August 2013 INTERNATIONAL

Bangladesh Court Disqualifies Jamaat-e-Islami Party On 1 August a Bangladesh court has disqualified the countrys largest Islamic party from taking part in the next general election.The High Court panel ruled that the opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami partys regulations violate the constitutional provision of secularism.

Robert Mugabe Re-elected As President Of Zimbabwe On 3 August Zanu-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front), the political party of the incumbent President Robert Mugabe has won the Presidential election of Zimbabwe .Mugabe won 61 percent of the vote against the 34 percent won by the Morgan Tsvangirai, the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.With this win, Mugabe has won his seventh term to the office of the President of Zimbabwe .Robert Mugabe is one of the leaders of the guerrilla movements against white-minority rule of Zimbabwe and was elected to power in 1980.

China Built Port Terminal Opens In Sri Lanka On 5 August Sri Lankas President, Mahinda Rajapakse declared open the new International Container Terminal of the Colombo harbour.The $500 million Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) was built by China Merchants Holdings.The new South Port is the only harbor in South Asia that can accommodate the Triple-E Class vessels.85-pct of the investment is by CICT and the remaining 15-pct has been funded by the by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita Elected As New President of Mali On 12 August Former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was elected as President of Mali.He won the Malis Presidential elections , after his opponent and Ex-Finance Minister Soumala Cisse, conceded defeat. He was Prime Minister of Mali from 1994 to 2000 and President of the National Assembly of Mali from 2002 to 2007. He founded a political party, Rally for Mali (RPM), in 2001 and he has led the party since then. In addition to serving in the National Assembly, Keita was a member of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States.

Britain Parliament Votes Against Possible Military Action In Syria On 29 August the Britain Parliament rejected a proposal for military action in Syria .By a 285 to 272 margin British MPs rejected the governments motion to support in principle military action against Syria.

INDIA & WORLD

India Signs DTAC protocol with Morocco On 8 August India signed a Protocol amending the India Morocco Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) in New Delhi .The Protocol was signed by Dr Sudha Sharma, Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes on behalf of Government of India and H.E. Mr. Larbi Reffouh, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to India on behalf of Government of the Kingdom of Morocco.The Protocol is based on international standards of transparency and exchange of information. It provides for effective exchange of information including banking information between tax authorities of the two countries.

5th India China Strategic Dialogue Held In Delhi The 5th India-China Strategic Dialogue was held at New Delhi on 20 August .The Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and the Chinese side was led by Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin.The two sides discussed several issues including enhancing understanding on the utilization of trans-border river waters, expanding bilateral trade and investment while addressing problems of the large and growing deficit faced by India, ways of maintaining peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas, methods of boosting cultural cooperation as well as people-topeople exchanges and expansion of scientific and technological cooperation.

India Third Largest Internet Using Nation On 21 August According to research firm com Score latest report titled India Digital Future in Focus 2013 , India with 73.9 million Net users is the worlds third largest Internet population, overtaking Japan (4th position) but behind China (First position) and the US. (Second position) Riding on a 31 per cent year-on-year increase, Indias online population grew to 73.9 million.With an extended online universe in excess of 145 million the market is at a tipping point for online businesses.India overtook Japan by adding 17.6 million users in 2012.

Indians Third Largest Immigrant Group In US On 23 August According to the Migration Policy Institute latest study report , Indians have emerged as the third-largest immigrant group in the US behind Mexicans and Chinese, with nearly 1.9 million of them living in the country.Indian population in the US has grown to over 150 times its size since 1960, when the slightly more than 12,000 Indian immigrants represented less than 0.5 per cent of the total immigrant population of 9.7 million immigrants.Till 2011, Indian-born immigrants accounted for almost five per cent (1.86 million) of Americas 40.4 million immigrants.Almost one-third of all Indian immigrants resided in just two states- California and New Jersey.More than a quarter of them lived in

three major metropolitan areas- New York, Chicago and San Jose.Two per cent of all unauthorised immigrants in the United States were also from India.

India and Iraq Signed Energy Cooperation Agreement On 23 August India and Iraq signed an agreement on energy cooperation to boost the bilateral ties.The agreement was signed along with three other agreements after comprehensive talks between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on strategic bilateral, regional and international issues. Iraq is an important Gulf nation and has emerged as Indias second largest crude oil supplier after Saudi Arabia.

India Announced Rs 5,000 crore For Bhutan On 31 August India announced an aid of Rs 5,000 crore, including a special package of Rs 500 crore, for Bhutan as part of commitment to its continued socio-economic development, a move that assumes significance against the backdrop of unease in the bilateral ties recently. India will contribute Rs 4500 crore towards Bhutans 11th Plan, as well as Rs 500 crore towards an Economic Stimulus Package.The decision was announced after talks in NewDelhi between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.

NATIONAL

India Lost 220 Languages In Last 50 Years On 9 August A two-year survey by Bhasha Research and Publication Centre based in Vadodara has revealed that India has lost around 20 per cent of its languages over the last 50 years.Officials of the survey, called the Peoples Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI) has held that the country had 1,100 languages in 1961 of which 220 have vanished. The survey has found 780 languages and might have missed another 100, which makes it around 880.The 1961 census had recorded that India had 1,652 languages in all but the number was narrowed down to 1,100 later for variants of same languages were also included in the list. The 1971 census registered only 108 languages for it was decided that only those languages with over 10,000 speakers will be included.

Rajya Sabha Passed The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2012 On 13 August Rajya Sabha passed a bill to make registration of marriages mandatory.The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2012, which was passed by Rajya Sabha, seeks to provide compulsory registration of marriages irrespective of religion. The registration of marriages will not apply to those who have registered their marriage under any other law.At present, there is provision for registration of only births and deaths.

Lok Sabha Passed National Food Security Bill, 2013 On 26 August Lok Sabha passed the National Food Security Bill, 2013.The Bill seeks to give legal rights to get subsidized grains every month to 67 percent of the overall population (of which 75 percent is rural and 50 percent is urban population).A beneficiary will be entitled to 5 kg of rice, wheat or coarse cereals at Rs. 3, Rs. 2 and Re. 1 per kg a month, respectively.The beneficiaries will be identified by the States based on parameters prescribed by the Union government.Once the Bill gets its nod in the Rajya Sabha and Presidents accent, India will join the selected league of countries that guarantee food grants to a majority of its population.

Rajya Sabha Passed The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010 On 26 August the Rajya Sabha passed The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010 was passed by voice vote .It seeks to amend the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and the Special Marriages Act, 1954 which provides for irretrievable breakdown on marriage as a ground for divorce as well as grants women the right to a share in the property of their husbands.Under the new bill, a provision has been made to restrict the grant of decree of divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage if the court is satisfied that adequate provision for the maintenance of children born out of the marriage has not been made consistently with the financial capacities of the parents.

Lok Sabha Passed Land Acquisition Bill The Lok Sabha passed the landmark land acquisition and rehabilitation bill on 29 August 2013 that aims to provide fair compensation to those whose land is taken, brings transparency to the process and details measures for rehabilitation of those displaced.The bill, which will now be called, The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2012, replaced a nearly 120-year-old law enacted during British rule in 1894.

Companies Bill 2013 Receives Presidents Assent The new Companies Bill has received Presidents assent, that will make it into a law replacing the nearly six-decade old regulations that govern corporates in the country.The Companies Bill 2013 received assent from the President Pranab Mukherjee on 29 August 2013.The Companies Bill 2012 was passed in Rajya Sabha on 8 August 2013 . Earlier, the bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on 18 December 2012. With the Presidents assent, the Companies Bill 2012 became the Companies Act, 2013 (New Act).The new Bill, providing for sweeping changes in the way companies operate and are regulated in the country, received Parliamentary approval earlier this month. It would replace the Companies Act 1956.

STATES

Karnataka Becomes First State To Establish Calamities Relief Fund On 5 August Karnataka Government has become the first state in the country to establish State Natural Calamities Relief fund of Rs. 125 crore.The Relief Fund will provide for a natural calamities relief fund which would provide for building capital assets and relief in respect of man-made disasters that are not covered under the state disaster response fund guidelines of the Government of India.

First Public Sector Breast Milk Bank Inaugurated In Kolkata On 7 August A modern and sophisticated breast milk bank was inaugurated at the state-run Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital (SSKM) by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee . This novel scheme was launched to cater to the basic needs of a child who is just born, but does not get the milk from the mother or when the mother dies after giving birth to the child.The breast milk bank would help specially to non-lactating mothers. The stored milk can be used to feed babies whose mothers fall ill during the six-month lactating period after pregnancy.

Indias First Cyber Forensic Laboratory (CFL) Established In Tripura The first Cyber Forensic Laboratory (CFL) of India was established in Tripura on 11 August .The lab was established at the Tripura High Court and the purpose of the lab is to facilitate information related to court cases. The CFL was inaugurated by Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur.

Agar-Malwa Becomes The 51st District Of Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh government gave nod to creation of the new district of Agar-Malwa, taking the number of districts in the state to 51.The district will come into existence on 16 August.The new district will be created by bifurcating Shajapur district; it will comprise the tehsils of Agar, Badoud, Susner and Nalkheda. Headquarters would be at Agar town.Spread over 2,785 square km, Agar-Malwa will have population of 4.80 lakh.

Sonia Sonia Gandhi Launches Food Security Scheme In Delhi On 20 August Congress president Sonia Gandhi launched the Centre-Sponsored Food security scheme on the occasion of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhis 69th birth Anniversary.Delhi was the first state to implement the scheme.Under the scheme, a total of 73.5 lakh people will get foodgrain at highly subsidised rates.The food security programme would provide subsidised grains for 67 per cent of the population and would see government spending an estimated Rs. 1,25,000 crore to supply 62 million tonnes of grains. Under the scheme, beneficiaries would get wheat at Rs. 2 a kg, rice at Rs. 3 a kg and coarse grain at Rs. 1 a kg.Congress party ruled northern states Haryana and Uttarakhand have also launched this scheme.

Maharashtra Cabinet Approved Anti-Black Magic and Superstition Ordinance On 21 August the Maharashtra Cabinet has approved the Anti-Black Magic and Superstition Ordinance after the death of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar.The decision was taken by the state cabinet in wake up of the protests that followed after the murder of Dabhokar in Pune on 20 August 2013.Dabholkar was at the forefront of a campaign to persuade the Maharashtra government to pass an anti-superstition and black magic bill.

Rajasthan Government Laid Foundation Stone For Worlds Largest Solar Park

On 21 August State Government of Rajasthan laid the foundation stone for worlds biggest solar park at Bhadla of Jodhpur District of Rajasthan.The solar park with generation capacity of 3000 MW would be commissioned in phased manner. In its first phase the solar park will generate 1000 MW.Solar Park would be established in 10 thousand hectare land and Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide 3000 crore rupees loan for development of transmission lines of this solar park.

CONFERENCES

BRICS Business Council Meeting Held In Johannesburg The first BRICS Business Council Meeting was held on 19 20 August 2013 in Johannesburg , South Africa.The objective of the meet is aiming to increase the trade and investment ties between participating economies.The two-day meeting was attended by the Chairpersons of the respective chapters of the BRICS Business Council that attended the meeting are: Jose Rubens de la Rosa (Brazil), Sergey Katyrin (Russian Federation), Onkar Kanwar (India) and MA Zehua (China).The meeting was chaired by Patrice Motsepe, Chairman of the South African and BRICS Business Council.In a joint statement following the first BRICS Business Council meeting ,the council made several recommendations includes urging governments to facilitate convenience in expediting multiple entry business visas for longer periods, as well as considering a proposal to create a BRICS business travel card ; Enhancing connectivity; and Creating a BRICS business portal, which will be facilitated by the BRICS Business Council Secretariat, among others.The council has agreed to work together in areas such as infrastructure, mining and mineral beneficiation, value-added manufacturing development, skills development and sustainable development.BRICS an acronym for the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa group of countries.The BRICS Business Council was established during the 2013 BRICS Summit in Durban in March, with South African businessman Patrice Motsepe named chairman of the body.

Second ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus Held In Brunei

The 2nd ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus has concluded in Brunei on 29 August .Defense ministers from ASEAN signed a declaration of commitment to enhance peace and security in the AsiaPacific region.They committed to adhere to the principles of equality, mutual respect, mutual benefit and respect for international laws in the handling of disputes. The defense ministers also agreed to promote better understanding and confidence-building measures among defense establishments.ASEAN Defence ministers meeting firstly convened in Vietnams capital Hanoi on October 12, 2010, the regional event has involved 18 member states, including ministers from the 10 ASEAN nations.ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus was established in 2010.This forum is convened every two years.The third ADMM-Plus is scheduled to be held in Malaysia in 2015.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Malayalam Poetess Sugathakumari Awarded With Saraswati Samman 2013 On 2 August Renowned Malayalam poetess and social activist Sugathakumari has been conferred with the prestigious Saraswati Samman 2012 for Manalezhuthu (the Writings on the Sand), a collection of poems in Malayalam.Manalezhuthu was published in the year 2006.Saraswati Samman Award was instituted by KK Birla Foundation in 1991.This award is given every year to the literary work in any Indian language which is the part of Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

US Presidential Medal To Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey On 8 August Barack Obama, the US President would confer the Presidential Medal of Freedom on former US President, Bill Clinton and talk show queen, Oprah Winfrey. It is the highest civilian honour of America.

