Current Affairs January 2013
INTERNATIONAL
Palestinian Authority to be Named ‘State of
Palestine’
On 7 January Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has
signed a decree changing the name of the Palestinian Authority to the “”State
of Palestine,”" according to the organization’s official news agency.
Pakistani Supreme Court Orders Arrest of Prime
Minister
On 15 January 2013 Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the arrest of
the prime minister in connection with a corruption case linked to power
projects. The Supreme Court gave authorities 24 hours to arrest Prime Minister
Raja Pervez Ashraf and 16 others.This is the first in the history of Pakistan
to arrest a Prime Minister. The orders of the Court came following the
allegations in connection with a corruption case linked to power projects, done
during his office of the Water and Power Minister.
Obama Signed 23 Executive Orders on Gun Safety
On 16 January President Barack Obama announced 23 executive
actions on gun control laws, making them stricter,which would come into effect
immediately after his signatures. One of these measures include requiring the
target shooters to keep their guns locked and also to ban military-style
assault weapons, high capacity magazine as well as to make the background check
mandatory.Obama announced that this was his attempt to keep children safe,
keeping in view the massacre of Newtown where 20 first grade children along
with six adults were killed.
140 Nations Agreed On Global Mercury Limits
On 19 January , More than 140 nations have agreed on the first
legally binding treaty to curb mercury pollution.Delegates at UN discussed in
Geneva approved measures to control the use of the highly toxic metal, which is
widely used in chemical production and small-scale mining, in order to limit
mercury emissions.The governments agreed to ban the production, export and
import of a range of products containing mercury by 2020.The treaty has been
discussed for four years, but it is only now that the negotiators agreed over
the final version of the document. The treaty, known as the Minamata Convention
on Mercury, provides controls and reductions across a range of products and
processes where mercury is used, released and emitted.
Milos Zeman Elected as Czech Republic new
President
On 25 January A leftist candidate Milos Zeman won the Czech
Republic’s first presidential election decided by direct vote.Milos Zeman, a
former prime minister and head of the Citizens’ Rights Party, won with 54.8% of
the vote.He defeated Karel Schwarzenberg, an aristocratic foreign minister with
the TOP09 party, who garnered 45.2%.Zeman replaces Vaclav Klaus, who must step
down after serving the maximum of two terms.
INDIA & WORLD
India – Pakistan Exchanged Nuclear Unit’s
Lists
On 1 January India and Pakistan exchanged their nuclear units’
lists , as it is customary since 20 years. The list which contains the names of
nuclear units of two countries, are exchanged between India and Pakistan as a
custom and part of an agreement which prevents them from aiming the nuclear
installations of each others’ nations.
Thousands of illegal Indian Migrants in
UK
According to a 2012 UK Home Office report, India has been named
along with Pakistan, China, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Afghanistan,
Vietnam, Brazil and Iran as the main sources of illegal immigration to
Britain.What the report does not mention is how many of the 863,000 illegal
migrants that it says are living in the UK are students. This is a contentious
area because critics of the coalition government claim it is counting students
among overall immigrants.
World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) report , India ranks
lowest among the world’s major economies for its preparedness to tackle global
environmental risks and second-lowest for economic risks.Switzerland is best
placed among the world’s 10 major economies for adapting to or recovering from
global economic and environmental risks.While India is ranked 9th in terms of
its ability to tackle global economic risks, it comes last at 10th
position for environmental risks.However, India fared relatively better
at 6th position in terms of the government’s risk management effectiveness.The
US and China were ranked fourth and fifth respectively.
Indians Top the List of Working in Dream
Jobs
According to survey conducted by networking website
LinkedIn,Indians have emerged at the top of the list of people working in their
dream job.The dream job league table:1. India – 44 percent 2. Indonesia – 42
percent 3. United Arab Emirates – 35.7 percent 4. Germany – 33 percent 5.
Brazil – 32 percent 6. Austria – 31 percent 7. Switzerland – 30 percent 8. USA
– 29 percent 9. France, Canada, Sweden, South Africa – 28 percent 13.
Singapore, Hong Kong – 27 percent 15. Australia – 26 percent 16. New Zealand –
25 percent 17. UK – 21 percent
India – Vietnam Signed on Micro, Small &
Medium Enterprises
On 15 January India and Vietnam signed an MoU aimed at building
capacity for developing institutional framework and identifying thrust areas
and opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises in this country.The
MoU was signed here between the Ministry of Planning and Investments of Vietnam
and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) of India .
India and Sri Lanka signed Anti-terror,
Tax evasion Agreements
On 22nd January India and Sri Lanka signed two separate
agreements on combating international terrorism and avoidance of double
taxation, eyeing elevation of “robust” bilateral ties to building of a
special economic partnership.The two key accords were signed after the 8th
India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting held at New Delhi , both countries
discussed enhanced cooperation in a range of areas including civil
nuclear energy.At the meeting, the Indian side was led by External Affairs
Minister Salman Khurshid while the Lankans were led by his counterpart G.L.
Peiris.During the meet, both the parties also decided setting up of the Special
Economic Zone at Trincomali and a textile and pharmaceutical cluster in
Sri Lanka.
International Tea Producers Forum formed
On 22 January India, along with five other tea producing
countries, has formed the International Tea Producers Forum (ITPF) at
Colombo.Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry D Purandesari signed
the joint communique on behalf of India along with representatives of Kenya,
Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Rwanda and Malawi in Colombo.The ITPF will
initially be an independent body but in future may get affiliated to Food &
Agriculture Organisation of United Nations.
India , Bangladesh Signed Extradition and Visa
Agreements
On 28 January Bangladesh and India signed an extradition
treaty and struck a deal to relax business visa restrictions between the
neighbouring countries. However, refusal provisions were incorporated into the
extradition treaty.Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde signed the agreement with
his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir at the end of their
bilateral talks.
India Dropped to 140th Rank in Press Freedom
According to the report Reporters Without Borders India has
dropped nine places to the 140th rank in the list of 179 countries in the
latest World Press Freedom Index.China (173rd, +1) shows no sign of improving.
Its prisons still hold many journalists and netizens, while increasingly
unpopular Internet censorship continues to be a major obstacle to access
information.As last year, the list is topped by three European countries –
Finland, Netherlands and Norway.Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea continue
to be at the bottom of the list as has been in the last three years.
NATIONAL
Govt Launched Direct Cash Transfer Scheme in
20 Districts
On 1 January 2013 The government launched its scaled down
Cash Transfer Benefit (CBT) in 20 districts,but food, fertiliser and fuel
subsidies will not be covered in the initial phase. All 26 schemes are ready
for rollout. On 1 January 2013 the seven schemes in which payout is due in the
(20 selected) districts, the money will be transferred through the direct
benefit transfer system using the UIDAI platform.The scheme is going to be
rolled out in 43 districts by 1 March 2013, 20 districts from January 1, 11
districts from February 1 and 12 districts from March 1. By end of 2013, the
direct cash benefit transfer will be rolled out in all the districts of the
country.
