A Shrubsole (England) for taking 12 wickets in the tournament
Group stage
Group A: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Ireland
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Group B: England, West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
Punjab won Junior National Hockey Title 2014

Punjab on 6 April 2014 won the 4th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship
2014 (Division A) by defeating Hockey Odisha 6-2 in the finals at Chennai, Tamil
Nadu. With this win, Punjab had retained the championship title.
To gain the third place in the tournament, Haryana defeated the Sports Authority of
India (7-3).
Awards
Best Goalkeeper Jugraj of Punjab
Best Deep Defender Nilam Sanjeev Xess of Odisha
Best Midfielder Sumit of Haryana
Best Forward Joseph Toppo of Odisha
Man of the Tournament Harjeet Singh of Punjab
Sri Lanka won its maiden ICC Twenty20 World Cup title
Sri Lankan cricket team on 6 April 2014 won the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2014 title
after defeating Indian cricket team by six wickets in the final match at Sher-e-Bangla
National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur, Dhaka.
In the final, India batting first scored 130 runs. In response Sri Lanka achieved the
target of 131 runs by losing only 4 wickets in 17.5 overs. From Indian side, once
again, Virat Kohli led the scorecard of Indian team. He made a valiant 77 runs of 58
balls. From the Sri Lankan side, it was Kumar Sangakkara who led his team to victory
by making an unbeaten 52 runs of 38 balls.
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Earlier in the semi-finals, India defeated South Africa and Sri Lanka defeated West
Indies to reach to the final of the T20 Cricket World Cup.
Man of the match Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka
Player of the Tournament Virat Kohli for hitting 319 runs in the tournament.
Captain of Sri Lankan cricket team in the final - Lasith Malinga
Capatin of Indian team - MS Dhoni
This is the maiden T20 cricket trophy won by Sri Lanka and the victory helped, the
Lankan team to end its inexplicable losing streak in the final matches of World Cup.
On the other hand, this loss means that India did not become the first cricket team
to hold all the three major limited over titles, as it had won the 50-over World Cup in
2011 and the Champion trophy in 2013.
Sri Lanka last won the first world title in the World Cup (50-over tournament) in 1996.
It also lost the final matches of the two world cups (50-over) in 2007 and 2011. In
2009 and 2012 also it remained the runners-up in World Twenty20 events.
Viswanathan Anand rises to No. 3 in FIDE world chess rankings

Viswanathan Anand ranked World number 3 in the rating list released by FIDE on 1
April 2014. Anand with the Victory at the Candidates Tournament held in Russia in
March 2014 has moved five places ahead from 8 to 3 with 2785 Elo points.
According the rating list, Magnus Carlsen of Norway with Elo points 2881 ranks no 1
and Levon Aronian of America with 2812 ranks 2.
Indians in the rating list

1. P Harikrishna ranks 25 with 2726 points
2. K Sasikiran ranks 66 with 2680 points
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In women ranking
K Humpy (2613) ranks at 3rd position which is maintain by her since 2013. Hungarian
Judit Polgar (2685) ranks 1 and Hou Yifan of China (2618) ranks 2.
D Harika (2507) ranks 16, Tania Sachdev (2427) ranks 49, Eesha Karvade (2414)
ranks 58 and Mary Ann Gomes (2386) ranks 82 in the rating list.
Union Sports Ministry derecognised IABF

Union Sports Ministry on 1 April 2014 derecognised the Indian Amateur Boxing
Federation (IABF) with an immediate effect after its refusal to comply with its
directives. This ban can be considered as a second blow to IABF, as earlier it was
terminated by its international parent body, International Boxing Association (AIBA).
AIBA terminated on the allegations of rigged elections and corruption.
Earlier, it was suspended provisionally by the Ministry in December 2012. Its
suspension came with a direction to hold fresh elections and make its combination
complaint with National Sports Code.
In its statement it said that any National Sports Federation is recognized on the on the
current legal status of the organization, recognition by the International Federation,
the Asian Federation and the Indian Olympic Association, IOA in respect of Olympic
Sports.
Viswanathan Anand won the Candidates Chess Tournament

in Khanty Mansiysk
Five-times world champion Viswanathan Anand won the Candidates Chess
Tournament title in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia on 30 March 2014. In the penultimate
14th Round he drew with Peter Svidler of Russia to clinch the title with 8.5 points.
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The win has paved the way for Vishwanathan Anand to have a rematch with Magnus
Carlsen of Norway for World Chess Championship title scheduled to be held from 5
-25 November 2014. Besides, the win also made Anand richer by 135000 euros.
Anand lost to Magnus Carlsen in the World Chess Championship held in Chennai
in 2013. This will mark the first time that the same two opponents have met in
consecutive World Championship matches since Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov
(1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1990).
Results: 1. V Anand (India, 8.5); 2. Sergey Karjakin (Russia, 7.5); 3. Shakhriyar
Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan, 7); 3. Vladimir Kramnik (Russia, 7); 3. Dmitry Andreikin
(Russia, 7); 4. Peter Svidler (Russia, 6.5); 4. Levon Aronian (Armenia, 6.5); 5. Veselin
Topalov (Bulgaria, 6)
About Candidates Chess Tournament

The Candidates Tournament is a chess tournament organised by the World Chess
Federation (FIDE) since 1950. Its is organised as the final contest to determine
the challenger for the World Chess Championship. The winner of the Candidates
earns the right to a match for the World Championship against the incumbent World
Champion.
2014 Candidates Tournament, an eight-player double round-robin tournament that
took place in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, from 13 March to 31 March 2014.
Djokovic defeated Nadal to win fourth Miami Masters crown

Novak Djokovic, the six-time Grand Slam winner won his fourth Miami Masters crown
on 30 March 2014 by defeating Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-3. This title was a combination
of ATP and WTA Tour hardcourt tournament. This win has helped him 850430 US
dollars as the winners cheque.
Second seed Djokovic, benefitted from two walkovers didnt dropped a set winning
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his third Miami title in four years and fourth in total to odd to triumphs in 2007, 2011
and 2012. Nadal has lost the Miami Masters title in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
This is the second straight win of the event title for Djokovic as earlier on 16 March
2014; he won the BNP Paribas Open Final in Indian Wells ATP Tennis Masters title in
California against Roger Federer.
For the second time in the history of Miami final, the top two players have faced each
other. The previous was Andre Agassi against Pete Sampras in 1995.
Lewis Hamilton Won Malaysian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton won the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang (Malaysia) on 30 March
2014. His teammate Nico Rosberg clinched second position. Lewis Hamilton won
the race by 17.3 seconds by taking advantage of his pole position.
This was Hamiltons 23rd victory in Formula One and 1st in Malaysia. It was also the
first Mercedes one-two victory since it returned to Formula One as a works team in
2010.
Top Final Results

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
Nico Hulkenberg (Force India)
Simon Santoso, Indonesian Shuttler won Malaysia Grand

Prix gold
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Indonesian Simon Santoso won the Malaysia Grand Prix gold against Sourabh Varma
in Mens Single at Pasir gudang, Malaysia on 30 March 2014. Malaysian Grand Prix
gold was held from 25 March to 30 March 2014.
Simon Santoso won the final with score 21-15, 16-21, 19-21 against the Sourabh
varma in an hour and nine minutes. This is Simons second win over Sourabh Varma.
Last time Sourabh and Simon played against each other at the Indonesia Open 2012.
Heena Sidhu won silver medal in 10m Air Pistol Women final
of ISSF World Cup
Heena Sidhu, the World number two air pistol shooter on 28 March 2014 won a
silver medal of 10m Air Pistol Women at the ISSF World Cup in Fort Benning, United
States. To clinch the silver medal, she shot 200.8 points in the finals.
The gold medal was won by 28-year old Bulgarian shooter Antoaneta Bovena, the
Olympic finalist of London 2012, with 203.6 points. The Bronze medal went to Serbias
Zorana Arunovic with 180.9 points.
This medal win of the 24-year old shooter, Heena Sidhu from Ludhiana has also
made her, the maximum medal winner in a World Cup by any Indian pistol shooter.
West Zone won crickets Deodhar Trophy 2014

West Zone on 27 March 2014 won the crickets Deodhar Trophy 2014. They lifted
the trophy after defeating North Zone in the Day-Night final at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara
Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam by a margin of 133 runs.
North Zone, while chasing a score of 282 runs to win, was all out on 148 in
37.1 over.
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Captain of West Zone Cheteshwar Pujara

Captain of North Zone Harbhajan Singh
About Prof. D B Deodhar Trophy

Deodhar Trophy is a 50-over over inter zonal knockout Indian domestic cricket
tournament. The one-day zonal championship, established in 1980s has been named
after Prof. D. B. Deodhar (Dinkar Balwant Deodhar born on 14 January 1892 in Poona
(now Pune), Maharashtra), who is known as the Grand Old Man of Indian cricket. The
tournament is annually played among five zonal teams namely North Zone, South
Zone, East Zone, West Zone and Central Zone.
Deodhar as an Indian cricketer, never played any test matches, as he was considered
too old in 1932, the year when India played its first Test match.
India won 3rd South Asian Handball Championship title

India on 26 March 2014 clinched the 3rd South Asian Handball Championship title
played at Genesis Global School in Noida. To win the title, India defeated Pakistan
36-31. The championship started on 23 March 2014.
Five teams that participated in the championship were

India
Afghanistan
Nepal
Pakistan
Bangladesh
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Rusi Dinshaw, Pakistans only Parsi cricketer died

Rusi Dinshaw, the only Parsi Community cricketer of Pakistan died on 24 March 2014
in Karachi. He was 86 and was suffering from schizophrenia.
About Rusi Nausherwan Dinshaw

He was selected in a Pakistans first test Squad that first toured India in 1952-53,
but didnt played
He was a left-handed batsman and left-arm spinner
He went to Pakistan after partition of post Independent India
He scored a double hundred in the Ruby Shield schools tournament in Kolkata
He led the Karachi University in 1946 that won against Bombay University in the
Maharaja Kumar of Cooch Behar Trophy
He debuted in the first-class cricket in 1948 for Sindh at the Karachi Gymkhana
against West Indies (their tour to Pakistan)
RSPB won senior women hockey National Title

Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) on 23 March 2014 won the 4th Hockey
India Senior Women National Championship (Division A) in Bhopal. To clinch the title,
it defeated defending champions Haryana 4-0.
Top Scorer: Navneet Kaur, Haryana
Best Forward: Poonam Balra, Jharkhand
Best Defender: Deepika Railways Sports Promotion Board
Best Goalkeeper: Savite, Haryana
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Best Player of the Tournament: Monika Haryana

Captain of Railway Sports Promotion Board - TH Chanchan
First and second position was claimed by: the winner and runner-up
Third position in the tournament went to: Jharkhand by defeating Punjab 5-0
Fourth position went to: Punjab
In the final of the 4th Hockey India Senior Men Championship 2014 (Division A) held
at Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium in lucknow, defending champions Air India
Sports Promotion Board retained defeated Comptroller & Auditor General Of India
4-1 to retain the title.
Best Goal Keeper- Adrain dsouza (Air India)
Best Full Back Diwakar Ram (Uttar Pradesh)
Best Half back- MB Aiyappa (Comptroller & Auditor General Of India)
Best forward- Shivendra Singh (Air India)
Player of the tournament Gagandeep Singh (Air india) Yamha Alfa Bike
Stuart Oliver won 1st-ever Indian truck-racing championship

Stuart Oliver, the experienced British racer on 23 March 2014 won the inaugural Tata
T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship at Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater
Noida. He represented Castrol Vecton team in the race and took 30:26.848 minutes
to complete 15 laps of the 2.5 km loop on the 5.1 km-long track.
Stuart Oliver (50-year-old), a ten-time British Truck Racing Champion staved off the
stiff challenge from Mathew Summerfield (30:31:522 minutes) of Team Cummins.
Summerfield finished at the second position. David Jenkins, representing Tata
Technologies Motorsports finished third with timings 30:32:413 minutes.
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Team title was awarded to Castrol Vecton.

This was the first-ever truck racing in India and saw two races that was piloted by
experienced truck racing drivers of British and European Truck Racing circuits.
About T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship

The T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship is Indias first ever truck racing championship,
by Tata Motors and was conducted under the aegis of FIA (Federation Internationale
de lAutomobile) and FMSCI (the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India). The first
ever truck racing event of India has been inscribed on the calendars of FIA & FMSCI.
Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai won BNP Paribas Open 2014
Hsieh Su-Wei of Taiwan and Peng Shuai of China on 16 March 2014 won in Womens
doubles final of the BNP Paribas Open by defeating Sania Mirza and Cara Black from
Zimbabwe 7-6(5), 6-2. The BNP Paribas Open 2014 was held from 3 to 16 March
2014 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California.
Earlier in 2011, Sania Mirza won the BNP Open with Elena Vesnina in the Womens
doubles final.
About BNP Paribas Open

BNP Paribas Open is annually held ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and WTA Premier
Event at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden where the top men and women professional
players will compete.
About Mens Double

Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan from USA won in Mens double defeating Alexander Peya
(Australia) and Bruno Soares (Brazil) of BNP Paribas Open 2014.
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Novak Djokovic won Indian Wells final by defeating Roger

Federer
The worlds number two Novak Djokovic on 16 March 2014 defeated Roger Federer
to win the BNP Paribas Open Final in Indian Wells ATP Tennis Masters in California
3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3). This trophy is the first title of the year for Djokovic and third at the
BNP Paribas Open.
Earlier in February 2014, Djokovic lost to Federer in the semi finals of the Dubai tennis
championship.
Other results of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells ATP Tennis Masters
Womens singles title: won by Italian Flavia Pennetta by defeating second seeded
Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-1
Womens doubles title: won by top seeded Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai by
defeating fifth seeds Cara Black and Sania Mirza 7-6(5), 6-2
Sachin Tendulkar voted Cricketer of the Generation

Sachin Tendulkar on 14 March 2014 was voted as the Cricketer of the Generation by
a 50-member jury that comprised current and former cricketers and journalists. To
win the award, Sachin defeated his competitors spin legend Shane Warne and allrounder Jacques Kallis.
Other titles for 2013 in the annual ESPNcricinfo Awards

Test bowling title for 2013 - Mitchell Johnson
ODI bowling award Shahid Afridi, he won under the same category for 2009
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Test batting award Shikhar Dhawan for his knocking 187 runs on debut against
Australia in Mohali in 2013
ODI batting performance of the year Rohit Sharma for his ODI double-century in
Bangalore, against Australia
The Debutant of the Year (new category) Mohammed Shami of India
Contribution to Cricket Award (new category) Tarak Sinha, head coach of the
Sonnet Cricket Club in Delhi,
Cricket for Good award Rahul Dravid for mentoring the junior and Paralympic
athletes in India
Batsman of the Year, Best Test Batsman, and Most Consistent Batsman AB de
Villiers
Bowler of the Year and the Best Test Bowler Dale Steyn
Karnataka won the Vijay Hazare Cricket Trophy 2013-14

Karnataka won the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2013-14 by defeating Railways by four wickets
at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on 16 March 2014. Karnataka for the first time won
the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Recently, Karnataka won the Ranji and Irani Cup champion
and this is the third consecutive tournament win for the team.
Railways scored 157 in 47.4 overs whereas Karnataka scored 158 in 43 over for six
wickets. Abhimanyu Mithun was named as the man of the match for picking up 4
wickets for 19 runs.
About Vijay Hazare Trophy

Vijay Hazare Trophy was started in 2002-03. It is also known as Ranji One Day
Trophy. It is a domestic competition among the states teams from the Ranji Trophy
for limited over.
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Tamil Nadu won the trophy four times and Delhi won the trophy in 2012-13.
Railway won the trophy in 2005-06.
Heena Sidhu and Chain Singh won Gold at 7th Asian Air Gun
Championship
Heena Sidhu on 10 March 2014 won the Gold medal in the Womens Air pistol event
at the 7th Asian Air Gun Championship in Kuwait.
Heena topped the qualification stage with 386 and won the Gold medal with a score
of 200.3, Chia Ying Wu of Chinese Taipei won the Silver (198.3) and Wadha Al Balushi
from Oman won the Bronze (177.3).
In Team Event, Heena along with Shweta Chaudhary and Harveen Srao won the
Silver medal with a total score of 1138 (20x). China won the Gold with a score of 1138
(21x) and Chinese Taipei won the Bronze with a score of 1134.
Mens rifle event

Chain Singh won the Gold with a score of 206.0. While the Silver and Bronze were
won by Chinese Qin Cong (204.5) and Liu Zhinguo (183.7) respectively.
Mizoram won 68th Santosh Trophy of football by defeating

Railways
Mizoram on 9 March 2014 won the 68th senior National football championship of
Santosh Trophy by defeating Railways 3-0 in the final match played at Kanchenjungha
Stadium in Siliguri, West Bengal. This is the maiden Santosh Trophy for Mizoram and
this was also the first appearance for them in the final match.
Railways for the last time bagged Santosh Trophy in 1966 and since then (48 years)
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it has never won a single trophy.

With this win of the Santosh Trophy, Mizoram bagged 5 lakh rupees, while Railways
as the runners-up got 3 lakh rupees. The matches of the Trophy were played at
Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri from 24 February 2014 to 9 March 2014.
Sri Lanka won Asia Cup 2014

Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup 2014 on 8 March 2014. To claim the title, Sri Lanka
defeated Pakistan in the final match by five wickets with 22 balls remaining. With this
win, Sri Lanka claimed the title for the fifth time.
Sri Lankan Lahiru Thirimanne in the final helped Lanka to chase the score of 260 run
by scoring 101 in 108 balls. Fawad Alam of Pakistan scored 114 runs in 134 balls to
help Pakistan to give a challenging score.
Player of the match was awarded to Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka for taking 5
wickets in 10 over in the final match
Player of the series was awarded to Lahiru Thirimanne of Sri Lanka
Participants of the Asia Cup tournament were four Asian test-playing nations,
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and ICC Associate member Afghanistan.
Afghanistan by defeating Bangladesh in the tournament, for the first time was included
in the ranking chart of ICC.
Ragala Venkat Rahul won 2 Gold and 1 Silver at 16th Asian

Youth Weightlifting Championships
Ragala Venkat Rahul won 2 Gold and 1 Silver on the second day of the 16th Asian
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Youth Weightlifting Championship on 6 March 2014. The Championship is being held

at Bangsean in Thailand.
Rahul won the medals in 77-kg category of boys. He bagged Gold each in Clean &
Jerk (163 kg) and in total lift (296 kg). The Silver was won in snatch (133 kg).
The championship is the continental qualification event for the 2nd Youth Olympic
Games. The 2nd Youth Olympic Games are to be held in August 2014 in Nanjing,
China.
Lalu Taku (boys, 62kg), Mohin Chavan (girls, 44 kg) and TBC Lalchhanhima (boys,
56kg) finished fourth in their respective categories.
In 2013, 15th Asian Youth Weightlifting Championship was held at Al Sadd Sports
Club in Doha, Qatar.
Tamil Nadu and Railways won Federation Cup 2014

Tamil Nadu (TN) men and Railways women won the XXVII (twenty seventh) Federation
Cup Volleyball titles on 5 March 2014 in the finals at Kizhakkambalam, Ernakulam in
Kerala. Tamil Nadu men defeated services and the Railways women defeated Kerala
in the finals. The cup was held from 26 February to 5 March 2014.
Tamil Nadu defeated services in straight sets 25-21, 25-19, 25-19
Women Railways defeated Kerala women by 25-21, 25-18, 25-16
Bronze Medal of women was won by Tamil Nadu and men by Uttrakhand.
Sports Minister inaugurated National Cycling Academy in

New Delhi
Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports on 5 March 2014
inaugurated the Sports Authority of India National Cycling Academy (SAI NCA) at
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Indira Gandhi Sports Complex. The academy with complete back-up facilities has
been set up following the decision taken in the 42nd meeting of the Governing Body
of SAI.
The finances of the academy will be maintained by Government of India, Ministry
of Youth Affairs & Sports through Sports Authority of India. The Academy has been
launched with a long-term perspective of making an Academy which will be financially
independent and a self-sustaining venture.
Apart from the National Cycling Academy, on 5 March 2015, the Youth Affairs and
The purpose of setting of the Academy

Academy will cater in identification and nurturing of young talent at both subjunior and junior levels
It will also train the elite athletes on a run up to their preparations for international/
national competitions
Earlier, in 2013 India received the first-ever Gold medal in the history of Cycling in the
Asian Cycling Championship held at Bangkok (Thailand).
64th National Basketball Championship concluded

The 64th National Basketball Championship concluded on 5 March 2014 at the
Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
In the final, Chhattisgarh won the womens title beating Indian Railways 81-77. The
mens title was won by Tamil Nadu. They defeated Punjab 74-57 to win the mens
title.
The winners received one lakh rupees, while the first and second runners-up received
75000 rupees and 50000 rupees respectively.
Rikin Pethani of Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarhs Kavita Kumari were awarded the
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Harish Sharma Most Valuable Player Award.

In 2013, at the 63rd National Basketball Championship held at Ludhiana, Punjab,
Indian Railways won the womens title and Uttarakhand won the mens title.
Hockey India accorded status of National Sports Federation

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on 3 March 2014 declared Hockey India as the
sole body responsible towards promoting the sport in India. With this Hockey India
has been accorded with the status of a National Sports Federation (NSF) for governing
the sport of hockey (both men and women) in India.
The release of Union Sports Ministry said that Hockey India has been made responsible
and accountable for the overall management, direction, regulation, control, promotion
and development of the sports discipline.
To be recognised as a National Sports Federation any institution or body needs to
be recognised by its international body. In case of Hockey India recognition was
mandatory by International Hockey Federation (FIH), as well as the Indian Olympic
Association and it has fulfilled both these criterias, since 2009. FIH, Asian Hockey
Federation (AHF) and IOA considered Hockey India following its work and considered
it as the sole body responsible for the governance of the game in India.
Graeme Smith announced retirement from cricket

Graeme Smith, the South African cricket team Captain on 4 March 2014 announced
that he will retire from international cricket at the end of the test match against Australia
at Newlands. Smith is the longest serving captain for South Africa in international
cricket.
His retirement came after Jacques Kallis retired from the test team in December
2013.
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About Graeme Smith

He has played 117 test matches as an opener of which 109 was as a captain too.
His total 109 test captaincies is 16 more than the previous record held by Allan
Border of Australia
He has played 197 one-day international and 33 T20 international matches
He holds the world record as the most test wins as skipper (53) by defeating the
record held by Australian Ricky Ponting of 48 wins as a Test captain
He made his test debut in March 2002 against Australia in Cape Town
In 2005, he captained a World XI against Australia in Sydney
Arvind Bhat won the German Open Grand Prix title

Indian shuttler, Arvind Bhat won the mens singles German Open Grand Prix title
against Danish Hans-Kristian Vittinghus 24-22 19-21 21-11 in Mulheim an der Ruhr,
Germany on 3 March 2014.
Bhat ranked 87th in the world, became the first Indian to win this tournament. Pullela
Gopichand is the Indian shuttler, who reached the finals of the Germany Open Grand
Prix in 1999 and lost the finals.
Bhat has won six International titles, including the Scottish Open 2004 and the Czech
International 2007. Bhat participated in the 2010 Asian games in Guanzhou, China
and was in the Indian team for Sudirman Cup 2011.
Roger Federer won Dubai tennis championship

Roger Federer on 1 March 2014 won singles title of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis
Championship by defeating Tomas Berdych 3-6, 6-4,6-3 in the final. This is the sixth
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title win in past 12 years for Federer in Dubai and is also the 78th career title.
Earlier, Federer defeated second seeded Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the
tournament. This win is the first victory for Federer since his only title of 2013 at Halle.
Apart from this, Indo-Pak duo Rohan Bopanna and Aihsan ul Haq Qureshi bagged
the doubles title by defeating Daniel Nestor and N. Zimonjic 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets.
South Africa won ICC under 19 World Cup 2014

South Africa on 1 March 2014 emerged as the winner of the ICC Under-19 Cricket
World Cup 2014 by defeating two-time former champions Pakistan by six wickets at
the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. With this win South Africa captured the ICC
Junior World Cup for the first time.
Playing first Pakistan was all out for 131 in 44.3 over, while the score was chased by
African side in 42.1 overs.
Man of the match - Corbin Borsch (South Africa)
Player of the tournament - Aiden Markram (South Africa)
South Africa captain Aiden Markram
Pakistan captain Sami Aslam
Previous, best results of South Africa were as runner-up finishes in 2002 and 2008.
The next ICC U19 Cricket World Cup will be played in 2016 in Bangladesh.
Sourav Kothari won the National Billiard Championship title

Sourav Kothari won the National Billiard Championships held in Lucknow on 26
February 2014. He beat Alok Kumar by 5-3. This is the first maiden title for Saurav
Kothari since he turned professional in 2007.
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Sourav Kothari and Alok Kumar both play for Petroleum Sports Promotion Board
(PSPB).
Third position was secured by B. Bhaskar who beat Dhruv Sitwala.
Delhi Waveriders won the 2nd edition of Hockey India League

cup 2014
Delhi Waveriders on 23 February 2014 emerged as the champions of the Hero Hockey
India League 2014 after defeating Jaypee Punjab Warriors at Astroturf Hocket Stadium
in Ranchi. In the final match of the tournament, Delhi scored 3-1 against Punjab in
the shoot-out after the regulation 70 minutes game ended in a 3-3 tie.
With this win, the Delhi team was handed over a trophy and a cash prize of 2.5 crore
rupees and the runner ups were given a sum of 1.25 crore rupees. Apart from the
two teams, Ranchi Rhinos was awarded with a sum of 75 lakh rupees for finishing
at third position in the tournament. To stay at the third place, Ranchi team defeated
Uttar Pradesh Wizards 3-2.
Delhi Waveriders was captained by Sardar Singh
Jaypee Punjab Warriors was captained by Jamie Dywer
Delhi Waveriders head Coach - Cedric DSpuza
Jaypee Punjab Warriors head coach - Barry Dancer
FIH President - Leandro Negre
FIH CEO - Kelly Fairweather
Hero Hockey India League Chairman Dr Narinder Batra
YES Bank Garv Award winner Mark Knowles, Jaypee Punjab Warriors
Man of the Match Nicolas Jacobi, Delhi Waveriders
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Hero Goal of the Match Award Norris Jones Lloyd, Delhi Waveriders
The Sochi Winter Olympics 2014 concluded

The Twenty Second
Winter Olympic Games
was held from 7 to 23
February 2014 in Sochi,
Russia. The Sochi Winter
Olympics 2014 officially
concluded
at
Fisht
Stadium in the Olympic
Park on 23 February
2014.
The countries ranking and medal tally (Top Five)

Rank
Countries
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
Russia
13
11
33
Norway
11
10
26
Canada
10
10
25
USA
12
28
Netherlands
24
The Winter Olympics 2014 concluded with the host nation Russia topping the tally
of the medals table. Canada claimed the last, most coveted title of the Games by
sweeping aside Sweden 3-0 to retain their mens hockey crown.
The Sochi Winter Olympic Games at 50 million dollars was the most costliest in the
Olympic Games history. It topped even Beijings estimated 40 billion US dollar layout
for the Summer Games 2008.
India continued with its record of not winning any medal at Winter Olympic Games.
The Indian participants were Himanshu Takur (Alpine skiing), Iqbal (Country skiing)
and Shiva Keshavan (Luge). However, the most important from Indias viewpoint was
revoking of suspension of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) by International Olympic
Committee (IOC).
The Main Highlights of the Sochi Winter Olympics

It is the first Olympics in Russia since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The Soviet Union was the host nation for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.
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A total of 98 events in 15 winter sport disciplines were held during the Games.
A total of 12 new competitions were introduced during the Games. These were
biathlon mixed relay, womens ski jumping, mixed-team figure skating, mixedteam luge, half-pipe skiing, ski and snowboard slopestyle, and snowboard parallel
slalom.
Emblem: The Emblem was unveiled in December 2009. The emblem was Sochi
and 2014 mirrored each other vertically. The emblem reflected the contrasts of
Russias landscape.
Official Slogan: Hot. Cool. Yours. was unveiled on 25 September 2012.
Mascot: A polar bear, a snow hare, and a snow leopard was unveiled On 26
February 2011. For the first time in Olympic history, a public vote was held to
decide the mascots for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
About Winter Olympics

The first Winter Olympics were held in France (Chamonix), in 1924. The Games
were held every four years from 1924 until 1936, after which the World War-II
interrupted the games.
The last Winter Olympics 2010 was held in British Columbia, Canada. It was the
third Olympics hosted by the Canada.
The next Winter Olympics 2018 will be held in PyeongChang in South Korea.
India has been participating in Winter Olympics since 1964, however, it has not
won any medal at Winter Olympics till now.
Cheteshwar Pujara named as brand ambassador of Gujarat

Election Commission
Cheteshwar Pujara, the middle order batsman of Indian cricket team on 20 February
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2014 was appointed as the brand ambassador of the Gujarat State Election
Commission.
Pujaras name, which has been accepted by the Election Commission of India was
sent as a suggestion to it by Rajendra Kumar, the district collector of Rajkot district.
His name was suggested as he is popular among the cricket lovers and youth of the
sate and he would appeal the people to caste their votes in the general elections.
Renaud Lavillenie broke 21-year pole vault record of Sergey

Bubka
Renaud Lavillenie, the French Olympic champion on 15 February 2014 broke 21-yearold world record of pole vault of Sergey Bubka with a leap of 6.16 meter at Donetsk
in the Ukraine.
Lavillenie aged 27 cleared the height in his first attempt by going 1 centimeter higher
than the record set indoors by Bubka on 21 February 1993 at the age of 21. Bubka,
the former Olympic champion also holds the world outdoor record of 6.14 meter
achieved by him in Sestriere, Italy in 1994.
Bubka was the pioneer of the sport to become the first man to clear 6 meter and
was present in Donetsk, when Lavillenie eclipsed his world record. Lavillenie is the
six-time outdoor world champion. In pole vault, the world records set indoors or
outdoors are accepted.
Renaud Lavillenie
Renaud Lavillenie, a French pole vaulter was born on 18 September 1986
Lavillenie won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics
He has also won one World Indoor Championships gold medal, two European
Championships gold medals and three European Indoor Championships gold
medals
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He holds the French national records for the highest pole vault clearance both
outdoors (6.02 m) and indoors (6.16 m)
He has been the pole vault overall winner of the IAAF Diamond League four
consecutive years from 2010 to 2013
Sergey Bubka
Sergey Bubka is a former pole vaulter from Ukrain and was born on 4 December
1963
He represented the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991, was twice named
Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News, and in 2012 was one of 24 athletes
inducted as inaugural members of the International Association of Athletics
Federations Hall of Fame
He has been a consecutive IAAD World Championships winner for six times
He is also a gold winner of Olympics
He has broken the world record of mens pole vaulting 35 times of which 18 were
broken indoors and 17 times outdoor
At present Bubka is a key member of the IOC and in 2013 he lost out to Thomas
Bach on the race for President of the organization
Peng Shuai of China ranked World No. 1 in WTA Doubles

Ranking
Peng Shuai of China was ranked World Number 1 in the latest Womens Tennis
Association (WTA) Doubles ranking released on 17 February 2014. Peng Shuai is the
first Chinese player to ascend to the top of the WTAs doubles ranking.
Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese Taipei was ranked No.2 in WTA Doubles ranking which is
the highest ranking ever for a player from Chinese Taipei.
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The year 2013 was a break-through for the pair Peng Shuai and Hsieh Su-Wei. The pair
won the five doubles titles including the first major Championship at the Wimbledon.
Hsieh became the first player from Chinese Taipei and Peng Shuai the fifth Chinese
player to win a Grand Slam title of any kind.
The pair is also the first team from Asia to win the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships
held in Istanbul in 2013. The pair Hsieh and Peng also raised the champions trophy
at the Internazionali BNL dItalia (Rome), Western & Southern Open (Cincinnati) and
Guangzhou Open.
With their win in Qatar Total Open (Doha) in February 2014, the pair has a perfect
10-0 record in doubles finals.
World Bridge Championship to be hosted by India in 2015

World Bridge Championship for Bermuda Bowl (men) and Venice Cup (women) will
be hosted by India for the first time in October 2015. This was announced by the
World Bridge Federation (WBF) on 17 February 2014.
Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Panaji in Goa have been shortlisted to host the World
Bridge Championship. About 550 players from 66 countries are expected to be seen
in action in this world meet.
About World Bridge Championship

The World Bridge Federation (WBF) conducts the World Bridge Team Championships
every two years. This is the premier tournament in international bridge and sees
the top teams from each geographic region competing against one another for the
Bermuda Bowl trophy. Additionally, there are separate trophies for the top women`s
team as well as the top senior team (D`Orsi Trophy) globally.
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SAI set up 14 high-level expert committees

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) set up 14 different high-level expert committees
on 14 February 2014. The committees have been mandated to identify the countrys
medal prospects and provide them with specialised training in the run up to the
Commonwealth Games and Asian Games to be held in 2015.
The committees have been formed for 14 sporting disciplines including shooting,
weightlifting, boxing, archery, athletics, judo, badminton and wushu among others.
Every committee will have 4 to 6 members each, which will comprise of concerned
federation officials, SAI appointed coaches and sports experts. The committees will
start working from February 2014.
The committees will primarily have three functions to perform

Identification of core probables in their respective sport who would form the part
of the training programme
Identification of medal prospects out of these core probable
Identification of specialised training needs of selected athletes
These committees will function till the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
The committees will help in identifying the medal prospects who require specialised
training and monetary support.
Based on the recommendations of respective committees, SAI will work with athletes
for the podium finish at the Games, along with developing them for future events.
Karnataka won Irani Cup for the fifth time

Karnataka won the Irani Cup for the fifth time beating Rest of India in the final held
at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on 12 February 2014. Karnataka beat Rest of
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India by an innings and 222 runs to win the trophy.

In response to Karnatakas score of 606 in the first innings, Rest of India scored 201
in the first innings and 183 in the second.
Shreyas Gopal five wickets haul including a hat-trick and Skippers Vinay Kumar four
wickets haul helped Karnataka comprehensively win the game.
The victory made Karnataka the first Ranji Trophy champion in the last eight seasons
to win the Irani Cup, a measure of the sides dominance this season. Also Vinay
Kumar became the third Karnataka captain to win both the Ranji Trophy and Irani
Cup in a same year.
Karnataka last won the Irani Cup in 1998 at the same venue under Venkatesh Prasad.
Man of the Match: R. Vinay Kumar
About Irani Cup

The Irani Cup (earlier called Irani Trophy) tournament was conceived during the 195960 season to mark the completion of 25 years of the Ranji Trophy championship.
It was named after the late Z.R. Irani, who was associated with the Board of Control
for Cricket in India (BCCI) from its inception in 1928, till his death in 1970.
The fixture is always played between the previous years Ranji Trophy winners and
the Rest of India Team.
IOC revoked suspension of IOA and allowed it to return in

Olympic movement
International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 11 February 2014 revoked the ban imposed
on Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The step paved the way for Indias return into
the Olympic fold. The decision of IOC of lifting the ban imposed on IOA came just
after the IOA held elections as per IOC directives on 9 February 2014.
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Union Sports Ministry also adhered to the Olympic Charter under the pressure from IOC
and barred charge sheeted officials from contesting elections apart from conducting
its polls. As a result of elections conducted by IOA, Narayna Ramachandran was
elected as the President of IOA.
Indian players so far were participating in the Sochi Winter Olympics without having
the Indian flag. With this decision, the Indian atheletes will now be participating
under the Indian flag at the closing ceremony of Winter Olympics at Sochi, Russia.
The Indian atheletes who are participating in the Sochi Winter Olympics are Shiva
Keshavan (Luge), Nadeem Iqbal (cross-country skier) and Himanshu Thakur (slalom
skier). This decision of IOA, once again has brought Indian athletes to represent India
in the big events of the year including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and
Asian Games.
Besides, the decision of IOC is a historic one. This is because for the first time in the
history of Olympics the lifting of ban on a participating nation took place during the
mid-way of Olympics.
Justice Mudgal committee submitted its report on IPL spot

fixing scandal
Mukul Mudgal, the Former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana led committee on 9
February 2014 submitted its report on IPL spot fixing scandal that involved the sonin-law of BCCI Chief, Srinivasan. The committee was probing the charges against
team owners of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals
The report submitted by justice Mudgal says that the allegations of betting and passing
of information during Indian Premier League 2013 against Gurunath Meiyappan has
been proved. The report also says that more investigation is needed against Rajasthan
Royals owner Raj Kundra, who is facing charges of betting and fixing the match.
Supreme Court of India on 7 March 2014 will examine the report submitted by the
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panel. The panel led by Justice Mudgal made the report after compiling statements
of players, officials associated to IPL and Journalists. This committee was formed by
Supreme Court in October 2013.
Constitution of IPL Governing Council the two teams Chennai Super Kings and
Rajasthan Royals may be suspended. As per the Clause 11.3 of the IPL franchise
agreement in any case, if the team, official, team owner or anyone else associated with
the team tries to bring in bad image on the legue, then the team can be suspended
immediately.
The Mudgal Committee in its recommendation has asked

Senior players should make cautious to younger players about the spot-fixing and
other things that tarnish the image of the sport as well as the player or team
The game should be make it more clearer
Information should be shared with other agencies by BCCI
BCCI should make a proactive approach against players and bookies instead of
wait for the media probe
In its recommendation, it has also suggested getting registered agents of the
players by BCCI and those agents should not be allowed to travel with the players
Indian boxers finished Fourth at the 58th Bocskai International Tournament

Indian boxers finished fourth at the 58th Bocskai International Tournament which
concluded in Hungary on 10 February 2014.
Indian contingents won a gold, a silver and two bronze medals to finish fourth among
the 22 nations that participated in the tournament.
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Indian boxers who won were:

L Devendro Singh (49kg) bagged the Gold Medal
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manoj Kumar (64kg) won the Silver Medal
Sumit Sangwan (81kg) and Sunil Kumar (57kg) secured Bronze Medals
The Indians finishing fourth despite provisional ban. The boxers were forced to play
under the flag of International Boxing Association (AIBA) in place of the national flag.
The organizers were so impressed with their performance that the boxers were
presented with a permanent invite for the event.
Yulia Lipnitskaya is the youngest Russian to win gold medal

in Winter Olympics
Yulia Lipnitskaya became the youngest Russian athlete to win a gold medal at the
Winter Olympics. Yulia, 15-years-old won this medal in Winter Olympics 2014 at Sochi,
Russia on 9 February 2014 in free skating in the team figure skating competition.
Yulia scored 141.51 points and earned a combined total of 214.41 under the
International Judging System. Kim Yuna of South Korea is the current record holder,
who scored 150.06 and combined total of 228.56 in womens single in Winter Olympics
2010.
The youngest athlete is South Korean short track speed skater Kim Yun-mi, who won
the medal at the age of 13 in Winter Olympics, 1994.
Abhinav Bindra won second gold medal in Inter Shoot Tri series Shooting
Abhinav Bindra won his second gold medal at the Inter Shoot Tri Series shooting at
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The Hague, Netherlands on 7 February 2014. He won the second gold on 7 February
2014 by scoring 627.7 in the qualification round and then scoring 209 points in
the finals of the second match. He defeated Romanian London Olympic Games
Champion, H Moldoveanue Alin George in both the matches.
The 31-year-old Bindra won his first medal in this Tri Series competition with his
qualification score of 613.7 and by shooting remarkably well in finals score of 209.3
points to win the gold. He won his first gold on 6 February 2014.
In the pre-qualification for the first round the four times Olympian and gold medalist
at the Beijing Olympics was at 8th position.
Sangakkara became second cricketer to hit triple century

and a century in same match
Kumar Sangakkara, the cricketer of Sri Lankan national team on 7 February 2014
became the second person in the history of Cricket to score a triple century and a
century in the same test match. By performing the rare record, he joined Graham
Gooch, the former skipper of England team.
He achieved this reach by scoring 319 runs in the first inning of the match and 105
runs in the second innings. He achieved this record, while playing in the second test
match against Bangladesh.
But he failed to break the record of most runs in a Test match of Gooch by 32 runs
as in 1990, Gooch scored 333 and 123 runs in two innings, which on aggregated
becomes 456 runs. Whereas, Sangakkaras total aggregate of the two matches is
424 runs. In the second innings, he was dismissed by Sohag Gazi.
Joshna Chinappa won Winnipeg Open title

Squash player Joshna Chinappa won the Winnipeg Winter Club Open title on 3
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February 2014. She defeated Heba El Torky of Egypt.

The fourth seeded Indian triumphed 3-2 (11-13 11-8 11-5 3-11 12-10) in a see-saw
battle.
The world number 27 Chinappa rallied after losing the opening game which was
dominated by Heba. The triumph of Chinappa marked the second consecutive year
of an Indian winning the trophy with Dipika Pallikal being the first to clinch it before
her in 2013.
About Joshna Chinappa

Joshna Chinappa is a squash player based in Chennai, India. Joshna was the
first Indian girl to win the British Squash Championship title in 2003 in the under
19 category, at Sheffield, U.K and was also the youngest Indian womens national
champion.
Karnataka defeated Maharashtra to win the Ranji Trophy

2014
Karnataka on 2 February 2014 defeated Maharashtra by seven wickets to win the
Ranji Trophy 2014 at Hyderabad. Karnataka, while chasing a target of 157 runs on
the last and fifth day of the tournament was successful to clinch winning by losing
only three wickets in the second innings.
Karnataka bowlers R Vinay Kumar and Shreyash Gopal claimed four wickets each.
The remaining two wickets of Maharashtra team were taken by Abhimanyu Mithun.
Man of the match: Lokesh Rahul of Karnataka, who scored highest 131 in the first
innings and 29 in the second.
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Heena Sandhu 10 m Air Pistol score recognized as World

record
Heena Sandhus score of 203.8 in 10 m Air Pistol set at the Munich World Cup in
November 2013 was recognized as World record on 30 January 2014.
The declaration was officially made by the International Shooting Sports Federation
(ISSF). The declaration of the ISSF came following the adoption of new format.
At the Shooting World Cup held in Munich, Germany in November 2013, she had
defeated the World Champion Zorana Arunovic of Serbia by 5.2 points in the final to
win the Gold.
Heena, thus, became the first Indian woman ever to hold the world record in Shooting
World Cup. Co-incidentally at the World Cup in November 2013, she also became
the first Indian woman to win Gold in Shooting World Cup. She shot to fame with
winning the Gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
Kiwi Kathy Cross is first woman in ICC Umpires Panel

Kathy Cross of New Zealand on 30 January 2014 became the first woman to be
appointed in an International Cricket Council (ICC) umpires panel. Cross of 56 years
in age was named as an Associate and Affiliate panel of International umpires for
2014 following the annual review and selection process.
The panel comprises 11 umpires that sits below the elite and international panelsofficiates in ICC World Cricket League matches for teams ranked in divisions three to
six and other associate and affiliate tournaments.
The panel of 11 umpires panel for 2014 has been joined by Kathy Cross and Nigel
Morrison. The other members of the panel are Sameer Bandekar, Mark Hawthorne,
Wynand Louw, David Odhiambo, Buddhi Pradhan, Sarika Siva Prasad, Richard
Smith, Ian Ramage and Courtney Young.
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Saina won Syed Modi International India Grand Prix title

Saina Nehwal won the Syed Modi International India Grand Prix title 2014 on 26
January 2014. Sania beat P V Sindhu 21-14, 21-17 in the final held at Lucknow in
Uttar Pradesh. The win was Sanias third straight win over sindhu.
Sanias last title was Denmark Open in 2012 against Juliane Schenk of Germany.
At present Saina is ranked ninth whereas P V Sindhu is ranked eleventh in world
ranking of women singles.
Mens Single
Chinas Xue Song won the mens single of the Syed Modi International India Grand
Prix title. He beat K Srikanth of India 21-16, 19-21, 13-21 in the final.
Mixed Doubles
In the mixed doubles final Yilv Wang and Huang Yaqiong of China beat compatriot
Kaixiang Huang and Qingchen Chen 21-18, 21-14.
Womens Doubles
In the womens doubles final, Qingchen Chen and Yi Fan Jia of China registered a
22-24, 21-19, 21-11 victory against Yu Xiaohan and Huang Yaqiong of China.
Mens Doubles
In the mens doubles final, Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen of China beat compatriot Kaixiang
Huang and Si Wi Zheng 21-17, 19-21, 22-20.
Churchill Brothers Won the 35th Football Federation Cup

Churchill Brothers won the 35th Football Federation Cup on 25 January 2014. In the
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final held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Cochin, Churchill Brothers beat Sporting
Clube de Goa 3-1 to lift their maiden Federation Cup.
The goal scorers from Churchill Brothers were Balwant Singh, Alesh Sawant, and
Abdel Hamid Shabana whereas the lone goal from Sporting Club de Goa was scored
by Victorino Fernandes.
The maiden Federation Cup, made the Churchill Brothers richer by 25 lakh rupee
which they got as prize money while the Runners-up collected 15 lakh rupees.
A total of 16 teams played in the 35th edition of the Federation Cup. The top goal
scorer was Balwant Singh of Churchill Brothers who scored 4 goals in the tournament.
MS Dhoni became first captain to play in four tied ODIs

MS Dhoni on 25 January 2014 became the first captain to be involved in four tied
One Day International matches. Indian cricket team captain achieved this feat in
Auckland, while playing third ODI match against New Zealand. The third match of
India-New Zealand ODI series that tied by the end is the first tied game between the
two countries in ODI.
The last three tied matches Dhoni has played are

ICC World Cup 2011 match in Bangalore against England
ODI match played on 11 September 2011 at Lords against England
ODI match played in February 2012 at Adelaide against Sri Lanka
Other cricketers who have faced tied matches in three cases are
Richie Richardson of West Indies
Steve Waugh of Australia
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Shaun Pollock of South Africa
OCA recognized Russian martial art Sambo and is now a part

of Asian Games
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has recognised Sambo, the Russian martial art and
has become part of the Asian Games. The decision of recognition to Sambo Union
of Asia was taken by the Executive Board of OCA on 17 January 2014 at Manila,
Philippines. The board decided to include Sambo in the Asian Games was later
ratified by the OCA General Assembly.
About Sambo
In 20th century, the Russian Army developed a loose combination of wrestling and
judo, which is a self-defence technique without weapons. SAMBO as a word is an
acronym for SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya meaning self-defence without weapons.
It began in 1920s by the Sovit Red Army to improve their hand in their abilities to
combat. The USSR-Union Sports Committee recognized Sambo as an official sport
in 1938.
Mahesh Bhupathi launched IPTL in Melbourne

Tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi launched the International Premier Tennis League
(IPTL) in Melbourne, Australia on 21 January 2014. He also announced the name of
the teams during the launch of IPTL.
The host cities or the teams which will participate in the IPTL are Mumbai, Bangkok,
Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. The fifth host city will be from the Middle
East.
Mahesh Bhupati linked arms with German tennis legend Boris Becker, and American
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Justin Gimelstob, a former pro and member of the ATP board to launch the IPL styles
IPTL.
The IPTL is expected to start in Asia from 1 December 2014 to 20 December 2014
for which the auction of players will be held in UAE on 2 March 2014. Each team is
expected to field 10 players.
The salary which each team will pay to its players is estimated to be between 4
million dollars and 10 million dollars.
The International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) is a first of its kind endeavour in Asia.
The IPTL aims at bringing together some of the best male and female professional
tennis players across the world on the same platform.
Abhijeet Gupta won the Parsvnath International Grandmasters chess tournament

Abhijeet Gupta won his second Parsvanth International Grandmasters chess
tournament on 16 January 2014. Abhijeet Gupta won against Eldar Gasanov of
Ukraine. In 2008, he won the Parsvanth International Grandmasters chess tournament
for the first time.
Indian Grandmaster Deepan Chakkravarthy beat Russian Grandmaster Alexander
Evdokimov to finish third in the tournament.
12th Parsvnath International Grandmasters Chess Tournament was held from 9 to 16
January 2014 by Delhi Chess Association.
Grandmaster Aleksei Aleksandrov of Belarus won the 11th Parsvanth International
Grandmasters chess tournament in 2013.
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Mahesh Mangaonkar won Open du Gard squash title

Mahesh Mangaokar of India on 6 January 2014 won the Open du Gard squash title,
the PSA Challenger 5 event. Mangaokar (19) of Mumbai defeated the top-seeded
Scottish player Scot Greg Lobban 9-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-5 in the final match played at
Squash des Arenes in Nimes, France to claim the tour title.
Mangaokar from Mumbai defeated Lobban in the IMET Open in December and
repeated the same again in the sixth edition of the 5000 dollar PSA Challenger event.
To qualify for the finals, Mangaonkar defeated the second seeded Ammar Alamimi of
Kuwait in the semi-finals. The is the third win of Mangaonkar on the PSA Tour and
this also set up a nine-match winning streak for the Indian - the longest of his career.
Anju Bobby George declared winner of World Athletics Final,

2005
Anju Bobby George was declared winner of the World Athletics Championships final
held in Monte Carlo in 2005. The decision was given by the International Association
of Athletics Federation (IAAF) on 13 January 2014.
The decision of the IAAF came following the disqualification of the Gold Medalist
Tatyana Kotova of Russia for doping.
At the World Athletics Final in 2005, Anju Bobby George won the Silver Medal with a
long jump of 6.75 meter. The Gold Medal was won by Tatyana Kotova with a jump of
6.83 meter and the Bronze Medal was won by Grace Upshaw of the US.
Following the decision of IAAF to disqualify Kotova, the new rankings now
stand as:
1. Anju Bobby George (India, 6.75m)
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2. Grace Upshaw (USA, 6.67m)

3. Eunice Barber (France, 6.51m)
Similarly, Anju also moved up one place to fourth in the new long jump results of the
2005 Helsinki World Championships. This happened after the Silver Medalist Tatyana
Kotova was tested positive for doping by the IAAF in 2013.
Vijay Zol selected captain of India to lead U-19 Cricket World

Cup
Vijay Zol of Maharastra was selected as the Captain of India to lead the Under-19
Cricket World Cup by the All-India Junior Selection Committee on 13 January 2014.
The U-19 Cricket World Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in February
2014.
Vijay Zol also led India to victory in the U-19 Asia Cricket Cup against Pakistan in
January 2014. India has won the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup three times in
2000, 2008 and 2012.
In 2012 India won the World Cup under the leadership of Unmukt Chand.
75th National Table Tennis Championship

Sanil Shetty and Ankita Das won their maiden mens and womens singles
championship at the 75th Senior National Table Tennis Championships held on 12
January 2014.
Shetty defeated Harmeet Desai 4-2 in the mens final and won the amount of 2.30
lakh rupees.
Ankita Das defeated Krittwika Sinha 4-0 in the womens final and won the amount of
1.45 lakh rupees.
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Sanil Shetty is the first national champion to emerge from Mumbai after the great
Kamlesh Mehta, who last won the title in 1995.
Results
Men
Final: Sanil Shetty (PSPB) beat Harmeet Desai (PSPB)
Women
Final: Ankita Das (PSPB) beat Krittwika Sinha Roy (AAI)
Mixed Doubles
Final: Sanil Shetty/Neha Aggarwal (PSPB) beat Arjun Ghosh/

Mousi Pal WB).
Results (Team event finals)

Men: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board beat West Bengal 3-0
Soumyajit Ghosh defeated Soumyadeep Roy 16-14, 7-11, 11-7, 11-4
Sharath Kamal defeated Sourav Saha 11-8, 11-7, 11-2
Amal Raj defeated Sougata Sarkar 11-9, 11-8, 12-10
Women: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board beat North Bengal 3-0

Madhurika Patkar defeated Nandita Saha 6-11, 11-6, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5
K. Shamini defeated Sagarika Mukherjee 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 10-12, 11-8
Ankita Das defeated Sukanya Bose 11-9, 11-8, 11-7
ONGC Men & Chhattisgarh Women won Federation Cup

National Basketball Championship
ONGC on 9 December 2014 won the mens title of the IMG-Reliance 28th Federation
Cup National Basketball Championship. The event was held at YMCA International
Centre by defeating Tamil Nadu 61-53. With this winning the team won the prize
amount of 1 lakh and a title.
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Apart from this, Chhattisgarh Women scored a one-point 77-76 victory over
Maharashtra in the final. The points tied at 72 points in the final minute, with two
minutes left time for regulation. The Runners were each awarded Rs 75000
Most Valuable Player

Men - Vishesh Bhriguvanshi
Women - Smruthi Radhakrishnan
Union Cabinet approved the National Youth Policy, 2014

The Union Cabinet approved the introduction of the National Youth Policy, 2014 (NYP,
2014) on 9 January 2014.
The NYP, 2014 will replace National Youth Policy, 2003 which is currently in force.
The vision of NYP, 2014 is to empower youth to achieve their full potential, and
through them enable India to find its rightful place in the community of nations.
The Policy is basically aimed at development of an educated and healthy young
population, who are not only economically productive, but are also socially responsible
citizens contributing to the task of nation-building.
For achieving the vision of NYP, 2014; five well-defined objectives and 11 priority
areas have been identified. The priority areas are: education, skill development
and employment, entrepreneurship, health and healthy lifestyle, sports, promotion
of social values, community engagement, participation in politics and governance,
youth engagement, inclusion and social justice.
The Youth Policy, 2014 will cover the entire country. It will cater to the needs of all
youth in the age-group of 15-29 years. According to the Census 2011 the youth in
the age group of 15-29 years constitute 27.5 per cent of the population, that is about
33 crore persons.
The Policy has proposed broad policy interventions for the youth which are consistent
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with the 12th Plan priorities. It has not proposed any specific programme/scheme,
having financial implications. Rather all concerned Ministries/Department has
been mandated to bring focus on youth issues within the framework of their plans/
programmes/schemes.
Aditya Joshi became world no. 1 junior shuttler

Young shuttler Aditya Joshi from Madhya Pradesh on 6 January 2014 became the
first male junior badminton player from India to be ranked top in the world. The
shuttler, Aditya of 17 years in age is a resident of Dhar town of the state.
He got the number one slot in the January Rankings released by the World Badminton
Federation (WBF).
Under-19 Asia Cup: India defeated Pakistan by 40 runs.

