current affairs 2013, current events 2013

8/10/2019 Current Affairs 2013, Current Events 2013

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described by them as the most brutal of the six assailants gets maximum

punishments.

'Aam aa dmi' wants British poundsArvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is going places- for funds. TheParty is to start raising money through a UK chapter opened in January,according to unit's spokesperson. "Funding is a key aim but we'll be happyeven if someone wants to give us 10 pounds," Raj Redij-Gill of Aam AadmiParty UK told a newspaper. "W e will seek funds from NRI's, not UK citizens,"said Redij-Gill, alluding to the controversy over alleged foreign corporatefunding of the BJP and Congress. All payments would be made online. Theparty was trying to change the way politics was done in India, he said. "Wedon't want someone's million pounds in anticipation of something to given to

them in the future."Kamal, Rushdie pay as TN, Bengal side with culture bulliesCultural intolerance stalked the world's largest democracy recently. The banon Kamal Haasan's new movie was upheld, prompting him to consider movingto another country, and internationally acclaimed writer Salman Rushdie wasstopped from attending Asia's largest book fair in Kolkata. J Jayalalithaa'sTamil Nadu government was quick to ban the screening of Haasan's newmovie Vishwaroopam after certain Muslim groups thought it was religiouslyoffensive. Mamata Banerjee's West Bengal government pressured the bookfair organisers not to have Rushdie over, fearing that the presence of TheSatanic Verses author would offend minorities. It was clear that politicians stilllooked at India's as many castes and communities purely as vote banks, andwere willing to bullied by even the smallest and most violently intolerantgroups.

BJP- backed group wins gurdwara pollsIn a political development that is likely to have an impact on Delhi politics, the

BJP supported Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) has swept the Delhi SikhGurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections, defeating thecongress backed Shiromani-Akali Dal (Delhi) group. SAD (Badal) won 37 ofthe 46 seats to take control after more than a decade as Majinder Singh, theparty's candidate defeated SAD (Delhi) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna. Last yearin November, the two Akali factions were involved in a violent clash that left 11injured. The DSGMC is a cash rich body and its president is considered apowerful Sikh leader, who can attract voters in assembly and parliamentaryelections. With about 10lakh Sikh Voters in Delhi, the outcome is likely tohave an impact on 10-15 seats in the 2013 assembly elections.

Obama migration reforms to benefit Indian studentsUS President Barack Obama unveiled a comprehensive immigration reformplan aimed among other things at holding on to bring foreign students such asthose in India. An increasing number of whom are leaving the US after studiesbecause of difficulty in obtaining permission to stay on, against a visa to workor start a business. "There are brilliant students from all over the world sitting

in classrooms at our top universities," Obama said in Las Vegas. Once theyfinish school, he added, there is a good chance they will leave the US to starta business or create jobs in China, India, Mexico or somewhere else."Holding on to them as part of the effort to fix the legal immigration systemwould be one of the three broad principles of his plan, which tracked closelythe one announcement by a bipartisan group of senators.

Business and Economy Current Affairs [January 2013]

Roshni Nadar to take over the re ins of HCLThe information technology industry is seeing the rise of an heiress to the top.Roshni Nadar Malhotra will take over the reins of HCL Corporation thatcontrols two of India's leading IT companies as chairman, her father andcurrent chairman Shiv Nadar. He did not mention any date for his 31 yr olddaughter taking charge. In all likelihood, the MBA graduate who has worked

as a media producer would step into her father's shoes only after Nadar, 67,retires. HCL Corporation is the holding company of HCL Technologies and

HCL Infosystems, the two publicly listed firms of the group that also has otherentities. Roshni is already CEO and executive director in the holdingcompany. Both HCL Tech and HCL Infosystems continue to be professionallyrun by their respective CEO's and board of directors. While HCL Tech isIndia's fourth largest software services firm, HCL Infosystems is primarily ahardware company that manufactures personal computers and tablets.

Vodafone slams auction norms, seeks withdrawalHectic lobbying has begun in the telecom sector to reduce the reserve price ofspectrum with the government in the process of finalising modalities forauction of airwaves. Vodafone India has sought withdrawal of the recentlyissued guidelines for the round of spectrum auction terming them "illegal,discriminatory and benefitting one set of players". The company said theguidelines were "discriminatory" in nature, as they fix the reserve price ofspectrum in the 900-MHz band at three times the price waves of 800-MHz,while the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had recommended both thesehad to be treated at par. "Fixing reserve price of 800 MHz band atcomparatively low levels of benefits a certain set of telecom operators," thecompany said in a letter to telecom secretary R Chandrashekhar , whileseeking the withdrawal of the guidelines. It said the auction of spectrum in the900-MHz band includes spectrum that is currently being used by thecompany for Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata circles and s ince the same spectrumis already being used in its networks, it cannot be put out for auction.

Sports Current Affairs [January 2013]
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Hockey India League postponedThe player's auction for the Hockey India League (HIL) has been postponedfrom December 1 to December 16. Subsequently the league too has beenpostponed and will commence on January 17."Some of the coaches involved with the league are busy as the FIHChampions Trophy starts in Melbourne from December 1, and couldn't haveparticipated in the auction," HIL chairman Narinder Batra, said in a statement."Since the franchises expressed concern that the coaches could not bepresent for the auction, to pick players, it was necessary to reschedule theevent," said Batra. Almost all top players expected to compete in the HIL arerepresenting their nations in the champions Trophy, which will see India,Olympic champions Germany, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Pakistan,New Zealand and hosts Australia compete for top honours.

Sunil Gavaskar asks to accept the cricket team as selected.Former Indian cricket team captain, Sunil Gavaskar has said that the teamselectors should not be bogged down by dropping the non-performing playersand has refused to point out at the selection of the team for the upcoming

Asia Cup.After the controversial statement of the present Captain M.S.Dhoni, therewere rising speculations that the selectors may drop some senior playersfollowing the team's poor performance in Australia. But even the selectorsdidn't make any major changes in the team's side.When asked by the media personals whether the players should be kept offfrom the next match if they showed poor performance Gavaskar said that yessuch action should be justified.In his statement, Gavasker said "If you don't drop off the non performingplayers then it could mean that the team may lose the next matches. It doesnot matter whether some more prominent players are removed or not whatmatter is that the team should not be a bunch of non performing players. Andif that's a case then all the cricket lovers must be prepared for the result of the

future matches as well."

Real Madrid eyes 32nd Spanish title at AthleticThe Real Madrid can still hold the Spanish league title with their victory at the

Athletic Bilbao. In the score update the real Madrid is seven points clear of itstop rival with only three games to play. Also even a Barcelona loss will alsoaward the Spanish leader its record 32nd domestic crown.Barcelona's last three games are seen to serve as preparation for nextmonth's Copa del Rey final against Athletic. These matches will be the lastgames for the coach Pep Guardiola's before he hands over the reins toassistant Tito Vilanova.

Manipur road named after Olympian winner Mary KomA road in Manipur's Churachandpur district, 65km south of the state capital,was named 'MC Mary Kom road' at a felicitation function to honour theOlympic medallist. Mary Kom won a bronze at the London's 2013 Olympic.Mary Kom was honoured with numerous other awards that included a cash

award of Rs.1.5 lakh, a mithun apart from getting cash reward of Rs. 5 lakh.So far she has received cash award of Rs 75 lakh from the Manipurgovernment and Rs 10lakh from the Ministry of Tribal affairs.On the occasion the 29 yr old world champion appealed to bring peace andunity in the trouble torn state in order to bring more laurels in the future.

Leander paes roars- no one can step him from entering 2013 OlympicsLeander Paes, India's No. 1 doubles player arrived for his Wimbeldon postmatch along with his daughter Aiyana and trainer Sanjay Singh. Thechampion then confirmed his participation the London's Olympic removing anydoubt. He further said in his statement that he was ready to partner anyonethat AITA, All India Tennis Association nominates to play with him i.e. SaniaMirza in the mixed and Vishnu Vardhan in the men's doubles.In his stament, Paes said-"I am here to play sport not politics and am lookingforward to represent my country in the 2013 Olympics. However with bad luckI see games being played in games itself which is very disheartening. Still Iam looking ahead to play my sixth Olympics for my country as I have played

for last 22yrs for my country and countrymen.At first Paes refused to talk about any matter, later he cleared tougherquestions regarding- Sania's press statement which slammed the demandsmade by Paes or how he will prepare for the quadrennial with Sania .

