Compendium- February 2014

National International Appointments-National/International Person Resigned/Retired Sports Honours/ Awards Obituaries Important Days Foreign Visits / Foreign Visitors Interim Budget or Finance Bill for 2014 Interim Rail Budget 2014-15

Compiled By Sanjay Singh Compendium- February 2014

National

101st Indian Science Congress  Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 101st Indian Science Congress at Jammu University, Jammu. The five-day (Feb 3-7, 2014) event will see deliberations and presentation of papers by the scientific fraternity from across the globe.  Dr. Singh stated that the country must increase its’ annual expenditure on science and technology to at least 2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the private sector must join hands with the government for an inclusive progress in science and technology.

 Excerpts of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s speech  India will partner with the international scientific community in establishment of the world’s major R&D projects.  In the Gravitational Wave Experiment, India intends to host the third detector. A Neutrino- based Observatory is proposed to be established in Tamil Nadu at a cost of about Rs. 1450 crore.  India would soon join, as an associate member, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, where international projects such as the research on ‘God Particle’ was going on.  Favored genetically modified crops.  Supported the scientists to engage more with society and explain socially productive applications of biotechnology and other alternatives.  Announced the names of five eminent scientists, who have been selected for the recently instituted Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowships.  The Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship is open to scientists who are either Nobel Laureates or Fellows of the Royal Society, or members of the United States or French academies of science. The selected scientists are entitled to a fellowship of $1,00,000 and a research

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grant of Rs. 55 lakh. They will have to do research in an institution here for 12 months, which can be spent in installments over 3 years. The host institution would also get a grant of Rs. 10 lakh for providing laboratory and other facilities for the research.

India’s First Monorail Inaugurated in Mumbai  India’s first monorail service started in Mumbai. The monorail service that would link the city to major stations began its first phase of 8.93 km between Wadala and Chembur in the eastern fringes of the Commercial Capital.  The first phase of the monorail covered seven stations: Wadala depot, Mysore Colony, BhaktiPark, Bharat Petroleum, V.N. Purav Marg, Fertiliser Colony, and Chembur.  Will be able to carry about 2,500 passengers (each car will accommodate 568 commuters). The fares will be between Rs. 5 and Rs. 11.  Average speed: 65 km/hr; Maximum speed: 80 km/hr.  Expected to reduce the travel time between Wadala and Chembur by almost half. It takes 40 minutes at present but the monorail will take only about 21 minutes.  Second phase – connecting Wadala with Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk in South Mumbai will be completed by mid-2015.  It will cover a distance of 11.2 km and include the following 11 stations: Chinchpokli, Chembur Naka, Wadala Bridge, Mint Colony, Acharya Atra Nagar, Antop Hill, Wadala, GTB Nagar, Fertilizer Company and Bharat Petroleum.  Mumbai monorail will display three colours — pink, green and blue.  The project executed by a consortium of engineering major Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T) and Malaysian firm Scomi Engineering and owned and operated by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).  The overall monorail project covers a 19.17 km stretch in the Chembur-Wadala-Jacob Circle corridor, which will be the second longest corridor with 17 stations. (The longest one is Japan’s Osaka Monorail).  What is Monorail?  A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles travelling on such a beam or track. The beam in a monorail system is narrower than the vehicle.  After the launch of Mumbai monorail, India joined the elite group of countries viz. the U.S., Germany, China, Japan, Australia and Malaysia that run monorails.

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Euthanasia Plea Issue: Apex Court Refers Matter to Constitution Bench  The Supreme Court of India referred the issue of legalizing euthanasia in the country to a five-judge Constitution bench. Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering. Due to conflicted opinions on euthanasia, the apex court stated that the Constitution bench will go into all aspects of the issue and take a final decision on framing guidelines.  The PIL filed by NGO “Common Cause” had contended that a person whose life was ebbing out should be allowed to die, as the continuance of the life with the support system was an unnatural extension of the natural life span. The Centre had vociferously opposed the plea terming it as “suicide” which could not be allowed in the country.  Jurisdictions where euthanasia or assisted suicide is legal – the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Estonia, Albania, and the US states of Washington, Oregon and Montana.

Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee recommendations to be reviewed by a 9-member IRDA panel  The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) set up a 9-member panle to review the 14 non-legislative recommendations made by the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC).  The role of panel is to:  Examine the extant legislative and regulatory framework in compliance 14 Non-Legislative Recommendations (NLRs).  Identify the gaps and possible improvements in the extant framework vis-a-vis the 14 NLR.  Suggest changes or modifications to the extant framework in compliance with the 14 NLR.  About Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC) report:  Headed by former Justice B.N.Srikrishna  Contains 12 key proposals and these do not require legislative changes.  The financial sector regulators will take serious action with high penalties on violators and time bound investigations that would act as deterrents and improve consumer protection.  The proposals that called for penalties discourage the future violations as a multiple of the illegitimate gain of violations.  Regulators should also put in place internal manuals on conducting investigations. The investigating officer would be kept different from the officer who would decide the penalty for the crime.

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Mukul Mudgal Committee report on IPL spot fixing scandal  The Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee submitted its report to the Supreme Court after investigating allegations of spot-fixing and betting in the Indian Premier League (IPL).  As per the Mukul Mugdal Committee report  The allegations of betting and passing of information against Mr. Gurunath Meiyappan (the Son-in-Law of BCCI president N Srinivasan) stand proved.  More investigation is needed against Rajasthan Royals owner Mr. Raj Kundra, who is facing charges of betting and fixing the match.  The allegations of spot-fixing and match fixing against five players – Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan, Ajit Chandila, Amit Singh and Siddharth Trivedi – on the basis of evidence provided by Delhi Police were facing criminal trial and adequate punishment has been imposed upon them by the BCCI.  Constitution of IPL Governing Council, the two teams Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals may be suspended.  As per the Clause 11.3 of the IPL franchise agreement in any case, if the team, official, team owner or anyone else associated with the team tries to bring in bad image on the league, then the team can be suspended immediately.  Recommendations of Mukul Mudgal panel  Senior players should make ensure that younger players are aware about the spot-fixing and other things that tarnish the image of the sport as well as the player or team.  The game should be made more clear and transparent.  Information should be shared with other agencies by BCCI.  BCCI should make a proactive approach against players and bookies instead of wait for the media probe.  In its recommendation, it has also suggested getting registered agents of the players by BCCI and those agents should not be allowed to travel with the players.  About Mukul Mugdal Committee  Formed: By Supreme Court in October 2013.  Purpose: To investigate spot-fixing in IPL matches.  Chairman: Mr. Mukul Mudgal, the Retired Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court.  Other members: Additional Solicitor L N Rao and Nilay Dutta.  The panel led by Justice Mudgal made the report after compiling statements of players, officials associated to IPL and Journalists.

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CSO: India’s Economy to grow by 4.9% in 2013-14  As per the advanced estimates released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during 2013-14 is estimated at 4.9% as compared to the growth rate of 4.5% in 2012- 13.  The advance estimates of national income at constant (2004-05) and current prices, for the financial year 2013-14  Based on expected level of agricultural production from the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation(DAC), Index of Industrial Production (IIP), monthly accounts of Union Government Expenditure maintained by Controller General of Accounts (CGA) and of State Government expenditure maintained by Comptroller and Auditor general of India (CAG).  Per capita income in real terms (at 2004-05 prices) during 2013-14 is probably to attain a level of Rs 39,961 as compared to the first revised estimate for the year 2012-13 of Rs 38,856. The growth rate in per capita income is estimated at 2.8% as against the previous year’s estimate of 2.1%.  Per capita income at current prices during 2013-14 is estimated to Rs 74,920 as compared to Rs 67,839 during 2012-13, shows a rise of 10.4%.  The rates of Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) at current and constant (2004-05) prices during 2013-14 are estimated at 28.5% and 32.5%. (GFCF is an indicator of investment)  The rate of expenditure on valuables at current prices has gone down from 2.6% in 2012- 13 to 2.1% in 2013-14.  The Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, Mr. C. Rangarajan described the latest estimate of 4.9% for 2013-14 as an encouraging indication that economic slowdown is over.

Taj Mahotsav 2014  The 10- day annual festival, Taj Mahotsav 2014 began in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. It is organized by the Uttar Pradesh Department of Tourism to increase the Indian Tourism.

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 About Taj Mahotsav 2014  Celebrated from February 18 to 27 at Shilpgram near the Eastern gate of “Taj Mahal”.  Theme: Paigham-e Mohahabbat or the message of love.  This 10 days long carnival is actually a vibrant platform that gives us information of India where we can find India’s rich arts, crafts, cultures, cuisine, dance and music.  Legendary artisans from different parts of the country would get an opportunity to display their exquisite works of art viz. wood or stone carvings from Tamil Nadu, Bamboo or cane work from North East India, Paper mash work from South India and Kashmir, the marble and zardozi work from Agra.  Taj Mahal is the most beautiful historical place of India which tells about incredible India.  Taj Mahotsav started in 1992 and is organized by the Uttar Pradesh Department of Tourism to increase the Indian Tourism.

Family Of Late Justice J.S. Verma Recently Refused To Accept Padma Bhushan Award  Padma Bhushan award was conferred on late Justice J.S. Verma But family of late Justice J.S. Verma recently refused to accept award conferred on him posthumously by the Union Government. In a letter written to President Pranab Mukherjee his family mentioned that accepting it would be against his principles as he never hankered for any such honours. Late Justice J.S. Verma was one of the 25 winners of Padma Bhushan announced by the Union Government on 25 January 2014. Verma, who had headed the government committee to frame stricter laws and suggested legal reforms to deal with sexual assault cases in the wake of the 16 December Delhi gangrape case, died on 22 April 2013.