PA Sangma launched National People’s Party
PA Sangma, who broke away with the NCP in 2012 to contest the
presidential elections, though unsuccessfully, on 05 January 2013 launched
National People’s Party (NPP), and chosen a book as its symbol. Sangma has
chosen to align his party with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
President Released Stamps on Swami Vivekananda
On 12 January The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee released the
Commemorative Postage Stamps, at the Commemoration of the 150th Birth
Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, in New Delhi .
Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012
On 17 January According to the Annual Status of Education Report
(ASER) 2012 report has found that learning levels have dipped to an
all-time low. So, almost half the 6-7 year-olds (Class I) in India cannot read
even one letter in any language, over 57% cannot read any English while almost
40% cannot recognize numbers between 1 and 9.The 12.8% children between Class I
and V could not read a single letter while 10.7% could not recognize numbers 1
to 9. The number of children in Class V who could read Class II text fell from
53.7% in 2010 to 46.8% in 2012. In 2010, seven out of 10 children could solve a
two-digit subtraction problem with borrowing. This has come down to five out of
10 in 2012.
STATES
Odisha Launched ‘ Public Service Delivery
System ‘
On 2 January The Odisha government launched the much-sought after
” Public Service Delivery System ” for citizens under the Odisha Right to
Public Service Act, 2012.Under the new act, people will get services like issue
of driving license, birth and death certificates, passport and trade license
within a stipulated time.Odisha is among the 12th state to implement the law.
Haryana Government announced Kanyadan Scheme
for Bride participants of Mass Marriages
The Government of Haryana on 3 January 2012 announced its plan of
launching a Kanyadan Scheme in the state for brides participating in the mass
marriage ceremony, which would be organised by any of the registered NGO or the
Red Cross Society. The scheme would carry an incentive amount of 11000 rupees
and would come into effect from 1 April 2012. The incentive amount of 11000
rupees would be given to brides from all castes, creeds, race, religion and the
income category to which the girl belongs.
Arunachal Pradesh Collaborated with NSDL for
Adoption of National Pension Scheme
On 9 January The state of Arunachal Pradesh entered into an
agreement with signing of MoU with National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL),
permitting it to work as a Central Record Keeping Agency (CRA) for adoption of
the National Pension System (NPS).National Pension Scheme NPS is an initiative
of the Union Government of India and Arunachal Pradesh is the 26th State to
adopt it.
Gujarat Tops List of Indian States on Economic
Freedom Policy
According to the ‘ Economic Freedom of States in India ‘ report which
was released by former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor and present Rajya
Sabha Member Bimal Jalan.The top state in India in (terms of) economic freedom
in 2011 was western Indian state Gujarat. It displaced southern Indian state
Tamil Nadu which had been at the top in 2009.Gujarat freedom index has
been rising fast and estimated at 0.64 points. The biggest improvement
has been registered by Madhya Pradesh with freedom index score rose from 0.42
in 2009 to 0.56 in 2011 enabling it to move up from sixth to third position.
Assembly polls in Tripura,Meghalaya and
Nagaland on Febrauary
Assembly elections in Tripura will be held on February 14 and in
Meghalaya and Nagaland on February 23 and their results will be out on February
28, the Election Commission announced on 10 January 2013.The EC also announced
byelections to nine assembly constituencies in Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, West
Bengal and Punjab on February 23 and in Assam, Bihar and Maharashtra on
February 24, but their results will be out together on February 28.
President’s Rule Imposed on Jharkhand
On 18 January Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India
imposed President’s Rule in Jharkhand under Article 356(1) of the
Constitution.The President’s Rule for the third time since its formation 12
years ago.The decision came as a follow up of the recommendation made by the
Union Cabinet of India and fall of the state machinery in form of Government on
8 January after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha the supporting party to BJP led
Coalition Government withdrew its support from it. The state was placed under
President’s Rule in 2009 and 2010.
Three New High Courts for North East
The Centre has constituted three new High Courts in the northeast
Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura taking the total number of High Courts in
the country from 21 to 24.According to Law Ministry sources, the strength of
judges in each High Court will be as follows: Tripura 4 (including the Chief
Justice), and Meghalaya and Manipur: three each (including the Chief Justice).
CONFERENCES
100th Indian Science Congress held in Kolkata
The 100th Indian Science Congress was held from 3 to 7 January in
Kolkata (West Bengal) .The theme of the session is ” Science for Shaping
the Future of India ” .The session was inaugurated
by Pranab Mukherjee
the President of India .In the session
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released ‘ The Science, Technology and
Innovation Policy(STI) 2013 ’ .On 4 January Former President Dr.
A.P.J.Abdul Kalam inaugurated a Children Science Congress as part of the 100th
Indian Science Congress .The 100th Indian Science Congress (ISC 2013) is also
organized a special programme “ Women empowerment for the development of the
country” to showcase the contribution of women in science and technology.This
is the 13th time the Indian Science Congress is being hosted by Kolkata
11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in Kochi
11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) was held from 7- 9 January at
Kochi (Kerala).Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag was the chief guest of
this official inaugural session.2000 delegates from 40 countries attended
the convention.The theme for this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is “Engaging
Diaspora – the Indian Growth Story”.On 7th January in the event they discussed
on problems that people from Kerala face in the region.Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh will inaugurated the annual flagship event and released the postage stamp
on Ghadar Movement on 8 January and President Pranab Mukherjee will
delivered the valedictory address on January 9 and also presented the Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman awards.Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on January 9
every year to mark the contribution of overseas Indian community in the
development of India.The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the first of its kind
involving the Indian Diaspora, was held in 2003 at New Delhi.
Fourth Meeting of ASEAN and India Tourism
Ministers held in Vientiane
The Fourth meeting of ASEAN and India Tourism Minister (4th M-ATM+
India) was held in Vientiane, Lao PDR from 21 to January in
conjunction with the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2013 (ATF2013).The Meeting was jointly
co-chaired by H.E. Prof. Dr. Bosengkham Vongdara, Minister of Information,
Culture and Tourism, Lao PDR, and H.E. Dr. K. Chiranjeevi, Minister for
Tourism, Government of India.In the meeting Both the Ministers have signed the
Protocol to amend the Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and India on
Strengthening Tourism Cooperation.
World Economic Forum Summit Held in Davos
The 43rd World Economic Forum Annual Meeting held from 23 – 27
January at Davos-Klosters in Switzerland.The annual forum, which has been
running for over 40 years, provides a platform for decision-makers in politics,
non-governmental organisations and businesses to gather and to exchange views
on the world’s most pressing problems.The World Economic Forum (WEF) unites
international political leaders, business leaders and journalists from across
the globe to discussed and shape global, regional and industrial agendas with
regards to economics, health and the environment.The WEF was founded in 1971 as
a non-profit organization by the German Klaus Schwab, a business professor at
the University of Geneva.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Malala won ” 2012 Tipperary International
Peace Award “
On 3 January Malala Yousafzai, the teenaged Pakistani school girl
shot by a Taliban gunman last year , has been awarded the ” 2012 Tipperary
International Peace Award ” from Ireland for her courage and determination to
speak out in support of equal access to education for children.Malala is the
second Pakistani to get the award. In 2007, it was given to late Benazir Bhutto.
