NSB

BULLETIN
FEBRUARY
MONTH
2014

1.

For Competitive Examination, NSB is the largest and the oldest preexamination training institute.

2.

Study materials of NSB are comprehensive and updated. It is supposed as

panacea for Competitive Examination.

3.

The team of NSB consists of unique combination of experienced teachers.

The team has expertise to make candidate able to solve more than ninety
per cent questions correctly in the stipulated time.

4.

NSB will provide best conducive platform where candidate will get intelligent
classmates who can make your task easier.

5.

NSB provides support to its students till selection. One can attend classes
even after completion of course if one faces problems in any chapter or
subject. Weak students can get the entire training twice or thrice without
paying any additional fee. Note that the above facilities will be provided to
serious candidates only.

6.

It is only NSB where candidate will get more than 24 hours class in a week.

7.

It is only NSB where candidate will get facility to clear one's doubt instantly.

8.

It is only NSB where candidate will get facility to join free full length test series
which comprises questions prepared by experts of competitive exams.

9.

It is only NSB where candidate will get interview training by genuine

interviewers.

10.

It is only NSB where candidate will get complete and true support at an
affordable fee.

01-FEB-2014
Economic growth for 2012-13 lowered to 4.5 percent from 5 percent estimated earlier
The Union Government of India on 31 January 2014 announced that economy might have expanded by 4.5 percent in fiscal year 2012-13 when compared to the previous estimate of 5 percent in
account of subdued performance in agriculture, mining and manufacturing.
However, as per the estimates of National Income, Consumption Expenditure, Saving and Capital Formation, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2011-12 has been revised upwards to 6.7
percent from 6.2 percent. Growth in 2012-13 is the lowest of the decade with previous low of 4
percent that was recorded in 2002-03.
Central Statistics Office (CSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
has estimated the GDP for 2012-13 along with the second revised estimates for 2011-12 and third
revision estimates for 2010-11. CSO has revised the growth for 2010-11 to 8.9 percent from 9.3
percent earlier in the third and final revision.
The revised estimates for 2012-13 estimated the primary sectors including agriculture, mining,
quarrying and fishing has grown by one percent against the previous estimate of 1.6 percent. About
the secondary sector that includes manufacturing, electricity, gas, water supply and construction
has gone down by 1.2 percent from the previous estimate of 2.3 percent.
The growth rates and shares of different sectors of economy during 2010-11 to 2012-13 are mentioned below
Sector

Percentage share in GDP at current prices

2010-11
2011-12
2012-13

Percentage share in GDP at current prices

2010-11
2011-12
2012-13

Primary

8.3

4.4

21

20.5

19.9

Secondary

7.6

8.5

1.2

24.3

24.6

23.8

Tertiary

9.7

6.6

54.6

54.9

56.3

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at market prices at constant (2004-05) prices in 2012-13 is estimated at 59 lakh crore as against 56.3 lakh crore in 2011-12 registering a growth of 4.7 percent
during the year as against a growth of 6.6 percent in the year 2011-12. At current prices, GDP at
market prices in 2012-13 is estimated at 101.1 lakh crore as against 90.1 lakh crore in 2011-12,
showing an increase of 12.2 per cent during the year, as against an increase of 15.7 percent in the
previous year.
Mandate of Central Statistics Office (CSO)
CSO is the principal data collecting, processing and disseminating agency responsible for coordinating, monitoring and supervising the National Statistical System. It thus has the statutory mandate to produce and provide government, the private sector, parastatal organisations, international
organisations, the civil society and the general public with statistical information for evidence based
decision-making, policy formulation and planning as well as investment purposes. The statutory
mandate also includes the responsibility of providing advisory and technical service to all users on
statistical matters.
India pledged 44.12 million rupees grant assistance to Nepal Academy Library
India on 30 January 2014 pledged Nepal to grant assistance of 44.12 million rupees for the
construction of Nepal Academys library building in Kathmandu.
Nepal Academy, established in 1957, is a premier national institution devoted to the promotion
of language, literature, culture, philosophy and research activities.
Various projects being implemented under the programme will help the Nepal people in their
strides of attaining peace and prosperity.
India underlined the importance of Nepal India economic cooperation programme as a cornerstone of the development partnership between the two countries.
Saving Asias Vultures from Extinction Project for Asian Vultures
A programme named Saving Asias Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) in its plan wants to release
up to 25 birds into the 30000 kilometer square safe zone. The captive-bred birds will be released into
the wild by 2016 under the project would. The project has been planned following the devastation in

the populations due to vetting of drugs named Diclofenac on cattle.

The veterinary drug Diclofenac that is used in vetting the cattle has been identified as a reason
that is causing the sharp deep in the numbers of vultures. Use of this drug has been banned in India.
Diclofenac is toxic for any and all vultures that feed on the carcass of recently treated cattle. SAVE in
its study says that the version for human use is being illegally given to the cattle.
The study says that three species of the South Asian Vultures are critically threatened for extinction in the coming future. During 1980s the Oriental white-blacked vultures that are considered
to be one of the most common large bird preys in the world were present in abundance in India.
Slowly the number of these vultures has decreased critically and now there are less than 1000 these
vultures surviving. This birds population has gone down by almost 99.9 percent.
The three species of vultures that are critically endangered that has declined by more than 97
percent since 1990s are
Oriental white-backed (Gyps bengalensis)
Long-billed (Gyps indicus)
Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
Other two species, whose population has decreased sharply, although no link has been established for the cause of their deaths, the two species are
Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvushave)
Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
In 2006, Diclofenac was banned from being used to vet and farmers. This decision was taken
following its effect on the vultures. In 2004 it was established after the study on the sick birds in the
wild that the decrease of the population of vultures is caused due to the anti-inflammatory drug
being used to reduce swelling in injured or diseased animals.
The study suggested that the vultures who were feeding on the carcasses of the animals vetted
with Diclofenac were dying due to acute kidney failure or lost their ability to reproduce.
About Saving Asias Vultures from Extinction (SAVE)
SAVE stands for Saving Asias Vultures from Extinction and it is a consortium of like-minded,
regional and international organisations and has been created to oversee and co-ordinate conservation, campaigning and fundraising activities to help the plight of south Asias vultures.
Key stages that SAVE has identified as priorities include
Advocacy to more effectively remove diclofenac from veterinary use
Creation of Vulture Safe Zones
Breeding Centres and release programmes
Worlds oldest flamingo died at Adelaide Zoo of Australia
Worlds oldest flamingo known as Greater died at the age of 83 on 30 January 2014 at Adelaide
Zoo of Australia. Greater was brought to the zoo in 1933 and lived long with the Chilean flamingo
named Chilly, who is in his 60s. Chilly is the only remaining flamingo in Australia.
The worlds oldest Flamingo was the last Greater flamingo that has resided in Australia. Its
known that the lifespan of the flamingos is of about 25 years in the wild but they can live for many
decades in captivity.
Greater Flamingo
The Greater Flamingo scientific name Phoenicopterus roseus is the most widespread species of
the flamingo family. These birds are found in the Africa, southern Asia (India and Pakistan), Spain,
Albania, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Italy and France. A single bird was seen in 1988 on the
North Keeling Island.
These birds are pink birds and found mainly in warm and watery regions as well as in the environments of saline and alkaline lakes. The Greater flamingos are the only tall pink bird found anywhere. They also have long, lean, curved necks and black-tipped bills with a distinctive downward
bend

Michel Rogers nominated as Director of NSA

Michael Rogers has been nominated as the Director of National Security Agency by the US president Barack Obama. His name was announced by Defence Secretary of US on 30 January 2014.
Defence Secretary also announced the name of Rick Ledgett as the new Deputy Director of NSA
who is at present its Chief Operating Officer.
Vice Admiral Michel Roger will succeed Keith Alexander who served as the Director of NSA for
almost nine years. Michel Roger will take the charge as Director of NSA in March 2014.
About Michael Rogers
Rogers was a trained intelligence cryptologist and has served at top position since 2005.
Currently Roger is the head of US Fleet Cyber Command, overseeing the navys cyber warfare
specialist.
He had over a 30 year career in cryptology and eaves dropping or signals intelligence.
Rogers also served in the militarys Joint Staff as intelligence director for two years, which is a
prestigious Pentagon post.
US warned China against move to declare new ADIZ over South China Sea
US on 31 January 2014 warned China against any move to declare a new Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea. This came after the reports of Japanese media that says
that China is preparing to announce another defence zone in the area, which are driven by territorial disputes with the neighbouring countries.
Marie Harf, the deputy spokeswoman of State Department has said that any such step of China
would be seen as a provocative and unilateral act, which could raise tensions and call into serious
questions on China over its commitment to diplomatically managing territorial disputes.
On part of Japan, Beijing claims the South China Sea in its entirety although areas are long way
from its shoreline. In 2013, China caused a storm when it declared ADIZ above the East China Sea,
which included islands at the heart of a sovereignty row with Tokyo. China in December 2013 displayed its aggressive behavior towards the ships and aircrafts of America in international airspace
and waters.
Rajasthan withdrew its approval for FDI in multi-brand retail
Rajasthan on 1 February 2014 scrapped its approval for the foreign direct investment in multibrand retailing. The approval was given earlier by the previous Congress state government led by
former Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot.
Vasundhara Raje, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan has written a letter to Commerce and Industry Minister of India, Anand Sharma for revising the FDI in multi-brand retail in a letter. With this
decision of scrapping the approval over FDI made Rajasthan the second state after Delhi to withdraw
approval for FDI in multi-brand retail. These two decisions of Delhi and Rajasthan came just after
the change of government. Earlier, Rajasthan was one of the 12 states that agreed to allow FDI in the
retail sector.
The previous state government led by Ashok Gehlot gave consent to the FDI policy after the
Union Government permitted 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail trading. The central decision was
made in September 2012 and the implementation decision was left on the states.
Surajkund International crafts Mela began in Haryana
The 28th Surajkund International crafts Mela began at Surajkund in Faridabad on 1 February
2014. The fortnight long festival of craft will continue till 15 February 2014.The Goa is the theme
state for the 28th Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2014.
National and State craftspersons from India and also SAARC nations are participating, showcasing their ethnic art and crafts in the Surajkund Crafts Mela.
The fortnight long celebrations also come as a food festival, some popular food traditions from
Punjab, South India, Chinese and snack foods have arrived. And also the mela has grown equally
famous for the rhythms of folk theatre.
About Surajkund International craft Mela
The Surajkund Crafts is an annual event that highlights some of the finest handloom and handicraft traditions of the country. The Surajkund Crafts Mela has grown equally famous for the rhythms

of folk theatre.
Objectives
To create a rural ambience for the foreign and domestic tourist to watch
To educate patrons both from abroad, urban centres and educational institutes about the fascinating technique and skills involved in craft creation
To Identify, nurture and preserve languishing crafts of the country and save it for posterity
Indias first Mono rail inaugurated
Indias first monorail service was inaugurated by the Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj
chavan on 1 February 2014 in Mumbai.
The First phase of Mumbai Monorail is comprised of 8.9 km long Wadala-Chembur section. The
first phase was constructed at the cost of 1900 crore rupees which have seven stations.
It will operate between 7 am and 3 pm at an interval of 15 minutes initially. The fully air-conditioned monorails minimum fare will be five rupees while maximum fare will be twenty rupees.
The monorail service will have four coaches, which will ferry about 2500 passengers .The traveling time between Wadala and Chembur will be reduced from 40 minutes to nearly 21 minutes at
present.
Mumbai Mono rail will display itself in three colours green, pink and sky blue. Monorail will have
a smart card facility available like Delhi Metro.
About Mumbai Mono rail
The Mumbai Mono rail project has been implemented in two phases. The first phase comprise
the Wadala- Chembur where as the second phase will be extended to Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk in
South Mumbai.
The Project is implemented by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority with an
association of Larsen and Toubro and a Malaysian infrastructure firm Scomi Engineering.
03-FEB-2014
Olympic torch lit on Mount Elbrus, Russia's highest point
Olympic torch was lit in Russia on 1 February 2014 at its highest point on the western peak of
Mount Elbrus, the highest peak Of Russia, which also is the highest peak of all of Europe. The torch
was lit by two experienced mountain climbers at a height of 5642 meters above sea level a week
before the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
Two mount climbers named Alpinists Abdul-Khalim Elmezov and Karina Mezova (who serves as
president of a local climbing federation) climbed the western peak of the mountain in the northern
Caucasus at the end of October 2013 carrying the flame in a special lantern. With this the last of four
special projects in the biggest torch relay in Olympic history was completed.
As per the organizers, the relays Elbrus part was planned separately to ensure the best possible
weather conditions for the climb. The other three special projects of torch relay that has been completed are
Visit of the relay torch to the International Space Station
Visit of the North Pole
Visit to the Siberias Baikal Lake
After the completion of the four steps of the project, the torch will arrive to the resort of Sochi in
the Black Sea for lighting-up of the Olympic cauldron at the Games opening ceremony on 7 February
2014.
Tea Production of India rose by 6.5 percent in 2013: Indian Tea Association
Indian Tea Association (ITA) on 2 February 2014 announced that the tea production of India has
gone up by 6.5 percent in the year 2013. In its report it said that the countrys production has rose to
1200 million kilograms in 2013 as against 1126 million kilograms in 2012.
The northern part of India (Assam and West Bengal) produced 957.44 million kilograms in 2013
as against the 886.95 million kilograms in 2012. Production of the southern region stood at 242.60
million kilogram in 2013 against the 239.38 million kilogram of 2012.
In its report, it also said that the exports from January to September 2013 (nine months) also
went up by 5 percent. During this period the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent State) countries

imported maximum of 39.88 million kilograms of Indian tea, which was followed by Iran with 16.47
million kilograms, Pakistan 12.35 million kilograms and the US 10.29 million kilograms apart from
others.
Indian Tea Association (ITA)
Indian Tea Association (ITA) was founded in 1881 and is the premier and the oldest organization
of tea producers in India. It is the body that formulates policies and initiates action towards the
development and growth of the industry by liaising with the Tea Board, Government and other related bodies. It has its branches in Assam and West Bengal. It branches represent over 60 percent of
the total tea production of the country.
CIS (Commonwealth of Independent State) Countries
CIS Countries consist of the ex Soviet Union nations, which were formed after disintegration of
Soviet Union in 1991and includes
Russia
Ukraine
Kazakhstan
Belarus
Azerbaijan
Uzbekistan
Turkmenistan
Georgia
Armenia
Tajikistan
Kyrgyzstan
Moldova
Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Oscar-winning American actor died
Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Oscar-winning American actor died on 2 February 2014 at his flat
in New York at the age of 46. As per the police of the country, the death happened due to overdose of
drugs. He is survived by his three children along with his partner Mimi O'Donnell.
Hoffman has over 60 films, which are credited to his name, few of those includes, The Master,
Boogie Nights, the Big Lebowski and Mission Impossible III.
About Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Oscar award as the best actor for his 2005 portrayal of writer
Truman Capote in the film Capote
In 2010, he debuted in film direction with the New York-set Jack Goes Boating, in which he
also starred
Latest, he played a role in the Hunger Games series of films.
He was also nominated for Tony Awards for his works in theater
Jammu and Kashmir Government to develop 18 new Industrial Estates
The state government of Jammu and Kashmir has decided to develop 18 new Industrial estates
of which nine each will be developed in Kashmir and Jammu divisions. This step has been taken
with an aim to boost the industrial activities for socio-economic transformation of the state. Its
main focus will on employment generation.
To develop these industrial estates, over 2500 (over 314 acres) Kanals of land valued at about 82
crore rupees in Kashmir division and 5600 Kanals (over 703 acres) of land valued 87 crore rupees in
the Jammu division is being acquired. Besides setting-up of the new industrial estates, the state
government is also upgrading the existing ones in a phased manner to provide better infrastructure
support to the entrepreneurs.
The state government has planned the upgradation of industrial estate of Khanmoh phase-II and
phase-III industrial estate Gangyal and Bari-brahamna at the cost of 32.50 rupees. The state will
planning to provide industrial infrastructure to the information technology entrepreneurs of the
state and a modern information technology park will be established spread in an area of 150 kanals
(over 9 acres) of land in industrial estate Ompura in Kashmir.
The state has also planned to set-up two biotech parks over 80 kanals (over 10 acres) of land in
industrial estate of Ompura in Kashmir Valley; Kathua in Jammu division to promote technology
based industries in the state.
At present the state has 53 initial estates spread over 4400 acres of land in different parts of the
state, which are being managed by Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Programme,
SICOP and Directorate of Industries.
Karnataka defeated Maharashtra to win the Ranji Trophy 2014
Karnataka on 2 February 2014 defeated Maharashtra by seven wickets to win the Ranji Trophy