Indian American Professor Received Top US Environmental Award On 16 August An Indian American professor of biological and agricultural engineering has been recognised by a top US environmental and water resources institute for his pioneering work in hydrology. Vijay P Singh, professor and Caroline ; William N Lehrer distinguished chair in the department of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M University, was named a recipient of the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental and Water Resources Institute (ASCE-EWRI).Singh is an internationally recognised and pre-eminent engineer specialising in water resources engineering and hydrology. His work has developed the application of kinematic wave theory to the point where it is widely used throughout the world in hydrologic models used for water resource modelling, flood planning and hydrologic design.

Harshwanti Bisht Selected For Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal 2013

On 12 August Professor of economics, and conservationist, and mountaineer Dr. Harshwanti Bisht has been selected to receive the Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal 2013.The award is presented for remarkable service in the conservation of culture and nature in mountainous regions.In 2003 the Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal was initiated by unanimous resolution of the Namche Conference: Parks, People and Mountain Tourism.

Malala Yousafzai Wins International Childrens Peace Prize On 27 August Pakistani school pupil and education activist Malala Yousafzai won the International Childrens Peace Prize 2013. The peace prize carries a cash value of 100000 euros (133000 US dollars) which is invested in projects relating to the winners cause. The International Childrens Peace Prize is an initiative of the Amsterdem-based Dutch KidsRights Foundation. It was launched in the year 2005 by former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, when he chaired the Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome. Since then, the prize has been awarded every year by a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. The prize is presented annually to an exceptional child, whose courageous or otherwise remarkable actions have made a difference in countering problems, which affect children around the world.

Mandela Is The First Recipient Of Mahathir Award For Global Peace On 27 August Former South African President Nelson Mandela was awarded the first Lifetime Campaigner for Peace and Freedom of the Mahathir Award for Global Peace .Current South African President Jacob Zuma received the award on behalf of Mandela, who is in a critical condition in a hospital in Pretoria.The Mahathir Award for Global Peace is a peace award instituted by the Mahathir Global Peace Foundation. The foundation was formed to contribute to worldwide peace efforts.Mahathir bin Mohamad is a Malaysian politician who was the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the post for 22 years from 1981 to 2003, making him Malaysias longest serving Prime Minister. ECONOMY

Union Cabinet Approved the Setting up of Bharatiya Mahila Bank On 8 August the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for setting up of Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) with an initial corpus of Rs 1,000 crore.The proposed bank will be headquartered in New Delhi.The Mahila Bank will start with 6 branches one each in north, south, east, west, central and north eastern part of the country.The proposed bank is likely to begin operations by November this year.

India Signed Agreement With World Bank For Low Income Housing Finance Project On 14 August the government of India and the World Bank signed a $100 million credit agreement aimed at helping low-income households in Indian cities access loans to purchase, build or upgrade their dwellings.The Low Income Housing Finance Project would be implemented by the National Housing

Bank (NHB).The credit agreement for the Low Income Housing Finance Project was signed between the Government of India, National Housing Bank (NHB) and World Bank in New Delhi.

Muslims Have Lowest Living Standard In India According to the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) study titled Employment and Unemployment Situation Among Major Religious Groups in India among various religious groups,Muslims have the lowest living standard in the country * According to the survey data , Muslims average per capita expenditure of just Rs 32.66 in a day.At the other end of the spectrum, Sikh community enjoys a much better lifestyle as the average per capita spending among them is Rs 55.30 per day, while the same for Hindus is Rs 37.50. For Christians it is Rs 51.43. * At all-India level, the average monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) of a Sikh household was Rs 1,659 while that for a Muslim household was Rs 980 in 2009-10.The average MPCE for Hindus and Christians were Rs 1,125 and Rs 1,543, respectively.The survey said that average monthly per capita consumption at all-India level was Rs 901 in villages and Rs1,773 in cities. Overall, the average MPCE was Rs 1,128. * Muslims were at the bottom in rural areas, with an average MPCE of Rs 833, followed by Hindus at Rs 888, Christians at Rs1,296 and Sikhs 1,498. * In urban areas, Muslims average MPCE was also the lowest at Rs 1,272 followed by Hindus at Rs 1,797, Christians Rs 2,053 and Sikhs at Rs 2,180.

Per Capita Income Up 6.7% in 2004-12 On 25 August According to official sources data ,the per capita income in the country increased 6.7 per cent per annum during 2004-05 to 2011-12, while the percentage of poor declined by 2.2 per cent over the period.For 2011-12, the Planning Commission has estimated percentage of people living below the poverty line at 21.9 per cent.The poverty line in 2011-12 in terms of monthly per capita consumption expenditure was estimated at Rs 816 in rural areas and Rs 1,000 in urban areas.State-wise, Uttar Pradesh had highest number of people living below poverty line during 2011-12 at 598.19 people below poverty line out of every lakh.It was followed by Bihar at 358.15 people (per lakh), Madhya Pradesh 234.04 people, Maharashtra 197.92 people and West Bengal at 184.98 people living below the poverty line.

27 crore People Live Below Poverty Line In India Indias population was estimated at 123 crore as of March 1, 2012, while as many as 27 crore people lived below the poverty line in 2011-12, Minister of State for Planning Rajeev Shukla explained in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on 29 August.As per the Population Census of 2011 conduced by the Office of Registrar General of India, the population in the country was estimated at 121 crore as of March 1, 2011.The poverty ratio in the country has decreased to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12 from 37.2 per cent in

2004-05.The rate of decline between 2004-05 and 2011-12 is three times faster than experienced between 1993-94 and 2004-05.As per the Millennium Development Goals Report 2013, the poverty rate in India fell from 49 per cent in 1994 to 42 per cent in 2005 and 33 per cent in 2010.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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

Indias DRDO Launches Explosive Detection Kit In US On 2 August the India-developed US-manufactured Explosive Detection Kit (EDK) was launched at the US Chamber of Commerce building in Washington.In a first of its kind of reverse technology sharing between India and the US, an innovative Explosive Detection Kit developed by Indian scientists would be manufactured in America and sold globally for quick detection and identification of combinations of explosives.This was probably for the first time that technology developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) was being manufactured and marketed in the US.

Japan Sends Worlds First Talking Robot Into Space On 4 August Japan has successfully launched the worlds first talking humanoid robot called Kirobo in to space. The robot was sent by H2B rocket from the island of Tanegashima. The rocket carried food, water and other supplies. Kirobo will serve as a companion for Japanese astronauts.Kirobo was put through a series of zero-gravity and other safety tests prior to sending him into space. Kirobo is 34 centimetres tall and can speak Japanese. It will provide emotional support for people in space. Kirobo will talk to JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata when he arrives at the space station in November. The name of Kirobo is a merging of Kibo and robot. Kirobo was designed by scientists and engineers at the University of Tokyo. It is equipped with voice-recognition and face-recognition technology, as well as a camera, emotion recognition software and natural language processing.

Japan Unveils Largest Warship On 6 August Japan has unveiled its biggest warship since the Second World War as part of a plan to bolster its defense of territorial claims in disputed waters.The ship, named the Izumo, is classified as a helicopter destroyer, though its flattop design makes it look like an aircraft carrier.The ship is nearly 250 metres (820ft feet) long and is designed to carry up to 14 helicopters.Japanese Defense Ministry announced the ship is not intended to be used as an aircraft carrier and will not be used to launch

fighter jets.It will also be used to bolster the nations ability to transport personnel and supplies in response to large-scale natural disasters.

Pinaka Rockets Successfully Test Fired On 7 August India successfully test fired two rounds of indigenously developed Pinaka rockets from a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) from a defence base in Chandipur-on-sea near Balasore, off the Odisha coast.The tests were routine trials conducted for training purpose. The tests were conducted by personnel from Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune unit at Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE) firing point-2. Pinaka is an area weapon system with a range of 40 km.Pinaka system can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds. Ten rounds of Pinaka rockets were tested from the same base on 30 and 31 January and 28 February this year.

INS Arihant Nuclear Reactor Activated On 10 August India has activated the reactor on board the INS Arihant nuclear submarine, the first to be designed and built in India.With this success, India became a member of the exclusive club of countries that have built their own nuclear powered submarines along with Russia, US, UK, China and France.After the nuclear reactor is activated, INS Arihant has been undergoing trials at Navys key submarine base in Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and would be launched for sea trials soon since the nuclear reactor has gone critical.Nuclear triad has the ability to fire nuclear-tipped missiles from land, air and sea.Arihant means destroyer of enemies in Sanskrit is an Indian submarine, which is 111 meter long, 11 broad and 15 meter tall.The 6,000 tonne vessel was built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam ,at a cost of around Rs 15,000 crore .INS Arihant, was introduced to the public on 26 July 2009 at a symbolic launch ceremony by Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs wife Gursharan Kaur.India operates the INS Chakra, which is an Akula II class submarine leased from Russia for ten years and has plans of building two more nuclear submarines indigenously.

ICGS Rajveer Commissioned On 10 August Seventh in the series of eight inshore patrol vessels (IPV), ICGS Rajveer was commissioned at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) by defence secretary R K Mathur in the presence of vice-admiral Anurag G Thapliyal, director general of Indian Coast Guard.The IPV is equipped with the most advanced and sophisticated navigational and communication sensors and equipment. The ship is propelled to a maximum speed of 31.5 knots and has an endurance of 1,500 nautical miles. The special feature include an integrated Bridge System, Integrated machinery control system and an indigenously built 30mm gun mount with fire control system.

India Launched First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant

India launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on 12 August .Defence Minister A K Antonys wife Elizabeth launched the 37,500 tonne carrier INS Vikrant at Kochi shipyard.This will mark Indias entry into a select club of countries capable of designing and building a carrier of this size. Other countries capable of designing and building an equivalent size ship are the US, the UK, Russia and France.Fighter aircraftMig-29K, Light Combat Aircraft and Kamov-31 helicopterswill deployed on board the carrier which will also carry an array of other weapons systems.INS Vikrant has a length of 260 metres and it is 60 metres wide.It is behind schedule by three years.The carrier is expected to be delivered to the Navy by the end of 2018.

India Successfully Test Fired Nuclear Capable Prithvi-II Missile On 12 August India has successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile from a mobile launcher in salvo mode from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at (Odisha) Chandipur.Prithvi-II missile was launched by the personnel of the Strategic Force Command (SFC) from ITRs Launch Complex-III as part of routine user training. The missile scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) monitored the launch operations.The missile, with a range of 350 km, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) .The missile, 9 metres in height with a launch weight of 4.6 tonnes, is capable of carrying a warhead of more than 500 kg.The last users trial of Prithvi-II was successfully carried out from the same base on on December 20, 2012.

Voyager Becomes First Man-Made Object To Leave The Solar System According to the new research shows ,NASAs long-lived Voyager probe crossed into interstellar space last year, becomes the first man-made object to leave the solar system.Voyager 1 space craft was launched in 1977 along with a sister probe, Voyager 2, to observe the outer planets. Voyager 1 is now approximately 120 times farther away from the sun than Earth. Voyager 2 is heading out of the solar system in a different direction.The probes are powered by the slow decay of radioactive plutonium. Voyager 1 will begin running out of energy for its science instruments in 2020. By 2025, it will be completely out of power.

Indias Super Hercules Lands At Highest Airfield On LAC The Super Hercules C 130 J transport plane landed at the worlds highest and recently-activated Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip in Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir for the first time on 20 August .The Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip located at 16614 feet (5065 metres) in the Aksai Chin area..In April, the area saw a 21-day stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops who came and pitched tents in the vicinity of the airfield and returned only after several rounds of flag meetings between both sides.The achievement will enable the armed forces to use the heavy-lift aircraft to induct troops, supplies, improve communication network and also serve as a morale booster for maintenance of troops positioned there.C-130J is capable of lifting upto 20 tonnes of load.

Indias First Defence Satellite GSAT-7 Launched Successfully Indias first exclusive defence satellite GSAT-7 was successfully launched by European space consortium Arianespaces Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou spaceport in French Guiana on 30 August.This launch will push ahead Indias maritime security.GSAT7 has been built at an expense of 185 crore rupees and will act as the countrys maiden dedicated spacecraft for defence applications.The frequency bands of GSAT7 will help space-based marine communications. It has coverage over India landmass as well as surrounding seas.Earlier, satellite communication in ships was through Inmarsat, a major provider of global mobile satellite communications services.The state-of-the-art satellite carrying payloads operating in UHF, S, C and Ku bands, had a lift-off mass of 2625 kg and is based on ISROs 2500 kg satellite bus with some new technological elements, including the antennae.According to ISRO, GSAT-7 is an advanced communication satellite to provide wide range of service spectrum from low bit rate voice to high bit rate data communication.Payload of the GSAT7 is designed to provide communication capabilities to users in distant oceanic regions. Its solar arrays generate 2900 W of electrical power.

US Scientists Created the Most Precise Clock of the World The National Institute of Standards and Technology Scientist from U.S , revealed in the month of August 2013 that they created the most precise clock of the world. The ticking rate of this clock varies less than two parts in one quintillion, or ten times better than any clock in the world. The clock is made up of the element ytterbium. This element can be used for technological advancements beyond the timekeeping. The clock can be used for various purposes such as checking temperature, navigation systems as well as magnetic fields.The co-author of the study which revealed the clock, Andrew Ludlow explained that the stability of this ytterbium lattice clock paves way for other practical applications of high-performance timekeeping.