Malala honored with the French ” Simone de
Beauvoir ” Prize
On 9 January Malala Yousafzai (15), the schoolgirl from Pakistan
shot by Taliban for campaigning girls’ education, received France’s
Simone de Beauvoir Prize for Women’s Freedom in Paris. Malala’s father Ziaudin
Yousafzai received the honour on her behalf. he award is accompanied with 2.5
million RupeTes honorarium.
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2013
On 9 January Pranab Mukherjee President of India presented the
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Awards) 2013 to 14 people, included Overseas
Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Mauritius President Rajkeswur
Purryag, He was also the Chief Guest of 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2013. In
accordance to Tradition, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Awards) 2013 have been given
to notable Indians living abroad.
The other awardees are Prof Dr Gurusharan Singh Chhatwal of
Germany for science, Dr Rasik Vihari Joshi (Mexico) for Literature, Gilbert
Canabady Moutien (Reunion Island) and Mohammed Rabeeh Karuvanthodi (Saudi Arabia)
for business, Patricia Maria Rozario(UK) for Music, Dr Narendra Ramakrishna
Kumar (USA) for Healthcare, Subash Razdan (USA) and Islmail Ebrahim (South
Afrcia) for Public service.
Dr Satendra Kumar Singh (New Zealand), Australia India Society of
Victoria (Australia) and Bava Pandalingal (UAE), Ashok Shambhomal Vaswani
(Guinea), Indian Doctors Forum, Kuwait for community service, Tan Sri Ravindran
Menon from Malaysia for Community service, are among others on the list of
awardees.
Mamata Banerjee gets gift from PCB
Overwhelmed’ by the hospitality at the Eden Gardens during
India-Pakistan second ODI in Kolkata, the PCB sent the gift as a silver-coated
Quran to the Cricket Association of Bengal who handed it over to the CM during
a function at the Netaji Indoor in Kolkata on 10 January 2013.
Mahaveer Golechha Bags Award for
Alzheimer’s Drug
On 17 January The London-based Indian researcher Mahaveer
Golechha, was selected to be felicitated for an award that includes his work on
a drug that can be a potential cure of Alzheimer’s disease.In the study
conducted by Golechha, he found discovered that naringin has essential
anti-Alzheimer activity.
70th Golden Globe Awards – 2013
On January 13 The 70th Golden Globe Awards honored the best in
film and television of 2012, was presented in California .
Best Film – : Argo
Best Actor – : Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
Best Actress – : Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Best Director - Ben Affleck (Argo)
Best Musical or Comedy -: Les Miserables
Best Foreign Language Film – : Amour
Best Animated Feature Film -: Brave
Krishi Karman Awards 2011- 2012
On 15 January President Pranab Mukherjee presented the
Krishi Karman awards for the year 2011-12 at an award ceremony at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan. The awards were presented to the State Governments for
their excellent performance in increasing the production of food grains in
their respective states.
Awards in Different Segments :-
- The Awards for Special Contribution to Total Food Grains
Production - Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Manipur and Nagaland
- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of
Rice – Bihar
- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Wheat
- Haryana
- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Pulses
- Jharkhand
- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Coarse
Cereals – Uttar Pradesh
58th Filmfare Awards
The 58th Filmfare Awards were held honoring the best films of 2012
from the Hindi-language film industry (commonly known as Bollywood). The
ceremony was held on January 20, 2013 at Mumbai.
Best Movie :- Barfi!
Best Actor :- Ranbir Kapoor (Film -Barfi!)
Best Actress :- Vidya Balan (Film – Kahaani )
Best Director :- Sujoy Ghosh (Film – Kahaani )
Lifetime Achievement Award :- Yash Chopra (After Death)
Prof C N R Rao awarded by Chinese Academy of
Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences was awarded Prof C N R Rao,
National Research Professor and Honorary President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre
for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCAR), the prestigious “International
Scientific Cooperation Award 2012″. The award is designed to acknowledge
outstanding scientists for their contribution to science and for promoting
global networking of international science cooperation.
Padma Awards – 2013
President of India Approved the Conferment of
108 Padma Awards
On 25 January Pranab Mukherjee, the President of Union of India
approved conferment of 108 Padma Awards. Four people have been conferred with
Padma Vibhusan, twenty four are conferred with Padma Bhushan and 80 people
would be receiving Padma Shree Awards. Out of all the awardees twenty-four are
ladies and 11 people belong to categories like NRIs, PIOs, Foreigners and
Posthumous awardees.
Padma Vibhushan
Raghunath Mohapatra, Art, Orissa
S Haider Raza, Art, Delhi
Prof Yash Pal, Science and Engineering, Uttar Pradesh
Prof Roddam Narasimha, Science and Engineering, Karnataka
Padma Bhushan
Sharmila Tagore, Art, Delhi
Dr (Smt) Saroja Vaidyanathan, Art, Delhi
Late Rajesh Khanna, Art, Maharashtra
Late Jaspal Singh Bhatti, Art, Punjab
Adi Burjor Godrej, Trade and Industry, Maharashtra
Prof Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Literature & Education USA
Rahul Dravid, Sports, Karnataka
H Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, Sports, Manipur
Padma Shri
Hosanagara Nagarajegowda Girisha, Sports, Karnataka ,
Subedar Major Vijay Kumar, Sports, Himachal Pradesh
Yogeshwar Dutt, Sports, Haryana
B Jayashree, Art, Karnataka
Sridevi Kapoor, Art, Maharashtra
Ramesh Gopaldas Sippy, Art, Maharashtra
359 Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations
Announced
On 26 January President Pranab Mukherjee has approved awards of
359 Gallantry and other Defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel and
others on the eve of the 64th Republic Day Celebrations .This includes 01 Kirti
Chakra, 11 Shaurya Chakra, 56 Sena Medal (Gallantry), 01 Bar to Nao Sena Medal
(Gallantry), 03 Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry), 03 Vayu Sena Medal
(Gallantry), 28 Param Vishisht Seva Medal, 03 Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, 06 Bar to
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, 44 Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, 12 Yudh Seva Medal,
02 Bar to Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 37 Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 01
Bar to Nao Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 07 Nao Sena Medal (Devotion to
Duty), 14 Vayu Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 04 Bar to Vishisht Seva Medal and
116 Vishisht Seva Medal..Major Abup J Manjali of the Rashtriya Rifles was
selected for the award of Kirti Chakra for his extraordinary bravery efforts in
counter- terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Taiwan Business Magnate Launched Tang Prize
(Asian Noble Prize)
On 28 January Samuel Yin , A business magnate tycoon from
Taiwan has launched the Tang Prize(Asian Noble prize) for outstanding
achievements in natural and social sciences.He announced that he would
establish Tang Prize Foundation which would have an initial donation of 103
million dollar.Tang Prize Foundation was decided that the prizes under the Tang
Prize Foundation will be awarded every alternate year to the international
leaders in sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, the rule of law
as well as the study of China.