2014 at Hyderabad. Karnataka, while chasing a target of 157 runs on the last and fifth day of the
tournament was successful to clinch winning by losing only three wickets in the second innings.
Karnataka bowlers R Vinay Kumar and Shreyash Gopal claimed four wickets each. The remaining two wickets of Maharashtra team were taken by Abhimanyu Mithun.
Man of the match: Lokesh Rahul of Karnataka, who scored highest 131 in the first innings and
29 in the second.
Brief Score:
Karnataka: 515 and 157 for three
Maharashtra: 305 and 366 all out
Captains of the two teams
Karnataka: R Vinay
Maharashtra: Rohit Motwani
Karnataka's moment of glory arrived after 14 years of wait. This is the seventh title win for
Karnataka; the first trophy was won in 1988-99 season. Captain of Karnataka, R Vinay became the
sixth captain of the state to win the title. The previous captains of the state who have won the title
are
EAS Prasanna (twice)
Brijesh Patel
Anil Kumble
Rahul Dravid
Sunil Joshi
First online Global Freshwater Biodiversity Atlas launched
A new online Atlas of freshwater biodiversity that presents spatial information and species distribution patterns was launched on 29 January 2014 at the landmark Water Lives symposium. The
symposium (conference) brought together the European Union policy makers and freshwater scientists.
Freshwater that is quite important for diverse habitats covers only 1 percent of total earths
surface and is a home for about 35 percent of all vertebrate species. A vertebrate is an animal that
has an internal backbone and a skeleton that is made of bones and it also include humans. Some
other vertebrate species are fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, primates, rodents and
marsupials.
Studies show that the freshwater life on earth is declining at an alarming rate as it is faster
than any other component of global diversity. At present the demand of the policy is the protection of
freshwater from the energy, food and sanitation sectors. At present scenario is to frame a policy that
integrates of freshwater life and the ecosystem services it provides. The policy calls-in with real and
pressing demands on freshwater resources from the energy food and sanitation sectors. The newly
launched online atlas is a response from freshwater scientists to key geographical information and
spatial freshwater biodiversity across different scales.
The online Atlas adopts a book-like structure allowing easy browsing through its four thematic
chapters
Patterns of freshwater biodiversity
Freshwater resources and ecosystems
Pressures on freshwater systems
Conservation and management
Atlas is an output of BioFresh (European Union funded project) that is putting together the scattered pieces of information about life in rivers and lakes. This will help in managing and protecting
the freshwater for generations to come. Biodiversity of Freshwater Ecosystems: Status, Trends, Pressures, and Conservation Priorities. It is funded by the European Union under the 7th Framework
Programme with Theme Environment including Climate Change.
The Atlas has been edited by a pan-European group of freshwater science and conservation experts from 12 research institutes. It is supported by key international organsiation, which are active

in the field of freshwater biodiversity research and conservation. Name of some of the partners are:
GEO Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON)
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
The Global Water System Project (GWSP)
Conservation International (CI)
Wetlands International
The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
IUCN Red List has completed 50 years of its existence
IUCN on 30 January 2014 announced that it is celebrating 50 years of the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species in guiding conservation action and policy decisions. The Red list of IUCN is the
worlds most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, plant
species and fungi related to livelihoods.
The IUCN Red list acts as a powerful tool to inform and catalyse action for biodiversity conservation and policy change for things that are critical to protect the natural resources that is needed by
us to survive. It also provides the information on population size as well as trends depending upon
the range and habitat needs of species.
Process of how the Red List of IUCN helps in saving the species
Conservation Planning It provides the information that is related to species-based conservation actions. It also helps in identifying globally important sites for conservation including important
Plant Areas, important bird areas, key biodiversity areas and alliance for zero extinction sites.
Decision-making It helps in by influencing the decisions of conservation at multiple scales
that includes environmental impact assessments to international multilateral environments agreements
Monitoring Indicating the current status of species and revealing trends in their extinction
risk over time, to track progress towards biodiversity targets.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the worlds oldest and largest global environmental organization. It was founded in 1948 and at present it is the largest professional global
conservation network. It is funded by governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies, member
organisations, corporations and foundations. It has the status of official observer at the United Nations General Assembly.
For the first time the IUCN Red List was conceived in 1964, when it set a standard for species
listing and conservation assessment efforts.
Silverine Swer, Meghalaya's first Padma Shri Awardee died
Silverine Swer, the first Padma Shri awardee of Meghalaya died on 1 February 2014 at her residence at Riatsamthiah. She was of 103 years in age. She received the Padma Shri award in 1990
from the then President of India, R. Venkararaman. She was also the oldest voter from Meghalaya.
About Silverine Swer
She saw four wars namely the two world wars, Sino-India War and Indias involvement in the
Liberation War of Bangladesh
She was born on 12 November 1910
In 1932, she completed her degree from the Scottish Church College in then Calcutta
In 1944 during World War II, she joined as the assistant controller of rationing under the Assam
government. She served that till 1949
Affectionately she was called as Kong Sil
She was awarded with the medal of Kaisar-i-Hind by the government for her efficiency and
integrity, when she handled the rationing system and for service to the Guides movement in Assam
She was a member of the Good Will Movement of the Moral Rearmament (MRA)
She served as the Chairperson of the State Social Welfare Advisory Board
Chairperson of the International Year for Women
Delhi Metro awarded GSF certification for efficient energy use
The Delhi Metro was awarded the prestigious Gold Standard Foundation (GSF) certification standard for using the energy efficiently on 2 February 2014. Delhi Metro became the first ever Railway

10

system in the world with GSF certification standard.

GSF standard certification is a globally accepted certification standard for carbon mitigation
projects. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) registered for the certification standard for its
energy efficiency measures undertaken in 51 stations in Phase II of the DMRC Project.
All the energy efficiency measures after being verified by the GSF auditors showed that during
Phase II
the energy efficiency measures were primarily undertaken in the heating, venting and air
conditioning (HVAC) systems, lighting system and other energy efficient measures of station buildings;
the measures adopted in the HVAC system resulted in reduction in electrical energy consumption; and

The undertaken measures lead to tremendous amount of energy savings and was more
efficient than Phase I. It resulted in reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by at least 25% .
The Gold Standard certification process ensures genuine quality and like all high end products,
Gold standard carbon offset carry a price premium. The UN rate for one Carbon credit, at present is
70 cents, where as Gold Standard gives 4-5 Euros.
The Gold Standard registration will help DMRC to earn 7000-7500 amount of VERs (credits) per
annum for next ten years. Delhi Metro is also working on other projects to get them registered under
Gold Standard.
In 2008, DMRC had become the first Metro or Railway project in the world to be registered by the
United Nations under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) which has enabled it to claim
carbon credits.
About Carbon rating
Carbon Ratings are an important building block in the determination of pricing recommendations. Carbon Ratings measure the overall quality and likely performance of an emission reduction
project. All factors that are likely to influence the projects capacity to generate CERs (or other units)
are considered.
About Gold Standard Foundation
The Gold Standard is an award winning certification standard for carbon mitigation projects and
is recognised internationally as the benchmark for quality and rigour in both the compliance and
voluntary carbon markets.
Established in 2003 by WWF, the Gold Standard is the only certification standard trusted and
endorsed by more than 85 NGOs worldwide.
Gold Standard projects must adhere to a stringent and transparent set of criteria developed by
the Secretariat, overseen by an independent Technical Advisory Committee and verified by UN accredited independent auditors.
Scientist discovered Method to curb greenhouse gases
Scientists discovered a new method to convert harmful greenhouse gases into chemicals which
can produce synthetic fuels on 2 February 2014.
A team of researchers at the University of Delaware has developed a highly selective catalyst
capable of electrochemically converting carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) to carbon monoxide with
92 percent efficiency. The carbon monoxide then can be used to develop useful chemicals.
It was found that when a nano-porous silver electrocatalyst was used, it was 3000 times more
active than polycrystalline silver, a catalyst commonly used in converting carbon dioxide to useful
chemicals.
Silver is considered a promising material for a carbon dioxide reduction catalyst because of it
offers high selectivity approximately 81 percent and because it costs much less than other precious
metal catalysts. Additionally, because it is inorganic, silver remains more stable under harsh catalytic environments.
The exceptionally high activity is likely due to the UD-developed electrocatalysts extremely large

11

and highly curved internal surface, which is approximately 150 times larger and 20 times intrinsically more active than polycrystalline silver.
The active sites on the curved internal surface required a much smaller than expected voltage
to overcome the activation energy barrier needed drive the reaction.
To validate whether their findings were unique, the researchers compared the UD-developed
nano-porous silver catalyst with other potential carbon dioxide electrocatalysts including polycrystalline silver and other silver nanostructures such as nanoparticles and nanowires.
The research teams work is supported through funding from the American Chemical Society
Petroleum Research Fund and University of Delaware Research Foundation.
Green House gases
A greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and
emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the
greenhouse effect.
The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Greenhouse gases greatly affect the temperature of the Earth; without
them, Earth's surface would average about 33 C colder, which is about 59 F below the present
average of 14 C (57 F).
Nepal and India amended bilateral transit treaty
India and Nepal amended a bilateral transit treaty on 2 February 2014. The amendment to the
export procedure in the Memorandum to the Protocol to the Treaty of Transit of 1999 will facilitate
the transit of goods of third country origin exported from Nepal.
This amendment in the provisions of the Treaty of Transit brought into effect a significant decision which was reached between the two sides during the Nepal-India Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) meeting on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade held in
Kathmandu, Nepal on 21 22 December 2013
The amendments in the transit treaty will
Facilitate the re-export of goods imported to Nepal for fairs and exhibitions.
Facilitate re-export of third country origin capital goods from Nepal for repair and return as
well as re-export of rejected goods from Nepal.
Facilitate Nepalese businesses as it will lead to re-export of goods imported from third countries after value addition, for which a legal provision was made in Finance Act of 2009.
Allow the movement of diplomatic cargo exported from Nepal and transiting through India.
During the IGC held in Kathmandu, Nepal in December 2013, the two sides also discussed other
important trade facilitation measures. These were allowing the movement of imported vehicles on
their own power from Kolkata to Nepal and facilitating the import of bulk cargo to Nepal by
operationalising the multi-modal transport link from Kolkata port through Jogbani Biratnagar and
Sunauli Bhairahawa land routes.
About India-Nepal bilateral trade
Nepal and India have a history of age-old relations in trade and commerce. India is the largest
trade partner of Nepal and source of foreign investment.
Total bilateral trade has reached US 3.21 billion dollar during Nepalese fiscal year 2009-10. During that year, Nepals imports from India amounted US 2.71 billion dollar and exports to India remained about US 0.50 billion dollar.
FATF released Report on Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing
Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) released an international report on money laundering and terrorist financing on 2 February 2014. The report aims to provide a general overview of
the global diamond industry and how it is fostering money laundering and terrorist financing.

12

Main highlights of the report:

In India, there are reported instances of diamond prices being over-valued for purposes of
laundering and suspect financing.
The instances were also reported from four other countries - Israel, Belgium, Canada and the
US.

The closed and opaque nature of the diamonds markets and the high value of diamonds
combined with a lack of expertise in this area on the part of the authorities have left this industry
susceptible to abuse by criminals.

In cases of suspicious money laundering instances of diamond trade, the funds transfer
occurred from India, Israel and Switzerland to the UAE.
India reported a relatively large number of sanitised cases (12) in which suspicious transaction reports were received (in connection with diamond trade). In these specific cases, Hong Kong,
China is a destination for illicit cash flows related to the diamond trade.
Diamond trade, as an international phenomenon, needed a complete and global analysis to
understand and determine money laundering and terrorist financing threats and vulnerabilities
related to this unique trade.
Some of the risks and vulnerabilities of the diamonds trade, identified in this report are
Global nature of trade: The trade in diamonds is transnational and complex, thus convenient for
ML/TF transactions that are, in most cases, of international and multi-jurisdictional nature.
Use of diamonds as currency: Diamonds are difficult to trace and can provide anonymity in transactions.
Trade Based Money Laundering (TBML): The specific characteristics of diamonds as a commodity and the significant proportion of transactions related to international trade make the diamonds
trade vulnerable to the different laundering techniques of TBML in general and over/under valuation in particular.
High amounts: The trade in diamonds can reach tens of millions to billions of US dollars. This
has bearing on the potential to launder large amounts of money through the diamond trade and also
on the level of risks of the diamonds trade.
Harish Rawat appointed 8th Chief Minister of Uttrakhand
Harish Rawat was appointed as the 8th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on 1 February 2014. He
was administered the oath of office by Governor Aziz Qureshi at Raj Bhawan.
He succeeded Vijay Bahuguna. Harish Rawat was a Union Minister for Water Resources.
Rawat is a MP from Haridwar. He was made a Minister of State for Labour and Employment in
2009 and then MoS for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries.
In July 2011, he was made MoS for Parliamentary Affairs.
He was elevated to the rank of a Cabinet Minister in 2012 in an apparent bid to placate him after
Bahuguna was made the CM. Rawat has earlier served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 200208.
He won his first Lok Sabha election in 1980 from Almora by defeating BJP leader Murli Manohar
Joshi. He won the Lok Sabha polls in 1984 and 1989 as well.
Union Ministry of Culture launched National Mission on Libraries
President of India Pranab Mukherjee launched the National Mission on Libraries (NML) on 3
February 2014. The mission was launched by Union Ministry of Culture.
National Mission on Libraries has following features:
Creation of National Virtual Library of India