India defeated Pakistan to win 2014 Under-19 Asia Cup in the final match played at
Sharjah cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on 4 January 2014. The Indian under-19 squad
led by Vijay Zol beat Pakistan side by 40 runs.
Centuries by Vijay Zol and Sanju Samson leads their team to a glorious victory. Batting
first the India team scored 314 runs with the loss of 8 wickets.
Pakistan have won the toss and have opted to field. Kamran Ghulam scored 102
and tried to keep Pakistan afloat. Pakistan has climbed 274 runs with the loss of 9
wickets.
The stars of the innings were India skipper Vijay Zol and Rajasthan Royals IPL star
Sanju Samson. Both struck centuries and were involved in a 180-run stand for the
third wicket.
This is only the third time for India that two batsmen have scored centuries in the
same innings of an Under-19 match.
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Pakistan entered the final with a two-wicket victory over Afghanistan. India earned
their place in the final with three-wicket win over Sri Lanka.
Earlier, in the Asia Cup of 2012, the trophy was shared by both Pakistan and India
because the scores were tied on 282. 2012 Asia Cup was held at Kuala Lumpur in
Sri Lanka.
Serena Williams won the Brisbane International Title 2014

Serena Williams won the Brisbane International title in Queensland, Australia on 4
January 2014. Serena Williams won over Victoria Azarenka, the Belarusian tennis
player, ranked 2.
This was Serenas 14th win in 17 matches played with Victoria Azarenka. Williams is
a five-time champion in Melbourne but has not won the title, since 2010.
Recently Serena Williams won the Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated
Press in December 2013. Serena Williams won 11 titles and ranked number 1 for the
2013 season
Wimbledon tennis event, The Road to Wimbledon, to be hosted outside UK for the first time
The Wimbledon Foundation has teamed up with HSBC and All India Tennis Association
(AITA) to launch The Road to Wimbledon event in India. This will be the first ever
Wimbledon tennis event to be hosted outside the UK.
The first phase of the Road to Wimbledon event will be held in Delhi and Mumbai
between 6 - 14 January 2014. The event will focus on boosting the development of
junior tennis in the country.
Former Great Britain Tennis player Tim Herman has been rolled in for launching
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coaching missions in India. As part of the initiative, Herman will team up with All
England Club Head Coach Dan Bloxham to launch a series of coaching clinics and
events offering local children the chance to play at Wimbledon in August 2015.
The coaching clinics are part of two Under-14 National singles events in Delhi (RK
Khanna Tennis Centre) and Mumbai (MSLTA Tennis Centre). The top sixteen boys and
girls from these two events are invited to the Wimbledon Foundation Junior Masters
in Delhi in April 2014. Out of these, two boys and two girl finalists will be invited to
compete in the UK HSBC National Finals on the grass at Wimbledon in August 2015.
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CORPORATE
Google launched Project Android One to build ultra cheap
Smartphones
Google on 25 June 2014 launched Project Android One to build ultra cheap
Smartphone at Google I/O 2014 in San Francisco. Google I/O is Googles annual
developer conference.
Project Android One is a design reference platform that will enable manufacturers to
build ultra-cheap smartphones with much more ease. Google aimed a Smartphone
within 6000 7000 rupees with a list of recommended apps from Play Auto-installs.
Google will begin the programme from India and announced that it has already roped
in Micromax, Karbonn and Spice as initial partners.
The move could see Indian mobile device brands up the ante with stable entry-level
smartphones powered by Android mobile operating system.
Interestingly, Microsoft is also trying to capture this segment by working closely with
Indian brands like Micromax, Xolo and Karbonn to launch cheap smartphones that
run on its Windows Phone 8.1.
Currently, Android is used by a billion users and the Android One initiative is part of
its aim to reach out to the next five billion smartphone users.
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Air India joined Star Alliance group

Air India, the national air carrier of India, joined the global airlines grouping, Star
Alliance. The decision to admit Air India into the Star Alliance was taken during a
meeting of the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board (CEB) on 23 June 2014 in London.
With this, Air India became the first Indian carrier to join the largest global alliance for
civil aviation and became the 27th member airlines of the group.
Air India will be formally inducted in Star Alliance on 11 July 2014 with unveiling
of the Star Alliance logo and its livery on Air Indias Boeing 787 Dreamliner and an
Airbus A-320. After induction, Air India on behalf of the Star Alliance would provide
seamless connectivity to the passengers of Star partner airlines throughout its panIndia network.
The alliance will also help Air India passengers to access the alliances global network
of nearly 21900 daily flights to 195 countries.
The national air carrier was trying to join the alliance since last seven years and
joining the Alliance will benefit it. Its expected that joining the Alliance will increase
the revenues by 4 to 5 percent.
About Star Alliance

Star Alliance network, established in 1997, is the leading global airline network, with
the highest number of member airlines, daily flights, destinations and countries flown
to. It is a global airline alliance formed to provide convenient worldwide reach and a
smoother travel experience to customers.
Star Alliance members together have 4338 planes that every year flies over 64 crore
passengers.
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UK firm East India Company issued legal tender gold coin in

honour of Sachin Tendulkar
UK firm East India Company on 23 June 2014 issued an exclusive legal tender gold
coins in honour of Sachin Tendulkar. The company will issue limited 210 gold coins.
Each gold coin weighing 200 grams will be worth 12000 pound sterling.
The rare coin was issued in honour of Sachins remarkable career spanning 24 years.
On the one side of the coin the image of Queen Elizabeth is embossed. The other
side of the coin carries the image of Sachin and his 200th Test match at Wankhede
Stadium in Mumbai.
Sachin and his 200th Test match are symbolically represented by Sachins autographed
bat, helmet and the number 187 which he wore during his 200th and final Test in
November 2013.
The coin was designed by the coin designer Joaquin Jimenez, the Chief Engraver at
Monnaie de Paris.
The canvas of the coin shows the latitude lines of the globe modelled in cricket
stitching to represent the international stage of cricket. The Gateway of India features
to denote Sachins home city of Mumbai, where he started and completed his
illustrious career.
The issue of a legal tender coin is an official mark of distinction given to individuals
who have accomplished great achievements in human history.
East India Company had also produced 60 limited edition coins to mark the 60th
anniversary of Queen Elizabeth IIs reign.
GMR won arbitration award against Maldivian government

GMR, the Indian infrastructure giant on 19 June 2014 won the arbitration award
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against Maldivian government for wrongful termination of Airport project contract.

The legal battle between GMR and Maldives government lasted for a period of
18-month. The battle started after the government led by President Mohamed
Waheed in 2012 suspended a lease contract that was signed by former President
Mohamed Nasheeds government. Following the suspension, GMR sued Maldives
for 1.6 billion dollar compensation under the contract.
Under the contract, GMR was supposed to develop and operate Male International
airport in Maldives. Maldives tribunal in its decision said that the governments
rejection of the contract was wrongful. The tribunal in its decision has directed
Maldives and the state-owned Maldives Airports Company (MACL) to pay 4 million
dollar legal damages to GMR within 42 days. Apart from this, GMR has also demanded
a compensation of 1.4 billion dollar losses incurred by it in last one year on its bid
amount and investments in developing the airport.
BHEL commissioned 68 MW Unit at Rampur Hydro Electric

Project in Himachal Pradesh
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on 13 June 2014 commissioned 68 MW Unit
at the Rampur Hydro Electric Project in Himachal Pradesh.
With the commissioning of Rampur project, BHEL has completed commissioning
of four units of the 412 MW hydro power plant of Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd. The
earlier three units at Rampur were commissioned in March 2014 and have been into
commercial operation since May 2014.
About Rampur Hydro Electric Project

Rampur Hydro Electric Project is located on River Satluj, which is a major tributary
of the Indus basin in Himachal Pradesh at a distance of 120 kilometer from Shimla.
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DLF became first real estate developer to receive ISO Quality

Certification
DLF Home Developers Ltd on 16 June 2014 became the first real estate developer
in the country to receive ISO Quality Certification. The ISO Quality Certification was
given by British Standard Institute (BSI).
The company received the certification for its adherence to delivery schedules
of both residential and commercial projects, customer satisfaction and quality of
construction.
The ISO certification will help the company to improve communication, planning and
administration processes and bring about positive cultural change in the organization
by achieving the long term objectives of delivering excellent housing services to
customers, driving responsible business growth and innovation, improving cost
effectiveness and market accessibility.
Google purchased Satellite Firm Skybox Imaging for 500 million US dollar
Google on 10 June 2014 confirmed the purchase of Satellite Firm Skybox Imaging
for 500 million US dollar.
The deal will provide images for Googles online mapping service. The satellites could
be used to help expand internet access and with disaster relief.
In April 2014, Google has acquired Titan Aerospace. Google has also launched a
small network of balloons designed to deliver Internet access over the Southern
Hemisphere.
The search engine giant and other technology firms, such as Facebook, are currently
engaging in efforts to improve internet access globally through drones, balloons, and
satellites.
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CAPL became Indias First NABL accredited Aquaculture Pathology Lab

The Central Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory (CAPL) of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for
Aquaculture (RGCA) on 30 May 2014 became Indias first aquaculture pathology
laboratory to be accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration
Laboratories (NABL).
RGCA is a research and development wing of Marine Products Export Development
Authority (MPEDA) and was established in September 2011 at Sirkali, Tamil Nadu.
About Central Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory of RGCA
The laboratory is a body that serves aquaculture industry of India by providing reliable
diagnosis of various diseases encountered during the culture of finfish, shrimps and
freshwater prawns at time.
It is equipped with all latest disease diagnostic tools and three component units from
Molecular Pathology, Histopathology and Microbiology. These components help
them in diagnosis of various diseases encountered by the aquaculture industry.
RIL announced to buy 78 percent in Network18 for 4000

crore rupees
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) announced on 29 May 2014 to buy a majority stake
of about 78 percent in Network18 Media and Investments for 4000 crore rupees.
The deal will be done through the Independent Media Trust (IMT) set up by Reliance.
IMT will use the funds to acquire ownership of about 78 percent in Network18 and 9
percent in TV18.
The Reliance will make the tender offer to buy the remaining 21.96 percent in
Network18 for 9.4 billion rupees while it will offer to buy up to 26 percent each in
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TV18 and Infomedia for a combined 17.4 billion rupees.

In January 2012, Network18 Group and Reliance Industries had joined hands for a
multi-layered deal, under which the RIL had sold part of its interest in ETV channels
and got access to content and distribution assets of the electronic media group.
Network18 was founded by entrepreneur Raghav Bahl.
Network18 group
include moneycontrol.com, In.com, IBNLive.com, Firstpost.com, Cricketnext.in,
Homeshop18.com, Bookmyshow.com while TV18 group includes CNBC-TV18,
CNN-IBN, Colors, IBN7 and CNBC Awaaz.
CCI approved Tescos plan to purchase 50% stake in Trent

Hypermarket
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 28 May 2014 approved the British retail
major, Tescos plan to purchase 50% stake in Tata Group firm Trent Hypermarket.
This is the first FDI transaction in multi-brand retail segment, since the sector was
opened up in September 2012.
CCI approval came after it found that Tesco purchasing of 50% stake in Trent would
not result into any horizontal overlapping of business activities and thence, it was not
an unfair competition. Further it found that annual revenue of Trent was 785 crore
rupees during 2012-13, which was insignificant when compared to the size of the
overall retail market in India.
Earlier in December 2013, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approved
the proposal of Tesco to invest 680 crore rupees in Karnataka and Maharashtra for a
50% stake in a joint venture with Trent Hypermarket.
Since the FDI policy regarding multi brand retailing has not been implemented in the
States like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, Trent entered into a stores transfer agreement
with a subsidiary company Fiora hypermarket on 31March 2014.
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Comment and Analysis

This approval by the CCI will be a point of political debate now for the newly appointed
Government under Narendra Modi. This government has been against the FDI in the
multi-brand sector. Also the Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Commerce Minister after
assuming her office on 27 May 2014 termed that the FDI in multi-brand retail is best
if not allowed as it will impact the lives of medium and small-sized traders or small
farmers who has yet not been adequately empowered.
OVL and Rosneft signed a deal to explore hydrocarbon in Arctic

ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) and gas producer Rosneft signed a deal on 25 May
2014 to jointly explore hydrocarbons in the offshore Arctic. Rosneft is the largest oil
and gas producer of Russia.
Igor Sechin, President and Chairman of the Management Board of Rosneft and
Dinesh Kumar Sarraf, Chairman of OVL and Chairman & Managing Director, Oil and
Natural Gas Corp, signed a deal at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
ONGC Videsh and Rosneft are already partners in Sakhalin-I project in the Far East.
OVL has a 20 per cent stake in the Sakhalin1 oil and gas field in the Russian Pacific
Ocean. Rosneft has a similar stake in the project, which is operated by Exxon Mobil.
The deal provides the way for the companies cooperation in subsurface surveys,
exploration and appraisal activities and hydrocarbons production in Russias offshore
Arctic. The parties will jointly consider forming a consortium led by Rosneft and
involving other partners.
Rosneft had offered OVL a stake in nine offshore oil and gas blocks in the Barents
Sea and one in the Black Sea.
Of the blocks offered in the Barents Sea, OVL found five were not lucrative. It will
decide on the other two once Rosneft makes available data by June 2014.
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Rosneft had previously offered ONGC a stake in the Magadan 2 and Magadan 3
exploration blocks in the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk in eastern Russia,
which the Indian firm is studying.
Moscow is courting India to counter moves by the US and Europe to isolate it for
annexing Crimea from Ukraine.
UK based Marks & Spencer announced to open 100 stores

in India
UK based Marks & Spencer on 20 May 2014 announced that the company will open
100 stores in India by 2016. Earlier it had planned to open 86 stores in India.
At present, Marks & Spencer (clothing retailer) operates 40 stores in India and it
same-store-sales grew 13 percent in the fiscal year 2013-14.
Same-stores-sales is a key performance metric for retailers and measures sales
growth at stores open for more than a year.
Competition Appellate Tribunal upheld 630 crore rupees penalty on DLF

The Competition Appellate Tribunal (Compat) on 19 May 2014 upheld a penalty of
630 crore rupees imposed on real estate firm DLF by the Competition Commission
of India (CCI). DLF, as a result, will have to pay the penalty of 630 crore rupees levied
by the CCI along with 9 per cent interest.
This is the first major ruling of CCI in which its order has been upheld by the Compat.
The Compat has given 60 days time to the company for the same.
Earlier on 12 August 2011, CCI had imposed the penalty on DLF for abusing its
dominant market position with regard to a residential society in Gurgaon. It slapped
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the penalty on DLF for violating Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2002.
The CCI slapped the penalty following complaints of flat buyer association of two DLF
projects in Gurgaon namely DLF Park Palace and The Belaire. The buyers accused
DLF for delay in the possession of the apartments due to change in the plan to
accommodate more floors.
The order of Compat has sent a strong signal to builders across the country on
adhering to the rulebook on super-built and common areas in residential complexes.
Amul to set up five lakh litres per day capacity dairy plant in
Varanasi
Asias biggest milk brand Amul on 14 May 2014 announced to set up a dairy
processing plant in Varanasi. The plant will initially process five lakh litres per day
with the capacity to double the production.
Palanpur based Banas Dairy will set up the plant with the investment of 200 crore
rupees. Banas Dairy is a member of the union of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk
Marketing Federation that markets Amul.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav offered Amul 30 acres land in Varanasi.
Besides Varanasi, Banas Dairy also acquired 40 acres land in Kanpur and another
20 acres land in Lucknow to set up dairy processing plants, each with Rs 200 crore
investments. Like the Varanasi plant, both Kanpur and Lucknow plants will have
the capacity to process five lakh litres per day, expandable to 10 Lakh Litre per day
(LLPD).
The setting up of dairy plants in these three places in Uttar Pradesh is a part of
Akhilesh government to develop dairy sector in UP.
Amul is the most preferred milk brand in all milk markets in UP including Varanasi,
which consumes 75000 litres milk per day. Since Banas Dairy began procuring milk
locally in UP based on Amul model of co-operatives, farmers in UP are getting better
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remuneration for their milk.

Although UP is Indias largest milk producing state, the share of organized sector is
only one lakh litres milk per day while private players were exploiting the farmers.
MTS announced to provide free Wi-Fi in Gurgaon Rapid Metro Rail

MTS announced on 14 May 2014 that it will provide free Wi-Fi in Gurgaon Rapid
Metro Rail for six months. The service will be experienced by 30000 daily commuters.
Apart from the Rapid Metro trains, MTS will also provide free Wi-Fi access on four
stations including Sikanderpur, IndusInd Bank Cyber City, Phase 2 and Micromax
Moulsari Avenue.
Sistema Shyam Teleservices, which operates under MTS brand name, has partnered
with Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon Ltd. for providing this service.
MTS has set up five kiosks on four Rapid Metro stations where commuters can
procure Wi-Fi coupons. This service will enable commuters to access fast and
consistent data speeds of up to 9.8mbps on MTS 3G plus network.
The company had commissioned an internal research to gauge consumer interest in
using Wi-Fi services while travelling in Rapid Metro.
BHEL commissions Gas Turbine Generating Unit in Oman

The Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on 8 May 2014 commissioned Gas
Turbine Generating unit at a power project in Oman. The 126 MW Gas Turbine
Generator was established at Qarn Alam-3 power project of Petroleum Development
Oman.
Completion of this project is the second successive project for BHEL in Oman. The
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first unit was commissioned in 2012 and was 2x126 MW Petroleum Development
Oman Amal Gas Turbine Generating project.
Vic Gundotra head of Google+ resigned

Vic Gundotra on 24 April 2014 resigned from the Internet Company Google. He was
working as a head of Google+. He was serving the company from 2007. Google Plus
is a social network site that was launched in 2011.
Gundotra is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Gundotra earlier
worked with Microsoft, handling the developers relations for the company.
Apart from being the man behind Google+, Gundotra was instrumental in making
Google I/O, companys annual conference for developers a success. The first Google
I/O was held in 2008.
Although it boasts more than 500 million users, Google Plus is still struggling to lure
people into hanging out on its service for as long as they do on Facebook.
Microsoft acquired Nokia handset business

Microsoft, the US software giant on 25 April 2014 completed acquisition of Nokias
mobile handset business, excluding the Nokias Chennai factory from the over 7.2
billion US dollar deal due to tax issues.
This exclusion of the Finnish firms largest manufacturing facilities of Chennai plant
will continue to operate under Nokia, on a service contract for Microsoft. The firms
Chennai factory was started in 2006 and the Nokias India operations began in 1995.
In September 2013, the Finnish handset maker Nokia agreed to sell all of its Devices
and Services (D&S) business to Microsoft.
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Nokias Chennai plant

Nokias Chennai plant employs about 8000 workers, which is equivalent to about a
third of Nokias 25000 staffs who are being transferred to Microsoft although they will
remain on the rolls of the Finnish firm.
IRCON signed MoU with Transparency International India

Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Ircon International Limited (IRCON) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Transparency International India (TII) on
22 April 2014. It signed the MoU for implementing Integrity Pact.
The MoU is aimed at maintaining complete transparency, integrity and accountability
in all its major contracts and procurement.
The Integrity Pact is a tool conceived by the Berlin-based Transparency International
to fight corruption in public procurement. It is a voluntary agreement between a buyer
and the prospective vendors or bidders, which abstains exercise of corrupt on any
aspect of the contract. The pact will ensure efficiency, helps in building public trust
and enhances the credibility of the organisation. Till date, 47 PSUs have signed the
Integrity pact.
GMR signed the concession agreement with Mactan Cebu

International Airport of Philippines
GMR Infrastructure signed the concession agreement with Mactan Cebu International
Airport of Philippines on 22 April 2014. The agreement is to develop and operate the
Mactan International Airport.
GMR along with Megawide - a Philippines based construction - firm won the
international bid to develop and operate the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
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The project is estimated to cost about 700 million dollars. As a part of agreement
GMR made an upfront premium of 320 million dollars (14.4 billion Philippines Pesos).
GMR and Megawide emerged as the highest bidder in the international bidding
process held in December 2013 for this project. The Department of Transportation
and Communications (DOTC) of Philippine had formally issued the Letter of Award to
the GMR consortium on 4 April 2014.
Cognizant acquired itaas, a US-based Digital Video Solutions

Company
Cognizant, the IT services firm on 22 April 2014 announced that it has entered into a
definitive agreement with itaas to acquire it. Itaas is a US-based digital video solutions
firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
The agreement would help the New Jersey-based IT firm Cognizant to beef up its
capabilities in media, communications and high-technology verticals.
Cadbury India changed its name to Mondelez India Foods

Limited
Cadbury India Limited on 22 April 2014 announced to change its name to Mondelez
India Foods Limited. Cadbury India Limited is a subsidiary of Mondelez International
Inc.
The change in name of Cadbury is in line with the gradual changeover of the name of
all subsidiaries of Mondelez International globally. Mondelez means monde for world
and delez for delicious.
The products will continue to be sold under the same brand names as before. Change
in name of the company will have no impact on the names or packaging of its popular
products like Cadbury Dairy Milk, 5 Star, Gems, Bournville, Perk, Celebrations,
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Choclairs, Halls, Bournvita, Tang and Oreo.

The new name of the company will appear on the back of pack of the products.
With the change in the name of the company, the process of transition that began in
2012 has concluded.
Mondelez International Inc. is a global snacking powerhouse with revenue of 35 billion
US dollar. Mondelez is a member of the Standard and Poors 500, NASDAQ 100 and
Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
Hero MotoCorp formed JV with Nitol Nilloy of Bangladesh

Hero MotoCorp on 21 April 2014 announced that it has entered Bangladesh in two
wheeler segment. Hero MotoCorp will enter the market of Bangladesh through a joint
venture of 55:45 with Bangladeshs Nitol Niloy and will invest 40 million US dollar in
the country in next five years.
55 percent stake of the venture will be held by Hero MotoCorp and remaining 45
percent stake will be with Nitol Niloy. As per the plan the two companies jointly will
set up a new manufacturing facility with an annual capacity of 1.5 lakh units. This
plant will be the first fully fledged manufacturing facility of Hero MotoCorp outside
India.
Piramal sold its 11 percent stake in Vodafone India for 8900

crore rupees
Piramal Enterprises announced on 10 April 2014 to sold its equity stake to Vodafone
India for 8900 crore rupees. The deal values Vodafone India at Rs 1960 per share.
Equity stake comprised of 45425328 shares i.e. around 11%.
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The Piramal company picked up 11 per cent stake in two tranches, in August 2011
and February 2012.The deal then cost a total of 5864 crore rupees or 1290 rupees
per share.
Piramal Group had earlier anticipated it would exit through an initial public offer of
Vodafone India shares. The Piramal Group had always maintained Vodafone for it
was a financial parking of resources from its deal with Abbott.
In September 2010, the group sold its profit making India pharmaceutical business
putting around 10000 crore rupees in its coffers, net of tax and debt repayment
requirements.
BMB signed an agreement with Trends to promote Women

Entreprenuership
Trends in Vogue on 19 April 2014 entered into an agreement with Bhartiya Mahila
Bank (BMB) to promote women entrepreneurship. Trends in Vogue is a CavinKare
initiative that manages hair saloons under Green Trends.
Under the agreement, Green Trends plans to have 500 salons nationally set up by
women entrepreneurs by the end of 2014-15. Green Trends has also introduced
mobile and online check- in service for customers
Further, Bhartiya Mahila Bank will provide the collateral free loans to prospective
franchises across the country, especially to women. The rate of interest will be
between 11.5 per cent and 12.5 per cent.
The bank will provide loans of up to 75 per cent of the total project cost to women
entrepreneurs across the country.
There is a significant upswing trend of women from various backgrounds entering into
beauty salon segment and this MoU with Bhartiya Mahila Bank will further strengthen
the support.
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HDFC Bank set World Record for Blood collection in a single

day
Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) Bank set World record for Blood
collection in a single day. The blood donation camp organised by HDFC Bank on 6
December 2013 was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.
The camp involved 61902 participants with 1115 blood donation camps held across
709 locations in the country. The camp has found a place in Guinness Book of Records
as the largest such drive on a single day.
With this HDFC became the first corporate firm to hold such recognition.
Earlier in 2010 Shiv Sena, a political party of Maharashtra, was entered into the
Guinness Book of Records for organizing the blood donation camps.
HDFC Bank started this initiative in 2007 when over 4000 people volunteered for
this cause. Since then the camp has grown in size and stature. In 2012, the bank
collected 61611 units of blood from 75000 participants.
Piramal Enterprises Ltd decided to acquire 20 percent stake

in Shriram Capital
Piramal Enterprises Ltd decided on 17 April 2014 to acquire 20 percent stake in
Shriram Capital Ltd for 20.14 billion rupees. The new acquisition will make Piramal
presence in financial services sector and will create a long-term shareholder valuecreation of partnership with Shriram Capital.
Piramal had invested 1636 crore rupees in May 2013 to acquire 9.9% equity in Shriram
Transport Finance Co. Ltd, one of the listed non-banking finance company (NBFC)
forming part of the Shriram Group.
On 10 April 2014, Piramal Enterprises had sold its 11% stake in Vodafone India Ltd to
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Prime Metal Ltd, an indirect subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc, for 8900 crore rupees,
marking another milestone in the transformation of Ajay Piramal from a healthcare
czar to one of Indias largest financiers.
Ajay Piramal, chairman of Piramal Enterprises had also hinted that he had plans to
increase the companys stake in Shriram Transport Finance Co. Ltd.
Union Cabinet approved the appointment of Narendra Kothari as Chairman of NMDC

Union Cabinet on 16 April 2014 approved the appointment of Narendra Kothari as
full time Chairman of the state-run miner National Mineral Development Corporation
(NMDC).
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh approved the appointment.
NMDC is the biggest iron ore Miner of India. NMDC has been functioning without a
full-time chairman and managing director ever since incumbent Rana Som retired in
December 2011.
Kothari is currently the CEO of steel maker SAILs Burnpur plant in West Bengal.
Kothari and Bharat Coking Coal Limited CMD TK Lahiry were among 15 candidates
short-listed by a search committee constituted by the steel ministry in May 2013.
In the absence of a full time CMD, SAIL chairman CS Verma is currently holding
additional charge of the company.
Google bought Drone maker Titan Aerospace to deliver internet across the globe
Google on 14 April 2014 bought Titan Aerospace, a maker of high-altitude solar-
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powered drones. It has acquired the drone making company to bring internet access
to the remotest parts of the world and also to solve problems related to it.
None of the two companies has disclosed the financial term of acquisition.
As per the internet giant, Google the atmospheric satellites could be used in disaster
relief and assessing environmental damage and voice and data communications.
Some of the important Mergers and acquisition by Google in 2014

Green Throttle a Gadgets company on 12 March 2014
Spider.io an Anti ad-fraud firm on 21 February 2014
SlickLogin and internet Security Company on 16 February 2014
DeepMind Technologies an Artificial Intelligence company on 26 January 2014
Impermium an Internet security company on 15 January 2014
Mahindra ShubhLabh Services and Univeg signed pact to

supply branded fruits
M&M Group firm Mahindra ShubhLabh Services signed a joint venture of 60:40 with
Belgium-based Univeg on 14 April 2014. The joint venture will focus on developing
the supply chain and sell fresh fruits in the domestic and international markets.
The Joint Venture (JV) will invest 50 crore rupees to 75 crore rupees revenue within
3-5 years and targeted 1 lakh tonne of fruits supply. Mahindra will invest 30 crore
rupees in the JV in building up supply chain. The pact also provides a win-win for
farmers and end consumers too.
The Saboro brand is the first branded fruit vendor launched by Mahindra group in
November 2013. The joint venture will continue to sell fruits under the Saboro brand.
Currently, the domestic fruits market stands at 30 billion dollar of which organized
players accounts for only around 5 percent or 1.5 billion dollars.
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Qatar based Doha Bank announced to open its First branch

in Mumbai
Qatar based Doha Bank announced on 3 April 2014 that it will be opening its first
branch at Nariman Point in Mumbai in India. The branch in Mumbai will be opened
as a full-fledged bank in May 2014.
Initially, branch will offer retail and corporate banking solutions with emphasis on offbranch banking. The Doha Bank has set a target of 5 billion dollars balance sheet
by the third year of operations. Doha Bank got permission from the Reserve Bank of
India to open the branch in December 2013.
Already Doha Bank runs a brokerage (Doha Brokerage) with 41 percent stake and the
rest of the stake is held by local brokers of Kochi in India.
Bank of Bahrain & Kuwait, Abu Dhabi Bank are the two other banks from Arab
countries to have operations in India before Doha bank.
USFDA banned imports from Indian plant of Apotex Pharma

Co
The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) on 2 April 2014 banned imports
from Apotex Incs manufacturing plant in India because of not meeting the quality
standards.
The FDA banned the imports from the plant situated in Bangalore without physical
examination because the plant did not meet the FDA manufacturing practices.
However, FDA allowed the imports of Riluzole, drug which is used to treat amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis commonly called Lou Gehrigs disease.
Recently, FDA sanctioned a series of ban on top Indian drug makers such as Ranbaxy
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Laboratories Ltd Wockhardt Ltd and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd to export to
the United States on quality concerns.
Amazon launched set-top box named Fire TV

Amazon launched an internet-connected TV set-top box or video streaming device
called Fire TV on 2 April 2014. It costs 99 dollars and it is used for gaming.
It will allow consumers to stream content from Amazons library, as well other videoon-demand services, directly to their TVs.
The box comes with a Bluetooth-enabled remote, which means it does not have to
be pointed at the TV to work.
Fire TV provides games available from the gaming firms such as Sega, Disney and
Android. It also expands Amazon Games Studio to builds bespoke games.
It can predict what the user will watch and cue it up instantly and microphone in the
remote enables voice-activated search.
Amazons Fire TV may give customers an alternative to Apple TV, Roku and Googles
Chromecast.
Union Ministry of Civil Aviation approved the Tata and Singapore airlines JV
Union Ministry of Civil Aviation on 2 April 2014 approved the Tata and Singapore
Airlines (SIA) joint venture. The Aviation Ministry also issued no-objection certificate
(NOC) to the new airline JV called Tata SIA Airlines Ltd.
The approval given to the Tata SIA Airlines Ltd came in a record time. The joint
venture got the approval within a time period of little more than four months. Tata
and SIA first got the clearance from Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in
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November 2013.
The approval came few days after the Union Home Ministry informed the Aviation
Ministry that it had cleared the start-ups board of directors on security grounds.
The Board of Directors of the Tata SIA Airlines Ltd comprises of Chairman Prasad
Menon, a long-time Tata group executive; Mukund Rajan, Tata Sons brand custodian
and chief ethics officer; and Mak Swee Wah, SIAs executive vice-president
(commercial).
Now Tata SIA Airlines Ltd. will apply to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
for air operators permits (AOP). The AOP process requires the airlines to fulfill all
technical specifications required to launch an airline in India.
About Tata and SIA

Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines announced the launch of a full-service carrier in
India in September 2013. Tata will own 51 percent and the rest will be owned by SIA
in the joint venture.
The joint venture called Tata-SIA Airlines Ltd is the second airlines to enter in India
aviation market since the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules were relaxed in
September 2012. The first was AirAsia Indiaa joint venture between AirAsia Bhd,
the Tata group and businessman Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace. Air Asia India
got the NOC from Aviation Ministry in September 2013.
Noel Tata appointed as next chairman of Trent

Noel Naval Tata on 31 March 2014 appointed as the chairman of retail arm Trent. He
succeeded F K Kavarana. Kavarana announced his retirement from the Tata group
after turning 70 in March 2014.
Noel was the managing director of Trent from 1999. In 2010, he was promoted to the
vice Chairman. The companys consolidated turnover rose from 8 crore rupees in
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1999 to 1932 crore rupees in 2013.

Noel had built Trent into 1000 crore rupees company and launched a slew of brands in
India such as Sisley and Zara. Trent is launching global brands from Tata International,
the export and trading arm of the group.
Trent, the retail company was created by Simone Tata in 1993 after selling off the
cosmetics business Lakme to Hindustan Unilever. Simone Tata is the mother of Noel
Tata.
Trent was the first to introduce private labels through Westside in the country. Recently,
Trent signed on British retailer Tesco as its equity partner in Star Bazaar.
CCI imposed a fine of 1 crore rupees on Google

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 27 March 2014 imposed a fine of 1
crore rupees on Google under Section 43 for its non cooperation.
It also directed Google to give its full cooperation during the pending investigation.
Google had refused to supply information and documents demanded by the Director
General.
The Director General required this information during the investigation of a complaint
against Google. In this complaint, M/S Matrimony com private Ltd and Consumer
Unity and
Trust Society (CUTS) had accused that internet giant is misusing its market power in
the areas of search advertising and online Search.
Their major allegation is that the Google Search Engine favors platforms it wants to
support and hence, it adopts unfair and discriminatory practices. The investigation
team is looking into the Software and the Algorithmic search used by the Google.
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IBM unveiled SMAC solutions for telecom operators

IBM on 26 March 2014 unveiled Social, Mobile, Cloud and Analytics (SMAC) solutions
for telecom operators in India. SMAC solutions will enable telecom operators in India
derive more value from enhanced customer engagement.
The solutions offer operational and business model transformation and promise a
rich digital experience for consumers. Besides, it will also enable telco operators to
draw on the consumers capabilities to capitalise on the emergence of an everyoneto-everyone economy.
SMAC solutions were unveiled by IBM keeping in mind that 58 per cent of telecom
operators expect new technologies to reduce barriers to entry and 69 per cent expect
more cross-industry competition. This was revealed by IBMs Digital Reinvention
Study.
In addition to SMAC solutions, IBM has also introduced

Vibes: It is an enterprise social software solution that will enable telcos narrow down
target audiences from communities to individuals.
Async: It is a solution to help telcos gain operational excellence with an alternate
content delivery paradigm for heavy content such as videos.
Contextual Content Communication (C3): It will help telcos enable contextual
communication of content in diverse business scenarios for an enhanced and better
targeted user experience.
Watson Engagement Advisor (WEA): It was introduced in 2012 to assist the firms
customer service agents or sit directly in the hands of consumers through mobile
devices, with cloud-delivered services and online chat sessions.
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GE Healthcare and CTSI announced to set up 25 cancer de

About CTSI
Cancer Treatment Services International (CTSI) is a US based privately-held provider

of comprehensive clinical and administrative solutions for the treatment of cancer
and other complex diseases. It was founded in 2006.
In 2012, CTSI had set up the 250-bed American Oncology Institute in Hyderabad.
CTSI President and CEO is Joe Nicholas.
CEO of Marico Saugata Gupta promoted as Managing Director

Saugata Gupta chief executive officer (CEO) of Marico on 25 March 2014 was
promoted as Managing Director (MD). Harsh Mariwala will step down from the post
of MD and will remain Chairman of the company.
Saugata Gupta had joined Marico in 2004 as head of marketing. Soon, he became
CEO of the India business in 2007. In April 2013, he was given additional responsibility
of the international business.
TCPSL launched white Label Automated Teller Machines

Tata Communications Payment Solutions Ltd. (TCPSL) launched the white label
Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) network on 20 March 2014 under the brand name
of Indicash. The first Indicash ATM was inaugurated at Chandrapada in Thane district.
TCPSL has tied up with Federal Bank, which has been designated as a sponsor
bank of care of cash operations, dispute resolutions and regulatory reporting. The
Indicash ATMs will be owned and operated by the TCPSL.
TCPSL will deploy 15000 Indicash ATMs by 2016. Out of this 67 percent of the
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Indicash ATMs will be deployed in semi-urban and rural areas, and the rest in urban
areas.
About White Label ATM

White Label ATM will be owned and operated by Non Bank entities. From such White
Label ATM customer from any bank will be able to withdraw money, but will need to
pay a fee for the services.
The white label ATMs will not display logo of any particular bank and are likely to be
located in non-traditional places.
SEBI inaugurated its local office at Ranchi, Jharkhand

SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) on 19 March 2014 inaugurated its
local office at Ranchi, Jharkhand. The office was inaugurated by R.S. Sharma, Chief
Secretary of Jharkhand Government in presence of UK Sinha, the Chairman of SEBI.
The local offices of SEBI would involve in spreading financial literacy and redressing
of the grievance of the investors in the region.
Till date SEBI has 14 Zonal offices apart from its head office in Mumbai and four
regional offices.
e-Commerce firm ibiboGroup acquired Bangalore-based bus

tracking service YourBus
e-Commerce firm & online travel company ibiboGroup on 20 March 2014 announced
to acquire Bangalore-based startup YourBus.in to strengthen the offers in the bus
travel space. The companies did not disclose the value of the deal.
The acquisition would allow bus operators to track their buses and get detailed
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analytics on punctuality and efficiency of their vehicles, allowing them to sort

information by route, bus driver and vehicle number, as well as get an estimated time
of arrival reports and other weekly and daily location-based reports.
YourBus.in is an online GPS-based bus tracking and analytics platform. YourBus
is functional in 200 buses and is already integrated with redBus mobile and web
applications.
While, ibiboGroup is a joint venture between South Africa-based media and internet
company Naspers and Chinese internet-focused strategic investor Tencent.
YourBus was founded in 2011 by BITS-Pilani graduates Rajesh Mallipeddi and Satya
Padmanabham.
The YourBus application shows the location of bus in real time on a map on
Smartphone. It also shows the arrival time at pickup point through SMS updates.
Indian Oil announced to build 30000 crore rupees refinery at

Mundra in Gujarat
Indian Oil Corp (IOC) on 17 March 2014 announced to set up 30000 crore rupees
refinery at Mundra in Gujarat with 15 million tones capacity. The plant is scheduled
to come up by 2021-22. The Adani Groups offered land to IOC to set up refinery at
Mundra.
The plan to set up a refinery is to increase the processing capacity of IOC to 100
million tones. IOC planned to raise its refining capacity to 100 million tones by 202122.
Current total capacity of IOC is 54.2 million tones with seven refineries and subsidiary
Chennai Petroleum Corp operates a 11.5 million tones plant.
A coastal refinery would enable IOC to ship in larger quantities of heavier grades of
crude oil, which are cheaper because they are more difficult to process into fuels. All
the refineries of IOC are landlocked.
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In the 12th Five Year Plan which ends up in 31st March 2017, IOC planned to invest
56200 crore rupees. In the Plan 27159 crore rupees was set aside to expand refining
capacity.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation sued 16 world largest banks

The US regulator, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on 14 March 2014 filed
a law-suit on 16 of the worlds largest banks. The regulator accused the banks for
allegedly manipulating the Libor interest rate.
The Banks that has been sued includes Barclays Plc, HSBC, Citigroup and Royal
Bank of Scotland, UBS and British Bankers Association (BBA) and others.
These global banks broke certain swap contracts and separately planed to rig the labor
rate to which the contracts were signed. These banks conduct caused substantial
looses to 38 other banks including Washington Mutual Bank and IndyMac Bank.
Libor interest rate

Libor is an interest rate at which banks can borrow funds, in marketable size, from
other banks in the London interbank market. British Bankers Association fixes the
Libor rate on daily basis.
It is the worlds most widely used benchmark for short-term interest rates.
Libor became keystone for more than 550 trillion dollar in financial products from
home loans to derivatives.
Spice jet and Boeing signed a deal worth 4.4 billion dollar
Spice Jet and Boeing Company signed a deal worth 4.4 billion dollar (26000 crore
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rupees) on 12 March 2014. The deal was signed at the inauguration of India Aviation
2014 in Hyderabad.
The Spice Jet placed the order for 42 Next Generation 737 MAX8 aircraft and the
aircrafts will be delivered in 2018. The 737 MAX8 (737-800) is 14 percent more fuel
efficient compared with its 737 planes. 737 MAX8 has pleasing effect, bigger wings
and new engine.
India is one of the worlds fastest growing aviation markets with air passenger traffic
forecasted to triple to more than 450 million by 2020 as incomes rises. IndiGo is
currently the only one among Indias national carriers that is making a profit.
Tech Mahindra and Alstom Transport announced to set up a

global development centre
Tech Mahindra in partnership with Alstom Transport announced a new global
development centre located in Bangalore on 12 March 2014.
The two companies signed a three-year partnership contract for the development
of centre. The global development centre will cover primarily engineering activities
focused on concept to prototype build.
The centre will also focus on the growing need for efficient vertical integration
capabilities from engineering to manufacturing on rising stock interior field. It also
enables both companies to accelerate joint development of integrated engineering
solutions that deliver unique value to our customers.
The partnership will further increase the flexibility and competitiveness and also a
further step of our engineering ramp-up in India.
Airbus launched subsidiary Airbus India
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The French company Airbus launched its wholly owned subsidiary in India called
Airbus India on 11 March 2014. The move is aimed at restructuring the Airbus
operations in India and consolidate it to tap the growing Indian aviation market.
Recognising India as a strategic hub Airbus appointed Srinivasan Dwarakanath as
Airbus India CEO and Charles Champion as Chairman. Charles Champion is member
of the Airbus Executive Committee.
Airbus India will manage all the Airbus activities in India spread across several Indian
cities. With this view it will also set up customer centres in Delhi and Mumbai.
The Indian entity of Airbus will include strategy, customer services and procurement
teams under one organisation. Airbus also planned to set up a Maintenance Repair
and Overhaul (MRO) capability.
Airbus India is the fifth country subsidiary outside Europe for the Airbus. The Indian
subsidiary will build upon the success of the Airbus Engineering Centre India (AECI)
in Bangalore.
Currently Indian carriers operate a fleet of over 170 Airbus aircrafts. Airbus current
market share of sales in India represents over 60 percent of the countrys total aircraft
backlog. In addition, since 2005, Airbus has enjoyed over 60 percent market share
of all new orders.
New India Assurance announced Asha Kiran a health insurance cover for girl child
Public sector general insurer New India Assurance announced an exclusive health
insurance cover New India Asha Kiran for girl child on 7 March 2014. New India
Assurance cut health insurance rate for 50 per cent for the girl child.
The discount is restricted to the families with only girl child.
Besides being cheaper, the girl child policy also provides a personal accident cover
for parents. On occurrence of any accident to parent, the sum insured would be
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placed as a fixed deposit in the names of the girl child.

The ASHA KIRAN policy has daily cash benefit on hospitalization, critical care benefit
up to 10 per cent sum insured and emergency ambulance charges.
New India also announced health policies with added benefits for the women customer
of bank. General Insurance had its tie up with Bhartiya Mahila Bank.
Tom Albanese appointed as CEO of Vedanta Resources

Tom Albanese is appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vedanta
Resources on 6 March 2014. Tom will take over as the charges of CEO and join the
Vedanta board with effect from 1 April 2014.
He will also be appointed as CEO of Sesa Sterlite, main operating entity of Vedanta
from 1 April 2014.
Tom will replace Mahendra Singh Mehta, the CEO for both Vedanta Resources and
Sesa Sterlite who is retiring on 31 March 2014.
Tom joined the Vedanta Group in September 2013 as Chairman of Vendanta Resources
Holding Ltd, the holding company of Sesa Sterlite and Konkola Copper Mines.
Earlier Tom served as head of an Anglo-Australian company, Rio Tinto for six years
and resigned in January 2013.
Tom holds a Bachelors degree in Mineral Economics and a Masters degree in Mining
Engineering from the University of Alaska.
Bharti Airtel and Etisalat signed a pact to set up regional

network infrastructure
Bharti Airtel and UAEs telecom giant Etisalat signed a pact on 4 March 2014 to set
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up a multi-service regional network infrastructure node in India.

The partnership includes Airtels MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) services
supported by its global network. The MPLS will allow Airtel to provide advanced
data and wholesale services to its customers in the Middle East and Africa. It will
also provide a platform to Etisalat to reach out to key global business hubs such as
Africa and India.
Besides, Bharti Airtel, a longtime Etisalat partner has chosen SmartHub. The facility
will offer Airtel an array of regional connectivity options both in and out of the region.
Etisalats Smarthub is the largest capacity, content, internet and data hub in the
Middle East. Smarthub provides regional access for global service providers and
global access to the region.
The partnership will also enable direct routing of traffic between the Middle East and
Africa, Asia and Europe.
Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs notified New CSR rules

Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs notified new Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) rules for companies on 27 February 2014. The new CSR rules will become
effective from 1 April 2014.
The new rules give effect to Section 135 and Schedule VII of the Companies Act,
2013, which relate to CSR related spending by companies.
The new rules mandates that Companies having huge profits would have to spend at
least 2 % of profits on the CSR activities which in turn would be used for the benefits
of the society.
Companies having minimum of 500 crore rupees net worth or 5 crore rupees as net
profit or 1000 crore rupees turnover are mandated to spend 2% on CSR activities.
However, while undertaking net profit criteria, profits from overseas branches and
dividends received from other companies in India will be excluded.
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Provisions
Companies falling under ambit are required to spend 2 % of their 3 year average
annual net profit on CSR activities in each financial year, beginning from the next
fiscal year 2014-15.
Company has to declare its CSR policy. This policy should mention plans/ activities
/programmes or projects. These works should not be a part of routine business
activities.
Companies can undertake CSR activities as per the approval of the companys
board and decision of its CSR Committee in accordance with its CSR policy.
Rules also define the manner in which CSR committee should formulate and
monitor CSR policy, role of board of directors.
A Company is permitted to collaborate with other companies in pursuing their
CSR activities but they need to show their CSR reports separately.
Companies are permitted to spend only 5% of the total CSR expenditure for
manpower required for CSR activities in a single financial year. The manpower
would include companys own personnel and those of the implementing agencies.
Company can also carry out CSR activities with a Society or a registered trust.
Surplus from CSR activities cannot become a part of the profit of the company.
Any type of contributions to any political party will not be treated as CSR activities.
Spending for the benefit of the companys own employees also cannot be a part
of CSR activity.
All CSR activities will have to be within India.
The new rules will be applicable to the foreign companies registered in India.
CSR activities included in Schedule VII
Protection of national heritage, art and culture which include restoration of buildings
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and sites of historical importance and works of art

Promotion and development of traditional arts and handicraft
Setting up public libraries
Setting up homes and hostels for orphans
Setting up old age homes
Setting up day care centres
Setting up of homes and hostels for women
Training to promote rural sports, nationally recognized sports, Olympic sports and
paralympic sports
Contributions or funds provided to technology incubators located within academic
institutions which are approved by the
Central Government
Works to making safe drinking water available
Maintaining quality of soil, air and water
Conservation of natural resources
Ensuring ecological balance
Protection of flora and fauna, animal welfare, agro-forestry
Rural development projects
Livelihood enhancement projects
Promoting healthcare and sanitation
Measures for reducing inequalities faced by socially and economically backward
groups
Efforts which benefit war widows, armed forces veterans and their dependents
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Mahindra entered Bhutan with the launch of electric car e2o

Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd on 27 February 2014 launched electric car e2o in
Thimphu, Bhutan. The company has also signed an MoU with the Government of
Bhutan for a strategic partnership to promote the usage of electric vehicles in the
Kingdom of Bhutan.
The e2o has is the future ready all electric zero emission urban mobility solution and
its launch in the country is a part of the commitment of the company with Bhutan to
partner with its vision to create a sustainable, clean and green society.
As per the signed MoU, Mahindra will establish infrastructure including set-up of a
service stations for swappable batteries for the customers of the car.
The e2o Mahindra will be available in three variants

Base model it will be priced for at 6.99 Ngultrum ex-showrooms Bhutan
7.99 Ngultrum (ex-showroom Bhutan) for the premium variant
8.39 Ngultrum (ex-showroom Bhutan) for the premium variant with Quick2Charge
Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Sahara Chief Subrata

Roy
The Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the Sahara chief Subrata Roy on 26 February
2014. The court ordered his arrest following his failure to appear before it in a case
arising out of non refund of 24000 crore rupees to investors by two of his companies.
The Court rejecting Roys plea to exempt him from personal appearance on the
ground of ill-health of his 92-year-old mother ordered to issue non-bailable warrants.
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Roy is also facing contempt of court along with the three other directors for failure of
two Sahara firms to comply with the courts order of 31 August 2012 asking Sahara
to refund 24000 crore Rupees irregularly collected from nearly 3 crore investors.
However, Sahara claimed that it has refunded the entire amount to investors except
2000 crore Rupees and had deposited 5120 crore Rupees with market regulator
SEBI. But the Sahara firms have been falling short of the SCs scrutiny of the mode
and proof of refunds.
Sahara-SEBI dispute
Whether SEBI or Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs has jurisdiction over fund
raising through bonds by two unlisted Sahara entities
Whether or not raising funds from more than 50 people, even through private
placement, qualifies as public offering.
In 2008, two Sahara Group firms sought nod from two Registrar of Comapnies
(RoCs) to raise funds through optionally fully convertible debentures (OFCDs), via
private placements. Raised funds from 3 crore investors.
In 2009, Sahara Prime City approached SEBI to go public. SEBI asked Sahara
Group firms to refund money raised through OFCDs.
In April 2010, SEBI forwarded investors complaint to ROC.
Case heard by Supreme Court and ordered Sahara Group to refund 24000 crore
Rupees including interest.
Venom GT, worlds fastest car recorded 435 kilometer per

hour
Engineers of US firm Hennessey have developed the worlds fastest car Venom GT
with a top speed of a speed of 435 kilometers per hour. The firm set a new record for
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the fastest car in the world during a test run at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida
on 25 February 2014 by beating the previous best record of 431 kilometer per hour
set by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.
During the test run, the driver Brain Smith broke the record and stopped on 5.1
kilometer stretch of tarmac rather than using a high-speed oval to give the car a
running start.
Although, Venom GT has broken the record of fastest car of Bugatti but the place in
the Guinness book of records will be retained by Bugatti only. The record of Venom
will not be entered into the record book because Hennessey has verified the speed
independently and the car can only be driven on the NASA landing strip.
To replace the record of Bugatti the book requires cars that run in two directions to
account for variables including gradients and wind direction.
Sun Edison to set up 18 MW Solar Park in Tamil Nadu

Sun Edison, a US-based solar energy firm, announced on 25 February 2014 to set up
a solar park in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.
The 18 megawatt (MW) park will work on a model where parcels of the solar assets
will be sold to different customers who wish to own solar plants either captive power
consumption or to avail themselves of the accelerated depreciation scheme.
The accelerated depreciation schemes helps the owner, write off the cost of the
asset as depreciation during the first year of ownership to save taxes and allows to
sell the renewable energy credits.
Parcels of the assets that are not sold off will be owned by SunEdison which will sell
the power generated to third party consumers based on long term power purchase
agreements.
The solar park will lock in electricity pricing for 25 years, protecting owners from the
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rising cost of fossil fuel-generated electricity.