Current Affairs Febraury 2013

International Current Affairs Febraury 2013

International News [Febraury 2013]

World Bank bar Larsen & Turbo for six Months over ForgeryThe World Bank in the month of March 2013 barred Larsen & Toubro (L&T)from doing any business with it or the projects funded by it for a period of sixmonths, as it found that a senior executive of the conglomerate indulging infraud.The department has made L&T ineligible for being awarded of any contract of

the World Bank Funded projects and also from receiving any loan proceedsmade by the Bank or participating in any Bank-financed project. Thedepartment is supposed to continue till 6 September 2013.

India Proposed Hydrocarbon Pipeline from KazakhstanIndia in the month of March 2013 proposed the idea of a hydrocarbon pipelinewith Kazakhstan that is intended to bring fuel through a five-nation route.The concept of the pipeline, unveiled could be in future extended to Russia.Officials said currentl most h drocarbon i elines from Central Asia are on
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an east-west axis. This pipeline will, like TAPI, be on a north-south axis,providing a new route to South Asia for hydrocarbons extracted from Central

Asia.

National [Febraury 2013]

Criminal Law books brought out in Diglot formImaan Media and Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. (IMPH) has brought out theauthentic Urdu version in Persian Script as well as in Devnagri Script of theIndian Penal Code, 1860 and The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 known asTaziraat-e-Hind & QanoonShahadat-e-Hind in Diglot form.'These expositions of law have stood the test of time for over a century andhalf, but surprisingly there was no authentic translation of the key laws

governing criminal jurisprudence in India', says Muhammad IrshadHanif,Advocate-on-Record, Supreme Court of India, under whose able stewardshipIMPH has brought out these magnum opus.No IPL in Tamil Nadu if Sri Lankans participate: JayalalithaaTamil Nadu will permit IPL matches only if the organisers promise that no SriLankan players, umpires, officials or support staff will participate, ChiefMinister J. Jayalalithaa told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday.Jayalalithaa said in a letter to the prime minister: "In view of the popularantipathy and anger in Tamil Nadu against the actions of the government ofSri Lanka, the government of Tamil Nadu is of the view that IPL matchesinvolving Sri Lankan players, umpires and other officials should not be playedin Tamil Nadu."

Italy marines return to face India chargesIndia has claimed a diplomatic victory after Italy overturned its earlier refusal toreturn two marines charged with the murder of two fishermen they mistook forpirates off the country's Malabar Coast last year.The two marines,

Massimilano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, have been bailed to the Italianembassy in New Delhi since the incident in February last year, butsuccessfully applied to the India's Supreme Court to be allowed to returnbriefly to Italy to vote in the country's general election and to see their familiesover Easter.Italian foreign minister quits protesting marine s' returnItaly's Foreign Minister GiulioTerzi Tuesday resigned out of disagreement withhis government's decision to return two Italian marines back to India wherethey face trial for killing two fishermen."My reservations had no impact and the decision was not mine. My voicewent unheard," Terzi told the Italian parliament, reported Xinhua."I waited tohand in my resignations here in this parliament to express publicly myposition that I cannot be part of this government anymore," he said.

Business and Economy Current Affairs [Febraury 2013]

P.Chidambaram announces more reforms to boost growthAnnouncing further liberalisation of FII investment norms, finance minister P

Chidambaram on Saturday said the government is "steadily and surely"working on next generation of reforms to put the economy back on high-growth path.

Addressing the National Editors Conference, he said that with liberalisation ofFDI and other measures, the government has traversed considerable lengthsto ensure fiscal consolidation with reforms.In a further liberalisation of norms for investment by FIIs in governmentsecurities and corporate bonds, he announced that the norms have beenrationalised. "There were a number of sub divisions and in order to rationalise,it is proposed to merge the existing sub limits and create only two broadcategories," he said.FIPB Cleared Investment Proposal of Air Asia to Enter India's AviationSectorThe Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on 6 March 2013 cleared theinvestment proposal of Air Asia, the Malaysian budget carrier to launch thenew airline along with Tata Group and Arun Bhatia's TelestraTradeplace.

Crucial points to note:

Air Asia has plans to own 49 percent in newly formed airline through itsinvestment company Air Asia Investment Ltd (AAIL). Rest of the stake wouldbe held by two Indian firms.

After the deal, Air Asia will become the first foreign carrier that will enter theaviation sector of India after the Government altered rules in September 2012to allow foreign carriers to have 49 percent stake in the domestic airlines.

Sports Current Affairs [Febraury 2013]

India Wins Cricket Series against AustraliaIndia completed a 4-0 Test cricket sweep of Australia with a six-wicket victoryinside three days, winning four matches in a series for the first time s ince

joining the elite ranks 81 years ago.Cheteshwar Pujara scored an unbeaten 82 on Saturday to guide India to thevictory in New Delhi with two days to spare. Spin bowler Ravindra Jadejaearlier took 5-58 as India skittled Australia for 164 in its second innings toleave the home team needing 155 to win.

Deborah from India Won a Bronze Medal in Asian CyclingChampionship 2013

Deborah from India won a Bronze medal in the final of women's juniors of500m cycle event in Asian Cycling Championship on 7 March 2013 in NewDelhi. 19-year-old Deborah helped India claim its second medal in the AsianCycling Championship 2013 which is ongoing.
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. .was won by Korea's Jang Yeonhee and Yu Shiou Cheng of Chinese Taipeiwon the silver medal. The two remained ahead of Deborah with 37.159 and37.834 seconds respectively.

Environment [Febraury 2013]

Rhino census in Kaziranga amid rampant poachingJORHAT: Kaziranga National Park authorities launched a rhino census for aheadcount. The two-day exercise will be conducted in all the five ranges of thepark Kohora, Bagori, Burapahar, Agoratoli and Biswanathghat.More than 250 personnel from the state forest department, NGOs and mediagroups have been engaged in the operation. Park director Sanjiv Kumar Borasaid the census operation is a scheduled one. "The headcount of rhinos in

Kaziranga is a regular practice and is conducted to implement a fruitfulconservation method. It is important to assess the number of the one-hornedrhinos in the park at regular intervals,'' he said.

World Forestry Day for Raising Awareness about Value of ForestsObserved Across the World21 March 2013 is observed as the World Forestry Day across the globe. Thisday is celebrated for rising as well as promoting awareness about the value offorests. Importance of ecosystem and the forests is s tressed upon on thisday.Various events are held in the world on this day in order to highlightcontribution of forests. It is important to note that forests house 80 percent ofthe terrestrial biodiversity. India State of Forest Report 2011 revealed thatForest and Tree cover of India encompasses 78.29 million ha or 23.81 percentof geographical area of India.

Neighbors [Febraury 2013]

India joins hand with Pak, Lanka on sustainable developmentJoining hands with its South Asian neighbours Sri Lanka and Pakistan, India

has appealed to the United Nations to ensure that economic prosperity, socialcohesion and environmental protection remain in the core of its efforts inachieving sustainable development targets.Taking part in the UN General Assembly's debate on sustainable developmentgoals (SDGs), Manjeev Singh Puri, the Acting India PermanentRepresentative to the UN stressed that issues like poverty eradication mustbe the overriding priority towards achieving the targets of sustainable growth.

Five Writers honoured with SAARC Literature Award 2013SAARC Literature Award was presented to five writers at Agra during the twodays SAARC Festival of Literature on 10 March 2013. A poet-diplomat fromIndia Abhay K was among the five writers to be honoured with the prestigiousLiterature Award.

Other writers to be honoured with this award were FarheenChaudhary(Pakistan), Abdul Khaliq Rashid (Afghanistan), SumanPokhrel (Nepal) andnovelist DayaDissanayake (Sri Lanka).

Indian Defense [Febraury 2013]

Raghuraj Pratap Singh resigned from the State Cabinet in wake ofDSP KillingPratapgarh district. He submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister of UttarPradesh, Akhilesh Yadav at Lucknow and Governor of the state, B.L. Joshiaccepted his resignation.Issue that led to ResignationDSP Zia-ul-Haq was killed by a mob inPratapgarh on 2 March 2013 when he rushed there after a village head wasshot dead over a land dispute. Raja Bhaiya was accused for the attack on theDSP by his slain wife. The complaint was filed against Raja Bhaiya at theKunda Police Station, where DSP Zia-ul-Haq was posted.MukeshAmbani Became Richest Person of India for Sixth Consecutive

YearMukeshAmbani retained his t itle as the richest person of India for the six thconsecutive year with the net worth of 21.5 million US Dollars, according tothe annual rankings published by Forbes on 4 March 2013. The richest man inthe world for fourth time in a row was Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slimwith the net worth of 73 billion US Dollars.In the overall list of the billionaires of the world, MukeshAmbani was ranked atnumber 22. Lakshmi Mittal, on the other hand was ranked at 41st positionwith the net worth of 16.5 billion US Dollars.The first in the list was Carlos Slim, followed by Bill Gates with the net worthof 67 billion US Dollars, Spain's Amancio Ortega with net worth of 57 billionUS Dollars, Warren Buffett with the net worth of 53.5 billion US Dollars andLarry Ellison with the net worth of 43 billion US Dollars. A total of 55billionaires from India appeared on the list of 1426 people from the world whohave a minimum net worth of 1 billion US Dollars.