13

 Setting up of NML model Libraries

Quantitative and Qualitative survey of Libraries
Capacity Building
National Mission on Libraries
The creation of a National Virtual Library of India (NVLI) is one of the major component schemes
of the National Mission on Libraries.
With the aim of equitable and universal access to knowledge resources, the National Virtual
Library of India would provide digital resources by digitizing the relevant reading material in different languages, which would be shared at all levels.
The target users of NVLI will not only be students, researchers, doctors and professionals but also
the educationally, socially, economically and physically disadvantaged groups. Thus, it would empower people with information in order to create a knowledge society and also ensure preservation of
digital content for posterity.
World Wetland Day celebrated across the globe
World Wetland Day was celebrated across the globe on 2 February 2014. The theme for this years
World Wetland Day was Wetlands & Agriculture.
The Ramsar Convention chose Wetland & Agriculture as theme for World Wetland Day 2014 in
view of the UN declaring 2014 as International Year of Family Farming.
Slogan for the occasion was Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth placing a focus on the
need for the wetland and agricultural sectors (and the water sector too of course) to work together for
the best shared outcomes.
Wetlands have often been seen as a barrier to agriculture, and they continue to be drained and
reclaimed to make farming land available. But the essential role of wetlands in support of agriculture is becoming clearer and clearer, and there are successful agricultural practices which support
healthy wetlands.
World Wetland Day is observed on this day because on 2 February 1971 the Ramsar Convention
was adopted.
About Ramsar Convention
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, called the Ramsar Convention, is an
intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The Ramsar Convention is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a particular
ecosystem. The treaty was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar on 2 February 1971 and the
Convention's member countries cover all geographic regions of the planet.
04-FEB-2014
Ministry issued norms for Khel Ratna, Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand Awards
The Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, Jitendra Singh on 3 January 2014 approved criteria to be
kept in view by the Selection Committee for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the countrys highest
sports award, the Dronacharya Award and the Dhyan Chand Award. As per the approval, the government will now grant 90 percent weightage to medal winners of Olympics, Asian and Commonwealth
Games and World Cup/World Championships held once in four years. This has been done to bring in
more transparency and objectivity for conferring the National Sports Awards to avoid controversy on
giving them.
Earlier, similar criteria with certain objectives were approved for conferring Arjuna Awards by
Jitendra Singh.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports in January 2014 with the aim of streamlining the procedure for grant of the National Sports Awards circulated the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be
followed by various agencies, namely
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Sports Authority of India (SAI)

14

 National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA)

State Governments, National Sports Federations (NSFs)
Sports Promotion and Control Boards
This was done for processing of the cases related to National Sports Awards that started from
inviting nominations to constitution of Selection Committee.
The salient points of the newly introduced criteria are as follows

Serial
Number

Criteria

Rajiv Gandhi

Dronacharya

Dhyan chand

Khel Ratna Award

Award for

Award for life

for most

Outstanding

time

outstanding

Coaches in

achievement in

performance

Sports

Sports

90%

90%*

70%

10%

10%

30%**

Weightage for the medals

won in Olympic Games
(Summer, Winter and
1

Paralympics), Asian Games,

Commonwealth Games and
World Cup / World
Championships held once
in 4 years.
Weightage to the marks
given by the Selection
Committee for assessment

of the eligible sportsperson

/ coach keeping in view
factors like profile and
standard of sports event in
which medal has been won

5 ( out of 5, 2
3

No. of awards to be given

normally in a year

to be given for
1 award

lifetime

contribution in
coaching)

* Sportspersons who had won the medals and trained by the coach under consideration for the
awards. Marking criteria will not apply for the 2 awards to be given for lifetime contribution in coaching. Selection committee will give its recommendations for such two coaches taking into consideration the contribution made by them over a period of 20 years or more in terms of producing outstanding sports-persons.
** Includes marks for assessment for contribution made for promotion of sports after retirement
for active Sports career and for qualities like sportsmanship, leadership, and sense of discipline.
As per the guidelines, the points for winning medals will be given to each eligible sportspersons
for his/her performance during last 4 years exception in the case of life-time achievement award.
The Selection Committee will be the decision body in equivalence of any other sports discipline/
tournaments and in accordance the points will be allotted.
Certain games, which are no9t included in Olympic / Asian Games / Commonwealth Games

15

disciplines, like cricket and indigenous games, the consideration will be taken by the Selection
Committee depending upon the performances/contribution of the sportspersons/coaches.
In a particular sports discipline, names of not more than 2 Sportspersons ( 1 male and 1 female)
and names of not more than 2 coaches in case of Dronacharya award with highest marks as per the
criteria stated in the table above will be considered by the selection committee.
The Selection Committee also reserves the right for not recommending the name of any deserving sportsperson as per the given criteria for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna or Dhyan chand Award. In
these particular cases, the committee will have to justify its stance in writing.
The recommendations of Selection Committee will be placed before the Union Minister of Youth
Affairs & Sports for the final decision. Journalists/Experts/Commentators have now been included
in the Selection Committees for the sports Awards.
Special Investigation Team constituted to probe Nido Tania's death
Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted by the Delhi Police to investigate the
death of Nido Tania, the student from Arunachal Pradesh, who died after being allegedly beaten up by
some shopkeepers in South Delhi in January 2014.
The SIT would work under the direct supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, SouthEast, P Karunakaran. Police also said that the finalization of the investigation will be done depending upon the report filed by the Medical Board for forensic examination that has been constituted in
AIIMS.
Till now, six persons have been identified by the police of whom two of them are juveniles. Police
has already arrested three accused people. Apart from this the police are hunting for the rest of the
three persons suspected to have been involved in the attack in nearby states of Punjab, Haryana and
Uttar Pradesh.
Police has claimed that Tania was left by the police officials over to a friend of his family after his
visit to a police station. He was not assaulted for the second time by the shopkeepers as it is alleged
by the relatives and friends of Tania.
Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station awarded a Gold Shield
Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station awarded a gold shield on 4 February 2014 for its meritorious
performance in 2013-14.Nathpa Hydro power Station consecutively third time received the award.
Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station received Silver shield for the year 2012-13 and Bronze shield
for the year 2011-12 by the Central Electricity Authority in the category of Performance of Hydro
Power Stations.
The Ministry of Power had instituted the Comprehensive Award Scheme for recognizing meritorious performance in Power Sector in 2004-05.
About Nathpa Jhakri Hydroelectric Station
Nathpa Jhakri Hydroelectric Station of 1500 MW capacity is the Indias largest hydropower plant.
It was commissioned in May 2004 and 62.50m high Concrete Gravity dam on River Satluj.
Natpha Jhakri hydroelectric plant supply power to the North Indian states of Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the cities of Delhi
and Chandigarh.
Manoj Vaish took charge as MD & CEO of MCX
Manoj Vaish took charge as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd. (MCX) on 1 February 2014. Forward Markets Commission
(FMC) the commodity markets regulator approved the appointment of Vaish. His appointment is for a
period of three years.
His appointment came following step down of Shreekant Javalgekar in October 2013 as the Managing Director and CEO of MCX following the 5600 crore rupees scam related to National Spot Exchange (NSEL). NSEL is a sister concern of MCX and is co-promoted by MCX promoter Financial
Technologies India Ltd. (FTIL).

16

At the time of appointment, Vaish was the Managing Director of NSDL Database Management.
Between 1998 and 2004, he served as the executive director of the BSE and CEO of financial services
research firm Dun & Bradsheet
Ali Mohamed Shein, President of Zanzibar is on India visit from 1 to 9 February 2014
President of Zanzibar, Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein is on an official visit to India from 1 to 9 February
2014. He visited India on the invitation of Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari. Ali Mohamed Shein
is heading a 28-member delegation to India along with his wife. During this visit, he along with the
delegation visited the Amber Fort of Rajasthan on 1 January 2014. He and his delegation also visited
Shish Mahal, Man Singh Mahal, Deewan-e-Aam, Deewan-e-Khas and other places in fort complex.
The delegation was on a two-day visit of the state.
During the state visit, the delegation also visited to Barefoot College in Ajmer in Rajasthan that
has taught 100 women from his country to make solar lamps. The Barefoot College has trained
Zanzibari rural women under Indias ITEC programme. The President visited the college to view the
facilities in the college to establish a similar training college in Zanzibar.
It is expected that during this visit, the President of Zanzibar will also visit to Bangalore, Mumbai
and Hyderabad to meet with the industry and business leaders and members of Tanzanian community. This visit of the President of President happened nearly a decade after similar visit of his
predecessor.
India and Zanzibar shares a strong close historical relationship. Centuries old Indian Diaspora
is available in the Zanzibar islands.
About Zanzibar
Zanzibar is an archipelago that is made up of Zanzibar and Pemba Islands, and several islets. It
is located in the Indian Ocean, about 25 miles from the Tanzanian coast, and 6 south of the equator.
It is characterised by beautiful sandy beaches with fringing coral reefs, and the magic of historic
Stone Town - said to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa. Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa
The population of the island is an incredible mixture of ethnic backgrounds of which Islam is the
dominant religion and practiced by most Zanzibar people. Also there are followers of Christianity and
Hinduism. Population Zanzibaris speak Swahili (known locally as Kiswahili), a language which is
spoken extensively in East Africa. Many believe that the purest form is spoken in Zanzibar as it is
the birth place of the language.
Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur appointed to head 7th Central Pay Commission
Former Supreme Court Justice, Ashok Kumar Mathur on 4 February 2014 was appointed as the
Chairman of the 7th Pay Commission. Vivek Rae, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary will be
the full time member director.
Ratin Roy of National Institute of Public Finances and Policy will be part-time member of the
commission. Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Expenditure, Meena Agarwal will be the
Secretary of the Pay panel.
The Commission has been mandated to submit its report in two years time. Its recommendation
would be implemented from 1 January 2016. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India has
approved composition of the 7th Pay Commission in September 2013 that will revise the salaries of
over 50 lakh central government employees and about 30 lakh pensioners.
The Pay Commission is constituted every ten years by the government of India to revise the pay
scales of its employees and often these are adopted by states after some modification. The 6th Pay
Commission was implemented with the effect from 1 January 2006, while the fifth and fourth commissions were implemented from 1 January 1996 and 1 January 1986 respectively.
In May 1946, the first Pay commission was constituted under the chairmanship of Srinivasa
Varadachariar. It submitted its report in a year. The first commission was based upon the idea of
living wages to the employees, which was taken by the Islington Commission.
Poonam Khetrapal Singh took charge as Regional Director of SEARO
Poonam Khetrapal Singh took charge as the Regional Director of World Health Organisation (WHO)

17

South-East Asia Region on 1 February 2014.

Poonam Khetrapal Singh succeeded Samlee Plianbangchang of Thailand who served for ten years
consecutively. The Regional Director has a term of five years and can get a second term.
She is the first Indian in 44 years to hold the post of Regional Director, South East Asian Regional
Organistion (SEARO). India had occupied the post from 1948-1968.
About Poonam Khetrapal Singh
Poonam retired as Advisor, International Health in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Poonam was Executive Director, Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments, WHO and
Deputy Regional Director of WHO from 2000 to 2013.
About South East Asian Regional Organisational
SEARO is one of the six regions of World Health and its headquarters is in New Delhi.
SERO has 11 countries namely India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Timor Leste and DPR Korea.
SERO is headed by a Regional Director (RD) who is elected by the members of the SEARO countries.
Saudi Arabia King ordered jail terms ranging 3-30 years for mercenaries fighting outside
country
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the King of Saudi Arabia on 4 February 2014 ordered jail terms
ranging from three to thirty years for the Saudi citizens, who are fighting outside the country. This
order has been passed to curb the number of people of Saudi Arabia, who go outside their country to
fight in other countries like Syria along with the foreign fighters. This move is a follow-up of the
reports on foreign fighters in large numbers including people of Saudi Arabia, fighting in Syria and
other countries.
The whip has been cracked by the King against the citizens who go out from Saudi Arabia to fight
alongside the rebels in Syria and other countries. Those people can now be jailed for terms from 3 to
20 years. The military personnel convicted under the act will be face a harsher punishment of jail
terms ranging from 5 to 30 years.
The announced law will also be applicable to the members of local, regional and international
extremists as well as the terrorist groups. To draft and update a list of illegal groups, a committee of
members from various government organisations has been formed by the King.
Mother and Child Tracking Facilitation Centre Inaugurated
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the Mother and Child Tracking Facilitation Centre at the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare in New Delhi on 31 January
2014.
Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS) initiative was launched under National Rural Health
Mission (NRHM) in December 2009.
Characteristics Features of MCTS
MCTS is a name based web based service that captures the details of pregnant women and
children up to 5 years and tracks delivery of due services to them
MCTS aims to ensure that every pregnant woman gets complete and quality ante and post natal
care and every child receives a full range of immunisation services
Besides monitoring delivery of mother and child health (MCH) services, MCTS system makes
use of opportunity to directly communicate with the ANMs, ASHAs and pregnant women and parents
of young children on their mobiles
It will also gather the data from the states on the health schemes and facilities reaching the
beneficiaries and to evaluate them
It will also generate awareness about their entitlements under various government programs
and schemes
The Facilitation Centre has 80 Helpdesk Agents (HAs) and will be operational from 9:00 AM to
5:00 PM. The feature of free inbound calls will be added in the Facilitation Centre to seek guidance
on health care related queries to both beneficiaries and health workers
This facility will also be used for
Sending appropriate health promotion messages in voice and text to beneficiaries that are
relevant according to the month of pregnancy or age of the child
Transfer of Janani Suraksha Yojana benefits to pregnant women

18

 Transfer of ASHA payment directly into their account which will ensure that ASHAs receive
full range of incentives payment timely and regularly
Training of ASHAs through an Interactive Voice Response(IVR) System as per need and requirement
Sachin Tendulkar and CNR Rao conferred with Bharat Ratna
Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour was conferred on cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar
(40) and eminent scientist Prof CNR Rao (79) by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. The
awards were given at the Durban Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on 4 February 2014.
The recipient of the award will receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion. This award does not carry any monetary grants.
With this felicitation, Sachin became the first sportsperson to be conferred with the honour of
Bharat Ratna. He is also the youngest person alive to be conferred with the award. Master blaster
Sachin retired from international cricket on 16 November 2013. Sachin after receiving the award
dedicated it to his mother.
Prof CNR Rao (Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao) is the third scientist who has been conferred with the award. He received the honour after CV Raman andAPJ Abdul Kalam, the former
President of India. Rao is recognized international authority on solid state and materials chemistry.
Till now, he has published 1400 research papers and 45 books.
With this honour felicitation, Tendulkar and Rao have joined the selected list of 41 eminent
personalities, who have been conferred with this award. Both of them are also recipients of Padma
Vibhushan, which is the country`s second highest civilian honour. The award was instituted in
1954 and is given in recognition of exceptional service of the highest order.
At present, Prof CNR Rao is the head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of
India. To accommodate the sportspersons with the top honour, the government of India revised the
eligibility criteria of the sportsperson in December 2011. Apart from, this Sachin is the first active
sportsperson, who became the Rajya Sabha member of the country. He became a member of the
Rajya Sabha in 2013.
Earlier, the Union Home Minister issued guidelines that say that Bharat Ratna cannot be used
as a prefix or suffix by the recipients name as per the Constitution of India. But the guidelines also
say that the awardees can mention Awarded Bharat Ratna by the President or Recipient of Bharat
Ratna award in their bio-data, visiting card or the letter heads.
Bhimsen Joshi, who won this award in 2009, was the last recipient of the award. This years
Bharat Ratna was announced after a gap of four years.
About Bharat Ratna Awards
Rajendra Prasad, the former President of India on 2 January 1955 gave his order to establish an
award. As per the order of the then President (till 1966), the award did not allowed any one to grant
the posthumous awards. Further in January 1966, a provision was inserted for this.
Till date, 12 posthumous awards have been given of which one includes Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose. Bose was given the award in 1992, which was withdrawn due to legal technicalities. The case
of Bose is the only and last case recorded till date of withdrawal of the award. The Order of precedence
of India is the protocol list (hierarchy of important positions) has placed Bharat Ratna awardees at
the seventh position.
Non-Indians, who have been conferred with the award
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987)
Nelson Mandela (1990)
Naturalised Indian citizen to be awarded
Mother Teresa (1980)
The eldest person to be awarded who was alive at the time of receiving the award
Dhondo Keshav Karve (age 100)