Govt. launched ‘National Cloud’ Under ‘MeghRaj’  Govt. launched the National Cloud under ‘MeghRaj’ initiative. National Information Centre (NIC) is providing Cloud services under the umbrella of ‘MeghRaj’.  About MeghRaj  In order to utilize and harness the benefits of Cloud Computing, the Central Government has embarked upon an ambitious initiative – ‘GI Cloud’ which has been named as ‘MeghRaj’.  Focus: To accelerate delivery of e- services in the country while optimizing ICT spending of the Government. This will ensure optimum utilization of the infrastructure and speed up the development and deployment of eGov applications.  Architectural vision of GI Cloud: As per the set of common protocols, guidelines and standards issued by the Government of India, GI cloud will cover a set of discrete cloud

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computing environments spread across multiple locations, built on existing or new (augmented) infrastructure.  Benefit of GI Cloud: Helpful for the departments to procure ICT services on demand in the OPEX model rather than investing upfront on the CAPEX.  Characteristics of National Cloud: Self service portal, Multiple Cloud solutions, Secured VPN access and Multi location Cloud.  Existing Cloud services: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and Storage as a Service (STaaS).  What is Cloud Computing?  Cloud computing is the delivery of computing and storage capacity. In cloud computing, end users are not required to buy software or Devices as they are provided by service providers on a rental basis. It’s an Internet based technology which enables its user to share technological resources, software and digital information from anywhere using a browser.  The Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY) prepared the two Policy reports viz., ‘GI Cloud Strategic Direction Paper’ and ‘GI Cloud Adoption and Implementation Roadmap’.

Asia's first SBTF commissioned into Indian Navy at Goa  India has joined the elite group of nations when the Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) was commissioned into the Indian Navy at INS Hansa. This is the third such facility in the world, after the United States and Ukraine. The SBTF, which was commissioned recently, is primarily used for flight testing of naval aircraft that operate from aircraft.

Indian Museum, Kolkata completed 200 years of its establishment  Indian Museum, Kolkata, which is the largest museum in India, completed 200 years of its establishment on 2 February 2014. Indian Museum was founded on 2 February 1814 by the Asiatic Society of Bengal. It is known to be the oldest museum in Asia. Museum’s founder-curator was Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, a Dutch botanist. A special commemorative stamp was released by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on this occasion.

8th DEFEXPO India  8th DEFEXPO India is the name of the 4-day biennial defence exhibition that commenced at New Delhi on 6 February 2014. This biennial exhibition seeks to showcase the best of Indian defence products, technologies and services at a time when the Government has made a number of important policy and procedural changes relating to defence manufacturing and acquisition. As many as 624 companies from 30 countries are taking part in this exhibition. The Union Government is looking forward to encourage strong partnerships between India and international manufacturers capable of meeting India’s growing

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defence needs through this exhibition.

Delhi is India’s official bid for the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site  Delhi is India’s official bid for the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site. Delhi’s bid for this prestigious status focuses on Old Delhi’s Shahjahanabad area – which served as the capital under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan from 1638 to 1648 – and the British capital planned by architect Edwin Lutyens. The deadline for submitting entries ended on 31 January 2014. Initially, of the seven historical cities in Delhi, four figured in the dossier prepared for the bid. Following consultations with international experts and in line with UNESCO guidelines, the list was pruned to just Shahjahanabad and Lutyens’ Delhi. Mumbai is also in contention as an alternative.

M.P. Bezbaruah Committee  As protests continued to rage over attacks on people from the Northeast, the Central Government on 6 February 2014 announced the formation of a committee that will examine the reasons behind such attacks and suggest remedial measures. M.P. Bezbaruah appointed as the head of this 6-member committee. Bezbaruah is a retired bureaucrat belonging to the Northeast. The committee headed by him will examine various kinds of concerns, including those regarding security of people from the northeastern states. This committee has been established to ensure that the rights of the people from the northeast are ensured and such incidents do not happen in future.

Two New Major Ports to Be Established By 2020  According to an announcement made by the Union Government in the Parliament on 10 February 2014, Sagar in West Bengal and Dugarajapatnam in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh two new major ports are to be established by 2020. As per the feasibility report prepared the date of completion of the Phase-I of the project at Dugarajapatnam is 2018 and for Sagar 2019-20. Currently, there are 12 major ports – Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Kolkata (with Haldia), Chennai, Visakhapatanam, Cochin, Paradip, New Mangalore, Marmagao, Ennore, Tuticorin and Kandla. These ports handle 75% of the total cargo traffic in the country.

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Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) completed 50 years  India’s anti-corruption watchdog Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) completed 50 years of its establishment on 11 February 2014. CVC, the apex anti-corruption institution of the country, was set up on 11 February 1964. On this occasion President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 2-day Golden Jubilee Celebrations of CVC at New Delhi which was presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Electronic Indian Postal Order (e-IPO)  India Post (Dept. of Posts) on 13 February 2014 launched electronic Indian Postal Order (e- IPO) for Indian Citizens living in India. e-IPO facilitates paying online fee For seeking information under the RTI. e-IPO is a facility to purchase an Indian Postal Order electronically for paying RTI fee online through e-Post Office Portal (https://www.epostoffice.gov.in) or India Post web-site (www.indiapost.gov.in). After paying the fee online one just need to annex the print-out of the receipt to the RTI application. Earlier last year the Department had launched the e-IPO on 22 March 2013 for Indian Citizens living abroad across the globe.

Odisha Enact the Lokayukta Bill  Odisha state government enact the Lokayukta Bill within the three-month deadline following the passage of the Lokpal Bill by Parliament in December 2013. The State Assembly on 14 February 2014 passed the Odisha Lokayukta Bill, 2014, with provision of keeping Chief Minister, ex-Chief Ministers, other ministers and public servants under the purview of a six-member anti-corruption panel. The Bill, introduced in the Assembly on 12 February was unanimously passed after a two-day discussion. The Bill has provisions similar to that of the Central Act which was passed in Parliament in December, 2013.  Uttarakhand was the first State to adopt the provisions of the Lokpal Act. Vidhan Sabha on 22nd January 2014 passed the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill-2014.

Two New Plants to Manufacture Semiconductor Chips  Union Govt. on 14 February 2014 approved the setting up of two plants to manufacture semiconductor chips in India by two business consortia involving total investment of around Rs 63,412 crore. Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, where these two plants would be set up. The business consortium consisting of India’s Jaiprakash Associates, IBM and Israel’s Tower Jazz will set up a plant at a cost of Rs 34,399 crore near the Yamuna Expressway in UP. The second consortium of France-based

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STMicroelectronics, India’s HSMC Technologies (Hindustan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation) and Malaysia’s Silterra, will set up a plant in Prantij in Gujarat at a cost of Rs 29,013 crore.

Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC)  The Union Cabinet on 20 February 2014 cleared a proposal for setting up the much-awaited Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), a statutory body to check discrimination of minority communities in jobs and education. Justice Sachar Committee had recommended setting up of such a panel. The EOC’s mandate is to ensure that no minority community is discriminated against on religious grounds by redressing complaints. It has to make binding recommendations that people from minority communities find adequate representation in government employment or educational institutions. The Sachar Committee that studied the socio-economic condition of the minorities in India had noted that though Muslims constituted 18.5% of the population, their representation in bureaucracy was just about 2.5%.

Odia- 6th Indian classical language  The Union Cabinet gave its nod for classifying Odia as a classical language to give impetus to scholarships in the language. It is the sixth Indian language to get such prestigious tag after Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.  There has been a long-standing demand that Odia, which is one of the oldest languages and has no resemblance to Hindi, Sanskrit, Bengali, Telugu, etc, be declared as a classical language.  What is a ‘Classical Language’ ?  A classical language is a language with a literature (art of written work) that is classical. U.C.Berkeley linguist George L. Hart defined Classical Language as follows: “It should be ancient, it should be an independent tradition that arose mostly on its own, not as an offshoot of another tradition, and it must have a large and extremely rich body of ancient literature.”  Classical languages are those which are ancient, of an independent nature and not a derivative of any other tradition. And based on above, Chinese, Sanskrit, Tamil, Hebrew, Greek and Latin are considered as the Classical Languages of the World. Of these only Chinese and Tamil are used by masses now.  In India, Tamil was the first to gain the Classical Language status, followed by Sanskrit in 2005. These two languages (Tamil and Sanskrit) are undoubtedly parental sources for many languages belonging to the Indo-European family and the Dravidian family of linguistic groups.