Of the 18MW, 9MW of solar modules are fixed while remaining 9 MW are tracker
modules. The tracker modules comprise of building solar plants on axis that moves
from east to west, tracking the movement of the sun to capture maximum sunlight.
While the fixed ones will generate about 1.6 million units of electricity per MW per
year, the tracker modules will generate 1.86 million units. The total cost for a tracker
model project will be 8.7 to 8.8 crore rupees per MW when compared with 7.8 crore
rupees per MW for fixed model.
Sun Edison has already constructed and sold 1.5 megawatt (MW) of the 18 megawatt
(MW) and expects to complete the rest by September 2014.
Coca-Cola announced to set up Accelerator Programme TARGET in India

Coca-Cola announced to set up its Accelerator Programme TARGET in India on 23
February 2014.
Target has identified five startups. The company will help the startups to develop
their business ideas by providing them access to mentors, tools, resources and
operational support.
Target will work with startups focused on mobile, data and analytics, content, social
and search, all of which are becoming critical to retail in ensuring the right assortments
in stores, determining the right prices, and ensuring faster delivery.
Initially, it will work with a startup Turnaround Innovision, which automates generation
of rotating 3D images, which can be used to better showcase products on websites.
Another, Konotor, enables in-app two-way communication, which can be used for
communications with customers.
This is a new trend that could provide more fuel to the emerging startup ecosystem
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in India.
About Microsoft Accelerator Programme

Microsoft launched its accelerator programme in July 2012, and its now into the
fourth batch of startups. The intense four-month programme provides mentorship by
senior technical people from Microsoft, influential business leaders, domain experts,
venture capitalists and angel investors.
Mahila Bank signed three health insurance Pacts with New

India
Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) signed Pact with New India Assurance Company on
21 February 2014. The pact aims to deliver three unique innovative health insurance
policies for women account holders of the bank. The policies named as BMB-Sakhee,
BMB-Nirbhaya and BMB-Parivar Suraksha.
The policies will provide customised health insurance package for women. This was
the first launch of women centric insurance policies.
The policies are:

The BMB-Sakhee aimed at rural women and those in the unorganised sector. It
will offer a cover up to 50000 rupees a year.
The Nirbhaya scheme aimed particularly for working women. It offer cover limit
up to 5 lakh rupees. It will include insurance for accidental situations unique to
women.
The BMB-Parivar Suraksha aimed to cover the family of the woman account holder
of the bank.
All the three policies cover all women whether in the unorganised sector with no
maternity benefits, or working and even their families.
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All the three products would be available soon on the portals of the branches of the
bank and mobile applications as part of the women empowerment process.
Bharti Airtel Signed an Agreement with Loop Mobile

Largest telecom operator of India Bharti Airtel signed a strategic agreement with
Loop Mobile on 18 February 2014. Under the agreement Bharti Airtel will acquire the
mobile network and 3 million subscribers of Loop Mobile in Mumbai circle.
With this deal, Bharti Airtel will become the largest mobile operator with 7 million
subscriber base in Mumbai relegating Vodafone to second position with 6.8 million
subscriber base.
The proposed transaction will bring together Loop Mobiles 2G/EDGE enabled
network supported by 2500 plus cell sites, and Airtels 2G and 3G network supported
by over 4000 cell sites across Mumbai.
It will also offer subscribers the widest exclusive retail reach with 220 outlets that will
enable best-in-class customer service.
The deal between Airtel and Loop is expected to stand at 700 crore rupees. Loop
will use these sale proceeds for repaying debt of 400 crore rupees and the rest will
go to promoters IP Khaitan and family. Loop is the oldest mobile service provider in
Mumbai.
This deal assumes significance as customers of Loop Mobile will get continuity of
services. Licence of Loop Mobile will expire in September 2014.
Worldfloat introduced Citydeals, a Social plus e-Commerce

feature
Worldfloat, a social networking site on 18 February 2014 announced that it had
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introduced e-commerce feature named Citydeals that would take on the major
players like Flipkart, Snapdeal and OLX in discount deals market.
Pushkar Mahatta, the founder of Worldfloat said that the new feature would allow
users to sell and buy products locally. This feature is like the feed of Facebook and
would allow users to sell and buy products like mobiles, real estate, bikes, car and
more. Initially the services of the new feature will be available in major cities - Delhi,
Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata.
This feature is different from its competitors because the company will not charge a
single penny from the users for selling or buying their products, but the monetising
model will be advertisement-based.
ONGC and OIL signed Production Sharing Contract in two

water Blocks of Bangladesh
ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) signed Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for two
shallow water exploration blocks SS-09 & SS-04 and extraction in Bay of Bengal of
Bangladesh on 17 February 2014. This contract can be considered as a significant
milestone in India-Bangladesh relations.
The two Production Sharing Contracts was inked between the State-owned
Petrobangla of Bangladesh and the ONGC Videsh. OVL participated in the Bangladesh
Offshore Bidding Round in December 2012 after forming a consortium (50:50) with
Oil India Limited (OIL).
BSE launched institutional trading platform on SME

The Bombay Stock Exchange launched an institutional trading platform (ITP) for small
and medium enterprises on 12 February 2014.
The launch will facilitate the start-up companies and SMEs to list without IPO.
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The launch of BSE SME ITP is consequent to the provision of SEBI in ICDR (Issue
of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) guidelines allowing SMEs to list on the
exchange without bringing in initial public offer (IPO).
It will help the start-up companies to raise capital and it will also provide easier entry
and exit options for informed investors like angel investors, VCFs and PEs etc.
The new platform offers better visibility and wider investor base while offering tax
benefits to long term investors.
The listing process in the new platform will be done within one month as against the
couple of months that a regular IPO route would take. Costs would be just a tenth of
the IPO process.
As per the regulatory norms, the BSE SME institutional trading platform has provided
an exemption to SMEs, under which companies have to offer up to 25 percent of its
share holding through an IPO.
Any company with a paid up capital not exceeding 25 crore rupees in any of the
previous financial years and has at least one full years audited financial statements
for the immediately preceding financial year at the time of making listing application
is eligible to get listed at the BSE SME ITP.
Any company that has not completed a period of more than 10 years after incorporation
and its revenues have not exceeded 100 crore rupees in any of the previous financial
years is also one of the eligibility criterion.
Ashok Varadhan appointed co-head of securities division of

Goldman Sachs
Indian-Origin Ashok Varadhan was appointed as the co-head of the Goldman Sachs
securities division on 11 February 2014. This division is the most profitable and the
largest unit among the global investment banks four units.
Isabelle Ealet and Pablo Salame are other co-heads of security division. This division
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includes banks fixed-income, currency and commodities operations as well as its

equities unit.
Ashok varadhan would build on Goldmans client franchise across its fixed income,
currency and commodities and equities businesses.
Ashok Varadhan is presently, head of macro trading in Goldmans Securities Division.
Ashok Varadhan joined Goldman Sachs in 1998 in Swaps Trading.
Ashok Varadhan serves as Vice Chairman of the U.S. Treasury Borrowing Advisory
Committee. He graduated from the Duke University. He thus served on the Board of
Directors of DUMAC, which manages Duke Universitys endowment.
Mark Zuckerberg became the most generous donor of America in 2013

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg became the youngest and the most
generous philanthropist of America in 2013. This was revealed by the Chronicle of
Philanthropy on 10 February 2014.
He had given almost 1 billion dollar of his fortune to the charity. The charity was made
to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. He along with his wife Priscilla Chan
dedicated their 2012 funds managed by the group for health and education.
Mr. Zuckerberg at 30 is the youngest benefactor ever to top the annual charitable
donations list.
In September 2012, his net worth was estimated by Forbes magazine at 19 billion
dollar, making him the 20th richest in the United States.
Last year, the Facebook founder and his wife occupied the number two spot in
charitable giving, making donations of nearly 500 million dollar in 2012.
Over the past two years, Mr. Zuckerberg and his wife, a physician, have given 36
million Facebook shares to the fund, valued at about 1.5 billion dollar.
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CCEA approved 10141 crore rupees FDI proposal of Vodafone

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved Vodafones FDI
proposal of buying out minority shareholders in its Indian branch for 10141 crore
rupees. The CCEA approved the proposal of Vodafones FDI on 6 February 2014.
This will be the single largest foreign investment in the telecom sector in India. Also,
Vodafone has become the first telecom operator to be fully owned by a foreign firm
since government allowed 100 percent FDI in telecom sector in 2013.
In December 2013, FDI proposal of Vodafone was cleared by the Foreign Investment
Promotion Board (FIPB). As per the proposal Vodafone was to buy remaining
outstanding shares from minority shareholders -- Ajay Piramal and Analjit Singh.
Piramal holds 10.97 percent stake in Vodafone India, while Analjit Singh, who is
Vodafone Indias non-executive chairman, holds 24.65 percent.
Vodafone Group Plc will pay Analjit Singh 1241 crore rupees and Piramal Enterprises
8900 crore rupees for their stakes in Vodafone India as part of the proposal.
At present, Vodafone holds 64.38 percent stake in the CGP India, an indirect Mauritian
subsidiary of Vodafone International Holdings BV Indian unit.
Production of Maruti 800 stopped by Maruti Suzuki India

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) on 7 February 2014 announced that it has stopped
the production of the iconic car brand Maruti 800 that had been carrier for millions
of middle class Indian families. The company in its announcement claimed the
production was the car was stopped in 18 January 2014.
Executive Director of MSIL, CV Raman in the announcement said that the spare parts
of the car will be available in the market for next 8 to 10 years as per the rules, even
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after the production was stopped.

The sale of the car was stopped in 13-cities in April 2010 including Bangalore,
Hyderabad, Kanpur and Pune. It was launched in India in early 1980s and the time of
its launch it was priced 50000 rupees only and at the time of closure of production it
was priced at 2.35 lakh rupees.
Air Costa signed an agreement to buy 50 Embraer Jets

Vijayawada-based airline Air Costa signed an agreement with Brazil-based Embraer
for 50 Embraer Jets E2s. The deal has an estimated value of 2.94 billion dollar.
The acquisition of aircrafts is a mix of 25 E190-E2s and 25 E195-E2s with an additional
purchase rights for 50 aircrafts bringing the total potential order to up to 100 aircraft
and can reach 5.88 billion dollar if all are exercised.
Air Costa become the first customer of E-Jet E2s in the Indian market and will take
delivery of the E190-E2 in 2018 and the E195-E2 is scheduled to enter service in
2019. Also, Air Costa will be the first airline to order and operate a large number of
regional jets in India.
Embraer S.A is the worlds largest manufacturer of commercial jets up to 130 seats
and is one of Brazils leading exporters. The deal is a boost for Embraer. It met with
its delivery targets for its commercial and executive segments.
Air Costa currently operates a fleet of four aircraft in the southern Indian cities of
Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and other cities.
The airline, which only started operations in October 2013, is part of the privately
held LEPL Group, a diversified company with interests in property development and
infrastructure projects.
IFC to probe human rights abuses at Tata Global Beverages Ltd plant in Assam
The International Finance Corporation
(IFC) of World Bank group decided to
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investigate the claims of labour and human rights abuses at Tata Global Beverages
Ltd plant in Assam on 14 February 2014.
The decision to probe the claims was taken following the filing of complaints by
three non-governmental agencies from Assam on behalf of the workers in February
2013. It highlights the concerns about inadequate compensation, and poor health
and hygiene conditions at the tea plantations.
The IFC had jointly financed the tea plantation project with tea giant Tata Global
Beverages Ltd in Assam. The project is being run by Amalgamated Plantations Pvt.
Ltd (APPL).
The IFC had contributed 7.8 million dollar in the 87 million dollar Tata Tea project.
The project was aimed at promoting the idea of shareholder workers and helping to
create more than 30,000 permanent jobs.
APPL was set up in 2009 to acquire and manage tea plantations previously owned
by Tata Global Beverages. Tata Global Bevarages is the second largest tea brand in
the world.
Tata Global Beverages took a 41 percent stake in APPL and the IFC took 20 percent
with the remainder held by workers and smaller firms.
CCI approved Etihad Airways purchase of 50.1% stake in JPPL

Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways
proposal of purchase of 50.1% stake in Jet Privilege Private Ltd (JPPL) on 6 February
2014. JPPL is a customer loyalty programme unit of Jet Airways.
CCI headed by Chairman Ashok Chawla in its majority decision ruled in favour of the
Etihad Airways. It said that the transaction was unlikely to have any adverse impact
on market competition. This is because CCI had already approved the Etihads
purchase of 24 per cent stake in Naresh Goyal-led Jet Airways and the two carriers
were already partners in their respective frequent flyer programmes.
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The Slump Sale Agreement and Commercial Agreement were signed between Etihad
Airways and JPPL on 19 November 2013. Under the deal, Etihad was to acquire 50.1
per cent stake in JPPL subsequent to the hiving off of Jets loyalty business into the
subsidiary on a going concern basis. However, valuation of the deal has not been
disclosed.
Google purchased DeepMind Technologies of UK

Google purchased the British start-up DeepMind Technologies an artificial intelligence
company on 27 January 2014. The American tech giant Google confirmed the deal
in its London office. This deal represents Googles biggest ever single acquisition in
Europe.
The acquisition of DeepMind would prove to be helpful for Google in further developing
its most recent Hummingbird search update. The Hummingbird search update was
created to make Google more human and searches which can now understand
context like a human brain.
Samsung and Google signed Global Patent Agreement

Google Inc and Samsung Electronics Co signed an agreement to cross-licence their
global patents. This agreement was signed to reduce the risk of costly legal disputes
over intellectual property on 26 January 2014. This agreement would also foster
greater collaboration between the two technique giants.
As per Samsung, the Seoul-based company the deal between the two giants also
covers the patents to be filed over the next 10 years as well as existing patents. The
deal does not cover every patents held by both the companies. Samsung and Google
work closely as Googles Android mobile operating system is used by Samsung.
Both the companies did not disclose the financial consideration that will be paid/
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considered for the use of each others patents.

Apart from this, Samsung also reached an agreement with Ericsson on global patent
licences related to GSM, UMTS and LTE standards for both networks and handsets
on 27 January 2014. As per the agreement, Samsung will pay the telecom equipment
maker Ericsson about 4.2 billion Swedish Kronas (over 650 million dollars) to settle
patent-related disputes, including royalties.
Federal Aviation Administration ordered safety checks of

Boeing 767s
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 27 January 2014 ordered for inspection
of Boeing 767 airplanes to check for problems that could cause the pilot to lose
control of the plane. This order has been issued for safety checks of more than 400
Boeing 767 jets.
FAA in its government filing said that the mandatory safety check was prompted by
the reports of failed sheer rivets in the elevator power control actuator bellcranck used
in adjusting the pitch of the aircraft. The directive was issued to prevent continued
operation with failed shear rivets and also to prevent jams or certain failures which
acts as a cause and results in a significant pitch upset and possible loss of control
of the airplane.
Till now, the problem in functioning of the elevators has not been identified, which
has caused accident of the 767 jet. FAA became aware of the problem for the first
time in 2000 and ordered a series of inspection of the jet to find the problem.
Wal-Mart registered Wal-Mart India Private Ltd in India

Global Retail giant Wal-Mart registered a new entity called Wal-Mart India Private
Ltd in India on 15 January 2014 to enter the lucrative multi-brand market in India.
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Wal-Mart India Private Ltd was registered as a new entity with Ministry of Corporate
Affairs.
A Joint venture of Wal-Mart and Bharthi private Ltd was setup to operate wholesale
stores and it was not catering directly to retail consumers. The Wal-Mart and Bharthi
Enterprises in 2013 decided to independently own and operate their business formats
in India.
Earlier, a controversy broke, when Wal-Mart declared that it has spent 25 million
dollars on lobbying activities that included enhanced market access for investment
in India and for no law that bars it from lobbying in India.
Etihad Airways demonstrated flight with Biofuel mix

Ethihad Airways on 19 January 2014 flew a Boeing 777 plane on a 45-minutes
demonstration flight that was powered in part by biofuel. The biofuel was developed
in collaboration with a French firm Total. With this exercise, UAE has turned among
the countries that have produced and flown on their own aviation biofuel. The biofuel
driven flights emits about 50 percent less carbon dioxide that the fossil fuel over its
lifecycle.
The initiative to support a sustainable aviation biofuled industry in United Arab
Emirates, the Abu-Dhabi based carrier teamed up with Total, US-manufacturer
Boeing local refiner Takreer and Masdar research institute.
The biofuel amounted to 10 percent of the fuel in the demonstration flight was also
used in the past in similar flight during the Paris airshow. Total partially converted the
biofuel from plants which was refined into a jet fuel by government-owned Takreer (a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.).
At present, a sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium is being hosted by Masdar
Institute in Abu Dhabi, of which Boeing and Etihad Airways are among the founding
partners. The team is researching and developing salt-tolerant plants that will act
as the raw material for refining processes, which will be used in production of
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renewable fuel for the flights of Etihad Airways. The initiative focuses on research and
development as well as investments in feedstock production and refining capability
in UAE and across the world.
Google acquired cybersecurity firm Impermium for 9 million

dollar
Google acquired Bengaluru based Impermium for 9 million dollar on 20 January
2014. The acquisition will help Google improve its abuse monitoring efforts and make
internet a safer place.
Bengaluru based Impermium is a three year old startup. The startup focused on
building security products for websites. Impermium was founded by two Indians,
Vish Ramarao and Naveen Jamal and American Mark Risher. Mark Risher is the CEO
of the company.
Prior to Impermium, all three co-founders were in Yahoo Mail, where they dealt with
problems of spam, web security and fraudulent account creation.
Impermium has 300000 clients, including Tumblr, Pinterest, CNN, ESPN, Typepad
and Washington Post. The company had built a number of services that worked as
a risk-determination system, which could help identify when an account had been
compromised.
Earlier, Facebook had acquired Bangalore based Little eye Labs. Acquisitions of
India-based startups by the likes of Google and Facebook are expected to provide a
big boost to the startup ecosystem.
3F tied up with Fuji Oil to set-up a joint venture Non-Dairy

Cream Making Plant
3F, the manufacturer of edible oil and food Ingredient Company on 17 January 2014
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tied up with Fuji Oil Co, the Japanese oil and fats firm. The two firms will have tied up
to jointly set-up a non-dairy cream making plant.
The two firms will make an investment of about 100 crore rupees on the 15-acre plant
in Burgul on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Fuji will hold 55 percent of
the joint venture and remaining 45 percent will be with 3F.
The plant that will be constructed in a period of 1 year will make 500 tonnes of cream
in a month during the first year. Capacity of the plant will be doubled in next three
years. Fuji Oil have its several plants in China and other parts of the world, but this
tie-up is its first partnership in India.
RBI allowed Foreign Investors to invest in South Indian Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed the foreign investors to buy the shares
of South Indian Bank. The permission has been given as the foreign shareholding in
the bank has gone below the prescribed limit that is stipulated under the extant FDI
policy.
RBI said that the FIIs (Foreign Institutional Investors), PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin)
and NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) have been allowed to make investments in the
primary as well as secondary markets in India through the Portfolio Investment
Scheme (PIS). It also said that the South Indian Banks equity can also be purchased
through primary market and stock exchanges.
The ceilings on FII, NRI and PIO investments are monitored by RBI in Indian companies
on a daily basis. The foreign investment ceiling limits that has fixed by RBI for effective
monitoring is two percent points lower than the actual ceilings.
About South Indian Bank

South Indian Bank is one of the earliest launched banks of South India. It came
into being during the Swadeshi Movement that happened in 1905 and continued till
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1911. It was created with the aim for service oriented repository of savings of the
community on one hand and to free the business community from the clutches of
money lenders on the other by providing need based credit at reasonable rates of
interest.
Biz Stone, Twitter Co-founder, launched JELLY

Co- Founder of Twitter, Biz Stone unveiled a new mobile service called Jelly on 8
January 2014. The Jelly smartphone app seeks to improve the way people search for
and find information, by querying people instead of Internet search engines.
The free app plugs into Facebook or Twitter, or both, and allows users to test
the knowledge of people in their social network and answer their questions. The
experience is focused around pictures in Jelly.
The app aims to capitalize on the popularity of mobile smartphones and the
pervasiveness of social networks. The app is also meant to personalize the search
experience.
Facebook acquired Little Eye Labs for 90 crore rupees

Facebook acquired Bengaluru-based Little Eye Labs for 90 crore rupees on 7 January
2014. It has become the first Indian and the third Asian company to be acquired by
Facebook. Facebook is the worlds largest social networking site.
Little Eye Labs was founded in May 2012 by Giridhar Murthy, Kumar Rangarajan,
Satyam Kandula, and Lakshman Kakkirala.
Kumar Rangarajan is the current CEO of Little Eye Labs.
Little Eye Labs, a company that develops a tool to helps Android app developers to
measure, analyse and optimise Facebook apps.
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The acquisition is expected to help the overall mobile strategy of Facebook with a
technology that could help track and improve the performance of Facebook Apps.
This is one of the most high profile acquisitions involving an Indian product startup. It is a development that could go a long way in boosting the confidence of the
fledgling tech newbie.
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launched an all women

branch in Pune
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launched an all women branch in Pune on 4 January
2014. It is the first insurer to give an opportunity to women with an aim to tap the vast
talent pool of women professionals.
This initiative includes support facilities such as creche, pickup and drop, work
from home and flexible timings. In future, the company is planning to roll out similar
branches in other metros soon.
Women focused initiatives have been observed in other financial services like banking
(Bharatiya Mahila Bank). Bharatiya Mahila Bank is the Indias first all womens bank
was launched in Mumbai which aims at economic empowerment of women.
Central Government allowed Tesco to invest in brownfield

entity
Government of India allowed British retailer Tesco to invest in brownfield entities in
India. Tesco could now invest up to 50 percent of the total Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI).
Government of India has amended its current provision of FDI. Out of the total
FDI, 50 per cent has to be mandatorily invested in back-end infrastructure such as
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warehouses, supply chain and logistics. This would be in addition to investments in

front-end greenfield assets such as retail stores.
Previously, it was mentioned that the front-end retail stores must also be set up as an
additionality and not through acquisition of existing stores.
According to the current policy, a foreign investor in the multi-brand retail sector can
invest 51 per cent, the minimum investment size being 100 million dollar.
Tesco, the worlds third-largest retailer, has a franchise agreement to provide support
to Trents Star Bazaar chain. Initially, Tesco would open stores at Karnataka and
Maharashtra.
Investment in an existing asset or company is termed as brownfield investments.
Greenfield investment is a form of FDI where a parent company starts a new venture
in a foreign country by constructing new operational facilities from the scratch. In
addition to building new facilities, most parent companies also create new long-term
jobs in the foreign country by hiring new employees.
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STATE
For the First, Fergusson College included the category of
third gender in application forms
For the first, Punes Fergusson College on 26 June 2014 has included the category of
third gender in its application forms for academic programs. The courses will begin
from 2014-15.
Applications for first year BA (FYBA) and BSc (FYBSc) that are available online have
the third gender option. The decision of the college authorities was encouraged by
Supreme Courts recognition of the third gender in April 2014.
The college also planned to have awareness drives and gender sensitisation programs,
so that inclusion will not limit to paper.
Maharashtra State Cabinet approved reservation for Marathas and Muslims in the State
State Cabinet of Maharashtra on 26 June 2014 approved 16 percent reservation to
Maratha community and 5 percent to Muslims in government jobs and educational
institutions.
The reservation is applicable only for non-creamy layer of these communities and
will be implemented immediately. This decision will not affect the existing 52 percent
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reservation in the State and with this the overall reservation has now increased to 73
percent.
Prithviraj Chavan, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra said that the reservation has
been granted on the basis of backwardness of the community, but not on the lines
of religion. The decision was taken on recommendations of Sachar Committee and
Ragnath Mishra Commission on social, educational and economic backwardness of
Muslims.
Population of the two communities in the State has about 110 million people. Out of
this Marathas population constitutes 32 percent and Muslims population constitutes
5 percent.
Andhra Pradesh was the first State to provide 4% reservation to Muslims in 2007 which
was later quashed down by the respectable High Court terming it is unsustainable
and violative of Article 14, 15(1) and 16 (2) of the Constitution.
Comment
The issue of providing reservation for backward Muslims in Maharashtra was first
raised in 2004 when Vilasrao Deshmukh was the chief minister, while the issue of
Maratha reservation was older. This move of Maharashtra has raised eyebrows as
the move is seen as a populist measure which has been taken to woo the population
of two communities with State Assembly elections in sight. Also, the move may
be challenged in the Supreme Court as it crosses the SC set limit of 50 percent
reservation.
In 1992, the Supreme Courts Constitution bench had set a ceiling of 50% on all
types of reservation, while ruling that the Mandal commissions recommendation
giving reservations to OBCs was constitutionally valid.
Though the SC has set the 50 percent limit on providing reservation, yet there are
States which have been providing more than 50 percent reservation. For instance,
in Andhra Pradesh, reservation has crossed the mark of 83 percent, while in Tamil
Nadu, it is 69 percent.
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Odisha government raised retirement age of employees to

60
State Government of Odisha on 26 June 2014 raised the retirement age of its employees
from 58 to 60 years. The proposal in this regard was approved by the State Cabinet
presided over by Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha in Bhubaneswar.
This decision of the government will benefit about 5 lakh government employees of
the State.
Earlier, the State government on 23 June 2014 also enhanced the retirement age of
doctors who are engaged in government hospitals and in the three State run medical
colleges to 62 years from existing 60.
Apart from this, the government gave its nod to develop a full-fledged airport at
Jharsuguda and soon will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the
Airports Authority of India in this regard. In the first phase, the State will hand over
118.75 acres land to the AAI for developing a full-fledged airport. The airport will be
developed at an estimated cost 210 crore rupees in its first phase of which the State
government will contribute 75 crore rupees.
Gujarat Chief Minister announced 33 percent quota for women in police force in Gujarat
Anandiben Patel, the Chief Minister of Gujarat on 24 June 2014 announced 33 percent
reservation for women in the police force. With this announcement, the women of the
state can enjoy 33 percent reservation in new recruitment in the police force. The
decision will be implemented in all cadres.
The decision was taken to empower women of the state and uplift them in the society.
The decision can be treated as a part of the state government 100-day agenda that
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was released earlier.

This decision came at a time, when the crimes against women are at its peak in
several states. The crimes against women came into spotlight after alleged rape and
murder of two minor girls in Badaun of Uttar Pradesh.
The announcement has made Gujarat the first state in India to implement 33 percent
reservation for women in the police force.
The report also highlighted the states with highest number of policewomen
Maharashtra 20062
Tamil Nadu 10118
Delhi 5356
Whereas the states with low density of policewomen are
Uttar Pradesh 2586
Madhya Pradesh 3010
UP Government raised retirement age of State Election Commissioner to 68 years

The Uttar Pradesh Government on 24 June 2014 raised the retirement age of State
Election Commissioner (SEC) from 65 to 68 years.
The UP Cabinet amended the UP State Election Commission (Panchayat and Local
bodies) (services and conditions of services) Rules 1994 to raise the term of the SEC
up to either 68 years of age or six years term.
Earlier the term of SEC was either up to 65 years of age or five years term.
State Election Commissioner of UP: Satish Kumar Agarwal
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Andhra Pradesh raised retirement age of Government employees to 60 years

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on 23 June 2014 passed a Bill raising the
retirement age of government employees of bifurcated Andhra Pradesh to 60 years.
The Bill passed is titled Andhra Pradesh Public Employment (Regulation of age of
superannuation) Act, 1984
Earlier, the retirement age of government employees was 58 years.
Besides, AP Government also assured unemployment allowance of 2000 rupees per
month for jobless youth.
The government took the decision to increase the retirement age considering various
factors, including the increased life expectancy. There was a significant improvement
in the average life expectancy as compared to 1984.
The Union Government raised the retirement age of central government employees
from 58 to 60 years in 1998.
Kodela Siva Prasada Rao elected as the first Assembly speaker of AP after bifurcation
Kodela Siva Prasada Rao on 20 June 2014 was elected as the first Assembly speaker
of Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation.
Kodela of Telugu Desam Party was the only person to be nominated for the Speaker
of Assembly. He is a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Sattenapalli
constituency.
The role and function of Speaker of the state Assembly is similar to that of Lok Sabha
Speaker.
Article 178 of the Constitution of India provides for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of
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the Legislative Assembly.
Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal bifurcated to create Alipurduar district

Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal was bifurcated on 20 June 2014 to create Alipurduar
district of the state. With this Alipurduar will become the 20th district of the state from
25 June 2014.
The announcement of bifurcation of the district was made by Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee in the State Assembly. The decision of division has been taken for better
administration and also due to long standing demand of people of the district.
With this bifurcation, Jalpaiguri Sadar and Mal Bazar subdivisions along with nine of
the 17 existing police stations will be a part of Jalpaiguri district. While other eight
existing police stations will fall under the new district of Alipurduar.
Union Health Ministry nod to set Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences in AIIMS Bhopal
Union Health Minister Harshvardhan on 17 June 2014 gave consent for setting up of
the Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences in AIIMS Bhopal.
A fund of 150 crore rupees will be sanctioned for the institute that will serve people
of three states namely Madhya Pradesh, Chattishgarh and Odisha.
This will help provide better health services to every citizen in Madhya Pradesh and it
enable MP to present a model before the country in this regard. Besides, the institute
will pay attention to preventive care by linking health with education.
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Delhi LG Najeeb Jung approved the formation of DRSC to ensure road safety
Delhi Lieutenant-Governor (LG) Najeeb Jung on 16 June 2014 approved the formation
of District-level Road Safety Committees (DRSC) to ensure road safety.
The committees will be constituted under the provision of Section 215 of the Motor
Vehicle Act 1988. The committee will mandate closer engagement of the local
administration and the citizen.
The District Road Safety Committees will hold its meeting at least once in three
months or as per requirement.
Role of the committee

To identify the black spot (accident prone spots)
After identifying black spots, the DSRC will make remedial measures like
improvement in road condition, provision of emergency medical relief and others.
Ambulances will be deployed at places so that emergency care can be provided
within 8-10 minutes of occurrence of an accident.
Under the development of trauma care and blood facility category, the availability
of trauma care facility including blood banks needs to be evaluated and action
taken for upgradation where necessary.
Futher, DRSC can also formulate a strategy and monitor enforcement of traffic
regulations.
Delhi became first kerosene-free city in India

Delhi Government on 16 June 2014 announced that Delhi has become the first
kerosene-free city in the country. This feat was achieved after implementation of
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the Delhi: A Kerosene-Free Scheme launched in 2012 under which no subsidized

kerosene were being issued in Delhi.
About Delhi: A Kerosene-Free Scheme 2012

Delhi: A Kerosene-Free Scheme 2012 was launched on 21 August 2012 in collaboration
of three Oil Marketing Companies and Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
for which Delhi Government had incurred an expenditure of 62 core rupees.
Under the scheme people holding Juggi Ration Card (JRC), Below Poverty Line (BPL)
and Antodaya Ann Yojana (AAY) were provided free gas connection along with LPG
filled cylinder, two burner gas stove, regulator and suraksha pipe. The LPG kit were
only given to those persons who were using kerosene oil for cooking. Besides, the
paper of LPG connection was given to the senior most female member of the family
of these ration card holders.
The financial budget of the scheme was 108.76 crore rupees of which 22.75 crore was
borne by the Union government and 85.91 crore rupees by the Delhi Government.
But those who already had LPG connection were not eligible for the benefits of the
scheme.
Now any person indulged in kerosene oil trade is liable for prosecution under Essential
Commodities Act 1955 and Delhi Kerosene Oil Control Order 1962. The compliant
can be registered in this regard on helpline number 1967.
Lt. Governor of Delhi Jung approved setting up of 500 water

ATMs in Delhi
Najeeb Jung, the lieutenant Governor of Delhi, on 17 June 2013 approved setting up
of 500 water ATMs in Delhi. The project was approved following the success of Delhi
Jal Boards (DJB) pilot project at Savda Ghevera colony.
These ATMs will provide citizens with an easily accessible, demand based and
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affordable supply system. These ATMs will also supplement water supply, particularly
in areas that faces crisis.
Of these approved water ATMs, 10 will be installed in South West Delhi and will be
operational by the first week of July 2014 and remaining will come up subsequently.
Orders for installation of 10 Reverse Osmosis (RO)-based plants have already been
placed, and within the next three months more than 50 ATMs will be installed in
various resettlement colonies.
About implementation of the project

Plants of the project will be installed on a land being provided by Delhi Urban
Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). While, DJB has appointed a Hyderabad-based
Administrative Staff College of India as its transaction advisor, which will also design
the project within three-months.
About Savda Ghevera pilot project

During the pilot project DJB used 15 water-ATM kiosks to provide water to the
residents of Savda Ghevera, a resentment colony in Southwest Delhi. These kiosks
were powered by solar energy and were connected with the main server via cloud
computing.
MP Government approved Narmada-Malwa-Gambhir Link

Project
The Madhya Pradesh (MP) Government on 17 June 2014 approved the NarmadaMalwa-Gambhir Link Project (NMGLP). A meeting of Narmada Control Board chaired
by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Bhopal approved the implementation of
the project.
Also, an amount of 2143 crore rupees was sanctioned for the river linking project of
NMGLP.
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The project will provide irrigation facility to 158 villages in Indore and Ujjain districts
of Madhya Pradesh. It will facilitate irrigation in 50 thousand hectares of land.
Further, under the NMGLP, there is no need for constructing a dam and also there will
be no need for resettlement and rehabilitation. Rather, Narmada water will be uplifted
to a height of 416 meters.
The Project has been proposed in light of declining of groundwater level and shortage
of drinking water in Malwa region. Out of total water availability from the project, 12.5
cusecs of water will be used for irrigation, 1.5 cusecs for drinking and 1 cusec water
will be used for industries.
Before this project, Narmada-Kshipra Link Project was successfully implemented at
a total cost of 425 crore rupees which is being used to provide water to villages and
cities apart from irrigation. In Ujjain, Gambhir reservoir is the main source of drinking
water for citizens.
DMRC launched first Roof Top Solar Power Plant at Dwarka

Sec21 metro station
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on 15 June 2014 launched first Roof Top Solar
Power Plant at Dwarka Sec21 metro station. In its attempt to conserve environment,
Delhi Metro has become the first mass transit system of India to begin installing solar
power plants on the roofs of its stations.
The plant with a capacity of 500 kilowatts peak (kWp) is expected to start generation
by the end of July 2014. The power produced from the plant will meet the power
requirements of the DMRC station.
This is the largest roof top solar power plant with such capacity in Delhi National
Capital Region NCR under the RESCO model.
A power purchase agreement (PPA) regarding the installation of the plant was signed
in February 2013.
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About RESCO Model

A Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) is an ESCO Energy service company
which provides energy to the consumers from renewable energy sources, usually
solar photovoltaics, wind power or micro hydro.
Maharashtra government approved bifurcation of Thane district

State Cabinet of Maharashtra on 13 June 2014 approved the long pending proposal
to bifurcate Thane district to carve out Palghar district from it. The bifurcation will be
done on 1 August 2014 and with it, Palghar will become the 36th district of the state.
Apart from this, the state government has decided to set aside 450 crore rupees to
create infrastructure in Palghar.
Regions that will remain as a part of Thane district after bifurcation are Thane, Kalyan,
Ambernath, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi, Murbad and Shahapur. While the regions or
talukas that will be carved out to form Palghar district are Palghar, Jawahar, Mokhada,
Talasari, Vasai, Wada, Dahanu and Vikramgad.
Population of the two districts after bifurcation

Thane district about 80.58 lakh
Palghat district about 1.10 crore
Thane: As per the 2011 census, before bifurcation, Thane is the most populous district
of India with nine revenue sub-divisions with 15 talukas and 1995 revenue villages.
About demand of bifurcation

The demand of bifurcation of the district has been pending since 1994 for better
administration. The demand of bifurcation of Thane district has been in demand since
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mid 1980s. Following the demand the state government had conducted viability
studies in the past. But the decision to bifurcate the district was reached on the basis
of a committee appointed in October 2012 under the chairmanship of the Konkan
divisional commissioner.
Meanwhile, following the demands of formation of new districts in Vidarbha, the state
government also decided to set up a committee to look into the demands of creation
of new districts.
Maharashtra Assembly passed a Bill to put a complete ban

on dance bars across the State
Maharashtra Assembly on 13 June 2014 approved the Bill to amend the Dance
Bar Prohibition Act. The Act has been amended to remove a legal Lacuna that led
Supreme Court to strike down the State Governments 2005 order to ban dance bars.
This amendment has prohibited dance performances in three-star and five-star hotels
by terming that licenses of the dance bars stand cancelled and will be withdrawn
within 30 days. However, it does not extend a ban to family parties in pubs and
discotheques, and orchestras.
The approved amendment to Maharashtra Police Act states that dance performances
in bars and restaurants across all types of hospitality industry has been banned. It
says that any breach of the code would invite an action of minimum three months to
maximum five years jail term and minimum one lakh to five lakh rupees fine, besides
cancellation of hotel permit.
Earlier, the Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice SS Nijjar
in July 2013 questioned the Maharashtra governments decision to ban performances
in smaller bars, while such performances continued in 3-star and 5-star hotels. Hence,
the decision to ban dance bars across the state was made to avoid the discrimination
between the ordinary dance bars and dance bars in three and five star hotels.
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The drafted amend to the bill will be tabled in the assembly during ongoing session.
Madhya Pradesh Government donated one crore rupees for

restoration of Gandhis Tolstoy Farm
Madhya Pradesh Government on 10 June 2014 announced that it will donate one
crore rupees for restoration of Tolstoy Farm in South Africa, the place where Mahatma
Gandhi first began his Satyagraha.
The announcement of the donation was made by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan during a visit to the now derelict area, south of Johannesburg, owned by a
neighboring brick manufacturing company.
Chouhan was leading a high-powered delegation from the State to South Africa
to promote investment and joint ventures between South African public and state
enterprises.
Apart from this, the High Commission of India in collaboration with the local Indian
community and the Government of South Africa will be organising a function on 20
July 2014 at Tolstoy Farm to commemorate 100 years of Gandhis return to Indian
from South Africa. Gandhi returned to India in 1914.
Virendra Gupta, the Indian High Commissioner also initiated a project to establish a
Garden of Remembrance at the Farm, which will be developed by a group of local
community organisations. The Garden of Remembrance project will be launched on
20 July 2014.
Delhi LG Najeeb Jung approved Rapid rail link to Alwar, Panipat and Meerut
Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) Najeeb Jung on 11 June 2014 approved Rapid rail link
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to Alwar, Panipat and Meerut.

The Rapid rail link or the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project will connect
the NCR region through high-speed trains. High speed trains will run at 60kmph.
The Three Corridors under RRTS Project

The three corridors were envisaged by the National Capital Regional Planning Board
(NCRPB).
Delhi-Meerut corridor will go through Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan and would
be supported by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). It will cover a distance of
90 km
The Delhi-Panipat corridor would go till Kashmere Gate covering a distance of 111
km
The Delhi-Alwar corridor will terminate in Gurgaon covering a distance of 180 km
The total number of stations on the three corridors is 48. The total length of the
corridor in Delhi is 70.7 km.
Delhi will have a total of 11 stations, which will include Anand Vihar, Sarai Kale Khan,
ISBT Kashmere Gate, Mukarba Chowk, Narela, ISBT Kashmere Gate, New Delhi
railway station, INA, Dhaula Kuan and Mahipalpur.
According to NCRPB, the three corridors will be constructed in six years after
awarding of contract. The cost of this project is approximately 72170 crore rupees.
As pArt | Cultureof the project, the four states Delhi, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan have
agreed on the equity amount to be contributed by each.
Sirikonda Madhusudhana Chary became first speaker of

Telangana Legislative Assembly
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Sirikonda Madhusudhana Chary of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) became the first
speaker of Telangana Legislative Assembly on 10 June 2014. Chary won the assembly
election from Bhupalpalli constituency in Warangal district.
The Speaker of the state Assembly is similar to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the role
of the state assembly is same that of the speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Sikkim Government notified to provide 12 percent job reservation for BPL candidates
Sikkim Government on 5 June 2014 notified to provide 12 percent horizontal
reservation for below poverty line (BPL) candidates in all state government jobs and
posts in public sector undertakings.
According to the official notification released in Gangtok, the horizontal reservation
will be applicable with immediate effect only to BPL persons of Sikkim origin.
Latest figures issued by the Planning Commission have said that just about 8 percent
(about 55 thousand) people of Sikkim lives below poverty line.
LG Najeeb Jung constituted an Expenditure Finance Committee

Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on 6 June 2014 constituted an Expenditure Finance
Committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary of Delhi S.K. Srivastava.
The committee was constituted to clear projects of the Delhi Government worth up
to 100 crore rupees.
The seven member committee will look upon the sanctions of Expenditure on
Schemes-Projects-Capital works relating to construction of roads, flyovers, footover
bridges, subways, school buildings, hospital buildings etc. up to value of 100 crores
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rupees.
Other members of the committee include M.M. Kutty, Principal Secretary, Arun
Baroka Principal Secretary (PWD); B. K. Sharma, Director (Planning) and Deputy
Secretary Finance (Infrastructure) apart from the Principal Secretary or Secretary of
the concerned Department.
UP Government constituted SIT to probe gang rape and murder case of Badaun
State government of Uttar Pradesh on 6 June 2014 constituted a four-member Special
Investigating Team (SIT) to probe the Badaun gang rape and murder case. The SIT
will be headed by the Circle Officer of Ujhaini, Mukesh Saxena.
Assam Agriculture University and ICAR signed MoU for opening KVK in Baksa district
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat on 5 June 2014 signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to open a
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Baksa district of Assam. This will be the 638th Krishi
Vigyan Kendra of the country.
The MoU was signed by AK Sikka, Deputy Director General (Agril. Extn.), ICAR and
KM Bujarbaruah, Vice-Chancellor, Assam Agricultural University.
The Krishi Vigyan Kendra will promote agricultural and allied sectors in Baksa district
that is a geographical area of 2400 square kilometer. For catering to the needs of
the farming community of the district, the KVK will be located at village Dhepargaon,
Mouza Kaurbha, Goreswar Revenue Circle. The district has 15 Development Blocks
and 687 villages.
Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (Agricultural Science Centers) was established on the
recommendation of Education Commission 1964-66. The commission suggested for
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establishment of specialised institutions to provide vocational education in agriculture

and allied fields at pre and post-matriculate levels.
Further in 1973, the ICAR constituted a committee headed by Dr Mohan Singh Mehta
of Seva Mandir, Udaipur for working out on a detailed plan for implementing the
scheme. The committee submitted its report in 1974.
Following the report, the first KVK was established in Pondicherry on pilot basis
under the administrative control of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.
After this, the union government gave a nod to ICARs proposal of establishing 18
KVKs during fifth five year plan, which has been increased with time due to regular
demand.
Jammu and Kashmir raised retirement age of employee to

60
Jammu and Kashmir government on 3 June 2014 announced the enhancement of
the retirement age of government employees from 58 to 60 years. The cabinet also
raised the upper age limit for youths to obtain government jobs from 37 to 40 years.
It also announced several other employee-friendly measures and pledged itself to
redress their grievances. Besides, it also decided to absorb all temporary casual
labourers and need-based workers who have completed 7-year of service into
regular government services. The decision will benefit more than 60000 employees
in Jammu and Kashmir.
UP government ordered establishment of women helpline in

each district of State
Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on 3 May 2014 ordered setting
up of women helpline in 75 districts of the state. As per the directive, the helpline of
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each district will be monitored and maintained by the SSP and SP of the district.
As per the directive, prompt and immediate actions will be taken by the women
cell on any complaint lodged by victims or their families. Apart from this, the state
government also said that the cases of rape cases will be referred to fast track courts
to ensure speedy justice.
In his order, the Chief Minister also ordered the District Magistrates and Senior Police
Officers to impose stringent National Security Act on those who threatened a rapevictim or her family. Strict actions will be taken in case the officials fail to attend the
acts of crime swiftly.
Reason behind the helpline and direction of government for senior police officials
The Uttar Pradesh Government decided to set up women helpline in each district of
the state because of the national outcry over the gang rape and killing of two minor
sisters in Badaun district of the state.
The Union Nations has also condemned the incident and called for immediate action
against the perpetrators and violence against women and girls across India. Ban Kimoon, the UN chief termed the recent incident of violence towards women in India
and Pakistan as appalling.
Goa Day observed on 30 May 2014

Goa on 30 May 2014 observed Goa Day and this was the 27th Statehood Day. Goa
became 25th State of the Indian Union on 30 May 1987.
About Goa
Goa is a small state on the western coast of India. Goa is a state that has been a
major trade centre in Asia and has undergone continuous transformation, which has
left a mark on various aspects of its cultural and socio-economic development.
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Governor of Goa - Bharat Ver Wanchoo

Chief Minister of Goa - Manohar Parrikar
How Goa became an integral part of India?
From 1510, it was a Portuguese territory of the Empire and remained under their
control even after independence of India in 1947. After Independence, India insisted
that Portuguese should handover Goa and few other holdings to India, which was
refused by Portugal.
In reference to Indian demand of Goa and other holdings of Portugal, they lodged
a complaint against India in the International Court of Justice at The Hague. The
judgement was given in 1960 by the court that Portugal has right to the enclaves but
that India equally had a right to deny Portugal access to the enclaves over Indian
Territory.
Further in December 1961, Indian troops launched Operation Vijay and crossed
into border of Goa as a result of which the Portuguese forces surrendered. United
Nations resolution condemning the action of India was proposed in the UNSC, which
was vetoed by USSR. Then, under Indian control, Goa voted in a referendum to
become an autonomous, federally administered territory. Goa was admitted to Indian
statehood in 1987.
Goa celebrates its Liberation Day on 19 December every year.
9th Sikkim State Legislative Assembly constituted

9th State Legislative Assembly of Sikkim was constituted on 28 May 2014. Protem
Speaker Sonam Gyatso Lepcha administered oath to 31 newly elected members
during the first sitting of the House.
Leader of the House and Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan Chamling was the first
person to take the oath. Apart from this, the new MLAs unanimously elected Kedar
Nath Rai as the Speaker and Sonam Gyatso Lepcha as the Deputy Speaker of the
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Sikkim Legislative Assembly.

Chamling is the leader of Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) that has also extended their
unconditional support to the NDA government that was formed on 26 May 2014.
Punjab government gave approval to set-up Mega Food Park

in Ludhiana
Punjab government on 28 May 2014 gave in-principle approval to set-up Mega Food
Park at Ladowal in Ludhiana. The proposal to set up Mega Food Park was floated by
the Punjab Agro Industries Corporation (PAIC).
The approval will help promote Crop Diversification Programme in Punjab and also
give a fillip to the food processing industry in the State.
The Mega Food Park will be set up in an area of 100 acres at a cost of 150 crore
rupees
Badal in this regard directed PAIC to finalise a Detailed Project Report (DPR). PAIC
has also been asked to submit the DPR at the earliest to the Union Food Processing
Ministry.
The Chief Minister asked the concerned authorities to complete the entire plan along
with getting requisite approvals simultaneously within three months. The authorities
have also been asked to finalise a policy for allotment of land sites in the mega food
park to companies that would make big investments in a time bound manner.
The scheme of Mega Food Park of Union aims at providing a mechanism to link the
production of agriculture to the market, envisages a one-time capital grant of 50
percent of the project cost that is subject to a maximum of 50 crore rupees in general
areas and 75 percent of project cost subject to a ceiling of 50 crore rupees in difficult
and hilly areas.
Apart from the approval of the Mega Food Park, the Chief Minister also gave approval
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to establishment of new ultra modern fish markets at Amritsar and Bhatinda on the
pattern of already approved at Ludhiana. Also for establishment of maize processing
cluster, the Chief Minister asked the department to identify a large chunk of land
besides working out the comprehensive plan for it.
Mega Food Parks Scheme

The 10th Plan Scheme of Food Parks was revised during the 11th plan period
and was renamed as Mega Food Parks Scheme (MFPS). Further, the scheme
was approved by the Union Government in September 2008. Objectives of the
Scheme
Scheme formulated to accelerate growth of food processing industry in the country
Raising the processing of perishables in the country from the existing 6 percent
to 20 percent
Raining value addition from 20 percent to 35 percent
By the year 2015, raise in the share in global food trade from 1.5 percent to 3
percent
SDMC signed a MoU with GeoSpatial Delhi to provide UPIC

for South Delhi properties
South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on 26 May 2014 signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the GeoSpatial Delhi to give Unique Property Identification
Code (UPIC) to all properties in the civic bodys jurisdiction. This step will enable
SDMC to collect property tax easily.
The process of providing unique codes to each property is the responsibility of SDMC
under Section 125 of the Delhi Municipal Act.
The MoU was signed because the data of GeoSpatial Delhi claims that of 14.91 lakh
700
properties in South Delhi only 4.31 lakh were under the tax net in 2012-13. Whereas
the only 20 percent of the properties are non-taxable for various reasons and apart
from this about 12 lakh properties falls under the tax net.
Now the next step of SDMC is to survey the properties and then bring all those under
one electronic-based system.
Floating hotel AB Celestial unveiled in Mumbai

Floating hotel named, AB Celestial, unveiled in Mumbai on 22 May 2014. It will be
docked at Bandra under the iconic Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
The hotel was constructed by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation
(MTDC) in partnership with WB International Consultants and AB Hospitality.
AB Celestial is a 3-tier luxury dinning facility with a sky deck, two galleys. Its overall
capacity is 660 guests. It will have two multi-cuisine restaurants, including a club
lounge, equipped with a 24 hour coffee shop.
It will provide a 360-degree view of the city of Mumbai and the Sea Link. It will be
open to public from August 2014.
The entire investment for the project has been made by WB International and the
floatel will be managed by AB Hospitality. The MTDC has a 10 per cent profit share
arrangement, and will promote this project.
India already has several floatels in places like Kolkata, Goa, Kerala, but AB Celestial
will be first for Mumbai.
J&K government approved scrapping of New Recruitment

Policy, 2011
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government on 21 May 2014 scrapped the New Recruitment
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Policy, 2011. Under the new policy for non-gazetted posts, the appointees were paid
a stipend instead of salary for the first five years.
The decision to scrap the policy was taken as a part of course correction by the J &
K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after his party National Conferences debacle in the
Lok Sabha election 2014 in J&K.
Besides, the policy came in for huge criticism from the educated youth section. It
was criticized that with the implementation of the policy in 2011, the daily wage
labourers were earning more than what a new appointee in the government services
were entitled for.
Earlier in November 2013, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir had stayed the Policy on
a Public Interest Litigation filed before the Kashmir Wing of the High Court. However,
it cleared the implementation of the Policy in December 2013
About the New Recruitment Policy, 2011

The New Recruitment Policy, 2011 was approved by the State Cabinet in 2011.
According to this,
The new appointees for Class-III and Class-IV posts were paid fixed monthly
salary equivalent to 50 percent of the basic pay (Pay Band+Grade Pay) for first
two years.
For the next three years or during the remaining period out of the total five years
the employee was entitled to receive fixed salary of about 75 percent of the basic
pay.
The period during which such employee receives fixed monthly salary, shall count
for the purpose of all service benefits including seniority and pension contribution
(under the New Pension Scheme).
For five years they would not get any Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance
and City Compensatory Allowance, etc.
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Election Commission announced results of 2014 Sikkim Assembly Elections

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on 16 May 2014 announced the results of
the 2014 assembly elections of Sikkim. In a house of 32 assembly seats, Sikkim
Democratic Front (SDF) led by Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling emerged as
the largest party by winning 22 seats.
On the other hand, the newly formed party Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) that will
form opposition party won 10 assembly seats. SKM was formed as a political party in
the western city of Soreng in February 2013. The party is led by Prem Singh Tamang,
who is popularly known as PS Golay, the former minister in the SDF government.
Result of the assembly election 2014 in a house of 32 seats

Party
Seats won by the party
Sikkim Democratic Front
22
Sikkim Krantikari Morcha
10
The SDF was formed in 1993 and has been ruling Sikkim since 1994. The party in
2004 secured 31 seats and in 2009 Assembly Election it got the absolute majority.
Language Martyrs Day observed on 19 May in Barak Valley,

Assam
Barak Valley of Assam on 19 May 2014 observed Bhasha Shahid Diwas or Language
Martyrs Day. The day was observed by the people of the area irrespective of their
linguistic identity.
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Significance of Bhasha Shahid Diwas or Language Martyrs Day in Assam

Bhasha Shahid Diwas or Language Martyrs Day is observed in the Bengali-dominated
Barak Valley area of Assam in remembrance of the incident that happened on 19
May 1961. In the incident, eleven youth including one woman laid their lives down in
police firing at the Silchar railways station. They laid their life while protesting against
imposition of Assamese language on the Bengali-speaking populace of this valley.
The Sammilita Sanskritik Manch organised various programs at Silchar Railway
station, crematorium and Gandhi Bagh to mourn for the incident. People of the area
including some political leaders paid floral tributes to the language martyrs Column
in Silchar.
Election Commission announced results of 2014 Odisha assembly elections

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on 16 May 2014 announced the results of the
2014 assembly elections of Odisha. In a house of 147 assembly seats, Biju Janata
Dal led by incumbent Chief Minister of the state, Naveen Patnaik emerged as the
largest party by winning 117 seats.
Bharatiya Janata Party that won 10 seats stood at the second position.