Current Affairs March 2013

International Current Affairs [March 2013]

No Oscar for Bombay Jayashri, Adele w ins for original songIndian vocalist Bombay Jayashri, who was nominated in the best original songcategory at the 85th Academy Awards for her track "Pi Lullaby" from "Life ofPi", lost the trophy to British singerAdele, who took home the statuette for"Sky fall". However, "Life of Pi" won the best music original score award.


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Written and sung by Jayashri, "Pi Lullaby" was also competing with othernumbers like "Before my time" from "Chasing Ice" (music and lyrics by J.Ralph, "Everybody needs a best friend" from "Ted" (music by Walter Murphy;lyrics by Seth MacFarlane) and "Suddenly" from "Les Miserables" (music by

Claude-Michel Schonberg; lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil).

Jennifer Lawrence, Day-Lewis bag best actor OscarsDaniel Day-Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence won the best actor and best actressawards respectively at the 85th Academy Awards held here Sunday night.While Lawrence won for her role in "Silver Linings Playbook", Day-Lewisbagged it for "Lincoln". Other vying for best actor trophy were Bradley Cooper,Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, Denzel WashingtonThe nominations forbest actress category were Jessica Chastain, Emmanuelle Riva, QuvenzhaneWallis and Naomi Watts.

National [March 2013]

India among top ten atomic countries of the worldThe development and security of the nation are two sides of the same coinand India has achieved its rank among the top atomic countries on its own,says S. Kailas, director, physics division of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC), Mumbai. Addressing at the National Science Day programme in

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) here Thursday to honour Nobel Laureate, SirC.V. Raman for the discovery of Raman Effect, Kailas said the shortage ofenergy resources is a major challenge and India would need to generatenuclear energy to fulfill the need.

India beat Australia by eight wickets in first TestIndia achieved the target of 50, losing two wickets in the second innings tobeat Australia by eight wickets before lunch on the final day of the first cricket

Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here Tuesday. Sachin Tendulkarremained unbeaten on 13, assisted by two big sixes, and Cheteshwar Pujaraon 8.

Earlier, Australia were all out for 241 in the second innings. Moises Henriquesremained unbeaten on 81 and Nathan Lyon (11) was dismissed by left-armspinner Ravindra Jadeja, who finished with three for 72.Australia, resuming at232 for nine, added just nine runs before being packed up in 30 minutes.

AL to supply 20 Cheetal choppers to Indian ArmyState-run defence behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Friday said itwill supply 20 multirole Cheetal helicopters to the Indian Army at an estimatedvalue of Rs.418 core. "We have signed a contract with the defence ministry tosupply 20 Cheetal to the army over the next four years besides providingtraining to its pilots and technical crew," the company said in a s tatementhere Friday.

India has 61.3 mn people over 20 years with diabetesAn estimated 61.3 million people in India suffer from diabetes, Union HealthMinister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Friday. According to World HealthOrganisation (WHO), factors responsible for the increase in non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, are unhealthy diet, lack ofphysical activity, harmful use of alcohol, obesity and tobacco use, theminister said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

Business and Economy Current Affairs [March 2013]

Exports of India Increased By 0.8 Per Cent in January 2013The exports of India increased by 0.8 percent in the month of January 2013 to25.58 billion US dollars, comparatively; exports in January 2012 were 25.37billion US dollars.

Imports on the other hand, increased by 6.12 percent to 45.5 billion USdollars. During April to January 2012-2013, the overseas shipments of India

dropped by 4.86 percent to 239.6 billion US dollars. The main concern for thecountry is however to widen the trade deficit.

As a cumulative result, the exports depicted an arrest in decreasing exports.Now, the result is -4.9 percent.Economic Growth of India Estimated to Fall To 5 Percent in 2012-2013FYThe Central Statistics Office (CSO) on 7 February 2013 revealed that theeconomic growth of India is estimated to fall to 5 percent in 2012-2013financial year, which is a lowest figure in 10 years. A fall in the economicgrowth is because of the poor performance of the services, agriculture andmanufacturing sectors.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) in its advance forecast of the nationalincome chopped off the gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimate to 5percent for financial year which will end on 31 March 2013. This is much lessthan the GDP of 6.2 percent in 2011-2012 financial year. This is said to be the

worst performance of economy of India since 2002-2003 when the economicgrowth was 4 percent.

Sports Current Affairs [March 2013]

India maintained their Number One Spot in the ICC ODI ChampionshipTableIndia maintained their number one spot in the ICC ODI Championship table inthe latest rankings issued in Dubai on 11 February 2013. Both India and


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England have same 119 rating points, but England lags behind on the basis ofdecimal points. Aust ralia and South Africa follow the top two teams closelywith 116 and 112 points respectively.

Among the batsmen, South African run machine Hashim Amla is at numberone followed by fellow countryman AB Devilliers. India's Virat Kohli is atnumber three followed closely by the skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Amongthe bowlers, Pakistan off spinner Saeed Ajmal maintains his top billingfollowed by Mohammad Hafeez. In the All rounder's category, Pakistanskipper Mohammed Hafeez is the leader followed by Bangladesh's Shakib AlHasan.

Sachin Tendulkar equaled Sunil Gavaskar's record of 81 Centuries in

First Class CricketSachin Tendulkar on 8 February 2013 equaled the record of Sunil Gavaskar of81 first class hundreds in first class cricket at Mumbai. He managed to equalGavaskar's record after scoring an unbeaten 140 runs in Irani Trophy againstRest of India in the first innings of the tournament of Mumbai team.

Science and Technology [March 2013]

Astronomers Discovered Six Speeding Stars Racing Through Mi lkyWay

Astronomers in the third week of January 2013 discovered six speeding starswhich were racing through the space at a speed of 3.2 million kilometers perhour. These stars were ejected from the huge black hole which sits in themiddle of Earth's galaxy, Milky Way.

These stars represented the first-known hypervelocity stars that have massjust like that of Earth's Sun. The discovery is said to be very importantbecause it would reveal how stars were formed in the dust-cloaked core ofMilky Way.

First Complete Bionic Man of the World Unveiled at London's ScienceMuseumFirst bionic man of the world called Rex was unveiled on 7 February 2013 at

London's Science Museum. The bionic man was created using 1 million USdollar limbs as well as organs.

Prosthetic legs and ankle came from MIT, synthetic blood from SheffieldUniversity, spleens, pancreas and artificial kidneys from University CollegeLondon, retinas from Oxford University and artificial lungs came fromSwansea.

Environment [March 2013]

The Environment Ministry Constituted Committee to Examine LegalCover for Elephant HabitatsThe Environment Ministry in the third week of February 2013 constituted acommittee that will review better legal protection to elephant reserves as wellas the corridors in India under the green laws which are already present. Thecommittee was constituted after National Board for Wildlife raised concernsabout absence of any legal cover for the elephant corridors and reserves.

Hydro Projects Worth 2500 MW accorded Clearance by the Ministry ofEnvironment & ForestThe Hydro Projects worth 2500 MW across various states were accordedclearance by the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of Ministry of Environment& Forest (MoEF) on 5 February 2013. The projects include Tawang-II H.E.Project (800 MW) in Arunachal Pradesh, Teesta-IV H.E. Project(520 MW) inSikkim to be executed by NHPC Limited and Luhri H.E. Project (775 MW) inHimachal Pradesh to be executed by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited.The National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) has accorded wild life clearance toVishnugad Pipalkoti H.E. Project (444 MW) in Uttarakhand to be executed by

THDC India Limited subject to clearance by the State Board of Wild Life.