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 In 2006, the Union Minister for Tourism and Culture announced in the Rajya Sabha the creation of a new category of languages as classical languages based on 4 norms: (i) High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years; (ii) A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers; (iii) The literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech community; (iv) The classical language and literature being distinct from the modern, there may also be discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or offshoots.  A committee of linguistic experts followed it up, and based on its recommendation classical status was conferred on Telugu and Kannada in 2008. Thus, the definition of classical languages has undergone several changes over the years and the latest criterion too is susceptible to changes.  Benefits of declaring Odia as classical language  Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in Odia language.  A ‘Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Languages’ can be set up.  The University Grants Commission can be requested to create, to start with at least in Central Universities, a certain number of professional chairs for classical languages, for scholars of eminence in Odia language.  Which are the Classical Languages of India?  Languages thus far declared to be Classical are: 1. Tamil (2004) 2. Sanskrit (2005) 3. Kannada (2008) 4. Telugu (2008) 5. Malayalam (2013) 6. Odia (2014)

The National Mission for Green India (NMGI)  The National Mission for Green India (NMGI) received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 20 February 2014 as a Centrally-sponsored scheme. The project, which has a planned investment of about Rs. 13,000 crore during the 12th Plan Period, aims to add six to eight million hectares of forest cover as well as improve degraded forests over 10 years. NMGI comes under National Action Plan on Climate Change. The project is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. Some studies estimate that the new and restored forests will absorb about 43 million tonnes of green house gases. About Rs. 46,000 crore will be spent on this scheme. It is estimated that about 40% of India’s forests are degraded currently.

Whistleblowers Protection Bill 2014  The Parliament of India approved the Whistleblowers Protection Bill 2014 to set up a mechanism to encourage persons for disclosure of information on corruption or willful misuse of power by public servants. The bill also seeks to provide punishment for false or frivolous complaints. Recently, the Rajya Sabha gave its nod to the bill without any

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amendment after keeping it pending for more than two years. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill in 2011.  About Whistle-blowers Protection Bill 2014  Objective: To provide and protect mechanism, methodologies to encourage the person for reporting any such corruption activities or any misuse of power by a bureaucrats or government officer.  Will provide an adequate protection to persons reporting corruption or wilful misuse of discretion which causes demonstrable loss to the government or commission of a criminal offence by a public servant.  Sets the procedure to inquire into the disclosures and provides adequate safeguards against victimisation of the whistleblower. It will also seek to provide punishment for false or frivolous complaints.  The bill would create a legal framework to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption involving government officials.

Ennore Port in Chennai Renamed Kamarajar Port  Ennore Port in Chennai of the country was renamed Kamarajar Port as announced by the Union Government on 20 February 2014. The Ennore Port in Chennai is one among the 12 major ports in the country. The Cabinet renamed Ennore Port Ltd (EPL) as Kamraj Port Ltd (KPL). The port, which started functioning in 2001, is a schedule B Mini Ratna Company. It has seen export of 4,49,720 automobile units till December 2013 including by automobile manufacturers like Nissan, Ford and Ashok Leyland from Chennai, Toyota from Bangalore and Honda from Delhi.

5.4% is the projection for India’s GDP growth rate announced by IMF  5.4% is the projection for India’s GDP growth rate for 2014-15 as announced by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 20 February 2014. However, the IMF projected a growth rate of 4.6% for 2013-14. IMF said the Indian economy is likely to expand by 5.4% on stronger global scenario, improving export competitiveness, a favourable monsoon and a confidence boost after recent policy actions.

Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) Launched Health Insurance  India’s first all-women bank “Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) tied up with New India Assurance public-sector general insurance company for launching 3 health insurance products for women account holders of the bank. These policies, BMB Sakhee, BMB-Nirbhaya and BMB-Parivar Suraksha provide customised package of health insurance policies from New India Assurance. While Sakhee Policy aimed at rural women, offers covers up to Rs 50,000, the Nirbhaya schemes offers cover limit up to Rs 5 lakh. Parivar Suraksha offers family floater facilities.

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INS Sindhuratna in An Explosion on 26 February  INS Sindhuratna Kilo-class submarine of the Indian Navy came to news on 26 February 2014 for being involved in an explosion in which two officers were feared dead and seven other Navy personnel seriously injured. INS Sindhuratna is a Russian-origin Kilo Class submarine of the Indian Navy which was involved in an exercise along the Mumbai harbour when a leakage in the battery compartment of the submarine occurred. This is the tenth accident involving an Indian Navy warship and the third submarine mishap in the last seven months. Indian Navy went through one of the most serious accidents involving a submarine on 14 August 2013 when INS Sindhurakshak suffered a major fire and sank at Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard. 18 naval crew members died in this accident.

Fali S. Nariman Declined to Be Part of the Process to Select India’s First Lokpal  Fali S. Nariman eminent jurist on 27 February 2014 declined to be part of the process to select India’s first Lokpal and thus giving a major embarrassment to the Union Govt. Nariman informed the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) that the process to select Lokpal was such that most competent and most independent would get overlooked. It is understood that he was asked on 21 February to be the search committee to select India’s first Lokpal.

India’s first Post Office Savings Bank ATM  India’s first Post Office Savings Bank ATM was inaugurated on 27 February 2014 by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram at – Chennai. India’s first Post Office Savings Bank ATM was inaugurated at Thiyagaraya Nagar Head Post Office in Chennai. This initiative of opening Post Office Savings Bank ATM is part of the government’s Rs. 4,909 crore IT modernisation scheme for the Department of Posts specified in the interim budget for 2014-15.

Bor Wildlife Sanctuary Upgraded To the Status of a Tiger Reserve  Bor Wildlife Sanctuary was recently upgraded to the status of a tiger reserve. This sanctuary is situated in Maharashtra. Bor Sancturay is situated near Hingni in Wardha district. With this total number of tiger reserves in Maharashtra have gone up to six. Four new wildlife sanctuaries of Umred-Karandla, new Nagzira, new Bor and new Navegaon were also created by the state Wildlife Board.

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“Tropex 2014”: Indian Navy started largest combat exercise with dedicated satellite G- SAT 7  Indian Navy started largest combat exercise called “Tropex 2014”, with both the western and eastern fleets amassing in the Bay of Bengal for intensive combat manoeuvres.  This month long exercise is being held under the gaze of India’s first dedicated Military Satellite G-SAT 7 or “Rukmini”.  This geostationary naval communication and surveillance satellite is beaming signals from its UHF, S, Ku and C-band transponders to network all Indian warships, submarines and aircraft with operational centres ashore through high- speed encrypted data-links. Over 50 Indian warships viz. aircraft carrier INS Viraat, nuclear submarine INS Chakra, fighters, helicopters, drones, etc. would participate in the exercise.  Rukmini is capable of surveying and communicate with the network of all Indian warships, submarines and aircrafts and have a 2000 nautical mile footprint over the critical Indian Ocean region (IOR))

India’s First Minority Cyber Village inaugurated in Rajasthan  The Minister for Minority Affairs Mr. K Rehman Khan inaugurated India’s first Minority Cyber Village in Chandoli in Alwar district of Rajasthan. Ministry of Minority Affairs has targeted villages with substantial population of minorities for this project. Minority people will be benefited more from this cyber village concept.  About India’s First Minority Cyber Village  Objective: To provide computer education to the people of 15 to 59 age group.  Chandoli has been selected as the first village for the pilot project as it holds more than 80% of minority population and also because the minorities of the Mewat region is still backward in education.  Under this project, experts will provide training of commuter skills to the people of chandoli.  Future plan: Government pondering to open special schools on the pattern of Kendriya Vidyalayas for minority community and planning to come up with 200 new colleges in minority dominated areas and the areas viz. Laxmangarh, Tijara, Kishengarhbas and Ramgarh.

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India became world’s No.3 crude importer  With 3.86 million barrels per day of crude oil imports, India has overtaken Japan as the world’s third-biggest crude oil importer in 2013.  World’s Top Five Oil-Importing Countries:  China: China imports 6.30 million barrels per day  U.S.A:USA imports 6.24 million barrels per day  India:India imports 3.86 million barrels per day  Japan:Japan imports 3.64 million barrels per day  Germany: Germany imports 2.67 million barrels per day  India’s imports were nearly 6% higher than Japan’s customs-cleared imports of 3.64 million bpd (211,716,710 kilolitres).

SC: People from Any Religious Background Are Free To Adopt Child The Supreme Court ruled that people are free to adopt children irrespective of their religious background. The move paved the way for adoption of child by persons hailing from Muslim community even though it is not allowed under their personal law.  The bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam stated that the  Law entitles adoption by people belonging to any religion and any person, who does not submit himself to personal law, can adopt a child.  Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act is a small step towards the concept of Uniform Civil Code mentioned in Article 44 of the Constitution of India.  Act does not mandate any compulsive action by any prospective parent leaving such person with the liberty of accessing the provisions of the Act, if he so desires.  Act is an enabling legislation that gives a prospective parent the option of adopting an eligible child by following due procedure.

 India and Fiji signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.  Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) stopped production of the iconic Maruti 800 car brand that had been the carrier for millions of Indian middle-class families. As per the company’s policy, though the car production has stopped, spare parts will be available for customers for next 8-10 years, for all the models which have been phased out till date.  As per the report released by the Union Ministry of Drinking water and Sanitation, Sikkim became the only state in India to achieve 100% sanitation in rural and urban households, schools, sanitary complexes and Aanganwadi centres.