SPORTS & GAMES
Kohli is CEAT ”
International Cricketer of the Year “
On 4 January Vice-captain of Indian Cricket team Virat Kohli
was named the International Cricketer of the Year while Pakistan cricket
team was named as the Best International Cricket Team in the 2011-2012 season
at the CEAT cricket awards in New Delhi. Unmukt Chand, who led India to the
U-19 World Cup win last year, got the inaugural Indian Youngster of the Year
award.The Former Pakistan cricket captain Zaheer Abbas received the Lifetime
Achievement Award.
Uttarakhand won 63rd
National Basketball Championship
On 4 January Uttarakhand won 63rd National basketball championship
men’s title after defeated Punjab in the final at Ludhiana (Punjab).In the
women’s section, Railways won the title against by first-time finalist Tamil
Nadu in the final.
Tipsarevic won Chennai Open Tennis Title
On 6 January Second-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia has won the
ATP Chennai Open Title after defeated Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain in the
final at Chennai.Tipsarevic won the chennai open title for the first time in
his career.
Nicol David won World Series Squash Title
On 6 January Nicol David won the World Series Squash Finals
women’s title after defeated England’s Laura Massaro in the final at London.In
the men’s final, Egypt’s Amr Shabana came from behind to beat England’s Nick
Matthew .
Australia Won Test Against Sri Lanka
Australia secured a five-wicket won in the third and final Test
match against Sri Lanka on 6 January at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) .
Brisbane International Tennis Winners – 2013
Womens Single’s :Serena Williams (USA) won the WTA Brisbane
International womens single’s title on 5 January with a straight sets
demolition of Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Men’s Singles : In the Men’s singles Category Andy Murray from
scotland won the title after defeated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov .
Women’s Doubles : Sania Mirza and her partner Bethanie
Mattek-Sands won the women’s doubles trophy by winning against Kveta Peschke
and Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Men’s Doubles : Marcelo Melo – Tommy Robredo won the doubles
title after defeated Eric Butorac – Paul Hanley .
Pakistan won the Three – Match Series
On 6 January Pakistan won the three-match series by 2-1 against
India.With this win over Pakistan, India lost the three matches one day series
.Nasir Jamshed of Paksitan was declared as the Player of the tournament.MS
Dhoni was once again chosen as the Player of the match.
Lionel Messi, the man of the four Golden Balls
Lionel Messi became the first four-time winner of the FIFA Player
of the Year award after shattering the world record with 91 goals last
year(2012) for Barcelona and Argentina.His 91 goals topped Gerd Mueller’s mark
of 85 for Bayern Munich and Germany in 1972.
Bangar quits first-class cricket
Former India player and Railways captain Sanjay Bangar
announced his retirement from first-class cricket after guiding his team
to a 122-run victory over Bengal in the final league game of the Ranji Trophy
on 01 January 2013 in Kolkata.He played 165 first class matches amassing 8342
runs at an average of 33.35 and has 300 wickets to his credit.
National Table Tennis Championship Winners
On 11 January Soumyajit Ghosh became the youngest national
champion after he defeated six-time winner Achanta Sharath Kamal in the summit
clash of the 74th National Table Tennis Championship mens singles final at
Raipur.Shamini Kumaresan won the womens singles title.Sourav Chakraborty and
Ganeshan Sathiyan won the doubles title.In the Women doubles category K.
Spoorthy and Nikhat Banu (AP) defeated Madhurika Patkar and Pooja Sahasrabudhe
in the final and got the title.
Haryana girls retain U-20 hockey title
Haryana defeated Uttar Pradesh 1-0 to retain their under-20 women
hockey national championship at the Gachibowli Stadium on 16 January 2013.
Kerala won 61st National Volleyball
Championship Title
On 16 January Kerala defeated Tamilnadu to retain the men’s
title in the 61st Senior National Volleyball Championship at the Sawai Man
Singh Indoor Stadium in Jaipur.In the women’s section, Railways defeated Kerala
and won the title in the final.
Malaysian Open Badminton Championship Winners
Men’s Singles: Lee Chong Wei (Indonesia) won the Men’s singles title after
defeated Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the final at Kuala Lumpur on 20 January.
Men’s Doubles: Mohd Ahsan (Indonesia) -Hendra Setiawan (China) defeated Ko
Sung-hyun-Lee Yong-dae (Malaysia) in the final.
Women’s Singles: Tai Tzu-ying (Thailand) won the women’s singles
title after defeated Yao Xue (Korea)
Women’s Doubles: In the event Bao Yixin-Tian Qing (China)
won the title after defeated Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi
(Japan)
Lalith Babu takes top honours
Lalith Babu defeated Swapnil Dhopade in the final round to clinch
the Chennai Super Kings International Grandmaster chess tournament that
concluded at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai on 23 January 2013.Lalith Babu won
Rs.200,000 and the trophy after becoming the first Indian player to claim the
Chennai Open
Australian Open Tennis Tournament – 2013
Winners
Womens Single’s :- Victoria Azarenka of Belarus won the Women’s
Singles title of the Australian Open Tennis tournament after defeated Li Na of
China in the final at Melbourne on 26 January .
Men’s Singles:- Novak Djokovic (Serbia) has won the
men’s singles title after defeating Andy Murray (Britain) in four sets. This is
Djokovic’s fourth Australian Open and over all six Grand Slam single title.
Women’s Doubles:- Top seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci won the
title, defeating wild cards Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua in the final.
Men’s Doubles : Top seeded American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan
won the men’s doubles title. Americans Mike and Bob Bryan won their record 13th
Grand Slam doubles title, defeating the Dutch team of Robin Haase and Igor
Sijsling .
Magnus Carlsen Won Tata Steel Chess
Championship
Magnus Carlsen won Tata Steel 2013 Chess tournament title in the
final at Netherlands on 27 January .In the final round tournament, he
scored 10 points , winning clear first ahead of second-place finisher Aronian
(Armenia).World champion Viswanathan Anand at third position.
Mumbai won 40th Ranji Trophy Title
On 29 January Mumbai won its 40th Ranji Trophy title against
Saurashtra by an inning and 125 runs in the final at Wankhede at Mumbai .Wasim
Jaffar was declared Man of the Match. Ajit Agarkar was the captain of the
winning team.
ECONOMY
Philippines introduced ‘sin tax’
A “sin tax” on cigarettes and alcohol was introduced in the
Philippines on 01 January 2013, as part of a government bid to boost
finances.Many stores started selling tobacco and drink at inflated prices
before midnight , ahead of the official implementation of the tax hikes on
January 01, hitting partygoers in the pocket.Tax on cigarettes will gradually
be raised to 30 pesos ($0.72) per pack by 2017, roughly doubling the current
price to around 52 pesos.Duty on alcohol will also increase gradually until
2017, increasing the price of a bottle of beer by 23.50 pesos, with varying
levels for other drinks including wine and spirits.