Neighbors [March 2013]

Indian-origin science w riter wins British Physics journalism prizeAnil Ananthaswamy, a London based Indian origin writer, has won theinaugural Physics Journalism Prize sponsored by the Institute of Physics(IOP) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

The prize is designed to inspire the next generation of physicists byencouraging journalists to grapple with often complex topics and help spreadexcitement about the subject, according to an IOP release forwarded by the

American Astronomical Society.

Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley, Prime Minister of Bhutan visited IndiaPrime Minister of Bhutan, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley was on the home visit

to India from 7 February to 9 February 2013. During his visit to India he metwith President of Indian Union- Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan,Vice- President of India-Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister- Manmohan Singh,Minister of Finance-P Chidambaram and Foreign Secretary-Ranjan Mathai.His visit was aimed at improving India- Bhutan bilateral relationship.

Indian Defense [March 2013]


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Union Cabinet approved DRDO for developing AWACS for IAFThe Union Cabinet of India on 6 February 2013 gave approval to DefenceResearch and Development Organisation (DRDO) for developing an indigenous

Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) for IAF.

AWACS allows IAF to keep a close watch on the enemy territory. The

government granted an inprincipal approval to the proposal for developing anindigenous AWACS. The approval was granted in the meeting of CabinetCommittee on Security.

Current Affairs April 2013

International Current Affairs [April 2013]

"The Orphan Master's Son" won the Pulitzer Prize for FictionAdam Johnson's novel The Orphan Master's son won the Pulitzer Prize forfiction in 2013. Last year, judges had failed to select a winner of the award forfiction for the first time in 35 years. The book carries the reader on anadventuresome journey into the depths of totalitarian North Korea and into themost intimate spaces of the human heart.

Johnson teaches creative writing at Stanford University. He spent time inNorth Korea to research his book. Other books in contention were, What WeTalk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, by Nathan Englander and TheSnow Child, by Eowyn Ivey.

Indian-Origin Economist Raj Chetty Won John Bates Clark Medal For2013Delhi-born Raj Chetty, the professor in the Department of Economy at theHarvard University won John Bates Clark medal for 2013, also called Baby

Nobel. Raj Chetty's work was also cited by the US President Barack Obamain State of the Union Address.

John Bates Clark medal is conferred upon the American economist whoseage is below 40 years and the one who has made crucial contribution toeconomic knowledge and thought. Baby Nobel is one of the most prestigiousawards of economy. Infact, it is second only after Nobel Prize in economicscience.

Raj Chetty, 33, is the first Indian-origin person to win this high honour. Hisareas of work include social insurance, tax policy as well as education policy.

National [April 2013]

Landmark verdict gives big boost to cancer patients'In a ruling that will help patients continue to buy several life-saving medicinesas generic drugs, the Supreme Court on Monday held that the modification ofa well known cancer-fighting drug is not a patentable new invention.

The judgment allows suppliers to continue making generic copies of Swissfirm Novartis' Glivec or Gleevec, which has been shown to fight chronic bloodcancer effectively. While the Novartis drug costs more than Rs 1 lakh permonth, with doctors often advising patients to take it lifelong, the genericequivalents cost less than one-tenth. The ruling would be a relief to some300,000 patients in India currently taking the drug.

Observers say that the Court's judgment sets a precedent against thepractice of "evergreening" a strategy through which drug manufacturersintroduce modifications of drugs to extend the five-year patents on them. Theysay that other "evergreening" patent applications could be rejected citing this

judgment, helping to keep many life-saving drugs out of the patent regime andpushing down costs.

President rejects five mercy petitions, commutes sentence of twoOut of seven people convicted for heinous crimes, President Pranab

Mukherjee has upheld execution in five cases while commuting deathsentence to life term in two others.

Under Article 72 of the Constitution, the President has power to 'grantpardons, etc, and to suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases'.

No more mercy files are pending to be cleared by the President.

President gives assent to anti-rape billNew Delhi, April 3 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent tothe anti-rape bill, providing enhanced punishment for rape, making stalkingand voyeurism criminal offences and fixing the age of consent for sex at 18.

"The President of India has accorded his assent to the Bill on April 2(Tuesday) and it will now be called the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013,"said a statement by the union home ministry Wednesday.

The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha March 19, and by the Rajya SabhaMarch 21.

The bill incorporates suggestions of the Justice J.S. Verma Committee,formed after the brutal Delhi gang-rape of Dec 16 last year, to make anti-rapelaws stronger.Union Government approved Decision to Double the Number of Judgesin next 5 years


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e non overnmen o n a ec e o ou e e num er o sanc onejudges in India in next five years to ensure speedy disposal of cases. Withthis increase in the number of judges is expected to reach to a mark of 37000in next five years.

The Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on7 April 2013 during the release of comprehensive agenda for legal and judicialreforms announced that the Union Government of India approved the decisionof increasing the judge population ratio from 15.47 per million to 30 per million.The comprehensive agenda was released at the conference of Chief Justicesof High Courts and Chief Ministers.

Increase in the number of fast track courts for trial of heinous crimes likeoffences against elderly, women and children is also under the plan of the

central government. The funds for development of the infrastructure would bereleased under a centrally sponsored scheme on 75:25 bases.

Business and Economy Current Affairs [April 2013]

Andhra to supply nine food items for Rs.185 to poorHyderabad, April 11 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government Thursdaylaunched a new scheme to supply a basket of nine essential commodities toBelow Poverty Line (BPL) families in the state.

On the occasion of 'Ugadi', the Telugu New Year, Chief Minister N. KiranKumar Reddy launched the scheme, Amma Hastam, under which every BPLfamily will be supplied one pack a month through fair price shops for Rs.185.

Minister for Civil Supplies D. Sridhar Babu said 2.25 crore white card rationholders will get the pack, with one kg of red gram, palmolein oil, whole mealflour, wheat, iodized salt, half kg sugar, tamarind, quarter kg chilli powder and

100 gm turmeric powder.Sahara India Pariwar's Sahara Q Shop Entered into the GuinnessWorld RecordsThe retail business of Sahara India Pariwar called Sahara Q Shop entered intothe Guinness World Records when it opened record 315 outlets in 10 statesof India, just at one time on 1 April 2013.

The commencement of these retail outlets was closely monitored by t heGuinness World Records' officials in order to verify as well as register newworld record of Sahara Q Shop. The certificate of the record was presented toSubrata Roy, the group chairman.

The Sahara Q Shop stands against adulteration and quality consumermerchandise products at the fair prices. At present, Sahara has 550operational stores. By the end of 2013-14, Sahara expects to open 10000stores across India.

Sports Current Affairs [April 2013]

Sania Mirza Became One of the Four Vice-Presidents of Indian TennisPlayers AssociationThe Indian Tennis Players Association (ITPA) Secretary, Karti PChidambaram on 14 April 2013 announced that the tennis star player, SaniaMirza became one of the Vice-Presidents of ITPA.

Sania Mirza now became one of the four Vice-Presidents of Indian TennisPlayers Association, which is a newly-formed body. Other three Vice-Presidents of the body are Somdev Devvarman, Mahesh Bhupathi andLeander Paes.

Former Davis Cup captain Jaideep Mukherjea is the President of theAssociation.Sania Mirza is the first female player from India who won a GrandSlam. She now plays in doubles only.

Indian Women Cricket Team won the ODI Series against BangladeshWomen 3-0Indian Women made a clean sweep in the three-match Bangladesh Women inIndia One Day International Cricket Series, 2012/13 against Bangladesh on 12

April 2013 after winning the third and the final match at Sardar Patel Stadiumin Ahmedabad. India defeated Bangladesh by 58 runs in the third match.

Scores of the third Match India Women: 154 all out in 48.3 overs Highest rungetters from India were Swagatika Rath scored 30 runs and Harmanpreet Kaurscored 29 runs Bangladesh Women: 96 all out in 41.1 overs

Highest Run getter from Bangladesh was Salma Khatun scored 22 runsBefore the ODI series, the Indian women also made a clean sweep T20international series against Bangladesh Women with 3-0 on 5 April 2013.

Science and Technology [April 2013]

Scientists developed Device to detect Gastro-Intestinal CancersScientists developed a prototype of an advanced multi-bendingcholangioscope to detect and cure Gastro-Intestinal Cancers. Earlier, mostpatients used to visit a physician when the disease was in an advancedstage. This new equipment has a video camera and can bend easily. It coulddetect cancers of bile duct, liver and pancreas. It will help in detecting thedisease in early stage.