19

Posthumously eldest over all

Vallabhbhai Patel is the eldest overall (posthumously at the age of 75)
C Rajagopalachari, CV Raman and Radhakrishnan of three from Madras Presidency now Tamil
Nadu was the first people to conferred with the award in 1954. Rajagopalachari was the Independence activist and last and the only Indian Governor-General of India. CV Raman was a Physicist
from Madras and also a Nobel laureate and Radhakrishnan was a philosopher and India's First Vice
President from 1952-1962 and was also the Second President of India from 1962-1967.
Mumbai Cricket Association Felicitated Sachin Tendulkar; Renamed Kandivili Ground
High Level Committee on Status of Women released preliminary report
The High Level Committee released the Preliminary Report on Status of Women in India on 3
February 2014. The Committee headed by Pam Rajput was appointed by the Union Ministry of Women
and Child Development in February 2012 to understand the status of women since 1989.
Report revealed that Violence against Women, Declining Sex Ratio and Economic Disempowerment
of Women are three key burning issues which will require immediate attention and action by the
government.
Recommendations for the immediate action by the government are as follows
Legislation for 50 percent reservation for women in all decision-making bodies should be enacted
The constitutional promise of a right-based approach needs to be promoted for positive outcomes to enhance the status of women
There is an urgent need to formulate National Policy and Action Plan for ending violence against
women impacting the life cycle of female population at every stage of her life
Institutional mechanisms should be strengthened and well resourced. The Minister for Women
and Child Development should be of cabinet rank, thus reflecting the Governments concern with
women issues
Currently large amount of resources continue to be directed towards child development under
the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Increased resources would enable prioritization of
gender concerns as well
The MWCD should engage with, participate in and draw from international debates. It is also
not out of place to point out that the Concluding Observations of the CEDAW Committee should be
revisited and acted upon by Government of India as part of our international commitments to uphold
womens rights
The parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women must examine the gender implications of all proposed legislations. There is also a need for the Committee to meet more often, and its
meetings should be open to civil society groups as observers
The role of the National Commission for Women must go beyond reactive interventions to fulfill
the proactive mandate of studying, recommending and influencing policies, laws, programmes and
budgets to ensure full benefits to the stake holders.
The National Commission for Women is as an apex body is responsible for and answerable to 5o
percent of the Indian population. The selection and composition of the members must be made
through an institutionalized and transparent process. A selection committee comprising of experts
must be given the task of searching, identifying and selecting the members who must be professionals of proven expertise. Appointments must be made keeping professional capability in mind and not
political affiliations.
Gender Responsive Budgeting coupled with gender audits should be taken more seriously to
reflect purposive gender planning
The development paradigm must have a major thrust on decentralization which would result in
larger numbers of women participating in the developmental process
Assessment of the status of women in India should be a regular feature. There should be a
regular mechanism for continuous examination and assessment of status of women and reporting
back publically to the nation and women of India on a bi-annual basis
Joshna Chinappa won Winnipeg Open title
Squash player Joshna Chinappa won the Winnipeg Winter Club Open title on 3 February 2014.
She defeated Heba El Torky of Egypt.
The fourth seeded Indian triumphed 3-2 (11-13 11-8 11-5 3-11 12-10) in a see-saw battle.
The world number 27 Chinappa rallied after losing the opening game which was dominated by

20

Heba.
The triumph of Chinappa marked the second consecutive year of an Indian winning the trophy
with Dipika Pallikal being the first to clinch it before her in 2013.
About Joshna Chinappa
Joshna Chinappa is a squash player based in Chennai, India. Joshna was the first Indian girl to
win the British Squash Championship title in 2003 in the under 19 category, at Sheffield, U.K and
was also the youngest Indian women's national champion.
UN appointed Vivek Lall as Special Advisor
United Nation appointed India based Vivek Lall as special advisor on cyber security on 3 February
2014.
Vivek Lall will be responsible for steering the policy framework of the UN in the area of broadband
and associated cyber security issues and oversee implementation.
Vivek Lall is a renowned aerospace and cyber security expert. Currently, he is the president and
CEO of Reliance New Ventures Limited.
Lall also heads the Indo-US Strategic Dialogue and has formed the Indo-American Chamber of
Commerce, and is actively engaged in India-US dialogue in various fields including defence, aviation, aerospace and cyber security.
IMS Health released The Global Use of Medicines: Outlook through 2016 Report
IMS Health released The Global Use of Medicines: Outlook through 2016 Report on 3 February
2014. The Report has forecasted that global spending on medicines is rebounding and is expected to
touch 1.2 trillion dollar by 2016.
Main highlights of the report:
Global market for medicines is poised to rebound from an expected low point of 3-4 percent
growth in 2012 to 5-7 percent in 2016.
Growth in annual global spending is forecast to more than double by 2016 to as much as 70
billion dollars up from a 30 billion dollars pace in 2013.
Health systems in developed economies will experience slow growth in medicine spending.
Spending on medicines in developed nations will increase by a total of 60-70 billion dollars from 2011
to 2016, following an increase of 104 billion dollars between 2006 and 2011.
Health systems in pharmerging markets will nearly double their medicine spending in five
years. Annual spending on medicines in the pharmerging markets will increase from 194 billion
dollars in 2013 to 345-375 billion dollars by 2016, or 91 dollars in drug spending per capita.
Patent expiries, which will peak in 2012, as well as increased cost-containment actions by
payers, will constrain branded medicine spending growth through 2016, at 0-3 percent.
Developed markets are expected to experience their lowest annual growth this year, at less
than 1 percent or 3 billion dollars, and then rebound to 18-20 billion dollars in annual growth in the
2014-16 period.

Manufacturers of small molecule generics will experience accelerating growth. Global generic spending is expected to increase from 242 billion dollars in 2011 to 400-430 billion dollars by
2016.
Providers will have more treatment options due to additional new medicines being launched.
Global launches for New Molecular Entities (NMEs) will rebound during the next five years.
Biologics manufacturers will benefit from expanding market opportunity. Biologics are expected to account for about 17 percent of total global spending on medicines by 2016.
The Reports highlights with respect to Indian Pharma sector
The attractiveness of Indian pharma sector is forecasted to get dim by 2016.
As a result, India has slipped from the 8th rank as forecast in 2016 to the 11th position in
2017.
Since 2006, the market registered a healthy double-digit growth, driven by a vibrant economy
and a steady rise in incomes.
After clocking a CAGR of 15% during the period 2008-12, the market has slowed progressively,
and registered a lower growth of 9.9% in 2013.

21

 However, IMS expects the Indian market to pick up and grow in double digits to register a
CAGR of 12% for the period 2012-17.
The downgrade suggests that the Indian market may not be growing at the pace projected
earlier, and has lost value due to the currency fluctuation, impacting the country's global ranking.

The Report has defined Developed markets as the U.S., Japan, Top 5 Europe countries (Germany,
France, Italy, Spain, U.K.), Canada and South Korea.
Pharmerging countries are defined as those with greater than 1 billion dollars in absolute spending growth over 2012-16 and that have GDP per capita of less than 25000 dollars at purchasing power
parity: China, Brazil, India, Russia, Mexico, Turkey, Poland, Venezuela, Argentina, Indonesia, South
Africa, Thailand, Romania, Egypt, Ukraine, Pakistan and Vietnam.
About IMS Health
The original name of the company was Intercontinental Marketing Services, hence the IMS
name. IMS Health's corporate headquarters is located in Danbury, Connecticut, USA.
IMS Health was founded in 1954 by Bill Frohlich and David Dubow.
IMS Healths products and services are used by companies to develop commercialization plans
and portfolio strategies, to select patient and physician populations for specific therapies, and to
measure the effectiveness of pharmaceutical marketing and sales resources. The firm uses its own
data to produce syndicated reports such as market forecasts and market intelligence.
Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology launched National Cloud
Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology launched the National Cloud
under MeghRaj Initiative on 4 February 2014. The National Cloud is being implemented by National
Information Centre (NIC).
The National Cloud will help the departments to procure ICT services on demand in the OPEX
model rather than investing upfront on the CAPEX.
The Cloud Services available are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS),
Software as a Service (SaaS) and Storage as a Service (STaaS).
The features of the National Cloud includes self service portal, multiple Cloud solutions, secured
VPN access and multi location Cloud.
About MeghRaj
Government of India embarked upon an ambitious initiative GI cloud named MeghRaj to utilize
and harness the benefits of Cloud Computing.
The focus of GI cloud is to accelerate delivery of e-services while optimizing ICT spending of the
Government. It will ensure optimum utilization of the infrastructure and speed up the development
and deployment of e Gov applications.
The architectural vision of GI Cloud encompasses a set of discrete cloud computing environments spread across multiple locations, built on existing or new (augmented) infrastructure, following a set of common protocols, guidelines and standards issued by the Government of India.
GI Cloud Strategic Direction Paper and GI Cloud Adoption and Implementation Roadmap are two
policy reports prepared by the Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY).
About Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than
having local servers or personal devices to handle applications.
In cloud computing, users access software applications remotely through the Internet or other
network via a cloud application service provider.
Committee to deal on False Advertisement set up by CCPC
The Central Consumer Protection Council (CCPC) headed by K V Thomas decided to set up a subcommittee on 3 February 2014. The CCPC is under the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs
The committee will issue guidelines to monitor the advertisements as currently there is no any
legal safeguard available for consumers to deal with the false advertisements.
If the claims made by whitening creams proved unphenomenal as advertised, Consumer should
have right to claim compensation not only from the advertisers but also from the celebrities endors-

22

ing the product.

The committee will submit its recommendations by the end of February 2014.
Earlier, M.P. High Court has given directions to set up an ad monitoring panel to monitor the
advertisements on regular basis. The directions were submitted by Vibha Bhargava Commission.
Satya Nadella appointed as CEO of Microsoft
Satya Nadella was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Internet Giant Microsoft by
the Board of Directors of Microsoft on 4 January 2014. Satya Nadella will succeed Steve Ballmer as
the third CEO of the Microsoft firm.
Bill Gates is the founder and first CEO of Microsoft. Nadella is the first Indian to head the Microsoft
in its 38-year history.
Nadella prior to his appointment as CEO served Microsoft as the Executive Vice President of
Microsofts Cloud and Enterprise group.
Microsoft also announced that Bill Gates, previously Chairman of the Board of Directors, will
assume a new role on the Board as Founder and Technology Advisor, and will devote more time to the
company, supporting Nadella in shaping technology and product direction.
Bsides, John Thompson, lead independent director for the Board of Directors, will assume the
role of Chairman of the Board of Directors and remain an independent director on the Board.
About Satya Nadella
Nadella was born in Hyderabad, India and joined Microsoft in 1992. Satya is a proven leader with
hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together.
Nadella holds a Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology.
Nadella completed Masters in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from
the University of Chicago.
Nadella joined Microsoft in 1992.
His father BN Yugandhar is a former planning commission member and served as special
secretary to former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.
About Microsoft
Microsoft was founded in April 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Redmond, US.
At present it is the fourth largest company in the world in terms of market capitalization.
Its block buster products include MS-DOS, Windows and Xbox (Video game).
It acquired Nokia in September 2013 in a 7.2 billion dollar deal.
Other Indians heading MNC
Name
Company
Indra Nooyi
PepsiCo
Ivan Menezes
Diageo
Ajit Jain
Berkshire Hathaway Group
Piyush Gupta
DBS Group Holding
Sanjay Jha
Global Foundries
Dinesh Paliwal
Harman Intl
Anshu Jain
Deutsche Bank
Rakesh Kapoor
Reckitt Benckiser
Ajay Banga
Master Card
Sanjay Meharotra
San Disk
Shantanu Narayen
Adobe
Rajiv Vasudeva
Egon Zehnder
Libya destroyed entire chemical arsenal
Libya government announced on 5 February 2014 that it has destroyed its entire chemical arsenal. It was announced by the Foreign Minister of Libya, Mohammed Abdelaziz. The chemical arsenal
destroyed included bombs and artillery shells filled with mustard gas.
Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed that Libya has become totally free of usable chemical weapons that might present a potential threat to the security of local
communities, the environment and neighbouring countries.
Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) visited the city of al-Raogha to inspect
the warehouse where Libya's largest outstanding stockpile of mustard gas was present. Libya still
holds stocks of low-grade precursor chemicals but that programme has been put in place to destroy

23

them by the end of 2016.