Party
Biju Janata Dal
117
Bharatiya Janata Party
10
Indian National Congress
16
Others including Independents
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Results of Arunachal Pradesh assembly elections announced

by ECI
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on 16 May 2014 announced the results of
the 2014 assembly elections of Arunachal Pradesh. By winning 42 seats in a house
of 60, Indian National Congress (INC) led by the incumbent Chief Minister Nabam
Tuki emerged as the largest party. Bharatiya Janata Party with 11 seats stood at the
second position.

Party

People's Party of Arunachal
Independent
11
42
5
2
About Arunachal Pradesh, the largest state of the North Eastern region of
India (area wise)
Arunachal Pradesh became a full-fledged State with effect from 20 February 1987. It
was created as a state on the demand of people of the state. The total membership
of the Legislative Assembly of the state was raised to 60 during the general election
in 1990, when the first legislative assembly of the state was constituted.
Andhra Pradesh assembly election results declared by ECI

Election Commission of India (ECI) on 16 May 2014 announced the results of Assembly
elections of Andhra Pradesh. Telugu Desam Party led by Nara Chandra Babu Naidu
emerged as the largest party with 117 seats in a house of 294 seats.
Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) led by Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
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stood at the second position by winning the elections from 70 seats.
Result of the assembly elections 2014

Party
Telugu Desam
117
Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party
70
Telangana Rashtra Samithi
63
21
Others including independents
14
Andhra Pradesh as a state is at the verge of division and after being divided on 2
June 2014. After division, the two states will be named Telangana and Seemandhra
(coastal region of the remainder Andhra Pradesh). At present, the state comprises of
three regions namely Telangana, Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. Its capital and
largest city is Hyderabad
After formation, Telangana will be the 29th state of the Republic of India and will be
carved out from 10 north-western districts of the erstwhile state Andhra Pradesh.
Hyderabad, the capital of Anhdra Pradesh will be the joint capital of both the Telangana
and remainder of Andhra Pradesh for initial 10 years.
2 June 2014 will also mark the constitution of new state assemblies and swearingin of new governments in both Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh ending the
Presidents rule. President Rule was imposed after the resignation of chief minister
Kiran Kumar Reddy in February 2014.
Meghalaya Government banned rat-hole coal mining & coal

transportation in the State
State Government of Meghalaya on 14 May 2014 banned rat-hole mining and
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transportation of coal throughout the State. The order was issued by the State
government to comply with an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The Director General Police (DGP) of Meghalaya PJP Hanaman directed the
Superintendents of Police and the Deputy Commissioners to implement the order of
NGT in letter and spirit. Violators of the ban (if any) would be booked under Criminal
Procedure Code (CrPC) and Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Background
The NGT on 17 April 2014 passed an ex-parte interim order to ban primitive and
unscientific rat-hole coal mining and transportation of coal in the state. The order
was passed on an application filed by All Dimasa Students Union and Dima Hasao
District Committee from Assam on 2 April 2014.
Ex-parte interim order

Ex-parte interim order is a legal proceeding brought by one person in the absence of
and without representation or notification of other parties and is referred as improper
unilateral contracts with a court. These orders are granted for temporary or interim
custody or in extreme cases where order needs to be made right away for the safety
and protection of the child.
Odisha government inked agreement with TiE Silicon Valley

State government of Odisha on 14 May 2014 signed an agreement with the TiE
Silicon Valley. The agreement was signed as a part of states efforts to develop it an
IT hub and attract US investment. Under the agreement, Odisha government would
have a professional stationed at the headquarters of Silicon Valley in Santa Clara,
California.
With this agreement, Odisha became the first Indian State in India to sign such an
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agreement.
Signatories of the agreement on behalf of Odisha Government were Vishal K Dev,
the Odisha Industries Secretary and G Mathi Vathanan, Chairman-cum-Managing
Director of Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited.
The objective behind this agreement is to create awareness about the potential and
opportunities in existence for IT sector in India. The agreement also aims to creat
interest in the Silicon Valley for venture capital funding and outsourcing.
Bombay High Court ordered Maharashtra government to revise the electoral rolls
The Bombay High Court on 12 May 2014 ordered the Maharashtra government to
revise the electoral rolls in Mumbai and Pune. The bench of Justice Abhay Oka and
Justice M S Sonak gave the judgement by acknowledging the five Public Interest
Litigation (PILs) that challenged deletion of half a million names in the voters list in
Mumbai and Pune.
The Court in its direction also asked the state government to advertise the decision
of revision of electoral rolls in three newspapers in Pune and Mumbai each to make
people aware and take a note of their suggestions or objections.
The Court also rejected the plea that demanded stay on the Lok Sabha 2014 polls
results and for appointment of an SIT headed by a retired Supreme Court or high
court judge to hold an inquiry into the deletion of voters.
The court made it clear that such revision shall have no nexus with the ongoing Lok
Sabha Elections 2014.
The court refused to grant any interim relief plead by the petitioners that supplementary
polls be held in these constituencies (Mumbai and Pune) where names of voters were
found deleted in the voters list and allow them to cast their vote.
The court further rejected the challenge to the validity of Section 23(3) of the
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Representation of People Act, 1950 and Article 329 of the Constitution of India, which
imposes a bar on the court to interfere in electoral matters.
SC ordered CBI probe into Saradha chit fund scam

The Supreme Court of India on 9 May 2014 ordered CBI inquiry into multi-crore
Saradha chit fund scam that happened in West Bengal, Odisha and Assam. The
court has also directed the CBI to investigate ponzi scheme scams of Odisha.
In its direction the Court has directed the state agencies to assist the CBI in its probe.
As per the order of the apex court, the CBI during the process of inquiry will probe
against Saradha Company in West Bengal along with 44 other firms of Odisha those
were allegedly involved in chit fund scams.
This order of investigation was ordered by the apex court, while hearing three petitions
(two from Bengal and one from Odhisa) in the Saradha scam case.
The order was passed by a bench of Supreme Court that was led by Justice TS Thakur.
The bench said that an in-depth probe is required by the premier investigative agency
in aspects of inter-state ramifications and also due to larger angle of conspiracy in
the case.
Delhi got its first Dolby Atmos audio technology

Delhi on 1 May 2014 received its first Dolby Atmos audio technology, in its one of the
oldest Cinema, named Delite Cinemas. It had upgraded its audio technology. Delite
Cinemas is a single screen theatre and also the first in northern India to have the
technology.
The up gradation of the audio technology of the Delite cinemas was announced by
Dolby Laboratories.
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Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is a positional sound system, with many more audio channels that
helps in creating a more life-like sound experience. It will create realistic and natural
sound experiences that envelop and involve you in the stories.
Dolby Atmos was introduced by the Dolby Laboratories in April 2012. The first theatre
to use Dolby Atmos technology in India was Sathyam multiplex in Chennai. Other
cinemas using it include PVR Juhu in Mumbai.
Some of the Atoms technology featured movies are Brave, The Life of Pi, Star Trek:
Into Darkness, Dhoom 3, Madras Cafe and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
SC ordered audit of Sree Padmanabha temple under supervision of former CAG Vinod Rai
The Supreme Court of India on 24 April 2014 ordered that the special audit of
property, assets and accounts of Keralas Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple under
the supervision of the former Comptroller and Audit General of India, Vinod Rai.
The bench of the Supreme Court comprised of Justice RM Lodha and Justice AK
Patnaik has ordered to constitute a new administrative five-member committee
headed by the District Judge of Thiruvananthapuram. The five members of the
committee includes
The Thiruvananthapuram district judge
A tantri of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy tem
Chief Nambi of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple
Other two members of the committee will be appointed in consultation with the
state government
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The Court also appointed a senior IAS officer and former administrator of the
Guruvayoor temple as the executive officer of the temple. These orders were given
by the bench of Supreme Court comprised by Justice RM Lodha and Justice AK
Patnaik.
The Court in its decision said that the trustees of the temple had failed badly and
there is a need to change them. It also found that there are certain disturbing features
like financial irregularities and extremely serious issues and there is a requirement of
immediate redressal.
It has warned that no employee should be intimidated by the members of the royal
family.
The Supreme Court was apprised by the senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam,
who appeared as amicus curiae in the matter about 15 April 2014 report that has
highlighted several irregularities in the management of the temple and its wealth.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry slapped notice

on Idea Cellular for Pashmina ad
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on 23 April 2014 asked
private telecom company, Idea Cellular to immediately withdraw its controversial
advertisement on Pashmina Shawls. KCCI in its legal notice has asked the company
to publish and telecast apologies at prime time as many times this advertisement has
been telecast by it.
A compensational penalty of 400 crore rupees has been imposed on Idea Cellular.
The KCCI has sought a penalty of 300 crore rupees for the loss of business and
reputation and nother 100 crore rupees for suffering pain and agony.
KCCI lawyer, Azharul Amin has sent the notice to Chairman of Aditya Birla Group
Kumar Mangalam Birla and Idea Cellular through Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Rajat
Mukharji.
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Earlier, the advertisement was termed as wrong and misleading by the chief Minister
of the state, Omar Abdullah.
DMRC completed the construction of first crossover viaduct

of India at Karkardooma
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on 20 April 2014 completed the construction of first
crossover viaduct of India at the east Delhis Karkardooma Metro station.
The viaduct is aligned at an angle of 114 degree and is 21metre above the ground.
It is one of the highest points in the Phase III network. Till now, Akshardham was the
highest station on the network.
The Phase III network of DMRC will run from Mukundpur-Shiv Vihar. It covers a
distance of 59km.
DMRC has also planned to built such elevated viaducts at four more locations in
Phase III. These locations are Netaji Subhash Place, Dhaula Kuan, Mayur Vihar I and
Anand Vihar.
First double-decker flyover opened at Mumbai

First double-decker flyover of India was opened for public use on 18 April 2014 in
Mumbai.
The flyover will provide a critical east-west suburban link in the city and has slashed
travel time from the earlier 90 minutes to barely 20 minutes. The project was named
as Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR).
The flyover spanned a total length of 3.45 km and another 1.8 km long double-decker
flyover crossed above the Central Railway and Harbour Line tracks. The flyover will
give a speedy access from the Western Express Highway to Kurla, Tilak Nagar,
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Chembur and Eastern Express Highway.

The project was planned in 2002 and construction was started from 2006.
The World Bank funded the SCLR project. The Santacruz-Chembur Link Road took
a cost of around 4.54 billion rupees.
Mizoram Government refused to repatriate Bru refugees

within three months
Mizoram Government on 12 April 2014 refused to repatriate all the Bru refugees
lodged in six Tripura relief camps within three months.
Earlier on 8 April 2014, the state government had agreed to the demand of the NGO
Coordination Committee to repatriate the Bru refugees within three month. It agreed
that they would repatriate all the Bru refugees after the end of the ongoing election
process. Apart from this the state government, also agreed to delete the names of
those from the voter lists of Mizoram, who refused to return back.
Who are Bru refugees?

The Bru Refugees also called Reang refugees are the original inhabitants of Mammit
Sub-Division of Aizawl District of Mizoram. They started arriving in North Tripuras
Kanchanpur sub division since 29 October 1997.
The main reasons for the migration of Bru refugees for the migration were:
1. Resistance to the demand of Bru community for an exclusive Autonomous District
Council by Mizo community
2. Traditional rivalry of BRU community with Mizo community
Reang or Bru Refugees are among one the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura and Reang
was added to their nomenclature accidentally by the Union government during a
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census count.
Dialects (language) of the Bru Refugees - they use the dialect of Kokborok language
locally referred to the Kau Bru with Tibeto-Burmese origin.
SMS based service Polling at your fingertips launched in

Shillong
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), P Naik on 31 March 2014 launched SMS based
service named Polling at your Fingertips in Shillong, Meghalaya. This is one of the
most innovative steps started for the voters under which they will have to enter their
EPIC number and send it to 9856066666.
The EPIC SMS from the voter will provide him all the details of their electoral number,
polling stations, timing and date in their mobile phones. The SMS service will be
charged at 3 rupees per SMS.
Jammu and Kashmir became first state to show No Smoking

Area in elections booths
Jammu and Kashmir became the first state in the country to declare all election
booths as No Smoking Areas in Lok Sabha elections 2014. Chief Electoral Officer
of Jammu and Kashmir, Umang Narula issued a circular on 25 March 2014 to all
returning officers and district election officers of the state.
Now it is mandatory for all election booths to display the No Smoking Area warning.
The direction was issued in the backdrop of a request made by the J&K Voluntary
Health Association.
The Association made the request on the basis of Section-4 of Cigarettes and
Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and
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Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003. The Section-4 of the Act
prohibits smoking at all public places.
Gurgaon has the highest first time voters in Haryana

The maximum number of voters in Haryana who will cast their vote first time in the
upcoming Lok Sabha elections fall in Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency.
The number of first time voters in the age group of 18-19 years in Gurgaon is 47161
according to the data released by Haryana State Government.
Out of a total of 339452 first-time voters in the 18-19 age group 98756 voters are
females and 250696 are males.
The maximum number of first time women voters 14144 in the 18-19 age group also
fall in Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency even as the maximum number of 33017 firsttime men voters too come from the same constituency.
On the other hand, the minimum number of 27213 voters in the age group of 18 and
19 fall in Rohtak Lok Sabha constituency. These include 7,221 women and 19,992
men.
The maximum number of 41571 voters in the age group of above 80 is in Sirsa out of
which men number 25097.
The least number of 26207 voters above 80 years of age fall in Faridabad Lok Sabha
constituency. These include 12465 women and 13742 men.
While on the national level, the Election Commissions data show that the proportion
of 18-19 year-olds registered to vote is the highest in Jharkhand (9 per cent of total
electors), Chhattisgarh (4.9 per cent) and Rajasthan (4.8 per cent) and the lowest in
Himachal Pradesh (1.3 per cent), Maharashtra (1.4 per cent) and Kerala and Karnataka
(1.8 per cent).
2014 Lok Sabha election will reflect the peak of Indias electoral demographic dividend
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with 10% of voters likely to be first-time voters.
Chhattisgarh Government ordered high-level inquiry in Sukma Maoist attack

Government of Chhattisgarh on 11 March 2014 ordered a high-level departmental
inquiry into the Maoist (Naxal) attack near Tongpal in Sukma district. The high-level
departmental inquiry will be led by the additional Director General of Police, Naxal
Operations, RK Vij. The inquiry will be focused on various security aspects. Apart
from the departmental inquiry, a separate magisterial inquiry will also be conducted
into the ambush of Maoists in the forests of Tongapal, which is about 400 km from
the capital of the state.
Earlier on the same day, Maoists in their attack killed 16 people including 15 security
personnel of which 11 were from CRPF.
The decision of initiating a departmental inquiry was made at a high level meeting
that was presided over by Raman Singh, the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. Raman
Singh has also instructed the state police to be alert and take effective steps on a war
footing to nab the criminals.
Earlier in a similar type of ambush, the group of Maoists on 25 May 2013 killed 17
people in their attack on a convoy of Congress party at Darba Valley. This attack on
the security force is similar to the massacre of 2010 in which 76 security men in the
same area were ambushed and killed.
Hailstorm in Maharashtra damaged Rabi crops worth 5000

crore rupees
In Maharashtra 11 lakh hectares of Rabi crops were damaged due to hail storm
which has engulfed the state since last one week. The rabi crop damage is estimated
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to be worth 5000 crore rupees by the state agricultural department.

Heavy rains and hailstorm has adversely affected the parts of Marathwada, Western
Maharastra, North Maharashtra and Vidharbha.
Out of 35 districts in Maharashtra, 28 districts are badly affected. Some of the worst
affected districts are Baramati, Pune, Beed, Latur, Osmanabad, Nashik, Akola,
Buldhana, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Amravati, Yavatmal, Washim, Jalgaon, Nanded,
Nadurbar and Dhule.
Standing crops like wheat, jowar and onions have been severely affected. The
cultivation of grapes, oranges, mash melons and bananas also have been damaged.
The state government forwarded the proposal for compensation to allow financial
assistance to the affected farmers to the Union Agriculture Ministry. Union Agricultural
Ministry has to seek the Election Commission permission due to the model conduct
is in force for coming Lok Sabha Elections.
NDMC launched Stri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana

North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) launched a new health scheme Stri
Swasthya Suraksha Yojna for women on 6 March 2014. The Scheme aims to bring
services closer for those living in rural areas and unauthorized colonies.
Under the scheme, health camps and mass awareness drives will be held in various
areas of north Delhi. The medical services will be provided through various nodal
centres, hospitals and mobile dispensaries marked for the programme.
The scheme was launched due to many women suffering from various health ailments
either out of poverty or for the lack of medical assistance. Under the scheme, these
women will be examined at the camps and health centres. During the health camps,
screenings will be done for different kinds of cancers, anaemia and malnutrition
among others.
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Assam became the first state to observe Child Protection

Day
Assam on 4 March 2014 became the first state in India to observe State Child
Protection Day. A central function was organized with the support of Assam State
Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) in collaboration with United
Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF).
The day was observed with the colourful dances and skits performed by school
children to highlight issues related to children namely
Quality education
Importance of protection of children
Child trafficking and child marriage
During the conclusion of the celebration of the day, Runumi Gogoi, the ASCPCR
Chairperson made every person to pledge to always work for the protection of
Children against all forms of abuse and ensure their rights.
Internationally Child Protection Day is observed on 19 November every year. It was
launched by the Womens World Summit Foundation (WWSF) in 2000.
Reorganisation Committee constituted in Andhra to ensure

smooth bifurcation of the state
PK Mohanty, the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh on 28 February 2014 constituted
a Reorganisation Committee at the state secretariat in Hyderabad. The state
administration has constituted six major and 15 sub-committees to ensure smooth
bifurcation of the state.
The committee comprises three senior IAS officers namely K Ramakrishna Rao, B
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Venkatesam and Jayesh Ranjan. The Reorganisation committee will coordinate the
work among 15 sub-committees who are required to submit their reports in three
copies to archives, section and to the concerned secretary.
The sent information of the 15 sub-committees would reach to the AP Reorganisation
Cells three officers and then to Apex Committee. Further the report will be sent to
the chief secretary by apex committee that will include eight members. The chief
secretary will send the report to the advisors of the governor to start the division
process.
Apart from the formation of Reorganisation Committee, the Union Cabinet on 28
February 2014 decided to impose Presidents Rule in the State. The decision came
as the state is without a Chief Minister, since Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned
from the post and Congress party to protest against the passage of Andhra Pradesh
Reorganisation Bill, 2013.
Haryana State Budget 2014-15: Highlights

Haryana Finance Minister Harmohinder Singh Chattha presented the State Budget
2014-15 on 28 February 2014. The Budget 2014-15 has neither proposed new taxes
nor announced sops. It laid down an Annual plan outlay of 32731. 29 crore rupees
with a revenue deficit of 5012.57 crore rupees.
Main Highlights of the Budget

Total Budget size for 2014-15 was estimated at 73301.08 crore rupees.
In the budget estimates for 2014-15, total receipts have been estimated to be
59173.1 crores rupees, including public debt net of repayments.
The total expenditure was pegged at 59451.23 crore rupees, including 52702.71
crore rupees on account of revenue expenditure and 6748.52 crore rupees as
capital expense.
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The fiscal deficit was projected at 2.5% of the gross state domestic product
(GSDP) in 2014-15 against 2.9% of GSDP in revised estimates (RE) of 2013-14
which as per FRBM Act should be 3%.
The revenue deficit during 2014-15 was projected to be 1.2% of GSDP against
1.43% in 2013-14, which as per FRBM Act should be zero.
To fund the various welfare schemes, an allocation of 4418.30 crore rupees has
been made for social justice and empowerment and also for the upliftment of the
Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes.
Agriculture and allied sectors would receive 2156.31 crore rupees, power sector
5360.14 crore rupees and road, transport sector 4987.80 crore rupees among
others.
There was no change in the 70368 crore rupees debt burden on the State, which
was 18.24 per cent of the GSDP and fell within the sustainable debt limit of 22.9
per cent as stipulated under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budgetary Management
Act 2005.
Economic Survey 2013-14 of Haryana: Highlights

The economic growth of Haryana has been exemplary since its creation in 1966.
The State economy grew at an excellent average annual growth rate of 8.8 percent
during the period of last 8 years (2005-06 to 2012-13), higher than the 8.0 percent
growth rate of the Indian economy. The contribution of the State in the National
GDP at constant (2004-05) prices has been recorded as 3.4 percent as per the Quick
Estimates (QE) of 2012-13.
The Department of Economic & Statistical Analysis, Haryana (DESA) prepares the
estimates of State Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
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Main Highlights of Economic Survey 2013-14

The growth in GDP of the State during 2012-13 as per Quick Estimates was
recorded as 6.5 percent, higher than the growth of 4.5 percent recorded by the
Indian economy.
During the period of the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12), the State economy registered
the growth of 8.7 percent.
During the 11th FYP, Agriculture & Allied sector posted a growth of 3.7 percent
whereas Industrial sector and Services Sector grew at the rate of 6 percent and
12.4 percent during the 11th Plan.
The State economy lost its rapidity during the first two years i.e. 2012-13 and
2013-14 of 12th Five Year Plan. The Quick Estimate of State GDP at current
prices has been estimated as 345237.78 crore rupees for 2012-13 as against the
Revised Estimate of 301958.52 crore rupees in 2011-12 recording the growth of
14.3 percent.
The GDP at constant (2004-05) prices for 2012-13 has been estimated as 188033.12
crore rupees as against the Revised Estimate of 176525.89 crore rupees for 201112 reflecting the growth of 6.5 percent.
Growth in various sectors of Haryana economy during 2012-13 are: Finance & Real
Estate(15.3 percent); Manufacturing (4.9 percent); Electricity, Gas & Water Supply
(0.5 percent); Construction (4.7 percent); Transport, Communication & Trade (6.7
percent) and Public Administration (5.5 percent)
As per the Advance Estimates the GDP of the State at current prices has been
recorded as 392894.05 crore rupees registering the growth of 13.8 percent over
2012-13.
The GDP in 2013-14 is expected to reach at the level of 201077.08 crore rupees
at constant (2004-05) prices with the growth rate of 6.9 percent, higher than the
all India growth rate of 4.9 percent.
The per capita income of the State at constant (2004-05) prices as per Advance
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Estimates is expected to reach at the level of 68040 rupees during 2013-14 as

against 64631 rupees in 2012-13 indicating an increase of 5.3 percent during
2013-14.
At current prices, the State per capita income is likely to reach at the level of
135007 rupees during 2013-14 as compared to that of 120352 rupees in 2012-13
showing an increase of 12.2 percent during 2013-14. The Haryana State has the
highest per capita income amongst the large States in the Country.
Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GCFC) in the State at current prices has been
estimated at 51094 crore r2wupees for the year 2011-12 against 42616 crore
rupees estimated for the year 2010-11 resulting to an increase of 19.9 percent.
At constant (2004-05) prices, the GFCF has recorded an increase of 8.8 percent
estimating to 32746 crore rupees for the year 2011-12 against 30090 crore rupees
for the year 2010-11.
Bihar Economic Survey : Highlights

The GSDP of Bihar at 2004-05 prices in 2012-13 is 1.65 lakh crore rupees, yielding
a per capita income of 16537 rupees. The estimated GSDP at current prices in
2012-13 is 3.09 lakh crore rupees, implying a per capita income of 30930.
During 1999-00 to 2005-06, the state income at constant prices grew at an annual
rate of 5.7 percent. After that, the economy witnessed a turnaround and grew at
an annual rate of 12.0 percent. It should be noted here that the rate of growth
achieved by the economy during 2006-13 is not only much higher than what was
achieved in previous period, but one of the highest among all the Indian states.
During the period 2006-13, the sectors recording a growth rate of more than 15
percent are Registered Manufacturing (18.2 percent), Construction (21.9 percent),
Communication (38.4 percent), Trade, Hotels and Restaurants (15.1 percent), and
Banking and Insurance (23.5 percent).
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The rate of growth of Agriculture and AnimalHusbandry sector has been 5.9
percent during 2006-13, compared to only 3.0 percent during 1999-2006 period.
This is of special significance, as nearly 90 percent of the population living in rural
areas depend on this sector for their livelihood.
The share of the primary sector has been showing a decline over the years, and
it came down to 25.9 percent for the triennium ending 2009-10 and then to 22.4
percent for the triennium ending 2012-13. This shows that the importance of the
primary sector has declined steadily over the years.
In 2010-11, Patna (57483 rupees), Munger (21019 rupees) and Begusarai (18447
rupees) are the most prosperous districts of Bihar.
On the other end of the ranking ladder, the most economically backward districts
are Sheohar (6209 rupees), Banka(7764 rupees) and Madhepura (8102 rupees).
Economic Survey 2013-14 of Himachal Pradesh

The economy of Himachal Pradesh has transformed rapidly from the most backward
State of India to one of the most advanced State. The pace of such transformation
has led to Himachal Pradesh emerging as a leader in Hill Area Development. Himachal
is an ideal destination for investment in Power and Tourism sector. Responsive
administration and conducive macroeconomic conditions have induced a competitive
environment in the economy of Himachal Pradesh.
The Main Highlights

The economy of the state is expected to achieve a growth rate of 6.2 percent in the
current financial year which will be comparatively better than the national growth.
The State Gross Domestic Product (GSDP) at factor cost at constant (2004-05)
prices in 2012-13 is estimated at 44480 crore rupees as against 41908 crore
rupees in 2011-12. Thus, registering a growth of 6.1 percent during the year as
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against the growth rate of 7.3 percent during the previous year.
At current prices, the GSDP is estimated at 73710 crore rupees as against 64957
crore rupees in 2011-12 showing an increase of 13.5 percent during the year.
The Per Capita Income at current prices witnessed an increase of 11.6 percent as
it increased to 83899 rupees in 2012-13 from 75185 rupees in 2011-12.
The increase in total State Domestic Product is mainly attributed to 9.5 percent
increase in Primary sector, 10.0 percent in Community & Personal Services sectors,
6.2 percent in Transport and Trade, 4.8 percent in Finance & Real estate. Whereas
the Secondary sector increased by only 3.4 percent.
Food-grains production, which was 15.44 lakh MT during 2011-12 has increased
to 15.68 lakh MT during 2012-13 and is expected at 15.16 lakh MT (anticipated)
in 2013-14.
The fruit production has also increased by 49.1 percent i.e from 3.73 lakh MT in
2011-12 to 5.56 lakh MT in 2012-13 and during 2013-14 (up to December, 2012)
production was 8.28 lakh MT.
Sikkim Lokayukta Bill 2014 unanimously passed by Legislative Assembly

The State Legislative Assembly of Sikkim on 26 February 2014 unanimously passed
the Sikkim Lokayukta Bill-2014. The passed bill is aimed at providing transparent and
corruption free governance in the state. It empowers people to file petition against
any corrupt individual may be he is a Chief Minister to Panchayat and from Chief
Secretary to peon.
The bill was introduced by the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, who is also the InCharge State Law Department. This bill will become a law after the assent of the
Governor, Sriniwas Patel.
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This bill is based on the central Lokpal Bill. It is expected, that the Bill will benefit
people of Sikkim by providing a chance to fight against corruptions and irregularities
in governance and certain public functionaries.
Karnataka Interim Budget 2014-15 presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented the interim budget 2014-15 on
26 February 2014. The fiscal deficit which was 2.90 percent of GSDP in 2013-14 is
expected to touch 2.92 per cent during 2014-15. This is below the three percent limit
set by the FRBM Act. The revenue surplus is estimated at 281 crore rupees.
Main Highlights of Interim Budget of Karnataka

A new policy to buy land for residential sites in rural and urban areas will be
implemented.
Motor Vehicles Act to be amended to plug revenue loss from vehicles registered
in other states plying on Karnataka roads.
Government will set up three 250-bed super-specialty hospitals in Mysore,
Gulbarga and Belgaum.
Government will also initiate a medical college in each district in phased manner.
Furthermore six colleges will come up initially in Tumkur, Haveri, Bagalkot, Yadgir,
Chikkaballapur and Chitradurga,
A grant 500 crore rupees to Krishibhagya scheme to improve rain fed agriculture
which will be implemented in 23 districts to cover 45 lakh hectares.
Incentive to set up Janatha Cinema Halls at district and taluqa headquaters to
exhibit Kannada films.
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Allocations for different sectors

Water resources - 11349 crore rupees; Education - Rs 21305 crore rupees; Energy
- 11 693 crore rupees; Urban Development - 9995 crore rupees, Social welfare
-6475 crore rupees; Women and child welfare - 3670 crore rupees; PWD - 6634 crore
rupees; Rural Development - 9361 crore rupees; BBMP - 1527 crore rupees.
Taxes
Additional excise duty on beer hiked from 122 percent to 135 percent.
License fee for distilleries and breweries hiked by 50 percent.
500 rupees to be levied on luxury cars per seat, per quarter.
Stamp duty exempted for alternative sites by BDA.
Education
Expert committee to prepare text books.
Online computer-aided education to be introduced.
Central university to be set up in Karwar.
Bangalore and Karnataka Virtual University to be set up.
10000 students in standards 9 and 10 to be trained in IT, retail and healthcare.
Education Quality Monitoring Cell to be set up.
UP Assembly passed Water Management and Regulatory

Commission Bill 2014
Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh on 25 February 2014 passed the UP Water
Management and Regulatory Commission Bill 2014 by Voice Vote. This nod of the
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Assembly has paved the way to set-up a body that would suggest ways and means
for judicious utilization of water.
The proposed regulatory body would suggest tariff for use of water for commercial,
irrigation and domestic purposes and this body will work under the state government.
Now, the bill will be referred to Vidhan Parishad for further passage. After passage by
the Assembly and Vidhan Parishad, the Bill will be sent to the governor of the state
for signature.
The bill was tabled in the Assembly by PWD Minister Shivpal Yadav. As per the
proposal, the commission will comprise a chairperson and members not exceeding
more than five in numbers.
The bill also mentions that for being selected as the chairperson of the commission
a person will have to holds a bachelors degree and having an experience of
administrative tasks of minimum 25 years and must have held the post of the chief
secretary of the state government or government of India. The tenure of a chairperson
or member has been fixed for two years which will also include reappointment for two
consecutive terms. The bill also bares any ex-MLA or MP from being a chairperson
or a member of the commission.
Earlier, the state had similar commission that was constituted in 2008 but was
dissolved in 2012 after Samajwadi Party government came in power in the state.
Rajasthan Interim Budget 2014-15: Highlights

The Interim Budget for the year 2014-15 was laid before the State Legislative Assembly
by the Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje on 20 February 2014.
During 2013-14 additional authorisation of over 14000 crore rupees were allowed.
However, despite efforts to contain Revenue Deficit and Fiscal Deficit, Revenue Deficit
of 2505.15 crore rupees and Fiscal Deficit of 18301.27 crore rupees is estimated in
the Revised Estimates of 2013-14.
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As per Revised Estimates 2013-14, Fiscal Deficit is estimated to be around 3.56

percent of GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of 513688 crore rupees.
This is beyond the ceiling of 3percent prescribed under (Fiscal Responsibility and
Budget Management) (FRBM) Act.
Due to breach of the ceiling of Fiscal Deficit of 3 percent State Government has to
bear the loss of 172 crore rupees of interest rate relief.
The highlights of Interim Budget 2014-15 are as under:

Revenue surplus of 731.75 crore rupees is estimated during 2014-15.
Fiscal deficit of 16354.76 crore rupees is estimated during the year 2014-15. This is
2.86 percent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
Debt-Gross State Domestic Product ratio is estimated to be 25.73 percent.
These estimates fulfill the fiscal parameters set by the 13th Finance Commission and
FRBM Act i.e. zero Revenue Deficit, Fiscal Deficit less than 3 percent of Gross State
Domestic Product and Debt-GSDP ratio to remain below 36.5 percent.
Revenue Receipts of 91438.98 crore rupees is estimated in the year 2014-15 which
will be 18.47 percent above the Budget Estimate of 2013-14.
States Own Tax Revenue is estimated to grow at 19.36 percent to reach 40644.96
crore rupees in 2014-15 as compared to 34053.13 crore rupees in 2013-14.
Revenue collection is estimated to be 7.1 percent of GSDP.
Provision of 10362.70 crore rupees was kept in the Budget Estimates for interest
payments during 2014-15. This is 11.33 percent of total Revenue Receipts of State.
Capital Expenditure in 2014-15:
Capital outlay of 6916.19 crore rupees is estimated in 2014-15. It is 2.95 percent of
GSDP and 20.35 percent higher over estimates of 14055.91 crore rupees in BE 201314.
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Plan Expenditure: Plan expenditure of 40139 crore rupees is estimated in Budget

Estimates for 2014-15.
The budget does not have new tax or relief for the first quarter of fiscal year 2014-15.
Phase II of Vision 2023 released by Tamil Nadu Government

Tamil Nadu Government unveiled a new industrial policy on 23 February 2014.
The State Government released an exclusive policy for the phase-II of Vision 2023
document with the introduction of automobile and Auto- components policy and The
Biotechnology Policy.
Vision- 2023 has set a target of attracting investments to the tune of 15 lakh crore
rupees.
The Vision 2023 includes 217 infrastructure projects in six major sectors energy,
transport, industrial and commercial infrastructure, urban infrastructure and services,
agriculture and human development.
The Automobile Policy aimed at making Chennai as one of the top five global auto
clusters of India. Chennai is considered as the Detroit of Asia for having a number of
manufacturing facilities by many auto firms.
Korean-auto maker Hyundai, US Car maker Ford, Japanese auto major Nissan in a
joint venture with France-based Renault have set up manufacturing facilities near
Chennai.
German car maker BMW, Mercedes Benz and commercial vehicle maker Daimler
have set up similar production plants near Chennai.
The industrial policy had its focus on creating a business friendly environment with
world class infrastructure and to boost employment and skill levels obtaining in the
State.
According to the centre of Monitoring Indian Economy report, Tamil Nadu had
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achieved 18.2 per cent growth in investments higher than Gujarat, Maharashtra and
Karanataka.
NTPC signed MoU to Develop Kajra Thermal Project of 1320

MW in Bihar
NTPC on 22 February 2014 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited (BSPGCL) and Lakhisarai Bijlee
Company Private Limited (LBCPL) to develop a 1320 MW (2 X 660 MW) Thermal
Power Project at Kajra in Lakhisarai district of Bihar. 9200 crore rupees will be invested
on development of the project thaqt will gave two units of 660 MW each.
The MoU between the three institutions was signed at Patna in Bihar in presence of
Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar and Arup Roy Chaudhary, the CMD of NTPC
and Energy Minister of Bihar.
As per the MoU signed between the three institutions, the project will be developed
through a joint venture in which 74 percent stake will rest with NTPC and the rest with
BSPGCL.
Union Cabinet approved Odia as Classical Language

Union Cabinet on 20 February 2014 gave its nod for classifying Odia, the official
language of Odisha as a classical language to give impetus to scholarships in the
language. Odia is the first language from the Indo-Aryan linguistic group to be billed in
the list of classical language. The proposal to give Odia a status of classical language
was moved by the Culture Ministry. As per the eighth schedule under Articles 344 (1)
and 351 Odia (Oriya) of Constitution of India is one of the 22 scheduled languages of
India.
The demand of classifying Odia as a classical language was the demand of the state
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government since 2004, which was accepted by the Sahitya Akademi in July 2013
and then was forwarded to the Union Ministry of Culture.The Odisha Government
submitted a document with a demand of classical tag on its official language was
prepared under the supervision of founder director of the Central Institute of Indian
Languages, Mysore, Debiprasanna Pattanayak and researcher Subrat Kumar Prusty.
Odia being one of the oldest languages has been declared as classical language
because of the demands and also because it has no resemblance to Hindi, Bengali,
Telugu and Sanskrit.
Odia is the sixth language to be become the classical language of the country. Other
five Indian languages that have been declared as the classical languages of which
four are Dravidian languages
Tamil was classified in 2004
Sanskrit was classified in 2005
Telugu was classified in 2008
Kannada was classified in 2008
Malayalam was classified in 2013
The five international languages of the world that has been classified as the classical
language are Chinese, Sanskrit, Arabic, Greek and Latin.
Background
Once any language is declared as a classical language then it gets a financial
assistance to set-up a centre for excellence for the study of the language and also
opens up an avenue for two major awards for scholars of eminence.
This declaration also brings the facility to request the University Grants Commission
for creation of a certain number of professional chairs for classical languages for
scholars of eminence in the language at least in Central Universities.
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Expert Committee of Sahitya Akademi in 2004 mentioned four Criteria on

which the language is classified as a classical language
High antiquity of its early or ancient texts or literature of recorded history over a
period of 1500 to 2000 years
Originality of the literary tradition and an assurance that the language has not
been borrowed from another speech community
Considered as the valuable heritage in form of ancient literature/texts by generations
of speaker
Distinction of the literature and classical language from the modern and may not
be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its branch.
K Rehman Khan inaugurated Minority Cyber Village in Rajasthan

Indias first Minority Cyber Village was inaugurated by the Minister for Minority Affairs
K Rehman Khan on 19 February 2014 in Chandoli in Alwar district of Rajasthan.
Chandoli has been selected as the first village for the pilot project as it holds more
than 80 percent of minority population and also because the minorities of the Mewat
region is still backward in education. The project will be carried in other areas after
the success of the pilot project.
About the Cyber Village

The Cyber village project will provide computer education to people in the age
group of 15 to 59.
Further also, institution under the project will be instituted in the villages with
substantial population of minority
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Under this project experts will provide training of commuter skills to the people of
chandoli
The Minority Affairs minister in his announcement said that the government is also
considering opening special schools on pattern of Kendriya Vidyalayas from minority
community. Government has also planned to come up with 200 new colleges in
minority dominated areas and the areas include Laxmangarh, Tijara, Kishengarhbas
and Ramgarh
Ten-day festival Taj Mahotsav began in Agra

Taj Mahotsav, the ten day annual festival began in Agra, Uttar Pradesh on 18 February
2014.The festival will be celebrated from 18 to 27 February 2014 at the Shilp Gram,
the Eastern gate of Taj Mahal. The theme of the festival for this year is Paigham-e
Mohahabbat or the message of love.
About Taj Mahostav

Taj Mahotsav was started in 1992 and since then its glory has reached to greater
heights. The festival is organized by the Uttar Pradesh Department of Tourism to
increase the Indian Tourism.
Taj Mahotsav is a vibrant platform that gives information of India where one can
find Indias rich arts, crafts, cultures, cuisine, dance and music.
In Taj Mahotsav legendary artisans from different parts of the country get an
opportunity to display their exquisite works of art like wood or stone carvings from
Tamil Nadu, Bamboo or cane work from North East India, Paper mash work from
South India and Kashmir, the marble and zardozi work from Agra.
The Performances of folk, classical music and dances of various regions, especially
the Brij Bhumi will be performed the way they used to be centuries ago.
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Interim Budget 2014-15 of Bihar: Highlights

The interim budget of Bihar was presented by the Minister for Water Resource
Department on 17 February 2014. The interim budget highlighted the robust financial
condition of Bihar and proposed nearly 27 per cent increase in total receipts at
116882.77 lakh crore rupees for the fiscal year 2014-15.
The Main Highlights

For the year 2014-15 revenue surplus is 10174.03 crore rupees. This revenue
surplus will be used for investment in physical infrastructure generating productive
capital assets.
For the year 2014-15, estimated Fiscal Deficit is 11367.84 crore Rupees,which is
2.96 percent of GSDP 383709.00 crore Rupees.
The GSDP estimate arrived at for the year 2014-15 in accordances with 13th
finance commissions recommendations is 383709 rupees crore. At the end of the
year 2014-15 the cumulative public debt is estimated to be 77700.59 crore rupees
which is 20.25 % of GSDP.
In the year 2014-15 we are again likely to generate a revenue surplus and the fiscal
deficit is likely to be contained at 2.96% of State GDP (that is within the FRBM
limits of 3%).
A sinking fund making provisions for repayment of loans has been created since
2008-09. In the year 2014-15 430 crore rupees is proposed to be invested in the
Fund.
For the year 2014-15 expenditure for education sector is estimated at 24715.19
crore rupees as against 18280.78 crore rupees for the year 2013-14.
For the year 2014-15 expenditure for health sector is estimated at 4805.73 crore
rupees as against 3356.84 crore rupees for the year 2013-14.
734
A provision of 7387.66 crore rupees for the welfare of ST&SC, Minority , OBC &
MBC, Women and Childs for year 2014-15 in State Plan Scheme.
Budget Estimates of 2014-15 in Brief

Total Expenditure : 116886.16 crore rupees.
Total Plan size : 57655.12 crore rupees.
Total Non-Plan size : 59231.04 crore rupees
Total Receipts: : 116682.77 crore rupees
Total Revenue Receipts: : 101939.46 crore rupees
Total Capital Receipts : 14743.31 crore rupees
Revenue Surplus : 10174.03 crore rupees (2.65% of GSDP)
Fiscal Deficit : 11367.84 crore rupees (2.96% of GSDP)
Sikkim won National Tourism Award 2012-13

Sikkim won the National Tourism Award 2012-13 on 18 February 2014. The award
was handed over to Bhim Dhungel, Sikkims Tourism Minister by Shashi Tharoor,
Union Minister for Human Resource Development at a function at Vigyan Bhawan in
New Delhi.
Union Ministry of Tourism declared Sikkim as the best State in the implementation
of rural tourism projects. The Ministry described, Sikkim as a perfect destination to
experience rich culture and scenic natural beauty.
Bhim Dhungel at the award ceremony informed that the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan
Chamling has launched an ambitious project of 140-crore rupees for development of
the tourism facilities in the state along with halting points, view points, retiring units
and other infrastructural facilities.
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Tourism in Sikkim
The tourism department of Sikkim had tied up with states like Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka
and Goa for tourist flow from these states to Sikkim. To ensure international tourism
flow in the state, the department is also negotiating with countries like Bhutan and
Nepal.
Some other Achievements, Recognitions and Awards received by Sikkim

Sikkim has been ranked as the first state in India for implementation of Nirmal
Bharat Abhiyan.
Sikkim has received 2 MGNREGA Awards for excellent implementation of
MGNREGA Scheme in the State
In 2013 for e-Governance, Sikkim received e-North East Award
It received the Agriculture Leadership award in 2013
Environment for Spring Conservation Project Sikkim received e-North East award
in 2012
In 2004-05 it received the award as best performing state in Education
In recognition of commendable work done in the field of information Technology it
received Skoch Challenger Award in 2005
Hospitality India Award in 2006
State Leadership Award 2009 in horticulture
Best State for Adventure Tourism for the year 2009
President Rule imposed in Delhi after resignation of Kejriwal

President of India on 17 February 2014 imposed Presidents Rule in Delhi after
736
accepting the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi. This
information was published in a press release by Lt Governor Najeeb Jungs office.
With this imposition of the President Rule, the Delhi Assembly will be kept under
suspended animation. Najeeb Jung on 15 February 2014 recommended for Presidents
rule in the national capital after resignation of Arvind Kejriwal and his Council of
Ministers. Jung rejected the recommendation of the outgoing AAP government that
the Assembly should be dissolved. This move of Jung has kept the option open for
formation of government in Delhi by any political party of a combination of parties in
the future.
The Presidents Rule was imposed through a resolution under Article 356 of the
Constitution of India under the emergency provisions says about the provisions in
case of failure of constitutional machinery in States and it is
If the President, on receipt of a report from the Governor of a State or otherwise, is
satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the Government of the State cannot be
carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution, the President may
by Proclamation1. Assume to himself all or any of the functions of the Government of the State and
all or any of the powers vested in or exercisable by the Governor or anybody or
authority in the State other than the Legislature of the State
2. Declare that the powers of the Legislature of the State shall be exercisable by or
under the authority of Parliament
3. Make such incidental and consequential provisions as appear to the President to be
necessary or desirable for giving effect to the objects of the Proclamation, including
provisions for suspending in whole or in part the operation of any provisions of this
Constitution relating to anybody or authority in the State: Provided that nothing in
this clause shall authorise the President to assume to himself any of the powers
vested in or exercisable by a High Court, or to suspend in whole or in part the
operation of any provision of this Constitution relating to High Courts.
737
First pro-Hindi Political Party of Tamil Nadu launched

First pro-Hindi political party of Tamil Nadu was launched by Madras High Court
Advocates Association in Tamil Nadu on 17 February 2014. The party Tamil Maanila
Katchi favours a pro-Hindi stand.
The launch saw the participation of a large number of advocates.
In place of a bilingual system of learning, there will be a trilingual regime including
Hindi.
Denying Hindi education to southern children has not helped their development. The
state will need to break from the past and make Hindi a compulsory subject at least
till Class V.
Party has its lots of agendas like non-discrimination of Brahmins, Development of
barren lands, safeguarding interests of fishermen, traders and women.
Party made a strong pitch for abolishing the practice of distributing freebies by
governments, saying it made people lazy.
Delhi Police launched a Helpline number 1093 for NorthEastern People

The Delhi Police launched a new helpline number 1093 exclusively for North-Eastern
people living in New Delhi on 13 February 2014. The helpline number will be functional
from 14 February 2014.
The number 1093 will allow the north-eastern people to register all sorts of complaints
including racism and harassment directly to the police. The number will have 5 direct
lines and all calls will be received at the central police control room (CPCR) situated
at Delhi Police headquarters.
The Delhi police is also planning to launch a Facebook page and a Twitter account for
738
people from the northeast where they can post complaints and suggestions.
In a series of step taken by the Union and Delhi Government after the Nido Tania
incident, this step of Delhi Police will go a long way in addressing the grievances of
the people from north-eastern States.
Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014 passed by the Assembly of the

state
Odisha Legislative Assembly on 14 February 2014 passed the Odisha Lokayukta Bill
2014. The provision of the bill has kept the Chief Minister, ex-Chief Ministers, other
ministers and public servants under the purview of the 6-member anti-corruption
panel. With this passage of the Bill, Odisha became the first state to enact the law
after the Central Act was passed in Parliament in December 2013.
The Bill was introduced in the State Assembly of Odisha on 12 February 2014 and it
was unanimously passed after a two-day discussion. The bill has similar provisions
of Central Act that was passed by the Parliament in December 2013.
This Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014 says that people/bodies that receive government
grants will come under the purview of the Lokayukta, who has been empowered to
probe the graft charges.
It says that the sitting or former High Court judge will be the Chairman of the Lokayukta
and the commission would consitst of at least two judicial members. There will be
a women or scheduled caste among the other member among three non-judicial
members. The Bill has also mentioned that the Lokayukta should be at least 50 years
in age.
The selection committee that will chose the Lokayukta will include
Chief Minister, who will head the committee
739
Leader of the Opposition

Speaker of Odisha assembly
Chief Justice of Orissa High Court or a judge nominated by him
An eminent jurist nominated by the Governor
The Governor reserves the power of appointing the Lokayukta but this appointment
will be made on the recommendation of the selection committee.
Difference between the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 1995 and Odisha Lokay
Lokpal
and Lokayukta Act,
ukta
Bill 2014
1995
This Act was not empowered to
attach or confiscate properties of
persons or organisations against
whom corruption charge was
established
Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014

Lokayukta investigating into corruption cases
will be empowered to attach properties of the
guilty for a period of 90 days
For such cases special courts will be set up
for trial, the Bills provision said that the new
Act will give authority to the Lokayukta to
recommend the State government to transfer
and suspend any public servant found guilty
On receipt of the complaint against any public servant, the Lokayukta may order
preliminary inquiry against him/her by his inquiry wing or any other agency to ascertain
whether there is a prima facie case for proceeding in the matter. He also reserves the
power to superintendence and direction of the agency or investigating agency, which
includes crime branch of police or state vigilance
The bill has also granted power to the Lokayukta to constitute an inquiry wing that
will be headed by the director of inquiry for the purpose of conducting preliminary
inquiry into offence alleged/committed by a public servant, which will be punishable
under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) 1988.
740
Lokayuktas administrative expenses that include salaries, allowances and pensions

and others will be charged on the consolidated fund of the state.
The Lokayukta also reserves the right to recommend the state government to
constitute a special court to hear and decide the cases that arose out of the PCA
1988 or under Odisha Lokayukta Act 2014. The bill says that the chairman of the
panel will hold office for five years from the date he assumes office or until he attains
the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.
The Bill doesnt grants to power to the Lokayukta to inquire complaint made against
the Chairperson or any other member and this power has been rested in the hands of
the Governor. The governor will have to refer the petition signed by atleast 25 MLAs
of to the Orissa High Court before suspending the chairperson or any other member.
Provision of Penalty under the Bill: The Bill says that for making false or playful
complaint the person/organisation will be penalized with an imprisonment up to one
year with a fine which could be extended up to 1 lakh rupees.
Background
This bill was passed following a three-month deadline that was set by Naveen Patnaik,
the Chief Minister of the state. Kalpataru Das, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister
piloted the Bill on behalf of the Chief Minister. Only five amendments were accepted
by the Government of total 60 clauses before it was passed. This passage of the bill
had repealed, the Odisha Lokpal and Lokayukta Act 1995.
Delhi Government approved Delhi Nagar Swaraj Bill

Delhi government approved the Delhi Nagar Swaraj Bill on 13 February 2014. The Bill
seeks to make the people of the city a part of the decision making process.
The Bill is aimed at decentralizing power to grassroots by setting up Mohalla Sabhas
across the New Delhi. It gives power to the common people to solve problems at the
741
local level and run day to day administration.