PERSONS IN NEWS

A) APPOINTMENTS

Rajeev Rishi is new CMD of Central Bank of India On 1 August Rajeev Rishi took over as the Chairman and Managing Director of Central Bank of India .His appointment is for a period of five years.Prior to the new appointment, Mr. Rishi served as the Executive Director of Indian Bank, since October 2010. Before joining Indian Bank, he was the General Manager of Oriental Bank of Commerce.Rajeev Rishi, who belongs to Chandigarh, holds a BA and an LLB and an expert in Banking.

Arundhati Bhattacharya Appointed Managing Director Of SBI

On 2 August Arundhati Bhattacharya was appointed the managing director and chief financial officer of the State Bank of India(SBI).She is the first managing director at SBI, which is Indias largest bank.Arundhati succeeded Diwakar Gupta.

Hassan Rouhani Sworn In As Irans New President On 4 August Hassan Rohani was sworn in as the new President of Iran in the ceremony held at the Iranian Parliament in Tehran.Rouhani is the seventh (different) President of Iran after the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Raghuram Rajan Appointed as the New Governor of RBI On 6 August Chief economic adviser Raghuram Govind Rajan has been appointed as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).Rajan will have a term of three years.He will be the 23rd Governor of RBI.He is 50 years of age and so far, he is the youngest person to become the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.He was appointed as the youngest-ever Economic Counselor and Director of Research (chief economist) at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from October 2003 to December 2006.Rajan was appointed as Chief Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance, Government of India on 10 August 2012.

Dilip Trivedi is new CRPF chief On 17 August Senior IPS officer Dilip Trivedi has been appointed as the new chief of the countrys largest paramilitary force CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force). Trivedi, a 1978-batch officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre has served in various positions in the state police and has also served in the Centre as ADG of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.He succeeded Pranay Sahay who retired on 31 July 2013.

Michel Djotodia Sworn In As Central African Republic President On 18 August Former rebel leader Michel Djotodia was formally sworn in as the Central African Republics President.Djotodia has been in charge of the country during the chaos that followed the rebels seizure of control in March 2013, when they swept into power from their northern bases, overpowering South African forces protecting former leader Francois Bozize.Djotodia was a leader of the Seleka rebel coalition in the December 2012 rebellion; following a peace agreement, he was appointed to the government as First Deputy Prime Minister for National Defense in February 2013.

Robert Mugabe Sworn In As Zimbabwe President On 21 August Robert Mugabe has been sworn in for a new five-year term as President of Zimbabwe.Mugabe of Zanu-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front) party won the Presidential election (Parliamentary Election) by winning 61 percent votes in his favour on 3 August .

Parthasarathi Shome Appointed As Chairman Of TARC On 26 August the Union Government of India set up a commission under the chairmanship of Parthasarathy Shome to review tax laws and suggest ways for a stable and non-adversarial tax administration.The seven-member Tax Administration Reform Commission (TARC) will have a 18-month tenure to suggest various measures including an appropriate organisational structure for tax governance.

Justice N V Ramana Appointed as Chief Justice of Delhi High Court On 30 August Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana, Judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh,was appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi.Justice Ramana replaced Chief Justice D. Murugesan, who retired in June.Justice Ramana was appointed as a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on 27 June 2000.Ramana had enrolled as an advocate in February 1983 and has practiced in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, central and state administrative tribunals and the Supreme Court.He holds specialisation in constitutional, criminal, service and inter-state river laws.He has specialized in Constitutional, criminal, service and Inter-State River laws. He has functioned as Panel Counsel for various Government organizations.

B)RESIGNS Egypt Vice President ElBaradei Resigned Egyptian vice-president, Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, announced his resignation in a letter to the interim president on14 August .The resignation comes after scores were killed in a crackdown by security forces on loyalists of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

C)DEATHS

Veteran Music Director Dakshinamoorthy Died Venkateswaran Dakshinamoorthy, the veteran veteran carnatic musician and music director died on 2 August in Mylapore, Chennai.The veteran was known as Swamy in the music industry and gave music to songs of more than 125 films in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi.He has to his credit about 859 songs that were composed by him over seven decades of his service to the world of Music. He debuted as a Music composer in the a Malayalam movie Nalla Thanka (Nalla Thankal in Tamil) in 1950.He was the proud recipient of Kerala State Film Award for best music director in 1971.In 1998, he received the Kerala State Film Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Former Air Commodore Jasjit Singh Died On 4 August Noted strategic analyst Air Commodore (retired) Jasjit Singh died in NewDelhi. He was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, the second highest civilian award, in the year 2006 by the former president APJ Abdul Kalam.

Former Union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav Died On 11 August Former Union minister and senior Congress leader from Bihar, Devendra Prasad Yadav, died in NewDelhi.Yadav was a three-time Member of Parliament from Munger parliamentary seat of Bihar and had served as Minister of State for Education between 1971-77 in Indira Gandhis cabinet.

Renowned Naturalist and Ornithologist Zafar Futehally Died On 11 August Zafar Rashid Futehally an Indian naturalist, ornithologist and conservationist has died on 11 August at Kihim in Maharashtra.Zafar Futehally led the early years of the conservation movement in India and served as a link between conservationists and corporate.He was conferred with several national and international honours, including the Padma Shri in 1970.He also edited and published an anthology of writings by Indian birdwatchers, India through its birds, which was published in 2007.

Former Nepal Prime Minister Man Singh Shrestha Died Former Nepalese Prime Minister Marich Man Singh Shrestha has died in Kathmandu on 15 August.He had served as Nepals Prime Minister for about four years till April 1990, when the political parties launched an agitation to restore democratic rights.

Kapil Devs Former Coach Desh Prem Azad Died On 16 August Desh Prem Azad, the former coach of cricketer Kapil Dev and Dronacharya awardee died in Mohali.He trained cricketers such as Kapil Dev, Ashok Malhotra, Chetan Sharma and Yograj Singh in the late 1970s.Desh Prem Azad represented Haryana, the Maharaja of Patialas XI and Southern Punjab, while playing 19 first-class matches. In these matches, he scored 658 runs while grabbed 8 wickets in all.

Crime Novelist Elmore Leonard Died Elmore Leonard, one of Americas best known crime novelists,has died on 20 August .Twenty-six of his books and short stories have been adapted for the screen, including Hombre, Get Shorty, Jackie Brown, (based on 1992s Rum Punch) and Justified, a TV shows based on 1993s Pronto, 1995s Riding the Rap and the 2001 short story Fire in the Hole. His most recent novel, Raylan, was released in 2012.

Eminent Classical Singer Raghunath Panigrahi Died On 25 August Eminent Indian classical singer and music director Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi died in Bhubaneswar.Pandit Panigrahis effort to popularise poet Jayadevas Gita Govinda.Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi was born at Gunupur in Odishas Rayaga (earlier Koraput) district.Pandit Raghunath was the first Odia singer to be honoured by the French government for his Gita Govinda composition way back in the 70s.He was also conferred with the Padmashri award in the year 2010.

Nobel Literature Laureate Seamus Heaney Died On 30 August Irish writer and poet Seamus Heaney, who won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature, died in Dublin.Seamus Heaney was born on 13 April 1939 in Northern Ireland.Northern Ireland-born Heaney published his first major collection of poems, Death of a Naturalist, in 1966 and went on to become one of the English languages leading poets.Heaney worked as the professor of poetry at Oxford University between 1989 and 1994.

D)VISITORS

Afghanistan Vice-President Mohammad Karim Khalili Visited India The vice president of Afghanistan, Mohammad Karim Karim Khalili visited India from 20 22 August.During the visit Khalili met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New delhi .In the meet both nations discussed security issues and trade among other bilateral issues.Khalili also meets Indias president Pranab Mukherjee, vice-president Mohammad Hamid Ansari, and external affairs minister Salman Khurshid and discussed on both countries bilateral issues.

Iraqs Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Visited India Nouri Al-Maliki, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq visited India from 22 -25 August.During his four day visit , Maliki met with the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh and President of Indian Union, Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari in New Delhi.Both the nations exchanged views on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest and reached a broad consensus. The discussions enabled better understanding and appreciation of each others concerns and perspectives and helped in forging closer understanding at the highest political level and also several MoUs were signed between the two nations. This was the first visit of Maliki to India

E)MISCELLANEOUS

Amazon Founder & CEO Jeff Bezos Buys Washington Post

Amazon Founder & CEO Jeff Bezos has purchased the Washington Post Newspaper of US. Seattle-based Amazon owner Jeffrey P Bezos has agreed to buy the newspaper assets of The Washington Post Company for USD 250 million.Bezos, whose entrepreneurship has made him one of the worlds richest men, will pay $250 million in cash for The Post and affiliated publications to The Washington Post Co., which owns the newspaper and other businesses.The Washington Post (WP) is an American daily newspaper. It is the most widely circulated newspaper published in Washington, D.C., and oldest extant in the area, founded in 1877.

11-year-old UK girl has higher IQ than Einstein On 5 August An 11-year-old schoolgirl in the U.K. has achieved the highest possible score of 162 on a Mensa IQ test, making her brainier than scientists Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. Cerys Cooksammy-Parnell, a grade six schoolgirl took up the test with the aim of beating her fathers score of 142. She also scored the highest mark possible in the test, scoring 162 on the Cattell B scale.

Sharapova Tops Forbes List of Best Paid Female Athletes On 6 August Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has topped the Forbes list of highest-earning female athletes for the ninth-straight year, raking in $29 million over the last 12 months.American Serena Williams is second on the list with earnings of 20.5 million US dollars, Chinese star Li Na in third with $18.2 million and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in fourth with $15.7 million.

Indian American Students Wins National Geographic World Championship On 9 August A team of three young Indian American students defeated teams from 17 other regions to win top honours at the 11th National Geographic World Championship in Russias St Petersburg.The team was made up of captain Gopi Ramanathan from Sartell, Minnesota; Asha Jain from Minocqua, Wisconsin; and Neelam Kaur Sandhu from Bedford, New Hampshire.In the biennial competition, teams of students answered questions on physical, cultural and economic geography.Ramanathan, already has won his state geography bee twice. He had finished seventh in the 2012 National Bee in Washington, DC. The competition was sponsored by Google, and presented by the US National Geographic Society in partnership with the Russian Geographical Society.

Canadian Street Named After Mahatma Gandhi On 15 August A street in Canadas Winnipeg city has been named after Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of Indias 67th Independence Day. The street leading to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights will now be known as Honorary Mahatma Gandhi Way. At a ceremony , the Mayor of Winnipeg Sam Katz explained that the street was named so after an individual who is synonymous with the struggle for human rights.

Dhoni Beats Rafael Nadal Usain Bolt In Forbes List Of Highest Paid Athletes On 20 August Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been ranked 16th in the latest Forbes list of highest-paid athletes with an earning of $31.5 million (around Rs.180 crore).In the list, he was placed above Rafael Nadal and Usain Bolt.As per the latest Forbes list of highest-paid athletes in the world, dhoni earned $31.5 million between June 2012 and June 2013.List of places don above F1 Fernando Alonso, who is on the 19th, Lewis Hamilton on the 26th, Novak Djokovic on the 28th, Rafael Nadal is in 30th place, and Usain Bolt in the 40th grade.Doni has risen 15 places in this years list. It took 31 th rank in the last year. Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian athlete, who is one of the rank of 31 and a total annual revenue of $ 22 million (Rs 125 crore).List is topped by golfer Tiger Woods, who made $ 78.1 million last year, followed by Roger Federer, who earned $ 71.5 million, basketball player Kobe Bryant with earnings of $ 61.9 million.The calculation is based on earnings estimates, which includes salaries, bonuses and cash prizes from both the club and the national team, as well as approval of revenue.

Madonna Tops Forbes 2013 Highest-Paid Celebrities List On 27 August According to Forbes 2013 list of highest-paid celebrities Madonna was the worlds highest-earning celebrity in 2012-13.Madonna made $US125 million between June 2012 and June 2013.Veteran film director Steven Spielberg took second place in the list, while musical talent show mogul Simon Cowell tied for third with Fifty Shades of Grey author EL James and disc jockey Howard Stern.

Most Wanted Indian Mujahideen Terrorist Yasin Bhatka Arrested Indian Mujahideen co-founder and one of Indias most wanted terrorists, Yasin Bhatkal was arrested on 30 August.Yasin has been on the run since 2008. The IM leader is wanted in a string of terror attacks in Ahmedabad, Surat, Bangalore, Pune, Delhi and Hyderabad.Yasin, who co-founded IM in 2008 along with brother Riaz, is also wanted in the German Bakery bomb blast in Pune on February 13, 2010.

PLACES IN NEWS

Strong Earthquake HitsChina On 14 August China hit by strong earthquake with magnitude of 6.1.The earthquake occured in jolted parts of Tibet.Due to this earthquake at least 87 people were injured and over 45,000 homes damaged .The epicenter of the earthquake was identified nearer to the Ringo town.

Submarine INS Sindhurakshak Sinks After Major Blast In Mumbai

On 14 August in a huge setback to the Indian Navy, a conventional submarine INS Sindhurakshak exploded after a fire on board and sank in the naval dockyard in Mumbai , in which 18 personnel, including three officers are feared killed.A smaller intensity explosion was followed by two massive blasts, causing a major fire in the Russian-made submarine.In 2010, a fire broke out on board Sindhurakshak leaving a sailor dead and two others injured. INS Sindhurakshak was a Russian-made Kiloclass 877EKM(Sindhughosh-class) diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy.Commissioned on 24 December 1997, it was the ninth of the ten Kilo-class submarines in the Indian Navy.On 4 June 2010, the Indian Defence Ministry and Zvezdochka shipyard signed a contract worth US$80 million to upgrade and overhaul the submarine. After the overhaul, it returned to India from Russia in 2013.