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 The Union Ministry of Urban Development gave an “in-principle” approval to the Phase – I of the Pune Metro Rail Project. In-principle approval of the Centre will enable the state government to take necessary action required for faster implementation of the project.  The Government of India (GOI) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $275 million loan agreement to continue improving rural roads in the states of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal. The loan represents the second tranche of $800 million financing facility under the Rural Connectivity Investment Program (RCIP).  Delhi Police launched a new helpline number 1093 for North Eastern people living in Delhi. This helpline number has 5 direct lines and all calls are received at the Central Police Control Room (CPCR) situated at Delhi Police headquarters.  Purushottam Express (Train Number 12801/12802) will become the first train in India to be attached with a Braille-embedded AC coach for visually challenged passengers by the end of February 2014. Purushottam Express is a super-fast train running between Delhi and Puri.  The Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) and Google jointly launched 360-degree panoramic imagery of 30 out of 100 “nationally-important monuments”.  Northern Railway launched 24 x 7 security helpline No.1322 to provide speedy assistance to passengers in the event of thefts, harassment and other criminal incidents on rail premises.  The Vice President of India, Mr. M. Hamid Ansari launched a book titled “Water, Peace and War – Confronting the Global Water Crisis” authored by Mr. Brahma Chellaney.  The Central Consumer Protection Council (CCPC) under the chairmanship of minister K V Thomas set up a sub-committee to draft guidelines to safeguard consumer interest from false advertisements in the country.  Sameer Kochhar is the author of the book ‘ModiNomics’, which was released on 15 February 2014.  3) Plastic notes in the denomination of Rs. 10 will be introduced on a trial basis in five cities Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur, Shimla and Bhubaneswar in the second half of 2014, as stated by the Union Government on 7 February 2014 in the Parliament.  The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs on 20 February 2014 launched an online shopping portal (eshop.tribesindia.com) for sale of authentic tribal products.  India’s first 4G mobile service was launched on 14 February 2014 by Bharti Airtel in association with Apple in Bangalore.  Bharti Airtel, Telecom Company became the first in India to cross 200 million customer marks recently  A 130-MW Solar Power Plant, largest in India, launched in Neemuch, MP.  Coal Regulatory Authority (CRA) approved by the cabinet.  Marathi film Killa won the Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival  President's rule imposed in Delhi.  Central Govt. has made it compulsory for public transport vehicles to install a GPS.  International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed 15 Indian birds as critically endangered in its red list.  Implementation of the National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology approved by the Cabinet.  The President launched the National Mission on Libraries (NML).

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International

Belgium Became Second Country to Allow Mercy Killing for Children  The Catholic country, Belgium became the first country to allow euthanasia for terminally ill children of any age. This action of legalizing death for the children came 12 years after the country legalized euthanasia for adults. The Parliament of Belgium took the decision in spite of opposition from the Church and some paediatricians.  Belgium became the second country after Netherlands to allow mercy- killing for children and the first to lift all age restrictions.  Under the approved legislation by the Parliament, a young child will be allowed to end their life with the help of a doctor. The legislation has not fixed any age limit for minors suffering from a terminal illness to opt for the death by use of a lethal injection.  Other European countries that allows active euthanasia are:-  Luxembourg: Permits active euthanasia for over 18 years in age.  Switzerland: Doctors help adult patients to commit suicide.  About Euthanasia  Refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.  Forms of euthanasia: Active and passive euthanasia  Active euthanasia: when the medical professionals, or another person, deliberately do something that causes the patient to die.  Passive euthanasia: when the patient dies because the medical professionals either don’t do something necessary to keep the patient alive, or when they stop doing something that is keeping the patient alive.  Jurisdictions where euthanasia or assisted suicide is legal: the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Estonia, Albania, and the US states of Washington, Oregon and Montana.

Indian- American Scientist Sangeeta Bhatia developed cheap paper diagnostic for cancer  The Indian-American scientist, Ms. Sangeeta Bhatia developed a simple, cheap, paper test that could improve cancer diagnosis rates and help people to get treated earlier. Ms. Bhatia is professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  About the paper diagnostic test for cancer  The diagnostic, which works much like a pregnancy test, could reveal within minutes, based on a urine sample, whether a person has cancer. The synthetic

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biomarker technology relies on nano-particles that interact with tumour proteins called proteases, each of which can trigger release of hundreds of biomarkers that are then easily detectable in a patient’s urine.  Concept of synthetic biomarker technology: To amplify signals from tumor proteins (that would be hard to detect on their own) by injecting special nanoparticles into the body.  These proteins are known as Matrix Metallo Proteinase (MMP) that help cancer cells to escape from their original locations by cutting through proteins of the extra cellular matrix, which normally holds cells in place.  These nanoparticles, coated with peptides (short protein fragments), can interact with tumour proteins called proteases. In a patient’s body, these particles congregate at tumour sites, where cancer proteases cleave the peptides, which then accumulate in the kidneys and are excreted in the patient’s urine.  These biomarkers are easily detectable using an approach known as a lateral flow assay, the same technology used in pregnancy tests. In tests in mice, the researchers were able to accurately identify colon tumours, as well as blood clots.  As per the current version of the technology, patients would first receive an injection of the nanoparticles, and then urinate onto the paper test strip. To make the process more convenient, the researchers are now working on a nanoparticle formulation that could be implanted under the skin for longer-term monitoring.

Mount Sinabung Started Erupting Again  Mount Sinabung, which started erupting again on 1 February 2014, is in Indonesia. 16 persons died due to this eruption. Mount Sinabung erupted again on 1 February just a day after authorities allowed thousands of villagers who had been evacuated to return to its slopes, saying volcanic activity was decreasing. Sinabung in western Sumatra (Indonesia) has been erupting for four months.

‘The Hindus: An Alternative History’ withdrawn from India by Penguin Books India  Wendy Doniger is the author of the controversial book “The Hindus: An Alternative History”, which was withdrawn from India by its publisher Penguin Books India on 11 February 2014. Wendy Doniger is a U.S. Indologist who wrote this book, which published in 2009, elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds. The book was withdrawn by Penguin India following a court- backed settlement with a Delhi-based voluntary group (Shiksha Bachao Andolan Committee) which had objected to several inaccuracies and biases in it.

Top 10 Most Active Non-State Armed Groups In 2013  Barisan Revolusi Nasional (Thailand) insurgent group was ranked first in the list of the most active non-state armed groups in 2013 as reported in the IHS Jane’s latest ‘Global Terrorism and Insurgency Attack Index,’

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 The Communist Party of India (Maoist) insurgent group from India ranked fourth among the top ten most active non-state armed groups in 2013, according to the IHS Jane’s latest ‘Global Terrorism and Insurgency Attack Index,’ – a major defence and business risk think- tank. According to this study index a total of 258 attacks were claimed by, or attributed to, the CPI (Maoist), even though this represented a 29% decrease from the 362 attacks recorded in 2012.  Following is the list of Top 10 most active non-state armed groups in 2013 1. Barisan Revolusi Nasional (Thailand) 2. Taliban 3. Islami Chhatra Shibir (Bangladesh) 4. Communist Party of India – Maoist 5. Al-Qaeda in Iraq 6. Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (Al-Shabaab) 7. FARC (Colombia) 8. New People’s Army (Philippines) 9. Jabhat al-Nusra (Syria) 10. Unified Communist Party of Nepal – Maoist

Facebook will purchase mobile messaging service WhatsApp  Facebook will purchase mobile messaging service WhatsApp for up to $19 billion as announced on 19 February 2014. The world’s biggest social networking company Facebook is paying $12 billion in Facebook stock and $4 billion in cash for WhatsApp. In addition, the app’s founders and employees will be granted $3 billion in restricted stock that will vest over four years after the deal closes. Facebook will keep WhatsApp as a separate service, just as it did with Instagram, which it bought for about $715.3 million. WhatsApp has more than 450 million monthly active users. In comparison, Twitter had 241 million users at the end of 2014.

“The Silkworm” is the name of new book written by celebrated writer JK Rowling  “The Silkworm” is the name of second book written by celebrated writer JK Rowling under pseudonym which will be released during June 2014. JK Rowling is the author of the popular Harry Potter series and the book “The Cuckoo’s Calling” was her first novel written under a pseudonym. “The Silkworn” will again feature Cormoran Strike, the private detective she introduced in “The Cuckoo’s Calling”. Robert Galbraith is the adopted pseudonym of JK Rowling.

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Nokia Announced Launching Three Devices Based On Android Platform  Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia on 24 February 2014 announced launching three devices based on Android platform. This is the first time that the company has used the ever-growing Android operating system for its phones. With this Nokia wants to join the growing demand for Android-based smartphone market in emerging markets. X-Series is the name given to this Android-based phone series. Nokia is to launch three phones in under this X series – Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL. Android operating system is owned by Google and Nokia has till now preferred Windows platform for its smartphones.

Mtgox was the Name of the Largest Bitcoin Exchange  MtGox is the name of the bitcoin exchange, which was once the largest bitcoin exchange in the world and which on 25 February 2014 came to news for virtually disappearing from the internet with many millions of dollars of customer deposits. MtGox’s website was down on 25 February and its founder was unaccounted-for during the day. MtGox is a Tokyo- based exchange which allowed users to trade Bitcoins for US Dollars and several other currencies. MtGox was going through some serious problems after news surfaced that almost 750,000 bitcoins (currently worth more than £200m) were missing in the exchange and this theft went unnoticed for several years.

Lebanon has Announced the Formation of a Compromise Government  Lebanon has announced the formation of a compromise government. The move ends a 10- month stalemate driven by deep political divisions and the ongoing civil war in neighboring Syria. Prime Minister Tammam Salam's formation of a national unity cabinet was announced by cabinet secretary general Souheil Bouji at the Lebanese presidential palace. The 24-member cabinet groups the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah and its allies and the Western-backed Sunni-led bloc of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Multiple attempts to form a new government over the last several months have failed. Many Shiite Muslims in Lebanon back the government of embattled Syrian President Bashar-al-Assad, while many Sunnis support the various rebel factions trying to unseat him from power.