The multi-bending peroral direct cholangioscope (PDCS) cannot be inserted


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free-hand into the bile duct. But a high success rate of direct insertion will beachieved if the endoscope is passed over a guide-wire and an anchoringballoon. In fact, pancreatic cancer is the third most prevalent gastro-intestinalcancer in India whereas liver cancer is the most common.

Union Government Approved Project for National Optical FibreNetwork Creation in Gram PanchayatsThe Government of India approved the project for creation of National Optical

Fibre Network (NOFN) connecting all the 250000 Gram Panchayats (GPs) inthe country through Optical Cable (OFC). The Union Government decided tofund the project through Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).

The State Government on the other hand, will have the role of providing free

Right of Way (RoW) for laying OFC. The project envisaged signing a tripartiteMoU for free Right of Way (RoW) among the Union Government, StateGovernment and Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL).

16 States/UTs signed the MoUs on 26 October 2012. These states and UTswere Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,Karnataka, Manipur, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhandand 3 Union Territories viz. Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu andPuducherry. Under the MoUs, 140727 GPs will be facilitated with OpticalFibre Network in these States and UTs.

Environment [April 2013]

Supreme Court of India Ordered Relocation of Endangered AsiaticLions from Gujara t to MP

A bench led by Justice K S Radhakrishnan of the Supreme Court of India on15 April 2013 ordered Gujarat to share the endangered Asiatic lions with itsneighbouring state- Madhya Pradesh. The population of these Asiatic lionshas almost become negligible but because of certain conservation efforts inthe state of Gujarat in past 50 years, these endangered lions have been savedfrom extinct ion. At present, the population of these lions in Gir forests ofGujarat is 400.

The political leaders in Gujarat resisted relocation of these lions, but SupremeCourt ordered that they should be relocated in order to save them fromelimination because of fire or epidemic. Conversationalists too hadrecommended establishment of second sanctuary outside Gujarat in order tomake sure about genetic diversification.

CBI given the Charge to Probe into Rhino Killing in AssamThe State Environment and Forest Minister of Assam, Rockybul Hussain on 7

April 2013 announced that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was giventhe charge of probing into the killing of Rhinos in the State. The decision wastaken following a communication passed by the Union Ministry of Personnel,

Public Grievances and Pensions to the state.

The decision of initiating a CBI probe into the killings of the rhinos from thecentre came up following the repeated incidences of poaching and rhinokillings in the Kaziranga National Park and other wildlife parks of the state.

The details of the number of cases undertaken by CBI for probing into and thetime-period of investigation were not cleared. Apart from this to protect rhinosfrom poaching activity, the National Tiger Conservation Authority of the UnionEnvironment and Forests Ministry will undertake test flights of unmannedaerial vehicles over the sanctuary from today.

Neighbors [April 2013]

Visa on Arrival facility for PAK Senior Citizens of Pakistan initiatedIndian on 1 April 2013 started Visa on Arrival (VoA) facility for the Senior

Citizens of Pakistan. The Pakistani Senior Citizens in the age group of 65+years would be allowed to take the Visa at Attari/Wagah Check-Post. This isgoing to be a single entry Visa and will allow a Pakistani resident in India for amaximum period of 45 days.

The services of granting the Visa on arrival started from 1 April 2013 based onmutual agreements.

The Visa on Arrival initially was scheduled to start from 15 January 2013 butwas delayed citing technical problem in wake up of the killing of the two IndianSoldiers on the LoC by the Pakistani Army on 8 January 2013.

Indian-Origin Economist Raj Chetty Won John Bates Clark Medal For2013Delhi-born Raj Chetty, the professor in the Department of Economy at theHarvard University won John Bates Clark medal for 2013, also called BabyNobel. Raj Chetty's work was also cited by the US President Barack Obama

in State of the Union Address.

John Bates Clark medal is conferred upon the American economist whoseage is below 40 years and the one who has made crucial contribution toeconomic knowledge and thought. Baby Nobel is one of the most prestigiousawards of economy. Infact, it is second only after Nobel Prize in economicscience.

Ra Chett 33 is the first Indian-ori in erson to win this hi h honour. His


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, , .areas of work include social insurance, tax policy as well as education policy.

Indian Defense [April 2013]

Indian Coast Guard Ship C-402 Commissioned in MumbaiThe Indian Coast Guard Ship C-402 was commissioned in Mumbai by SanjeevDayal, Director General Police, Maharashtra, in the third week of April 2013.This is the second ship of series of thirty-six Interceptor Boats which werebuilt and designed by Larsen and Toubro, Surat.

About the Indian Coast Guard Ship C-402

C-402 is 30-metre long interceptor boat which has 90 tonnes displacement.

It can reach a maximum speed of 45 knots.

C-402 is furnished with technologically-advanced navigation as well ascommunication equipment.

It is also furnished with medium-range armament.

Indian Coast Guard Ship C-402 is designed for close-coast patrol, search andrescue, high speed interception, low-intensity maritime operations andmaritime surveillance.

SC allows Sterlite to operate Tamil Nadu plantNew Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday allowed the Sterlite Industries'smelting copper plant to continue operations in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin andasked it to deposit Rs.100 crore with the authorities to restore the

environmental damages.

The apex court bench of Justice A.K. Patnaik and Justice S.J.Mukhopadhyay said the amount was imposed in view of the pollution causedby the plant in the Tuticorin area from 1997 to 2011.

"An amount less than this will not have the desired deterrent effect," JusticePatnaik said while pronouncing the judgment. The court said that its orderdirecting the Sterlite Industries India Ltd. to pay damages of Rs.100 crore

would not stand in the way of any other damage claims during that period byway of civil suit.

Current Affairs May 2013

International Current Affairs [May 2013]

India granted Observer Status by Arctic CouncilIndia on 15 May 2013 was successful in getting the observer status in the

Arctic Council along with five other nations namely China, Italy, Singapore andSouth Korea. This step of the Arctic Council will give India a foothold in theresource rich Arctic Ocean with the melting of the ice. As India will get anaccess from navigation to oil and gas exploration. The observer status wasassigned to India after a meeting held at Kiruna, Sweden.

India is the largest producer and consumer of Chickpeas in WorldFood & Agriculture Organization (FAO) in its latest report for 2011 claimedthat India is the largest consumer and producer of Chickpeas in the world. Thesecond advance estimates for 2012-13 marked a record production ofChickpea is 8567.8 thousand tonnes.

National [May 2013]

National Food Security Law on AnvilMinistry for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution introduced

amendments in the National Food Security Bill in the Lok Sabha on 9 May2013 and placed the amended Bill for consideration and passing by theHouse.

Govt declares 2013 as Water Conservation YearThe decision to declare the year 2013 as Water Conservation Year 2013 wasapproved by the Union Cabinet of India on 9 May 2013. A number of massawareness activities will be undertaken during Water Conservation Year 2013with emphasis on sensitiz ing the masses on water related issues, encouragethem to conserve and use it judiciously.

New guidelines for Indira Awas YojnaThe government on 13 May 2013 approved new guidelines for the Indira AwasYojna Scheme for rural poor. Building Toilets has been made compulsoryunder the Indira Awas Yojna. Manual scavengers freed bonded labourers andtribal groups will be given preference in allotments.The allocation for eachdwelling unit was increased from 45000 rupees to75000 rupees. In Maoist-

affected and hilly regions, the allocation would now be 75000 rupees from theexisting 48500 rupees. Landless labourers which were given 10000 rupees for

Expert Committee to measure Backwardness of statesThe Union Government on 15 May 2013 had set up an expert Committeeunder the supervision Raghuram G Rajan, Chief Economic Adviser to evolve acomposite index to measure backwardness of states.The panel is set up inconsistent to the Budget announcement, and it can also invite other expertsas S ecial Invitees for discussions.


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.

Business and Economy Current Affairs [May 2013]

India world's 3rd largest economy: OECDThe Indian economy has probably recently surpassed Japan to be the thirdlargest economy globally, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD) has said. But, the OECD revised downwards itsforecast for growth for India in 2013 to 5.3% from the previous 5.9% and saidthe recovery would be aided by the efforts being made to speed up approval

for large projects as well as partial deregulation of foreign direct investment.

PM says fundamentals of economy are strong, invites investorsAsserting that the fundamentals of the Indian economy were strong, PrimeMinister Manmohan Singh expressed confidence that the country would returnto the growth of eight per cent per annum. The Prime Minister saidopportunities for investment were abounding in India and invited investors tocome to the country.