1300 People Killed In Chemical Attack On Syria On 21 August nearly 1300 people, including children were killed in in Damascus, the capital of Syria..This was one of the deadliest chemical attacks in the civil war of Syria. Toxic gas was fired from the rockets.

ABBREVIATIONS

DRDO Defence Research and Development Organisation

SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

AGOC Asian Games Organisation Committee

CDRI - Central Drug Research Institute

FEMA Foreign Exchange Management Act

FIPB - Foreign Investment Promotion Board

IFTU International Federation of Trade Unions

IRDA Insurance Regulatory Development Authority

NABARD - National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development

SEBI - Security Exchange Board of India

UNHCR United Nations High Commission for Refugees

WMO World Meteorological Organisation

BOOKS IN NEWS

The Moon Baller Book Released On 5 August Former India No.1 and tennis ace Nirupama Vaidyanathans autobiographical account The Moon Baller was released at a function held at the Madras Cricket Club.The book, which goes back in time to chronicle the times when professional tennis for Indian women was quite unheard of, was launched by tennis legend Vijay Amritraj.

My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions by Abdul Kalam Released In the month of August My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions by former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was launched by the Rupa Publication.In his new book Kalam shares the inspiration and the lessons he learned from personal stories of his life. The book describes the lesser known events from his life.

Dhyan Chand The Wizard of Hockey Book Released The first-of-its-kind graphic biography on former Indian Hockey player Dhyan Chand titled Dhyan Chand-The Wizard of Hockey was launched at Dhyanchand Stadium in New Delhi on 29 August .The biography was launched on the National Sports Day to commemorate the 108th birth anniversary of the legend.The book has been written by Luis Fernandes, who researched extensively on the subject.The book is being printed by comic-series publication Amar Chitra Katha.The book focussed on Dhyan Chands achievements and goal-scoring feats at 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics that got him the title The Wizard.

COMMITTEES

Virginius Xaxa Committee To Asses Status Of Scheduled Tribes On 17 August On the pattern of Sachar Committee for Muslims, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has set up a committee to assess the status of scheduled tribes with an aim of ensuring their uplift, particularly in socio-economic, health and education fields.Prof. Virginius Xaxa was appointed as the chairman of the seven-member committee.The committee will finalise and present its report within nine months from the date of this notification.The Prime Ministers decision of setting up a committee came after the government found that the STs, who form 7.5 percent of the countrys population, are not getting enough dues despite the special status in the constitution.

IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES

International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances The United Nations (UN) observes the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on August 30 each year.The UN General Assembly declared this day by its resolution 65/209, on 21 December 2010. The UN General Assembly, by this same resolution also welcomed the adoption of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The involuntary or enforced disappearances are a result of abduction, detention or arrest or other factors or reasons. Also, there are growing numbers of reports which include ill-treatment, harassment as well as intimidation of the witnesses of these disappearances or of the persons or the relatives who have disappeared.

National Sports Day Is Observed On 29 August National Sports Day in India is observed on 29 August of every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand.National sports day celebrated every year on 29 August to bring awareness about sports in public.This year, events like walkathon and football tournaments were held across the country for the first time as part of the National Sports Day celebrations. On the occasion of National Sports Day, a scheme known as Come and Play has been launched for general public to make optimal use of Sports Authority of India stadia. Major Dhyan Chand is an iconic Indian hockey player who is remembered as a magician of Indian hockey. He was the prime member of Indian hockey team which brought three Olympic gold medals in field of Hockey in 1928 (Amsterdam), 1932 (Los Angeles) and 1936 (Berlin).He was honored with Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1956 for his outstanding contribution to Indian Hockey.Major Dhyan Chands birthday, 29 August is celebrated as National Sports Day in India. Major sports awards like Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dronacharya awards are presented on this occasion to the sportsperson who has shown tremendous commitment towards the game and made the Country proud.

July 2013

INTERNATIONAL

Croatia Joins The EU as 28th Member State On 1 July Croatia became the 28th member of the European Union.It is the first addition since Bulgaria and Romania joined EU in 2007.Croatia formally applied for EU membership in 2003.

International Assistance Force In Mali Transformed into UN Force On 1 July A new United Nations peacekeeping mission for insurgent-affected Mali was launched on 1 July .The previous African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) has been transformed to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).The transfer of authority from the forces of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) took place during a ceremony in Bamako, capital of the West African country.

Pakistan China Signed 8 Agreements On 5 July Pakistan and China signed eight documents of cooperation in various areas of economy , for furthering already strong economic and technical ties between two friendly countries.The first pact signed pertained to the building of a long term project (Pak-China Economic Corridor) a 200KM tunnel which will be built at a cost of $18 billion.These agreements and MoU were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Keqaing.Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal signed the pact from the Pakistani side while Chairman National Development and Reforms Commission of PRC, Xu Shao Shi inked the pact from the Chinese side.

Hazem El-Beblawi Named As New Egyptian Prime Minister On 9 July Hazem el Beblawi a liberal economist and Egypt s former finance minister was named as the new Prime Minister of Egypt by the Interim President Adly Mansour.El-Beblawi is a founding member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Al Ahram.He has also served as the undersecretary-general at the United Nations between 1995 and 2000.

Taiwan and New Zealand Signed Free Trade Agreement On 10 July New Zealand signed a free trade agreement with Taiwan.Two-way trade is worth 1.6 billion New Zealand dollars (US$1.2 billion) annually, with New Zealand exporting mainly agricultural products like milk and Taiwan shipping largely electronics.Taiwan is New Zealands 12th largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totalling about $120.7 million.

France and Switzerland Signed New Inheritance Tax Agreement On 11 July France and Switzerland have signed an agreement on inheritance tax as part of an amended double taxation agreement. Paris hopes will help it bring in more money.Under the agreement inheritances would be taxed based on where the recipient resides, not where the deceased lived, as used to be the case.

Bhutans Opposition Party Wins Parliamentary Elections On 14 July Bhutans Election Commission formally announced that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the National Assembly elections by having secured a majority of thirty two seats.The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) won fifteen seats and was elected as the opposition party.PDP leader Tshering Tobgay is likely to be named prime minister of the new government.

Bangladesh Passes Labour (Amendment) Bill 2013 On 15 July the Bangladesh Parliament passed Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Bill 2013 aimed to protect the interest and rights of the workers and ensuring their safety.The new law has seen amendments to a total of 87 sections of the Labor Act 2006.

Britains Queen Elizabeth II Signed Bill Legalizing Gay Marriage On 17 July Britain has legalized gay marriage after Queen Elizabeth II gave her royal stamp of approval.The queens approval was a formality.Britain became the 15th country to legalize gay marriage after a bill cleared Parliament and Queen Elizabeth II signed off on the law.

Iran and Iraq Signed Gas Export Agreement On 21 July Iran has signed an agreement to export gas to Iraq, worth 3.7 billion dollars a year.The agreement was signed in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad by Irans Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi and his Iraqi counterpart, Abdul Kareem Luaibi.

EU Declared Hezbollahs Military Wing As Terrorist Organization On 22 July The European Union (EU) declared the military wing of Hezbollah a terrorist organization.The EUs 28 foreign ministers reached the decision unanimously at their meeting.The Iranian-backed group plays a major role in Lebanese politics and has dominated the government since 2011.The blacklisting would mean imposing visa bans on individuals and asset freezes on organizations associated with the group.

Thirty Meter Telescope Partners Signed Agreement On 26 July The partners building the worlds largest and most advanced optical telescope at Mauna Keas summit have signed an agreement laying the foundation for the telescopes operation.Mauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii.The Thirty Meter Telescope project representatives from partnering institutions in the U.S., Canada, China, India and Japan signed the document.The agreement defines project goals, member party rights, obligations and benefits. It also establishes a governance structure.The telescope is a partnership of the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy, the California Institute of Technology, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, institutions in India, a consortium of Chinese institutions and the University of California.

Liberals, Smaller Tribes Win Seats In Kuwaits Parliamentary Elections On 27 July Liberals and candidates from some of Kuwaits more marginalised tribes have won seats in a parliament .The ballot was the sixth since 2006 in the major oil producer, where political upheaval and bureaucracy have held up the vast majority of projects in a 30-billion-dinar (68 billion pounds) economic development plan announced in 2010.Kuwait has the most open political system in the Gulf Arab region but parliaments have been repeatedly dissolved over procedural disputes or for challenging the government in which members of the ruling Al-Sabah family hold top posts.Shiites estimated at 20-30 percent of the population won just eight seats in the 50-member parliament compared to 17 in the last election in December, after Sunnis in their districts ramped up a campaign to win seats.

Myanmar China Gas Pipeline Starts To Deliver Gas To China On 28 July Myanmar-China natural gas pipeline (Myanmar section) was inaugurated in northern Myanmars Mandalay and started to deliver gas to China.The gas pipeline stretches for 793 kilometers onshore within Myanmars territory with six processing stations, while the crude oil pipeline, which is nearing completion, starts from Made Island and extends onshore for 771 kilometers.

Republican Turkish Party Wins Turkish Cypriot Parliamentary Elections On 29 July the centre-left Republican Turkish Party (CTP) emerged as the winner on in the Turkish Cypriot parliamentary elections, but came short of winning an outright majority.The CTP won 38.49 per cent of the vote and 21 seats in the 50-seat Parliament of the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, results showed.The nationalist National Unity Party (UBP) won 27.16 per cent and 14 seats and the centre-right Democratic Party (DP) took 23.1 per cent of the vote and 12 seats.The centre-left Communal Democracy Party (TDP) won 7.41 per cent of the vote and three seats.The CTP will now need to form a coalition government.The election was called a year early after the Government of Prime Minister Irsen Kucuk, in power since 2009.Cyprus has been divided into a Turkish northern part and a Greek south since a Turkish invasion in July 1974.

Mamnoon Hussain Elected As Pakistans New President

On 30 July Pakistan Muslim League-Nawazs (PML-N) nominee Mamnoon Hussain was elected as the 12th President of Pakistan.Hussain emerged as a clear winner in the contest with ex-judge Wajihuddin Ahmed of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party , headed by cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan.Mamnoon Hussain has secured 432 votes whereas justice Wajihuddin (Ahmed) secures 77 votes.The presidential office of Pakistan will be vacated on 8 September 2013 by the incumbent Asif Ali Zardari, as his term of 5 years ended.Mamnoon Hussain will be administered the oath of the office on 9 September 2013. Mamnoon Hussain was born on 2 March 1940 in Agra, India.He is the textile businessman as well as politician of Pakistan.He migrated to Pakistan from India in 1954.

Ireland President Signed The Abortion Bill In To Law On 31 July Ireland President Michael D. Higgins has signed the abortion bill into law. The bill, overwhelmingly passed by both houses of the Irish parliament on 12 July 2013, permits abortions only in cases where doctors deem the womans life at risk from continued pregnancy.

INDIA & WORLD

India Ranks 66th On Global Innovation Index On 2 July India ranked 66th in the Global Innovation Index 2013, published by Cornell University, INSEAD, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as a knowledge partner.Switzerland and Sweden maintained rank 1 and 2 respectively The study ranked 142 economies across the world on their innovation capacity and efficiency.

India and Mauritius Signed 5 MoUs On 5 July India and Mauritius signed 5 MoUs (Memorandum of understanding).The 5 MoUs are signed in the presence of the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Anand Sharma and Mr. Sayyad Abd-AlCader Sayed Hossen, Minister of Industry, Mauritius, in Port Louis.Five institutional level MoUs were signed to take the partnership forward. These are: * MoU between Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) and Enterprise Mauritius (EM) * MoU between Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA) and Mauritius Standards Bureau * MoU between NITRA and National Productivity and Competitive Council (NPCC) of Mauritius * MoU between Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) and Mauritius Export Association (MEXA); and * MoU between Institute of Apparel Management (IAM) and Fashion and Design Institute of Mauritius (FDI)

UN Millennium Development Goals Report 2013 On 5 July According to the UN Millennium Development Goals Report 2013, the world has reached the poverty reduction target five years ahead of schedule. In developing regions, the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day fell from 47 per cent in 1990 to 22 per cent in 2010. Extreme poverty is also falling in every region.Nevertheless, the gender gap in employment persists, with a 24.8 percentage point difference between men and women in the employment-to-population ratio in 2012.

India, Albania Signed Agreement For Avoidance Of Double Taxation On 8 July India and Albania signed an agreement for avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital.The agreement was signed by Ms Sudha Sharma, chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), and Mr Fatos Kerciku, Ambassador, Republic of Albania.

India, Iraq Signed Agreement To Enhance Co-operation In Energy Sector On 8 July India and Iraq signed a agreement to enhance co-operation in energy security, bilateral trade & commerce, infrastructure development among others.The agreement was signed between the Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily and his counterpart from Iraq, Abdul Karim Luaibi at the end of the India-Iraq Joint Commission on technical co-operation in Baghdad.

India, SriLanka & Maldives Signed Tripartite Maritime Security Agreement On 8 July India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have entered into a tripartite agreement on maritime cooperation to secure sea routes in the Indian Ocean region at the end of the Meeting on Trilateral Cooperation on Maritime Security.The agreement was reached by all on the importance of raising the maritime cooperation between the three countries in the current context of maritime security environment in the Indian Ocean region.