Since the OPCW covered only Gaddafis chemical weapons programme and it has not addressed
the stocks of concentrated uranium or yellowcake that it acquired in its bid for a nuclear weapon.
Analysis
Gaddafi signed the chemical weapons convention and joined the OPCW in 2004. After Libya signed
the treaty, Gaddafis regime claimed that they destroyed about 54 percent of its mustard gas stocks
and about 40 percent of the chemicals used to manufacture the substance and 3500 bombs.
In 2011 a large stock of yellow cake was discovered at arms depot in southern city of Sebha.
Since then the stock pile was secured in collaboration with International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Centre for Strategic Studies asked the Libyan authorities to ensure the concentrated uranium
will be used in industrial, agricultural development and in production of clean energy for the benefits
of Libyans.
The process of disarmament was supervised by OPCW experts in 2012 and intensified in 2013
with the signing of a deal with Washington. There was concern that the stockpiles might not fall into
the hands of ex-rebel militias.
05-FEB-2014
HSBC PMI for Indian Manufacturing Sector increased in January 2014
The HSBC Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) for the Indian manufacturing sector increased to
51.7 in the month of January 2014 compared to 50.7 registered in December 2013. The PMI for the
month of January 2014 was the highest since March 2013. The HSBC Purchasing Managers Index
(PMI) 2014 was released on 3 February 2014.
The HSBC India Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a seasonally adjusted index designed to
measure the performance of the manufacturing economy.
Main highlights of HSBC PMI 2014 with respect to India
Indian manufacturers raised their production levels for the third successive month. The rate
of output growth was solid and the strongest since February 2013.
January 2014 saw new orders expand at the quickest rate in ten months, with survey participants reporting stronger demand from both domestic and overseas clients.
Employment rose for the fourth month running in January 2014, with all three broad areas of
the manufacturing economy posting job creation.
New business from abroad grew at a solid pace that was the fastest since June 2013.
Consumer goods continued to outperform the remaining two monitored categories, viz., intermediate goods and capital goods, while operating conditions deteriorated at capital goods producers.
Growth rates for output and new orders in the consumer goods sub-category surpassed those
seen at intermediate goods companies.
Supplier performance improved in the latest month for the first time since September 2013.
Anecdotal evidence suggested that shorter delivery times reflected a greater availability of raw materials at vendors.
Average input costs rose in January 2014, with manufacturers reporting higher prices for a
range of raw materials, including metals, chemicals and energy. The rate of cost inflation remained
robust. Consequently, companies raised their tariffs again.
About HSBC PMI
The HSBC India Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a composite indicator designed to provide
an overall view of activity in the manufacturing sector and acts as a leading indicator for the whole
economy.
The indicator is derived from individual diffusion indices which measure changes in output,
new orders, employment, suppliers delivery times and stocks of goods purchased.
A reading of the PMI below 50.0 indicates that the manufacturing economy is contracting. Above
50.0, it is generally expanding. A reading of 50.0 signals no change. The greater the divergence from
50.0, the greater the rate of change signaled by the index.
CCEA approved implementation of National Mission Agricultural Extension and Technology
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved on 4 February 2014 the implementation of the National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology (NMAET) during the 12th
Plan period.
The extension of NMAET and its components will be expanded and up-scaled appropriately and
implemented in a more coordinated and convergent manner.
The Mission will have a total outlay of 13073.08 crore rupees with Government of Indias share of
Rs. 11390.68 crore and State share of 1682.40 crore rupees.
NMAET consists of 4 Sub Missions

24

 Sub Mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE)

Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)
Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine (SMPP)
The NMAET has been envisaged as the next step towards this objective through the amalgamation of these schemes.
The Mission Document has been prepared in keeping with the recommendations of the Working
Group of the Planning Commission and suggestions and inputs received from extensive consultation with stakeholders, particularly farmers.
The common threads running across all 4 Sub-Missions in NMAET are Extension and Technology. Therefore, while 4 separate Sub-Missions are being proposed for administrative convenience,
these are inextricably linked to each other at the field level and most components thereof have to be
disseminated among farmers and other stakeholders through a strong extension network.
The aim of the Mission is to restructure and strengthen agricultural extension to enable delivery of appropriate technology and improved agronomic practices to farmers. This is envisaged to be
achieved by a judicious mix of extensive physical outreach and interactive methods of information
dissemination, use of ICT, popularisation of modern and appropriate technologies, capacity building
and institution strengthening to promote mechanisation, availability of quality seeds, plant protection etc. and encourage aggregation of Farmers into Interest Groups (FIGs) to form Farmer Producer
Organisations (FPOs).
First Paperless Public Library of World BiblioTech opened in USA
First Paperless public Library of the World BiblioTech was opened in the USA State of Texas on 4
February 2014. The traditional libraries have been replaced with high-tech gadgets that cater to
both adults and children.
Registered residents of the Texas will be able to access over tens of thousands of titles from ereaders for free.
According to its website, the 1.5 million dollar BiblioTech currently has 600 e-readers, 200 preloaded enhanced e-readers for children, and 48 computer stations, 10 laptops and 40 tablets to use
on-site.
Paperless technology will also help to manage funds. The team members arent tied up re-shelving, filing and categorising.
They spend most of their time providing one-on-one instruction with visitors, teaching people
how to use devices and how to source materials. Its a more interactive library experience.
Replacement costs have also been factored in to the project. Thefts can be easily prevented as
devices cannot access the internet once they leave the library.
Traditional libraries require much larger load-tolerances in construction due to the weight of
materials, so are more costly to build. Book collections also require environmental controls that are
costly to maintain.
Talking Cars Unveiled: USA may soon made it mandatory by 2017
USA may soon allow the talking cars to be mandatory by 2017. The announcement was made on
4 February 2014 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the US.
Talking cars is the communication technology which enables cars to send out location, speed
and direction data 10 times a second.
The new vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology cars will be able to communicate with
each other. This will help towards preventing tens of thousands of crashes every year.
Approval follows a test project that begun in 2012 in which vehicles equipped with wireless devices were used to warn drivers about specific hazards such as an impending collision at a blind
intersection, or a vehicle stopped ahead.
Cars will also be able to communicate with infrastructure like stop signs and traffic lights, and
with motorcyclists, bicyclists and even pedestrians with specially equipped smart phones. That data
will enable the cars to warn drivers to slow down, brake, turn on their windshield wipers or not to

25

change lanes.
The technology can help avert rear-end, lane change, and intersection crashes. But the systems
do not include automatic braking or steering.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and safety advocates have pushed to make
cars safer so passengers would be more likely to survive crashes.
Automakers seem largely on board with the technology, which would add about $100 to $300 to
the cost of a car.
The full transition from current vehicle fleet to a connected fleet will take at least 10 years.
Novel of Charlie Chaplin Footlights to be published
The Novel of Charlie Chaplin Footlights will be published for the first time in English by the
Cineteca di Bologna, an Italian film restoration institute. The announcement was made on 5 February 2014.
The film institute will be publishing the work of Charlie Chaplin in partnership with Chaplin's
biographer David Robinson.
The Footlights is the only work of fiction ever written by Charlie Chaplin. It is a dark and nostalgic novel which was unveiled for the first time in 1948 in London. Later it was transformed into his
film Limelight in which a washed-out clown saves a dancer from suicide.
06-FEB-2014
Danish amputee first in the world to get Bionic Hand
Dennis amputee, Aabo in February 2014 became the first person to receive a bionic hand, which
allows life-like sensation to be felt from the devices artificial fingers. The Dennis amputee was able
to feel what was available in his hands by the sensors, which has been connected to his nerves of his
upper arm.
This work was done by the Italy surgeons, who connected the hand with the nerves in his upper
arm. These relayed signals direct to his brain, which allows him to control the force of his grip.
Restoration of senses of touch and feel to amputees is a major goal in the field of neuro-engineering.
Aabo lost his hand in a firework accident about a decade before. The research project was carried
out by an international team, which included robotic experts from Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
The sensors to the artificial hand sensed the measure information about touch using computer
algorithms in which the research team of scientists transformed the electrical signals they emitted
into an impulse that sensory nerves could interpret.
The researchers implanted four electrodes onto the nerves in the patients upper arm during the
operation that were connected to the artificial sensors in the fingers of the prosthetic hand, which
allows him to touch and pressure and sent feedback directly to the brain. Details of the operation of
the amputee were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Work on widening Panama Canal suspended after dispute on rising costs
The work on the project of widening the shipping route of Panama Canal was suspended by the
Panama Canal Authority on 5 February 2014. It was suspended following dispute over rising costs.
Earlier, the Panamanian authorities were given a deadline to pay 1.6 billion dollars in added
costs to the project by the building consortium led by the Spanish Company in January 2014.
The authority of the Panama Canal has refused to pay by blaming the building companies for
increased construction bill. This decision of the authority would have an impact across the region
because of the heavy investments made by many ports who were expecting greater business following the widening of the Canal.
The cost of the project was originally expected about 5.25 billion dollars but it overturned because
of the raise of the project to 7 billion dollars.

26

About Panama Canal Shipping Routes

Panama Canal shipping route is one of the worlds most important shipping routes. It is a 77.1
kilometer ship canal in Panama and connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean via the Caribbean Sea. It was opened on 15 August 1914 and is one of the largest and most difficult engineering
projects undertaken till now. Development of the canal shortened the route traveling time taken by
ships to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and allowed to avoid the route through hazardous Cape Horn route via the Drake Passage or Strait of Magellan.
Portuguese sailor, Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to navigate through the Strait of
Magellan in 1520 by in the service of Charles I of Spain. This was done by him during his global
circumnavigation voyage.
Olympic flame reached Sochi after crossing Oceans, North Pole and Space
The Olympic flame on 5 February 2014 reached Sochi in Russia. The flame has travelled the
longest route in the history of the games as it has completed a journey of about 65000 kilometers.
During the journey, it traveled to the North Pole and also plunged into the worlds deepest lake. It also
travelled to the Space by the cosmonauts of Russia and the western peak of Mount Elbrus, which is
the highest peak of Russia and all Europe.
The torchbearers also included a 101-year- old man, table tennis referee Alexander Kaptarenko.
The relay had generated a genuine public enthusiasm and has featured famous cultural figures,
athletes and other celebrities. He ran for the relay in Novosibirsk and is the oldest Olympic torchbearer in history of the games.
The XXII Sochi Olympic Winter Games will be held from 7 to 23 February 2014.
Record-Setting Journey of the Torch: The torch journey started on 7 October 2013 from Moscow
and stopped in more than 130 cities across Russia during the journey. The tour of the torch during
its travel included torchbearers from eight Arctic nations and its flame travelled by plane, train, car
and reindeer sleigh. In its complete journey, it included about 14000 torchbearers in the relay. In
October 2013, during its journey to the North Pole it aboard on a nuclear-powered icebreaker. It was
sent to the International Space Station on 7 November 2013 and reached there on 9 November 2013
by Cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazanskiy. In the space outpost, it didnt burn.
Divers plunged it into Lake Baikal, that is the deepest and biggest freshwater lake of the world in
November 2013. The divers went underwater with special torches burning. It also went through
Chechnya and other provinces in Northern Caucasus during the relay. This area at present is engulfed by an Islamist insurgency that has issued threats to the Olympics. It reached on the Mount
Elbrus, the Russias and Europes highest mountain on 1 February 2014.
Overall, the relay journey also saw death of 73-year-old Vadim Gorbenkos death due to heart
attack on 15 December 2014. He was a wrestling coach and his death came a few hours after carrying the Olympic flame in the city of Kurgan.
Indias Visa-on-arrival facility extended for tourists of 180 nations, except eight
India on 5 February 2014 extended the facility of visa-on-arrival for the tourists of 180 nations
after barring tourists of eight nations. The decision has extended the facility to 180 countries from
11 nation tourists available at present including Finland, the Philippines, Singapore and Japan. The
decision was made in order to boost tourism activity in the country.
This decision was disclosed by Rajeev Shukla, the Minister for State for Planning in New Delhi
on 5 February 2014 after a high-level meeting with representatives from various ministries. In the
communication, Rajeev Shukla said that the facility will be implemented from next tourist season
that will begin in October 2014.
The electronic Visa offered to the tourists would be valid for a period of 30 days from the date of
their visit to India. To receive the electronic version of the Visa, the tourists will have to apply in the
designated website along the required fees, which would be granted within three days.
The countries, who have been barred from the facility includes
Pakistan
Sudan
Afghanistan
Iraq
Nigeria
Sri Lanka

27

Iran
Somalia

The decision of the high-level meeting to offer visa on arrival can be treated as ironing on the
objections raised by the Union Home Ministry for extension of the facility to nationals of 40 more
countries that included US, UK and Germany. Home Ministry nod was a prerequisite for extending
the facility.
Rajasthan government declared 10225 villages of the state as scarcity-hit
The state government of Rajasthan on 5 February 2014 declared 10225 villages of the state
across 17 districts as scarcity-hit. With this declaration, the state government also decided to stop
the recovery of land revenue from these villages. This declaration was made depending upon the
crop assessment (Girdwari) reports of the collectors of 17 districts. This notification will be effective
till 3 July 2014.
Barmer district of the state became the worst district with maximum number of 1507 scarcityhit villages. The crops of these villages were affected during the Kharif season.
The states Calamity Relief and Management Department assessed 104 villages of Ajmer, 2 villages of Alwar, 1507 villages of Barmer, 1501 villages of Banswara, 1072 villages of Jhalawar, 986 of
Dungarpur, 934 of Pali 482 of Baran, 339 of Bikaner along with other villages in other districts.
North Korea and South Korea agreed to resume reunion of war-split families
North Korea and South Korea agreed to resume reunion of war split families after a gap of more
than three years. The reunion will take place on 20-25 February 2014 at Mount Kumgang resort of
North Korea.
The reunion programme was started in 2000 following a historic inter-Korean summit. But the
programme was suspended in 2010 following the North Korea bombarding shells on a South Korean
border island.
The reunion is perceived as a small step towards making harmonious relations between the two
hostile neighbors. In fact, the two countries had agreed to hold a reunion in September 2013. However, Pyongyang cancelled the event just four days before its scheduled start citing hostility from the
South. Thus, there are widespread concerns about possible cancellation of the reunion again.
Another cause of concern is the Joint military drill between South Korea and United States.
North Korea has opposed joint drill and warned South Korea of dire consequences if this drill takes
place.
The 1950-53 Korean War led to the separation of the millions of Koreans. Since the war ended
without a peace treaty, the two countries are technically at war. Thus, there is a prohibition on
direct exchange of telephone calls or letters.
CCI approved Etihad Airways purchase of 50.1% stake in JPPL
Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways proposal of
purchase of 50.1% stake in Jet Privilege Private Ltd (JPPL) on 6 February 2014. JPPL is a customer
loyalty programme unit of Jet Airways.
CCI headed by Chairman Ashok Chawla in its majority decision ruled in favour of the Etihad
Airways. It said that the transaction was unlikely to have any adverse impact on market competition. This is because CCI had already approved the Etihad's purchase of 24 per cent stake in Naresh
Goyal-led Jet Airways and the two carriers were already partners in their respective frequent flyer
programmes.
The Slump Sale Agreement and Commercial Agreement were signed between Etihad Airways
and JPPL on 19 November 2013. Under the deal, Etihad was to acquire 50.1 per cent stake in JPPL
subsequent to the hiving off of Jet's loyalty business into the subsidiary on a going concern basis.
However, valuation of the deal has not been disclosed.