LIC Launched New Jeewan Nidhi &
Flexi Plus Policies
The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India launched two new
Insurence policies New Jeevan Nidhi, a pension scheme, and Flexi Plus on 3
January .New Jeewan Nidhi provides the facility of insurance coverage of full
amount while the insured person keeps depositing premiums.The Flexi policy
is a unit linked insurance product. The plan not only provides a lump sum
benefit on death but also maturity benefit irrespective of survival of the
policy holder
Mukesh Ambani 18th richest man in world
Indian business magnate Mukesh Ambani is the 18th richest person
in the world with a personal wealth of $24.7 billion in 2012, according to the
Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the world’s 100 wealthiest
individuals. Mexican telecommunications magnate Carlos Slim remained the
world’s richest person last year holding a personal fortune of more than $70
billion.Microsoft founder Bill Gates and the founder of fashion retailer Zara,
Amancio Ortega, got a second and third places respectively.
Indian Companies Top Globally in R&D
Investment
According to the European Commission report Indian companies have
come on the top globally when it comes to growth in their research and
development (R&D) investments, leaving their counterparts in the US and
Europe far behind.Indian firms rank far below when it comes to absolute R&D
investments made by them and the top-ranked company from the country.These are
the only 14 Indian companies present in a list of top-1500 entities worldwide
in terms of their annual R&D investments.The top-ranked Indian company is
Infosys at 329th place and Japanese company Toyota Motor appears at the top of
the ranking in the 2012 Scoreboard.
IMF forecasted Indian Economic Growth Rate to
be 5.9 percent in 2013
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 23 January 2013 pegged
India’s economic growth rate in 2013 at 5.9 per cent and projected a higher
growth of 6.4 per cent next year in line with the gradual strengthening of
global expansion.
World Bank’s “Global Economic Prospects 2013″
Report
According to the World Bank “Global Economic Prospects 2013″
report , India’s growth is expected to inch closer to that of China in near
future, in which the economies of developing countries like India, China and
Brazil are projected to be recovering and higher growth rate.The World Bank
expects that by 2015, the growth rate of China would be 7.9% and that of India
7%.While the growth of the world economy growth is projected to inch up from
2.3% in 2012 to 2.4% in 2013, with the high-income countries remaining at the
same level of growth of 1.3% in both 2012 and 2013, it is the emerging markets
like India, China and Brazil that would show significant signs of recovery.They
are expecting a recovery in India from 5.1% growth in 2012 to 6.1% growth in
2013.
India 119th on Economic Freedom Index
According to the ‘Heritage Foundation’ 2013 Index of Economic
Freedom survey report , India has been ranked as the 119th freest country in
the world and India’s economic freedom score stood at 55.2, as its
institutional shortcomings continue to undermine the foundations for long-term
economic development.The top ten countries in the list include Hong Kong,
Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Switzarland, canada, Chili, Mauritius,
Denmark and US.
India second in steel production globally
India is second only to China in terms of steel production. In the
last 5 years India’s production grew by 33 percent, thus making it behind China
among the top 5 steel producing nation. World Steel Association (WSA) data has
revealed that China’s production grew by 39 per cent during 2008-2012, India’s
by 33 percent and India’s production grew constantly in the last five years
from 57.8 MT in 2008 to 63.5 MT in 2009, 69 MT in 2010, 73.6 MT in 2011 and
76.7 MT in 2012
RBI cuts CRR, Repo Rates
On 29 January The Reserve Bank of India slashed its key
interest rates by 0.25 per cent and released 18000 crore rupees additional
liquidity into the system to perk up growth through reduced cost of borrowing.
RBI in its third quarter monetary policy review surprised the market by cutting
short-term lending rate called repo, by 0.25 per cent to 7.75 per cent and Cash
Reserve Ratio (CRR) by similar margin to 4 per cent.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
US approved First new Tuberculosis Drug
On 1 January The US Food and Drug administration approved a
Johnson & Johnson tuberculosis drug in 40 years .This is the first
new medicine to fight the deadly infection in more than four decades.The
disease is rare in the US, but kills about 1.4 million people a year worldwide.
Spiral galaxy IC 2233
Astronomers had captured one of the flattest galaxies known in the
universe, sitting like a silver needle in the haystack of space. The NASA/ESA
Hubble Space Telescope produced a beautiful image of the spiral galaxy IC 2233,
one of the flattest galaxies. The IC 2233 is located about 40 million
light-years away from Earth. This galaxy was earlier discovered by British
astronomer Isaac Roberts in 1894.
“Immune system ‘booster’ may hit cancer”
Japanese research where stem cells were used to clone and produce
large numbers of a specialized type of white blood cell. These cells, known as
cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), are produced by the immune system and are able
to recognize specific markers on the surface of various tumour cells, causing
them to launch an attack to kill the tumour cells.The researchers are succeeded
in using stem cells to “mass-produce” CTLs in laboratory conditions.
Chinese Biologists Discovered Antibiotic In
Panda Blood
Chinese biologists have discovered that the blood of the
endangered giant panda includes a compound called ” Cathelicidin-AM ” which
acts as a natural antibiotic. The nature of the blood compound makes it an
attractive treatment for so-called superbugs, those strains of disease that
have become immune or resistant to traditional antibiotics.
India to make world’s largest solar telescope
India is likely to begin construction of the world’s largest solar
telescope on the foothills of the Himalayas in Ladakh to understand the
fundamental processes taking place on the Sun by year-end.A 2-metre class,
state-of-the-art National Large Solar Telescope (NLST), built by
Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), will permit Indian
scientists to carry out cutting edge research aimed to study Sun’s atmosphere.
Internet emits 830 mt of carbon dioxide
annually
According to Researchers from the Centre for Energy-Efficient
Telecommunications (CEET) and Bell Labs, Internet and other components of
information communication and technology (ICT) industry annually produces more
than 830 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas, and
is expected to double by 2020
‘Lakshya’ Missile Successfully Tested
India’s indigenously developed, ‘Lakshya’ was sucessfully tested
on 7 January .It was launched from the Integrated Test Range – ITR, at Odisha
.25 meters in length, 100 km away from the target to the missile .
17 billion’ Earth-sized planets in Milky Way
The Milky Way contains at least 17 billion planets the size of
Earth.Astronomers using NASA’s Kepler spacecraft found that about 17 percent of
stars in our galaxy have a planet about the size of Earth in a close orbit.The
Milky Way is known to host about 100 billion stars, meaning that about one of
every six has an Earth-sized planet around it.
Brahmos cruise missile test fired in
successfully
Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos scored once again in its 34th
launch on 09 January 2013 off Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal, hitting a
decommissioned vessel with accuracy.As it took off vertically from a naval
warship, reached an altitude of 14 km, levelled out and started cruising at
three times the speed of sound, it performed “a double manoeuvre in S-form” and
hit the decommissioned ship, about 290 km away.
Astronomers Found ” NGC 6872 ” Largest
known Spiral Galaxy
A team of astronomers from the United States, Chile and Brazil has
crowned it the largest-known spiral galaxy, a spectacular behemoth five times
bigger than our own Milky Way, based on archival data from NASA’s Galaxy
Evolution Explorer (GALEX) mission.The title-holder is now NGC 6872, a barred
spiral found 212 million light-years away in the southern constellation Pavo.