India Tanzania Signed Agreements On Bilateral Cooperation On 9 July India and Tanzania have signed agreements on bilateral cooperation in several sectors, including agriculture, health and education, mines and minerals.All the agreements were signed between the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Preneet Kaur and the Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Bernard K. Membe at Dar es Salaam.

15th India Vietnam Joint Commission Meeting On 11 July India and Vietnam held 15th Joint commission meeting in New Delhi.The meeting was cochaired on the Vietnams side Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and on the Indian side by Indias

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid .In the meeting both nations discussed the strengthening of strategic partnership which included an exchange of a co-operative agenda on bilateral relations.At the end of the meeting, both nations signed the Agreed Minutes of the JCM and witnessed the signing of an Agreement on the US$19.5 million LOC for setting up Nam Trai-IV hydropower project and Binh Bo Pumping station by CMD, Exim Bank and the Vietnam Vice Minister of Finance.

India, Nigeria Signed Solar Power Plant Agreement On 22 July India and Nigeria have signed an agreement to locate sites for solar power plants in Niger state.The agreement will provide additional energy for Nigerias national grid.The agreement was signed between Nigerias permanent secretary in the Ministry of Power Godknows Igali and the secretary to the Government of India, Sutanu Behuria.

India, Belarus Signed Protocol To Enhance Trade Ties On 24 July 2013 India and Belarus signed a protocol to enhance trade ties during the sixth session of the Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation held in New Delhi.The session was co-chaired from the Indian Side by Dr. E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, and Dmitry S. Katerinich, Minister of Industry of the Republic of Belarus.

India and France Hold Talks On Military Cooperation On 26 July India and France discussed their ongoing military cooperation including the progress over Rs 50,000 crore 126 multirole combat aircraft deal during the defence minister-level talks in NewDelhi.The two sides are also holding negotiations for a Rs 30,000-crore project for co-developing the Maitri surface-to-air missile defence system.In a joint statement issued after the deliberations between defence minister A K Antony and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, they agreed that such cooperation should continue to be progressed to the mutual benefit of both countries, including in high technology areas involving joint research and development and transfer of technology.

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

NATIONAL

Government Announced National Cyber Security Policy On 2 July the Union Government of India announced the National Cyber Security Policy with an aim to protect information and build capabilities to prevent cyber attacks. The National Cyber Security Policy 2013 to safeguard both physical and business assets of the country.This policy aims at facilitating creation of secure computing environment and enabling adequate trust and confidence in electronic transactions and also guiding stakeholders actions for protection of cyber space.The National Cyber Policy in order to create a secure cyber ecosystem has planned to set-up a National Nodal Agency to coordinate all matters related to cyber security in the country.

President Pranab Mukherjee Signed Ordinance On Food Security On 5 July President Pranab Mukherjee signed the ordinance on food security ,which seeks to give legal rights to 67 per cent of the population over subsidised grains every month.Now, with the presidential consent, the bill will be presented before the Parliament when it convenes for the Monsoon Session.The Government had issued the ordinance to give nations two-third population the right to get 5 kgs of foodgrains every month at highly subsidised rates of 1-3 Rupees per kg amid political opposition.

District Rural Development Agency Disbanded On 9 July the Union government announced disbanding of the Rural Development Agency (DRDA), the body which looks after implementation of anti-poverty programmes of Rural Development Ministry.The agency will now be rechristened and it will perform its role under zila parishads, the local elected bodies at the district level.The District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) were set up as independent societies in 1980 and since then have been principal organs at the district level to oversee the implementation of the ministrys anti-poverty programmes.

Cabinet Approved For Aviation, Women Varsities In Raebareli On 11 July the Union cabinet has approved two universities for Raebareli, the parliamentary constituency of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh.Raebareli will get the first ever allwomen university and first national aviation university in the country.National University for Women in Uttar Pradesh by the name of The Indira Gandhi National University for Women.This will be the first university of the country to be established exclusively for women.The cost involved is Rs.500 crore.National Aviation University (NAU) in the name of Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University at the District of Rae Bareli in the State of U.P. as a Central University.The Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University will be established as a Central University and as an autonomous body under the administrative control of Ministry of Civil Aviation in Rae Bareli District of U.P. with an estimated Central Governments funding of Rs. 202 crore in 12th Plan period.Both universities bills will be introduced in the coming Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Govt Approved To Replace DGCA With Civil Aviation Authority On 11 July The government cleared a proposal to replace Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) with a new aviation regulator with full operational and financial autonomy.The new regulatory body would be called the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and it would replace the DGCA.The estimated cost of establishing the new Authority would be over Rs 110 crore.

Free Medical Treatment For Pregnant Women On 16 July Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad announced the government will provide free prenatal health care and ambulance facilities to pregnant women across the country .Under the Janani Suraksha Yojna (JSY) scheme, pregnant women are provided free medical treatment during the delivery and post natal care.Pregnant women will be given free medical and ambulance facilities from conception to delivery. They will also be able to avail free consultation from doctors at government hospitals for 45 days from delivery and infants will be given free treatment at the hospitals for one year.

Indian Telegram Service Stopped The 163-year old telegram service in the country ends on 14 July.Started in 1850 on an experimental basis between Koklata and Diamond Harbour, it was opened for use by the British East India Company in 1851and it was opened to the public in 1854.Within a short time of BSNL handling telegram services in 1990s, the PSU had a rift with the Department of Posts following which telegrams were accepted as phonograms from various villages and other centres from telephone consumers.

Bengaluru International Airport Renamed as Kempegowda International Airport On 17 July the Union Cabinet gave its approval for renaming Bengaluru International Airport as Kempegowda International Airport to fulfill the long pending demand of the people of Karnataka, as well as the State Government of Karnataka.Hiriya Kempegowda, known as Kempegowda was a ruler under the Vijayanagar Empire, who ruled most parts of Karnataka during the sixteenth century. He had the vision of building a large futuristic city and is widely accepted as being the founder of Bengaluru. Kempegowda built Bengaluru Fort and moved his capital from Yelahanka to the new Bengaluru.

President Of India Promulgated The Securities Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2013 On 18 July Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India promulgated the Securities Law Amendment Ordinance 2013. The ordinance would grant Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the powers to regulate any pooling of funds under an investment contract involving a corpus of 100 crore rupees or more and attach assets in case of non-compliance.The Chairman of SEBI would have powers to authorize the carrying out of search and seizure operations, as part of its efforts to crack down on ponzi schemes.

Acid Attacks On Women Non-bailable Offence On 18 July the Supreme Court o made acid attack a non-bailable offence and ordered all state governments to pay Rs 3 lakh compensation to acid attack victims. The states were also directed to frame rules for regulating sale of acid within three months.The material cannot be sold to a person who is below the age of 18 years.Going through the compensation schemes of 17 states and seven Union Territories (UTs), the bench found the amount being paid to the victims as grossly inadequate.The compensation for after-care and rehabilitation at present ranges between Rs 5,000 and Rs 1,50,000.

Union Tourism Minister Launched Clean India Campaign On 24 July Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi launched the Project Clean India Campaign at Taj Mahal.Clean India Campaign has been initiated by the Ministry of Tourism with the objective to increase tourist arrivals to the country and to improve quality of services and provide a hygienic environment in and around tourist destinations across the country.Taj Mahal is the second heritage site to be covered under this project. The first being Qutub Minar Delhi, which has been adopted by India Tourism Development Corporation in June 2012.On the request from the Tourism Minister, the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) has agreed to adopt and upkeep the environs of Taj Mahal Complex including up gradation of tourist facilities in the monument.Besides Taj Mahal, the ONGC has also agreed to adopt five more monuments including Ellora and Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, Red Fort in the national capital, Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad and Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.

STATES

Himachal Pradesh Declared First Smoke Free State In Country On 2 July Himachal Pradesh has been declared the first smoke-free State in the country in compliance with Section 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. The State has achieved 85.45% compliance with the relevant parameters.

Uttar Pradesh Grants District Status To Amethi On 5 July the Uttar Pradesh government granted district status to Amethi ,which will include three tehsils of Sultanpur and one of Rae Bareli. The district headquarters of Amethi will be Gauriganj.Sultanpurs Amethi, Gauriganj and Musafirkhana tehsils and Rae Barelis Tiloi will be part of Amethi district.Some revenue villages of Maharajganj tehsil of Rae Bareli were included in Tiloi tehsil of Amethi and in exchange some villages of Tiloi were included in Maharajganj.

Karnataka Launched Anna Bhagya Scheme

On 10 July Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the ambitious Anna Bhagya scheme in Bangalore.The scheme under which 30 kg of rice per month will be given to BPL (below poverty line) families across the state at Re 1 per kg. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced the scheme after taking oath on June 13.The government will spend Rs 4,300 crore every year on the scheme.

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project Starts Fission On 13 July Indias 21st nuclear power reactor and the countrys first pressurised water reactor under the light water reactor category ,Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu began the nuclear fission process.Indias atomic power plant operator, NPCIL is setting up two 1,000 MW reactors with Russian technology and equipments at Kudankulam, around 650 km from Chennai.The over Rs 17,000 crore project, which generated severe protests from the locals, has started generating heat and steam from the 163 uranium fuel bundles loaded in the reactor.

Night Policing Scheme Launched In Punjab On 14 July Punjab government launched the Night Policing Scheme (NPS) with 4000 police personnel and an independent cadre and command structure. The NPS is aimed at augmenting and strengthening the deployment of police personnel, through the usage of modern technology during night hours in cities and towns of the state.The NPS will also focus on the national and state highways and major roads crisscrossing the state, mainly to instill a sense of security among the citizens.

UP Launched Family Health Campaign On 15 July the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, launched the Hausla awareness statewide campaign to improve family health in 75 districts of the State.The campaigns twin goals include galvanizing state health systems to deliver high-quality, accessible health programs and services, while also increasing awareness and utilization of services by families and communities across the states 75 districts.

Kerala Govt.Approved Tapping Sweet Toddy From Coconut On 16 July the Kerala Government has given its nod for tapping neera or unfermented sap from coconut across the State.Neera, which is also called sweet toddy, is the non-alcoholic drink which is extracted from immature inflorescence of coconut.This decision would prove to be very beneficial for depressing coconut sector.Neera tapping will take place in units of 1500 coconut trees in each and every district all over Kerala, in the beginning as a part of the pilot project.lic content.

Madhya Pradesh Police Health Security Scheme

On 17 July Madhya Pradesh state cabinet has decided to implement Madhya Pradesh Police Health Security Scheme for police officers and employees. The scheme will be applicable only to the police personnel working in the state.The scheme will not be applicable to Indian Police Service officers. It will be run by a registered trust, whose state-level management committee will be headed by the Director General of Police. Members and their dependents will be entitled for treatment of up to 8 lakh rupees in a financial year. They can avail the treatment facility in hospitals recognised by the state government.

Maharashtra Extended Ban On Gutkha and Paan Masala On 19 July Maharashtra state government has announced a ban extension on nicotine-laced gutkha and paan masala for another year considering health hazards of these products.In July 2012, the government had banned the sale, storage and consumption of nicotine-laced gutkha and paan masala in any form for a year, which was to end on 19 July 2013. The government move was prompted by the incidence of oral diseases, including cancer due to consumption of such gutkha and paan masala.

Latest Statistics Data On Tourism In India Released By Ministry Of Tourism On 23 July According to the latest statistics on tourism in India released by Ministry of Tourism during the year 2012. * Andhra Pradesh has become the top tourist destination in the country recording 206.8 million domestic tourists last year. * Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh stood at second and third positions respectively with 184.1 million and 168.4 million domestic tourists. * According to the data, the top ten states in terms of number of domestic tourist visits (in millions) during 2012 are: Andhra Pradesh (206.8), Tamil Nadu (184.1), Uttar Pradesh (168.4), Karnataka (94.1), Maharashtra (66.3), Madhya Pradesh (53.2), Rajasthan (28.6), Uttarakhand (26.8), Gujarat (24.4) and West Bengal (22.7).The contribution of these States was about 84.5% to the total number of domestic tourist visits during 2012. * The number of foreign tourists visiting the country too registered a growth of 6.33 per cent during the same year. * Maharashtra (5.1 lakh) topped the list in number of foreign tourist visits, followed by Tamil Nadu (3.6 lakhs) and New Delhi(2.3 lakhs). * The top ten most sought after states by foreign tourists (in millions) during 2012 were :- Maharashtra (5.1), Tamil Nadu (3.6), Delhi (2.3), Uttar Pradesh (2.0), Rajasthan (1.5), West Bengal (1.2), Bihar (1.1), Kerala (0.8), Karnataka (0.6) and Himachal Pradesh (0.5).

First Textile Park Inaugurated at Bagru near Jaipur

On 24 July First Textile Park dedicated to hand block printing and craft was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Textile, Dr. Kavuru Sambasiva Rao at Bagru near Jaipur. The textile park would bring in new opportunities for exporters and artisans, as the textile sector holds vast potential of employment. The park has been named Jaipur Integrated Texcraft Park Pvt. Ltd. (JITPPL) and is also known as is also known as Jaipur Bloc.Bagru the place where the park is located is known all over the world for its traditional textiles, various styles of hand block printing and related skills. This is the first park in India that will cater to the segment of hand block printing. The textile park is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to conserve and preserve water.