The Bill provides for eight to 12 mohallas in each ward. All registered voters will be
part of the mohalla sabha and this general body will elect four representatives: two
men and two women. One representative will be from the SC/ST/OBC category. The
representatives of mohallas will form the area ward committee.
The Bill will make mohalla sabhas and ward committees stronger and gives power to
the people to curb corruption at the local level.
Union Government approved Pune Metro Rail Project

The Union Ministry of Urban Development gave an in-principle approval to the Phase
- I of the Pune Metro Rail Project on 12 February 2014. The approval by the Union
Government will facilitate the State Government to take necessary action for faster
implementation of the project.
The project is aimed to improve the public transport system in the Pune Municipal
Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri - Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) areas.
While giving the approval the Union Government advised the State government to
update and keep the design and technology of the system in accordance with the
revised Detailed Project Report prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
Maharashtra Government will implement the project through a Special Purpose
Vehicle which will be jointly owned by the Union and State government.
Pune Metro Rail Project phase I details:

It will cover a length of 31.51 km along two corridors.
Corridor-1 will cover 16.59 km from Pimpri - Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to
Swargate.
Corridor-2 will cover 14.92 km from Vanaz to Ramwadi.
The project is expected to be completed by 2021.
742
The revised cost estimate for entire project is 10183 crore rupees.
Satellite Centre of PGIMER, Chandigarh to be established at

Sangrur
The Union cabinet approved the establishment of the Satellite Centre of Post
Graduate Institute of Medical Education (PGIMER), Chandigarh at Sangrur, Punjab
on 12 February 2014.
The Project would be the part of Scheme of Redevelopment of Hospitals and
Institutions undertaken in the 12th Five Year Plan. The project would cost around 449
crore rupees including recurring cost of 161 crore for the first four years.
The Project will reduce the average distance and bring specialized healthcare service
within the reach of people of the region.The project also would cater to region specific
diseases and will also reduce disease burden on PGIMER, Chandigarh.
Besides, it will help increase hospital bed strength so as to provide health care
services to the marginalized classes and also help towards meeting World Health
Organisation (WHO) norms.
Andhra Pradesh Interim budget for 2014-15 presented

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy proposed a vote-onaccount (interim) budget on 10 February 2014. The Budget was presented amidst the
protest by members of Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Telugu Desam party.
The main highlights of the Interim budget

The total size of the budget for 2014-15 is kept at 183129 crore rupees with an
estimated revenue surplus of 474 crore rupees.
743
For the financial year 2014-15, the government proposed an expenditure of 183129
crore rupees.
The non-plan expenditure is estimated at 115179 crore rupees and plan expenditure
is estimated at at 67950 crore rupees.
Fiscal deficit is estimated at 25402 crore rupees at 2.6 per cent of GSDP.
The fiscal deficit in 2013-14 is estimated at 24487 crore rupees, which would be
2.87 per cent of GSDP.
The final accounts of 2012-13 show a revenue surplus of 1128 crore rupees and
fiscal deficit was well within the FRBM Act at 17508 crore rupees, which is 2.35
per cent of GSDP.
Cabinet cleared Telangana Bill and decided not to give UT

status to Hyderabad
Union Cabinet on 7 February 2014 cleared the Telangana Bill with minimum changes
in it and decided that Hyderabad will not get the status of a Union Territory. Till
now, the leaders of Seemandhra demands included grant of a Union Territory to
Hyderabad. This clearance of the Telangana Bill has paved the way for introduction
of it in the Parliament.
Now, the bill will be sent to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee for his consent
and then will be placed in Rajya Sabha on 12 February 2014 in the present form
and the government will move 32 amendments. The amendments include some
administrative aspects of the bifurcation of the state.
The bill, which was sent back by the Andhra Pradesh Legislature after its discussions
in two houses, has got the nod at its special meeting held in New Delhi. The Cabinet
has also decided not to accept the demand of the Seemendhra region for making
Hyderabad a Union Territory. As earlier decided, Hyderabad will remain as the joint
capital of both the states for a maximum period of 10 years after that it will belong to
744
Telangana. Apart from this, the Rayala Telangana proposal was also shelved by the
Cabinet.
Special Investigation Team constituted to probe Nido Tanias

death
Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted by the Delhi Police to investigate
the death of Nido Tania, the student from Arunachal Pradesh, who died after being
allegedly beaten up by some shopkeepers in South Delhi in January 2014.
The SIT would work under the direct supervision of the Deputy Commissioner
of Police, South-East, P Karunakaran. Police also said that the finalization of the
investigation will be done depending upon the report filed by the Medical Board for
forensic examination that has been constituted in AIIMS.
Till now, six persons have been identified by the police of whom two of them are
juveniles. Police has already arrested three accused people. Apart from this the police
are hunting for the rest of the three persons suspected to have been involved in the
attack in nearby states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Police has claimed that Tania was left by the police officials over to a friend of his
family after his visit to a police station. He was not assaulted for the second time by
the shopkeepers as it is alleged by the relatives and friends of Tania.
Rajasthan withdrew its approval for FDI in multi-brand retail

Rajasthan on 1 February 2014 scrapped its approval for the foreign direct investment
in multi-brand retailing. The approval was given earlier by the previous Congress
state government led by former Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot.
Vasundhara Raje, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan has written a letter to Commerce
and Industry Minister of India, Anand Sharma for revising the FDI in multi-brand retail
745
in a letter. With this decision of scrapping the approval over FDI made Rajasthan the
second state after Delhi to withdraw approval for FDI in multi-brand retail. These two
decisions of Delhi and Rajasthan came just after the change of government. Earlier,
Rajasthan was one of the 12 states that agreed to allow FDI in the retail sector.
The previous state government led by Ashok Gehlot gave consent to the FDI policy
after the Union Government permitted 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail trading.
The central decision was made in September 2012 and the implementation decision
was left on the states.
Allahabad High Court ordered CBI probe into alleged

misappropriation of MGNREGA funds
Allahabad High Court of Uttar Pradesh on 31 January 2014 directed the Central
Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into the alleged misappropriation of funds
in seven districts that was provided for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee
Scheme (MGNREGA) from the centre.
The seven districts for which the court has asked to verify are
Balrampur
Gonda
Mahoba
Sonebhadra
Sant Kabir Nagar
Mirzapur
Kushinagar
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The Court has directed the CBI to submit status report to this Court at the interval of
every three months. This order was passed by the division bench of Lucknow Court
after hearing a Public Interest Litigation PIL filed. The bench court bench that passed
the order was consisted of Justice DP Singh and Justice Ashok Pal Singh.
The court in its order has also directed the CBI to hold a preliminary enquiry to other
districts of the state for the aforesaid three years relating to abuse, misappropriation
and misuse of the fund that was provided to the state under the centrally financed
MGNERGA scheme.
Uttrakhand Assembly passed new Lokayaukata Bill

The new Lokayukta Bill was passed by the Uttarakhand Assembly on 21 January
2014 despite of protest from the opposition. The Bill has replaced the Uttarakhand
Lokayukta Act that was passed by the previous BJP government headed by the
former Chief Minister BC Khanduri.
Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill 2014 was passed by the Assembly of the state during
the special session amid walkout by opposition BJP legislators that was criticised as
weak and full of loopholes. The Bill is in line with the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill that
has been passed by the Parliament.
The new Lokayukta Bill states about the creation of Lokayukta in the state headed by a
practicing or retired judge or Chief Justice of the High Court. A five-member selection
committee headed by the Chief Minister will appoint the head of the Lokayukta and
also its members. Apart from the head, four other members will be available on the
panel, of which 50 percent will be from the judiciary. No member of a legislature of
any other state or Union territory will be a member of the Lokayukta body.
747
Goa Government approved the proposal to increase Reservation for OBC to 27%
Goa Government on 15 January 2014 decided to increase the reservation of Other
Backward Classes (OBC) from 19.5 percent to 27 percent. The announcement of the
decision has been done by the Manohar Parrikar, the Chief Minister of Goa after a
State Cabinet Meet. The reservation has been given for employment in the government
sector and to take admissions in the educational institutions. The decision of the
state Cabinet would be effective from the date of its notification in the state gazette.
The government has made the decision to increase the reservation for OBCs following
the elaborate survey of the OBCs population in the state and recommendation
from the OBC commission. The survey showed about 3.84 lakh people in the OBC
category divided in 19 castes of the total population of 14 lakh as per the survey. The
19 castes of OBC also include two castes from the Christian community. The OBC
population accounts to 26.6 percent of the state [population.
While determining the backwardness status during the survey, the literacy, educational
and income background along with job profiles were taken into account. The state
has also raised the condition to define creamy layer to 6 lakh rupees from 4.5 lakh
rupees, the creamy layer OBCs has been excluded.
Apart from the reservation of OBCs, the state has provided 12 percent reservations
for the scheduled castes and 2 percent for the scheduled tribes.
The increase in the reservation of OBCs accounts to the total reservation of the state
to 41 percent and this percentage is below the limit of 50 percent set by the Supreme
Court of India that can fall under the reservation category.
Arunachal Pradesh witnessed the first trial run of rail engine

Arunachal Pradesh witnessed the first trial run of a rail engine on 15 January 2014.
748
The first trial run was of 20-km from Harmutty in Lakhimpur district of Assam to the
Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar.
The ambitious railway line project is estimated to cost 372 crore rupees.
The State government would put a mechanism in place for checking the inner line
permit (ILP) of the passengers. The ILP issued under the Bengal Eastern Frontier
Regulation, 1973 is necessary even for an Indian citizen to enter Arunachal Pradesh,
Mizoram and Nagaland.
Arunachal Pradesh has also demanded the construction of 161-km Tinsukia
Parsuram Kund rail line to help tourists from all over India to put the holy place in
global tourism map.
Proposed Railway Lines in Arunachal Pradesh

198-km Lumding Silchar Jiribam gauge conversion
100-km Ziribam Imphal extension project to link Manipur
108-km Kumarghat Agartala, Jiribhum Tulpul; Dimapur Zuzba; Azra Byrnihat
gauge link
to Rangiya Murkongsele 84-km Badarpur Bhairabi section for gauge link to
Mizoram
15-km Amguri Tuli line
This all would expand the rail network in the region.
Karnataka first State to provide Universal Health Coverage

Karnataka became the first State in India to provide Universal Health Coverage to its
population. It achieved the distinction with the launch of Rajiv Arogya Yojana on 9
January 2014.
749
The Scheme entails the beneficiary to pay only 10 percent of the cost of treatment or
procedures. It aims at providing subsidized healthcare to virtually every citizen in the
State with Above Poverty Line (APL) card.
The BPL families are already covered under health scheme through Vajpayee Arogya
Sree programme.
Under the scheme, APL family members are entitled for health check up to 1.5 lakh
rupees per annum. In special cases, if the expenditure exceeds 1.5 lakh rupees, the
government grants another 50000 rupees.
The scheme covers 447 procedures and 50 follow-up packages. The beneficiaries
can avail treatment in 160 hospitals, including 14 hospitals outside the State.
The scheme will cover cardiovascular diseases, cancer treatment (surgery,
chemotherapy and radiotherapy), neurological diseases, renal diseases, burns, polytrauma cases not covered by motor vehicle insurance and neo-natal cases.
The cost of Universal Health Coverage is estimated to be 120 crore rupees annually.
Dryland Farming Programme for monsoon-dependent

Maharashtra farmers
The state government of Maharashtra on 9 January 2014 decided to undertake a
dryland farming programme for the farmers. The programme will benefit the farmers
who are dependent on the monsoon and also do not have any other irrigation source.
The state government has planned to spend 20000 crore rupees on the programme
in five years with headquarter at Aurangabad. More than 50 percent of people of the
state is dependent for livelihood on agriculture. About 80 percent of the 225 lakh
hectares cultivable land is a dryland.
Apart from the launch of the farming programme, the state cabinet of Maharashtra
also decided to allow 55000 homeopathic doctors in the state to prescribe allopathic
750
medicines, subject to some conditions, which includes a one-year allopathic course.
Delhi became first state to withdraw FDI in Multibrand Retail

Delhi government on 13 January 2014 withdrew the Foreign Domestic Investment
(FDI) in Multibrand Retail. With this, Delhi became first state to take this step. This
action is a reversal of previous Governments stand in FDI that was made in July
2012 and allowed multi-brand retail trade.
Delhi is one of the major recipients of FDI. This action can adversely affect the
investment in the capital and tarnish its FDI friendly image.
The Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal said that he is not opposed to FDI. He also
agreed that FDI in multibrand retail gives more choice to the consumers.
But, it was found that at the global level FDI in multibrand retail caused massive job
losses at multiple places. Thus, to prevent unemployment in the capital this decision
was taken.
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated ANTRI at Port Blair

The President of India Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Andaman and Nicobar Tribal
Research and Training Institute at Port Blair on 12 January 2014. The ANTRI will
formulate a new policy for the tribal integration with the developed society, but in
their own way and own environment without disturbing their distinct identity and
unique culture.
The institute will also conduct a detailed study to ensure the welfare and protection
of vulnerable tribal groups, particularly Jarawas, Sentenalese, Onges and Shompens
effectively.
The President emphasized the need for a tribal museum by the tribes themselves to
751
preserve their unique culture, tradition and rare artefacts for the future generations.
Third phase of North Eastern Community Resource

Management Project launched in Manipur
Third phase of the North Eastern Community Resource Management Project was
launched on 8 January 2014 at Imphal in Manipur. Chandel and Churachandpur
districts of Manipur will be covered during the third phase of the project. The project
has been created with an aim to improve the economic condition of the poor tribal
populace by 60 percent in the implementing districts.
The third phase of the project has been launched by Union Minister of State for
Development of North Eastern Region Pawan Singh Ghatowar. The Union Government
has sanctioned 216 rupees for the third phase of the project.
Objective of the Project

The project has been created with an objective to transform the lives of the poor and
marginalized tribal families of the region.
Manipur was the best implementing state during the first phase of the project which
was completed in 2008. The first phase of the project was launched in 1999 and
covered Ukhrul and Senapati districts of the state.
Chhattisgarh Government launched Toll Free Number 1100

to curb Corruption
Chhattisgarh government launched a toll free helpline number 1100 to curb corruption
in its departments on 7 January 2014. On the toll free number people could lodge
corruption-related complaints against the state government officials.
752
STA-CHHT-Chhattisgarh Government launched Toll Free Number 1100 to curb

Corruption
The complaints which can be lodged by the people against the government
officials are:
Any complaint related to government officer or employee demands money for
doing their work
Complaints related to civic problems that include cleanliness, street lights and
others
The facility will help provide better governance to the people.
Environmental Information dissemination centre set up in

Choolai, TN
An environmental information dissemination centre (EIDC) was set up in Chennai
Corporation Middle School in Choolai, TamilNadu in 6 January 2014.
An environmental information dissemination centre (EIDC) is a part of the National
Green Crops (NGC). An EIDC is a central resource which will aid students and
teachers in learning about environment related topics such as pollution and energy
conservation.
The centre has a resource room with books, multimedia and television and a laboratory
where teachers will be trained to use soil, water and air testing kits.
The centre will be accessible to Chennai Corporation, government, government
aided and private schools that are members of NGC.
CCEA approved the Transmission system in Ladakh region
753
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal for
construction of a 220kV Transmission system from Alusteng (Srinagar) to Leh on 2
December 2014.
The System will pass via 66kV Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL)
interconnection system for Drass, Kargil, Khalsti and Leh substations with an
estimated total cost of 1788.41 crore rupees.
The transmission project will provide grid connectivity and reliable power supply to
the Ladakh region.
The project will be implemented through PGCIL, a central transmission utility, within
42 months from the date of release of the first installment of funds.
The project cost will be borne by the Government of India and the Government of
Jammu &Kashmir in 95:5 ratios.
The commissioning of the transmission system will be transferred to the State of J&K
Government.
J& K government will carry out Operation & Maintenance (O&M) and other related
activities at their own cost as per the terms & conditions in the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU).
Background
The electric supply system of Ladakh Region in the State of J&K is currently isolated
from the northern grid because of its difficult terrain.
The electricity is generated through local small hydro generation and diesel generator
sets and the region is experiencing an energy shortage of about 95 percent.
Since Ladakh is an area of defence establishments, reliable power supply arrangement
is very crucial.
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Assam and Arunachal Pradesh agreed to maintain Status

Quo along the Inter-State boundary
The district administration of Sonitpur district in Assam and East Kameng district in
Arunachal Pradesh agreed on 2 January 2014 to maintain the status quo along the
Inter-State boundary.
As per the agreement reached, the status quo along the boundary will be maintained
till the Supreme Court delivers its verdict.
The Supreme Court had constituted a Local Boundary Commission headed by
Justice (Retd) Tarun Chaterjee in 2006.
The decision was reached during a meeting convened in Assams Sonitpur district
to discuss the boundary issue. At the meeting, the administration of East Kameng
(Arunachal) and Sonitpur (Assam) emphasized on the need to maintain peace,
harmony and the age-old bond of the people of the two neighbouring States.
Earlier in December 2013, the district administration of Papum Pera in Arunachal
Pradesh and Sonitpur in Assam also had reiterated to maintain the status quo along
the boundary. The agreement was reached following the tense situation in boundary
area under Tarasso circle in Arunachal Pradesh.
Boundary dispute between Assam and Arunachal arose after the 1951 notification
that demarcated the boundary between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh which was
ab initio rejected by the later.
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NEWS CAPSULE
PERSON APPOINTED
A.K. Dubey appointed as Chairman of Coal India Limited
Additional secretary A.K. Dubey on 25 June 2014 was appointed as Chairman of Coal
India Limited with immediate effect. He will serve his post as an additional charge till
a full-time chairman is appointed.
He will serve as the Chairman for a period of three months until the new chairman of
the state-owned company is duly appointed.
The post of Chairman was lying vacant since May-end 2014 when the then Chairman
of CIL S Narsingh Rao resigned from the post.
Rajeev Topno appointed as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Rajeev Topno was appointed as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) approved the name of Topno on 18
June 2014.
He is a 1996 batch Indian Administrative Service officer (IAS) from the Gujarat cadre.
756
He was a part of Prime Ministers Office (PMO) under former PM Manmohan Singh.
UNGA approved the name of Zeid al-Hussein to head OHCHR

United Nations General Assembly on 16 June 2014 approved the name of Zeid Raad
Zeid al-Hussein to head the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
of the UN. With this approval, Jordanian Prince Zeid al-Hussein, a cousin of Jordanian
King Abdullah II, became the first Muslim and Arab to hold the post.
His tenure as UN high Commissioner for human rights will start on 1 September 2014
as the successor of Navi Pillay of South Africa.
Lt Gen Amit Sharma appointed as Commander-in-Chief of

Strategic Forces Command
Lt Gen Amit Sharma was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Forces
Command on 13 June 2014. He replaced Vice Admiral SPS Cheema.
Strategic Forces Command (SFC) was created on 4 January 2003 by Atal Bihari
Vajpayee Government. The responsibility of the Strategic Forces Command is to
operationalise the directives of the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA).
Rasik Ravindra, an Indian scientist, elected to UNCLCS

Indian scientist Rasik Ravindra on 12 June 2014 was elected as a member of the
UN Commission on the Limits of Continental Shelf (UNCLCS). He was unanimously
elected by securing support of all 111 members who were present and voted.
Ravindra was elected during the 24th meet of the State Parties of the United Nations
757
Convention on the Law of the Sea held in New York, USA.

Ravindras tenure in the CLCS will be till 15 June 2017. He was elected in place of of
Indian scientist Ranjan Sivaramakrishnan who resigned from CLCS in February 2014.
Vishal Sikka appointed as CEO of Infosys

Vishal Sikka on 11 June 2014 was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Infosys. Vishal Sikka will take over as the CEO on 1 August 2014. He will succeed the
current Chief Executive and Managing Director S.D. Shibulal.
Ranjit Kumar appointed as Solicitor General of India

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar was on 7 June 2014 appointed as the Solicitor General
of India.
Along with Solicitor General of India, other senior advocates namely, Maninder Singh,
Tushar Mehta, L Nageshwar Rao, PS Patwalia, Neeraj Kishen Kaul and PS Narasimha
were appointed as additional solicitors general of India.
PK Mishra appointed as Additional Principal Secretary to

Prime Minister
PK Mishra on 9 June 2014 was appointed as the additional Principal Secretary to
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. He is a retired IAS officer of 1972 batch of the Gujarat
cadre.
His appointment was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
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Indian-American Shefali Duggal appointed as member of

Holocaust Memorial Council
Shefali Razdan Duggal, the top Indian-American fundraiser was appointed as the
member of the US Holocaust Memorial Council on 3 June 2014 by US President
Barack Obama.
Salvador Sanchez Ceren sworn-in as the President of El Salvador

Former left wing rebel leader Salvador Sanchez Ceren was sworn-in as the President
of El Salvador on 1 June 2014. Sanchez of Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front
party (FMLN) is the first former guerrilla commander to lead the Central American
country.
Chandrashekhar Rao sworn-in as the First Chief Minister of

Telengana
Chandrashekhar Rao was sworn-in as the first Chief Minister of Telengana, which
became the 29th state of Indian Union. He took oath administered by the Governor
ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on 2 June 2014.
Ajit Doval appointed as new National Security Adviser

Ajit Doval, former Intelligence Bureau Chief Ajit Doval was appointed as the National
Security Adviser on 30 May 2014. He will assume the office on 31 May 2014.
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According to the official order, this appointment of 69-year-old Doval will be coterminus with the term of the Prime Minister or till further orders, whichever is earlier.
During his tenure, he will provide deep insight about the threats faced by the country
from within and from outside.
Mukul Rohatgi appointed as 14th Attorney-General of India

Mukul Rohatgi was appointed as the 14th Attorney-General of India on 28 May 2014.
He will succeed Gulam Vahanvati.
Earlier, the 13th Attorney-General of India, Goolam Essaji Vahanvati and Solicitor
General Mohan Parasaran tendered their resignations after change of government in
India. They resigned as law officer because tenure of law officers is co-terminus with
the government.
Nripendra Misra appointed as Principal Secretary to PM Narendra Modi

Nripendra Misra, a retired IAS officer and former Chairman of Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI) was appointed as the Principal Secretary to the Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi on 28 May 2014.
Earlier on 27 May 2014 Union Cabinet passed an Ordinance to amend Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act, 1997 to enable Misras appointment as
Principal Secretary to the PM.
Ahmed Maitiq sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Libya

Ahmed Maitiq was sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Libiya on 26 May 2014.
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Maitiq took oath of his office before Nuri Abu Sahmain, the President of the General
National Congress, Libyas transitional Parliament.
He became the Prime Minister after winning the confidence vote in the Parliament
on 25 May 2014. In the vote of confidence, he received 83 votes in favour of the 93
votes.
At 42, he is the youngest and the fifth Prime Minister of Libya since Dictator Moammar
Gadhafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 revolution.
Indian management scholar Jitendra Vir Singh appointed

Dean of Business School at HKUST
An Indian management scholar Jitendra Vir Singh on 25 May 2014 was appointed as
the Dean of the School of Business and Management at the Hong Kong University of
Science and Technology (HKUST).
The appointment was based on an open and competitive worldwide search. He will
take the charge on 1 September 2014.
Former IB chief Rajiv Mathur became sixth CIC

Rajiv Mathur, 64, the former Intelligence Bureau Chief on 22 May 2014 took over as the
sixth Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). His oath to the office was administered
by Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
His name was recommended by a three-member selection panel headed by
Manmohan Singh, the outgoing Prime Minister of India.
Mathur succeeded Sushma Singh who demitted the post of CIC on 21 May 2014.
She was the fifth CIC of the Central Information Commission.
761
Anandiben sworn-in as first woman Chief Minister of Gujarat

Anandiben Patel was sworn-in as the first woman Chief Minister of Gujarat on 22
May 2014. Kamla Beniwal, the Governor of Gujarat administered her oath to the
office and secrecy at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
Anandiben Patel was appointed as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat after Narendra
Modi resigned from the office on 21 May 2014 to take over the post of Prime Minister
of India. At the time of appointment, Anandiben was serving the state as the Gujarat
Revenue Minister.
Narendra Kumar Verma selected as MD of ONGC Videsh Ltd

Narendra Kumar Verma was selected as Managing Director of ONGC Videsh Ltd
(OVL) by Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) on 21 May 2014.
He succeeded Dinesh K Sarraf who was elevated as Chairman and Managing Director
of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in March 2014.
President appointed Narendra Modi as Prime Minister

Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India on 20 May 2014 appointed Narendra Modi
as the Prime Minister of India. Narendra Modi, the leader of the BJP Parliamentary
Party will take a formal oath of the office on 26 May 2014 at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister of India who has born in Independent India.
For the first time, he was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on 7 October 2001
and is the longest serving Chief Minister of Gujarat.
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Naveen Patnaik sworn-in as Chief Minister of Odisha for

fourth consecutive term
Naveen Patnaik on 21 May 2014 was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Odisha for
fourth consecutive term. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Patnaik was sworn-in
at the Raj Bhavan, Bhubaneswar.
Governor S C Jamir administered oath of office and secrecy to Naveen Patnaik and
21 other ministers.
Pawan Chamling sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Sikkim for

record 5th term
Pawan Chamling was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Sikkim on 21 May 2014 for
a record fifth consecutive time. Governor of Sikkim, Shriniwas Patil administered
the oath of office and secrecy to Chamling and his 11 ministers at Raj Bhawan in
Gangtok.
Chamling is the leader of Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) and has secured a two-third
majority in the Assembly elections by winning 22 seats out of 32. He has been the
Chief Minister of the State since 12 December 1994 and has competed 20 years at
the post till now.
With this swearing-in, he is set to become the longest-serving Chief Minister of any
State of India, if he serves a complete tenure. Till now the record has been held by
the late communist leader Jyoti Basu, who served West Bengal as a Chief Minister
for 23 years from 1977 to 2000.
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Jitan Ram Manjhi took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar

Jitan Ram Manjhi was sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Bihar on 20 May 2014.
His oath of the office and secrecy was administered by the Governor of Bihar, DY
Patil at the Raj Bhavan in Patna.
He succeeded Janata Dal United (JD-U) leader, Nitish Kumar who resigned from
the post of Chief Minister on 17 May 2014 after the debacle of the party in the 16th
Lok Sabha election..
Nabam Tuki sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Arunachal

Pradesh
Nabam Tuki on 18 May 2014 was sworn-in as the eighth (seventh as person)
Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh at the Raj Bhavan in Itanagar. This is second
consecutive term for the veteran congress leader. His oath to the office and secrecy
was administered by the Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma.
A.B. Pandya appointed as the Chairman of Central Water

Commission
Ashwin B. Pandya on 15 May 2014 was appointed as the Chairman of the Central
Water Commission & ex-officio Secretary of the Government of India. He was holding
the additional charge of the post since November 2013.
Constitutional Scholar Sujit Choudhry appointed as Dean of UC Berkeley Law school
An Indian-American Sujit Choudhry on 14 May 2014 was appointed as the Dean of
University of California Berkeley, School of Law. He will serve for five years. He will
take the charge from 1 July 2014.
764
He is currently working as the Cecelia Goetz professor at New York University School
of Law. He is the founder of its Centre for Constitutional Transitions.
Kristin Lund of Norway became first-ever woman to head a

UN Peacekeeping Force
Major General Kristin Lund of Norway became the first-ever woman to head a UN
Peacekeeping Force in its entire history. She was appointed as the Force Commander
of UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) on 12 May 2014 to mark its 50th
anniversary in 2014.
Major General Kristin Lund will assume the charge of Force Commander of UNFICYP
on 13 August 2014. She will succeed the outgoing Force Commander, Major General
Chao Liu of China who will retire on 13 August 2014.
Royal Navy Submarine Service appointed first female submariners

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

associate of the USNAS
The Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India,
765
Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan on 4 May 2014 was elected as foreign associate of

the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (USNAS).
Dr. VijayRaghavan is one of 21 new foreign associates elected in 2014. He had joined
a select group of Indians which includes the former NCBS Director, Obaid Siddiqi;
National Research Professor C.N.R. Rao, evolutionary biologists Raghavendra
Gadagkar and Madhav Gadgil, and aerospace engineer Roddam Narasimha.
Japanese foods firm Nissin Foods appointed Gautam Sharma

as India MD
Japanese foods firm Nissin Foods on 23 April 2014 appointed Gautam Sharma as
the Managing Director (MD) of its Indian arm Indo Nissin. He succeeds Yuji Tabeta.
Yuji Tabeta was promoted to a senior role.
He is the first non-Japanese MD of Indo Nissin. He has worked earlier as Wrigley
India CEO. He quit Wrigley, the second biggest confectionery firm in India following
Perfetti van Melle, in 2012, after a four-year stint.
Suresh Kumar Reddy appointed as Indias first ambassador

to ASEAN
Union Ministry of External Affairs (MoEA) on 23 April 2014 appointed Suresh Kumar
Reddy as Indias first Ambassador to the separate Indian Mission to Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) & East Asia Summit. Presently, he is working as
the Ambassador of India to Iraq.
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Arvind Mayaram designated as Union Finance Secretary

Union Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram was designated as Union Finance
Secretary. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the proposal
to designate Arvind Mayaram as the Union Finance Secretary on 15 April 2014.
Previous Finance secretary, Sumit Bose retired on 31 March 2014 and the post was
vacant since that time.
Finance Secretary is the senior-most IAS officer in the Union Ministry of Finance.
Justice G Rohini appointed as the first women Chief Justice

of Delhi High Court
President of India on 11 April 2014 approved the name of Justice G Rohini (58) for
appointment as the Next Chief Justice of Delhi High Court. With this approval, she
will become the first women Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. At the time of
appointment, Rohini was serving as the senior-most judge of the Andhra Pradesh
High Court.
She will succeed Acting Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed. Justice Ahmed was
appointed after Justice NV Ramana was elevated to the Supreme Court as a Judge
in February 2014.
Justice R M Lodha appointed as Next Chief Justice of India

President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 11 April 2014 appointed Justice Rajendra
Mal Lodha as Next Chief Justice of India. Justice Lodha will take his charge from
27 April 2014. He will be the 41st Chief Justice of India. He will succeed Justice P.
Sathasivam.
767
Justice Lodha will have a brief tenure of five months as the Chief Justice of India
(CJI). He is scheduled to retire on 27 September 2014. He is 64.
Ratan Tata appointed member of China-backed Board of

Boao Forum for Asia
Ratan Tata on 10 April 2014 was appointed as a member of the Board of Boao Forum
for Asia (BFA). The post is a rare distinction for an Indian in the Chinese governmentbacked influential body.
Ratan Tata is one of the 15 members of the Board of BFA. The appointment of Ratan
Tata to the board of the BFA is seen as part of Chinas efforts to push closer ties with
India.
Marie-Lousie Coleiro Preca sworn-in as President of Malta

Marie-Lousie Coleiro Preca was sworn-in as the President of Malta on 4 April 2014
in Valletta, Malta. She was named as President after being suggested by the Prime
Minister Joseph Muscat and approved by Parliament. Coleiro replaced George Abela
from Labour Party whose term completed on 4 April 2014.
She is the ninth President of the Malta and second female President in the European
Union (EU) Country.
Coleiro, 55, is also the youngest-ever President of Malta and will hold office for five
years. Coleiro belongs to Labour Party and has served as minister for social policy.
With her appointment, the total number of female heads of a country in the world
now stands at 21.
768
Suresh Arora appointed DGP of Punjab Police

Election Commission of India (ECI) approved on 3 April 2014 the appointment of
Suresh Arora as Directorate General of Police (DGP) of Punjab Police. Suresh Arora
is a 1982 batch IPS officer.
He is currently working as director general of Vigilance Bureau. He had worked as
ADGP Intelligence in Punjab Police.
He was appointed in lieu of the post of DGP falling vacant due to incumbent DGP
Sumedh Singh Saini going on 45 days leave.
R Gandhi appointed as Deputy Governor of RBI

R Gandhi was appointed as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India on 3
April 2014 for a period of three years. His appointment came into effect from 3 April
2014. Before being elevated to the position of Deputy Governor, he was serving the
Reserve Bank as its executive director.
He has been appointed as the successor of Anand Sinha, who retired from the office
on 20 January 2014. Till the time of retirement, Sinha was looking after the new bank
licence process.
D K Pathak appointed as the new Director General of BSF

Union Government on 2 April 2014 appointed senior IPS officer D K Pathak as the new
Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF). BSF is countrys largest border
guarding force. His name for the post of DG was approved by the Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Mamohan Singh. He is
expected to continue till February, 2016.
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French President Hollande appointed Valls as new PM

President Francois Hollande on 31 March 2014 appointed Interior Minister Manuel
Valls as next Prime Minister of France. Manuel Carlos Valls is a Spanish-born French
Socialist Party politician. He was the Mayor of vry from 2001 to 2012 and a Member
of the National Assembly since 2002.
Valls replaced PM Jean-Marc Ayrault whose administration lost the confidence of the
French in the recently concluded Municipal elections.
Saudi King appointed half-brother Moqren as next heir to

throne
Abdullah, the king of Saudi Arabia on 27 March 2014 appointed his half-brother
Moqren (69) as the next heir to the throne. This step has paved a way for Moqren to
become a future king of the worlds largest exporter of crude oil.
King Abdullah (90-year old) announced his decision in a royal decree. At present
Moqren is the second deputy Prime Minister and has been named as the next crown
prince.
Sunil Gavaskar appointed as Interim President of BCCI

Sunil Gavaskar was appointed as the interim President of the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) by the Supreme Court on 28 March 2014. He was appointed
as acting president of BCCI to discharge the functions of the Indian Premier League
(IPL) 2014.
Sunil Gavaskar replaced the present BCCI chief N Srinivasan. The Supreme Court
also directed administrative responsibilities of the BCCI board to the BCCI vice-
770
president Shivlal Yadav, former off-spinner of Indian cricket team.
Jens Stoltenberg appointed as Secretary General of NATO

Jens Stoltenberg was appointed as the Secretary General of North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation (NATO). This was announced by the North Atlantic Council in Brussels
in Belgium on 28 March 2014. Besides, he was also appointed as the Chairman of
the North Atlantic Council.
Stoltenberg will take charges of Secretary General of NATO on 1 October 2014. He
will replace the incumbent Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former
Prime Minister of Denmark.
General Sedki Sobhi sworn-in as Defence Minister and Army

Chief of Egypt
General Sedki Sobhi on 27 March 2014 was sworn-in as the new Defence Minister and
Army Chief of Egypt. He succeeds, Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who resigned
from both the posts on 26 March 2014 to contest in the Presidential elections.
Soma Mondal appointed first Women director of NALCO

Soma Mondal on 12 March 2014 was appointed as the first woman director
(commercial) of Navratna Public Sector Unit (PSU) National Aluminium Company Ltd
(NALCO). Mondal joined Nalco in 1984 as a Graduate Engineer Trainee.
Earlier, she was working with the company as executive director (marketing) at Nalcos
corporate office.
771
Rakesh Sethi appointed as CMD of Allahabad Bank

Rakesh Sethi was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Allahabad
Bank on 12 March 2014. Sethi will take charge of CMD with immediate effect as the
post was lying vacant since January 2014 when Shubhlakshmi Panse retired.
He will serve the Bank till his retirement on 30 April 2017. He was an executive
director of Punjab National Bank (PNB) till this appointment.
FPSB appointed former SC Judge Srikrishna as its Chairman

Justice (Retd.) BN Srikrishna on 11 March 2014 was appointed as the Chairman of
Financial Planning Standards Board India (FPSB). He will succeed Dhirendra Swarup,
the former chairman of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
Srikrishna is a retired judge of Supreme Court and has served as the Chief Justice of
Kerala High Court.
Sheila Dikshit appointed as the new Governor of Kerala

Sheila Dikshit, the former chief minister of Delhi on 4 March 2014 was appointed as
the 22nd Governor of Kerala. She will succeed Nikhil Kumar, a former Delhi Police
Commissioner who took over as the governor of Kerala in March 2013. Nikhil Kumar
had tendered his resignation to the President of India that has been accepted.
Dinesh Sarraf appointed next ONGC chief

Dinesh Sarraf appointed as next Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Oil and
Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on 26 February 2014.
772
The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PSEB) recommended Dinesh K Sarraf as the
next head of the countrys most valuable company ONGC.
Dinesh Sarraf will replace Sudhir Vasudeva who will be due to retire on 28 February
2014.
Ibrahim Mahlab sworn in as Prime Minister of Egypt

Ibrahim Mahlab was sworn in as new Egypt Prime Minister on 25 February 2014. He
is a former member of Hosni Mubaraks political party.
Mahlab was the housing minister in the previous administration. He will head Egypts
sixth government since the 2011 uprising that toppled the autocratic Mubarak.
Ibrahim Mahlab will replace Hazem el-Beblawi government.
Matteo Renzi sworn-in as PM of Italy

Matteo Renzi on 22 February 2014 sworn-in as Italys Prime Minister replacing Enrico
Letta, who resigned from the office on 14 February 2014. Apart from this a new
cabinet of 16 ministers also took the sworn of their offices at the Presidential palace
in Rome.
Renzi, 39 is the Italys youngest Prime Minister and he is the third prime minister to
reach office without winning an election. Renzi belongs to the Democratic Party, who
was the former mayor of the Florence.
Abdul Basit appointed as High Commissioner of Pakistan to

India
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Pakistan appointed Abdul Basit as Pakistans High Commissioner to India on 17

February 2014. He will replace Salman Bashir. Salman Bashir relinquishes charge of
office on 28 February 2014.
Basit will take charge of office in March 2014. He is currently working as ambassador
to Germany. From May 2012, he was representing Pakistan in Berlin.
Justice Mukul Mudgal appointed as Chief of BCCC

Justice Mukul Mudgal, former Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court, was
appointed as the chief of the Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC).
The appointment was approved by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), an
association of channels. He will take charge as the chief of BCCC towards the end
of February 2014.
Justice Mudgal will replace Justice A P Shah, former Chief Justice of Delhi High
Court who has been appointed as head of the Law Commission of India.
Jatinder Bir Singh appointed CMD of Punjab and Sind Bank

Jatinder Bir Singh was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Punjab and
Sind Bank (PSB) on 6 February 2014. He will succeed D P Singh He will take the
charge from 10 February 2014.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) under the Union Government
has approved the appointment.
Jatinder Bir Singh is 1983-batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
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R.K.Tiwari appointed new Chairman of CBDT

R.K.Tiwari was appointed as the new chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes
(CBDT) on 9 February 2014.
The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
(ACC).
He will take the charge from 1 March 2014. He will succeed Chairperson Sudha
Sharma who is scheduled to retire on 28 February 2014.
N Ramachandran elected President of IOA

N Ramachandran was elected President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on 9
February 2014.
Presently, he is the chief of World Squash Federation. He was elected unopposed for
the presidential post. He will remain in the office till 2016.
Kho-Kho Federation of India President Rajeev Mehta was also elected unopposed
as Secretary General.
All India Tennis Association (AITA) chief Anil Khanna was also elected unopposed as
Treasurer.
Marco Lambertini appointed Director-General of WWF International

The global conservation organisation, WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) on 6
February 2014 appointed Marco Lambertini as Director-General (DG) of the WWF
International. His new role as the DG will start from 1 May 2014.
775
At the time of this appointment, he was serving Bird Life International as its chief
executive. He will succeed James P Leape, who was appointed as the DG of WWF
International in 2005.
Sanjeev Kulkarni appointed dean of Princeton University

Graduate School
Professor Sanjeev Kulkarni was appointed as the Dean of Princeton University
Graduate School on 5 February 2014. He will succeed William Russel, the present
Dean of the Princeton University Graduate School since 2002.
His appointment was recommended by Princeton University President Christopher L
Eisgruber and approved by the Board of Trustees.
Sanjeev Kulkarni at present is the professor of electrical engineering and director of
the Keller Center. He will take the charge as next dean from 31 March 2014.
Union Government appointed Talukdar as head of DGH

Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas appointed B N Talukdar as the head of
Director General of Hydrocarbon (DGH) on 5 February 2014.
B N Talukdar will take charge as the new Director General of the DGH on 6 February
2014. He is currently serving as the Director for exploration in Oil India Ltd. (OIL).
He will succeed Rajiv Narayan Choubey who was appointed by the former Union Oil
Minister S Jaipal Reddy as the DG of DGH in June 2012. Choubey is a 1981 batch
IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre.
776
Satya Nadella appointed as CEO of Microsoft

Satya Nadella was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Internet Giant Microsoft
in Washington on 4 January 2014. Satya Nadella succeeds Steve Ballmer and he
takes over as the third CEO of the Microsoft firm.
Bill Gates is the founder and first CEO of Microsoft. Nadella is the first Indian to head
the Microsoft in its 38-year history.
Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur appointed to head 7th Central

Pay Commission
Former Supreme Court Justice, Ashok Kumar Mathur on 4 February 2014 was
appointed as the Chairman of the 7th Pay Commission.
Vivek Rae, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary will be the full time member
director. Ratin Roy of National Institute of Public Finances and Policy will be part-time
member of the commission. Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Expenditure,
Meena Agarwal will be the Secretary of the Pay panel.
The Commission has been mandated to submit its report in two years time. Its
recommendation would be implemented from 1 January 2016.
Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India had approved composition of the 7th
Pay Commission in September 2013.
The Pay Commission is constituted every ten years by the government of India to
revise the pay scales of its employees and often these are adopted by states after
some modification.
Poonam Khetrapal Singh took charge as Regional Director

of SEARO
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Poonam Khetrapal Singh took charge as the Regional Director of World Health
Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region on 1 February 2014.
Poonam Khetrapal Singh succeeded Samlee Plianbangchang of Thailand who served
for ten years consecutively. The Regional Director has a term of five years and can
get a second term.
She is the first Indian in 44 years to hold the post of Regional Director, South East
Asian Regional Organistion (SEARO). India had occupied the post from 1948-1968.
UN appointed Vivek Lall as Special Advisor

United Nation appointed India based Vivek Lall as special advisor on cyber security
on 3 February 2014.
Vivek Lall will be responsible for steering the policy framework of the UN in the area
of broadband and associated cyber security issues and oversee implementation.
Vivek Lall is a renowned aerospace and cyber security expert. Currently, he is the
president and CEO of Reliance New Ventures Limited.
Lall also heads the Indo-US Strategic Dialogue and has formed the Indo-American
Chamber of Commerce, and is actively engaged in India-US dialogue in various fields
including defence, aviation, aerospace and cyber security.
Manoj Vaish took charge as MD & CEO of MCX

Manoj Vaish took charge as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd. (MCX) on 1 February 2014.
Forward Markets Commission (FMC) the commodity markets regulator approved the
appointment of Vaish. His appointment is for a period of three years.
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His appointment came following stepping down of Shreekant Javalgekar in October

2013 as the Managing Director and CEO of MCX following the 5600 crore rupees
scam related to National Spot Exchange (NSEL). NSEL is a sister concern of MCX
and is co-promoted by MCX promoter Financial Technologies India Ltd. (FTIL).
Harish Rawat appointed 8th Chief Minister of Uttrakhand

Harish Rawat of Congress Party was appointed as the 8th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand
on 1 February 2014. He was administered the oath of office by Governor Aziz Qureshi
at Raj Bhawan.
He succeeded Vijay Bahuguna.
Michel Rogers nominated as Director of NSA

Michael Rogers was nominated as the Director of National Security Agency by the
US president Barack Obama. His name was announced by Defence Secretary of US
on 30 January 2014.
Defence Secretary also announced the name of Rick Ledgett as the new Deputy
Director of NSA who is at present its Chief Operating Officer.
Vice Admiral Michel Roger will succeed Keith Alexander who served as the Director
of NSA for almost nine years. Michel Roger will take the charge as Director of NSA
in March 2014.
Ajoy Misra elevated as the CEO and MD of Tata Global Beverages Limited
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Ajoy Misra has been appointed as the CEO and Managing Director of Tata Global
Beverages Limited (TGBL) on 29 January 2014. At the time of elevation to the position
of CEO and MD, Misra was serving the company as Deputy CEO and Executive
Director of TGBL. His appointment will come to effect from 1 April 2014 as decided
by the board of directors of TGBL.
Professor Rakesh Khurana of Indian origin appointed as Dean

of Harvard College
Indian American Professor Rakesh Khurana on 23 January 2014 was appointed as
the Dean of Havard College. With this appointment, Khurana has joined the long list of
Indian-origin academicians, who has assumed the leadership roles at the renowned
global universities.
He will succeed Evelynn Hammonds, the professor of History of Science and of
African and African American Studies at Harvard.
He will assume the charge of the dean from 1 July 2014. Harvard College is the
school within the Harvard University that grants undergraduate degrees.
Kailash Meghwal elected as the Speaker of Rajasthan Assembly

Kailash Meghwal was elected unanimously as the Speaker of Rajasthan Assembly
on 22 January 2014. His name was proposed by the Chief Minister of Rajasthan
Vasundhara Raje and the leader of Opposition, Rameshwar Dudi seconded this
proposal. Kailash Meghwal was Mines Minister and resigned from that office on 21
January 2013.
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Aruna Bahuguna first woman to be appointed as chief of National Police Academy

The Union Government appointed IPS Aruna Bahuguna as chief of Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel National Police Academy, Hyderbad. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet
(ACC) issued the orders for the appointment on 20 January 2014.
Aruna Bahuguna is the first woman to be appointed as the chief of the National Police
Academy. She is the 28th chief of the academy and will be at its helm till February
2017.
She will replace the incumbent IPS Subhas Goswami who was appointed as the
Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in November 2013.
Catherline Samba-Panza elected CARs Interim President

Catherline Samba-Panza, the mayor of Bangui, on 20 January 2014 was elected as
the interim President of the Central African Republic (CAR). With this she became the
first woman to hold the post after defeating her rival Desire Kolinba, in the second
round of voting by the interim Parliament. She secured 75 votes against 53 of the
rival.
Jamila Bayaz, first women to be appointed police chief of Kabul province

Jamila Bayaz was appointed as the police chief of District One of Kabul province on
15 January 2014. She is the first woman in Afghanistan to be appointed as police
chief of an entire district.
She joined Afghan police force more than three decades ago and at present serving
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as Colonel in Kabuls police force.
Sirajuddin Qureshi elected as the President of IICC

Sirajuddin Qureshi was elected as the President of Indian Islamic Cultural Centre
(IICC). The Indian Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC) held an election on 12 January 2014
for its managing body. The election intended to elect office bearers for the posts of
President, Vice-President, Members of Board of Trustees and Executive Committee.
US Senate confirmed Janet Yellen as next Chairperson of

Federal Reserve
The US Senate on 6 January 2014 confirmed the name of Janet Yellen as the first
woman to lead the US Federal Reserve. She succeeds the Chairman Ben Bernanke
as the next head of Americas central bank. Her term in the office will begin on 1
February 2014.
Chandrashekhar appointed the President of NASSCOM

R. Chandrashekhar was appointed as President of National Association of Software
and Service Companies (NASSCOM) on 4 January 2014.
R. Chandrasekhar succeeded Som Mittal whose tenure with the NASSCOM ended
on 3 January 2014. He was at the helm of NASSCOM for six long years.
Pradhyuman Singh appointed as pro-tem speaker of 14th

Rajasthan Assembly
782
Pradhyuman Singh, a senior MLA of Congress party was appointed as the pro-tem
speaker of the 14th Rajasthan Assembly on 3 January 2014. The first session of the
states assembly will begin on 21 January 2014.
S.K.Sharma appointed Chairman and Managing Director of

BEL
Shri S.K. Sharma was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat
Electronics Limited (BEL) on 2 January 2014. BEL is a public sector undertaking
under the defence ministry and is a Navratna. Mr. Sharma took charge as CMD after
Mr. Anil Kumar retired on 31 December 2013. He joined BEL in 1978 at Bangalore.
He had served in various divisions of BEL.
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PERSON RESIGNED
West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan resigned
MK NarayananMK Narayanan, the Governor of West Bengal on 30 June 2014. He
tendered his resignation to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.
Narayanans resignation came within a week after being questioned by the CBI as
a witness in connection with its probe into 3600-crore rupees VVIP chopper from
Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland.
He is the first ever person holding a gubernatorial post to be questioned by the
agency.
M Shashidhar Reddy, the NDMA Vice Chairman resigned

M Shashidhar Reddy, the Vice Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA) on 17 June 2014 resigned from his post. He sent his resignation to Narendra
Modi, the Prime Minister of India, who is also the chairman of NDMA.
Reddy was appointed as a member of the NDMA in 2005 and was promoted to the
position of Vice Chairman in December 2010.
Shekhar Dutt, the Governor of Chhattisgarh resigned

Shekhar DuttShekhar Dutt, the Governor of Chhattisgarh tendered his resignation
784
to Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India on 18 June 2014. Dutts tenure as the
Governor was supposed to end in January 2015. He was appointed as the Governor
of Chhattisgarh on 23 January 2010.
BL Joshi, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh resigned

BL JoshiBL Joshi, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh resigned from his post on 17 June
2014. Joshi, who was serving the state as its Governor for second term, sent his
resignation to Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India. Following resignation of
Joshi, the President gave the additional charge of UP to Uttarakhand Governor Aziz
Qureshi.
Narendra Modi resigned as Gujarat CM to take over as PM

Narendra Modi on 21 May 2014 resigned as the Gujarat Chief Minister to take over
as the Prime Minister of India. He handed his resignation to Kamla Beniwal, the
Governor of the State during a special session of the Gujarat Assembly.
Modi will be sworn-in as the Prime Minister on 26 May 2014 at Rashtrapati Bhawan
and his oath will be administered by the President. He served Gujarat as its Chief
Minister for consecutively three terms, which is nearly 14 years, from 7 October 2001
to 21 May 2014. He is the longest serving Chief Minister of the State.
With his resignation, he designated Gujarat Revenue Minister, Anandiben Patel as his
successor as the new Chief Minister of the State. After swearing-in, Anandiben will
be the first women Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Planning Commission Deputy

Chairman Resigned
785
Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission of India

resigned from his office on 17 May 2014. He submitted his resignation to the Prime
Minister, Manmohan Singh after the Union Cabinet meet held in New Delhi.
All members of the Planning Commission submitted their resignation to the Prime
Minister who is also the Chairman of the Planning Commission. Since the term of the
Commission is co-terminus with the Union Government term, hence all the members
of Planning Commission resign as the term of the Union Government ends.
PM Economic Advisory Council Chairman C Rangarajan resigned

Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) Chairman Chakravarthi
Rangarajan resigned on 19 May 2014. He sent his resignation to the Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh.
Since the term of the PMEAC was parallel to that of the Prime Minister, hence with
the resignation of the PM Manmohan Singh on 17 May 2014, the PMEAC also needs
to resign.
The PMEAC headed by C Rangrajan had Saumitra Chaudhuri, V.S. Vyas, Pulin B.
Nayak and Dilip M. Nachane as members.
Nitish Kumar resigned as Bihar Chief Minister

Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar resigned from his office on 17 May 2014. He
tendered his resignation to the Governor of Bihar Dnyandeo Yashwantrao Patil after
his party Janata Dal United was able to win only two seats of the 40 in the 16th Lok
Sabha elections.
786
He also recommended dissolution of the Bihar Assembly as his party is in minority and
is dependent on the support of Congress, Communist Party of India and Independent
MLAs.
PM Manmohan Singh tendered his resignation to President

Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh on 17 May 2014 tendered his resignation
to the President of India Pranab Mukherjee. His resignation was accepted by the
President.
After accepting his resignation, the President has asked Singh to continue as the
caretaker Prime Minister till the new government takes charge of the office.
He served India as the Prime Minister for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2009
and from 2009 to 2014.
Manmohan Singh is the third longest serving Prime Minister of India after Jawaharlal
Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
UN Envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi resigned

UN Envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi on 13 May 2014 submitted his resignation to UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York. He will relinquish the office on 31 May
2014.
He was also the League of Arab States Special Representative on the Syrian crisis.
He was appointed as the peace-facilitator in Syria on 17 August 2012 to replace the
former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
The resignation of the 80-year old Brahimi, who hails from Algeria, has left a vacuum
in the peaceful resolution to the three-year conflict in Syria.
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Prime Minister of Slovenia resigned

Prime Minister of Slovenia, Alenka Bratusek resigned on 5 May 2014 and urged for
early elections in the country. Alenka Bratusek handed her resignation to the speaker
of Parliament and announced her resignation.
She resigned as Prime Minister after losing the leadership of her Positive Slovenia
party to Mayor Zoran Jankovic of Ljublijana. Bratusek was the first women Prime
Minister of Slovenia and occupied the post of PM on 23 March 2013.
PM of South Korea Chung Hong-Won resigned

Prime Minister of South Korea Chung Hong-won resigned on 27 April 2014. He
resigned over the governments inability and untimely response to the ferry disaster
that happened on 16 April 2014.
The President Park Geun-hye accepted the resignation of Chung, but he will remain
in post until the rescue operation was completed.
The Sewol ferry sank on a routine trip south from the port of Incheon to the traditional
holiday island of Jeji on 16 April 2014.
DHI suspended HMT MD Sreekumar for allegedly diverting

funds
The Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) on 7 April 2014 suspended Managing
Director (MD) M D Sreekumar for allegedly diverting funds. Sreekumar is the MD of
HMT Machine Tools Limited. HMT Machine Tools Limited is a wholly subsidiary of
HMT Limited.
He has been placed under suspension for allegedly diverting and misappropriating
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30 crore rupees.
Nancy Powell resigned as the US Ambassador to India

Nancy Powell, the US Ambassador to India on 31 March 2014 announced her
resignation in the US Mission Town Hall meeting. The resignation was submitted
to Barack Obama, the President of US. She would now get back to her home in
Delaware before the end of May 2014.
Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi resigned as Army Chief of Egypt to run

for Presidential Elections
Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, the Army Chief of Egypt resigned on 26 March 2014 to contest
in Presidential election. His resignation from the highest post of military came, nine
months after toppling Egypts first democratically-elected President, Mohammad
Morsi.
Earlier on 26 March 2014, he also resigned from the post of the Defence Minister by
tendering his resignation to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAP).
He led the military coup to overthrew Mohammed Morsi, the then President of Egypt
in July 2013. On 27 January 2014, he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal (the
highest rank in the military).
Managing Director of Britannia Industries Vinita Bali announced to retire

Managing Director (MD) of Britannia Industries Vinita Bali on 25 March 2014 announced
to retire till the end of March 2014. Britannia Industries is a part of the Wadia Group.
789
Bali had joined Britannia in January 2005 and took over as company MD in 2006.
Vinita Bali became the first woman to head a major consumer goods company in
India in 2005.
During her nine-year stint, Bali marked the revenue growth of Britannia to a 1 billion
US dollar.
Acting CEO and CFO of Jet Airways Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan resigned

The acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Jet
Airways Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan resigned on 25 March 2014.
Gopalakrishnan took up the post of CFO in the airline in October 2012 and was
closely involved in negotiations with Etihad and financial revival of the airline. Prior to
joining Jet Airways, he was executive director & CFO with TVS Capital Funds.
Gopalakrishnan took over as acting CEO in January 2014 after Garry Kenneth Toomey
resignation.
KC Chakrabarty, Deputy Governor of RBI resigned

Dr KC Chakrabarty, the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India resigned on 20
March 2014. His resignation came three months ahead of the completion of his term
due to personal reasons.
Chakrabarty was appointed as RBI deputy governor for a three-year term in June
2009, and was subsequently given a two-year extension. In past two decades,
Chakrabarty is the first top official of RBI to resign before retirement.
790
GK Pillai resigned as Chairman of MCX-SX

GK Pillai resigned as Chairman of MCX-SX on 14 March 2014. Consequently, current
Vice Chairman and former LIC Chairman, Thomas Mathew T was elected as new
Chairman and Ashima Goyal was elected as Vice Chairperson by the Board members.
The exchange also announced that MCX and FTIL had been reclassified as Public
Shareholder from Promoter Shareholder.
Former Home Secretary, GK Pillai was appointed as Chairman of MCX-SX following
the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL) scam. He played a pivotal role in bringing
stability by renegotiating contracts, rationalizing costs and other similar measures.
Nandan Nilekani resigned as chairman of UIDAI

Nandan Nilekani resigned as chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India
(UIDAI) on 13 March 2014. Nilekani joined the Congress Party on 10 March 2014 and
he is contesting from the Bangalore South constituency in Lok Sabha polls.
Nandan Nilekani, Co-founder of Infosys left the company in 2007 and he had taken
charges as head of UIDAI, Aadhar programme.
Indian Navy Chief Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi resigned

Indian Navy Chief Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi resigned on 26 February 2014
taking moral responsibility of the accident on INS Sindhuratna in Mumbai. He is the
first Defence forces Chief to resign since independence.
The government accepted the resignation of Admiral Joshi with immediate effect.
Vice Admiral R K Dhowan will be the Acting Chief till the next Chief is appointed.
The incident on 26 February 2014, was the tenth mishap involving an Indian Navy
791
warship and the third involving a submarine in the last seven months. Sindhuratna had
recently undergone a refit in Mumbai and was handed over to Navy in December2013.
Oldest Parliamentarian of India Rishang Keishing retired

Rishang Keishing the oldest Parliamentarian of India decided to retire on 21 February
2014. He is 94.
He joined politics as the member of the first Lok Sabha in 1952 after being elected
from Socialist Party. He had served the nation for seven decades. He joined Congress
in 1962.
The present term of Rishang Keishing of Rajya Sabha is due to ends in April 2014.
Keishing is a former school teacher. He hails from Naga- dominated Ukhrul district.
United Bank of India CMD Archana Bhargava resigned

Archana Bhargava, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Kolkata-based
United Bank of India (UBI) resigned on 21 February 2014.
Union Finance Ministry accepted the application for a voluntary retirement of Archana
Bhargava. Her term was to end in February 2015.
Ms. Archana S. Bhargava joined as CMD of United Bank of India on 24 April 2013.
Prior to this, Ms. Bhargava served as a General Manager of Punjab National Bank,
which she joined in 1977.
Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned as AP Chief Minister

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (CM), Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned from the post
792
on 19 February 2014. He also quitted from the membership of the State Assembly
and the Congress Party as a protest to the decision to bifurcate the Andhra Pradesh
State.
Kingfisher Airlines CEO Sanjay Aggarwal resigned

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kingfisher Airlines Sanjay Aggarwal resigned on 17
February 2014.
He had joined kingfisher Airlines on 30 September 2010.
Prior to Kingfisher, he was working with SpiceJet Airlines ltd. Aggarwal had led
SpiceJet as its CEO and led the low-cost airline back to profitability. He quit the
airline when media baron Kalanithi Maran of Sun TV Network Ltd bought SpiceJet in
June 2010.
Italy Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigned

Italy Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigned on 14 February 2014. The statement
released by the Italian presidential palace stated that the Italys President, Giorgio
Napolitano accepted the resignation.
Letta belongs to the center-left Democratic Party. Letta is likely to be replaced by the
Democratic Party leader, the mayor of Florence Matteo Renzi.
Arvind Kejriwal resigned as Delhi CM

Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi resigned on 14 February 2014. He resigned
following his government failure to muster the support over whether the Jan Lokpal
Bill should be presented before the House or not. 42 MLAs voted against the bill
793
whereas only 27 members favoured it.