 The astronomers led by Dr Stefan Keller of the Australian National University (ANU) have discovered the oldest known star, SMSS J031300.36-670839.3, in the Universe, which formed shortly after the Big Bang 13.6 billion years ago.  Social networking site Facebook completed 10 years of its establishment on 4 February 2014. The site was launched by Mark Zuckerberg on 4 February 2004, from Harvard University.  World's first virtual Bitcoin currency shop opened in Hong Kong.

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 58,000 people affected by a powerful 7.3 magnitude quake in northwest China's Xinjiang region.  Sri Lanka rejected a call by United Nations human rights for an international inquiry.  Ugandan President Yoweri-Museveni signed anti-gay bill which imposes tough penalties for homosexual acts.  FNCCI and CII agreed to organise Nepal-India Economic Summit every year alternatively in the two countries. The decision was made in Kathmandu, Nepal.  The British Army latest unmanned aircraft The Watchkeeper will start flying over Wiltshire on 25 February 2014.  The G-20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors was held at Sydney, Australia on 22 February 2014 to 23 February 2014.  OPCW selected the US and Finnish companies to destroy Syria’s chemical arsenal  Italy & Afghanistan signed agreement to develop biggest cargo airport in Afghanistan by providing financial assistance of 200 million dollar.  Hillary R Clinton launched a new global review of data to analyse the advancement of women and girls around the world.  China and Taiwan began their first official-level talks since the end of the brutal Chinese civil war in 1949 on 11 February 2014.  The Capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, reported its first case of polio since 2001 on 11 February 2014.

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Appointments-National/International

Bill Gates assumes role of “Founder and technology advisor” of Microsoft, John Thompson appointed as the new Chairman of Microsoft  Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates assumed a new role on the Board as Founder and Technology Advisor. He will help Satya Nadella (the new CEO of Microsoft) in shaping technology and product direction and will devote more time in making Microsoft Office more interactive and building a cloud platform as examples of ways Microsoft can innovate in the future. He stepped down as chairman of Microsoft in February 2014.  About Bill Gates  An American business magnate, investor, programmer, inventor and philanthropist.  Founded Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen and served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) until 2000.  Chairman of the Microsoft board until Feb. 4, 2014.  As per recent poll conducted by The Times, Mr. Bill Gates is the most admired person on Earth.  Known for donating large sums of money to charitable organizations and scientific research and is highly regarded globally.  Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (B&MGF or the Gates Foundation): founded by Bill and Melinda Gates in 1997.  Objective of the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation: to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty, and to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology.  Mr. John Thompson appointed as the new Chairman of Microsoft by the Board of Directors at a meeting held in Washington, US. He succeeded Bill Gates who assumed the role of Technology Advisor to the CEO of Microsoft. Mr. Thompson had joined the Board of Microsoft in 2012. He was also the former chairman and CEO of Symantec Corp.

Indian-born Mr. Satya Nadella appointed as the new Microsoft CEO  Indian-born Mr. Satya Nadella (46) appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the Board of Directors of the Internet giant Microsoft. Previously, he was the executive vice president of Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise group, responsible for building and running the company’s computing platforms, developer tools and cloud services.

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 Mr. Nadella is only the third chief executive in Microsoft’s 39-year history, following co- founder Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. He succeeded Mr. Steve Ballmer.  About Mr. Satya Nadella  Born: 1967 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.  Residence:Bellevue, Washington, US.  Started career as a member of the technology staff at Sun Microsystems.  Joined Microsoft in1992.  Played a major role in Microsoft’s transition to the cloud: During his long tenure, he lead major strategy and technical shifts across the company’s portfolio of products and services viz. development of one of the largest cloud infrastructures in the world supporting Bing, Xbox, Office and other services.  Played a key role in bringing some of Microsoft’s most popular technologies viz. its database, Windows server and developer tools, to the cloud, called Window Azure.  Helped Microsoft to bring a cloud version of Microsoft Office to the cloud, Office 365. Microsoft says Office 365 is one of its fastest growing products ever.  Currently, responsible for a huge, largely invisible part of Microsoft’s business.  As per Mr. Nadella’s new employment agreement, the Indian-origin CEO of software major Microsoft will be paid his salary on “semi-monthly” basis at an annual rate of $1.2 million (Rs 7.5 crore). His annual salary would be determined by the company’s Executive Incentive Programme (EIP).

Indian CEOs leading major companies in the world  Microsoft has become the biggest company to be headed by an Indian. Indian-born Mr. Satya Nadella appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the Board of Directors of the Internet giant Microsoft. The appoint of Mr. Nadella is a significant achievement as he joined a circle of India-origin executives manning top global companies.  Some global corporations led by Indian CEOs:  Mr. Lakshmi Mittal – Chairman and CEO of Arcelor-Mittal, world’s largest steel making company. The Indian Steel mogul is one of the most influential and powerful figures globally.  Ms. Indra Nooyi – Chairperson & CEO of PepsiCo, one of the largest food and beverage business in the world.  Rakesh Kapoor – CEO of Reckitt Benckiser, the consumer goods giant is listed on London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.  Anshu Jain: Co-CEO, Deutsche Bank.  Ajay Banga: President & CEO, MasterCard, an American financial services corporation that process payments between the banks of merchants when purchases are made through the brand card. Mr. Banga appointed CEO in July 2010.

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 Sanjay Jha: Appointed as chief executive officer of GLOBALFOUNDRIES in January 2014. GLOBALFOUNDRIES is the world’s first full-service semiconductor foundry with a truly global manufacturing and technology footprint.  Shantanu Narayen – President and CEO of Adobe Systems, one of the world’s largest and most diversified software companies.  Dinesh Paliwali: CEO of Harman International, a leading provider of premium audio and infotainment systems for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. He has served as the CEO since July 2007.  Rajeev Vasudeva: Egon Zehnder.  Ivan Menezes: CEO of alcoholic beverages firm Diageo PLC since July 1, 2013.  Ajit Jain: Berkshire Hathaway Group.  Piyush Gupta: DBS Group Holdings.  Sanjay Mehrotra: CEO of SanDisk since January 1, 2011.

Harish Rawat sworn in as Uttarakhand chief minister  Congress leader Harish Rawat was on Saturday sworn in as the new Uttarakhand chief minister, succeeding Vijay Bahuguna, who was asked by the party to step down in a bid to boost its prospects ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.  Rawat's name was approved by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was authorised to name the Congress legislature party (CLP) leader after a one-line resolution was passed at its meeting, party leader Janardhan Dwivedi said.

Kathy Cross of New Zealand is the first woman in ICC umpires panel  Kathy Cross of New Zealand on 30 January 2014 became the first woman to be appointed in an International Cricket Council (ICC) umpires panel. Cross was named as an Associate and Affiliate panel of International umpires for 2014 following the annual review and selection process. The panel comprises 11 umpires thatsits below the elite panel and these umpires officiate in ICC World Cricket League matches for teams ranked in divisions three to six and other associate and affiliate tournaments.

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Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur is the Head the 7th Central Pay Commission  Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur, former Judge of the Supreme Court will head the 7th Central Pay Commission which will revise salaries of over 50 lakh central government employees and remuneration of 30 lakh pensioners. The composition of the 7th Central Pay Commission was approved by the Prime Minister recently. The other members of the Commission, include, Oil Secretary Vivek Rae (full time Member), NIPFP Director Rathin Roy (part- time Member) and OSD in Expenditure Department Meena Agarwal (Secretary). The Commission has been mandated to submit its report in two years time and its recommendations would be implemented from January 1, 2016. Earlier in September 2013, the Prime Minister had approved setting up of the 7th Pay Commission.

BCCI President N. Srinivasan selected as Chairman of ICC  BCCI President N. Srinivasan was selected as the Chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC) on 8 February 2014. The decision was taken under a series of revolutionary changes and reforms made in the structure of ICC at its governing body’s meeting in Singapore, which effectively placed India (BCCI), England (ECB) and Australia (CA) in charge of the game. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) are two cricket associations withheld their votes at this meeting. PCB and SLC abstained from voting, citing need for more time to discuss the proposals, while other eight full members backed the reforms. N. Srinivasan will take his charge from July 2014.

Sushil Koirala elected unopposed as the new Prime Minister of Nepal  Sushil Koirala elected unopposed as the new Prime Minister of Nepal on 10 February 2014. Sushil Koirala is the President of Nepal Congress and he was declared elected by the Nepali Parliament after he got 405 votes in his support from a total of 553 votes. Earlier the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML signed a seven-point agreement on 9 February to reconcile their differences over power-sharing that was beginning to deepen the political impasse in the country. The two parties also announced the plan to prepare the draft of the new Constitution in six months and promulgate in a year.

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New judges of Supreme Court  Justices Rajesh Kumar Agarwal and Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana on 17 February 2014 assumed charge as Supreme Court judges. With their inclusion Supreme Court’s strength of judges has gone to Thirty one. This strength includes Chief Justice P. Sathasivam. The sanctioned strength of judges in the apex court is 31 including the Chief Justice.