WIFS Programme Launched In Rajasthan On 25 July the Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) Programme for the State of Rajasthan was launched by ShriGhulamNabi Azad, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfareat Jaipur.Adolescents form 22 % of Indias total population who are the future of the country. But half of the adolescent population, both girls and boys, suffers from anaemia.Anaemia results in poor physical growth, poor school performance and reduced concentration in daily tasks.Anaemia contributes to poor maternal and child health, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality.For this reason, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has taken upWeekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) programme to prevent and control the anaemia situation in adolescents.The programme will reach out to 13 crore boys and girls of the country enrolled in government, government aided and municipal schools as well as out-of-school girls.

Himachal Government Launched Video Chat In Prisons On 26 July Himachal Pradesh state government launched video chat facility in all six prisons of the state .The video conference facility, first of its kind in the country, would help family and friends save time and money on travelling to prisons to meet the inmates. Even foreigners can avail this facility.The government has already amended the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), enabling the courts to utilize the video-conference facility between the jails and the courts. This would also help save time and money of the prison department in escorting the prisoners from jails to courts.

Two New Rail and Road Projects Launched In Haryana On 28 July Two rail as well as road projects which are worth 1500 crore Rupees were launched in Haryana.The foundation stone of 68 Kilometer rail line between Hansi-Meham and Rohtak at Hansi was laid down by Union Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge. The cost of this project is 500 crore Rupees. The rail route would include eight railway stations, four halt stations as well as four crossing stations.The projected rail line will connect the crucial parts of Haryana, i.e., Fatehabad and Sirsa direct with Delhi. The Union Transport Minister Oscar Fernandes, at Hansi laid the foundation of 99 Kilometer long HisarRohtak four lane National Highway. The cost of this project would be 1000 crore Rupees. The road project would include two road-over bridges, under pass as well as 29-bus bays at both the sides.

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

CONFERENCES

First IOR-ARC Economic and Business Conference (IOR-ARC) Economic and Business Conference held in Port Louis, Mauritius on 4 5 July 2013.The Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Anand Sharma co-chaired the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) Economic and Business Conference.India and Mauritius co-hosted the first economic and business conference under the theme of Deepening Economic Linkages for Balanced, Inclusive & Sustainable Growth. The IORARC has 20 members, of which India and Australia are the largest economies.During the meet Trade and industry ministers of member countries and dialogue partners of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IORARC) agreed to push trade within the grouping to promote economic cooperation and development in the strategic Indian Ocean region.The Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), initially known as the Indian Ocean Rim Initiative, is an international organization with 20 member states.It was first established in Mauritius on March 1995 and formally launched on 67 March 1997.

National Conference Of State Tourism Ministers Held In New Delhi The National Tourism Ministers Conference was held in New Delhi on 18 July 2013.The Conference was chaired by Union Tourism Minister Shri K. Chiranjeevi. State and Union Territory Tourism Authorities were represented in the conference either through their Tourism Ministers and/ or senior officials.The objective of the conference was discussion of the future strategies for realising the complete tourism potential of India.The Departments of Tourism of all States and UTs will consider setting up of a special force such as a Tourist Police, where it does not exist at present, either by taking few companies on deputation from the Police Department or by engaging Ex-Servicemen or Home Guards.During the conference, a new campaign known as I Respect Women was also launched.The campaign was launched with Ministry of Tourism issuing badges in Hindi and ten international languages.

G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting Held in Moscow The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting was held on 19-20 July in Moscow,Russia.G20 Countries ministers ,Central Bank Governors and Indian Finance minister P.Chidambaram ,RBI governor D Subbarao attended the meeting.In the meeting delegates discussed traditional G20 agenda including the G20 Framework agreement for strong, sustainable and balanced

growth, the financial regulation reforms, and market transparency. The final communique contains the usual sentence urging convergence stressing this time how convergence can contribute to financial stability:At the end of the meeting Finance Ministers and Central Banks Governors approved the Joint Communique.

AWARDS & HONOURS

27 Individuals Conferred With National Youth Awards 2011-12 National Youth Award 2011-12 was conferred by Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India on 4 July 2013 to 27 individuals and an organization at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhawan. It is for the first time that the National Youth awards were given by the President of India.A total of 27 individuals and one organisation received he award this year.The youth award carries a Silver Medal, a Certificate and a cash prize of 40000 rupees in cases of individual awardees and 2lakh case prize for voluntary organizations.The selected individuals are expected to possess leadership qualities and use them in carrying out voluntary activities in the field of youth development.

IIFA Awards 2013 Winners The 14th IIFA awards held at Macau on 6 July 2013. And this years IIFA will always be remembered for some outstanding performances by veteran actresses Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi.Ranbir Kapoor won the Best Actor Award for Barfi, while Vidya Balan took the Best Actress Award home for Sujoy Ghoshs Kahaani. Winners List :* Best Actor: Ranbir Kapoor (Barfi!) * Best Female Actor: Vidya Balan (Kahaani) * Best Film: Barfi! * Best Director: Anurag Basu (Barfi!) * Best Story : Tani and Anurag Basu (Barfi!) * Best Supporting Actor (Male): Annu Kapoor (Vicky Donor) * Best Supporting Actor (Female): Anushka Sharma (Jab Tak Hai Jaan) * Best Music Director: Pritam (Barfi!)

Zubin Mehta Conferred Tagore Award 2013

On 10 July Zubin Mehta, western classical music conductor of Indian-Parsi origin, has been awarded 2nd Tagore Award For Cultural Harmony ( for 2013).He was named for the award because of his outstanding contribution to cultural harmony.The first Tagore Award was conferred on Pt. Ravi Shankar, the Indian Sitar Maestro in 2012

Two Indians Among 7 Girls Awarded On Malala Day On 12 July Two Indians were among the seven young girls honoured with the UN Special Envoy for Global Educations Youth Courage Award for Education as part of Pakistani teen activist, Malala Yousafzai, Malala Day celebrations at the world body.Among them were two Indians,Ashwini from Bangalore and Razia from Uttar Pradesh who were awarded with UN Special Envoy for Global Educations Youth Courage Award for Education.

Tongam Rina Selected For German Media Prize On 13 July Senior journalist of Arunachal Pradesh-Tongam Rina has been selected for the prestigious Prize for the Freedom and Future of the Media 2013 instituted by Media Foundation, Leipzig, Germany.Brigitte Alfter and Ides Debruyne are the initiators of the European Fund for Investigative Journalism. Instituted in 2001, the award, which carries a prize of 30,000 Euros.

Human Powered Helicopter Wins US prize On 13 July The worlds first human-powered helicopter by a Canadian engineer has become the first winner of a decades-old US$250,000 (S$316,255) engineering prize ,after performing a minute-long flight at an altitude of 3.3 meters fueled only by the pilots pedaling of a modified bicycle.The winning vehicle is called the Atlas , and was designed by a team of about 20 students and young professionals.The aircraft is extremely light just 121.4 pounds (55 kilograms) but it spans a sprawling 162 feet (49.4 meters).

Shalini Singh Wins 2013 Prem Bhatia Award Shalini Singh, a deputy editor with The Hindu, has bagged the prestigious Prem Bhatia Award for Political Reporting 2013.She has been selected for her excellent coverage of several key issues, particularly her reporting of the telecom and Coalgate scandals.Previous award-winners include Harish Khare, Praveen Swami, P. Sainath, Gargi Parsai, Nirupama Subramanian, Pallavi Aiyar and Amit Baruah for their works in The Hindu.

Amitabh Bachchan Received Maestro Award

On 17 July Amitabh Bachchan, classical flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia and ace santoor exponent Shivkumar Sharma were honoured with the WWI (Whistling Woods International) Maestro Awards.The honour was bestowed on the trio by filmmaker Subhash Ghais film and media institute.

2013 Ramon Magsaysay Award Winners On 24 July the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation announced the Ramon Magsaysay Awards for the year 2013.Three individuals and two organizations from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and the Philippines to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Asias premier prize.The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysays example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society.The prize was established in April 1957. The Awardees are:* Habiba sarabi Afghanistans first woman governor, was selected for helping build a functioning local government and pushing for education and womens rights in Afghanistans Bamyan province despite working in a violent and impoverished environment in which discrimination is pervasive. * Lahpai Seng Raw of Myanmanr honoured for helping the rehabilitate work in damaged communities amid armed conflict. *Ernesto Domingo, from the Philippines.He is being recognized for his exemplary embrace of the social mission of medical science and his profession, his steadfast leadership in pursuing health for all as a shared moral responsibility of all sectors. *Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (Corruption Eradication Commission), from Indonesia.The organization is being recognized for its fiercely independent and successful campaign against corruption in Indonesia. *Shakti Samuha (Power Group), from Nepal.The organizations founders and members are being recognized for transforming their lives in service to other human trafficking survivors, their passionate dedication towards rooting out a pernicious social evil in Nepal.

Azim Premji Bags Asian Business Leaders Award On 24 July Wipro chairman Azim Premji has been awarded the Asian Business Leaders Award 2013 for his impressive business credentials and service to society by London-based Asia House.Past recipients of the honour includes Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, and Lord Stephen Green, UKs minister of state for trade and investment and former group chairman of HSBC Holdings.

Four Indian Americans Won Simons Investigators Awards On 27 July Four Indian-American Professors Kannan Soundararajan, Rajeev Alur, Salil P Vadhan and Senthil Todadri won Simons Investigators Awards 2013. Apart from these, 9 other mathematicians, theoretical physicists and theoretical computer scientists were also selected for the Simons Investigators

Awards for their cutting edge research.The 2013 awards were announced by the New York-based Simons Foundation, which is a non-profit organisation. Its mission is to advance the lines of research in mathematics and basic sciences. The Simons Investigators program provides a stable base of support for outstanding scientists, enabling them to undertake long-term study of fundamental questions. The foundation was incorporated in 1994 by Jim and Marilyn Simons.

Metro Man Sreedharan Chosen For 2013 Lokmanya Tilak Award On 29 July Metro Man E. Sreedharan has been selected for the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak award for 2013 for his outstanding contribution to society.Name of Sreedharan, considered as the architect of the ambitious Delhi metro project, was announced by Lokmanya Tilak Trust.The Padmashree laureate is also credited for pulling off the Konkan Railway project.

Amjad Ali Khan To Get Rajiv Gandhi National Sadhbhavna Award On 30 July Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan was chosen for the 21st Rajiv Gandhi National Sadhbhavna Award for his contribution towards promotion of communal harmony and peace. The award was ininstituted by All India Congress Committee of the Indian National Congress Party (INC).

ECONOMY

Indian Internet Economy To Touch USD 100 Billion By 2015 On 3 July According to the Economist Intelligence Unit Good to Grow: The Environment of Asias Internet Business report ,Indias Internet Economy that stands at 1.6 per cent of GDP is slated to touch USD 100 billion by 2015 .Online advertising in Asia will grow from 24 per cent of worldwide online advertising in 2010 to 26 per cent by 2015.However, Asias mobile advertising market is expected to account for one-third of the mobile advertising market globally by 2015.

Latvia Gets EU Approval To Join Eurozone On 9 July European Union (EU) states approved the adoption of the euro by Latvia as of January 1, 2014. The country will be the 18th member of the European Monetary Union.Latvia is the second Baltic republic to join the euro zone. In 2011, Estonia adopted the currency. Lithuania plans to do so as well, in 2015.

Indias Growth Forecast To 5.6% For 2013-14 On 9 July the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has scaled down Indias economic growth forecast by 0.2 percentage points to 5.6 per cent for 2013-14 from 5.8 per cent forecasted in April 2013 World

Economic Outlook (WEO) projections.The growth projection for FY 2014-15 was also scaled down by 0.1 percentage points to 6.3 per cent.

Indians Among Top Five Buyers Of Property In US On 10 July According to the National Association of Realtors survey report ,Buying property worth nearly $3.5 billion .Indians are among top five international real estate buyers in the US.India along with Canada, China, Mexico and the United Kingdom accounted for approximately 53 percent of international transactions worth $68.2 billion.

Government Approved 100 percent FDI In Telecom Sector On 16 July the Union Government of India raised the FDI limit in Telecom Sector from 74 percent to 100 percent. Government also cleared that the FDI in the Insurance and Telecom sectors will be up to 49 per cent through automatic route.The foreign direct investment limit in insurance sector will be hiked to 49 per cent from the existing 26 per cent.The Government also confirmed that the FDI in Defence Production will continue to be 26 percent.

Colombia Among Worlds Most Corrupt Nations On 17 July According to the Global Corruption Barometer 2013 report , was released by NGO Transparency International (TI) ,Colombia is among the countries with the highest rate of corruption in the world.Colombia was placed 5th among the seven countries whose citizens realize that Congress is one of the most corrupt public bodies.Transparency International (TI) was Founded in 1993 and based in Berlin, Germany, the T has 100 branches and operates in 70 countries.

India Becomes Largest Nigerian Crude Oil Buyer India has overtaken the U.S. as the top buyer of Nigerian crude oil.On the bilateral trade,the present figure stands at $10 billion, even as the total investment of India in Nigerian economy could be valued at $16.6 billion.