Sports Current Affairs [May 2013]

S.Sreesanth and other Cricketers arrested for Spot-FixingIndian fast bowler, S. Sreesanth and his two team mates from RajasthanRoyals namely Ajit Chadila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by Delhi Policeon 16 May 2013 on charges of Spot Fixing in Indian Premier League (IPL).The three cricketers were arrested from Mumbai and will be brought to Delhifor being produced in a Court. Apart from the three cricketers the police alsoarrested seven bookies. Both the cricketers and the bookies are chargedunder two sections of Indian Penal Code, Section 420 (cheating) and Section120B (criminal conspiracy).

Sachin Tendulkar retires from T20Sachin Tendulkar announced retirement from Twenty20 cricket format on 26May 2013, immediately after Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings to liftthe title of Pepsi Indian Premier League 2013 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.This 39 means that IPL Season 6 was the last IPL season played by SachinTendulkar.

Science and Technology [May 2013]

US Scientists created first Cloned Human EmbryoA group of US Scientists in second week of May 2013 declared that they havesucceeded in creating a cloned human embryo using the technique thathelped in developing the cloned sheep in 1996. The scientists took fifteenyears to create the cloned embryo. The team of scientists developed theembryo using skin samples of a woman's egg to develop an early clonedhuman embryo. Aim of this research is development of a source of stem cellsnot a baby. These can be helpful in repair of damage created after heart

attack or brains of patients of Parkinson's disease.

Superbug H041 can be more deadly than AIDSDoctors have warned that the new sexually transmitted Sex-Superbug namedH041 can be much more deadly than the AIDS virus. Recently, two cases ofthe sex-superbug were confirmed in Hawaii. Doctors have claimed that thesuperbug is the antibiotic resistant strain of gonorrhea. In 2011, the superbugwas discovered for the first time in Japan and then it spread to Hawaii andnow visible in Norway and California. As per Doctors, the H041 bacteria canbe much more deadly than the AIDS Virus because the bacteria is moreaggressive and will affect more people quickly and effect is more direct.

Environment [May 2013]

Trade of Peacock feathers bannedThe Environment Ministry of India decided to put a ban on the trade of

peacock feathers as a measure to conserve the national bird of India-peacock. The government has no data regarding peacock population, but it isevident that the number of peacocks in India is dwindling because of poachingof the feathers which fetches good price in not just international markets, butalso within Indian markets.

Hill Forts of Rajasthan and Himalayan National Park to be WorldHeritageRajasthan and Great Himalayan National Park: India nominated cluster of sixhill forts in Rajasthan as well as Great Himalayan National Park in HimachalPradesh for World Heritage Sites for 2013. The UNESCO's World HeritageCommittee will be held in Phnom Penh in Cambodia in June 2013 andconferring the status of World Heritage Sites on these places will be decidedin this meeting.

Neighbours [May 2013]

India and China signed Eight AgreementsChina's new premier Li Keqiang's visited India on his first foreign trip to Indiafrom 19-22, May 2013 since taking his office in March 2013. Both thecountries are looking for speeding up their efforts to settle a decades-oldborder dispute and strengthen economic ties. The leaders of both thecountries had a thorough exchange of views on bilateral relations and regionaland international issues of common interest in a sincere and cordialatmosphere and reached broad consensus.


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2014 declared as India-China Friendship Year2014 was declared as the Friendship Year by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang forincreased people-to-people interaction between India and China. 2014 wasdeclared as the year of exchanges between the two countries in order toenhance friendship and understanding. As a measure, Li Keqiang declaredthat they would support Chinese enterprises to increase investments in Indiaand help Indian products to have access to Chinese market.

Indian Defense [May 2013]

Indian National Defence University to be set up in Gurgaon

Indian National Defence University, a dedicated first-of-its-kind institution fortraining and research in military studies will be set up in Gurgaon on 23 May2013. The sprawling 200 acre campus will be set up in Binola village with anestimated cost of 300 crore rupees. The proposed institute will be equippedwith training and research facilities on all aspects of national security as partof the strategic national policy-making. While one-third of its strength willcomprise of civilian students, the remaining seats will be reserved for in-service defence personnel.

India test fires BrahMos Supersonic Cruise MissileIndia on 22 May 2013 successfully test fired the 290-km range BrahMossupersonic cruise missile from the Navy's latest guided missile frigate INSTarkash off the coast of Goa. The missile performed the high-level 'C'manoeuvre in the pre-determined flight path and successfully hit the target.Jointly developed by India and Russia, the BrahMos is capable of carrying aconventional warhead of 300 kg.

Current Affairs June 2013

International Current Affairs [June 2013]

China Developed the Fastest Computer of the World Called Tianhe-2A survey conducted by Top 500, revealed on 17 June 2013 that the Chinesesupercomputer is the fastest computer of the world. This Chinesesupercomputer is called Tianhe-2 and it replaced US machine called Titan,which was earlier said to be the fastest computer of the world.

India to be most Populous Country by 2028

The UN report titled World Population Prospects was released on 13 June2013, forecasted that India will be the most populous country of the world by2028 leaving behind China. The report also claimed that by 2025 the worldpopulation will increase by one billion and reach to 8.1 billion from 7.2 billionat present. By 2050, the world population will be 9.6 billion as per the report.

National [June 2013]

Percentage of people below poverty line declines to 21.9The percentage of people below poverty line declined sharply to 21.9 in thefinancial year 2011-12 from 37.2 recorded in 2004-15, official data showedTuesday. The decline was sharper in urban areas. In the financial year endedMarch 2012, percentage of people below poverty line in urban areas was 13.7while in rural area it was 25.7, according to data released by the PlanningCommission.

RBI leaves key rates unchanged; cuts growth forecastThe Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Tuesday left all key policy rates unchangedto support the battered rupee and said the recent liquidity tighteningmeasures will be rolled back when stability returns to the currency markets.In the first quarter review of the monetary policy, the central bank cut growthforecast for the current financial year to 5.5 percent from its earlier projectionof 5.7 percent, saying continued domestic as well as global uncertainties

would hit the Indian economy.

Rashtriya Uchhtar Shiksha Abhiyan LaunchedThe Union government of India on 8 June 2013 decided to launch NationalHigher education Campaign, Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, to focuson equity based development, improvement in teaching-learning quality andresearch. Under it, funds will be provided to public Universities and Collegesso that higher educational institutes do not rely heavily on the affiliation fees.

India launches satellite for better weather forecastIndia's advanced satellite Insat-3D, which was launched early Friday onboard

Ariane-5 rocket from Kourou in French Guiana off the Pacific coast, willimprove weather and monsoon forecasting system. "After a perfect lift-off at01:24am from the European Arianespace spaceport at Kourou, the two-tonneadvanced weather satellite was placed in the geosynchronous transfer orbit(GTO) 32 minutes later, about 36,000km above from earth," the Indian SpaceResearch Organisation (ISRO) said in a statement here.

Business and Economy Current Affairs [June 2013]

Union Government of India proposed plan to raise FDI Limit in KeySectorsTo promote India as an attractive destination for investment, the UnionFinance Ministry on 18 June 2013 proposed sweeping changes in ForeignDirect Investment (FDI) regime. The committee that was headed by the


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Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram recommended to raise theForeign Direct Investment limit to 49 percent from 26 percent at present inalmost all sectors like multi-brand retail, defence and telecom throughautomatic route.

Foreign Investment Promotion Board Approved Eight FDI ProposalsThe Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on 31 May 2013 approvedeight FDI proposals, which include those of McKinsey & Company, ACMESolar Energy and GETIT Infoservices. These eight proposals are worth 696crore Rupees. FIPB cleared ACME Solar Energy's proposal to get 275 croreRupees foreign investment. The foreign investment worth 216 crore Rupees

was roped in by clearance to GETIT Infoservices.

Sports Current Affairs [June 2013]

India Beat England by Five Runs to Win ICC Champions Trophy 2013Birmingham: India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 on 23 June 2013against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham with a five-run victory. Indiamade a total of 129 runs in 20 overs for seven wickets. It then restrictedEngland to 124 for eight. Ravindra Jadeja was declared as the Man of theMatch after he took two wickets and scored unbeaten 33 runs. He was alsoawarded with the Golden Ball for grabbing maximum number of wickets in theseries.

Manjeet Singh bagged Silver Medal at 3rd China Open BoxingTournamentManjeet Singh bagged a Silver medal for India at the 3rd China Open boxingtournament on 22 June 2013. In the final of the super heavy weight category(+91kg), the 21-year-old Indian went down to local lad Akepeer Yusuf.