The distance between NGC 6872′s two huge spiral arms is 522,000 light-years,
compared to about 100,000 light-years for the Milky Way.
Indian Scientists Discovered Molecule for
Cancer Treatment
A team of Indian researchers, led by Dr Sathees C Raghavan of the
Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore, have identified a molecule which they
claim will revolutionise the cure for cancer.The molecule has been named after
“Sathees as SCR7” and a detailed account of it has been carried in the
international scientific journal “Cell”".Scientists world over believe
that the double strand break (DSB) of DNA is one of the most lethal form of DNA
damage, resulting in drastic consequences such as genome instability, and
cancer.
“Largest Space structure in the Universe:Large
Quasar Group
An international team lead by astronomer Roger Clowes of the
University of Central Lancashire in England discovered the largest known
structure in the universe, a clump of active galactic cores that stretches 4
billion light-years from end to end.This is the largest Space structure in the
Universe.This structure is known as a “Large Quasar Group(LQG)”.
Indian Scientists Discovered Molecule for
Cancer Treatment
A team of Indian researchers, led by Dr Sathees C Raghavan of the
Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore, have identified a molecule which they
claim will revolutionise the cure for cancer.The molecule has been named after
“Sathees as SCR7” and a detailed account of it has been carried in the
international scientific journal “Cell”".Scientists world over believe
that the double strand break (DSB) of DNA is one of the most lethal form of DNA
damage, resulting in drastic consequences such as genome instability, and
cancer.
World’s First Global Renewable Energy Atlas
Launched
On 13 January Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy
Agency (IRENA) launched the world’s first clean energy atlas at IRENA’S General
Assembly , currently offers open-access information on solar and wind power
throughout the world and the creators plan to expand to other renewable energy
resources over the next two years.The atlas includes information on clean
energy resources in 37 countries, including those which have no diplomatic
relations with the United Arab Emirates.The International Renewable Energy
Agency (IRENA) is working in partnership with the Renewable Energy Policy
Network for the 21st Century (REN21) to build a qualitative and quantitative
data framework for renewable energy in developing countries.
Ancient River Found on Mars
On 17 January The European Space Agency scientists have revealed a
1500 km long and 7 kilometre wide river that once ran across Mars.The images
which were captured by the ESA’s Mars Express showed Reull Vallis, the river-like
structure, which is believed to have formed when water ran from the surface of
Mars in distant past. The structure which surprised the astronomers stretches
for around 900 miles or 1500 km across the Martian surface and also shows
various tributaries. These structures, it is believed, were formed somewhere
around 3.5 billion years ago.
India Increased Rafale Fighter Jets’ Order
India could buy up to 189 of the Rafale fighter jets currently
being used by France to bomb Islamist militants in Mali, sources close to
negotiations on the multi-billion dollar deal .The possibility of an additional
63 jets being added to an expected order for 126 was raised by India .The
Indian press has estimated the value of the deal for 126 Rafales at $12 billion
(nine billion euros).A 50 per cent increase in the number of planes ordered
would take it to around $18 billion, in a huge boost for the French defence
industry.
‘Japan to replace Fukushima plant with world’s
largest wind farm’
In the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan had
decided to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm to replace the crippled
nuke plant.The country plans to build a total of 143 wind turbines on platforms
16 kilometres off the coast of Fukushima by 2020, which is home to the stricken
Daiichi nuclear reactor that hit the headlines in March 2011 when it was
damaged by a severe earthquake and tsunami.The wind farm will generate 1
gigawatt of power once completed, and is part of a national plan to increase
renewable energy resources following the post-tsunami shutdown of the country’s
54 nuclear reactors.The wind farm will surpass the 504 megawatts generated by
the 140 turbines at the Greater Gabbard farm off the coast of Suffolk, UK –
currently the world’s largest farm.
India, US finalise Rs 3,000 crore deal for jet
engines
India and the US have finalised a Rs 3000-crore deal for supplying
99 jet engines to be used in the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’ being
developed by the DRDO.Around two years ago, India had selected the American
company General Electric over its rival European Eurojet 2000 for the LCA Mark
II programme expected to be ready around 2014-15.The deal worth Rs 3,000 crore
has been finalised with the US for procuring 99 engines for the LCA Tejas
MkII.As per the contract, the order could be for 99 engines initially but India
will have the option of ordering another 100 engines in the future.
INS Saryu Inducted into Indian Navy
On 21 January Air Marshal PK Roy, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and
Nicobar Command, commissioned INS Saryu into the Indian Navy at Goa .INS Saryu
is the lead ship of the indigenous Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) Project
designed and built by Goa Shipyard Limited, the ship aptly demonstrates the immense
potential of the country’s indigenous designing and ship building
capabilities.Capable of carrying a helicopter (ALH) onboard, the ship’s weapon
and sensor outfit includes a SRGM 76.2 mm gun with an electro-optic fire
control system, two 30mm guns as close in weapon systems, latest navigational
and early warning radars, chaff launchers for self protection and an integrated
ESM system to undertake all assigned missions.
MIT researchers Created Moisture – Powered
Polymer
MIT ( Massachusetts Institute of Technology ) researchers
have created a new polymer film that can generate electricity by drawing
on a ubiquitous source: water vapor.The new material changes its shape after
absorbing tiny amounts of evaporated water, allowing it to repeatedly curl up
and down. Harnessing this continuous motion could drive robotic limbs or
generate enough electricity to power micro- and nanoelectronic devices, such as
environmental sensors.
India Sucessfully Test Fired K-5 Ballistic
Missile
On 27 January India successfully test fired medium range K-5
ballistic missile ,with a strike range of around 1500 kilometres, from an
underwater platform in Bay of Bengal.K-5 is part of the family of underwater
missiles being developed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
for the Indian strategic forces’ underwater platforms.
Iran ‘successfully sent monkey into space’
Iran on 28 January 2013 announced that it had successfully send a
monkey to the space.It also declared that the monkey come back to the
Earth successfully.The rocket called Pishgam (meaning Pioneer) reached at a
height of 120 km (75 miles) for a sub-orbital flight before “returning its
shipment intact”. The first country to launch the primate into space was US.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
Asif Ibrahim appointed as chief
Intelligence Bureau
Indian Police Service officer SA Ibrahim appointed as chief of the
Intelligence Bureau on 01 January 2013 and he becoming the first from the
country’s main minority community(Muslim Community) to hold the post. Ibrahim,
an IPS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has taken over as from Nehchal
Sandhu who retired December 31. He will hold the post for two years.
Urjit Patel appointed as RBI deputy governor
On 02 January 2013 Urjit Patel, a consultant at Boston Consulting
Group, had been appointed a deputy governor at the Reserve Bank of India,
succeeding Subir Gokarn who was aiding the governor in shaping the monetary
policy.