Poverty In India Drops To 21.9 percent In 2011-12 On 23 July the Planning Commission of India released its report on the Poverty Estimates for 2011-12. The report was based on the Large Sample Surveys on Household Consumer Expenditure conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.However, since 2009-10 was not a normal year because of a severe drought, the NSSO repeated the large scale survey in 2011-12 (NSS 68thround). The summary results of this survey were released in June 2013.Since the data from the NSS 68th round (2011-12) of Household Consumer Expenditure Survey is now available .Now the Planning Commission has updated the poverty estimates

for the year 2011-12 as per the methodology recommended by Tendulkar Committee.The commission present ,released estimates of state wise poverty lines for rural and urban areas for 2011-12 . Poverty Estimates 2011-12 :* Poverty ratio in the country has declined to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12 from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05 on account of increase in per capita consumption. * According to the Planning Commission, in 2011-12 for rural areas, the national poverty line by using the Tendulkar methodology is estimated at Rs. 816 per capita per month in villages and Rs. 1,000 per capita per month in cities.This would mean that the persons whose consumption of goods and services exceed Rs. 33.33 in cities and Rs. 27.20 per capita per day in villages are not poor. * For a family of five, the all India poverty line in terms of consumption expenditure would amount of Rs. 4,080 per month in rural areas and Rs. 5,000 per month in urban areas. The poverty line, however, will vary from state to state. * The percentage of persons below poverty line in 2004-05 was 41.8 per cent in rural areas, 25.7 per cent in cities and 37.2 per cent in the country as a whole.In actual terms, there were 26.93 crore people below poverty line in 2011-12 as compared to 40.71 crore in 2004-05. * State-wise, the Commission said ,highest poverty rate of 39.93% was recorded in Chhattisgarh (201112)followed by Jharkhand (36.96 per cent), Manipur (36.89 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (34.67 per cent) and Bihar (33.47 per cent). * Among the union territories, the Dadra and Nagar Haveli was the highest, with 39.31 per cent people living below poverty line followed by Chandigarh at 21.81 per cent. * Lowest poverty rate of 5.09% was recorded in Goa (2011-12) followed by Kerala (7.05 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (8.06 per cent), Sikkim (8.19 per cent), Punjab (8.26 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (9.20 per cent).

BOOKS IN NEWS

A Bouquet Of Vivekanandas Writings Book Released Swami Vivekananda The book titled A Bouquet Of Vivekanandas Writings was released on 10 July.The book contains a number of hand-written poetries, essays and even letters written by Vivekananda in Bengali and English.19th century philosopher-monk Swami Vivekananda have been compiled in a book as a facsimile copy of his original handwriting.

An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions Book Released

 An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions authored by Jean Dreze, the development economist and Amratya Sen, an economist, a philosopher and a Nobel Prize winner.The book was released in month of July 2013.The book has been published by Penguin Books India.In the book authors have presented a far reaching analysis of the conditions of contemporary India with a compilation of the wealth of illuminating data.

The New Bihar Rekindling Governance and Development Book Released On 21 July The New Bihar Rekindling Governance and Development was released by Noble laureate Amartya Sen.President Pranab Mukherjee received a copy of book from Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen (centre) at Rashtrapati Bhavan .The book has been edited by N.K. Singh.

An Agenda for Indias Growth: Essays in Honour of P. Chidambaram Book Released On 31 July The book entitled An Agenda for Indias Growth: Essays in Honour of P. Chidambaram was released in New Delhi by Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.The book, which is edited by Sameer Kochhar of the Skoch Foundation, encompasses various excellent essays by well known distinguished experts. In the book, all the authors dated their association with P. Chidambaram from 1991, when he was the Minister of Commerce as well as a key reformer initiating trade policy reform.

June 2013 NATIONAL

AWARDS & HONOURS

1) Who is the Malaysian author won the Walter Scott Prize 2013 ? Ans:- Tan Twan Eng

2) Which country advertising agencies grabbed gold and bronze lions in Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2013 ? Ans:- India

3) International Data Groups Computerworld Honours Program, Computerworld Honors Laureate selected UIDAI for 21st Century Achievement Award 2013 under the category ?

Ans:- Economic Development

4) How many awards India got at the third SAARC Film Festival in Colombo ? Ans:- Three

5) What is the name of the Indian short film has won the Yellow Oscar award at the Uranium Film Festival at Rio-de-Janeiro, Brazil ? Ans:- High Power

6) Who is the Legal activist received the India abroad publishers special award for excellence 2012 ? Ans:- Amrit Singh

7) Which country film The Major won Golden Goblet on 23 June 2013 for best feature film at the 16th Shanghai International Film Festival ? Ans:- Russia

ECONOMY

1) Which global rating agency on 12 June 2013 revised Indias sovereign credit outlook from negative to stable, thus bringing cheer to the union government? Ans:- Fitch

2) Tata Coffee, the largest plantation company of Asia on 19 June 2013 inaugurated the premium extraction plant at ? Ans:- Theni near Madurai in Tamil Nadu

3) Which bank in Zurich on 20 June 2013 unveiled that the Indian money in Swiss banks dropped to record low at 9000 crore Rupees ? Ans:- Swiss National Bank (SNB)

4) The World Bank report released on 3 June 2013 forecasted that India and China will become largest investors of the world in the year - ? Ans:- 2030

5) Which country on 3 June added some more items, including gems and jewellery to its list of items prohibited for trade with North Korea,directly or indirectly ? Ans:- India

6) The government hiked the import duty on Gold and Platinum on 05 June 2013. What is the present import duty? Ans:- 8 percent

7) How many mini LIC offices were inaugurated by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on 25 June 2013? Ans:- 300

ABBREVIATIONS IN NEWS

1) What is the the full form of WSA ?

Ans:- World Steel Association

BOOKS IN NEWS

1) Who is the author of Ambedkar Speaks ? Ans:- Dr. Narendra Jadhav

INTERNATIONAL

1) Which organization representatives agreed to widen and strengthen regional cooperation to promote the integral development of those territories on 4 May 2013? Ans:- ACTO(Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization)

2) Who elected as a Prime Minister of Pakistan on 14 May 2013? Ans:- Nawaz Sharif

INDIA & WORLD

1) With how many votes UN General Assembly Approved Syria Resolution? Ans:-107

2) Which country PM talk with the Indian PM on a civil nuclear deal on 29 May 2013? Ans:-Japan

3) With which country India sign extradition treaty on 30 May 2013? Ans:- Thailand

NATIONAL

1) What is the name of the program launched by Women and Child Development Minister to improving child development and nutritional outcomes for children? Ans:- ICDS Systems Strengthening and Nutrition Improvement Project (ISSNIP)

2) What is the name of the scheme will launch the Government of India from 1 June 2013? Ans:- Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG (DBTL)

3) Which area in India declared as a World Biosphere Reseve by UNESCO? Ans:- Nicobar Islands

STATES

1) How many seats Congress won in Karnataka Assembly Elections? Ans:-121

CONFERENCES

1) When the SAARC judges meeting was held in Thimpu on Child rights in South Asia? Ans:- 23 May 2013

AWARDS & HONOURS

1) Which product of Zydus Wellness Ltd got the Product of the year 2013 award? Ans:- Nutralite Omega-3

2) Who is the Miss Panama 2013? Ans:- Carolina Brid

3) Who honoured with the Whitley award, also known as Green Oscar in London on 2 May 2013 by Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth? Ans:- Aparajita Datta

4) Who got the ISRO young scientist award 2013 from Meghalaya?

Ans:- Jenita Mary

5) Who got the National Florence Nightingale award 2013 from Andhra Pradesh? Ans:- N.Leela Samuel

6) Who was elected for the prestigious Global Leadership Award-2013? Ans:- Malala Yousafzai

7) Who is the Indian-American girl won Americas Top Young Scientist Award for inventing a supercapacitor device that could potentially charge a cellphone in less than 20 seconds? Ans:- Esha Khare

8) Who conferred with the 47th Jnanpith Award for the Year 2011? Ans:- Pratibha Ray

ECONOMY

1) According to a survey by global research firm Ipsos ,which country got the first position in the most economically confident countries in the world? Ans :- Saudi Arabia

2) Who got the place in Forbes Philanthropy List on 30 May 2013 from India(first place)? Ans:- Biocon Chief Kiran Mazumdar

ABBREVIATIONS IN NEWS

1) What is the full form of CNEN ?

Ans:- National Commission for Nuclear Energy

BOOKS IN NEWS

1) What is the name of the book released by Prof. Chamanlal on 3 may 2013? Ans:- Understanding Bhagat Singh

2) Who wrote the book Gandhis Outstanding Leadership ? Ans:- Pascal Alan Nazareth

April 2013 INDIA & WORLD

1.Who won the Spelling Championship title held in Singapore?

Ans:-Ashwin Kumar

NATIONAL

1. When the Cabinet Committee was approved for 13 power projects that involves investment of 33000 crore rupees?

Ans:- 22 April 2013

STATES

1. What is the name of the online service launched the Andhra Pradesh Government for entrepreneurs and grievance redressal system?

Ans:- Parishkaram for Enterpreneurs

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. Who won the Prestigious 2013 Templeton Prize ?

Ans:-Desmond Tutu

2. Which film won the best film award in The Times of India Film Awards?

Ans:- Barfi

3. Who is the Indian-American got the Baby Noble prize(John Bates Clark young economist award)for the year 2013?

Ans:- Raj Chetty

4. According to Skytrax-World Airport Awards,which Airport rated as the fifth best regional airport in Asia?

Ans:- Rajiv Gandhi International Airpor,Hyderabad

5. Who received the Queens Award on 20 April 2013?

Ans:-Kartar Lalvani

6. Who will honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award on 30 April 2013?

Ans:- Pran Krishan Sikand

7. Who will get the Kirti Chakra from President on 30 April 2013?

Ans:- Anup Joseph

ECONOMY

1. Which company developed the cheapest bike of the World in India?

Ans:- Yamaha

2. Accorrding to the Sunday Times Rich List 2013,who are the 20th richest persons in the world?

Ans:- Ambani Brothers

BOOKS IN NEWS

1. Who is the author of the book Religion, Law & Society Across the Globe?

Ans:- Prof.Tahir Mahmood march 2013 INDIA & WORLD

1.Which country have signed agreement with India to support R&D Projects on 13 March 2013?

Ans: Britain

2. Which country has signed seven agreements with India on 19 march 2013 ?

Ans: Egypt

3. Which agreement was signed by India and 18 countries on 20 March 2013 ?

Ans: Social Security Agreements (SSAs)

4. In the month of March South Australia rolled out 10-year Plan to Enhance Trade with

Ans: India

5. Which country and India agreed to finalise the plan of bilateral exchanges between their armed forces and decided that the exchanges would be conducted between the Armies on 22 March 2013?

Ans: China

6. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa on 26 March 2013 barred players and officials of which country from featuring in IPL matches slated to be held in Tamil Nadu?

Ans: Sri Lanka

NATIONAL

1.Who is the renowned Urdu poet commemorative postage stamp was released by President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 8 March 2013 ?

Ans: Sahir Ludhianvi

2. Which of the following bill was approved by the Union Cabinet on 19 March 2013 ?

Ans: National Food Security Bill

3. On 21 March 2013 the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case ?

Ans: Yakub Abdul Razzak Memon

4. Which bill was introduced in the Rajyasabha on 23 March 2013?

Ans: National Waterway Bill

5. Which scheme was launched by Ministry of Labour and Employment on 24 March 2013 ?

Ans: Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY)

6. Union government approved a 1500 crore Rupees proposal for production of more than 2000 rockets for the

Ans: Pinaka multi- barrel weapons system

7. Actor Sanjay Dutt was sentenced to 5-year prison by the Supreme Court on 21 March 2013 for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case. What was his crime?

Ans: Illegal possession of arms

STATES

1. Which state Chief Minister has commissioned a biogas plant in the Government Secretariat campus on 23 March 2013 ?

Ans:Kerala

2. Which state government to start recently monthly stipend for old writers and Litterateurs ?

Ans: West Bengal

3. Which state has became the first state to introduce e-GPF or electronic GPF in the month of March 2013 ?

Ans: Arunachal Pradesh

4. In the month of March 2013 the Union Ministry for Commerce, Industries and Textiles accepted Karnatakas proposal to extend Chennai-Bangalore industrial corridor upto

Ans: Chitradurga

5. Recently ,which state government has unveiled the state Governments Aerospace policy , the first such policy statement in the country ?

Ans: Karnataka

6. What is the latest head-count of rhinos in Kaziranga National Park (KNP),Assam as per the census conducted in the park from 24 -26 March 2013?

Ans: 2,290

7. Aishwarya oil field is located in which state of India, from where Cairn India commenced commercial oil production and sales on 23 March 2013?

Ans: Rajasthan

CONFERENCES

1. The 24th Arab League Summit was held from 21 to 26 March 2013 at

Ans: Doha (Qatar)

2. What was the name of a summit organized by Google in New Delhi on 21 March 2013?

Ans: Google Big Tent Activate Summit 2013

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. Who is the Indian women selected for US State Dept Award For Environment Awareness on 5 March 2013 ?

Ans: Dr.Shubhalaxmi Vaylure

2. Which Indian film got the 11th Golden City Gate Tourism Media Awards Ceremony held in Berlin?

Ans: Find What You Seek

3. Who is honoured with International Women of Courage award by American Government on 08 March 2013?

Ans: (Nirbhaya)Jyothi Singh Panday

4. Who won the Best Actor award for Paan Singh Tomar and Vikram Gokhale for Anumati in 60th National Film Awards for the year 2012 ?

Ans: Irrfan

5. Which industries had been awarded by the prestigious International Refiner of the Year 2013 ?

Ans: Reliance Industries

6. Which city was declared as the Best Liveable City of India at the First ABP News-IPSOS Best City Survey and Awards 2013 on 6 March 2013?