The decision of resignation was announced by him after a cabinet meeting. He sent
his resignatiom to LT. Governor Nejeeb Jung within 48 days after he became the
Chief Minister of Delhi.
Vijay Bahuguna, the Chief Minister of Uttrakhand resigned

Vijay Bahuguna, the Chief Minister of Uttrakhand submitted his resignation to the
Governor of the state on 31 January 2014 in Dehradun. The resignation follows a
meeting of senior party leaders of the party in Delhi on 29 January 2014 that was
headed by Congress President, Sonia Gandhi.
Ukraine Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigned

Ukraines Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigned on 28 January 2014 in order to
facilitate peaceful settlement of the political crisis. President Viktor Yanukovych
accepted the resignation of the Prime Minister.
The move came after the Ukrainian parliament voted overwhelmingly to annul a
controversial anti-protest law. The Parliament voted by 361 to two to repeal the
protest legislation which among other measures banned the wearing of helmets by
protesters and the blockading of public buildings.
Aviation ministry removed V.P.Agrawal from position of AAI

chairman
The Aviation Ministry removed V.P.Agrawal as chairman of the state-run Airports
Authority of India (AAI) on 24 January 2014. Alok Sinha has given additional charge
794
as AAI chairman. Alok Sinha is a joint secretary in the Aviation Ministry.

V.P. Agrawal took over as chairman on 1 January 2009 for a period of five years.
His tenure was ended on 31 December 2013, but he was allowed to continue in the
post because Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) did not clear his name for further
extension.
Garry Kenneth Toomey resigned from Jet Airways

Garry Kenneth Toomey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jet Airways resigned on 16
January 2014. Toomey succeeded Nikos Kardassis for a period of three years in June
2013.
Jets Chief Financial Officer Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan will be the acting CEO of
Jet airways until a new CEO is appointed by Jet Airways.
Justice A K Ganguly resigned as chairman of WBHRC

The former Supreme Court Judge, Justice A K Ganguly on 6 January 2014 resigned as
the Chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC). He resigned
following allegations of sexual harassment by a law intern.
He submitted his resignation letter to the M K Narayanan, the Governor of the West
Bengal when he met him in the Raj Bhavan. He had a 45-minute long meeting with
the Governor.
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PERSON ON VISIT
SAARC Countries Leaders visited India
SAARC Countries Leaders visited India on 26 May 2014. They visited India as a part
of swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi had substantive meetings with all eight leaders who visited India after
the swearing-in ceremony.
Meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka

PM Modi requested the government of Sri Lanka to expedite the process of national
reconciliation which devolved wide powers to the Tamil community in a united Sri
Lanka. He called for early and full implementation of the Thirteenth Amendment and
going beyond would contribute to this process.
He expressed interest in early launch of the 500 MW Sampur Coal Power project and
greater connectivity between the two countries.
Meeting with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan

During his meet with Karzai, PM Modi reitered Indias commitment to the development
and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Wishing for a prosperous, independent and
sovereign Afghanistan, he called for the reconciliation process that would be Afghanled, Afghan-owned, and Afghan-controlled.
Meeting with Prime Minister of Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan

Modi assured Bhutan support for their socio-economic development and agreed to
796
commence four new joint venture hydroelectric projects with a generating capacity
of 2120 MW in Bhutan.
Meeting with President Abdulla Yameen of Maldives

Both the leader agreed to take measures to further strengthen investment and trade
cooperation as well as cooperation in projects (especially petroleum and natural gas
sector, tourism and educational sectors).
Meeting with Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam of Mauritius

Both leaders agreed to further strengthen the relationship, especially economic
cooperation and interactions in the field of maritime security, renewable energy, and
the blue-economy, including development of related infrastructure.They had agreed
to work together with all other member countries in further strengthening the Indian
Ocean Rim Association.
Meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala of Nepal

Modi stressed for further strengthen connectivity and economic inter-linkages
between India and Nepal, including through projects for rail and road connectivity.
He also stressed the importance of expediting implementation of these projects and
particularly projects in the hydropower and transmission sectors.
Meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan

Both the leaders underlined mutual concerns relating to terrorism. He conveyed that
Pakistan must abide by its commitment to prevent its territory and territory under its
control from being used for terrorism against India.
He also expects the necessary steps will be taken in the Mumbai terror attack 2008
trial. Both the leaders agreed for the Foreign Secretaries will remain in touch and
improve the bi-lateral relations and move immediately towards full trade normalisation
on the basis of the September 2012 roadmap.
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Meeting with Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury

Modi appreciated the cooperation of Bangladesh with India in all areas of mutual
interest including security, power, border management, rail and road transport.
India and Iran agreed to take a decision on Chabahar Port by

March 2014
Javad Zarif, the Foreign Affair Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran was on an
official visit to India from 27 February to 28 February 2014. During this visit he met
with Salman Khurshid, the Union External Affairs Minister of India and the two
sides reviewed the expanse of the bilateral relations between the two countries and
emphasized to nurture the relations also.
During the same meet in New Delhi, the two ministers on 28 February also agreed to
take a decision on Chabahar port by March 2014. The two sides have also decided
that specific proposals on the port will be finalized by Nauroz (Iranian/Persian New
Year) holidays in March 2014 in Iran.
The two sides also agreed to hold joint consular committees meet at the earliest
to address issues of a consular nature. They also discussed regional issues that
included Afghanistan along with development in Middle East and the P5 plus one
discussion with Iran.
Port of Chabahar
Port of Chabahar is a seaport in Chah Bahar in southeastern Iran and it is located on
the border of Indian Ocean and Oman Sea. It is the only Iranian port with direct access
to ocean. Chabahar is Irans closest and best access point to the Indian Ocean. The
port was partially built by India in the 1990s to provide access to Afghanistan and
Central Asia, by passing Pakistan.
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Erlan Abdyldaev, the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz Republic visited India

Erlan Abdyldaev, the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz Republic was on an official visit to
India from 13 to 15 February 2014. During this India visit of Abdyldaev, the two sides
also exchanged documents to make functional a bilateral treaty on mutual legal
assistance and an agreement on visa free travel for diplomatic, official and service
passport holders.
He visited India on the invitation of Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of
India. Apart from Salman Khurshid, during the visit he also met with
EM Sudarsana Natchiappan, Minister of State for Commerce and Industries
He also interacted with the think tank, India Central Asia Foundation and with the
India-Kyrgyz Friendship Society
The two sides also reviewed the significant process made in bilateral relations and
noted common positions on current international and regional issues
In recent years the Kyrgyz Republic has chosen a political path of parliamentary
democracy that is similar to Indias. In this context the two sides agreed to intensify
parliamentary exchanges and the Indian side welcomed the proposed visit of a Kyrgyz
Parliamentary delegation to India later in 2014.
During the meeting, the two sides also expressed satisfaction with the progress on the
implementation of the protocol of the 6th India-Kyrgyz Republic Inter-Governmental
Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation
held in Bishkek in July 2013.
The two sides also discussed and agreed to take new steps to stimulate bilateral
trades and they observed that the trade levels between the two countries were below
potential. Kyrgyz Republic and India also noted the scope of cooperation in fields
of pharmaceuticals, transport and communication, mining, education, textiles and
garment industries, health and tourism as priority sectors for promotion of bilateral
799
investments.
Kyrgyz side proposed a joint theatrical production of the epic Manas and also
discussed cooperation in the field of film making. The two sides also agreed to
continue their close cooperation in the UN. In the context of UN reform, the Kyrgyz
side supported permanent membership for India in the United Nations Security
Council. The Kyrgyz side also supported full membership for India in the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Some examples of partnership of India with Kyrgyz Republic are

Commissioning of a potato processing plant in Talas
Implementation of the IT Centre of Excellence in Bishkek that has been planned
for pan Central Asia e-network
Ali Mohamed Shein, President of Zanzibar is on India visit

from 1 to 9 February 2014
President of Zanzibar, Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein is on an official visit to India from 1 to
9 February 2014. He visited India on the invitation of Vice President of India, Hamid
Ansari. Ali Mohamed Shein is heading a 28-member delegation to India along with
his wife. During this visit, he along with the delegation visited the Amber Fort of
Rajasthan on 1 January 2014. He and his delegation also visited Shish Mahal, Man
Singh Mahal, Deewan-e-Aam, Deewan-e-Khas and other places in fort complex. The
delegation was on a two-day visit of the state.
During the state visit, the delegation also visited to Barefoot College in Ajmer in
Rajasthan that has taught 100 women from his country to make solar lamps. The
Barefoot College has trained Zanzibari rural women under Indias ITEC programme.
The President visited the college to view the facilities in the college to establish a
similar training college in Zanzibar.
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It is expected that during this visit, the President of Zanzibar will also visit to Bangalore,
Mumbai and Hyderabad to meet with the industry and business leaders and members
of Tanzanian community. This visit of the President of President happened nearly a
decade after similar visit of his predecessor.
India and Zanzibar shares a strong close historical relationship. Centuries old Indian
Diaspora is available in the Zanzibar islands.
About Zanzibar
Zanzibar is an archipelago that is made up of Zanzibar and Pemba Islands, and several
islets. It is located in the Indian Ocean, about 25 miles from the Tanzanian coast, and
6 south of the equator. It is characterised by beautiful sandy beaches with fringing
coral reefs, and the magic of historic Stone Town - said to be the only functioning
ancient town in East Africa. Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East
Africa
The population of the island is an incredible mixture of ethnic backgrounds of which
Islam is the dominant religion and practiced by most Zanzibar people. Also there
are followers of Christianity and Hinduism. Population Zanzibaris speak Swahili
(known locally as Kiswahili), a language which is spoken extensively in East Africa.
Many believe that the purest form is spoken in Zanzibar as it is the birth place of the
language.
External Affairs Minister met US Secretary of State in Montreux

Union External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid held a bilateral meeting with John
Kerry, the US Secretary of State on 22 January 2014 on the sidelines of Geneva II
meet on Syria in Montreux.
801
During the bilateral meet, the two ministers reviewed the recent developments in
India-US relations. They also agreed that the bilateral relationship is important for
both the countries and looked forward towards early realization of the mutuallyagreed calendar of bilateral exchanges.
This included
Visit of US Energy Secretary Moniz for the India-US Energy Dialogue
Visit of the Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Margaret
Hamburg
The two sides also reviewed the ongoing defence cooperation between the two
countries. They also agreed to recognize the need to put in place institutional
arrangements to look at all outstanding issues related to the privileges and immunities
of diplomats of the two countries. This discussion was done in view of the recent
episode involving the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York.
External Affairs Minister also underlined Indias concern over trafficking visas issued
to Indian nationals by the US Embassy in India.
Bhutan King and Queen will visit India from 6-10 January
2014
The King and Queen of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Jetsun Pema
Wangchuck respectively will pay an official Visit to India from 6-10 January 2014.
During this visit, a delegation of the King of Bhutan includes the Foreign Minister,
Home Minister and Economic Affairs Minister. The King has been invited to India by
the President, Pranab Mukherjee and will the first foreign Head of the State to be
invited to stay at the renovated Dwarka Suite in the Rastrapati Bhawan after about
two decades.
802
As per an official release, during the visit the two will meet with the President of India,
Vice President of India, Prime Minister, Chairperson of the UPA, Finance Minister,
External Affairs Minister, Home Minister, and Leader of the Opposition.
The unique relations between India and Bhutan are characterized by close friendship,
deep understanding and mutual trust. It is predicted that this visit of the King and
the Queen will help in strengthening and expanding the close bilateral ties of the two
countries.
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PLACES IN NEWS
BOTSWANAS OKAVANGO DELTA: 1000TH SITE INSCRIBED
ON WORLD HERITAGE SITE LIST
Okavango Delta in Botswana on 22 June 2014 became the 1000th site to be included
in the UNESCO World Heritage Site List at the 38th session of the World Heritage
Site Committee at Doha, Qatar. The List now totals 1001 properties.
The delta is located in the northwest Botswana. It comprised permanent marshlands
and seasonally flooded plains. It is one of the very few major interior delta systems
that do not flow into a sea or ocean, with a wetland system that is almost intact.
The Okavango delta is home to some of the worlds most endangered species of
large mammal, such as the cheetah, white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African wild
dog and lion.
ANCIENT PYU CITIES: FIRST SITE OF MYANMAR TO BE INSCRIBED ON THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST
Ancient Pyu Cities on 22 June 2014 became the first site from Myanmar to be inscribed
on the UNESCOs World Heritage Site List. The Ancient Pyu Cities include three cities
Halin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra.
Three cities Halin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra are located in Burmas central Dry Zone
and featured the walled remains of sites built by the Pyu dynasty. The Pyu Kingdoms
flourished for over 1000 years between 200 B.C and 900 A.D.
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The Cities are located in vast irrigated landscapes in the dry zone of the Ayeyarwady
(Irrawaddy) River basin. The three cities are partly excavated archaeological sites.
MOSUL, IRAQ: 40 INDIAN WORKERS MISSING

40 Indian workers on 17 June 2014 were reported to be missing from Mosul, Iraq.
The groups of workers were working on a government construction project in Mosul.
Mosul was over-run by ISIS militants in June 2014.
Mosul is a city in the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-controlled part of northern Iraq.
Mosul is located some 400 km northwest of Baghdad. Mosul is the second largest
city of Iraq after Baghdad.
Mosul is the capital of the Nineveh Province. The city stands on the west bank of the
Tigris River. The majority population of Mosul is Arab.
TIKRIT, IRAQ: CAPTURED BY MILITANTS BELONGING TO ISIS

GROUP
Tikrit in Iraq was in news because it was captured by the Militants belonging to
Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) group on 10 June 2014. Tikrit is the
home town of former dictator Saddam Hussein.
ISIS had already captured Mosul as well as other towns and cities north of Baghdad.
Mosul is Iraqs second largest city.
JINNAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KARACHI: ATTACKED BY

TERRORISTS
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Jinnah International Airport of Karchi was in news when Terrorist belonging to Tehreeke-Taliban on 8 June 2014 attacked it.
In the attack more than 23 people were killed and scores injured when the terrorist
used grenades and stormed it into a cargo area. The airports cargo area is about a
kilometer away from the area where commercial planes take off.
The attack was reminiscent of the deadly raid carried out by some 15 militants of
the Tehreek e Taliban in May 2011 on the Mehran naval airbase in Karachi. In
the attack some 18 personnel were killed before terrorists were killed in a counter
attack.
RIVER BEAS ON MANALI-KIRATPUR HIGHWAY: 24 ENGINEERING STUDENTS DROWNED

24 engineering students of Vigyan Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology of
Hyderabad were drowned in Beas River in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh on 8
June 2014.
The students including 18 boys and 6 girls were swept away while taking photographs
near Thalot on Manali Kiratpur Highway that is 40 km from Manali. The incident
happened after water-level rose suddenly due to water released from the reservoir of
126 MW Larji hydropower project. The floodgates of reservoir were opened without
any warning.
GAIRSAIN: UTTARAKHAND ASSEMBLY SESSION HELD

Three-day Uttarakhand Assembly session held at Gairsain in Chamoli from 9 June
to 11 June 2014. The assembly session of Uttarakhand was held for the first time
outside the capital city, Dehradun, since its formation in 2000.
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The second Assembly building was laid by former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in
January 2013 in the Bhararisain area of Gairsain.
Since the formation people of has been demanding, Gairsain to be made states
permanent capital. Harish Rawat, the Chief Minister of the state has described
this session as a token of respect to the sentiments of agitationists of Uttarakhand
statehood.
HEART PROVINCE: INDIAN ALEXIS PREM KUMAR ABDUCTED

Heart Province in Afghanistan was in news because an Indian aid worker and Catholic
priest Alexis Prem Kumar was abducted on 2 June 2014.
Prem Kumar hails from Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu and was working with an educational
charity. He was abducted by six Taliban militants in Zenda Jan district of Heart
province.
Earlier on 23 May 2014, Heart province was in news due to attack on the Indian
Consulate. Four heavily armed attackers, who were carrying rocket-propelled
grenades, attacked the building and in the exchange of fire the four gunmen were
killed.
This was second attack on Indian Consulate in Afghanistan. In August 2013 attack in
Afghanistans Jalalabad, 9 persons were killed and 24 got injured.
MT GORICHEN PEAK, ARUNACHAL PRADESH: INDIAN AIR

FORCE EXPLORED UNCLIMBED PEAK
Indian Air Force (IAF) mountaineering expedition team explored an unclimbed peak
of Mt Gorichen (5587 meters) in Arunachal Pradesh. The team was led by Wing
Commander D Panda. This was the first expedition of IAF into this region of Eastern
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Himalayas.
The peak lies on the west of Mt Gorichen and was christened as Mt Garud Parvat by
air warriors who climbed it for the first time in history.
PAYERNE AIRFIELD, SWITZERLAND: SOLAR IMPULSE 2

PLANE MADE ITS INAUGURAL FLIGHT
Solar powered plane, Solar Impulse 2 made its inaugural flight on 2 May 2014 from
Payerne airfield in Switzerland. Solar Impulse 2 is the same plane that would be
taken on a first round the world flight on solar aircraft in 2015.
The plane was an upgraded version of the aircraft that flew across America in 2013 and
was piloted by adventurers Betrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg at the controls.
ANANTNAG DISTRICT OF SOUTH KASHMIR: IAF MIG-21

CRASHED
Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft MIG-21 crashed at Marhama Sangam on National
Highway in Bijbehara of Anantnag district in South Kashmir on 27 May 2014. The
pilot squadron leader Raghu Banshi died on board in the crash.
The MIG plane took off from Quil Pulwama Airbase, 25 kilometer from the crash
point, for a routine daily exercise. Apart from this, a court of inquiry has been ordered
into the MIG-21 Aircraft crash.
KUDANKULAM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, TIRUNELVELI: SIX

WORKERS INJURED AFTER HOT WATER SPILL FROM A VALVE
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Six workers injured on 14 May 2014 after Hot water Spill from a valve at Kudankulam
Nuclear Power Plant.
The injured were carrying out maintenance work in the turbine building when the
incident took place. After being given first aid on the spot, they were admitted to a
hospital.
CHIBOK, NIGERIA: 250 SCHOOLGIRLS ABDUCTED BY BOKO

HARAM MILITANTS
Chibok in the north-east of Nigeria is the town from where more than 250 schoolgirls
were abducted by Boko Haram militants. The abduction of the Nigerian schoolgirls
had come in for international criticism.
US drones and surveillance aircraft have been deployed to assist in the search for
the schoolgirls, while the UK has sent a military team to the capital, Abuja, to work
alongside US, French and Israeli experts.
The lower house of Nigerias parliament, the House of Representatives, approved
an extension of the state of emergency in the north-east states of Yobe, Borno and
Adamawa.
Besides, a security summit will be held in Paris, France on 17 May 2014 to discuss
the Boko Haram threat to regional stability.
The summit will be attended by the leaders of Nigerias neighbours - Benin, Cameroon,
Niger and Chad. The summit will also include representatives from the UK, US and
EU.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: EARTHQUAKE OF MAGNITUDE 8.3 ON

RICHTER SCALE STRUCK
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Earthquake of magnitude 8.3 on Richter Scale struck Solomon Islands on 13 April

2014. The undersea quake occurred at a depth of 29km (18 miles), 100km (60 miles)
south-east of Kira Kira.
The Solomon Islands suffered severe flash floods in the first week of April 2014 in
which at least 16 people died.
Solomon Islands is a sovereign country consisting of a large number of islands
in Oceania lying to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu and
covering a land area of 28400 square kilometres. The countrys capital, Honiara, is
located on the island of Guadalcanal.
FORT HOOD MILITARY BASE, TEXAS, US: US ARMY MEN

KILLED THREE SOLDIERS
A mass shooting occurred at the Fort Hood military base on 2 April 2014 near Killeen,
Texas, US. A soldier shot dead three colleagues and injured 16 others before killing
himself. The shooter named Ivan Lopez died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Fort Hood is a United States military post which was founded in 1942 out of 108000
acres of Texas farming land and was initially known as Camp Hood. Eight years
after officially opened, Camp Hood became permanent military installation and was
renamed Fort Hood.
The post is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood. It is located halfway
between Austin and Waco, about 60 miles (100 km) from each within the U.S. state
of Texas.
Fort Hood is one of the largest military installations in the world with nearly 65000
soldiers.
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BHAVANI ISLAND IN A.P. DEVELOPED AS NEW ADVENTURE

SPORTS
Bhavani Island in A.P on the waves of River Krishna was developed as new adventure
sports on 23 March 2014. It was developed by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development
Corporation (APTDC) in partnership with Bangalore-based Freakout Adventure
Solutions.
The cost of developing Bhavani island as an adventure sports is about One crore
rupees which have been spent on repairing, renovating and grooming the tourist
destination with added features.
SOUTH CHINA SEA: MALAYSIA AIRLINES MH370 DISAPPEARED

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared in the South China Sea on 8 March 2014.
South China Sea is a part of Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by many countries such
as China, Philippines, Singapore, and islands such as Borneo, BangkaBelitung and
Malay Peninsula. It covers an area of 3500000 square kilometres.
SEVASTOPOL: PRO-RUSSIAN FORCES SEIZED UKRAINES

NAVY HEADQUARTERS
The pro-Russian forces on 19 March 2014 seized the Ukraines Navy Headquarters
in Crimean, Sevastopol. It also seized one more naval base of Ukraine in Crimea
apart from detaining the Navy Chief of the country, Serhiy Hayduk.
These incidents like of seizure of the naval bases and detention of the Navy Chief are
follow-up effects of referendum of Crimea on 16 March 2014, which has not been
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accepted by either Ukraine or West like the EU and US.
AJNALA IN AMRITSAR, PUNJAB: MORTAL REMAINS OF 282

INDIAN SOLDIERS RECOVERED
Mortal remains of about 282 Indian soldiers of 1857 mutiny were exhumed (dug out)
on 2 March 2014 from the well at Ajnala in Amritsar district of Punjab. The bodies of
Indian soldiers were dumped in the well by British troops during the mutiny. Apart
from the skeleton remain of the soldiers, 60 currency coins that belongs to the 1857
era have been also recovered. Army gold medals of that era have also been recovered
from the well.
The Ajnala Gurudwara had carried out the exhumation work of the remains to carry
out cremation and build memorial. The site for exhumation is 26 kilometers away
from Jallianwala Bagh, the site where the British troops led by Brigadier-General
Reginald Dyer in April 1919 massacred hundreds of civilians. The well that was dug
was previously known as Kalianwala Khu (well of black people) has been renamed as
Shaheedanwala khu (well of the martyrs).
SOHAG, EGYPT: ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVERED LOST DYNASTY OF PHARAONIC KINGS

A team of archaeologist from Egypt and America in January 2014 discovered a tomb
of the Pharaonic king (unknown) that dates back to about 1650 BC in the Nile Valley
near the city of Sohag.
The hieroglyphics has helped them to decipher the name on the tombs walls and
they identified the tomb of Senekay by an inscription on the burial chamber.
The excavations reveal the existence of the royal cemetery of the mysterious pharaohs
as it is the first time that any trace of the Pharaoh has been found. The existence of
the Pharaohs dynasty has till now been considered as the virtually world.
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GORAKHPUR RAILWAY STATION: ENTERED LIMCA BOOK OF

RECORDS AS WORLDS LONGEST PLATFORM
Gorakhpur railway stations platform number one of Uttar Pradesh has entered into
the Limca Book of Records as longest rail platform in the world. The certificate given
by the Limca Book of Records was unveiled on 10 January 2014 by KK Atal, the
General Manager North Eastern Railways (NER).
The platforms length is 1355.40 meters and was inaugurated in 6 October 2013.
Before the platform number one of Gorakhpur, the platform of Kharagpur railway
station of West Bengal had the distinction of being worlds largest platform with
length of 1072.5 meters.
KONU HIL IN SENAPATI DISTRICT, MANIPUR: WORLD WAR II

AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE FOUND
A wreckage of an aircraft has been found by the residents of an interior village
of Manipur at Konu Hil in Senapati district in January 2014. It is believed that the
wreckage is of an aircraft from the Second World War.
The wreckage of the aircraft comprise of main engine, which was detected by the
members of Youth Club of Senjam Chirang village. The aircrafts wreckage weighs
about 300 kilogram and had 14 pistols. It is possible that the aircraft would be of the
forces, who were engaged in a battle with the Japanese forces in Manipur.
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PERSON DIED
Ramanarayanan, Tamil film director and producer, died at 65
Ramanarayanan, Tamil film director and producer died on 22 June 2014 in Singapore
at the age of 65. He has directed 125 films and holds the world record of directing
the maximum number of movies in nine different langugaes.
Fernandao, the former Brazilian striker died in helicopter

crash
Former Brazilian striker, Fernando Lucio da Costa died on 7 June 2014 in a helicopter
crash in central Brazil at the age of 36. The helicopter crashed in Aruana with five
people on board.
Chester Nez, the last of World War II Navajo code talker died
Chester NezChester Nez, the last of the World War II Navajo code talkers died on 4
June 2014. He died at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the age of 93. He
was one of the 29 Navajos who created an unbreakable code that was never broken
by any one.
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Union Rural Development Minister Gopitnath Munde died

Union Rural Development Minister, Gopinath Munde of BJP died in a road accident
in Delhi on 3 June 2014. Munde was sworn-in as the Cabinet Minister for Panchayati
Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation and Rural Development on 26 May 2014.
Indologist and Sanskrit Scholar Sukumari Bhattacharji died

Sukumari BhattacharjiIndologist and Sanskrit scholar Sukumari Bhattacharji who had
equal grasp over English and Sanskrit language died on 24 May 2014. She was 92.
Born on 12 July 1921, she began her career as a lecturer in English at Lady Brabourne
College in Kolkata. She joined Jadavpur Universitys Comparative Literature
department and later shifted to the Sanskrit department.
Azlan Shah-The Father of Malaysian hockey died at 86

Azlan ShahAzlan Shah best known as The Father of Malaysian hockey died in Ipoh,
Malaysia on 28 May 2014. He was 86.
Shah was the 34th ruler of the State of Perak and was a die-hard hockey player. He
was a former President of Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC).
Maya Angelou, the American author and poet died

Maya AngelouMaya Angelou, a renowned American author and poet died on 28 May
2014 at her home in Winston-Salem of North Carolina. She was 86.
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She wrote her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1969. The book is
an illustration of the setbacks, she underwent as a child and teenager that includes
poverty, sexual abuse and guilt about a man who was murdered. The book became
a best seller and was nominated for a National Book Award.
Donald Levine creator of Worlds first action figure died

Donald Levine creator of the worlds first action figure G.I. Joe died of cancer on 24
May 2014. He was 86. He was the Hasbro executive credited as the father of G.I. Joe.
Levine developed the toy when he was Hasbros head of research and development.
Levine had also served in the Army in Korea.
N Srinivasan, the veteran nuclear scientist died

N Srinivasan, the veteran nuclear scientist and Padma Bhushan recipient died on 18
May 2014. He died due to cardiac arrest at the age of 84.
Srinivasan was the first project director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic
Research (formerly called Reactor Research Centre) at Kalpakkam. He helped India
to attain self-sufficiency in Heavy Water Production as Chief Executive of Heavy
Water Board
Russi Mody, the former Tata Steels Chairman died

Russi Mody the former Chairman of Tata Steels (formerly called TISCO) died on 16
May 2014 in Alipore in South Kolkata. He was 96. Fondly called the Grand Old Man
of Steel, he was known for his man management.
He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1989 by the Government of India for his
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contribution to the Indian Industry.
Founder of Leela Group Hotels Krishnan Nair died

Capitan Krishnan Nair, founder of Leela Group of Hotels died on 17 May 2014 in
Mumbai. He died at the age of 91. He received the Padma Bhushan award in 2010.
He founded the Leela Hotel in Mumbai in 1987. He expanded the Leela Palaces,
Hotels and Resorts in a span of 25 years to eight luxury properties in New Delhi,
Mumbai, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Udaipur, Goa, Chennai and Kovalam.
British actor Bob Hoskins died at 71

British actor Bob Hoskins died of pneumonia at the age of 71 in London on 29 April
2014. He is best known for roles in The Long Good Friday, Mona Lisa and Who
Framed Roger Rabbit.
His most memorable performance was as the Cockney cabbie in Mona Lisa film
for which he was nominated for Oscar and won best actor awards at Cannes, the
BAFTAs and the Golden Globes.
Arturo Licata, the Worlds oldest man died in Italy at age 111
Arturo Licata, the Worlds oldest man died in Italy on 27 April 2014 at the age of
111. He was awarded the Guinness World Records title of oldest living man on 28
February 2014 at the age of 111 years and 302 days.
Currently 115-year-old female, Misao Okawa of Japan, is recognised by Guinness
World Records as the worlds oldest living person.
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Canadian Author Alistair Macleod died

Canadian author Alistair MacLeod on 20 April 2014 died due to a heart stroke. He was
77. He was best known for his short story collections and novel No Great Mischief.
He wrote his first short story The Boat in 1968. MacLeods only novel No Great
Mischief was published in 1999. The novel won Ontarios Trillium Prize and the
prestigious 2001 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.
Veteran pro-democratic Journalist of Myanmar Win Tin died

Veteran pro-democratic Journalist of Myanmar Win Tin on 19 April 2014 died due to
his respiratory problems. He was 85.
Win Tin was a politician and former political prisoner in Burma. He was a founder of
the Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy.
John C. Houbolt, the unsung hero of the NASAs Apollo Program, Died
The unsung hero of the NASAs Apollo Program John C. Houbolt died on 20 April
2014 after the complications from Parkinsons disease. He was 95.
He was an engineer in the Apollo Program. His contributions to the US space
program were vital to NASAs successful Moon landing in 1969.
Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez died at 87

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Nobel laureate in literature died at the age of 87 in
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Mexico on 17 April 2014. He was considered the most popular Spanish-language

writer after Miguel de Cervantes in the 17th Century.
He was born in Colombia in 1927 and received the Nobel Prize in 1982 for literature.
His novels and short stories were about Latin Americas passion, superstition, violence
and inequality.
His first and epic novel One Hundred Years of Solitude was published in 1967 which
earned him accolades around the world. The novel was translated into 25 languages
and around 50 million copies of the novel were sold.
His other books include Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1981), Love in the Time of
Cholera (1985), Autumn of the Patriarch (1975), The General in his Labyrinth (1989),
Of Love and Other Demons (1994) and Living to Tell the Tale (2002).
Mickey Rooney, the American film actor died

Mickey Rooney, an American film actor and entertainer died on 7 April 2014. He died
in California at the age of 93. He was awarded an Oscar for lifetime achievement in
1983. He won the Golden Globe award for his performance of a mentally disabled
adult in the made-for-TV-movie Bill
Ashish Bose foremost demographer died at 83

Ashish Bose, veteran demographer, 83, died in New Delhi due to illness on 7 April
2014. Asish Bose was best known for coining the term BIMARU in one page of
research paper to then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.
BIMARU refer to the four grossly under-developed states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in the 1980s. Later it was expanded to BIMAROU which
included the Orissa.
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VK Murthy, the renowned cinematographer died

VK Murthy, the renowned cinematographer and Dada Saheb Phalke awardee died on
7 April 2014 at his residence in Shankarapuram. He was 91 and was famous for his
camera work in Guru Dutts classics like Pyaasa and Sahib, Bibi Aur Ghulam.
He was the first cinematographer to be chosen for the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke
award for 2008. He received the hounour on 19 January 2010
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Anja Niedringhaus shot dead

in Afghanistan
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Anja Niedringhaus on 4 April 2014 shot dead by
a policeman in Afghanistan. She was 48. She was killed while covering the 2014
presidential election in Afghanistan.
Anja Niedringhaus was a German photojournalist working for the Associated Press.
She was the only woman on a team of 11 AP photographers that won the 2005
Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for coverage of the Iraq War.
Former President of Guinea Kumba Yala died at 61

Former President of Guinea Kumba Yala died at the age of 61 due to cardiac arrest
on 4 April 2014. Kumba was elected civilian President of Guinea in 2001 and ruled
the country till 2003.
He was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2003. He founded the Social Renewal
Party (PRS) in 1992 and he was the president of the Party.
Yala belonged to the Balanta ethnic group and was a professor of Philosophy. He did
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masters in Portuguese, Spanish, French and English.
Adolfo Suarez, the first elected Prime Minister of Spain, died

Adolfo Suarez, the first elected Prime Minister of Spain died on 23 March 2014. He
was 81. He was suffering from Alzheimers disease for the past decade.
Adolfo Suarez was the man who led Spain to democracy after decades of dictatorship
and became the first elected Prime Minister after the death of General Francisco
Franco in 1975.
Former Brazilian international footballer Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini died

Former Brazilian international footballer Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini died on 21 March 2014
after a heart attack. He was 83. He was suffering from Alzheimers disease for many
years.
He was the captain of the team when Brazil won the first World Cup in 1958 in
Sweden. Also, he became the first captain who set the tradition to hold the trophy
above his head in celebration. There is a statue in his honour in the pose outside the
Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Khushwant Singh, the renowned author and journalist died

Khushwant Singh, the renowned author and journalist died on 20 March 2014 at the
age of 99 at his home in Sujan Singh Park in Delhi. He was mainly famous as the best
storyteller. He was a lawyer, who turned to be a diplomat followed by being a writer.
He was the founder-editor of Yojna. During 1970s to 1980s, he edited the Illustrated
Weekly of India, the Hindustan Times and the National Herald
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Some of his most successful and accepted books were Train to Pakistan, I Shall Not
Hear the Nightingale and Delhi - A Novel, The Sunset Club, A History of the Sikhs
(non-fiction) and Truth, Love and Little Malice (his autobiography).
T C Teli, former Arunachal Pradesh Minister died

T C Teli, the former Arunachal Pradesh Minister died on 14 March 2014 at his residence
in Itanagar. He died at age of 50. He was suffering from liver cancer and underwent
treatment at Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon. He was brought back to Itanagar after the
treatment on 13 March 2014.
He represented Doimukh assembly constituency two times, consecutively. He was
popularly known as Tiger and served North East Homeopathic Medical College &
Hospital as its chairman.
Former Sierra Leone President, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah died

Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, the former President and leader of Sierra Leone died on 13
March 2014 in Freetown. He was 82. He played a pivotal role in gaining peace to
the country after 11-year long brutal civil war. The war was infamous for the use of
child soldiers, which was also criticized for the use of Blood diamonds in funding the
violence.
Joe McGinniss, author of Fatal Vision died

Joe McGinniss, an author of nonfiction and novels died on 10 March 2014 at UMass
Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. He died at the age of 71 due
to prostate cancer.
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In 1969 at the age of 26 he wrote, The Selling of the President 196. The book closely
looked at campaigning and marketing of Presidential Candidate, Richard M Nixon.
In 1983 he authored Fatal Vision that focused on the murder case of former Green
Beret doctor Jeffrey MacDonald
Veteran Actress, Sheila MacRae died at 92

Sheila MacRae, a veteran stage, film and TV performer died on 6 March 2014 at the
age of 92 in New Jersey. She is best known for her role as the wife of bus driver Ralph
Kramden in 1960s film, The Honeymooners.
Legendary Guitarist Paco de Lucia passed away

Legendary Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia passed away in Mexico on 26 February
2014. He was 66.
He was reputed for a series of flamenco albums in the 1970s which inspired a New
Flamenco movement. He is known for his blending Flamenco music with Jazz,
classical and other genres. He was also a producer and composer.
Harold Ramis actor, director of Comedy films died at 69

Harold Ramis, the American actor, writer and director of classic comedy films died in
Chicago on 24 February 2014. He was 69.
Harold Ramis was best known for the films like Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day and
Caddyshack.
Ramis received The American Comedy Award, the British Comedy Awards and a
BAFTA award for screenwriting.
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Eminent painter Prokash Karmakar died

Prokash Karmakar, an eminent painter died on 24 February 2014 following agerelated illness. He was 81. His paintings reflected the degenerating society and the
confusion that prevails in modern India.
Karmakar was influenced by the works of Picasso and other impressionists of the
19th century Impressionism movement. The term impressionist was coined by Louis
Leroy, a French art critic in 1874 based upon the painting impression, Sunrise on
Monets painting.
Hindi writer and Jnanpith Award winner Amar Kant died

Hindi writer Amar Kant died due to ill health at his residence in Allahabad in Uttar
Pradesh on 17 February 2014. He was 89. His short stories and novels portray the
common peoples life and often his works were being compared with the legendary
Prem Chand.
Amar Kant prominent novels are Inhin Hathiyaron Se, Katili Raah Ke Phool, Sookha
Patta, Kale Ujle and Beech ki Deewar. Other story collections are Zindagi Aur Jonk,
Desk Ke Log, Maut Ka Nagar, Mitra Milan and Kuhasa.
Kant received the 45th Jnanpith Award in 2009 along with Shree Lal Shukla, Hindi
satirist of Raag Darbari fame.
He also won Sahitya Akademi Award in 2007. He won Sahitya Akademi Award for his
novel Inhi Hathiyaron Se, a voluminous work set against the backdrop of Quit India
Movement. He received Vyas Samman in 2009.
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Carnatic music Vocalist R K Srikantan died at 94

The popular Carnatic music, Vocalist Rudra Krishna Srikantan, 94 died due to
chest congestion in Bangalore on 17 February 2014. His biography named Voice of
Generation was released in January 2014 on his birthday.
Balu Mahendra, the award winning film director and cinematographer died
Balu Mahendra aged 75 died in Chennai on 13 February 2014 due to cardiac arrest.
Mahendra was an award winning film director and cinematographer and is now
survived by his wife and son.
He won the national award for best cinematography in 1983 for Moondram Pirai,
which was the first national award in acting for Kamal Haasan
Silverine Swer, Meghalayas first Padma Shri Awardee died

Silverine Swer, the first Padma Shri awardee of Meghalaya died on 1 January 2014 at
her residence at Riatsamthiah. She was of 103 years in age. She received the Padma
Shri award in 1990 from the then President of India, R. Venkararaman. She was also
the oldest voter from Meghalaya.
She was awarded with the medal of Kaisar-i-Hind by the government for her efficiency
and integrity, when she handled the rationing system and for service to the Guides
movement in Assam
Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Oscar-winning American actor

died
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Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Oscar-winning American actor died on 2 February 2014
at his flat in New York at the age of 46. As per the police of the country, the death
happened due to overdose of drugs. He is survived by his three children along with
his partner Mimi ODonnell.
Hoffman has over 60 films, which are credited to his name, few of those includes,
The Master, Boogie Nights, the Big Lebowski and Mission Impossible III.
Raymond Weil, the pioneer of Swiss watch died

Raymond Weil, the founder of the watch brand of his name died at the age of 87 on
27 January 2014. He is considered as one of the great innovators of the Swiss watch
industry.
Raymond Weil Geneve is a Swiss luxury watchmaker that was founded in Geneva. It
is one of the last independent brands in the Swiss watch industry. The company was
formed at a time when the Swiss watch industry was going down due to the quartz
crisis.
Karl Slym, MD of Tata Motors died

Karl Slym, the managing director of Tata Motors died on 26 January 2014 after falling
from a hotel building in Bangkok. He was in Bangkok to attend a board meeting of the
Tata Motors Thailand Limited. Slym, the British-born executive ran all the operations
of Tata Motors except of the Jaguar Land Rover in the UK.
Sudhir Mahato, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Jharkhand

died
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Sudhir Mahato (58), the former Deputy Chief Minister of Jharkhand died on 22 January
2014 following a heart attack at Ghatsila in Singhbhum district. He is a leader of the
JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha).
He won the assembly elections for the first time in 1990 from Ichchagarh and retained
it in 2005, the year he became the Deputy Chief Minister. In 2009, he last the seat in
the polls.
Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin spiritual leader of Dawoodi

Bohra community died
Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community
died of cardiac arrest in Mumbai on 17 January 2014. He was 102. He was the 52nd
Dai al-Mutlaq or spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohras community for more than 50
years.
Famous Bengali Actress Suchitra Sen died

Famous Bengali actress Suchitra Sen died in Kolkota on 17 January 2014. She was
82.
She was born as Rama Dasgupta in Pabna district of West Bengal on 16 April 1931.
She was famously known as the Greta Garbo of Bengali cinema and had worked in
more than 60 films, the most memorable being Aandhi in Hindi and Deep Jwele Jai in
Bengali. For Aandhi she was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.
In 1963, Suchitra Sen became the first Indian actress to win an international award.
She had received the Silver Prize for Best Actress at the Moscow Film Festival for
Saptapadi.
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In 2012, Suchitra Sen received the Banga Bibhushan award from the government of
West Benga.
Famous Marathi writer Namdeo Dhasal died

Namdeo Dhasal, the famous Marathi poet, writer and social activist died in Mumbai
on 15 January 2014. He was born on 15 February 1949 in Pune district.
His selected poems were translated into English under the title Namdeo Dhasal:
Poet of the Underworld, Poems 1972-2006. He practiced the ideals of BR Ambedkar
throughout his life. He used his works like Golpitha, Khel and Tu Hi Yatta Kunchi to
highlight problems of dalit community.
He was one of the founders of the militant Dalit Panther movement after the casteist
riots in Worlis BDD chawls.
Israels Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died

Israels former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died on 11 January 2014.The former
general of Israeli Army had been in coma since 4 January 2006. He was 85.
He served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel until he was incapacitated by a stroke.
Sharon was a commander in the Israeli Army from its creation in 1948.
He was famous for his personal but indirect responsibility in the 1982 massacre of
hundreds of Palestinians by Israels Lebanese Phalangist allies in Beiruts Sabra and
Shatila refugee camps.
IIa Pathak social activist died at 80
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Social activist IIa Pathak passed away due to prolonged illness in Ahmedabad on 9
January 2014. She was the founder of Ahmedabad Womens Action Group (AWAG).
IIa Pathak was the president of India Chapter of Womens International League for
Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and served as professor in H K Arts College.
She was the vice-President of Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and she played
a key role in movement for justice to the victims of 2002 riots of Gujarat.
Vishwanath Ramachandra, the former Ranji Trophy cricketer

of Mumbai died
Vishwanath Ramachandra (nick named Vishu Bondre), a former Ranji Trophy Cricketer
of Mumbai team died on 8 January 2014. He was a right arm medium pacer who has
played eight matches of Ranji Trophy for his team, Mumbai, the then Bombay.
Portugals former footballer Eusbio died

Portugals former football player Eusebio da Silva Ferreira died on 5 January 2014
due to heart attack.
Eusebio was born in Mozambique but he played for Portugal. He was Africas first
international football star.
He was European footballer of the year in 1965 and received Golden Ball for the best
European player in 1965. The Golden Ball award is given for best player.
Indias Former Shooting Coach Tibor Gonczol died

Indias former shooting coach Tibor Gonczol died in Australia on 3 January 2014.
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He was 80. Tibor who started his coaching career in 1973, joined as Indian shooting
coach in 1991. He remained coach of Indian shooting team for 12 long years till 2002.
Singer Phil Everly Died at age 74

Singer Phil Everly passed away in Burbank, California due to chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease on 3 January 2014. He was 74.
Everly and his older brother are popularly known as Everly Brothers.
Phil Everly gave hit albums like All I Have To Do Is Dream, Wake Up Little Susie, and
Bye Bye Love.
In 1986 Everly Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is
described as one of the musical treasures of the 1950s and 1960s. They were also
inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame.
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AWARDS | HONOURS
Shah Rukh Khan Conferred with Knight of the Legion of Honor
Shah Rukh Khan was conferred with top French civilian award Knight of the Legion
of Honor on 1 July 2014. The Knight of the Legion of Honor was presented to him by
the French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in Mumbai. The award was presented for
his outstanding contribution to cultural diversity across the world.
He is the second Bollywood actor after Amitabh Bachchan to be honoured with
Knight of the Legion of Honour. Amitabh Bachchan received the honour in 2007.
Other Indian personalities who have been honoured with France highest honour
are Singer Lata Mangeshkar and director Satyajit Ray for their contribution in their
respective fields as well.
Knight of the Legion of Honor was established by Napolean Bonaparte
Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik won prize at World Cup

of Sand Sculpting-2014
Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik on 27 June 2014 won the Peoples Choice prize
at the World Cup of Sand Sculpting-2014 held in the Atlantic City of the US. He won
prize for his work Save Tree, Save the Future. This is first sand art world cup at USA
2014.
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Inaugural Tang Prize winners for 2014 announced

Tang Prize Foundation announced the inaugural Tang Prizes on 18 June 2014.
The Prize will be given in four categories of Sustainable Development, Sinology,
Biopharmaceutical Science and The Rule of Law.
Tang Prize 2014 winners

Sustainable Development - Gro Harlem Brundtland former Premier of Norway. She
was awarded for her innovation, leadership and implementation of sustainable
development that laid out the scientific and technical challenges.
Sinology Chinese American, Historian Yu Ying-shih. He was awarded for his mastery
of and insight into Chinese intellectual, political, and cultural history with an emphasis
on his profound research into the history of public intellectuals in China.
Biopharmaceutical Science - James P Allison of US and Tasuku Honjo of Japan.
They were awarded for their discoveries of CTLA-4 and PD-1 as immune inhibitory
molecules, revealing ways to harness our incredibly powerful immune system to fight
cancer and marking the beginning of the immunotherapy revolution.
The Rule of Law - Albie Sachs, former justice of the Constitutional Court of South
Africa. He was awarded for his contributions to human rights and justice around
the world. He is a lawyer and human rights activist who spent his lifetime fighting
apartheid, helped write the new Constitution of South Africa.
About Tang Prize
Taiwanese Business Magnate, Samuel Yin founded Tang Prize Foundation in
December 2012. The Tang prize is the first international academic award to be based
in Taiwan and commenced its inaugural year in 2014.
The prize is awarded biennially. Each category conferred carries a cash prize of 40
million New Taiwan dollar (NT$) and a research grant of 10 million New Taiwan dollar.
The aim of the prize is to continue to innovate while cultivating and nurturing new
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talent in their respective fields. The Prize covers the categories which are not included
in the Nobel Prize.
Noted Hindi poet Kedar Nath Singh selected for Jnanpith

Award 2013
Kedarnath SinghNoted Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh on 20 June 2014 was chosen
for the prestigious Jnanpith award for 2013. He is the 10th Hindi writer to receive the
honour and is the 49th recipient of Jnanpith award.
Kedarnath Singh (80-year-old) was born in Balia of Uttar Pradesh and is known for
his work Abhi bilkul abhi and Yahan se dekho.
Salman Rushdie selected for 2014 Pen Pinter prize

Salman Rushdie, the India-born Booker Prize winning author on 20 June 2014 was
named as the winner of 2014 Pen Pinter Prize. Rushdie (67-year-old) was chosen for
the prestigious award for his outstanding literary output and support for freedom of
expression. He will be given the award at the British Library in London on 9 October
2014.
World Food Prize Foundation announced World Food Prize

for 2014
The World Food Prize 2014 was announced by the World Food Prize Foundation on
18 June 2014. India-born Mexican plant scientist, Sanjaya Rajaram was selected
for the year 2014. The award will be presented to Rajaram in Des Moines, lowa in
October 2014.
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The Award was established in 1986 by Dr. Norman Borlaug to focus the worlds
attention on hunger and on those whose work has significantly helped efforts to end
the hunger. The prize is a 250000 US dollars award presented annually on or around
World Food Day (16 October).
Indian origin physicist Tejinder Virdee honoured knighthood

by Queen Elizabeth II
Indian origin physicist Tejinder Virdee on 14 June 2014 was honoured with knighthood
Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II. He was awarded for his work on the Higgs Boson
theory.
Professor Virdee is one of the creators of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS)
Experiment. The CMS experiment is a part of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in
Geneva.
C Radhakrishnan selected for Moortidevi Award