Although Manjeet lost in the final, he became the only Indian boxer to reach

the final of the third China Open boxing tournament. It was his firstinternational tournament.The boxing tournament was held in Guiyang, China.

Science and Technology [June 2013]

Genetic Engineering Approval Committee Gave Approval for FieldTrials of 5 GM CropsThe Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) permitted certaincompanies as well as the research institutes for conducting the field trials of 5GM (genetically modified) crops. The trials for development of geneticallymodified cotton, maize, castor, wheat and rice were permitted. The specialtyof GM crops is that they are formulated for getting protection against theinsects. Also, these crops are resistant to salinity and water. Also, they aremore resistance to the use of nitrogen which is required by them for growingefficiently.

Early Tsunami Warning System installed in RangachangChief Scientist of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), VinithKumar on 11 June 2013 announced that the Early Tsunami Warning System(ETWS) installed at Rangachang in Andaman and Nicobar Islands can predicta tsunami immediately after an earthquake. Vinith Kumar claimed that thenew technology installed can predict the Tsunami within 3 minutes after theinitial tremors are felt and can send alerts.

Environment [June 2013]

UNESCO declared Six Forts of Rajasthan as World Heritage SitesSix Forts of Rajasthan included in the list of World Heritage Site of UNESCOand won international recognition on 21 June 2013 in the 37th session of theWorld Heritage Committee (WHC) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The sixmajestic forts include Amber (Jaipur), Kumbhalgarh, Chittorgarh, Jaisalmer,Ranthambhore (Sawai Madhopur) and Gagaron (Jhalawar).

Devap Air-Cooling System to be used in Nalanda UniversityArchitects building Nalanda International University at Bihar decided to makeuse of the Desiccant Enhanced Evaporative or the Devap air-cooling system.It is the first time that this kind of system will be used in India. The Devapsystem functions by making use of dessicant material which gets rid of themoisture from using by making use of heat. The system also makes use ofthe evaporative technologies which bring cooling by making use of up to 90

percent less energy in comparison to the older methods.

Neighbours [June 2013]

India-Myanmar set Three Billion Dollar Trade Target by 2015India and Myanmar set three billion dollar trade target by 2015 during themeeting of India's energy minister Anand Sharma with his Myanmarcounterpart U Than Htay in New Delhi held on 6 June 2013. India conveyedthe interest of Indian banks in setting up their branches in Myanmar. It also

conveyed its interest in deepening cooperation in the fields of energy, oil andnatural gas. Improving air, road and water connectivity between the twocountries was also discussed during the meeting.

India and Nepal agreed to address Each Other's Security ConcernsIndia and Nepal on 1 June 2013 agreed to address each other's securityconcerns and curb illegal activities across the open border. The agreementtook place during the annual Home Secretary-level talks held in Kathmandu.
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against criminal activities such as human and drug trafficking, smuggling ofIndian counterfeit currency and trade in illegal substances.

Indian Defense [June 2013]

IAF launched Operation Rahat to rescue Pilgrims in Uttarakhand andHPIndian Air Force received its first of the ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III

Aircraft from United States on 18 June 2013. The first C-17 Globemasterlanded at Hindan Airbase in India. The IAF signed a 4.1 billion US dollar dealwith Boeing to get 10 C-17 Aircraft. The deal was signed after conducting athorough study of its capabilities of being operational under all conditions and

abilities to take-off from short runways with heavy loads

Indo-Russian INDRA 2013 military exercise will take place in October2013Indo-Russian INDRA 2013 military exercise is scheduled to take place inOctober 2013 at Mahajan field firing range of Rajasthan in India. The jointMilitary exercise will involve over 250 servicemen from the Eastern MilitaryDistrict and the same number of troops will be involved from the Indian armedforces. Around 250 Russian servicemen from the Eastern Military District arealready set to join Russo-Indian joint ground and naval drills at Indra-2013.

Current Affairs July 2013

International Current Affairs [July 2013]

European Union leaders reached an Agreement on 1.3 trillion DollarBudget for 2014 to 2020

All 27 member states of European Union collectively approved the deal inBrussels after providing a solution to British concerns about a rebate thatremains intact.It is expected that the plan for 2014-2020 period is going to beapproved by the European Parliament in July 2013. EU leaders also resolvedto spend 8 billion dollar over the next two years to support job creation,training and apprenticeships for young people.UN Security Council eased Sanctions against IraqThe UN Security Council eased sanctions against Iraq imposed after SaddamHussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Iraq welcomed the move as a landmarkdecision and promised to enhance cooperation with Kuwait for its support andassistance to get the sanctions lifted. - See more at:http://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/un-security-council-eased-

sanctions-against-iraq-1372404831-1#sthash.bDfx7xxU.dpuf

National Current Affairs [July 2013]

India and Oman Bilateral Trade registered a 129 Percent Growth

During the five-year period from 2008-09 to 2012-13, India-Oman bilateral tradeincreased by 129 percent as per the data released by Ministry of Externalaffairs of India. India has been a major exporter to Oman and emerged as thefourth largest source of imports into Oman after Japan, USA and Saudi Arabiain 2012.The balance of trade is in India's favour due to increase in export ofmineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation.Government banned Testing of Cosmetic Products on AnimalsIndian Government in the Month of June 2013 has banned the testing ofCosmetic product on animals and thus became the first country in South Asiato end such tests. Now, with the ban on testing and as per the Drug ControllerGeneral of India (DCGI) any cosmetic product made in India will be free ofanimal testing.Government to set-up 51 new low-cost Airports to Increase AirConnectivityThe Union Government of India on 28 June 2013 decided to set up 51 newlow-cost airports in Tier-II and Tier-III cities of the nation. The decision wastaken with an aim to the give a boost to civil aviation sector and increase air

connectivity to Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

Sports Current Affairs [July 2013]

IPL Spot Fix ing Probe Report submitted to BCCIEarlier BCCI, appointed RN Sawani, a former IPS officer to probe into thespot-fixing issue. RN Sawani is the same officer, who probed into the 2000match-fixing case. Sawani was given the task of examining in detail thecharges levelled by Delhi Police against the three cricketers and the three IPLmatches figured out by the police.

Current Affairs August 2013

International Current Affairs [August 2013]

World Bank to loan $100 mn for low-cost housingThee World Bank will extend a $100-million loan for sustainable housing inIndia that can be used to purchase, build or upgrade low-cost dwellings, the

finance ministry said Thursday.The state-run National Housing Bank will execute this project.

Import Duty On Gold, Silver Hiked To 10 PercentThe Indian government Tuesday hiked customs duties on gold, platinum andsilver to 10 percent to curb imports and lower the current account deficit.This led to a recovery in the rupee. The partially convertible rupee closed at61.19 per dollar compared to 61.27 Monday.


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India's DRDO launches explosive detection kit in USIt looks like a little pocket sized cigar box, but it packs a mighty punch in thefight against terrorism. And now this nifty explosive detection kit, developedby the India's Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO), is allset to play its part in the US too.

National [August 2013]

India's first 'military' satelli te launched successfullyIndia's first 'military' satellite (GSAT-7) was success fully put into thegeosynchronous transfer orbit early Friday by the European Space Agency's

(ESA) heavy rocket, authorities said. It was launched in the early hours fromits spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana off the Pacific coast.

Defining Moment' As IAF Inducts C-17 Heavy-Lift TransporterWith Defence Minister A.K. Antony terming it a "defining moment", the Indian

Air Force (IAF) Monday formally inducted the Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIheavy-lift transport aircraft at a function here. Of the 10 C-17 aircraft ordered,three have been delivered to the IAF while two more will be delivered this yearand the remaining five in 2014.

Core industries post 3.1 percent growth in JulyEight key infrastructure sectors that include coal, power, crude oil, gas,cement and steel, posted a sluggish 3.1 percent growth in July, governmentdata showed Monday.The eight core infrastructure industries that have37.9 percent weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) had posted4.5 percent expansion in the corresponding month of last year, and 0.1percent growth in June 2013.

Business and Economy Current Affairs [August 2013]

Cabinet clears power projects worth over Rs.83,000 croreThe Cabinet Committee on Investment has cleared a slew of projectinvestments, in which it has given go ahead to 18 power projects worth Rs.83,772 crore and nine other projects worth Rs.92,500 crore, Finance MinisterP. Chidambaram said here Tuesday.