YV Reddy to head 14th Finance Commission
On 02 January 2013 former RBI governor YV Reddy was
appointed chairman of the 14th finance commission to suggest principles
of sharing of revenues between the Centre and the states and insulate pricing
of public utilities like electricity, water and public transport from policy
fluctuations.
Ami Bera and Tulsi Gabbard Sworn In As US
Lawmakers
On 4 January Indian American physician from California, Ami Bera,
and the young Iraq war veteran from Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard, created history
after being sworn in as new members of the US House of Representatives.Bera is
only the third Indian American have ever been elected to the House of
Representatives.Tulsi Gabbard is the first Hindu ever to won the Congressional
election.
Malala’s Father
Appointed as Education Attache in Birmingham
On 3 January Malala’s father Ziauddin Yousafzai has been appointed
as the education attache at the Pakistan consulate in Birmingham, England.The
job is believed to be for up to three years.
Indian American Srinivasan re-nominated
as Federal Judge
On 4 January Srikanth Srinivasan a brilliant Indian
American legal mind has been re-nominated by US President Barack Obama to serve
as Federal Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit.In June 2012 he was
nominated by Obama to serve on the US Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit.
Justice D K Jain appointed new Law Commission
chief
The Union Cabinet of India on 7 January 2013 appointed Justice D K
Jain as Chairman of 20th Law Commission of India. He gives
advice to the government on complex legal issues. Justice Jain, 64, will take
over as the chief of the law panel on January 24 after retiring from the
Supreme Court on the same day.
John Brennan as a CIA director
U.S. President Barack Obama announced on )7 January 2013
John Brennan wasnominated as director of the American Intelligence
Agency(CIA) and Chuck Hagel as a Defense secretary. John Brennan played a
key role in encounter the Osama Bin Laden.
Indian-origin politician to be Singapore’s
first woman speaker
Indian-origin politician Halimah Yacob elected as the first
woman Speaker of Singapore’s Parliament on 08 Janauary 2013.She take charges
from 14 January 2013.Halimah, a former labour lawyer, is a member of Parliament
from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
Kulwant Singh Gill Took charge as new
Commandant of NDA
On 8 January Air Marshal Kulwant Singh Gill took charge as the new
commandant of the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla, Pune.The NDA
provides three-year training in defence and academics to its cadets before they
move on to their respective officers’ training academies for another one-year
course and get commissioned into the armed forces.
R.K. Dubey Took Charge as Canara Bank’s new
CMD
On 11 January R.K. Dubey has assumed charge as the Chairman and
Managing Director of Canara Bank .Mr. Dubey was previously worked as a Punjab
National Bank General Manager in 2008 and was appointed as Executive Director
of Central Bank of India in 2010.
Rajkumar Goyal Took Charge as Central Bank of
India new ED
On 11 January Rajkumar Goyal has took charge as Executive Director
(ED) of Central Bank of India (CBI).He was previously with the bank of India as
the General Manager of Human Resources Department
Obama nominated Jack Lew as new Treasury Chief
On 11 January President Barack Obama nominated his chief of staff,
Jack Lew, to become the next Treasury secretary and succeed Timothy
Geithner.Last year, Lew was named Obama’s chief of staff, and before that he
had served as the White House budget director.
First Gujarati in UK cabinet
Lord Dolar Popat has appointed a minister in the UK cabinet .He
become the first Gujarati taking his place in the UK cabinet .Popat was
appointed minister for business, innovation & skills and transport.
Mohan Pieris assumes duties as 44th Chief
Justice of Sri Lanka
On 15 January 2013 ,Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa
appointed his cabinet’s legal advisor as the country’s new Chief Justice
to succeed Shirani Bandaranayake. Rajapaksa sworn in new Chief Justice Mohan
Peiris to replace Sri Lanka’s first woman chief justice who was impeached by
the parliament in a controversial move.Peiris, a British qualified solicitor
who retired in 2011 as the Attorney General was serving as the legal advisor to
the Cabinet.
Ved Prakash is UGC chairman
Ved Prakash, serving as acting chairman of the University Grants
Commission, had been appointed as its chairman on 18 January 2013.The
chairman’s post remained vacant ever since S. Thorat retired in February 2011.
Since then Mr. Prakash had been the acting chairman.
Obama Sworn in as the US President for Second
Term
On 20 January US President Barack Obama Barack Obama was sworn in
as the President of the country for a second four-year term.Obama as the 44th
president of the United States and also he is the third consecutive president
to win two terms, after Bush and Clinton. Joe Biden sworn-in for second
term as US vice-president.
Suchitra Ella, Founding Chairwoman of CII’s
women wing
Suchitra K. Ella, Joint Managing Director, Bharat Biotech
International, had been nominated as the Founding Chairwoman of the Indian
Women Network of CII. The network aims to provide a platform for working women
to come together and discuss issues and opportunities and share best practices.
She is currently the Chairperson of CII Andhra Pradesh State Council for 2012-13.
She had earlier been elected to the CII Andhra Pradesh State Council. She has
been awarded the International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge award 2007 by
the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and the
FLO GR8 Women Achievers Award 2008 for entrepreneurial excellence.
B)RESIGNS
Jharkhand CM Arjun Munda resigned
Political uncertainty deepened in Jharkhand on 08 January 2013,
with Chief Minister Arjun Munda submitted his resignation to Governor Syed
Ahmed. On 07 January 2013, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) announced the
withdrawal of its support to the BJP-led government.
Rajapaksa Dismissed First Woman Chief Justice
of the Country
On 13 January Mahinda Rajapaksa, the President of Sri Lanka
dismissed the first woman chief justice of the country, Shirani Bandarnayake
after endorsing her impeachment by the Parliament that caught her guilty on the
corruption charges.She appointed as a chief Justice on May 2011.
C)DEATHS
Violin maestro MSG passes away
M.S. Gopalakrishnan — legendary violinist known for his mastery of
both the Carnatic and Hindustani systems of classical music — passed away on 03
January 2013 in Chennai.In his career spanning 75 years, he not only broke new
ground as an accompanist, but also rose to become one of the best solo
violinists in the country, along with Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and T.N. Krishnan.
The three are considered the ‘violin trinity’ of south Indian classical
music.Despite enviable success and accolades that came in the form of national
honours such as the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, and innumerable titles,
including the ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ title awarded by The Music Academy, Chennai.
Pakistani singer Mehnaz Begum is no more
Renowned Pakistani singer Mehnaz Begum died on 19 January
2013.Mehnaz specialized in ghazal, thumri, dadra, khayal, drupad and reciting
salam, noha and marsiya.Mehnaz was the daughter of popular sub-continental
singer Kajjan Begum.She sang over 2,500 songs for radio‚ television and films
in a variety of genres like ghazal, thumri, dadra, khayal and drupad.
D)VISITORS
Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag Visited
India
Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag
visited India from 3 – 10 January .During the visit Purryag met Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee on 4 January in New Delhi. In Bihar , he
visited his ancestral village , Bojeetpore near Patna.President Purryag
also the chief guest of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas .He attended the 3 days
event 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in Kochi (Kerala).