Malala, John Wood and Indira Ranamagar nominated for World Children's Prize in Sweden
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who survived after being shot in her head by Taliban

28

was nominated for the World Childrens Prize in Sweden for championing education rights for girls
on 6 February 2014. As per the 15 member of international prize jury of WCP name of Malala was
selected as she is a child, who stood up for girls' rights to education in Pakistan, but also in the world
as a whole.
The World Children's Prize (WCP) is also known as the Children's Nobel Prize and was founded in
2000 with an aim to raise awareness of children's rights in 60000 schools in 110 countries through
educational programs. Other candidates nominated for the year are John Wood from USA and Indira
Ranamagar from Nepal. The WCP Program 2014 is open from 5 February to 15 October 2014.
About Malala Yousafzai
Malala in 2013 was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her crusade for the right of all
children to an education
She has been nominated for the 2014 award for her courageous and dangerous fight for girls
right to education
At the age of 11, she started speaking out for the education of the girls after Taliban banned
girls from going to school in the swat valley of Pakistan but Malala kept going to school even after the
ban imposed by Taliban. She was shot at the age of 15 and was almost killed by the Taliban on her
way home from school, but she survived.
About John Wood
He has fought for the childrens right to education for past 15-years. To fulfill his dream, he quit
from his job at Microsoft as a manager. His dream is to fight poverty by giving children all over the
world the chance to go to school
His belief is that educated children are better equipped to demand their rights and can defend
themselves against slavery, trafficking and abuse
He runs an organisation named Room to Read, which till date has built almost 1700 schools and
15000 school libraries in some of the poorest countries of the world
In local languages, he had published 874 books and has given over 10 million books to poor
children, who have been deprived from access to books
The Room to Read that works in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri
Lanka, Vietnam, Zambia and Tanzania is an organisation that has a special focus on education of
the girls and till date has helped over 20000 girls in finishing their education. It has reached to 7.8
million children.
Indira Ramanagar
Indira Ramanagar has been nominated for the prize for her 20-year struggle for prisoners'
children in Nepal.
She grew up in extreme poverty and fought to be able to go to school
She built an organisation named as Prisoners Assistance Nepal (PA)
The organisation PA has rescued more than 1000 children from the countries dirty and cramped
prisons. These children were sentenced to prison as there was no one to look after them after their
parents were sentence to prison. After the organisation rescue those children and take them to the
PAs three children homes, where they are educated and provided with safe childhood. PA runs a
children's home called Jankuri outside Kathmandu. Children from the surrounding villages are
allowed to attend the school too.
Worlds Childrens Prize (WCP)
The WCP is a unique and worlds largest annual global education program. So far it has involved
nearly 35 million children who have learnt about their rights and democracy. It operates with a goal
or more humane world, where rights of children are respected by all. It teaches young people about
the rights of the child, democracy and global friendship. Three child rights heroes are selected by
WCP child jury every year to be candidates for the Worlds Childrens Prize for the Rights of the Child.
US warned airlines that explosives may be carried in toothpaste tubes for Sochi Olympics
United States on 5 February 2014 warned the airlines flying to Russia that might be possible
terrorists may try to smuggle explosives on board in tubes of toothpaste. The Chairman of the House
Homeland Security Committee in alert said that the materials could be concealed in toothpaste or
cosmetic tubes.

29

As per Homeland Security such devices could be used to assemble a bomb on a flight or upon
arrival at the venue of Winter Olympics, Sochi. US also cleared that at present it is not aware of any
specific threat.
The forces of Russian Government is on high alert to head off possible militant attacks at Sochi,
the winter games venue that is scheduled to start from 7 February 2014 and will end on 23 February
2014. The Sochi Winter Olympics is the XXII (twelfth) Olympic Winter Games.
In its warning, US displayed concern about the use of tubes of the toothpaste from Asian and
European nations, because US has less access to the intelligence-sharing of these nations.
On the alert for the Sochi Olympic Games, the air transportations of Russia have banned almost
all liquids in airline carry-on luggage at all the countrys airport following twin suicide bombings in
Volgograd December 2014 in which 34 people were killed in two different attacks. These attacks
followed the attacks on the Sochi Olympics in the summer by leading militant in the North Caucasus,
Doku Umarov.
Apart from this in February 2014, two Austrian competitors have received kidnap threats on the
eve of the Sochi Winter Olympics. The treat of kidnap was issued against Alpine skier Bernadette
Schild and skeleton pilot Janine Flock during the Sochi Games.
India and Germany signed 2 pacts for financial and tech co-operation
India and Germany on 5 February 2014 signed two umbrella agreements for financial and technical co-operation under Indo German bilateral Development Cooperation framework. P Chidambaram,
the Union Finance Minister and Gerd Mueller, the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development signed the pacts during their bilateral meeting.
These agreements were signed during an official visit of Joachim Gauck the President of Federal Republic of Germany is on a six day (4-9 February 2014) State Visit to India. President Joachim
Gauck is being accompanied by a high-level delegation including Ministers, Member of Parliament
and business leaders.
The Umbrella Agreement on Financial Cooperation pertains to concessional loans from Government of Germany for nine projects, namely
Himalaya Hydropower Programme (HPPCL)
Green Energy Corridors
Promotional Programme for Energy Efficient New Residential Housing-II (NHB)
Energy Efficiency in Thermal Power Plants (WBPDCL)
Affordable Housing Programme (NHB)
New Approaches in Microfinance and Microenterprise Finance (SIDBI)
Missing Middle Programme (SIDBI)
Madhya Pradesh Urban Sanitation and Environment Programme
Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystems Climate Proofing Project
The Umbrella Agreement for technical cooperation pertains for to 13 projects in Energy, Environment and Sustainable economic development sectors, which are a priority sectors under the bilateral development cooperation between the two nations.
The two sides also appreciated the constructive engagement between two countries under development cooperation framework. The Germany Government has also committed for funds amounting
to 1.09 billion Euro, which is the ever highest ever commitment so far since 1958.
India and Germany relations
India and Germany have a cordial and close relation. Since 2000, the two countries are strategic
partners. Significant progress in all areas of bilateral cooperation through regular high-level exchanges at the Head of Government level started with the commencement of the Inter-Governmental Consultations on 2011. The two countries have also had exchanges in cooperation in strategic
areas, growing economic and commercial ties and increased interaction in the fields of education,
science and technology, culture and people-to-people relations.
At present Germany is the largest trading partner for India in Europe and the two nations also

30

work together closely in the international arena.

9.7 crore new voters added in the electoral rolls during 2009-14 period
The Election Commission of India added 9.7 crore new voters in the electoral list during 2009-14
period or since 2009 Lok Sabha polls. It resulted into 13.5 percent rise in the list of national voters
countrywide.
The announcement was made on 5 February 2014 by the Election Commission after finalizing
the list on 31 January 2014.
Percentage wise growth in electoral list
When viewed from percentage point of view Tamil Nadu successfully achieved the highest
growth with 29.3 percent rise in the enrollment of new voters during 2009 - 14 period. The growth of
Tamil Nadu is higher than national average.
Tamil Nadu is followed by Haryana registering 28 percent growth, Madhya Pradesh (25 percent) and West Bengal (19 percent).
Interestingly, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh had shown a decline in voters of
around 11.9 percent, 1.9 percent and 0.7 percent respectively between the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha
polls.
Growth in electoral list in absolute terms
In absolute terms, Uttar Pradesh registered the maximum growth by adding 1.8 crore voters to
its rolls during 2009 - 14 period.
It is followed by Maharashtra added the largest number of voters followed by West Bengal,
Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
Growth in electoral list: Big States vis-a-vis Smaller States

The big states with double-digit growth in the size of their electorate since the 2009 Lok
Sabha polls are Uttar Pradesh (15.5 percent), Uttarakhand (15.3 percent), Rajasthan (14.2 percent),
Bihar (13.9 percent), Chhattisgarh (13 percent) and Punjab (11.8 percent).

Among the smaller states, Meghalaya showed a 21 percent rise in the number of voters,
followed by Puducherry (15.8 percent) and Tripura (14.4 percent).
Growth in electoral list among UTs

The electorate in Union Territories (UTs) also grew, with Chandigarh adding 11.5 percent
voters since 2009 and Dadra and Nagar Haveli 25 percent.
Delhi registered a 9 percent increase in its electorate since 2009, with the 2014 electoral
rolls, to be used for the coming general election, showing 1.21 crore voters.
Causes for increase in electoral list
Election Commission of India had launched the voter awareness campaigns like SVEEP (The
Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation) Wing and YUVA (Youth United for Voter Awareness).
The campaigns was aimed to formulates policies and to lays down the framework. It handles
work related to all aspects of Voters Awareness & Education aimed towards improving Electoral
Participation in the country and building up a culture of participative democracy among citizens.
The SVEEP Wing commenced work in 2009.
Union Government confirmed the appointment of Talukdar as head of DGH
Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas confirmed the appointment of B.N.Talukdar as the
head of Director General of Hydrocarbon (DGH) on 5 February 2014.
B.N.Talukdar will take charge as the new Director General of the DGH on 6 February 2014. He is
currently serving as the Director for exploration in Oil India Ltd. (OIL).

31

He will succeed Rajiv Narayan Choubey who was appointed by the former Union Oil Minister S
Jaipal Reddy as the DG of DGH in June 2012. Choubey is a 1981 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu
cadre.
The confirmation of Talukdar as the head of the DGH came six months after his name was
suggested by a government appointed search panel in August 2013. The search panel was headed by
the Petroleum Secretary Vivek Rae.
Talukdar has over 37 years experience in the petroleum industry. He is an active member of the
Society of Petroleum Engineers, USA and functioned as the President of the Delhi Chapter of SPE. He
is also closely associated with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and Society of
Petroleum Geophysicists.
The appointment of Talukdar is significant in the sense that for the first time in the history of
DGH a technocrat has been appointed as the head of the DGH. This signals an end to the tradition of
handpicking a bureaucrat to head the DGH and is expected to bring in more transparency in the
appointment of top government posts.
About DGH
The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) was established in 1993 under the administrative control of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas through Government of India Resolution.
Objectives of DGH are to promote sound management of the oil and natural gas resources having
a balanced regard for environment, safety, technological and economic aspects of the petroleum
activity.
MTS launched online campaign IndiaForShiva
Telecom major MTS launched an online campaign IndiaForShiva on Twitter to mobilise support
for Indian luge athlete Shiva Keshavan on 5 February 2014.
The campaign is an extensive social media movement to generate support for Keshavan. It would
encompass specially designed twitter feeds, engagement activities on Facebook and other social
media channels.
Shiva Keshavan is to compete his fifth Winter Olympics campaign in Sochi,Russia. The winter
Olympics will start from 8 February 2014.
Shiva Keshavan is a two-time Asia Cup gold medallist and will be competing under the Olympics
flag instead of the Indian flag.
About MTS
MTS is the largest mobile operator in Russia and CIS countries with over 102.4 million subscribers.
MTS started its work in Moscow license zone in 1994. ??S in 1997 received licenses for further
areas and began expansion, later entering other countries of the CIS.
Sanjeev Kulkarni appointed dean of Princeton University Graduate School
Indian-American Professor Sanjeev Kulkarni was appointed as the Dean of Princeton University
Graduate School on 5 February 2014. He will succeed William Russel, the present dean of the Princeton
University Graduate School since 2002.
His appointment was recommended by Princeton University President Christopher L Eisgruber
and approved by the Board of Trustees.
Sanjeev Kulkarni at present is the professor of electrical engineering and director of the Keller
Center. He will take the charge as next dean from 31 March 2014.
Kulkarni is the author of An Elementary Introduction to Statistical Learning Theory, published
in 2011.
Kulkarni joined the Princeton University as faculty in 1991.

32

Professor Rakesh Khurana of Indian origin appointed as Dean of Harvard College

Oldest tigress Machli found in Ranthambore National Park
Machli, Queen Mother of tiger dynasty was found in the Ranthambhore National Park on 5 February 2014. The tigress was missing from 9 January 2014 from zone 5 of the park.
The 17-year-old Machli is the longest living wild-tigress in the world, besides being the most
photographed big cat. The tigress was identified as T-16.
Machli had survived in the dense forest by hunting her own prey despite her advanced age.
Two dozen camera traps were installed at strategic locations in the tiger territory and teams of
over 200 officials patrolled the park since Machli went missing.
Machli was in the last phase of her life. The life span of a tiger in the wild is about 12 years.
Machli is akin to a 120-year-old human being. At this age, her fewer sightings are not unusual.
Machli was restricted to a limited area in the national park, as four tigers had intruded into her
conventional abode.
Bill Gates assumed the role of Founder & Technology Advisor to CEO]
Microsoft Founder Bill gates assumed the role of Founder & Technology Advisor to the CEO of
Microsoft on 5 February 2014. With this he stepped down from the post of Chairman of Microsoft.
In his new role, Bill Gates will help Satya Nadella, the new CEO of Microsoft, in shaping technology and product direction. He 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.
For years, Gates has focused on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and now that he is taking
a more hands-on role at Microsoft.
Journey of Bill Gates:

In 1975, together with his childhood friend Paul Allen, Gates developed a version of the
programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer the MITS Altair 8800.
Gates oversaw Microsoft's company restructuring in June 1981, which re-incorporated the
company in Washington State and made Gates president of Microsoft and the Chairman of the Board.
Microsoft launched the first version of its Windows operating system on 20 November 1985,
and in August, the company struck a deal with IBM to develop a separate operating system called
OS/2.
Following Gates's internal 'Internet Tidal Wave' in May 1995, Microsoft began to redefine its
offerings and expand its product line into computer networking and the World Wide Web. The company released Windows 95 in August 1995.

Gates handed over the CEO position in 2000 to Steve Ballmer an old college friend and
employee of the company since 1980.
Allen resigned after a long-term illness, while Gates became 'chief software architect' and
Chairman of the Board.
Microsoft went on to release Windows XP in 2001, followed by Windows Vista in 2007, Windows
7 in 2009 and Windows 8 in 2011.
It entered the game console market dominated by Sony and Nintendo, launching the first
Xbox in 2001, and begun to take on Apple in the smartphone market with the launch of Windows
Phone in 2011, and the purchase of Nokia in 2013.
John Thompson appointed Chairman of Microsoft
John Thompson was appointed as the Chairman of Microsoft on 5 February 2014 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.
John Thompson is the first Afro-American to head the Microsoft and the second Chairman of the
Microsoft after Bill Gates. He joined the Board of Microsoft as independent director in February 2012.
With the inclusion of Thompson the Board of Directors of Microsoft will now have 10 members
including Nadella. Out of 10 board members, seven are independent directors. Three of the seven

33

have been on the board for more than eight years.