Matteo Renzi Was Sworn in as Italy’s Youngest Prime Minister Ever  Matteo Renzi was sworn in as Italy’s youngest Prime Minister ever on 22 February 2014 after he cobbled together a government he says will change the face of the country’s politics and economy. Benito Mussolini, who came to power in 1922 was the youngest Italian Prime Minister before Renzi. Renzi, the 39-year-old leader of the Centre-Left Democratic Party, unveiled his government on 21 February and said the broad coalition will bring hope to the economically stagnant country. He had been serving as Florence mayor when he engineered a power grab last week to effectively force fellow Democrat, Enrico Letta, to step down after 10 months at the helm of a fragile, often-squabbling coalition

Dinesh K. Sarraf appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director of ONGC  Dinesh K. Sarraf appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC Ltd.) on 26 February 2014. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Sarraf, who at present is the Managing Director of ONGC’s overseas arm, ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL). Sarraf replaces Vasudeva who turned 60 on 25 February and retires on 28 February. The Union Govt. earlier rejected Oil Minister M. Veerappa Moily’s proposal to give Sudhir Vasudeva a post- retirement extension. ONGC Ltd. is India’s most profitable company.

Lakshmi Swaminathan, first Indian President of Administrative Tribunal of the ADB  Lakshmi Swaminathan became the first Indian to be elected President of Administrative Tribunal of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Swaminathan is the seventh president of the Tribunal. She is the first Indian to become the president of the Tribunal. Of the previous six presidents, two had been from the US, two from Philippines, one from Sri Lanka and one from the UK. Swaminathan is a jurist in administrative law and was the

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vice chairman of the Principal Bench at Delhi of the Central Administrative Tribunal. Manila headquartered ADB consists of 64 member countries, including India.

Dr. Marco Lambertini: New Director-General of WWF International  Dr. Marco Lambertini appointed as the Director General of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International. He will begin his new role with the global conservation organization on May 1, 2014.  About Dr. Marco Lambertini  At present, he is the chief executive of Bird Life International.  Holds an experience of 25 years as a global conservation leader.  Began his association with WWF as a youth volunteer growing up in his native Italy.  About World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)  An international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment.  Founded: April 29, 1961.  Headquarters: Gland, Vaud, Switzerland.  Mission: To stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.  Focus: On the conservation of three biomes that contain most of the world’s biodiversity: oceans and coasts, forests, and freshwater ecosystems.  Also concerned with endangered species, pollution and climate change.

R. K. Tiwari appointed new Chairman of CBDT  R. K. Tiwari is appointed as the new chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). Mr. Tiwari is a 1976-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. He is currently working as the Member of Legislation and Computerisation Department in the CBDT. He will take the charge from 1 March 2014. He will succeed Chairperson Sudha Sharma who is scheduled to retire on 28 February 2014.

Somayya Jabarti First Female Editor-In-Chief of Saudi Arabia  Somayya Jabarti in Saudi Arabia has been appointed editor-in- chief of a national newspaper, the first female journalist to be promoted to such a public position in a country with an appalling record on women's rights. Somayya Jabarti, a former deputy editor, has become the new boss at the helm of the Jeddah-based English daily Saudi Gazette, the paper's departing head has announced. There are around 20 Saudi Gazette reporters only three are male but the paper's senior editorial positions are mainly held by men.

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 Teresa Kho took over as Asian Development Bank’s new Country Director for India on 3 February 2014. She was heading the Bangladesh Resident Mission of ADB and replaced Hun Kim, who is now Deputy Director General of ADB’s South Asia Department in Manila.  Edward Snowden, former National Security Agency contractor, was elected as the new Rector of the University of Glasgow on 18 February 2014.  Pakistan appointed Abdul Basit as Pakistan’s high commissioner to India on 17 February 2014.  Justice Mukul Mudgal, former Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court, was appointed as the chief of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC).  N Ramachandran was elected President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on 9 February 2014  Indian-American Professor Sanjeev Kulkarni was appointed as the Dean of Princeton University Graduate School on 5 February 2014.  Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas confirmed the appointment of B.N.Talukdar as the head of Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) on 5 February 2014.  Poonam Khetrapal Singh took charge as the Regional Director of World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region.  United Nation appointed India based Vivek Lall as special advisor on cyber security on 3 February 2014.  Manoj Vaish took charge as MD & CEO of MCX. Forward Markets Commission approved his appointment which is for a period of 3 years.  Harish Rawat was appointed as the 8th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on 1 February 2014  Michael Rogers has been nominated to be the Director of the National Security Agency by the US president Barack Obama.

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Person Resigned/Retired

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resigned  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resigned from his post on 14 February 2014 after his government’s bid to table the Janlokpal Bill in the Assembly failed. Opposition parties BJP and Congress termed the bill as unconstitutional and voted against its tabling. Arvind Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government remained at Delhi’s helm for 48 days. Arvind Kejriwal took charge as Delhi CM on 28 December 2013.

Navy Chief Admiral D.K. Joshi resigned  Navy Chief Admiral D.K. Joshi resigned on 26 February 2014 taking moral responsibility over the spate of mishaps involving naval warships in the last seven months. He submitted his resignation hours after submarine INS Sindhuratna had a mishap in which seven sailors were taken seriously ill and two officers were missing. About 15 months service of Admiral Joshi was left. The Defence Ministry immediately accepted his resignation and ordered that Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral R.K. Dhowan should take over as the Acting Chief till a regular Chief is appointed. Admiral D.K. Joshi became the first military chief to resign from his post since independence.

 Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned from the post of Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and also quitted from the membership of the State Assembly and the Congress Party. Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan accepted the resignation of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and asked him to continue in office till alternative arrangements are made.

 Rishang Keishing the oldest Parliamentarian of India decided to retire on 21 February 2014.  Italy Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigned  Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kingfisher Airlines Sanjay Aggarwal resigned on 17 February 2014.  Health Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Shabir Khan resigned from the Council of Ministers due to alleged molestation case.  Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Vijay Bahuguna submitted his resignation to the Governor of the state.  Ukraine’s Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigned on 28 January 2014

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Sports

Karnataka won the Ranji Trophy for 2014  Karnataka won the Ranji Trophy for 2014 on 2 February 2014. Karnataka defeated Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy finals at Hyderabad to claim their 7th Ranji title. Chasing a modest victory target of 157 in little over two sessions, Karnataka batsmen reached the destination with ease as they knocked off the runs in 40.5 overs.

The 2014 Winter Olympics  The 2014 Winter Olympics commenced officially on 7 February 2014 at Sochi (Russia) with a breath-taking opening ceremony at Fisht Olympic Stadium. This is 22nd edition of Winter Olympics. The official name for this game is XXII Olympic Winter Games. The motto of these games is – “Hot. Cool. Yours”. Sochi is situated on the Black Sea coast bordering Georgia.  Curtains came down on the 22nd Winter Olympics 2014 at Sochi (Russia) on 23 February 2014 with a breathtaking closing ceremony. Which country topped the medals tally in these games to claim the first spot? – Russia (Hosts Russia won 13 gold medals, 11 silver and 9 bronze medals to take its total tally to 33 medals. Norway came second with 11 gold medals and Canada claimed third spot with 10 gold medals)

Final Medals Tally (First Five Standings) Country Gold Silver Bronze Total Russia 13 11 9 33 USA 9 7 12 28 Norway 11 5 10 26 Canada 10 10 5 25 Netherlands 8 7 9 24

 23rd Winter Olympics of 2018 would be held at – Pyeongchang, South Korea (Pyeongchang was handed over the Olympic flag of Winter Olympics at the closing ceremony of 23rd Games held on 23 February 2014)

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Yuvraj Singh came out as the most expensive player for the 7th edition of IPL  Yuvraj Singh came out as the most expensive player for the 7th edition of IPL, auction for which was held on 12 February 2014. He was purchased for a staggering price of Rs. 14 crore by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). This is the highest amount paid so far for a player in the IPL’s history. Delhi Daredevils acquired Dinesh Karthik for Rs. 12.5 crore and Kevin Pietersen for Rs. 9 crore.

Delhi Waveriders won the second edition of the Hero Hockey India league  Delhi Waveriders won the second edition of the Hero Hockey India league (HHIL), final of which was held on 23 February 2014 at Ranchi. Delhi Waveriders beat Punjab Warriors 6-4 in the final via shootouts. Ranchi Rhinos won the third place downing Uttar Pradesh Wizards 4-3 via tie-breaker.

Chennai and Panaji (India) to host World Bridge Championship 2015  For the first time, India will host the World Bridge Championship for Bermuda Bowl (men) and Venice Cup (women) in 2015. About 550 players from 66 countries are expected to be seen in action in this world meet.  About World Bridge Team Championship  Conducted by World Bridge Federation (WBF) in every two years.  WBF President: Gianrrigo Rona of Italy.  Bridge Federation of India (BFI) President: N R Kirubakara Moorthy.  Premier tournament in international bridge and sees the top teams from each geographic region competing against one another for the Bermuda Bowl trophy.  In addition, there are separate trophies for the top women`s team as well as the top senior team (D`Orsi Trophy) globally.

 Olympic torch was lit on the western peak of Mount Elbrus in Russia. Mount Elbrus is the highest peak in Europe.  Mithali Raj will lead the Indian team in the three-match Twenty20 international series against Bangladesh in Bangladesh from March 9 and also the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh from March 16.  South Africa batsman AB de Villiers became the first player in the history of Test cricket to score a half-century in 12 consecutive Tests.  Sourav Kothari beat Alok Kumar to won the National billiard Championships which held in Lucknow on 26 February 2014.