Government sets up tax re form commissionThe government Monday set up a commission under the chairmanship ofParthasarathy Shome, advisor to finance minister, to suggest reforms in taxadministration aimed at widening the tax base and enhancing compliance.The"Tax Administration Reform Commission" has been asked to submit its reportand recommendations within 18 months, the finance ministry said in astatement.FDI inflow to India rises to 16 percent in June

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into India rose by 16 percent year-on-year to $1.44 billion in June, government data showed Wednesday. Despitethe year-on-year increase, this is the lowest monthly inflow of FDI in India sofar in 2013.

Sports Current Affairs [August 2013]

Sports ministry finally confirms Sodhi for Khel RatnaUnion Sports Minister Jitendra Singh found time from his busy schedule andcleared the national sports awards file Thursday without making any changesin the list finalised by the committee headed by former World billiardschampion Michael Ferreira. Double-trap shooter Ronjan Sodhi will be gettingthe Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sports awards in the country. Worldchampionship bronze medal winning shuttler P.V.Sindhu and cricketer ViratKohli are among the 15 sportspersons selected for the Arjuna.

Mehtra wins snooker gold at World GamesAsian Snooker champion Aditya Mehta toppled tournament favourite LiangWenbo of China 3-0 to clinch the men's gold medal at the World Games hereon Tuesday. The top-ranked Indian became the first cueist from the country tobecome World Games champion, saod Salil Deshpande, joint secretary of theBilliards and Snooker Association of Maharashtra.

Science and Technology [August 2013]

Eastern India to get its first bio-bank by 2016Eastern India's first biobank, aimed at storing cancer tissues for furtherresearch and analysis, is slated to come up here by 2016, an official saidSaturday. The Tata Translational Cancer Research Centre (TTCRC) will comeup on a two-acre plot near the existing Tata Medical Centre-Cancer Hospitalin New Town, Rajarhat, on the north-eastern fringes of the Bengal capital.

India gets its own national media centre

A state-of-the art National Media Centre comparable to those in capitalsacross the world was inaugurated Saturday, with an impressive conferencehall, workplace for the media, a library, cafeteria and high-speed internet. Thefour-storied Rs.60 crore facility, built over three years, is located at the heartof the capital, on Raisina Road with many important government buildingsa stone's throw away and in the vicinity of the Parliament House andRashtrapati Bhavan.


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Environment [August 2013]

SC Bans Green Nod For New Hydro-Power Units In UttarakhandExpressing concern over the recent rain havoc in Uttarakhand, the SupremeCourt Tuesday told the central and state governments not to grantenvironmental clearance for any hydro-power project in the hill state. "Wedirect the MoEF as well as state of Uttarakhand not to grant any furtherenvironmental or forest clearance for any hydroelectric power project in thestate of Uttarakhand, until further orders," said the apex court bench ofJustice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Dipak Mis ra.

'India well ahead in tiger protection strategies'Noted tiger conservationist Belinda Wright said that the South African model

of wildlife conservation is "not the model to follow" and that India is "ahead" inits protection strategies.

Neighbours [August 2013]

Climate change also causes spike in violence: ScientistsA new study claims that there is scientific ground to predict that climatechange, resulting in higher temperatures, would contribute to violence andconflict. Researchers from Princeton University and the University ofCalifornia-Berkeley report in the journal Science that even slight spikes intemperature and precipitation have greatly increased the risk of personalviolence and social upheaval throughout human history.BARC Develops 41 New Superior Crop VarietiesThe Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has developed 41 new cropvarieties under its Nuclear Agriculture programme, a top official said Tuesday.These include 15 varieties of groundnut, eight of mungbean (greengram), fiveof udad (blackgram), four of tur (pigeonpea), three of mustard, two ofsoyabean and one each of sunflower, chavali (cowpea), rice and jute.

Indian Defense [August 2013]

Indian Navy set to launch indigenous aircraft carrierThe Indian navy will launch its first indigenous aircraft carrier Aug 12 at Kochi,making the country only the fifth in the world with capability to build suchvessels. Talking to media persons here, navy vice chief Vice Admiral R.K.Dhowan said the 40,000 tonne indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) was one of itsmost prestigious warship projects and was unprecedented in terms of sizeand complexity.

India test fires n-capable Prithvi-II missile

India Monday test-fired its home grown nuclear-capable surface-to-surfacePrithvi-II missile from a military base in Odisha, officials said. Theindigenously-developed ballistic missile with a range of 350 km was fired fromthe Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, about 230km from Bhubaneswar.

Current Affairs September 2013

International Current Affairs [September 2013]

Jhumpa Lahiri novel competes for Man Booker PrizeIndian American author and Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri's new novel,The Lowland, has been shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker prize, organiserssaid Tuesday. Set in the 1960s, "The Lowland", provides a view of suburbanstreets of Calcutta (Kolkata) through the eyes of Subhash.Gujarati film 'The Good Road' India's entry for OscarDebut feature filmmaker Gyan Correa's Gujarati film "The Good Road" hasbeen chosen to represent India in the best foreign film category at the

Academy Awards.

National [September 2013]

27,488 government posts for SCs/STs/OBCs unfilledA staggering 27,488 government jobs reserved for scheduled castes andtribes and other backward classes are lying vacant with the maximumdiscrimination against these categories being in the educational sector, anNGO said Wednesday.India's Orbiter For Mars Mission Coming SoonIndia has built the orbiter for the country's maiden Mars mission in October-November, to take off from the spaceport at Sriharikota off the Bay of Bengal,an official said Wednesday.Raghuram Rajan Takes Over As 23rd Governor Of RBIRaghuram Govind Rajan Wednesday took over as the 23rd governor of theReserve Bank of India (RBI). Rajan, 50, who was chief economic advisor in thefinance ministry, took charge at the Mint Street here from Duvvuri Subbarao,the RBI said in a statement.Sikkim's First Airport To Be Ready By 2014

Sikkim's first airport will be completed by end-2014 providing much-needed airconnectivity to the landlocked s tate, Tourism Minister Bhim Prasad Dhungelsaid here Thursday.UPSC criticized for removing Arabic, Persian from Civil ServicesexamsThe All India Association of Arabic Teachers & Scholars (AIAATS) and the AllIndia Persian Scholars' Association (AIPSA) has criticized the UPSC forremoving Arabic, Persian from Civil Services exams.
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Business and Economy Current Affairs [September 2013]

India's exports rise 13 percent in AugustIndia's exports jumped by 13 percent to $26.14 billion in August, while importsdeclined marginally, helping to contain trade deficit at $10.9 billion,government data showed Tuesday.Cabinet nod to plan to reduce urban poverty

Aiming to reduce poverty and vulnerability of urban poor, the CabinetCommittee on Economic Affairs Tuesday approved restructuring of the SwarnaJayanti Shahri Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) as the National Urban LivelihoodsMission (NULM) in the 12th Five Year Plan at a cost of Rs.6,405 crore, anofficial s tatement said.Government sets up 7th Central Pay Commission

An estimated eight million central government employees and pensioners cannow look forward to higher emoluments with the constitution of the SeventhCentral Pay Commission (CPC), which the government announcedWednesday.Inflation, rupee may force RBI to keep rates on holdReserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan is likely to maintain hispredecessor Duvvuri Subbarao's "hawkish" policy and keep key rates on holddue to continued inflationary pressure and the volatility in rupee, analysts say.

Science and Technology [September 2013]

Indian Nuclear Plants Notch Top Performance In 2012The performance of Indian nuclear power plants as well as several fuel cyclefacilities reached their highest levels last year, a top official said Wednesday.Indian Satellite's Transponders Switched On

All the 11 transponders of India's advanced multiband communication satellite(GSAT-7) have been switched on and are performing well, the space agency

said late Wednesday.Indian 'military' satellite put into earth's orbitIndia's first 'military' satellite was Wednesday put into the geosynchronousorbit, about 36,000 km above the earth, five days after it was launched Aug 30on board an European rocket from Kourou in French Guiana off the Pacificcoast.

Neighbours [September 2013]

India Contributes $1 Mn To MyanmarIndia Wednesday contributed $1 million to build 10 schools in Myanmar'sRakhine state where ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims haveclashed.

Indian Defense

Defining Moment' As IAF Inducts C-17 Heavy-Lift Transporter

With Defence Minister A.K. Antony terming it a "defining moment", the IndianAir Force (IAF) Monday formally inducted the Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIheavy-lift transport aircraft at a function here.Indian Navy gets Hawk trainer from HALState-run defence behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Mondayhanded over the first naval variant of the advanced jet trainer (AJT) Hawk

current affairs 2013, current events 2013

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