At present, Thompson is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of privately held Virtual Instruments.
The products are designed to ensure the performance and availability of applications deployed in
virtualised and private cloud computing environments.
He was also the former chairman and CEO of Symantec Corp.
Mr. Thompson stepped down as CEO in 2009, and stepped down from Board of Directors of Symantec
in 2011.
Revisit Aircraft Act 1934 to bring out comprehensive bill: Parliamentary panel
A Parliamentary Panel on Transport, Tourism and Culture headed by Sitaram Yechury on 6
February 2014 submitted its report on the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of India Bill, 2013 to Parliament. The parliamentary panel has asked the government to come out with a comprehensive Bill
after revisiting the Aircraft Act 1934. It has been suggested to revisiting the Aircraft Act 1934 because it felt that the Act is too old to tackle the emerging problems in the aviation sector.
In its recommendation, the panel feels that the Chairperson of Civil Aviation Authority of India
should be part-time only as there exists possibility of deadlock between a full time Chairperson and
the Director General would be imminent. In its recommendation, it has also suggested to increase
the number of experts in the selection committee for the appointment of Chairperson, DG and fulltime members of the Authority.
Background
Earlier in August 2013, a bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha that seeks the replacement of
Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by a new regulator for the Indian aviation sector, the
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by KC Venugopal, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation as Civil Aviation Authority of India Bill 2013 to provide the CAA full
operational and financial autonomy to regulate all issues concerned with civil aviation safety and
protects the interests of consumers in a fast-changing aviation system.
UN-body International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the US regulator Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) after carrying out audits of the DGCA in 2013 pointed towards the unsatisfactory situation after, which the bill was brought by the government. The bill seeks replacement of
DGCA by CAA which would administer and regulate civil aviation safety and manage safety oversight over air transport operators, operators of other civil aviation facilities and air service navigation operators.
07-FEB-2014
Vishwanath Tripathi selected for the Vyas Samman 2013
Vishwanath Tripathi, the eminent Hindi writer has been selected for the prestigious Vyas Samman
for the year 2013. He has been chosen for his memoir 'Vyomkesh Darvesh' that is a biography of the
noted Hindi scholar Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi.
Tripathi, who is 82-year-old has around 20 publications by his name that includes memoirs,
novel and poetry collection. Surya Prasad Dikshit, the Hindi litterateur headed the selection committee for the award.
The Vyas Samman 2012 was given to Hindi litterateur Narendra Kohli for his historical novel Na
Bhooto Na Bhavishyati published in 2004 that is based on Swami Vivekananda and the era he belonged. The 2011 award was given to Professor Ramdarash Mishra for his collection of poems Aam ke
Patte published in 2004. The collection of poems has tried to establish a relationship of man with
ordinary objects like pen and table and has reminded their unnoticed importance in human life.
About Vyas Samman
Vyas Samman was instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991 and is awarded annually in
recognition of the hindi literary work published in past 10 years in genres like plays, novels, poetry,
short stories, critiques and others. The award carries 2.5 lakh rupees and a citation and a plaque.
Past winners of the award are
Vyas Samman 2010 - Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari for his collection of poems Phir Bhi Kuch Rah
Jayega

34

 Vyas Samman 2009 - Amar Kanth for his book Inhi Hathiyaron Se
Vyas Samman 2008 - Mannu Bhandari for his autobiography Ek Kahani Yah Bhi
Vyas Samman 2007 - The Selection Board did not find anyone suitable for the award.
Vyas Samman 2006 - Noted poet and literary critic Parmanand Srivastava .
Vyas Samman 2005 - Katha Satisar by Chandrakanta
Vyas Samman 2004 - Kath Gulab by Mridula (Jain) Garg
Vyas Samman 2003 - Anwan by Chitra Mudgal
Vyas Samman 2002 - Prithvi Ka Krishna Paksh by Kailash vajpayee
Vyas Samman 2001 - Hindi author Giriraj Kishor, after receiving the Vyas Samman for his
book Pehla Girmitiya
Vyas Samman 2000 - Pehla Girimitya by Giriraj Kishore
Vyas Samman 1999 - Bisarampur Ka Sant by Lal Sukla
Vyas Samman 1998 - Paanch Aanganon wala Ghar by Govind Mishra
Vyas Samman 1997 - Uttar Kabir Tatha Anya Kavitaen (Poems) by Dr. Kedarnath Singh
Vyas Samman 1996 - Hindi Sahitya aur Samvedna ka Vikas by Prof. Ramswarup Chaturvedi
Vyas Samman 1995 - Koi Dusra Nahin (Collection of poems) by Kunwar Narayan
Vyas Samman 1994 - Sapna Abhi Bhi (Collection of poems) by Dr. Dharmvir Bharti
Vyas Samman 1993 - Main Waqt ke Hoon Samane (Collection of poems) by Girija Kumar Mathur
Vyas Samman 1992 - Neela Chand (Novel) by Dr. Shiv Prasad Singh
Vyas Samman 1991 - Bharat ke Pracheen bhasha parivar aur Hindi in 3 volumes by Dr. Ram
Vilas Sharma
Union Government hiked FRP of Sugarcane by 10 rupees per quintal for 2014-15
The Union Government on 6 February 2014 approved the increase in the Fair and Remunerative
Price (FRP) for sugarcane by 10 rupees per quintal for 2014-15 marketing season (October - September). As a result, FRP of sugarcane will increase from 210 ruppes per quintal to 220 rupees per
quintal. This decision of hike in price was taken during a meet of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in New Delhi.
FRP is the minimum price that has been legally guaranteed to the sugarcane farmers, whereas,
the state government has the right to fix Statutory Advised Price (SAP) as their own prices. Even the
millers are free to offer any price above the FRP price announced by the Union government. FRP for
sugarcane has been fixed by taking the margins for sugarcane farmers on the basis of production
cost of sugarcane including transportation costs.
For this year, the government has pegged sugar output at 24.1 million tonnes, which is less than
the 25 million tonnes achieved last year. After Brazil, India is the second largest producer of sugar in
the world and is the biggest consumer of the sweetener. 23 million tonnes is the total annual demand of sugar in India.
Background
This FRP hike proposal had been done following the recommendation of the Commission for
Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) which advises the government on pricing policy for major farm
produce. CACP is a statutory body.
Marco Lambertini appointed Director-General of WWF International
The global conservation organisation, WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) on 6 February 2014
appointed Marco Lambertini as Director-General (DG) of the WWF International. His new role as the
DG will start from 1 May 2014.
At the time of this appointment, he was serving Bird Life International as its chief executive. He
will succeed James P Leape, who was appointed as the DG of WWF International in 2005.
Marco Lambertini
Lambertini holds an experience of 25 years as a global conservation leader
Prior to the Bird Life International, he served as the global director of Network and Programme
for over a decade
Lambertini began his association with WWF as a youth volunteer growing up in his native Italy.
Fritz Vollmar from Lenzburg, Switzerland was the first Secretary General of WWF International
(the then World Wildlife Fund) from 1962-1978. During his tenure at WWF, he was responsible to

35

establish an international secretariat along with building up the network of fund raising national
organisation from its founder members namely UK, Switzerland and USA.
About WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature)
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) at the time of establishment was known as World Wildlife
Fund. It was established as an international non-governmental organization that works on issues
regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment on 29 April 1961. Its first
office was opened on 11 September 1961 in Morges, Switzerland. Its mascot, Giant Panda originated
from the panda named as Chi Chi, which was transferred from the Beijing Zoo to the London Zoo in
1961.
Currently there are more than 1300 WWF conservation projects underway around the world.
WWF in India
The WWF-India was established on 27 November 1969 as a Charitable Trust. It is one of the
largest conservation organisations operational in India with an aim to protect wildlife and nature
conservation. WWF-India started its operations in the country as a wildlife conservation organisation
and had its focus towards protection of a particular species of wild flora and fauna. Over the years, the
perspective broadened to reflect a more holistic understanding of conservation issues facing the
country.
Book entitled Leveraging Economic Growth for Collective Prosperity in South Asia released
Leveraging Economic Growth for Collective Prosperity in South Asia - edited by Rashpal Singh,
Sucha Singh Gill and Neetu Gaur
Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India on 6 February 2014 released a book entitled Leveraging Economic Growth for Collective Prosperity in South Asia at a function in New Delhi. The book
has been edited by Rashpal Singh, Sucha Singh Gill and Neetu Gaur.
The book has been brought out by the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development
(CRRID), Chandigarh. It is a compilation of selected papers of experts from South Asia, which were
presented during the conference of CRRID held in March 2013. The book includes the contributions
from diplomats, industrialists, academicians and businessmen. It provides a perspective on collectively sharing the prosperity among the countries of the region.
Vice President in his address during the book launch said that the South Asian countries can
live in an escalating harmony and the two major areas, water and energy can play a significant role
in the effort.
Scottish Parliament approved the Same Sex Marriage Bill
The Scottish Parliament approved the Same Sex Marriage Bill on 3 February 2014. The Scotland
became the 17th country to give the green signal to same sex marriages which was an important
step for equal rights.
The Bill was adopted with 105-18 votes by the Scottish Parliament, which follows similar legislation of the British parliament.
Under the law, same sex marriage ceremonies can take place in any place agreed between the
couple and the registrar, other than religious premises. No part of the religious community will be
forced to hold such ceremonies in churches.
Bill also allows transgender people to stay married rather than having to get divorced, when
obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate.
Scotland has joined the group of countries which have allowed same-sex marriage. The Netherlands was the first country that allowed same sex marriage in 2001. In 2013 England and Wales,
Brazil, Uruguay, New Zealand and France passed the same sex marriage bill. Besides, some States of
the US and Mexico too have formulated the laws on same-sex marriage.
Tendulkar and Warne confirmed to play on 200th Anniversary of Lords
Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne were confirmed to lead for a limited-over match to mark the
200th anniversary of Lords Cricket Ground. The announcement was made on 6 February 2014.
Tendulkar will lead the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the owners of the Lords Cricket ground,

36

while Warne will head a 'Rest of the World' side. The match will be held at Lords Cricket Ground on 5
July 2014.
MCC XI will also include Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Sunil Gavaskar. The name of other
team members will be finalized in coming weeks.
Sachin Tendulkar last played in such fixtures was in 1998 when he scored a hundred. The 1998
fixture was played in the memory of Lady Diana, the Princess of Wales. In 2010, he was awarded
Honorary Member of MCC.
About Lords Cricket Ground
The first match ever played at Lords Cricket Ground was played in 1787.
The cricket ground was named Lords in the memory of businessman Thomas Lord who for the
first time staged the game in 1787 between Middlesex and Essex.
Lords cricket ground was previosuly called Dorset Fields - an area of London now known as Dorset
Square.
Lords Cricket Ground is now known as Home of Cricket.
The ground is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) which laid down a new Code of Laws in
1788 which was adopted across the game.
Although it is more than 40 years since MCC ceased to run English cricket, it still owns the Laws
of Cricket which contains the rule of crickets as played today.
Infosys to open new delivery center in Araraquara, Brazil
Infosys announced to open a new delivery center in Araraquara, Brazil on 6 February 2014. With
this new center, Infosys and its subsidiaries will further expand their footprints in Latin America.
The new 100-seat center in Brazil will initially house 25 employees and provide services in SAP
Application Management services to Citrosuco, the leading orange juice producer of World.
The 550 square meter office will be located in Edificio Vitoria, the premier commercial building
in Araraquara.
The favorable business environment created by the government and the availability of a highly
skilled, multi-lingual workforce makes Brazil an ideal location for the new delivery center.
Infosys set up operations in Brazil in 2009. The company and its subsidiaries employ over 700
people in the country. Besides, Infosys also has presence in Latin American countries of Costa Rica,
Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Argentina and employs over 1700 people.
About Infosys
Infosys is an Indian multinational provider of business consulting, information technology, software engineering and outsourcing services. It is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Infosys is second largest software services exporter of India. The gross annual revenue of company stands at 7.4 billion dollar with over 158000 employees.
Google agreed to negotiate with EU over Anti-trust case
Google Inc agreed to negotiate with European Union (EU) over Anti-trust case on 5 February
2014. The agreement was announced by the Federal Trade commission of the US.
Under a tentative deal with European Commission regulators, Google agreed to tweak the way it
presents search results in Europe. The deal reached will help address concerns in EU that Google is
abusing its dominance in online search to favour its own services at the expense of rivals. However,
Google would not pay a fine under the agreement.
Google used a strategy of accommodation to resolve a potential anti-trust lawsuit in the U.S.
Google agreed to bring small changes to its search practices to avoid formal charges by the Federal

37

Trade Commission in 2013.

Google faced the allegation that when users search for products, Google features results from
Google Shopping and relegates products featured on rival sites lower, where they may not be seen.
Under the deal, Google agreed to reserve space near the top of its European search pages for
competitors to serve specialized search results for things like hotel rooms alongside Google services
that do the same thing.
CCEA approved creation of National Programme on Prevention and Management of Burn
Injuries
NPPMBI - National Programme on Prevention and Management of Burn Injuries
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 6 February 2014 approved the proposal to
convert and expand the pilot Programme of Burn Injuries of the 11th Plan period into a fully fledged
National Programme on Prevention and Management of Burn Injuries (NPPMBI) during the remaining part of the 12th Plan period.
The cost for development of the Infrastructural facilities for burn management and rehabilitation in 67 state Government Medical colleges in different states has been estimated to 407.21 crore
rupees. Apart from this, a budget of 17.16 crore rupees has been also approved for completion of three
Burn Units of the 11th Plan Pilot Programme.
This plan has been taken into consideration with an aim of improving awareness among people,
especially the vulnerable groups that includes children, women and industrial workers regarding
prevention of burn injuries. It also aims towards creation of trained personnel for specialised treatment of burn injuries.
National Academy of Burns India (NABI)
National Academy of Burns India (NABI) is an all India organisation that was established in 1992.
It has membership of about 1000 members and is a representative of burns scene for our part of
globe amongst the other world of organization. It deals with incidence of burns, management of burn
injuries, rehabilitation of burn victims and prevention of burn accidents.
As per the available data, burn injuries are the second largest group after road accidents in
India, which is an unfortunate growth. On an average 7 million people receive burn injuries every
year, out of which 1.5 lakhs die and 2.5 lakhs left crippled due to severity of burns. The estimates say
that of every 5 burn injuries, four are women and children in their productive age group of 15 to 35
years. India at present have specialised centers for the treatment of burns only in the metro poles
and few other cities. As per the available data, 800 to 1000 beds are only available in the country of
population of more than 120 crores for the treatment of burn injuries. Therefore, maximum numbers of burn patients are treated by general surgeons and practitioners.
CCEA approved 5 Port projects worth 17630 crore Rupees
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved 5 Port projects worth 17630 crore rupees on 5 February 2014. The projects are aimed at augmenting the capacity of major ports by about
151 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
Out of 5 Port projects approved, four are container terminals and one is a multi-purpose cargo
berth project in Mumbai port.
The four container terminals proposed to be built at the major ports are Kandla Port in Gujarat,
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, Kolkata Port in West Bengal and Ennore
Port in Tamil Nadu.
These proposed projects will double the container handling capacity from the existing 11.57 million TEUs equivalent to 146 MTPA. TEU stands for Twenty-foot equivalent unit which is an inexact
unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals.
The capacity of the multi-purpose cargo berth proposed for Mumbai Port Trust will be 4.5 MTPA to
handle automobiles, iron and steel cargo etc.
Besides reducing the transaction costs by improving efficiency in handling operations, these
facilities with additional capacities are expected to promote the export - import trade in the country.
The Union Ministry of Shipping has targeted to award 30 projects in the current financial year to
add a capacity of about 282 MTPA at an estimated investment of over 26400 crore rupees.
As against these targets, the Shipping Ministry has already awarded 23 projects at a cost of over

38

9790 crore rupees for an additional capacity of 116 MTPA.