Vice President Hamid Ansari Visited Vietnam
Vice President Hamid Ansari visited Vietnam from 14 to 17
January.During the visit Ansari met Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Vu
Van Ninh and discussed the both countries bilateral issues , signed several
agreements .Ansari attended the closing ceremony of the celebrations to mark
the 40th anniversary of the India-Vietnam diplomatic ties.
Bhutan King Wangchuck Visited India
The King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited India
from 23-30 January.During the visit he attended the India’s Republic Day
celebrations as a Chief Guest.Wangchuck met President Pranab Mukherjee,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and the United Progressive Alliance’s
Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi.This is the fourth time since 1954 that a Bhutanese
King will be a Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations.
E)MISCELLANEOUS
Ex-Haryana CM Chautala, son get 10 years jail
Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay
had been sentenced to 10 years in jail in connection with a teachers
recruitment scam.Special CBI Judge Vinod Kumar sentenced the Chautalas and
seven others to 10 years in jail while one convict was given five years in jail
and 45 others four years in jail.
Swaminarayan sect opens $100-million
quake-proof temple near Hollywood
One of the biggest Hindu temples in the US, built at a whopping
cost of $100 million near the Hollywood city in Los Angeles .The 68th
Swaminarayan temple of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan
Sanstha (BAPS) had been built using 35,000 pieces of meticulously hand carved
Italian Carrara marble and Indian Pink Sandstone.
Premlata Conquers Summit of Mt Vinson in
Antarctica
On 17 January Premlata Agrawal, the oldest woman in India to have
climbed Mt. Everest, has conquered Mt. Vinson in Antarctica in pursuit of the
‘Mountaineering Challenge’ of climbing the ‘Seven Summits’.She completed her
Mt. Vinson expedition on January .The person successful in conquering all the
seven summits is considered a member of the ‘Hall of Fame’ for
mountaineers.Premlata will become the first Indian woman and one of the oldest
in the world to conquer all seven summits.
Ex-ISRO chairman Inducted in to ‘ Satellite
Hall of Fame ‘
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced its former
chairman and Department of Space secretary Prof U R Rao by inducting him as the
member of the prestigious ‘ Satellite Hall of Fame ‘ , Washington.Since
1987, the SSPI Hall of Fame has been recognising the invaluable contribution of
the visionaries who have transformed life on planet earth for the better
through satellite technology. Members of the Hall of Fame are recognised
pioneers in communications, satellite related aerospace scientific research or
development and delivery of applications for business, institutions and
government via satellite.
David Headley sentenced for 35 years for 26/11
role(Mumbai attacks)
Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist David Headley was on
24 January 2013 sentenced to 35 years in jail by a Chicago court for his
‘unquestionable’ role in the massacre of 166 people in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Forbes India Celebrity 100 List
According to the Forbes India “” Celebrity 100 List “” The
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, topped the inaugural Forbes India Celebrity
100 list.Forbes India estimates, the total earning of Shah Rukh from
October 2011 and September 2012 was 202.8 crore Rupees.The ranking was given
based on the popularity as well as income of the biggest entertainers of India.
Second on the list was Salman Khan and MS Dhoni followed in the third
position.The special edition of Forbes India judged in eight different
categories – directors, film actors, TV personailities, models, comedians,
sports stars, authors and singers/musicians.The youngest celebrity in the list
of Forbes India was Saina Nehwal, aged 23 years.
Switzerland best place to be born, India 66th
Switzerland has been called the best place in the world to be born
in 2013 according to the The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister
company of The Economist. The worst place for a baby to start life was
violence-hit African country Nigeria. The survey included 80 nations and
Australia ranked second followed by Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Singapore, Netherlands,
Hong Kong, Canada and New Zealand were also ranked among top 10. India was
ranked 66th place.The survey included significant parameters to judge the best
country to be born and these factors included demography, geography, cultural
and social characteristics, state of economy, future income per head as well as
public policy.
PLACES IN
NEWS
Strong Quake in Indonesia
On 22nd January A strong, shallow earthquake rocked parts of
western Indonesia early killed 30 persons and panicking residents and
ruining homes. Several other people were injured.Indonesia’s meteorology and
geophysics agency put the preliminary magnitude at 6.0 and said the inland
quake caused no tsunami. It was centered southwest of the city of Banda Aceh
and 10 miles (6 kilometers) beneath the earth’s crust, according to the U.S.
Geological Survey..
233 People Killed in Brazil Night Club Fire
Accident
On 27 January The blaze in the university town of Santa Maria
nightclub fire killed at least 233 people in southern Brazil .Most of those who
died were suffocated by toxic fumes that rapidly filled the crowded club
after sparks from pyrotechnics used by the band for visual effects set fire to
soundproofing on the ceiling.
ABBREVIATIONS
CBT————-Cash Transfer Benefit
EIU————–Economist Intelligence Unit
CBS————Central Bureau of Statistics
NLST———-National Large Solar Telescope
CEET———-Centre for Energy-Efficient Telecommunications
CIA———–American Intelligence Agency
WEF———-World Economic Forum
PBS———Pravasi Bhartiya Divas
MSME——–Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
BWF———–Badminton World Federation
BOOKS IN NEWS
Swami Vivekananda “The Monk as Man ” Book
Released
The renowned Bengali writer Shankar wrote a “The Monk as Man ”
book on Swami Vivekananda ,who spread the message of India’s spiritual heritage
across the world.In the book Shankar described Vivekananda used to emphasise
greatly on physical strength and is known for the shocking statement ‘Better to
play football than read the Gita’.
McChrystal “My Share of the Task: A
Memoir ” Book Released
General Stanley McChrystal, the former American commander in
Afghanistan, wrote a “My Share of the Task: A Memoir,” book which was released
on 7 January .In the book Chrystal explained that tensions between the White
House and the Pentagon were evident in the Obama administration from its
opening months in office.This book is not just for aficionados of military
history or for students of American foreign policy .
COMMITTEES
Vijay Kelkar Committee for Fiscal
Consolidation
The Vijay Kelkar Committee, which was appointed by Finance
Ministry to suggest a roadmap for fiscal consolidation, has suggested immediate
hike in fuel prices and complete deregulation of diesel prices by start of
2014-15 fiscal.It also suggested raising kerosene and LPG rates.Now the Kelkar
committee recommendation is still at proposal stage.
Justice Verma Committee Submitted Report
On 23 January The three-member committee included former Chief
Justice of India, J S Verma, who headed the committee, Justice (Retd.) Leila Seth,
former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court and Gopal Subramanian,
former Solicitor General of India , set up to suggest ways to make rape laws
stronger in the country, has submitted its report with recommendations to
enhance and amend existing laws dealing with cases of sexual crime.The Justice
Verma panel recognised failure of governance as primary cause of sexual
crimes.The Panel suggested Trafficking should be made punishable with
imprisonment ranging from not less than 7 years to 10 years .There was a need
for the separate Bill of Rights for women that will make sure that women would
have their own rights for having sexual autonomy
For Download Current
Affairs See Below
Please like This Website
No comments:
Post a Comment