Ans: Nagpur

7. Who was honoured with the first annual Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony?

Ans: Pandit Ravi Shankar

ECONOMY

1. As per an annual ranking published on 4 March 2013 by business magazine Forbes, Who is the richest Indian?

Ans: Mukesh Ambani

2. Which country has displaced Thailand from the position of top exporter of rice during 2011-12 ?

Ans: India

3. What was Mumbais rank in the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) released on 26 March 2013?

Ans: 66th rank

4. L&T General Insurance is to be merged with which insurance company, as announced in an agreement on 26 March 2013?

Ans: Future Generali India Insurance

5. Indias largest bank the SBI recently announced plans to open how many branches spread all over the country in the next fiscal year?

Ans: 1200

ABBREVIATIONS

1. What is the full form of OECD

Ans: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

2. What is the full form of AAPSO ?

Ans: Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity Organization

BOOKS IN NEWS

1. What is the name of the book released by Vice President of India on 19th March 2013?

Ans: The First Woman President of India,Reinventing leadership, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil

Feb 2013 INDIA & WORLD

1. For which country reconstruction India pledges $100m on 5 February 2013 ?

Ans: Mali

2. On 7 February 2013 the Union Cabinet approved for which project formation of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV )?

Ans: TAPI pipeline

3. On february 2013 the Defence Ministry has ordered CBI probe into how much crore alleged scam in a defence helicopter deal ?

Ans: Rs 3600 crore

4. India and which country discussed on the issues of nuclear energy cooperation, security, terrorism and trade on 19 February 2013 ?

Ans: Britain

5. Which two countries have exchanged strip maps as part of the process of the implementation of the agreement signed to resolve land boundary issues between the two countries ?

Ans: India & Srilanka

6. Which country will make initial investments of $2 billion in infrastructure projects in India on February 2013 ?

Ans: The United Arab Emirates

7. Which country wins Kishanganga case against Pakistan at the Hague court on 18 February 2013 ?

Ans: India

NATIONAL

1. Who was signed MoU with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to Highlight Issues related to AIDS on 14 February 2013 ?

Ans: NACO

2. Who was ordered to cease operations to the telecom companies that failed to win or participate in the November 2012 2G Auction?

Ans: Supreme Court of India

3. Which programme was launched by the I&B Ministry for Real Time Engagement with Citizens on 7 February 2013 ?

Ans: My India Initiative-A Digital Volunteer Programme

4. Who constituted a panel to Examine issues of Certification under Cinematograph Act 1952 on 4 February 2013 ?

Ans:I&B Ministry

STATES

1. What is the name of the scheme launched by the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for providing comprehensive care to children in India?

Ans: Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram

2. In which state the 1,980 MW North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Plant was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) on 20 February 2013 ?

Ans: Jharkhand

3. Which state government was decided to issue a complete ban on sale and consumption of tobacco products in the state on 15 February 2013?

Ans: Manipur

4. Which State Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was launched the Direct Benefits Transfer scheme in Sonepat and Ambala districts on 1 February 2013 ?

Ans: Haryana

5. On 21 February 2013 the UTTIPEC started efforts for developing vision for successful implementation of the plans for mass-rapid transport system in

Ans: Delhi

6. Which party won maximum number of seats in Maghalaya Assembly elections?

Ans: Congress

7. Which party got the full majority in Tripura Assembly elections held on 14 February 2013?

Ans: CPM-led Left Front

CONFERENCES

1. What is the theme of 13th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS)?

Ans: The Global Challenge of Resource Efficient Growth and Development

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. The Pakistani girl was shoot by the Talibans against the girl education was nominated for this years Nobel Peace Prize.Who is she?

Ans: Malala Yousafzai

2. Who is the Karnataka Artist had won the Rs 1 million Skoda Prize 2012 for contemporary art on 1 February 2013?

Ans: L. N. Tallur

3. Who had been received the Georgescu roegen Award at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit on February 2013?

Ans: Kozo Mayumi (The University of Tokushima)

4. Who got Lifetime Achievement Grammy award after his death?

Ans: Pandit Ravi Shankar

5. Which picture got the best picuter award in 85th Oscar awards ceremony?

Ans: Argo

6. Who is the Eminent Hindi litterateur had been selected for the prestigious Vyas Samman for 2012 for his historical novel Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati on 22 February 2013 ?

Ans: Narendra Kohli

ECONOMY

1. Which of the companies selected for the Maharatna status on 1 February 2013?

Ans: BHEL and GAIL

2. On 7 February 2013 the Indias Central Statistics Office (CSO) revealed that the economic growth of India is estimated to fall to in 2012- 2013 FY ?

Ans: 5 percent

3. Which scheme was launched by Finance Minister P Chidambaram on 9 February 2013 in Mumbai ?

Ans: Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme

4. Indias Economic Survey for 2012-13 pegs the countrys growth at 6.1-6.7% and inflation at

Ans: 6.2-6.6%

5. How many crores are allocated for the Agriculture Ministry in the Union Budget 2013-14?

Ans: Rs.27,049 crores

ABBREVIATIONS

1. What is the full form of TAPI ..

Ans: TurkmenistanAfghanistan PakistanIndia

BOOKS IN NEWS

1. What is the name of the Sania Mirza new autobiography book ?

Ans: Against All Odds

2. Who is the author of Khushwantnama: The Lessons of My Life Book ?

Ans: Khushwant Singh

Jan 2013 INDIA & WORLD

1. According to the which country 2012 Home Office report, India is among 10 countries that are the main sources of illegal immigration ?

Ans:- Britain

2. On 30 January 2013 which country Pledged Humanitarian Assistance of 2.5 Million US Dollars to Syria ?

Ans:- India

3. India asked to avoid Violence Prone Areas in which country on 19 January 2013 ?

Ans: Nigeria

4. Which two countries agreed not to allow escalation of tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) on 16 January 2013 ?

Ans:- India and Pakistan

5. What is the name of the Tibetan Monk got sentenced to death by the Chinese Court for encouraging the self-Immolations?

Ans:-Lorang Konhok

NATIONAL

1. In how many districts Government of India launched Direct Cash Transfer Benefit (CBT) on 1 January 2013 ?

Ans:- 20 districts

2. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012 report which class students could read Class II text fell from 53.7% in 2010 to 46.8% in 2012

Ans:- Vth class

3. Who released the Commemorative Postage Stamps, at the Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, in New Delhi on 12 January 2013 ?

Ans:- President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee

4. Government of India how much crore of the MGNREGA linked Post Office Accounts would be used under the Direct Cash Transfer Scheme on January 2013 ?

Ans:- 3.5 Crore

STATES

1. What is the name of the system launched by Odisha government on 2 January 2013 for citizens under the Odisha Right to Public Service Act, 2012 ?

Ans:- Public Service Delivery System

2. In which state the first Shariat panchayat is scheduled to be inaugurated on 3 March 2013 ?

Ans:- Punjab

3. Which state high court stayed the state governments decision for giving 4 per cent additional reservation to Gurjar on 29 January 2013?

Ans:- Rajasthan High Court

4. On 20 January Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated Ghat Ki Guni tunnel at Jaipur.

CONFERENCES

1. What is the name of the 100th Indian Science Congress theme which was held from 3 to 7 January 2013 at Kolkata ?

Ans:- Science for Shaping the Future of India

2. The 43rd World Economic Forum Annual Meeting held from 23 27 January at -

Ans:- Davos-Klosters in Switzerland

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. Who is the Mauritius President was received the 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award on 9 January 2013 ?

Ans:- Rajkeswur Purryag

2. Who is an Indian researcher selected for a prestigious Young Investigator Scholarship Award for his work on a drug to cure Alzheimers?

Ans:- Mahaveer Golechha

3. Who got the Best Actor award at the 58th Idea Filmfare Awards held in Mumbai on 20 January 2013?

Ans:- Ranbir Kapoor

4. Who honoured with the prestigious International Scientific Cooperation Award 2012?

Ans:- C N R Rao

5. Who launched a Tang Prize(Asian Noble Prize) on 28 January 2013 ?

Ans:- Samuel Yin

6. Who was selected for the Order of Australia Medal award on 30 January 2013?

Ans:- Krishna Arora

ECONOMY

1. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index Who is the 18th richest person in the world?

Ans:- Mukesh Ambani

2. Which country company Toyota Motor appears at the top ranked in the top-1500 Global R&D investments list ?

Ans:- Japan

3. On 29 January 2013 The Reserve Bank of India slashed Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) from 4.5% to -

Ans:- 4 percent

4. On 23 January 2013 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that the economic growth rate of India in 2013 would be ?

Ans:- 5.9 percent

ABBREVIATIONS

1. What is the abbreviation of WEF?

Ans:- World Economic Forum

BOOKS IN NEWS

1. Who is the author of My Share of the Task : A Memoir Book ,which was released on 7 January 2013 ?

Ans:- General Stanley McChrystal

Dec 2012 INDIA & WORLD

1. Who is the Bihars State Chief minister recently among Foreign Policy magazine The Top 100 Global Thinkers List ? Ans: Nitish Kumar

2. Which Country had agreed to set up barbed wire Fencing along Tripura border on 2 December 2012? Ans: Bangladesh

3. Which country signed with India on 10 December 2012 on five pacts?

Ans: Ukraine

4. According to the 2011 Britain population census record what percent of the Hindu religion became a third-largest religion in the Nations ? Ans: 1.5 %

5. According to the which survey report India nonetheless has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world ? Ans: Pew research

NATIONAL

1. Which Criminal Law bill Passed by Lok Sabha on 4 December 2012 ? Ans: Sexual Assault a Gender-Neutral Offence

2. On 7 December 2012 The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared a major expansion plan of the strategic Karwar naval base Phase II Alpha of the project Seabird in Ans: Karnataka

3. Which bill providing for quota for SCs and STs in government job promotions was on 2012 December 17 passed by Rajya Sabha? Ans: Constitution 117th Amendment Bill

4. The Union Government of India on 23 December 2012 constituted a three-member Commission to suggest measures for saftey of women.Who is the head of this Commiitte? Ans: Former Chief Justice of India J.S. Verma

5. On 25 December 2012 Government of India decided to set up five-year project for restoring the overall which structure of critical sectors of India? Ans: Cyber Security

6. Which amendment bill 2011 have been passed by Lok Sabha on 20 December 2012? Ans: Banking Laws Amendment Bill, 2011

7. Whose commission appointed for Delhi incident victim Nirbhayas Case on December 2012? Ans: Usha mehra

STATES

1. Which Scheme announced by Assam government on 12 December 2012 ? Ans: Special Health Scheme

2. Which state Lokayukta Bill, 2012 was passed on 14 December 2012 ? Ans: Meghalaya

3. UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was launched a major food security programme of Delhi Government on 15 December 2012. What is the name of the program? Ans: Annshri Yojna

4. Which state government on 17 December 2012 ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the matter of multi-crore irrigation scam? Ans: Maharashtra

5. Which State had became the first state that announced some measures for making public transport safer via use of technology on 23 December 2012? Ans: Karnataka

CONFERENCE

1. What is the theme of ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit held from 20 21 December 2012 in New Delhi ?

Ans: ASEAN India Partnership for Peace and Shared Prosperity

2. Which of the following country will host the Climate Conference in 2013? Ans: Poland

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. Who was honoured with award of National Tansen Samman for year 2011-12 for their contribution to Hindustani classical music? Ans: Rajan and Sajan

2. Which state received the Silver Icon Web Ratna Award 2012 for its public grievance redressal website? Ans: Bihar

3. Who received the Yuri Milner Foundation award for the work on black holes and in the discovery of a new subatomic particle believed to be the long-sought Higgs boson? Ans: Stephen Hawking

4. Who will be honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously and he is also the first Indian to got this award? Ans: Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar

5. Who is former BBC correspondent had been conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award for 2012 on 16 December 2012? Ans: Sir Charles Wheeler

6. Who is the Indian-origin girl won the prestigious a wildlife conservation award in South Africa ? Ans: Afeefah Patel

7. Who was honoured with Tolkappiyar award by the President on 21 December 2012? Ans: C. Govindarajanar

8. Who is the Bollywood actor attended the Italys River to River Film Festival from India and honoured by the Government of Italy Ans: Amitabh Bachchan

9. Who became the first Emirati and Arab to win the Tagore Peace Prize on 26 December 2012? Ans: Shihab Ghanem

10. Who was honoured with Canadas Highest Civilian Award the Order of Canada in December 2012? Ans: Venkatesh Mannar

ECONOMY

1. According to US intelligence counsel which country economy dominate the world economy by 2030? Ans: India

2. According to the International Telecommunications Communication Union (ITU) Information Society 2012 Observe report number of cell phone connections exceeding the worlds population by Ans: 2014

3. How much amount was loss by India in the form of black money during the period 2001 to 2010? Ans: $123 billion

4. According to an Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) survey which business group in India perceived to be Indias best-known global brand within and outside the country? Ans: Tata Group

ABBREVIATIONS

1. What is the full of U N F C C C . ? Ans: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

2. G A A R ..full form? Ans: General Anti Avoidance Rules

BOOKS IN NEWS

1. Who is the author of Former India opener Late Pankaj Roy Book Pankaj, Bengal`s Forgotten Hero? Ans: Bengali sports journalist Gautam Bhattacharya

2.What is the name of a book written by Former Chief Justice P N Bhagwati? Ans: My Tryst with Justice

3. What is the name of the M.S. Subbulakshmi new book launched on December 2012? Ans: M.S. Subbulakshmi Queen of Carnatic Music