C Radhakrishnan, the eminent Malayalam scientist-turned-writer was selected for
the prestigious Moortidevi Award for 2013 on 13 June 2014. He has been selected
for his novel Theekkadal Katanhu Thirumadhuram.
The novel is a biographical account of Thunchat Ramaanujan Ezhuthachan, the
person who is regarded as the father of Malayalam language.
Somasundaram conferred with Bharat Ratna JRD Award for

2013
Somasundaram of Airports Authority of India (AAI) on 9 June 2014 was conferred with
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the prestigious Bharat Ratna JRD Tata Award for 2013 by the Aeronautical Society
of India (ASI).
He received the award for his contribution in improving ANS infrastructure in the
country for enhancing safety, efficiency and capacity of the airspace and also towards
seamless ATM and global harmonization. He also won international ATC Awards
consecutively for three years.
Irish Author Eimear McBride won Baileys Prize for fiction

Irish author Eimear McBride won the 2014 Baileys Womens Prize for Fiction on 4
June 2014 for her first novel A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing.
Other books on the shortlist were Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies Americanah, Hannah
Kents Burial Rites, Jhumpa Lahiris The Lowland, Audrey Magees The Undertaking
and Donna Tartts The Goldfinch.
Anand Mahindra became first Indian to receive Harvard Medal

Mahindra Group Chairman Anand G Mahindra on 29 May 2014 became the first
Indian to receive the prestigious Harvard Medal. The award was presented during
the Harvards 363rd Commencement at the annual meeting of the Harvard Alumni
Association.
He was chosen for this award for his dedication, generosity and service to the
university.
Edinburgh University awarded honorary degree to Former

President APJ Abdul Kalam
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Former President APJ Abdul Kalam was awarded with honorary degree by Edinburgh
University in Scotland. He was awarded for his contribution to science and technology
and his commitment to helping transform India into a developed nation by 2020.
The degree was presented at the inaugural conference of the Universitys Edinburgh
India Institute on 15 May 2014.
Vikaram Sunderam won Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic of

James Beard Awards 2014
Indian-American chef, Vikaram Sunderam won the prestigious James Beard Awards
2014. Vikaram Sunderam was awarded as the Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic. The
awards are considered as the Oscars of the US food and beverage industry. The
award was presented in New York on 5 May 2014.
Sunderam (47) runs a restaurant named Rasika in Washington which was opened by
him in 2005.
The James Beard Food Awards are considered as the top honours in American
cooking. The awards are annually presented by the James Beard Foundation and
the first awards were given in 1991. The award is cashless in nature.
Caparo Group won International Business of the Year award

2014
Caparo Group won the International Business of the Year award 2014 at the Asian
Business Awards Midlands in Birmingham on 9 May 2014.
The Caparo Group was founded in 1968. It is a diversified global association of
businesses with over a 1.5 billion Euro turnover. It was founded by Indian born British
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Industrialist, Lord Paul.
Two Indian-Americans Manjusha P. Kulkarni and Ranjana P.

selected for Champions of Change
Two Indian-Americans Manjusha P. Kulkarni and Ranjana Paintal on 7 May 2014 were
selected for Champions of Change by the White House.
The award was announced in recognition of their work to educate Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) about President Barack Obamas signature healthcare
Act.
Manjusha P. Kulkarni is executive director of South Asian Network (SAN) based in
California. SAN is a community-based organisation dedicated to advancing the
health, empowerment and solidarity of persons of South Asian origin in Southern
California.
Ms. Paintal serves as programme manager for the Asian Health Coalitions partnership
consortium around education, outreach and enrolment to underserved AAPIs
communities in Illinois.
Indian-American Mitul Kadakia won 2014 Gregory Bradeb

Memorial Fellow of the Year Award
Indian-American cardiologist Mitul Kadakia won the prestigious 2014 Gregory Bradeb
Memorial Fellow of the Year Award. The Prestigious award was given to him by the
Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) Foundation in US
in first week of May 2014.
Mitul Kadakia is currently a fellow in Interventional Cardiology at the Hospital of the
University of Pennsylvania. His clinical and research interests include new devices
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and therapies for coronary and valvular heart disease and bleeding reduction in acute
coronary syndrome.
IAA received International Arch of Europe Award

Indian Aviation Academy (IAA) on 8 May 214 was awarded with the International Arch
of Europe Award for quality and technology in Gold Category. IIA was selected for the
award by the Business Initiative Directives Group (BIDG), Madrid (Spain).
The award was received by Rajiv Goel, Director, IAA from Jose E. Prieto, President &
CEO, BID Group at a function held in Frankfurt, Germany.
Indian Aviation Academy is a joint training academy of Airports Authority of India
(AAI), Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security
(BCAS). It was set up under the aegis of NIAMAR-Society on 22 July 2010. It aims
to provide education, training and research in the field of aviation management, in
ASIA-PACIFIC Region.
Project Mobile Seva under DeitY won the 2014 United Nations Public Service Award
The project Mobile Seva under Department of Electronics and Information Technology
(DeitY) on 21 May 2014 won second rank in the 2014 United Nations Public Service
Award. Department of Electronics and Information Technology comes under Ministry
of Information and Technology
Mobile Seva has won the Second place in the Asian and Pacific Region in the Category
3: PROMOTING WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT APPROACHES IN THE INFORMATION
AGE. It is the only project from India selected as the winner in 2014.
Mobile Seva aimed to provide government services to the people through mobile
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phones and tablets. It was developed as the core infrastructure for enabling the
availability of public services through mobile devices. It was launched in December
2013.
The 15th International Indian Film Academy Awards 2014

The 15th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2014 was held in Tampa
Bay, US from 23 April to 26 April 2014. This was held for the first time in US and
Hollywood star John Travoltas and Kevin Spacey made appearance at the IIFA
awards.
IIFA awards in different categories are

Best Picture - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Best Direction - Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Performance in a Leading Role (Male) - Farhan Akhtar - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Performance in a Leading Role (Female) - Deepika Padukone - Chennai Express
Performance in a Supporting Role (Male) - Aditya Roy Kapoor - Yeh Jawaani Hai
Deewani
Performance in a Supporting Role (Female) - Divya Dutta - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Performance in a Comic Role - Arshad Warsi - Jolly LLB
Performance in a Negative Role - Rishi Kapoor -D-Day
Playback Singer (Male) - Arijit Singh Song (Tum Hi Ho) - Aashiqui 2
Playback Singer (Female) - Shreya Ghoshal- Song (Sunn Raha Hai) - Aashiqui 2
Outstanding Contribution by an Indian in the US - Drs. Kiran & Pallavi Patel
Entertainer of the year - Deepika Padukone
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Outstanding Contribution to International Cinema -John Travolta

Lifetime Achievement - Shatrughan Sinha
The IIFA awards are presented by the International Indian Film Academy every year
since it was first held in London in 2000. These were presented to both artistic and
technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood. The awards have categories like
popular awards, technical awards and special awards. In 2013, the IIFA awards were
held in Macau.
John Travolta honoured the Most Popular All Time International Star in India at IIFA awards
Hollywood star John Travolta received a special honour, the Most Popular All Time
International Star in India at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards. The
15th IIFA awards were held in Tampa Bay, Florida from 23 to 26 April 2014.
John Travolta, 60, has seen astounding success as an actor, singer and dancer in the
Hollywood. He starred in several blockbusters films such as Saturday Night Fever,
Pulp Fiction, Grease, Swordfish, Face Off, Broken Arrow and Ladder49.
Time Magazine released The 100 Most Influential People in

the World list
Time Magazine released the 100 most influential people in the world list on 24 April
2014. The Time Magazine released its annual list without ranking them. The four
Indian have made it in to the list.
The Four Indians who made in to the list are: BJPs prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi; Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal; Author Arundhati Roy; and
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Coimbatore-based health activist Arunachalam Muruganantham
Mathangi Sathyamurthy to receive M S Subbulakshmi Award

2014
Mathangi Sathyamurthy, Karnataka musician was selected for M S Subbulakshmi
Award 2014. It was announced by the M S Subbulakshmi Foundation on 19 April
2014. She will receive a cash award of 10001 rupees and a plaque. The awards will
be presented to her on 2 May 2014.
M S Subbulakshmi Awards was instituted in 2005 by Varkala Sreekrishna Natya
Sangeeta Academy and the M S Subbulakshmi Foundation. It was instituted in the
memory of Indian Classical Vocalist M S Subbulakshmi.
61st National Film Awards: Ship of Theseus won Best Feature Film
The 61st National Film Awards for 2013 was announced in New Delhi on 16 April
2014 by the Directorate of Film Festivals. Ship of Theseus directed by Anand Gandhi
was selected as the Best feature film.
The list of winners chosen by the jury in National Film Awards 2013 is as
follows
Best Actor Raj Kumar for Shahid in hindi and Suraj Venjaramoodu for Perariyathavar
in Malyalam
Best Actress Geetanjali Thapa for Liars Dance in Hindi
Best Direction Hansal Mehta for film Shahid
Best popular film providing wholesome entertainment: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
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Best Film on Social Issues Gulabi Gang directed by Nishtha

Best Supporting Actor Saurabh Shukla for Jolly LLB
Best Supporting Actress Amruta Subhash for Astu in Marathi and Aida El-Kashef
for Ship of Theseus
Best Childrens Film Kaphal (Hindi), directed by Batul Mukhtiar
Best Child Artist Somnath Avghade for Fandy in Marathi and Sadhana for Thanga
Meengal in Tamil
Special Jury Award Yellow in Marathi directed by Mahesh Limaye and Miss
Lovely in Hindi directed byAshim Ahuwalia
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director Fandry in Marathi directed
by Nagraj Manjule
Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration Thalaimuraigal
(Tamil) directed by Balu Mahindra
Best Writing on Cinema or Book of the Cinema Cinema Ga Cinema in Telugu
authored by Nandagopal and published by Praga India, Hyderabad
The National Film Awards are most prominent awards given away to the film fraternity.
These awards were established in 1954. The awards are presented by the President
of India in the official ceremony.
India born poet Vijay Seshadri won 2014 Pulitzer Prize in poetry category
Vijay Seshadri on 14 April 2014 won the prestigious 2014 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry
category for his collection of poems entitled 3 Sections published in 2013. The
Pulitzer Committee described Vijays (India-born US poet) creation 3 Sections as a
compelling collection of poems that examines human consciousness, from birth to
dementia that turns witty and grave compassionate and remorseless.
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The 98th annual Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, Drama, Letters and Music was
announced by Columbia University in New York. As a reward, Vijay would receive
10000 US dollar.
The prize to Seshadri was given in the poetry category for a distinguished volume of
original verse by an American author. With this, Seshadri became the fifth person of
Indian origin to win the prestigious award. The other four Indian origin people to bag
the award are
Gobind Behari Lal in 1937 was a science editor and was awarded in the reporting
category
Jhumpa Lahiri (Indian-American author) got Pulitzer for fiction in 2000 for her
collection of stories Interpreters of Maladies
Geeta Anand (Journalist-writer of Indian origin) was awarded in 2003
Siddhartha Mukherjee (Indian-American physician) was awarded in 2011 for his
book on cancer named The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Ratan Tata received Knight Grand Cross award by UK Government

Ratan Tata on 10 April 2014 received the Knight Grand Cross (GBE) award by UK
Government. GBE is one of the highest civilian honour of Britain. The award was
given by Queen Elizabeth II.
Ratan Tata is one of the five foreign nationals to be honoured. He was already honoured
with a KBE (Knight Commander) in 2009.
Ratan Tata was honoured for his services to UK/India relations, inward investment to
the UK and philanthropy.
Knight Grand Cross is the highest grade in many orders of knighthood. The holders
of the highest grade are referred to Commanders grand cross.
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The five classes of award to the Order are, in descending order of seniority:
Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire (GBE)
Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire (KBE or DBE)
Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Legendary Poet Gulzar selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke

Award 2013
The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced on 12 April 2014 that
legendary poet and film lyricist Gulzar was selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award
2013. He is the 45th winner of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Sampooran Singh Kalra famous as Gulzar is a lyricist, director, screen writer, producer
and poet.
The award is conferred by the government for outstanding contribution to the growth
and development of Indian cinema.
Gulzar was conferred by the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002 and the Padma Bhushan
in 2004. He had won a number of National Film Awards and 20 Filmfare Awards. At
the 81st Oscars in 2009, he won the Academy Award for best original song for Jai ho
with Rahman.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the highest award of India in cinema. The award was
given annually by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.
The award was introduced in 1969. Award was introduced to commemorate the
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birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke. The award comprises a Swarna Kamal
(Golden Lotus) medallion, a cash prize of one lakh rupees and a shawl.
The list of 100 Most Influential Asian People of 2014 released

The Asian Awards Ltd released a list of the 100 Most Influential Asian People of
2014 on 6 April 2014. Chinese President Xi Jinping topped the list of the 100 Most
Influential Asian People.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are among the top 5 in the list.
Sonia Gandhi is on second, followed by Modi at fourth position, Rahul Gandhi at fifth
position and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at sixth position.
Others in top 10 are: Chinese Premier Le Keqiang (3); Sir Li Ka Shing, Hong Kongbased business tycoon (7); UN chief Ban Ki Moon (8); Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe (9); South Korea President Park Guen-Hye (10).
Koyal Rana won the Miss India 2014 title

Koyal Rana on 5 April 2014 won the 51st edition of the fbb Femina Miss India 2014
crown after defeating 24 other contestants from across the country. With this win,
Rana will represent India at the Miss World International beauty pageant 2014.
Rana, who was born in Jaipur but raised in Delhi, was crowned at Yash Raj Studio
in Mumbai. She was crowned by Navneer Kaur Dhillion, the 2013 winner of Femina
Miss India title and Megan Young, the Miss World 2013.
First runner-up Jhataleka Malhotra from Mumbai
Second runner-up Gail Nicole DaSilva from Margao, Goa
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The top five finalists were Gail Nicole Da Silva, Jhataleka Malhotra, Koyal Rana,
Lopamudra Raut and Nikhila Nandgopal.
MS Dhoni won United Kingdoms 2014 Asian award for outstanding achievement in sports
MS Dhoni, the captain of Indian cricket team on 4 April 2014 won the United Kingdoms
2014 Asian Award for outstanding achievement in Sports. The award was announced
at Londons at The Grosvenor House Hotel.
Dhoni is widely regarded as one of the greatest finishers in limited over cricket
tournament and in 2013 he emerged as the first captain to win all three ICC trophies.
Under the Forbes list of highest paid athletes, Dhoni is ranked at the 5th position.
Other awards given to Indians during the occasion are

The Asian Business Leader of the Year award Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman
of Poonawalla Group which includes Serium Institute of India for his outstanding
contribution to the field of medicine
The Asian outstanding achievement in Cinema award Irrfan Khan (he is the
Indian actor to star in two films that won the Academy Award for Best Director 1
Millionaire of 2008 and Life of Pi of 2012).
Asian outstanding achievement award in Science and Technology Venkatraman
Venki Ramakrishan (he shared the 2009 Nobel prize in Chemistry with Thomas
A Steitz and Ada E Yonauth)
Asian Public Servant of the Year award Salil Shetty (Secretary General of the
Amnesty International)
Outstanding achievement in music award Norah Jones, the daughter of sitar
mestro Ravi Shankar
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The Asian Awards was incepted in 2009. Paul Sagoo is the founder of the award.
HAL received the Most Efficient Navratna Award 2013

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on 3 April 2014 recieved the Most Efficient Navratna
Award for the year 2013. It received the award at the 5th Dalal Street Investment
Journal Awards ceremony held in New Delhi. The award was collected by the
Chairman of HAL, Dr. R K Tyagi.
The award was given to the company for the measure it has taken on various
fronts such as R&D, modernization, customer initiatives, quality and thrust given on
indigenization.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) came into existence on 1st October 1964. The
Company was formed by the merger of Hindustan Aircraft Limited with Aeronautics
India Limited and Aircraft Manufacturing Depot, Kanpur.
Today, HAL has 19 Production Units and 10 Research & Design Centres in 8 locations
in India.
Zubin Mehta won special jury award of Times Now NRI Awards
2014
Renowned music director and concert conductor Zubin Mehta on 30 March 2014
won the special jury award of Times Now NRI Awards 2014. The award ceremony
was held in Mumbai.
Zubin Mehta is an Indian Parsi conductor of Western classical music. He is the Music
Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Main Conductor for
Valencias opera house. The Government of India honoured Mehta in 1966 with the
Padma Bhushan and in 2001 with the Padma Vibhushan, second highest civilian
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award of India.
The popular Choice Award was given to Yusuff Ali M A, managing director of Abu
Dhabi-based Emke Lulu group. Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was named
Indias global icon.
Shigeru Ban, Japanese architect won the Pritzker Architecture Prize 2014
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban won the Pritzker Architecture Prize 2014. He won
the award for his creative and inexpensive designs for disaster relief shelters.
The worlds most prestigious architecture award was announced by the Hyatt
Foundation on 25 March 2014. The Prize will be awarded to Ban on 13 June 2014 in
Amsterdam.
The prize has recognized for the first time an architect for his contribution in the area
of housing disaster victims. Ban will be the seventh Japanese architect to receive
the prize.
The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually to living architects who significantly
contributed to humanity and for excellence in built work. It was instituted by Hyatt
Foundation in 1979. It carries 100000 dollar grant, a citation and a bronze medallion.
Govind Mishra, the Hindi writer selected for Saraswati Samman 2013
Govind Mishra, the renowned Hindi author will receive Sarawasti Samman for the
year 2013 for his book Dhool Paudho Par published in 2008. This honour will make
Mishra the second Hindi author to receive the honour after Harivansh Rai Bachchan.
In 1991, Harivansh Rai Bachchan became the first Hindi author to receive this honour.
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First novel of Mishra was Wo Apna Chehra published in 1969. Lal Peeli Zameen
published in 1976 is MIshras much talked novel.
In 2013 the Saraswati Samman 2012 was given to Sugathakumari, the Malayalam
poetess for Manalezhuthu (the Writings on the Sand), a collection of poems in
Malayalam.
Saraswati Samman is an annual award and is given in recognition of outstanding
prose or poetry literary works in Indian languages that are listed in Schedule VII of the
constitution of India. This Samman is given for the literary works of last 10 years. The
award was established in 1991 by K. K. Birla Foundation and carries a prize amount
of 10 lakh rupees along with a certificate.
Apart from this award, K. K. Birla Foundation has also constituted other two awards
that include Bihari Puraskar for Hindi and Rajasthani writers and Vyas Samman for
Hindi.
Physicist Rajesh Gopakumar selected for G D Birla Award

2013
Physicist Rajesh Gopakumar was selected for the 23rd G D Birla Award for scientific
research for the year 2013. It was announced by the K K Birla Foundation on 21
March 2014. The award carries a cash prize of 1.5 lakh rupees and a citation.
Gopakumar has been awarded for his important contributions on topics in Quantum
Field Theory and String Theory. At present he is working as a theoretical physicist at
Harish Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad.
For 2012, G D Birla Award was given to Prof. Nibir Mandal of Jadavpur University for
his work in area of structural geology.
The G D Birla award for scientific research was instituted in 1991 to recognise
significant scientific research undertaken by Indian scientists below the age of 50,
working in India.
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Indian Journalist Shubranshu Choudhary won Google Digital

Activism Award 2014
Indian journalist Shubranshu Choudhary won Google Digital Activism Award on 20
March 2014 for regional news service. Shubranshu Choudhary defeated American
Whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Indian journalist Shubhranshu Choudhary was given the award for his work in using
mobile phones to bring local news to remote Indian regions in their native language.
Shubhranshu Choudhary is the founder of CGNet Swara, which empowers tribals in
Chhattisgarh and connects them to the world outside using various digital means.
With this project, Choudhary gave the voices of tribals a global platform via Internet
and mobile phone usage.
Google Digital Activism Award is a part of Index Freedom of Expression Awards. The
award recognized the people who have made it big in one of the four categories,
namely advocacy, arts, digital activism, and journalism.
Ekhon Nedekha Nadir Xipaare won audience choice award in

North Carolina film festival
An Assamese thriller film, Ekhon Nedekha Nadir Xipaare (As River Flows) on 18 March
2014 won the audience choice award in North Carolina film festival. The film that
stars Victor Banerjee is a socio-political thriller film set in river island of Majuli.
The film also stars Sanjay Suri, Raj Zutshi, Preeti Jhangiani and Bidita Bag.
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Tomas Halik won Templeton Prize 2014

Tomas Halik, the Czech priest won the Templeton Prize for 2014. The award was
announced by the John Templeton Foundation on 13 March 2014 and under the
award he will receive 1.1 million Euro.
Tomas Halik (65) is a person, whose work is aimed at seekers, the segment of those
asking questions about religious and spiritual issues but unaffiliated with religion or
atheism.
In 2011 he received honorary title Man of Reconciliation 2010 and he also received
The Knights cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2012.
The Templeton Prize was established in 1972 by the late Sir John Templeton. The
Prize is a monetary award of 1.1 million Euros and is the largest annual award in
terms of cash in the world. It honours a living person for his exceptional contribution
of affirming lifes spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical
work.
The first winner of Templeton was Mother Teresa in 1973. The two recent winners
were Nobel Peace Prize laureates Desmond Tutu in 2013 and the Dalai Lama in 2012.
Indian acid attack victim, Laxmi won International Women

of Courage Award
US honoured Laxmi, an acid attack victim with the prestigious International Women
of Courage Award on 4 March 2014. She has been honoured for being a standardbearer for the movement to end acid attacks in India.
She received the award at the State Department ceremony in Washington by Michelle
Obama, first lady of US. The award was presented to Laxmi along with other awardees
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from different countries.

International Women of Courage Award was established in 2007 and is an annual
award that is given by Secretary of State to women around the globe who have
exemplified exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for human rights,
womens equality and social progress. .
Chandi Prasad Bhatt won Gandhi Peace Prize for 2013

Chandi Prasad Bhatt, the noted Gandhian environmentalist and social activist won
the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2013 on 28 February 2014.
Bhatt was one of the pioneers of the Chipko movement (His founded Dasholi Gram
Swarajya Sangh became the mother-organisation to Chipko movement) for which he
was awarded with the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1982. In 2005, he was awarded
with Padma Bhushan
The government of India launched the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 1995 on
the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It is a very prestigious
Award and carries an amount of 10 million rupees, a citation and a Plaque. The
Award is selected by a Jury under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister.
Angela Merkel awarded with Israeli Presidential Medal of

Distinction
Angela MerkelAngela Merkel, the German Chancellor was awarded with Israels
highest civilian honour, the Israeli Presidential Medal of Distinction on 25 February
2014 in Jerusalem by President Shimon Peres. She was awarded with this medal for
her unwavering commitment to the security of Israel along with her fight against antiSemitism and racism in particular through education.
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Madan Babu won Protein Science Young Investigator Award

for 2014
Madan Babu, an Indian-born scientist, won the Protein Science Young Investigator
Award for 2014 at Cambridge, UK on 20 February 2014. The Protein Science Young
Investigator Award is given by the Protein Society for important contribution made
in the study of proteins.
Madan received the award for his contributions to the understanding of the principles
of regulation in biological systems, especially in the fields of intrinsically disordered
proteins and gene regulation. With this award, he became the first scientist of
Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) to win the award.
The Protein Science Young Investigator Award recognises important contributions to
the study of proteins, by a scientist in the early stages of an independent career. The
award is named after The Protein Societys academic journal, Protein Science.
The 67th BAFTA Awards

The 67th British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards were given
in London on 16 February 2014. The Awards were conferred for the outstanding
performances in films and documentaries screened at British Cinemas in 2013.
Best Film
12 Years a Slave
Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)
Best Actor Chiwetel
Ejofor (12 years a Slave)
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi (Capitan)
Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
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Best Animated Film
Frozen
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) supports promotes and
develops the art forms of moving image like film, Television and Video games. BAFTA
Identifies, rewards and celebrates excellence at its internationally- renowned, annual
awards inspiring the practitioner and benefiting the public.
Killa, a Marathi film, bagged Crystal Bear award at 64th Berlin International Film Festival
Killa, a Marathi film on 17 February 2014 won the Crystal Bear (Glasernen Bar) for the
best film award by the Childrens jury in Generation Kplus section at the 64th Berlin
International Film Festival. The film has been directed by Avinash Arun.
In the entire history of Berlinale, Killa is the third Marathi film to be selected and is the
first Indian film to win this award.
President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Award of Honour of

Rotary International
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee was conferred Award of Honour on 11
February 2014 in New Delhi. The award was presented by Ron Burton, President of
Rotary International at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The President, Mukherjee was awarded for the leadership he has provided and the
Indias victory over Polio. Recently India completed three years without reporting any
case of polio on 13 January 2014.
Officially the World Health Organisation (WHO) certified India as polio-free on 11
February 2014. The WHO on 24 February 2012 removed India from the list of countries
with active endemic wild polio transmission.
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The Rotarys highest award, Award of Honour is recognition for Heads of countries
or governments who have rendered unique service to the humanity and served the
country and its people upholding values reflected in Rotarys motto Service Above
Self.
The Rotary Club is one of the Worlds first service organizations established on 23
February 1905 in Chicago with the vision of Paul P Harris.
Sachin Tendulkar and CNR Rao conferred with Bharat Ratna

Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour was conferred on cricket maestro Sachin
Tendulkar (40) and eminent scientist Prof CNR Rao (79) by the President of India,
Pranab Mukherjee. The awards were given at the Durban Hall of the Rashtrapati
Bhawan in New Delhi on 4 February 2014.
The recipient of the award will receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President
and a medallion. This award does not carry any monetary grants.
With this felicitation, Sachin became the first sportsperson to be conferred with the
honour of Bharat Ratna. He is also the youngest person alive to be conferred with
the award. Master blaster Sachin retired from international cricket on 16 November
2013. Sachin after receiving the award dedicated it to his mother.
Prof CNR Rao (Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao) is the third scientist who has
been conferred with the award. He received the honour after CV Raman andAPJ
Abdul Kalam, the former President of India. Rao is recognized international authority
on solid state and materials chemistry. Till now, he has published 1400 research
papers and 45 books.
With this honour felicitation, Tendulkar and Rao have joined the selected list of 41
eminent personalities, who have been conferred with this award. Both of them are
also recipients of Padma Vibhushan, which is the country`s second highest civilian
honour. The award was instituted in 1954 and is given in recognition of exceptional
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service of the highest order.

Bhimsen Joshi, who won this award in 2009, was the last recipient of the award. This
years Bharat Ratna was announced after a gap of four years.
Anand Kumar, the founder of Super30 got Ramanujan Mathematics award

Anand Kumar, a mathematician and founder of Super30 classes was conferred with
the 2014 Ramanujan Mathematics Award in Rajkot on 27 January 2014. The award
was given to him at the Eighth National Mathematics Convention organised in Rajkot.
As award, he was presented a cash award of 20000 rupees by the Pitamber Patel, an
Atomic scientist and JJ Rawal, a scientist.
Other Indian to be awarded with the prize is Ramdorai Sujatha in 2006.
Ramanujan Mathematics Award is an annual award that is given to a person who has
at least three papers published in international journals and is involved in teaching
mathematics. Ramanujan Prize was first awarded in 2005 to Marcelo Viana from
Brazil
56th annual Grammy Awards for 2014 announced

The Recording Academy announced the 56th Annual Grammy Awards at Staples
Center in Los Angeles, California on 26 January 2014.
This year the Grammy Awards werent just about the music and they were also about
making a statement in the same-sex marriage debate.
Category Album
Name of Artist
Album of the Year
Random Access Memories Daft Punk
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Record of the Year
Get Lucky Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers
Best New Artist
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Song of the year Royals
Lorde
Childrens album Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well Jennifer Gasoi

Pop solo performance Royals
Lorde
The Grammy awards are the recording industrys most prestigious award presented
annually by The Recording Academy. The Recording Academy also known as The
National Academy of Recording Arts & Science in United States was established in
1957.
UNWTO Ulysses Awards for Innovation announced

Ulysses Award given by United Nation World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) was
presented on 22 January 2014.The awards were given for Excellence and Innovation
in Tourism.
The winners were announced at the Awards Ceremony which took place at the
International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR) in Madrid, Spain.
The list of 2013 UNWTO Awardees

UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance:
Responsible Tourism Project at Kumarakom, Department of Tourism, Government
of Kerala, India.
UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Enterprises: Arromanches 1944, Biplan,
France
UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations: From
Charity to Social Entrepreneurship, Borneo Ecotourism Solutions and Technologies
(BEST) Society, Malaysia.
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UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Research and Technology: 3D AR Visual

Portal, DSP Studio & Momentum Studio, Croatia.
Ulysses Award is the flagship awards for the global tourism sector, recognizing
knowledge creation, dissemination and innovative applications. Every year, Awards
are conferred by the UNWTO and the UNWTO Knowledge Network to highlight and
showcase innovation and application of Knowledge in Tourism.
India-born Prof A J Paulraj won 2014 Marconi Prize

Arogyaswami Joseph Paulraj, the Indian born Scientist and Professor (Emeritus) at
Stanford University on 21 January 2014 was awarded with prestigious 2014 Marconi
Society Prize. He was awarded for developing the theory and application of MIMO
(Multiple Input Multiple Output) antennas. His discovery of use of multiple antennas
at both the receiving and transmitting end has helped in revolutionizing the speed of
wireless delivery in the world of multimedia services.
The technology at present is being used in high speed WiFi and 4G mobile systems.
Almost every Wifi router and 4G phone uses MIMO technology that was pioneered
by Pulraj.
The Marconi Society was established in 1974. The annual Marconi Prize is awarded
by the Marconi Society to enhance the spirit of Guglielmo Marconi, the engineer,
scientist, entrepreneur and inventor. The 100000 dollar Marconi Prize recognizes
achievements of those living individuals from anywhere in the world whose aspirations,
careers and accomplishments are characterized by a similar dedication. The Marconi
Prize is equivalent to Nobel for technology pioneers.
Cyrus Mistry won the DSC prize 2014

Cyrus Mistry won the DSC prize 2014 for South Asian literature for his book Chronicles
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of a Corpse Bearer on 18 January 2014. Mistry was awarded with a cash price of
50000 dollars at Jaipur International Literature Festival 2014.
Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer derives a true story of the son of a Parsi priest, who falls
in love with the daughter of a corpse bearer, a community segregated and shunned
by society.
DSC Prize was instituted in 2010 with cash prize, which is not limited by geography
or ethnicity. Short story is not eligible for the award. A book focusing on the culture,
politics, history and the people of South Asia can be entered for the prize.
Yushi, Taiwanese poet awarded Thiruvalluvar award

Taiwanese poet Yushi was awarded the Thiruvalluvar award on 15 January 2014 by
the Tamil Nadu government in Chennai. Yushi is the first foreign scholar to receive
Thiruvalluvar award.
The award was given to Yushi on the occasion of Thiruvalluvar Day. The award
was given to him in recognition of his contribution to the Tamil language. Yushi has
translated Tirukkural (one of the collection of sangam literature), the poems of poet
Subramanya Bharathi and poet Bharathidasan in Mandarin, Chinese language.
The Thiruvalluvar award carries a gold medal and a cheque of one lakh rupees.
Yushi is the founder president of the Tamil Sangam in Taiwan. In 2004 he received the
highest honour award by Seoul World Academy of Arts and Culture.
Deepika and Farhan won best actors at 20th Screen Awards

Deepika Padukone and Farhan Akhtar won the Best Actress and Best Actor awards
respectively on 15 January 2014 at the 20th Screen Awards. Padukone was awarded
as the best actor Award (female) for Ram-leela and Farhan was awarded for his
859
power packed performance in the Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

Apart from the award of the best actress, Padukone also bagged the most popular
choice award (female) for Chennai Express.
The Most Popular Choice Award (male) was given to Shah Rukh Khan for Chennai
Express whereas Amitabh Bachan received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ram Nath Goenka Memorial award John Abraham for Madras Caf
Best Film Award Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Best Director Award Shoojit Sircar for Madras Caf
Best Supporting Actor award Saurabh Shukla and Swara Bhaskar for Jolly LLB
and Raanjhanaa respectively
Best Actor in Negative Role (male) Rishi Kapoor for his role in D Day
Best Actor in Negative Role (female) Shilpa Shukla for her erotic drama in BA
pass
Best Actor in Comic Role award Richa Chadda for Fukrey
President presented Sunil Gangopadhyay Award 2012 &

2013
President of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented the Sunil Gangopadhyay Memorial
Award of 2012 and 2013 on 11 January 2014 to two eminent Bengali poets, namely
Nirendranath Chakraborty and Sankha Ghosh, respectively. The awards were given
at a function at Raj Bhawan in Kolkata.
The Sunil Gangopadhyay Memorial Award was instituted by a cultural organisation
The Bengal in 2012 following his death. Gangopadhyay had a talent of bringing in the
historical research works into his writings.
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Andhra Pradesh bagged Oil and Gas Conservation Award,

2013
Andhra Pradesh bagged the Oil and Gas Conservation Award for the best performance
among the big States. The award is given by the Petroleum Conservation Research
Association (PCRA) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The PCRA observes the Oil and Gas Conservation Fortnight from January 16 to
31 every year. The award is given away for exceptional support and cooperation
extended by the governments for various conservation activities organised by the
state-level coordinator during OGCF-2013.
71st Golden Globe Awards 2014

71st Golden Globe Awards were announced at Los Angeles on 11 January 2014. The
event was organised by Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It is one of the few
awards ceremonies that span both television and motion picture achievements.
The winners in the various categories are as follows

Best Motion Picture, Drama: 12 Years a slave
Best Director - Motion Picture: Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity
Best Actress in a Motion Picture: Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama: Mathew Mc Conaughey for Dollas Buyers
Club
Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy - American Hustle
Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy - Leonardo DiCaprio The
Wolf of Wall Street
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Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Amy Adams American

Hustle
Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama, Musical or Comedy - Jared Leto Dallas
Buyers Club
Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama, Musical or Comedy Jennifer Lawrence
- American Hustle
Best Animated Feature Film- Frozen
Best Foreign Language Film - The Great Beauty (Italy)
Woody Allen won a lifetime achievement award for more than four decades of writing,
producing and directing films.
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards conferred by the President

Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India on 9 January 2014 conferred the Pravasi
Bhartiya Samman Awards to thirteen NRIs, PIOs and organisations for their outstanding
contribution in the country of their residence as well as to India.
The Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was organised in New Delhi from 7 to 9 January 2014.
The theme for the year was Engaging Diaspora: Connecting Across Generations.
Following people were awarded

Lisa Maria Singh from Australia she was given for Public service and fostering
friendly relations between India and Australia.
Kurian Varghese from Bahrain was awarded for Business for enhancing Indias
image and for Promotion better understanding of India abroad.
Vasdev Chanchlani from Canada was awarded for Community service and
862
fostering ties between India and Canada and efforts in promotion Indian culture
and heritage.
Ramakrishna Mission from Fiji was awarded for Community service and
philanthropic activity and enhancing Indias prestige abroad.
Satnarainsing Rabin Baldewsingh from Netherlands was awarded for Public
service and developing closer ties between India and South Africa.
Bikas Chandra Sanyal from France was awarded for Education and culture and
enhancing Indias image.
Sasindran Muthuvel from Papua New Guinea was awarded for the field of Public
service.
Shihabudeen Vava Kunju from Saudi Arabia was awarded for the Community
service and promoting ties between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Ela Gandhi from South Africa was awarded for Public service, enhancing Indias
image and promoting ties between India and South Africa.
Shamsheer Vayalil Parambath from United Arab was awarded for Health business
and in promoting Better understanding of India United Arab Emirates.
Shailesh Lakhman Vara from United Kingdom has been awarded for Public service
and in promoting ties between India and the people of U.K.
Parthasarathy Chiramel Pillai from USA was awarded for Science and for fostering
closer relations between India and USA.
Renu Khator from USA has been awarded for Education and enhancing Indias
prestige abroad.
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BOOKS | AUTHORS
Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. the Obamas written by by Edward Klein
Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. the Obamas written by Edward Klein was published by
the publishing house Regnery. Edward Klein is the former editor-in-chief of New York
Times Magazine.
Blood Feud is about the animosity, jealousy, and competition between Americas two
most powerful political couples. The book focused upon the relationship between
the Obamas and the Clintons with details on closed-door meetings buttressed by
hundreds of interviews.
A Bad Character authored by Deepti Kapoor

Novel A Bad Character authored by Deepti Kapoor will be published in August 2014.
It is the story of a desire of young woman named Idha who escapes from the arranged
marriage and security that her middle-class world has to offer.
Warrior State: Pakistan in the Contemporary World written

by T V Paul
The book titled Warrior State: Pakistan in the Contemporary World written by T V
Paul was presented to the Vice President Hamid Ansari on 13 June 2014. The book
864
published by Oxford University Press, New York was launched in January 2014.
The book presents a comprehensive treatment of Pakistans insecurity predicament
using literature from history, sociology, religious studies, and international relations.
The Substance and the Shadow: Biography of actor Dilip Kumar authored by Uday Tara Nayar
The Substance and the Shadow, the biography of 91-year-old-thespian Dilip
Kumarwas released on 10 June 2014 in Mumbai by Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra
and Aamir Khan. The biography in form of memoir has been penned by Uday Tara
Nayar, a former journalist.
The book has detailed the ups and downs of the legend of Bollywood who was born
as Mohammad Yusuf Khan and adopted the screen name of Dilip Kumar.
Book titled Getting India Back on Track released

The book titled Getting India Back on track An Action Agenda for Reform was
released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 June 2014 in New Delhi. The book is
edited by Bibek Debroy, Ashley Tellis and Reece Trevor was published by Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace.
The book contains insightful essays by eminent academicians and public policy experts
and the foreword has been written by Ratan Tata. It says how Indian policymakers
can return the country to a path of high and sustained economic growth.
Anticipating India - The Best of National Interest authored by

Shekhar Gupta
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The Book entitled Anticipating India - The Best of National Interest written by Shekhar
Gupta, the editor-in-chief of The Indian Express was released on 24 May 2014.
The book has captured Indias political territory and trends of Shekhar Guptas 900odd columns spread through 19 years. The columns are a part of the column, National
Interest of Indian Express that was started by Shekhar Gupta in November 1997.
Post Haste: Quintessential India written by B.G. Verghese

A book Post Haste: Quintessential India written by B.G. Verghese was released on 1
May 2014 at India International Centre in Delhi.
Post Haste offers a 350-page magical tour through its space and time. It is also
possibly the only book in the world that tells the story of a country through postage
stamps.
My Years with Rajiv and Sonia written by R.D. Pradhan

A book My Years with Rajiv and Sonia written by R.D.Pradhan released on 27 March
2014. R.D.Pradhan has penned his work experiences with Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia
Gandhi in his book.
Pradhan who was associated with Rajiv after Indira Gandhis assassination shares
how Rajiv had tackled crucial situations like terrorism and the separatist movement
in the Punjab and festering insurgency in Mizoram. He also narrates his associations
with Sonia Gandhi and her career. He shreds light on how the Sonia emerged as a
formidable force to reckon with.
A Stamp is Born authored by C. R. Pakrashi
866
A book titled A Stamp is Born authored by C. R. Pakrashi was released on 6 May

2014 by Vice President of India, M Hamid Ansari. The book gives a graphic account
of history and evolution of postage stamps.
The author Pakrashi, who is also a renowned Stamp designer in the book, has
described his first-hand experiences with all stages of production of the stamp right
from conception to final execution and printing. The book includes 56 commemorative
stamps.
Arctic Summer written by novelist Damon Galgut

Arctic Summer written by Novelist Damon Galgut was released on 6 March 2014.
Twice Booker shortlisted novelist Damon Galgut evokes the life and work of EM
Forster, his travels to India, and the freedom and inspiration he found there. The
novel is based on the journey of E M Forster. The book talks about the complex,
contradictory personality of E.M. Forster, his inexplicable relationship with India and
the South African literary scene.
The Candidate written by Anirudh Bhattacharyya

The Candidate written by Indian Journalist Anirudh Bhattacharya was released on 29
March 2014.
The Candidate is a breezy and humorous story of the General Election of India.
The book is about a story of a candidate who fights for the Narayanpore seat - A
nondescript district in West Bengal.
A Rebel And Her Cause: Life and Work of Rashid Jahan written by Rakhshanda Jalil
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Author Rakhshanda Jalil on 11 March 2014 released a book titled A Rebel And Her
Cause: Life and Work of Rashid Jahan at Indira Gandhi Centre for the Arts.
Author Rakhshanda Jalil has borrowed the work from the explosive and then-banned
book Angarey that Rashid Jahan co-wrote in 1931 with three other young Urdu writers
Sajjad Zaheer, Ahmad Ali and Sahibzada Mahmuduzaffar.
The book Angarey was railed against social inequity, hypocritical maulvis and
the exploitation of women in a deeply patriarchal society. The book was publicly
condemned at the central standing committee of the All-India Shia Conference at
Lucknow as a filthy pamphlet that had wounded the feelings of the entire Muslim
community. The Urdu press called for a ban.
Rashid Jahan was a Urdu writer of the 20th century. She was a Physician, writer and
avowed communist. Rashid Jahan was an inspiration for young Muslim women.
Hard Choices authored by Hillary Clinton

Hard Choices authored by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former first lady and New York
senator talks about her role as President Barack Obamas secretary of state for four
year.
Clintons book will offer inside account of choices, crisis and challenges faced by her
as a secretary of the state and how the experiences gained during her tenure drive
her view of the future.
Other books written by Hillary Clinton includes

A memoir of 2003 named Living History
Her work on children titled It Takes a Village
Hillary Clinton was Americas 67th Secretary of State and by the end of her tenure,
868
she visited 112 countries.
Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths authored

by PC Parekh
A memoir entitled Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths authored by
former Coal Secretary PC Parakh was released on 14 April 2014 in New Delhi. In the
book the author has claimed that the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was running
a government in which he had little political authority.
PC Parekh claimed that he drew inspiration for writing a book from Premchands
literary work Namak Ka Daroga. The book has been published by Manas Publication.
The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking

of Manmohan Singh authored by Dr. Sanjaya Baru
A memoir entitled the The Accidental Prime Minister: the making and unmaking of
Manmohan Singh authored by Sanjaya Baru was released on 11 April 2014. The book
has highlighted the difference between the good governance and bad governance
by comparing UPA regime under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and NDA regime
under Atal Viharee Vajpayee.
Sanjaya Baru was the media advisor of the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh between
2004 and 2008.
Lal Bahadur Shastri: Lessons in Leadership written by Pavan

Choudary
The book titled Lal Bahadur Shastri: Lessons in Leadership written by the Pavan
869
Choudary was released on 23 March 2014. The book was released by the spiritual
leader Dalai Lama in New Delhi.
The book written by Pavan is based on the narration given by Lal Bahadur Shastris
son Anil Shastri. The book details about the Shastris childhood, his adult and public
life which are thought provoking. The book also highlights his virtues of simplicity,
integrity, tenacity, wisdom and leadership.
Other Books Written on Lal Bahadur Shastri are

Lal Bahadur Shastri: Past Forward is an English version of Sunils earlier book in
Hindi, Lal Bahadur Shastri-Mere Babuji
Lal Bahadur Shastri: A Life of Truth in politics written by C P Srivastava
Lal Bahadur Shastri: Common Man Great Deeds written by Monika Khanna
Lal Bahadur Shastri written by Vibha Ghai
The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-2014 authored by Carlotta Gall

Carlotta Gall, the senior journalist in her new book entitled The Wrong Enemy: America
in Afghanistan, 2001-2014 has claimed that the 7 July 2008 deadly terror attack on
the Indian embassy in Kabul was monitored and sanctioned by senior officials of
Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This attack left 58 people dead including
two top Indian officials and over 140 injured.
Rationalised Roman for Kashmiri written by Dr. R L Bhat released

The book Rationalised Roman for Kashmiri written by Dr R L Bhat was released on 23
870
March 2014. Book gave the explanation on how to write the language on a computer
using Microsoft word or type writer without the need for any special fonts.
To produce the book Rationalised Roman for Kashmiri (RRK), R L Bhat worked on
scientific modification of English alphabet for writing Kashmiri language by using the
principles of Brahmi alphabet to English letters. The result was an easy and adaptable
RRK scheme which can be used for writing Hindi, Urdu, Dogri and other languages.
About Kashmiri Language

Kashmiri is a language from the Dardic sub-group of the Indo-Aryan languages and
it is spoken primarily in the Kashmir Valley, in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the
Census of 2001, there are approximately 5527698 speakers throughout India.
The Kashmiri language is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India as per the
Constitution of India. Kashmiri is also a part of the Sixth Schedule in the Constitution
of the Jammu and Kashmir. Since November 2008, the Kashmiri language has been
made a compulsory subject in all schools in the Valley up to the secondary level.
The Sahara Testaments written by Tade Ipadeola

The Sahara Testaments was written by Nigerian poet, Tade Ipadeola. The book
describes the deserts history, the impact of climate change, personal stories and
some political criticism.
Ipadeola has brought out Saharas true richness which, however has been distorted
by horrific tragedies involving migrants who have been found dead in North Africa.
The book won the Nigeria Prize for Literature for 2013 worth of 100000 dollars, the
most lucrative writing award in Africa.
India at Risk written by Jaswant Singh
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Jaswant Singh, former minister in the NDA government released a book titled India
at Risk Mistakes, Misconceptions and Misadventures of security policy.
In his book, he had discussed the issues, the conflicts and the consequences of the
security related policy of India.
Akbar, The Aesthete authored by Dr. Indu Anand

Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India on 28 February 2014 released a book titled
Akbar, The Aesthete in New Delhi. Dr. Indu Anand, an acclaimed educationist &
Principal, Janki Devi Memorial College is the author of the book.
The book is a presentation of the miniatures of Mughal era of Akbar, as he was a
promoter of arts apart from being an aesthete. The miniatures of Mughal period are
a vivid account of cultural, sociopolitical scenario of its era.
Ambedkar Awakening Indias Social Conscience written by

Dr. Narendra Jadhav
The Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari released a book Ambedkar Awakening
Indias Social Conscience on 26 February 2014. The book was authored by Dr.
Narendra Jadhav. Narendra Jadhav is a member of Planning Commission.
This book is the first ever intellectual biography of Dr Ambedkar. There is only one
English biography ever written on Dr. Ambedkar in English. It was written by Dhananjay
Keer and was published in 1954. Two other notable biographies of Dr Ambedkar are
in Marathi and were written in 1960s.
Water, Peace and War - Confronting the Global Water Crisis

written by Brahma Chellaney
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Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari released a book titled Water, Peace and War
Confronting the Global Water Crisis on 24 February 2014. The book is written by
Brahma Chellaney.
The book focuses on a wide range of research from scientific and policy fields to
examine the global linkages between water and peace. The book founds a way on
how we can secure humankinds water future and promised to become the recognized
authority on the most precious natural resources of this century.
ModiNomics: Inclusive Economics, Inclusive Governance

written by Sameer Kochhar
Arun Jaitely, a BJP leader on 16 February 2014 unveiled a book titled ModiNomics:
Inclusive Economics, Inclusive Governance at the Indian Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road
in New Delhi. The book has been authored by Sameer Kochhar.
The book presents an insight of Modis idea of both Inclusive Economics as well
as Inclusive Governance. It also speaks about the vision of Narendra Modi about
economic and development strategies. The programme of book launch was skipped
by the BJPs Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Earlier 2013, Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India launched a book edited
by Kochchar titled An Agenda for Growth: Essays in honour of P. Chidambaram.
Some other books of Sameer Kochhar

Growth & Finance: Essays in Honour of C. Rangarajan. The books preface was
written by P. Chidambaram and its forward has been written by Manmohan Singh
Speeding Financial Inclusion preface was written by C. Rangarajan
Policymaking for Indian Planning: Essays on Contemporary Issues in Honour of
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Montek S. Ahluwalia was edited by Sameer Kochhar

Building from the Bottom: Infrastructure and Poverty Alleviation was edited by
Sameer Kochhar
The Hindus: An Alternative History written by Wendy Doniger

Penguin India, the publisher of book The Hindus: An Alternative History on 11 February
2014 agreed to withdraw the book from the Indian market. This book is written by
Wendy Doniger, an American Scholar and Indologist. The decision was made by the
publisher following a legal wrangle against it.
The decision was made between the publisher and Delhi based complainant
organisation called Shiksha Bachao Andolan, who moved to court alleging distortion
aimed at denigrating Hindu traditions. The organisation has found that the book is
insulting Hindus.
Leveraging Economic Growth for Collective Prosperity in

South Asia - edited by Rashpal Singh, Sucha Singh Gill and
Neetu Gaur
Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India on 6 February 2014 released a book entitled
Leveraging Economic Growth for Collective Prosperity in South Asia at a function in
New Delhi. The book has been edited by Rashpal Singh, Sucha Singh Gill and Neetu
Gaur.
The book has been brought out by the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial
Development (CRRID), Chandigarh. It is a compilation of selected papers of experts
from South Asia, which were presented during the conference of CRRID held in March
2013.
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Footlights written by Charlie Chaplin to be published

Chaplins Footlights will be published for the first time in English by the Cineteca
di Bologna, an Italian film restoration institute. The announcement was made on 5
February 2014.
The film institute will be publishing the work of Charlie Chaplin in partnership with
Chaplins biographer David Robinson.
The Footlights is the only work of fiction ever written by Charlie Chaplin. It is a dark
and nostalgic novel which was unveiled for the first time in 1948 in London. Later it
was transformed into his film Limelight in which a washed-out clown saves a dancer
from suicide.
The New Bihar: Rekindling Governance and Development edited by NK Singh and Nicholas Stern
The New Bihar: Rekindling Governance and Development was launched at an event
in the London School of Economics. The essays have been edited by NK Singh, an
MP of Rajya Sabha and Nicholas Stern, director of LSE India Observatory.
Indias Political and Foreign Relations with the Gulf Region

edited by Prof AK Pasha
Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India has released a book entitled Indias Political
and Foreign Relations with the Gulf Region on 21 January 2014 at New Delhi. The
book has been edited by Prof AK Pasha.
875
The book is a compilation of the working/occasional papers, some research papers

presented in the four seminars organized by Gulf Studies Programme (GSP), Centre
for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawahar Lal Nehru University.
Sangharsh Ke Safar Ka Nayak Mulayam written by Omveer

Tomar
A book titled Sangharsh ke safar ka nayak Mulayam written by Omveer Tomar was
released by the Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari on 17 January 2014 at a function.
The book was released to mark the birthday of Mulayam Singh, who is the chief of his
party SP. He turns of 75 in age on 22 November 2013.
Enoch, I am a British Indian written by Sarinder Joshua Duroch

Enoch, I am a British Indian written by Sarinder Joshua Duroch is about the complex
issues of mounting immigration fears in Britain and has expressed his views against
the European Unions open borders policy.
His work is a throwback to the infamous Rivers of Blood speech by Enoch Powell
of Conservative MP that criticises immigration from the Commonwealth nations in
1950s and 1960s.
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ABBREVIATIONS | TERMS
IOD-Indian Ocean Dipole
IOD was in news because Indian Meteorological Department in its latest release in
June 2014 predicted that El Nino will affect the Indian Monsoon with 70 percent
probability. As a result in 2014, Indian Monsoon will be sub-normal.
Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is also known as Indian Nino. IOD is defined by the
difference in sea surface temperature between two areas a western pole in the
Arabian Sea (western Indian Ocean) and an eastern pole in the eastern Indian Ocean
south of Indonesia.
The IOD affects the climate of Australia and other countries that surround the Indian
Ocean Basin, and is a significant contributor to rainfall variability in this region.
During a positive IOD, the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean off Sumatra in Indonesia
becomes colder than normal while the western tropical part of the ocean near the
African coast becomes unusually warm. Such an event has been found to be beneficial
for the monsoon.
On the other hand, during a negative IOD the temperatures at eastern equatorial
Indian Ocean becomes warmer while western Tropical Ocean become colder, which
hampers the monsoon.
DACA: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival programme