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 Somdev Devvarman won his third ATP Challenge Tennis title after defeating top seed Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3, 6-1 in the final in New Delhi.  Cheteshwar Pujara has been appointed as the brand ambassador of the Gujarat State Election Commission.  P V Sindhu ranked 9th in BWF women’s Singles ranking  Peng Shuai of China ranked World No. 1 in WTA Doubles Ranking  Li Na of China ranked World No. 2 in WTA Singles Ranking  Former test captain of Pakistan, Javed Miandad tendered his resignation from the post of Director-General of Cricket to the Chairman of PCB.  IOC revoked the ban imposed on IOA paving the way for India’s return to the Olympic fold after IOA held elections as per IOC directives.  Abhinav Bindra became first person to win three gold medals in an event at Inter-Shoot Tri- series Shooting being held at Hague, Netherlands  Kumar Sangakkara became the second person in Cricket history to score a triple century and a century in the same test match after Graham Gooch.  Squash player Joshna Chinappa won the Winnipeg Winter Club Open title on 3 February 2014.  Heena Sandhu’s score of 203.8 in 10 m Air Pistol set at the Munich World Cup in November 2013 was recognized as World record on 30 January 2014.

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Honours/ Awards

Highest Civilian Honour, the Bharat Ratna  Eminent scientist Prof. C N R Rao and legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar were conferred with the country’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, by President Pranab Mukherjee on 4 February 2014. With this conferring, 43 personalities have received Bharat Ratna. Rao (79) and Sachin Tendulkar (40) both of whom are recipients of Padma Vibhushan – the country’s second highest civilian honour, thus joined a list of 41 eminent personalities who have been conferred with the award that is given in recognition of exceptional service of the highest order, since it was instituted in 1954.

Mr. Anand Kumar, bestowed with the prestigious Ramanujan Mathematics award  Leading mathematician and founder of Super30 classes Mr. Anand Kumar bestowed with the prestigious 2014 Ramanujan Mathematics Award at the 8th National Mathematics Convention organized by a Rajkot-based school. Renowned atomic scientist Pitamber Patel and famous scientist J J Rawal presented the cash award of Rs 20,000 to Kumar.  Mr. Kumar, who is a native of Bihar, is founder of Super30, which imparts free residential mentoring to 30 selected students from underprivileged families for IIT entrance exam and has achieved international recognition for social awakening.  His papers published in a number of international journals viz. Mathematical Spectrum and Mathematical Gazette of the UK, etc and was thrice invited jointly by the Mathematical Association of America and the American Mathematical Society to present his papers.  The Ramanujan Mathematics Award is given to a person who has at least three papers published in international journals and is involved in teaching mathematics.

Chandi Prasad Bhatt Gets Gandhi Peace Prize For 2013  The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2013 has been awarded to eminent Gandhian and environmentalist, Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt. The Jury for the Prize met under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh on 18th February 2014 and decided upon his name. The other members of the Jury were Justice P. Sathasivam, Chief Justice of India, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha), Dr. Karan Singh, M.P(Rajya Sabha) and Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi, ex-Governor, West Bengal.

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 Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt, born in 1934 , is a noted Gandhian environmentalist and social activist. He was one of the pioneers of the Chipko movement for which he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1982. He is also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2005. One of India’s first modern environmentalists, today he is known for his work on subaltern social ecology.

Ms. Arunima Sinha bagged Amazing Indian Award 2014  Ms Arunima Sinha bagged with Amazing Indian Award by the Vice President of India, Mr. Hamid Ansari, for scaling Mount Everest despite being physically challenged.  Ms. Sinha is the first Indian amputee who scales the Mount Everest on May, 2013. She is a former national volleyball and football player from Uttar Pradesh.  She lost her right leg in 2011 after being thrown off a moving train. Two years later she stood on the peak of the Mount Everest with an artificial leg and an indomitable spirit to achieve the unimaginable.  The Amazing Indian Award was instituted by Times Now channel in September 2012.

Mr. Vishwanath Tripathi honored with the Vyas Samman 2013  The famous Hindi writer, Mr. Vishwanath Tripathi (82) honored by the prestigious Vyas Samman 2013. He has been chosen for his memoir ‘Vyomkesh Darvesh ‘that is a biography of the noted Hindi scholar Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi.  The Vyas Samman 2012 was given to Hindi litterateur Narendra Kohli for his historical novel “Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati” based on Swami Vivekananda.  Mr. Surya Prasad Dikshit was the selection committee head of Vyas Samman 2013.  Mr. Tripathi has around 20 publications by his name that includes memoirs, novel and poetry collection.  The Vyas Samman award instituted in 1991 by the K.K. Birla Foundation and the award carries a prize of Rs. 2.5 lakh. It is one the most prestigious award of India that is given every year to the poet or writer for their out standing contribution in the Hindi language.

Dr. VV Dongre and Prof. Guocheng Zhang bagged International Gandhi Award 2013  The President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee presented the International Gandhi Award for the year 2013 to Dr. Vijaykumar Vinayak Dongre and Prof. Guocheng Zhang for making outstanding contributions in the field of leprosy to eradicate the disease through treatment, training and research at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.  International Gandhi Award  Instituted by the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation (GMLF) that was established in 1950 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s service and scientific approach towards leprosy.  GMLF introduced the International Gandhi Award in 1986.  Recognizes the commendable contributions of individuals and institutions in ameliorating the quality of life of people afflicted with leprosy.  The two awards are given every alternate year to individuals/institutions for making outstanding contribution in the field of leprosy.

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 Leprosy is an infectious disease that causes severe, disfiguring skin sores and nerve damage in the arms and legs

World Children’s Prize (Children’s Nobel Prize) Nominees 2014

 For the 2014 World’s Children’s Prize, Pakistani teenage rights activist Malala Yousafzai, John Wood from the USA and Nepalese child rights worker Indira Ranamagar are nominated for an award also known as the “Children’s Nobel Prize”.

 Ms. Malala Yousafzai nominated for her courageous and dangerous fight for girls’ right to education. She started to speak out for girls’ rights at the age of 11, when the Taliban banned girls from going to school in the SwatValley in Pakistan.  Mr. John Wood nominated for his 15-year fight for children’s right to education. John quit his job as a manager at the Microsoft company to fulfil his dream: to fight poverty by giving children all over the world the chance to go to school.  Ms. Indira Ramanagar nominated for her 20-year struggle for prisoners’ children in Nepal. She has built up an organisation called Prisoners Assistance Nepal (PA), which has rescued over a thousand children from cramped, dirty prisons.  Indira Ramanagar and Prisoners Assistance:  Run three children‘s homes, two schools, and youth programs on organic agriculture, arts and crafts, and more.  Support girls in villages to enable them to go to school. They are also given bikes, since they often have a long journey to get to school.  Search for relatives and support them to take care of the children.  Make sure that children get a chance to visit their parents in prison.  Run programs allowing children to go to school during the day and stay with their mothers in prison at night. They also educate mothers in prison up to Year 5 level and give them vocational training.  Support prisoners who have been released, so that they can be reunited with their children.  Speak out for the weakest in society and fight for prisoners – especially women and their children – to be treated in a fair and humane way.  About World’s Children’s Prize (WCP) also known as the Children’s Nobel Prize  The world’s largest annual educational program teaching young people about the rights of the child, democracy and global friendship.  Vision: A world where the rights of the child are universally respected and where every new generation grows up as humane global citizens.

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 Mission: To catalyze the growth and development of a more humane global community through an integrated global educational program, engaging a growing number of children throughout the world.  The award programme, launched in 2000, is supported by 60,000 schools with 29.3 million students in 109 countries and over 600 organisations.  Every year, three Child Rights Heroes are selected by the WCP Child Jury to be candidates for the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child.  The annual program concludes with a “Global Vote”, where children work together to choose their Child Rights Hero. “Global Vote Days” are held in schools around the world like a democratic election.  The WCP Foundation is regulated by the Svensk Insamlingskontroll (Swedish Fundraising Control), which protects the interests of donors and ensures that the funds raised are used appropriately.

Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Jointly Awarded National Tourism Award for Best State/UT in the Category of Comprehensive Development of Tourism  Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have been jointly given the award for the First Prize in the category of “Best State/UT: Comprehensive Development of Tourism.” The second and third prizes in this category have gone to Kerala and Gujarat respectively. Jammu & Kashmir was awarded in the category of Best State/UT under the North-East and J&K Region. Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, UP won the prize for the Best Civic Management of a tourist destination in Category ‘A’ city.

67th BAFTA Awards 2014  The 67th BritishAcademy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) held at the Royal Opera House in London.  Winners of the 67th Annual BAFTA Awards  Best Film: 12 Years a Slave  Outstanding British Film: Gravity.  Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity).  Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave).  Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine).  Best Supporting Actor: Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips).  Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle).  Best Film Not in the English Language: The Great Beauty.  Best Animated Film: Frozen.  Most awards: Gravity (6).  About British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)  Formed: 1947.

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 Headquarters: London.  Purpose: To supports, promotes and develops the art forms of the moving image – film, television and video games – by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public.

 Haraprasad Das, the renowned Odia writer was presented with the 26th Moorti Devi Award of the Bharatiya Jnanpith on 4 February 2014. The award consists of a citation and a cash prize of Rs 4 Lakhs. Moorti Devi Award is among the highest rated literature awards in India.  Vijay Amritraj was presented the Davis Cup Commitment Award by International Tennis Federation (ITF).  Sunil Chhetri was awarded the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year prize by the federation. The Indian captain had won this award in 2007 and 2011 also.  Israeli President Shimon Peres awarded Angela Merkel with Israel’s highest civilian honour Medal of Distinction in Jerusalem.  Marathi film, Killa directed by Avinash Arun won the Crystal Bear for the best film at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival.

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Obituaries

Amarkant associated with Hindi Literature passed away  Amarkant, who passed away at the age of 88 years at Allahabad on 17 February 2014, was associated with Hindi Literature. Amarkant, a winner of the Jnanpith Award in 2009, is considered as one of the prominent writers of story writing pioneered by Munshi Prem Chand. Kant’s prominent novels are “Inhin Hathiyaron Se”, “Katili Raah ke Phool”, “Sookha Patta”, “Kale Ujle” and “Beech ki Deewar”. His other story collections are “Zindagi Aur Jonk”, “Desk Ke Log”, “Maut Ka Nagar”, “Mitra Milan” and “Kuhasa”. He had won several awards, including Jnanpith award in 2009, Sahitya Acdemy Award in 2007, Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan Award, Maithli Sharan Gupta Award, ‘Amarkant Keerti Samman’ from MP Govt. among others.

 Suzanne Basso (59), was only the 14th woman to be put to death in the U.S. in more than three decades, after losing a last-ditch appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Texas performed a rare execution of a woman, putting to death a prisoner convicted of the brutal murder of a mentally disabled man 15 years ago.  The renowned Telugu writer, Janamaddhi Hanamachhaastri at the age of 90 in Kapada town of Andhra Pradesh.  World famous Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia passed away in Mexico  Carnatic music, Vocalist Rudra Krishna Srikantan, 94 died due to chest congestion in Bangalore  Balu Mahendra died due to cardiac arrest at the age of 75 in Chennai. He was an award winning film director and cinematographer  Olympian distance runner Ranjit Bhatia died.  First Padma Shri awardee of Meghalaya Silverine Swer died at her residence at the age of 103. She received the Padma Shri award in 1990.  Oscar-winning American actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman died on 2 February 2014 at his flat in New York at the age of 46.

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Important Days

February 2 : World Wetland Day February 4 : World Cancer Day February 6 : International Day against Female Genital Mutilation February 12 : Darwin Day & World Day of the Sick February 14 : Valentine’s Day February 20 : World Day of Social Justice February 21 : International Mother Language Day February 22 : World Scout Day February 23 : World Peaces and Understanding Day February 24 : Central Excise Day February 28 : National Science Day

Foreign Visits / Foreign Visitors

 External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid 's visit to Maldives (February 2014)  Visit of External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid’s to Afghanistan (February 2014)  Official Visit of His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran to India (February 27-28, 2014)  Visit of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand to India (February 23-28, 2014)  Visit of His Excellency Mr. Dmitry O. Rogozin, Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russian Federation to India (February 26, 2014)  Official Visit of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to India (February 26-28, 2014)  Visit of His Excellency Mr. Dmitry Mezentsev, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to India (February 23-25, 2014)  State Visit of the Right Honorable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada to India (February 22 to March 02, 2014)  State Visit of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain to India (February 18-20, 2014)

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Interim Budget or Finance Bill for 2014

 Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented the Vote on Account on 17 February 2014 in the Lok Sabha to cover expenditure until the government’s term ends in May 2014.  Following are the key highlights of this Interim Budget or Finance Bill for 2014.  Key Objectives and Indicators  Fiscal deficit of FY 2013-14 to be contained at 4.6%  Rs. 5,55,322 crore Planned expenditure for FY 2013-14  Proposed target of 3% for fiscal deficit by 2016  Proposed target of 3% for fiscal deficit by 2016-17  GDP fell to 4.4% from 7.9% in nine quarters  GDP growth in Q3, Q4 (Fourth Quarter) FY 2014 seen at 5.2%; FY 2014: 4.9%  FY 2015’s non-planned expenditure estimated at Rs 12.07 lakh crore  Agriculture GDP growth for 2013-14 estimated at 4.6%  FY 2014 GDP growth seen at 4.9%  FY 2015 central assistance to sates at Rs 3.38 lakh crore (Central assistance to states will increase from 1.36 lakh crore in 2013-14 to 3.38 lakh crore)  Even after the slowdown the savings rate was 31% in FY 2012-13  Overall Investment rate was 34.8% in FY 2012-13  India’s current account deficit (CAD) to be contained at $45 billion during FY 2013-14, which is well below the record high level of 2012-13  Other Important Proposals  Excise duty on consumer durables cut from 12% to 10%  Excise duty to be cut by 2% for Capital Goods & Consumer Durables  Excise duty reduced for small cars from 12% to 8%  Excise duty reduced for SUVs from 30% to 24%  Excise duties on bikes/2 wheelers down to 8%  Blood banks to be exempt from service tax  Government accepts in principle one rank one pension policy (to be effective from 2014- 2015)  Three more industrial corridors at Chennai-Bangalore, Bangalore-Mumbai and Amritsar- Kolkata  100 crore for community radio, Rs. 1200 cr additional assistance to NE, Himchal, Uttarakhand  IFCI will set up VC fund for scheduled caste. Initial capital of Rs. 200 crore will be given  Moratorium for all educational loans taken before 2009. 9 lakh student borrowers will benefit to the extent of Rs. 2,600 crore  Allocations  Defence allocation at Rs 2,24,000 crore, allocation raised by 10%  Education – Rs. 79, 541 crore  Minority affairs – Rs. 3711 crore

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 Tribal affairs – Rs. 4379 crore  Housing and poverty alleviation – Rs. 6000 crore  Social welfare- Rs. 6730 crore  Panchayati Raj – Rs. 7000 crore  Drinking water and sanitaion – Rs. 15000 crore  Women and child development – Rs. 21000 crore  Human Resource Development – Rs. 67398 crore  Rural development – Rs. 82202 crore  Railways – Rs. 29000 crore  North East states to get Rs 1,200 crore

Highlights of the Interim Rail Budget 2014-15  Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge presented the Interim Rail Budget 2014-15 in Parliament on 12 February 2014 amidst uproar over the Telengana Bill and was forced to cut short his speech. The Minister said 17 new premium trains and 38 new express trains will be introduced. He left passenger fares and freight rates unchanged. The budget is for the first four months of the of the fiscal year 2014-15 that begins in April 2014. Mr Kharge's maiden rail budget comes just months away from the general elections.  Main Highlights of Interim Rail Budget  Measures for improving Safety & Security: Induction of indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System; Development of crashworthy coaches; Provision of Vigilance Control Device in all locomotives; Multi-tier protection for electric circuits; Portable fire extinguishers in coaches; and Induction based cooking to replace LPG in pantry cars  High Speed Trains: Joint feasibility study by India and Japan for Mumbai – Ahmedabad Corridor to be co-financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency; and Business Development Study by SNCF for Mumbai – Ahmedabad corridor.  Green Initiatives: Railway Energy Management Company becomes functional. Windmill and solar power plants to be set up with 40% subsidy from Ministry of New & Renewable Energy.; Green Curtains along the track close to major stations; Pilot work at Agra and Jaipur in progress; and Coverage of Bio-toilets in 2500 coaches and would be increased progressively.  Passenger amenities: 51 Jan-Ahaar outlets for Janta Meals; 48 passenger escalators commisionsed at stations and 61 more being installed; air-conditioned EMU services in Mumbai from July 2014; information display system in important trains to indicate stations & arrival time.; Upgradation Scheme extended to AC Chair Car and Executive Chair car passengers.; Premium AC Special train introduced in Delhi – Mumbai Sector with shorter advance reservation period and dynamically varying premium over tatkal fare.  Freight related measures: Parcel Terminals & Special Parcel Trains with scheduled timings; New policy on parcels to encourage transportation of milk; New concept of hub and spoke for parcel business; and Third party warehousing in Special Parcel Terminals envisaged.  State of Meghalaya and capital of Arunachal Pradesh to be on Railway Map.  Gauge Conversion of strategically important 510 km Rangiya – Murkongselek line in Assam to be completed.

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 Independent Rail Tariff Authority set-up to advise on fixing of fares and freight, to engage all stake-holders  Budget Estimates 2014-15: Loading target of 1101 Million Tonnes; Gross Traffic Receipts targeted at 160775 crore Rupees with Passenger Earnings (45255 crore Rupees), Goods (105770 crore Rupees), Other Coaching & Sundry Earnings (9700 crore Rupees); Ordinary Working Expenses placed at 110649 crore Rupees, higher by 13589 crore Rupees; The entire Dividend of 9117 crore Rupees to General Exchquer will be paid; and Operating Ratio budgeted at 89.8%; 90.2% Operating Ratio in 2012-13 and Operating Ratio likely to be 90.8% in 2013-14  Annual Plan for 2014-15 envisaged at 64305 crore rupees with a Budgetary Support of 30223 crore Rupees , Internal Resources of 10418 crore Rupees and Extra Budgetary Resources of 19805 crore Rupees.  New Surveys: 19 New Lines & 5 Doubling  New Trains: 17 Premium trains; 38 Express trains; 10 Passenger trains; 4 MEMU; and 3 DEMU

Compiled By-Sanjay Singh

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