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) programme was in news because India-
877
born Pratishtha Khanna, Champions of Change was recognized as one of the ten
Champions of Change in Washington, USA.
The President Barrack Obama launched the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival
programme in 2012. Under the programme, person may request consideration of
deferred action for childhood arrivals if that person is under the age of 31 as on 15
June 2012 and came to the United States before reaching his/her 16th birthday.
Garuda V Indo-French Air Exercise

Indo-French Air Exercise, Garuda V concluded on 13 June 2014 in Jodhpur Air Base.
The exercise between the air forces of both countries started on 2 June 2014 saw
various combat roles including Air to Air refueling.
gTLDs: generic Top Level Domains

Wide array of new gLTDs were made available by the Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN). The move will transform cyberspace.
Traditional gTLDs like .com, .org, .net, and even country-specific domains like .in
(for India) are likely to take a back seat as companies and individuals vie to get new
domain names registered. As of 2 June 2014, more than 295 new gTLDs, have been
introduced.
RRTS: Regional Rapid Transit System

Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project was in news due to its approval by the
Delhis Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung on 11 June 2014.
RRTS is a rail based system that connects small but fast developing towns in the
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NCR region. The goal of RRTS is to reduce the dependence of commuters on road
based transportation to a combination of road-cum rail transportation system.
SIMBEX - Singapore Indian Maritime Bilateral Exercise

Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) conducted annual bilateral naval
exercises named SIMBEX 2014 in Andaman Sea. The 21st series of SIMBEX hosted
by India was conducted from 22 May to 28 May 2014.
SIMBEX 14 was designed to enhance inter-operability and mutual understanding
between the navies of the two nations.
The two nations started bilateral naval cooperation between the countries in 1994,
the year when RSN ships began training with Indian Navy in Anti-Submarine Warfare
(ASW).
READ Alliance: Read-Engage-Achieve-Dream Alliance

United States and India in second week of March 2014 launched a reading initiative
named READ (Read-Engage-Achieve-Dream) Alliance. This initiative has been
launched with an aim to improve the reading skills of millions of primary school-aged
children in India, which seeks to discover and test reading solutions.
READ Alliance initiative is a partnership programme of 3.2 million US dollars between
the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Indian Center for
Knowledge Societies (CKS).
IRV2020 - Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020

IRV 2020 programme launched by WHO-India, aims to protect and increase the
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population of the one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). The goal of the

programme is to attain their wild population to at least 3000 in the Indian state of
Assam by 2020. Rhinos are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red list of Threatened
Species.
This is a partnership programme of the Assam Forest Department, the Bodoland
Territorial Council (BTC), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the International Rhino
Foundation (IRF) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
PEACE-Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy

PEACE is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and US to promote
increase the energy access and to develop several priority activites. PEACE was
signed in 2013.
PEACE was in news due to India and United States Energy dialogue held in New Delhi
on 11 March 2014. During the dialogue, PEACE was recalled and agreed to promote
scientific cooperation, research & development for greater technological innovation
and for deployment of environmentally friendly technologies and products.
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COMMITTEES | COMMISSIONS
K K Mehrotra Committee to inquire gas leakage in Bhilai
Steel Plant
Union Government on 20 June 2014 constituted K K Mehrotra Committee to inquire
into the incident of gas leakage in Bhilai Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh that occurred on
12 June 2014. The Committee has been asked to submit its report by 17 July 2014
The other three members are KAP Singh, former MD of Bokaro Steel Plant; SB
Mathur, Director General of the Directorate General of Factory Advice Service &
Labour Institute in Mumbai; and Soumitra Tarafder, Chief Scientist at the National
Metallurgical Laboratory in Jamshedpur.
SC reconstituted SIT headed by Justice MB Shah to probe

into Black Money Cases
The Supreme Court of India on 1 May 2014 reconstituted a Special Investigation
Team (SIT) to monitor the probe into the black money case. To provide guidance
and direction to the SIT in investigation of all cases of black money in the country
and abroad, the Court appointed retired judge MB Shah as its Chairman and retired
Judge Arijit Pasayat as the Vice Chairman.
The SITs Chairman and Vice Chairman were appointed by a bench of the Supreme
Court that comprised Justice H L Dattu, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice
M B Lokur.
881
The apex court in its direction has ordered the Centre to furnish all documents
and information about the cases in which probe is complete in a sealed cover to
petitioners, within three days. It also asked the government to make public details of
all 26 cases of individuals probed for stashing black money into foreign tax havens.
SC constituted N R Madhava Menon Panel to give guidelines

on government ads showing politicians
The Supreme Court of India on 23 April 2014 constituted a three-member committee
headed by N R Madhava Menon to frame guidelines to prevent misuse of public funds
by the government and its authorities by providing advertisements in newspapers
and television.
N R Madhava Menon is the Director of National Judicial Academy, Bhopal. The other
members are former Lok Sabha Secretary T K Viswanathan, senior advocate Ranjit
Kumar.
The meetings of the committee will be coordinated by the Secretary of Information
and Broadcasting Ministry. The committee has been asked to submit its report within
three weeks.
The committee was constituted by a three-judge bench of Supreme Court headed by
Chief Justice P Sathasivam with and Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice NV Ramana.
This order was passed by the court on a PIL filed by NGOs Centre for Public Litigation
(CPIL) and Common Cause pleading it to frame guidelines as taking political mileage
at the cost of public exchequer violates Article 14 of the Constitution of India.
Union Government constituted G K Pillai committee to study

demand for Bodoland state
882
Government of India on 27 February 2014 constituted G K Pillai committee to study

and examine the demand of a separate Bodoland state, which will be carved out from
Assam. The one-man committee will submit its report in nine months after consulting
all sections of the society on the viability of a separate state.
Government for the first time had formed such a committee to examine the demand
of Bodoland in Assam. The demand for a separate Bodoland has intensified following
the decision of the government to form a new Telangana State.
Union Cabinet approved the setting up Equal Opportunities

Commission
Union Cabinet approved the setting up of an Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC)
on 20 February 2014. The proposal for EOC was made by the Union Ministry of
Minority Affairs on the recommendations of the Justice Sachar Committee on Social,
Economic and Educational Status of Muslim Community in India.
The Equal Opportunities Commission will address the grievances of people from
the minority communities when minorities are discriminated against by government
agencies. Its role is advisory in nature and will have no jurisdiction over private
agencies.
EOC is a three-member body and will be headed by a retired judge of the High Court.
It will not have any powers to impose penalties.
About Sanchar Committee

Justice Sachar Committee on the social, economic and educational status of the
Muslim community of India was formed in March 2005.
The Committee in its report submitted in 2006 noted that though Muslims
constituted 18.5 percent of the population and their representation in bureaucracy
was just about 2.5 percent.
883
The Sachar Committee held that mechanisms like the National Commission for
Minorities and the National Human Rights Commission cannot look into day-today complaints against non-state agencies. So Sachar Committee recommended
for an Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC).
Sachar Committee recommended EOC for all people.
Lok Sabha Speaker referred the pepper spray incident to

Committee of Privileges
The speaker of Lok Sabha, Meria Kumar on 16 February 2014 referred the pepper
spray incident in the Lok Sabha to the Privileges Committee.
The 15 member Committee headed by senior Congress leader P C Chacko has
power to take punitive measures. The Punitive measure includes recommending
imprisonment and even expulsion among others.
The incident occurred in the Parliament on 13 February 2014, pepper spray was used
in the Lok Sabha resulting in hospitalization of three MPs (Member of Parliamentarians)
following a disturbance over introduction of the Telangana bill. Later congress member
L Rajagopal was expelled and 16 Seemandhra MPs were suspended.
Committee of Privileges functions are semi judicial in nature. It examines the cases
of breach of privileges of the House and its members and recommends appropriate
action. The Lok Sabha committee has 15 members while the Rajya Sabha committee
has 10 members.
Pitroda Committee on Prasar Bharti submit report to Union

Information and Broadcasting Ministry
Expert Committee constituted by Information and Broadcasting Ministry to review
884
the institutional framework of Prasar Bharti has submitted its report on 25 January
2014. The committee was headed by the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Public
Information Infrastructure, Sam Pitroda. The committee was set up on 29 January
2013.
Committee has recommended amending the Act of 1990 to give effective freedom to
the Prasar Bharti with administrative and financial powers.
Main recommendations of the Committee

To develop a funding mechanism for Prasar Bharati to address the need for
autonomy with financial accountability.
The organisation should have the power to frame rules and regulations for its
employees without requiring government approval.
There should be a reorganisation of the Prasar Bharati board to make it a
professionally managed body effective in guiding the organisation.
Complete transfer of ownership and management of assets and human resource
to Prasar Bharati to make the organisation administratively and financially
autonomous of government.
Significantly, it recommended setting up of a regulatory body to ensure public
accountability of the organisation with respect to all content broadcast on its
television and radio network. It should be a sub-committee of the Prasar Bharati
board.
Prasar Bharati should create a world-class broadcasting service benchmarked
with the best in the world.
The committee encouraged outsourcing of content creation to external producers
to attract high quality and diverse programme and creation of distinct brand
identities for different TV and radio channels, defining the content strategy for
each.
The committee also strongly batted for the use of social media by Prasar Bharati
885
which can be implemented immediately and defining a social media strategy for
the organisation.
It also called for setting up of a Prasar Bharati connect as a third arm of the public
service broadcaster independent of DD and AIR and mandate it to manage the
various social media initiatives of the organisation.
The committee sought expansion of satellite and digital cable TV operations to
meet the obligations of public service broadcasting.
It also pressed for digitalisation of the present AM radio system to a new radio
transmission system after due evaluation, subject to cost and technical availabilities.
The committee further suggested greater involvement of the private sector to
expand broadcasting market with a view to effectively utilise infrastructure being
created by Prasar Bharati.
Ther should be a creation of dedicated, multi-platform channels for dissemination
of Prasar Bharatis archival products.
Nachiket Mor panel recommended setting up of specialized

banks to cater to low income households
A panel of Reserve Bank of India led by Nachiket Mor suggested to set-up specialized
banks to cater to the low income households. These banks will ensure that every
citizen have a bank account by 2016.
Main recommendations of the Mor Committee

The panel has also suggested that facility for withdrawal, payment and deposit to
be set up within a 15 minute walking-distance across the country.
The panel has advocated setting up the Payments Banks to provide payment
services and deposit products to low income households and small businesses.
886
It has limited the maximum balance for an individual customer to 50000 rupees.
In its suggestion it has mentioned that these banks can be set up with minimum
capital requirement of 50 crore rupees, which is one-tenth of 500 crore rupees that
is required for a full-service bank.
It has also suggested that an Aadhaar card should be used automatically to open
a bank account. These recommendations have made a provision of sweeping
changes in the Banking structure.
The Nachiket Mor panel on promoting financial inclusion was set up by Governor of
India, Raghuram Rajan on the same day when he took the charge as the Governor of
RBI. Mor is an ex-ICICI Bank Executive Director.
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ACCIDENTS & INCIDENTS

Nagaram Village: GAIL pipeline blast
15 people were killed and 20 injured in a blast in Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL)
pipeline at Nagaram Village in Andhra Pradesh. The incident happened on 27 June
2014.
The 18-inch pipeline of GAIL, in which blast happened, carries gas from state-owned
Oil and Natural Gas Corps (ONGC) gas field in the East Godavari district to Lancos
Kondapalli power plant near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
The pipeline supplied 0.5 million standard cubic metres of gas a day to a Kondapalli
power plant.
Following the fire, ONGC shut two fields while electricity generation at 1466 megawatt
Kondapalli power plant fell.
Chhapra in Bihar: Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express derailed

Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express on 25 June 2014 derailed near Chhapra in Bihar
in which four people were killed and eight were injured. The accident took place
between Golden Ganj and Chhapra Kachari Stations on Sonpur-Chhapra section.
Due to derailment, 12 coaches and the engine of the train were affected. A special
train has been dispatched to the spot to take the stranded passengers to their
destinations.
888
Chureb railway station in Sant Kabirnagar district Gorakhpur Express derailed

Gorakhdham Express going from Delhi to Gorakhpur rammed into a stationary goods
train near Khalilabad in Uttar Pradesh on 26 May 2014. In the accident, six bogies
were derailed and it is feared that at least 20 people have died and 70 were injured.
Gorakhdham express train came on the same track as the stationary freight train near
Chureb Railway Station at the Sant Kabirnagar district. Dead bodies were brought
out from the damaged coaches of the train. The damaged coaches in the accident
include four general coaches, one sleeper and one AC.
Soma of Turkey: Coal pit collapsed

A coal pit in Soma of western Turkey collapsed after an explosion on 14 May 2014.
The collapse killed at least 274 miners and the rescuers are still hunting for the other
missing persons. Dozens of miners escaped the collapse of Soma that is located 450
kilometers from Ankara. As per the officials, about 100 more miners are unaccounted.
The incident took place due to electrical fault. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Prime
Minister of Turkey, announced three days of mourning for one of the most deadly
mining disaster in Turkey.
Previous such a big disaster of Turkey was reported in 1992 in which about 263
miners were killed near Zonguldak (a city on the western coast of the Black Sea).
Mount Everest: Avalanche killed 12 Sherpas

Massive avalanche struck Mount Everest on 18 April 2014 killing about 12 Nepalese
Sherpa guides and injuring several others. This avalanche was the deadliest
mountaineering accident witnessed on the worlds highest peak.
889
The avalanche occurred at an altitude of about 5800 meters (19000 feet) in an area
known as popcorn field, which is located on the route to the treacherous Khumbu
icefall.
Byungpoong Island: South Korean ferry drowned

Byungpoong Island was in news when South Korean ferry carrying 459 passengers
and crew drowned on 16 April 2014 off the south of the Korean Peninsula. Maritime
Ministry had rescued only 164 passengers and as many as 293 people were still
missing.
The 6825 tonne ferry was identified as the Sewol. It was carrying about 470 passengers
including the students and teachers towards a route to Jeju Island. Jeju Island is
located at about 100 km (60 miles) south of the Korean peninsula.
Karoli district, Rajasthan: C-130J Super Hercules aircraft of

IAF crashed
C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF) on 28 March 2014
crashed in Karoli district of Rajasthan. As per the Jaipurs Defence PRO, five crew
members including four officers were killed in the crash. The aircraft was airborne
from Agra for a routine flying training mission.
Following the crash, a Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of
the accident.
South China Sea: Malaysian Airlines plane with 239 aboard

disappeared
890
Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 operating a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft on 8 March

2014 vanished from the radar screens over the South China Sea with 239 people on
board. The plane when disappeared was heading towards Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.
891
ART | CULTURE
Jagannath Rath Yatra began in Puri and various other places
in the country
The annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) began on 29 June 2014 at
Puri of Odisha. More than 10 lakh devotees from India and abroad descended to the
pilgrim town of Puri for glimpse of the presiding deities of the 12th century shrine of
Lord Jagannath.
On this day, Lord Jagannath the Lord of the Universe along with his siblings,
comes out of his sanctum sanctorum to give Darshan to all Devotees belonging to all
sects and communities. The Return Rath Yatra (Bahuda Jatra) from Gundicha temple
will be held on 7 July 2014.
Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area inscribed

in World Heritage List
The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA) inscribed in the
World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee. It was inscribed at the 38th
session of the World Heritage Committee held on 23 June 2014 in Doha, Qatar.
The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA) has Greater
Himalayan National Park (kullu district of Himachal Pradesh), Sainj and Tirthan Wildlife
Sanctuaries.
The boundaries of GHNP are also contiguous with the recently established (2010)
892
Khirganga National Park, the Pin Valley National Park in Trans-Himalaya, Rupi-Bhabha
Wildlife Sanctuary in Sutlej watershed and Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary.
11th century stepwell Rani-ki-Vav in Gujarat included in UNESCOs World Heritage Site list
The 11th century stepwell Rani-ki-Vav (Queens stepwell) in Gujarat on 22 June 2014
was included in the UNESCOs World Heritage List. The Queens stepwell in Patan
district of Gujarat, as a result, became the 31st World Heritage Site of India which
includes 6 natural World Heritage Sites.
The decision to include Rani-ki-Vav as World Heritage Site was approved by
UNESCOs World Heritage Committee Session held at Doha in Qatar.
Rani-ki-Vav was constructed by Queen Udayamati of the Solanki dynasty.
Taiwanese poet Yu Hsi translated Tirukuural and Bharathis

Poems in Mandarin language
Taiwanese poet, Yu Hsi translated 1330 couplets of Tirukkural (one of the collection
of sangam literature) and the poems of poet Subramanya Bharathi in Mandarin,
Chinese language. Bharathidasans poems will be translated.
The translation will help the Mandarin-speaking population to know the greatness of
Tirukkural in addition to the richness of Bharathi and Bharathidasans poems.
Three day Leh Festival began in Leh region of J&K

The three day Leh Festival began in Leh region of Jammu & Kashmir on 12 June
893
2014. It is also known as Ladakh Singhey Khabab Spring Festival. It is organized by

the Tourism Department of Jammu and Kashmir.
The main objective of the festival is to promote tourism in the region of Leh - Ladakh
in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The festival is celebrated in the name of the
Indus River to strengthen communal harmony in the country as the River Indus is
known as a symbol of unity in diversity.
Kawa Music Group of Jaipur to perform at XX Commonwealth

Games 2014
Kawa Music Group of Jaipur, Rajasthan is set to perform during the XX Commonwealth
Games (CWG) 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland. The CWG 2014 will be held from 23 July
to 3 August 2014. The entire group of band has been invited by the Scottish Art
Council to perform during the Games.
India elected to Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage

India has been elected to the Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage for the next four years (2014-18). India won the election to
this committee held on 4 June 2014 at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris by a resounding
135 votes against a total of 142 votes cast by Member States, who were present in
the voting.
Three Ancient Hindu temple statues returned to Cambodia

Three Ancient Hindu temple statues were returned to Cambodia on 3 June 2014.
894
The three statues were stolen from the Koh Ker temple in Siem Reap province temple
in 2004. Statues were of mythological figures Duryodhana, Balarama and Bhima. The
statues were returned from the United States.
The 158cm (5ft) statue of Duryodhana was stolen in 1972 and was sold at a London
auction in 1975. It was nearly auctioned again at Sothebys in New York, but the sale
was stopped after Cambodian authorities launched an appeal.
67th Cannes Film Festival

67th Cannes Film Festival held in Cannes from 16 May to 25 May 2014. The list of
awardees is given below
Palme dOr award - Winter Sleep by Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan
The Grand Prix - The Wonders directed by Italian director, Alice Rohrwacher
Best actress- Maps to the Stars stared by Julianne Moore.
Best Actor- Timothy Spall stared by the Mr Turner.
Best director- Foxcatcher directed by Bennett Miller.
Screenplay - Leviathan to Andrey Zvyagintsev and Oleg Negin
Spain suspended the 12th bull fight festival after matadors

got injured by bulls
Spain on 22 May 2014 suspended the 12th bull fight festival (called San Isidro festival
in Spain) after matadors got injured by bulls. The fight was suspended after the bulls
injured two matadors torero, David Mora and Antonio Nazare and tossed a third one,
Jimenez Fortes, into the air. It was for the first time that event had been suspended
in 35 years.
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Gujarats monument Rani ki Vav to be digitally recreated under The Scottish Project
One of the monuments in Gujarat Rani ki Vav (The Queens Stepwell) will be digitally
recreated in Scotland, United Kingdom under the project called The Scottish Ten.
Rani ki Vav is among five international heritage sites to be replicated digitally using
latest technology in Scotland.
The digital recreation of Rani ki Vav will help bring the site to a much wider audience
and raise both its national and international profile.
The other overseas sites which will be digitally recreated under The Scottish Ten
project are: the Presidential heads at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in USA,
Eastern Qing tombs in China and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. The fifth site
will be selected and announced till June 2014.
Besides, the above international sites, the project also include five heritage sites
of Scotland. These are Neolithic Orkney, Antonine Wall, the Old and New Towns of
Edinburgh, New Lanark cotton mill complex and the island of St Kilda.
Brazil honoured 100 years of Indian cinema by releasing two

postage stamps
To pay tribute to the 100 years of Indian cinema, Brazil on 5 May 2014 released two
postage stamps designed by an Indian graphic designer. The stamp was released in
Brasilia to mark the Indian Cinema Film Festival which is dedicated to contemporary
Indian cinemas.
The postage stamps have been designed by Kochi-based graphic designer Satya
Raj and were released by Indias Ambassador to Brazil, Ashok Tomar along with
Anand Jyothi and Carina Bini Palackapilly, the curators and directors of the festival.
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Largest diamond of World and Mughal necklace to be auctioned in Geneva

The largest flawless blue diamond of World and a rare Mughal necklace were auctioned
by Christie on 14 May 2014 in Geneva. The sale is expected to fetch a total of 80
million US dollar.
Dating back to 17th century, the seven Mughal engraved spinel bead necklace will
be sold at Magnificent Jewels sale. The pendent necklace engraved with names of
Mughal emperors Akbar and Jahangir is expected to fetch well over 2000000 US
dollar for Christie.
Indian documentary Silent Screams won three awards at

US festival
Indian documentary Silent Screams in May 2014 won three awards at the 2014
New York Festivals International TV and Film Awards.
The awards included Gold World Medal for Best Investigative Report and Two Bronze
Gold Medals each in the Current Affairs and Human Concerns sections respectively.
The film is about politics of rape in India and was written by Manira A Pinto. The
documentary was produced by Miditech for Channel NewsAsia. The documentary
tells the story of the brutal Delhi gang-rape of the 23-year-old paramedical student,
Nirbhaya on 16 December 2012.
Union Ministry of Culture launched Logo of Festival of India

in China
Union Ministry of Culture on 24 April 2014 launched the logo, posters and webpage
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of the Festival of India in China. The festival has been organized as the year 2014
was declared as the India-China Year of Friendly Exchanges. The festival will be
celebrated from May 2014 to March 2015 in 12 cities of China in 4 circuits.
The colourful logo was made by putting together the face of a Kathakali dancer (left
side) and a Beijing opera mask (right side) and it represents the spirit of cooperation
and harmony underlying the Glimpses of India Festival.
Giant torch unveiled in US to honour Chinmoy Kumar Ghose

A giant torch was unveiled on 17 April 2014 in honour of Indian spiritual leader
Chinmoy Kumar Ghose in New York, USA. Torch unveiled is a replica of the Olympic
torch. The 25 foot tall torch was unveiled by Ashrita Furman.
Chinmoy Kumar Ghose had moved to New York from India in April 1964.
The torch is considered as the worlds largest and a replica of Olympic torch. The
huge torch is 11 times larger than the Olympic torch used in the 1998 Winter Olympic
Games to carry the flame from Athens to Nagano in Japan and weighs 1200 kg.
Gulabi Gang documentary to be screened at New York India

film festival
A documentary entitled Gulabi Gang will be screened at the 14th New York Indian
Film Festival. The documentary is based on the life of an activist Sampat Devi.
Gulabi gang is directed by Nishtha Jain and is based on the life of a pal, a child bride
and former government health worker. The story narrates about a gang of pink-clad
women in 2006, which works for the rights of women in Bundelkhand region of Uttar
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
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Bhaag Milkha Bhaag screened at seventh Asian Film Festival 2014 in Saudi Arabia
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a 2013 biographical film of Milkha Singh, was screened in
Saudi Arabia on 25 March 2014. The film was screened as a part of the seventh Asian
Film Festival 2014.
The film was screened as a part of the 12 films that was selected by the Asian
Consulates General Club (ACGC) to present the cultural diversity of Asian countries.
The movie is an Indian biographical sports drama based on the life of Milkha Singh,
who was a national champion and an Olympian Indian athlete. The film was produced
and directed in 2013 by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra on a script written by Prasoon
Joshi. Farhan Akhtar played the role of Milkha Singh in the film
The films script was inspired by a book authored by Milkha Singh and his daughter
co-authored a book entitled, The Race of My Life.
CIIL to document 500 endangered Indian languages

The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) will commence on a mega project
to document almost 500 endangered languages in India, each spoken by less than
10000 people.
The decision to document endangered languages was taken by the CIIL during a
two-day workshop on endangered tribal languages in south India. The workshop
was organized by the Anthropological Society of India and the CIIL on 23 February
2014.
The objective of documenting the endangered languages is to bring out dictionaries
and also document and preserve the ethic knowledge system enshrined in the
languages, including folklore and also to frame grammar rules.
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According to the Census of India 2001, there are 122 endangered languages spoken
in India. The Anthropological Survey of India put it at 323, while a UNESCO report
puts it at 196.
Sammakkaa Saarakka, the largest tribal religious congregation of world began

Sammakkaa Saarakka Fair also called as Jatara, the largest tribal religious
congregation of the world began in Andhra Pradesh at Medaram in Warangal district
of the Telangana region on 12 February 2014.
Sammakkaa Saarakka is a 4-day biennial fair and it is participated by more than
a crore of devotees from far-flung areas like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharastra,
Odisha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Sammakkaa Saarakka festival is celebrated to pay tribute to the tribal warrior
Sammakka and her daughter Saaralamma Saaralamma who sacrificed their lives
while fighting against the army of Kakatiya dynasty to protect their people.
Film Black screened at Fakel Theatre in Moscow

Black, the popular Indian film starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee was
screened at Fakel Theatre, Shosse Enthusiastov in Moscow on 9 February 2014. This
screening was done in Indian Cinema Club in association with the Jawaharlal Nehru
Cultural Centre in Embassy of India (JNCCEI), Moscow.
Surajkund International crafts Mela began in Haryana

The 28th Surajkund International crafts Mela began at Surajkund in Faridabad on 1
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February 2014. The fortnight long festival of craft will continue till 15 February 2014.
The Goa is the theme state for the 28th Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2014.
The Surajkund Crafts is an annual event that highlights some of the finest handloom
and handicraft traditions of the country. The Surajkund Crafts Mela has grown equally
famous for the rhythms of folk theatre.
Dhanu Yatra of Bargarh started in Odisha

The world Famous Dhanu Yatra of Bargarh started on 6 January 2014. The yatra is a
11-day long festival, which will continue till 16 January 2014.
During this Dhanu Yatra celebration, Bargarh town is virtually transformed into
Mathuranagar, the capital of King Kansa, whereas nearby Ambapalli village across
river Jeera becomes into Gopapura, the adobe of Lord Krishna and Jeera river between
the two places stands for Yamuna river. Dhanu Yatra of Bargarh is considered as
worlds biggest open-air theatre.
Losara New Year festival of Ladakh celebrated

The festival of Losar was celebrated across Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir
with traditional and religious fervor. The 15 daylong celebration of Losar festival,
mark the beginning of the New Year.
The centuries-old tradition of celebrating Losar continued to strengthen the existing
community bond and add joy to the lives of inhabitants of the landlocked Himalayan
territory of Ladakh.
Losar is a community-based socio-religious festival celebrated by the Buddhists of
Ladakh, which has 19 major monasteries celebrating 18 monastic festivals every
year.
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DAY | WEEK | YEAR

26 JUNE: INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND
ILLICIT TRAFFICKING
Theme of the 2014: A message of hope: Drug use disorders are preventable and
treatable.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on this day launched
campaigns to raise awareness about the global drug problem.
United Nations on 7 December 1987, by resolution 42/112 of the General Assembly
decided to observe 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking.
25 JUNE: INTERNATIONAL SEAFARERS DAY

International Seafarers day was observed on 25 June 2014. The day is observed to
give thanks to the seafarers for their contribution to the economy and civil society of
the world, also for risks and personal costs borne by them while being in their jobs.
25 JUNE: WORLD VITILIGO DAY

World Vitiligo Day was observed across the world on 25 June 2014. The day is
specially dedicated to people with vitiligo.
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The world started observing the day in 2012 with an aim to focus on the disease
vitiligo with international collaborative research and public awareness campaign
about the myths and reality and raise funds needed for research and education.
Steve Haragadon, the founder of the Vitiligo patient network from USA was the first
person to put forward the idea of World Vitiligo Day. Later the concept was developed
and finalised by Ogo Maduewesi, a vitiligo patient who is the founder and executive
director of the Vitiligo Support and Awareness Foundation in Nigeria.
23 JUNE: INTERNATIONAL WIDOWS DAY

International Widows Day was observed across the globe on 23 June 2014. To give
special recognition to the situation of widows of all ages and across regions and
cultures, the United Nations General Assembly declared 23 June 2011 as the firstever International Widows Day, to be celebrated annually.
23 JUNE: UNITED NATIONS PUBLIC SERVICE DAY

The United Nations Public Service Day was celebrated on 23 June 2014.
Theme for 2014: Innovating Governance for Sustainable Development and Wellbeing of the People
The day was celebrated every year to mark the invaluable contributions of public
servants and administrators in an effort to build a better world for all.
20 JUNE: WORLD REFUGEE DAY

World Refugee Day was observed across the world on 20 June 2014. The day is
observed annually to draw attention to the plight of refugees, celebrate their courage
and resilience and renew commitment to solve refugee problems. It also recognizes
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contributions of the refugees made to the countries that host them.
17 JUNE: WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION

World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) was observed across the world on 17
June 2014.
Theme for 2014 WDCD: Land Belongs to the Future - Lets Climate Proof It.
The theme highlights that the benefits of the mainstreaming sustainable land
management policies and practices into our collective response to climate change.
The 2014 WCDC campaign was kicked off on 3 March in Lesotho the day of African
Environment Day Wangari Maathai Day. It is also a combination of observance of
UN Decade for Desert and Fight against Desertification (2010-2020).
The World Day to Combat Desertification is being observed since 1995. Its purpose
is to promote public awareness in relation to international cooperation to combat
desertification and the effects of drought.
14 JUNE: WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY

World Blood Donor Day was observed across the world on 14 June 2014.
Theme for 2014 World Blood Day: Safe blood for saving mothers
The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness about why timely access to
safe blood and blood related products is essential for all countries as part of a
comprehensive approach to prevent maternal deaths.
The day is observed on 14 June every year on the date of birth of Karl Landsteiner,
the person who helped make modern bold transfusions possible.
World Blood Donor Day established in 2004 is one of the eight official public
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health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO).The other

seven health campaigns are

World Tuberculosis Day: 24 March
World Health Day: 7 April
World Immunization Week: 24 to 30 April
World Malaria Day: 25 April
World No Tobacco Day: 31 May
World Hepatitis Day: 28 July
World AIDS Day: 1 December
12 JUNE: WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR

World Day Against Child Labour was observed across the world on 12 June 2014.
Theme for 2014: Extend social protection: combat child labour
Each year on 12 June, this Day brings together governments, employers and workers
organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to
highlight the plight of child labourers and what can be done to help them.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child
Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action
and efforts needed to eliminate it.
In 2013, at the Third Global Conference on Child Labour in Brasilia, the international
community adopted the Brasilia Declaration, which stresses the need for decent
work for adults, free, compulsory and quality education for all children, and social
protection for all.
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5 JUNE: WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

World Environment Day (WED) was observed across the world on 5 June 2014.
Theme for 2014: Small islands and climate change
Slogan for 2014: Raise your voice not the Sea level.
The day is observed every year to raise the awareness around the globe for taking
positive action to protect nature and planet earth.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established in 1972 is the voice of
United Nations for the environment. UNEP is a body that acts as a catalyst, advocate,
educator and facilitator to promote the wise use and sustainable development of the
global environment.
The concept of celebrating the Environment Day came from the Stockholms United
Nations Conference on the Human Environment of 1972. The first World Environment
Day was hosted in 1973 and since then is being held every year with a different
theme in different cities.
1 JUNE: GLOBAL DAY OF PARENTS

The Global Day of Parents was observed across the world on 1 June 2014. The
Global Day provides an opportunity to appreciate all parents across the world for their
selfless commitment to children and their lifelong sacrifice to nurture the relationship.
Global Day of Parents is being observed every year following proclamation by UN
General Assembly proclaimed in 2012 with resolution adopted on 17 September
2012 to honour parents throughout the world.
29 MAY - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPERS

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The international Day of United Nations Peacekeepers was observed on 29 May

2014.
The theme 2014: UN Peacekeeping: A Force for Peace. A Force for Change. A Force
for the Future.
The day celebrations include the honour of all peacekeepers who lost their lives
while serving under the UN flag. Besides, the Dag Hammarskjold Medal is awarded
posthumously to the peacekeepers who lost the lives while serving in the cause of
peace, during the preceding year.
The General Assembly adopted the resolution in 2003 and designated 29 May as the
International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
21 MAY 2014: ANTI TERRORISM DAY

Anti-Terrorism Day was observed Across India on 21 May 2014. The day is celebrated
as 23rd Death Anniversary of former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi. The day is
marked by a pledge taking ceremony among other activities.
The objective behind the observance of Anti-Terrorism Day is to wean away the people
from terrorism and violence. On the occasion, debates, discussions, symposia,
seminars, lectures, etc. are held in schools, colleges and universities on the dangers
of terrorism and violence.
23 MAY: WORLD TURTLE DAY

World Turtle Day 2014 was observed across the world on 23 May 2014. The day is
observed to bring human attention towards turtle and tortoise and also to encourage
human efforts to help them survive.
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American Tortoise Rescue (ATR) started observing the World Turtle Day in 1990 and
since then the world is observing the day, annually.
LIST OF SOME CRITICALLY ENDANGERED TURTLES AND THEIR SCIENTIFIC

NAMES
Hawksbill Turtle - Eretmochelys imbricate
Leatherback Turtle - Dermochelys coriacea
Endangered turtles and scientific names
Green Turtle - Chelonia mydas
Loggerhead Turtle - Caretta caretta
VULNERABLE TURTLES AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES
Olive Ridley Turtle - Lepidochelys olivacea
Giant Tortoise
22 MAY- INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

International Day for Biological Diversity was observed across the world on 22 May
2014.
Theme of 2014: Island Biodiversity

The theme coincided with the International Year of Small Island Developing States
which was designated by the United Nations General Assembly.
The day was celebrated with the aim of spreading awareness on biodiversity and the
importance of preserving it in villages and islands.
Initially from 1993 to 2000, International Day for Biological Diversity was celebrated
by the UN General Assembly annually on 29 December the date of entry into force
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of the Convention of Biological Diversity.

In 2000, UN General Assembly adopted 22 May as International Day for Biological
Diversity (IDB) to celebrate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May
1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text
of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
18 MAY-INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY

International Museum Day was celebrated across the world on 18 May 2014. This is
the 37th International Museum Day.
Theme of 2014: Museum collections make connections
The theme for the year 2014 aims to rejuvenate the traditional methods which
museums use to involve their communities and keep up with their public.
International Museum Day is organised by International Council of Museums (ICOM)
across the world every year on 18 May. The first international Museum day was
celebrated in 1977.
10-11 MAY: WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY

World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) was observed across the world on 10 11 May
2014.
Theme of the WMBD 2014: Destination Flyways: Migratory Birds and Tourism
The day was celebrated by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to promote
their new Destination Flyways Project. The project aims to build local sustainable
tourism by linking together key migratory bird sites, local communities and the global
wildlife watching industry.
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The Day was initiated in 2006 and is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting
the need for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats.
The campaign is organized by two international wildlife treaties administered by the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - the Convention on the Conservation
of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), and the African-Eurasian Migratory
Waterbird Agreement (AEWA).
3 MAY: WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

World Press Freedom Day was observed on 3 May 2014 across the world.
Theme of 2014: Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the post-2015
Development Agenda.
On this day, the annual UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize was
presented to Turkish investigative journalist Ahmet Sik as a part of celebration.
UNESCO General Conference held in Windhoek, Namibia on 3 May 1991 and endorsed
the principles of press freedom. It is known as Windhoek Declaration. Annually the
date is celebrated globally and serves as reminder to governments of the need to
respect their commitment to press freedom.
25 APRIL: WORLD MALARIA DAY

World Malaria Day (WMD) was observed on 25 April 2014 across the world.
The theme for 2013-2015: Invest in the future. Defeat malaria.
The day was observed to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained
political commitment for malaria prevention and control.
On the Occasion, World Health Organisation (WHO) launched a manual to help
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countries to assess the technical, operational and financial feasibility of moving

towards malaria elimination.
World Malaria Day was instituted by WHO Member States during the World Health
Assembly of 2007. The day was celebrated on 25 April every year.
According to WHO, the top five countries most affected by malaria are Nigeria,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone. India
is expected to decrease malaria case incidence by 50 to 75 per cent by 2015.
22 APRIL: INTERNATIONAL MOTHER EARTH DAY

Every year on 22 April, the world observes International Mother Earth Day to create
awareness and also to support environmental protection.
Theme for 2014: Green Cities

The theme will focus on green cities and will mobilize million of people to create a
sustainable, healthy environment by greening communities worldwide.
On this day, several people in 190 countries celebrate the day by planting trees,
clean up their communities on behalf of the environment.
Earth Day is being celebrated across the world since 1970 and the first Earth Day
was celebrated on 21 March 1970, the day of vernal equinox that year. The concept
of observing Earth Day is the brainchild of John McConnell. He proposed the idea of
a global holiday called Earth Day at a UNESCO conference on Environment in 1969.
7 APRIL: WORLD HEALTH DAY 2014

World Health Day 2014 was observed across the world on 7 April 2014. The day
provides an opportunity for individuals to get involved in activities that can lead to
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better health.
Theme of 2014: Vector-borne diseases.

Slogan: Small bite, big threat
WHO want to create awareness about the vector spread diseases which include
malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis and yellow fever. The Campaign aims to raise
awareness about the threat posed by vectors and vector-borne diseases. The
awareness also includes simples precaution that the families and communities to
take action to protect themselves.
First World Health Day was celebrated on 7 April 1950 and marks the anniversary of
the WHO in 1948. In 2013, the theme of the World Health Day was Control your blood
pressure.
2 APRIL: WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY

The World Autism Awareness Day 2014 was celebrated across the world on 2 April
2014. This was the seventh World Autism Day. The day is celebrated to raise fund
and to create awareness about autism.
On this day, Autism Speaks organisation celebrated Light It Up Blue. Light It Up
Blue is a global initiative that kicks-off Autism Awareness Month and helps raise
awareness about autism.
The United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution on Autism
on 18 December 2007 and decided to designate 2 April as World Autism Awareness
Day. The resolution was adopted to highlight the need to help improve the lives of
children and adults who suffer from the disorder. As a result, the first World Autism
Awareness Day was celebrated on 2 April 2008.
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29 MARCH: EARTH HOUR

Earth Hour was observed across the world on 29 March 2014. The pledge of Earth
Hour 2014 is to switch to energy efficient bulbs.
Over 7000 cities in 150 countries joined the movement with places like the Golden
Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Times Square in New York City, the Acropolis hill in
Athens and even the Kremlin in Moscow participating.
The Earth Hour 2014 included turning off all non-essential lights to raise the awareness
about environmental challenges between 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm on 29 March 2014.
EARTH HOUR IN INDIA

This year Actor Arjun Kapoor was the brand ambassador of the Earth hour in India.
Year Brand Ambassador
2009 Aamir Khan
2010 Abhishek Bachchan
2011 Vidya Balan
2012 Sachin Tendulkar
2013 Ajay Devgn
Earth Hour is organized annually by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the
movement began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia. It was started by Earth Hour CEO and
co-founder, Andy Ridley to raise awareness about climate change.
It is the World largest grass-root level environmental movement towards action on
climate change.
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22 MARCH- WORLD WATER DAY

World Water Day was observed on 22 March 2014.
Theme for 2014: Water and Energy

The theme is to raise awareness of the inter-linkages between water and energy.
World Water Day is observed to preserve and ration consumption of water.
The day is observed annually on 22 March to draw attention on the importance of
freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of fresh water resources.
In 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
recommended to celebrate an international day of freshwater. The UN General
Assembly accepted the recommendation of UNCED and celebrated first World Water
Day on 22 March 1993.
21 MARCH-WORLD POETRY DAY

World Poetry Day was observed across the world on 21 March 2014. The day was
observed to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer
endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities.
The decision to observe 21 March as World Poetry Day was adopted at the 30th
session of UNESCO held in Paris in 1999.
21 MARCH: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FOREST

International Day of Forests was observed across the world on 21 March 2014.
Theme for 2014: Celebrating Forests for Sustainable Development.
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United Nations adopted the resolution to celebrate 21 March as International Day of

Forest on 21 March 2012 and observed the first International Day on Forest on 21
March 2013. The observance of 21 March every year as International Day of Forest
follows from the International Year of Forest, 2011.
The United Nations (UN) declared 2011 to be the International Year of Forests vide a
resolution adopted by the UN on 20 December 2006. 2011 was also declared by UN
as the International Year for People of African Descent, International Year of Youth
and International Year of Chemistry.
2011 was declared as the International Forest Year to celebrate the importance of
forests in everyday life, to raise awareness and strengthen the sustainable forest
management.
Prior to the International Day of Forests, there were two closely related international
commemorations: World Forestry Day (established in 1971 by the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization), and Forest Day (convened by the Center for
International Forestry Research from 2007-2012).
20 MARCH: WORLD SPARROW DAY

World Sparrow Day was observed on 20 March 2014.
Theme for 2014: Rise for the Sparrow.
The day is observed to create awareness about the House Sparrow and other common
birds and the need for their protection.
The First World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010. It is an international initiative of
Nature Forever Society of India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation
(France) and many national and international organisations.
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13 MARCH: WORLD KIDNEY DAY

World Kidney Day was observed on 13 March 2014
Theme for 2014: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and aging.
World Kidney Day is observed annually on the second Thursday in March.
World Kidney Day is celebrated to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys
to our overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and
its associated health problems worldwide.
The first World Kidney Day started in 2006. It is a joint initiative of the International
Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations
(IFKF).
8 MARCH: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN DAY

International Women Day was observed across the world on 8 March 2014. .
International womens day is also called Working womens day.
Theme for 2014: Equality for Women is Progress for all
Each year International Womens Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March. The first
International Womens Day was held in 1911 in Copenhegen. The day was proposed
by Clara, a German.
6 MARCH: WORLD DENTIST DAY

World Dentist Day was observed across the world on 6 March 2014. The day is
observed every year to raise awareness about dental health.
Apart from the Dentist Day, the world also observes World Oral Health Day on 20
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March every year. The day is celebrated to highlight the benefits of a healthy mouth
and to promote awareness of the issues across the world.
28 FEBRUARY: NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY

India on 28 February 2014 observed National Science Day to mark the discovery of
the Raman Effect by Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (CV Raman).
Theme for 2014: Fostering Scientific Temper and Energy conservation.
This day is celebrated every year on this day to spread a message about the
significance of scientific applications in the daily life of the people.
The National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) in 1986
asked the Government of India to designate 28 February as National Day.
Raman Effect is also termed as the Raman scattering and it speaks about the change
in the wavelength of light (inelastic scattering of a photon) when it passes through
a transparent sample of a chemical compound. This change in the wavelength is
caused due to deflection of the molecules.
The Raman Effect was discovered by CV Raman and for this discovery he was
awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
21 FEBRUARY: INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY

International Mother Language Day (Bhasha Divas) was observed across the world,
with Bangladesh leading on 21 February 2014. This day is observed with an aim to
promote awareness of linguistic, multilingualism and cultural diversity.
International Mother Language Day was announced by UNESCO on 17 November
1999 and was formally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in its
resolution establishing 2008 as the International Year of Languages.
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13 FEBRUARY: NATIONAL WOMEN DAY

National Womens Day of India was observed on 13 February 2014. This day is
observed on the date of birth of Indias first women governor Sarojini Naidu. Sarojini
Naidu was born on 13 February 1879 and died on 2 March 1949. This was the 135th
birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu.
Her birthday has been selected to observe as a National Woman Day in recognition
of the works done by her for uplliftment and development of women in India. Her
name and birth date was proposed to celebrate as the National Womens Day in India
by members of Bhartiya Mahila Sangh and Akhil Bhartiya Mahila Sammelan.
13 FEBRUARY: WORLD RADIO DAY

World Radio Day was celebrated across the globe on 13 February 2014. This is the
third Radio Day being observed by the UNESCO to celebrate radio as a medium.
Theme for 2014: Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in Radio.
The theme of the Day was chosen by the UNESCO in order to get the balance right
in favour of women in radio. That is, UNESCO seeks to strengthen pluralism and
freedom of expression in radio.
At its 36th General Assembly in 2011, UNESCO proclaimed the 13th February as
World Radio Day. The 13th February is significant to UNESCO as it is the anniversary
of the day the United Nations established their first Radio Station in 1946.
4 FEBRUARY: WORLD CANCER DAY

The World Cancer Day 2014 was observed across the world on 4 February 2014 with
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its focus on Target 5 of the World Cancer Declaration: Reduce stigma and dispel
myths about cancer, under the tagline Debunk the myths.
This day is observed to raise the collective voices for improving the general knowledge
around cancer and dismiss the misconceptions about the disease.
4 February is a day on which the World Cancer Day takes place every year and is a
single initiative under the UICC.
2 FEBRUARY: WORLD WETLAND DAY

World Wetland Day was celebrated across the globe on 2 February 2014.
Theme for 2014: Wetlands & Agriculture.
The Ramsar Convention chose Wetland & Agriculture as theme for World Wetland
Day 2014 in view of the UN declaring 2014 as International Year of Family Farming.
Slogan: Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth
The slogan focuses on the need for the wetland and agricultural sectors (and the
water sector too of course) to work together for the best shared outcomes.
World Wetland Day is observed on this day because on 2 February 1971 the Ramsar
Convention was adopted.
The Ramsar Convention is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a
particular ecosystem. The treaty was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar on 2
February 1971 and the Conventions member countries cover all geographic regions
of the planet.
26 JANUARY: 65TH REPUBLIC DAY OF INDIA CELEBRATED

The 65th Republic Day was celebrated on 26 January 2014. On this day, Pranab
919
Mukherjee, the President of Union of India on 25 January 2014 approved 127 Padma
Awards.
Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan was the Chief Guest of India on the occasion
of the Republic Day parade on 26 January 2014.
25 JANUARY: NATIONAL VOTERS DAY

The Election Commission of India celebrated the 4th National Voters Day across the
country on 25 January 2014.
Theme for the 4th NVD: Ethical Voting.
The Commissions objective through NVD is to increase enrolment of voters, especially
of the newly eligible ones, to make universal adult suffrage a complete reality.
National Voters Day was started on 25 January 2011. 25th January is also the
foundation day of the Commission, which came into being on this day in 1950.
24 JANUARY: NATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY

National Girl Child Day was observed on 24 January 2014 across India by the
Government.
Theme for 2014: Safety and Development of girl child.
This day is being observed every year on 24 January, since 2008 to raise awareness
and consciousness of the society towards girl children.
International Day of the Girl Child is observed on 11 October and was declared as a
day to be observed by United Nations in 2012. UN declared this day to support more
opportunities to a girl child worldwide upon their gender like education, legal rights,
medical care, nutrition, child marriage and violence.
920
15 JANUARY: ARMY DAY

The 66th Army Day is being observed on 15 January 2014. The day is celebrated in
recognition of the appointment of General K M Cariappa as the first Commander-inChief of independent India. He succeeded British Army General Roy Butcher on this
day in 1948.
The day is celebrated at the army command headquarters across India by organizing
parades and other military shows. The main function of the day is observed in the
parade ground of New Delhi near the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate. The military
shows are held on this day to showcase the new technologies and accomplishments
by the Indian Army.
10 JANUARY: WORLD HINDI DAY

World Hindi Day was celebrated by the Ministry of External Affairs on 10 January
2014 by organizing a function at the Foreign Service Institute at Ber Sarai in New
Delhi. Navtej Sarna, the Special Secretary was the Chief Guest of the occasion.
The first World Hindi Conference was organised on 10 January 2006 in Nagpur and
since then every 10 January is observed as the World Hindi Day.
Apart from this, the World Hindi Day was also observed in the Indian Embassy of
Nepal as Vishwa Hindi Diwas in Kathmandu.
At present Hindi as a language is spoken in more than 20 countries around the world
and is being taught in 150 Universities of the world.
9 JANUARY: PRAVASI BHARTIYA DIWAS
921
The Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was organised in New Delhi from 7 to 9 January 2014.
Theme for 2014: Engaging Diaspora: Connecting Across Generations.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9 January every year to mark the
contribution of Overseas Indian community in the development of India. Mahatma
Gandhi returned from South Africa to India on 9 January 1915 and thats the reason
that the day has been chosen to celebrate the day. PBD conventions are being held
every year since 2003.
4 JANUARY: WORLD BRAILLE DAY

World Braille Day was observed across the world on 4 January. It is observed every
year on 4 January to commemorate the birthday of Louis Braille.
Braille is a code language, which uses bumps and identification on a surface that
represents alphabets and as a whole letters, which can be recognized by the touch.
This is a complicated language, which allows a blind person to read. The code
being a language allows someone to prepare subjects like music, mathematics and
computer programming that can be read.
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Current Affairs Half-Yearly eBook 2014

Current Affairs Half-Yearly eBook 2014

Jean-Claude Juncker named as the next president of the European Commission

African Union Peace and Security Council restored membership of Egypt

Juan Manuel Santos re-elected as President of Colombia

Russia in-principle agreed on Indias nuclear liability law

Reuven Ruby Rivlin elected as 10th president of Israel

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi sworn-in as President of Egypt

Petro Poroshenko sworn-in as President of Ukraine

UN General Assembly announced an award in honour of Nelson Mandela

Quebec became first province of Canada to adopt Right-to-Die Legislation

Recall of M.P. Bill introduced in the Parliament of Britain

Palestinian Unity Government of Hamas and Fatah sworn-in by President Mahmoud

Peter Mutharika sworn-in as President of Malawi

US deployed two Global Hawk drones on Misawa airbase in Northern Japan

US President announced to keep US troops in Afghanistan till 2016

Dalia Grybauskaite won the Presidential election of Lithuania

Current Affairs Half-Yearly eBook 2014

Qatar decided to abolish Sponsorship System for foreign workers

Moldova & Georgia to sign EU Association Agreement on 27 June 2014

Chinese premier Li Keqiang official visit to Africa concluded

Donetsk and Luhansk leaders declared independence from Ukraine

Five Nuclear Powers signed a protocol on Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone

South Sudan Government and Rebel army signed a peace deal

US approved Diplomatic Mission for Syrian opposition in Washington

First Gurudwara to be built in Johannesburg

Worlds highest tunnel for high-speed train opened in China

India-made EVMs to be used in Namibias Presidential polls

Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana scheme launched in UAE

PLO adopted a plan to seek membership of International Organisations

Fatah and Hamas signed reconciliation agreement

Pakistan successfully tested short range ballistic missile-Ghazanvi

India and Bhutan signed agreement on development of hydropower projects

Abdelaziz Bouteflika won the Algerias Presidential election fourth time

Russia, Ukraine and West signed Deal to ease Ukrainian crisis

European Parliament approved the Banking Union reforms

EU Court struck down the EU Data Retention Directive

Spanish Parliament rejected referendum on Catalonian independence

Pro-Russian activists of Donetsk proclaimed their independence from Ukraine

NATO suspended all co-operations with Russia over Ukraine crisis

Current Affairs Half-Yearly eBook 2014

Myanmar started its first official census in 30 years

Japan announced 15000 crore loan for 5 Indian Projects

Deny access to websites infringing copyright: EU court to ISPs

President Barack Obama announced NSA reform plans

Japan signed an agreement to hand over nuclear material to the US

2400 km march over the demand to cancel Myitsone dam in Myanmar

Five Indian languages reinstated as official subjects in South African schools

UNSC extended mandate of UNAMA till March 2015

European Parliament passed a law to introduce a Universal Mobile Device Charger

Syrian Parliament approved new Election Law

India and United States Energy Dialogue held in New Delhi

Supreme Court of Maldives sacked Election Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek

Michelle Bachelet sworn-in as President of Chile for second term

India pledged to provide 4500 crore rupees Assistance Package to Bhutan

China announced the extension of Qinghai-Tibet railway line

Rail link between Kilinochchi to Palai inaugurated in Sri Lanka

India signed Public and Homeland security agreement with Israel

India and Saudi Arabia signed MoU on defence cooperation

Turkish President approved the bill restricting the judicial powers

Current Affairs Half-Yearly eBook 2014

Sri Lanka rejected the call of UNHRC for International Inquiry

UNSC adopted resolution to boost humanitarian aid access in Syria

India and Canada signed three MoUs