The capacity of Indian ports at present stands at a little over 1000 MTPA.
India has 12 major ports: Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Navi Mumbai), Kolkata, Chennai,
Visakhapatanam, Cochin, Paradip, New Mangalore, Mormugao (Goa), Ennore, Tuticorin and Kandla.
15 birds of India in the IUCN Critically Endangered Red List of Birds
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of the birds indicates 15
species of birds from India as critically endangered. The information about the critical endangered
birds is available on the IUCN Red list version 2013.
Bird species reported to be assigned under the Critically Endangered list of IUCN Red list are
No
Common Name
Scientific Name
1
Baer's Pochard
Aythyabaeri
2
Forest Owlet
Heteroglauxblewitti
3
Great Indian Bustard
Ardeotisnigriceps
4
Bengal Florican
Houbaropsisbengalensis
5
Siberian Crane
Grusleucogeranus
6
Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Eurynorhynchuspygmeus
7
Sociable Lapwing
Vanellusgregarius
8
Jerdon's Courser
Rhinoptilusbitorquatus
9
White backed Vulture
Gyps bengalensis
10
Red-headed Vulture
Sarcogypscalvus
11
White-bellied Heron
Ardeainsignis
12
Slender-billed Vulture
Gyps tenuirostris
13
Indian Vulture
Gyps indicus
14
Himalayan Quail
Ophrysiasuperciliosa
15
Pink-headed Duck
Rhodonessacaryophyllacea
It says that the reason for the decline in the number of these birds are
Loss, modification, fragmentation and degradation of habitat
Environmental contaminants
Poaching
Use changes mainly conversion of large areas to intensive crop cultivation
Changes in cropping pattern due to various reasons including implementation of irrigation
schemes
Increased pesticide usage and livestock-grazing
High levels of disturbance
Developmental activities like mining and hydel projects. This also includes collision of the
birds with vehicles, wind turbines and power lines
For conversion of the remaining habitats in the wet lands, grass lands and forests and river line
across the countries, the steps taken by the government are
For protection and management of protected areas the government of India provides financial
and technical assistance to state/union territory government. The financial and technical support
is also provided for forests protection under centrally sponsored schemes
India has signed into several major international conventions related to conversion and management of wildlife, which includes the endangered species of birds
The Central Government has enacted the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 for protection of wildlife including birds. The Act, provides for creation of Protected Areas for protection of wild life and also
provides for punishment for hunting of specified fauna including birds specified in the schedules I to
IV thereof. Important habitats of birds have been notified as Protected Areas under the Act
Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 have been framed for protection of wetlands, in the States, which are habitats of birds. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Plan
for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-System also provides assistance to the States for management of
wet lands including Ramsar sites in the country.
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been established for control of illegal trade in wildlife, including endangered species of birds and their parts and products.
Research and monitoring activities on birds are promoted by the Government through reputed
research organizations. Wildlife Institute of India, Bombay Natural History society and Salim Ali
Centre for Ornithology and Natural History are some of the research organizations undertaking
research on conservation of birds.
The Indian Government has banned the veterinary use of diclofenac drug that has caused rapid

39

population decline of Gyps vulture across the Indian Subcontinent. Conservation Breeding Programmes
to conserve these vulture species have been initiated at Pinjore (Haryana), Buxa (West Bengal) and
Rani, Guwahati (Assam) by the Bombay Natural History Society.
Delhi Police launched a Helpline to help foreign nationals
The Delhi Police launched a helpline number +91-8750871111 on 6 February 2014 for foreign
nationals in distress. The number will become active from 7 February 2014.
Joint Commissioner of New Delhi range, Mukesh Kumar Meena will monitor the phone calls and
a set of officers have been assigned to attend the phone calls. Besides, Meena is appointed as the
nodal officer for handling crimes against foreign nationals.
Some important guidelines for foreign nationals by the Delhi Police are as follows
Kindly contact on counter May I help you available in Arrival Hall at airport for help and guidance
If any foreigner face any harassment or law and order problem in Delhi, they can dial 100
numbers from the nearest telephone for police assistance
Advised to use public places like restaurants to visit clients and use government registered
transports like prepaid taxis. Preplan your destination in Delhi regarding your stay and tourism in
Delhi
Union Ministry of Culture and Tate signed MoU
Union Ministry of Culture and Tate on 6 February 2014 signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to develop collaborations focused on modern and contemporary art. Pramod Jain, the Joint
Secretary of Ministry of Culture and Judith Nesbitt, Head of International Partnerships, Tate signed
the agreement.
Aim of developing mutual understanding of British and Indian art is to provide a framework for
future projects and building on previous collaborations.
Agreement between Ministry of Culture and Tate mentions
Agreement of Tate to cooperate on institution to institution collaboration in areas of common
interest including exhibitions, scholarly research, collection care, fellowships, loans and learning
programmes
It has mentioned the commitment of Tate to collaborate exchanges between the museum
colleagues in both and the UK
It is predicted that this agreement would strengthen the Museum sector in India and lead to a
cross pollination of ideas. It ould also support the reciprocal exchange of ideas and knowledge in the
field of modern and contemporary art in India and the UK. It will also allow deeper agreement with art
for audiences in both the nations.
Background
Earlier in 2007, the Ministry of Culture of Government of India and National Gallery of Modern
Art, Delhi have worked in collaboration with Haus der Kunst and Tate Modern on the Amrita SherGil exhibition that was displayed/shown in London and Munich the same year. At present Tate
Modern is working on an exhibition on word, sound, power with Khoj International Artists in partnership. The exhibition is on display at Khoj in New Delhi at present.
Also the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Tate has supported
the exchange of conservation expertise in Delhi, London and Bangalore in the field of collection care.
About Tate
Tate is an institution of United Kingdom that houses its national collection of British art and
international modern and contemporary art. Tate is not a government institution, but its main
sponsor is the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is a network of four art museums, namely
Tate Britain, London (until 2000 known as the Tate Gallery, founded 1897)
Tate Liverpool (founded 1988)
Tate St Ives, Cornwall (founded 1993)
Tate Modern, London (founded 2000)

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The gallery was founded in 1897, as the National Gallery of British Art. Mission of Tate is to
promote public understanding and enjoyment of British, modern and contemporary art.
Implement recommendations of Majithia Wage Board: SC
The Supreme Court of India on 7 February 2014 ordered to implement the recommendations of
the Majithia Wage Board for journalists and non-journalists in newspapers and news agencies. Supreme Court in its decision upheld the recommendations of Majithia Wage Board on the pay structure and has directed for revised salaried to be granted to the employees.
As per the decision, the revised wages have been made payable from 11 November 2011 the day
the centre in its notification notified the recommendations. The Court in its decision ruled that all
the arrears will be paid in four installments within a year and the recommendations should be
implemented from April 2014.
The Apex court ordered this after dismissing the petitions of various newspapers that challenged
the recommendations of the wage board and its constitution.
The Supreme Court bench that passed the decision was headed by P Sathasivam, the Chief
Justice of India. In its decision the bench of the apex court said that the wage Board followed proper
procedures in giving the recommendations and the allegations leveled against it and its constitution are not right.
About Majithia Wage Board
The 6th Majithia Wage Board was constituted in 2007 by the Labour Ministry, which announced
an adhoc interim relief of 30 percent of basic pay with effect from January 2008. On 31 December
2010 the Board submitted its final recommendations, which were notified by the Union Government
on 11 November 2011. Justice G. R. Majithia was the Chairman of the National Wage Boards for
Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees.
The Board in its recommendation mentioned that monthly emoluments for the lowest category
of employee in the lowest class of establishment would work out to be 9000 rupees for the basic pay
at floor level minimum wage of 5000 rupees. The revised basic pay would however range from 9000
rupees to 17500 rupees for non-journalists and from 13000 rupees to 25000 rupees for working
journalists in the top establishment having gross revenues of more than 1000 crores rupees.
Arunima Sinha awarded Amazing Indian Award
Arunima Sinha received Amazing Indian Award on 6 February 2014.The award was given by the
Vice President of India, M Hamid Ansari. She was awarded for scaling Mount Everest despite being
physically challenged.
The Amazing Indian Award was instituted by Times Now channel in September 2012.
About Arunima Sinha
Sinha is the first Indian amputee to conquer Mount Everest on 21 may 2013
Sinha scaled the 8848 metre-high summit of the worlds highest peak on 21 May 2013
Sinha is a former national volleyball and football player from Uttar Pradesh
CCEA approved 10141 crore rupees FDI proposal of Vodafone
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved Vodafone's FDI proposal of buying
out minority shareholders in its Indian branch for 10141 crore rupees. The CCEA approved the
proposal of Vodafone's FDI on 6 February 2014.
This will be the single largest foreign investment in the telecom sector in India. Also, Vodafone
has become the first telecom operator to be fully owned by a foreign firm since government allowed
100 percent FDI in telecom sector in 2013.
In December 2013, FDI proposal of Vodafone was cleared by the Foreign Investment Promotion
Board (FIPB). As per the proposal Vodafone was to buy remaining outstanding shares from minority
shareholders -- Ajay Piramal and Analjit Singh.
Piramal holds 10.97 percent stake in Vodafone India, while Analjit Singh, who is Vodafone India's
non-executive chairman, holds 24.65 percent.
Vodafone Group Plc will pay Analjit Singh 1241 crore rupees and Piramal Enterprises 8900 crore
rupees for their stakes in Vodafone India as part of the proposal.

41

At present, Vodafone holds 64.38 percent stake in the CGP India, an indirect Mauritian subsidiary of Vodafone International Holdings BV Indian unit.
About Foreign Direct Investment
An investment made by a company or entity based in one country, into a company or entity based
in another country. Entities making direct investments typically have a significant degree of influence and control over the company into which the investment is made.
FDI is allowed under two routes in India
Automatic Route: FDI is allowed under the automatic route without prior approval either of the
Union Government or the Reserve Bank of India in all activities/sectors as specified in the consolidated FDI Policy.
Government Route: FDI in activities not covered under the automatic route requires prior approval of the Union Government which is considered by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board
(FIPB), Department of Economic Affairs, and Ministry of Finance.
Other sectors where 100 percent FDI allowed are Tea Plantation, Asset Reconstruction Company, Courier Services (automatic route) and Single Brand product retail trading.
President of Israel Shimon Peres set a new Guinness World record
President of Israel Shimon Peres set a new Guinness World Record on 6 February 2014. He
delivered the largest online civics class in the world. He delivered the classes using Ciscos advanced technology.
The classes will be conducted from the company headquarters in Netanya.
Over 6500 students in 215 classes across the country from Jerusalem, Beersheva, Tel Aviv,
Kuseife, Ofakim, Dimona, Hadera, Tiveria, Taibeh, Nahariya, and other communities will attend it.
The participants in the online class will include Jewish and Arab students together.
The class will be a live example of the technology which will help digitalize education worldwide,
reduce the distance between the center of countries and the periphery, reduce inequality in education and allow for lessons to be delivered by leading experts to thousands of pupils at the same time.
At 90, he is also the oldest serving head of state in the world.
Legendary bhajan singer Jhutika Roy died
Legendary bhajan singer Juthika Roy died in Kolkata on 6 February 2014. She was 93.
She was admitted to Ramkrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan in January 2014 with age-related
ailments.
She was a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Gandhi would
listen to her bhajans every day before his prayers. She was then known as the Adhunik Meera after
Meera Bai.
The first performance of Jhutika Roy for the All India Radio (AIR) was made when she was seven.
Kazi Nazrul Islam was her first mentor and her first album was released at the age of 13. Later,
Kamal Dasgupta became her mentor and she soon rose to fame.
She was awarded with Padma Shri in 1972.
08-FEB-2014
Cabinet cleared Telangana Bill and decided not to give UT status to Hyderabad
Union Cabinet on 7 February 2014 cleared the Telangana Bill with minimum changes in it and
decided that Hyderabad will not get the status of a Union Territory. Till now, the leaders of Seemandhra
demands included grant of a Union Territory to Hyderabad. This clearance of the Telangana Bill has
paved the way for introduction of it in the Parliament.
Now, the bill will be sent to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee for his consent and then
will be placed in Rajya Sabha on 12 February 2014 in the present form and the government will move
32 amendments. The amendments include some administrative aspects of the bifurcation of the
state.
The bill, which was sent back by the Andhra Pradesh Legislature after its discussions in two

42

houses, has got the nod at its special meeting held in New Delhi. The Cabinet has also decided not
to accept the demand of the Seemendhra region for making Hyderabad a Union Territory. As earlier
decided, Hyderabad will remain as the joint capital of both the states for a maximum period of 10
years after that it will belong to Telangana. Apart from this, the Rayala Telangana proposal was also
shelved by the Cabinet.
Shabir Khan resigned from Council of Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir
Shabir Khan, the Health Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on 7 February 2014 resigned from the
Council of Ministers due to alleged molestation case. The resignation was received by the states
Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah. The Chief Minister forwarded his resignation to the Governor NN
Vohra and was accepted by him.
Shabir Khan is a Congress leader and MLA from Rajouri and his resignation came following
allegation of molestation by a lady doctor, who said that the minister called her to his Srinagar based
office and attempted to molest her on 28 January 2014.
The case against him has been registered under Section 354 RPC that says assault or criminal
force on a woman with the intention to outrage her woman and Section 509 RPC that reads, work/
gesture/act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman.
Abhinav Bindra won second gold medal in Inter Shoot Tri series Shooting
Abhinav Bindra won his second gold medal at the Inter Shoot Tri Series shooting at The Hague,
Netherlands on 7 February 2014. He won the second gold on 7 February 2014 by scoring 627.7 in the
qualification round and then scoring 209 points in the finals of the second match. He defeated Romanian London Olympic Games Champion, H Moldoveanue Alin George in both the matches.
The 31-year-old Bindra won his first medal in this Tri Series competition with his qualification
score of 613.7 and by shooting remarkably well in finals score of 209.3 points to win the gold. He won
his first gold on 6 February 2014.
In the pre-qualification for the first round the four times Olympian and gold medalist at the
Beijing Olympics was at 8th position.
Abhinav Bindra
Abhinav Bindra is the first Indian to win an individual Gold medal in Olympic, since 1900 the
year our country participated in the Olympic Games. He was also India's first gold medal, since 1980,
when the Men's Field Hockey Team won the gold. Awards conferred on Bindra till date
He won Padma Bhushan in 2009, the same year he was also conferred with Rajiv Gandhi
Award, Bharat Shiromani Award and India Youth Sports Icon
He was conferred with the Madhya Pradesh Khel Ratna in 2006
In 2006, he received Punjab Praman Patra Award
He won the Uttaranchal Praman Patra Award in 2003
In 2001, he was awarded with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Award
In 2000, he was awarded with Arjuna Award
US Navy ANM66 bomb, the largest ever WWII bomb was successfully dismantled
Hong Kong police on 7 February 2014 successfully dismantled the largest ever found World War II
bomb. The bomb was found in the city at the construction site, which was discovered on 6 February
2014. It was unearthed near a Sikh Temple, residential housing and hotels. The police evacuated
2260 people from the construction site.
The US Navy ANM66 bomb of nearly one tonne in weight was discovered by the building workers
in the Happy Valley District, near the citys famous downtown racing track. The bomb disposal experts took a time of 15 hours to remove the live explosives from the bomb.
The bomb weighed 900 kilograms and more than five meters long. Its diameter was two feet and
it is believed that the bomb was dropped by US forces in 1945. As per the Police, the time was taken
because the explosives inside the bomb were sensitive and they needed to cut the shell in a low
temperature environment.
Hong Kong was a former colony of British and it saw a fierce fight in December 1941 against the

43

invasion of Japanese, who occupied it until 1945.

Earlier, similar type of British shell was detonated in November 2013 in a controlled explosion at
the Peak. Similar unexploded wartime ordnances are routinely found in the southern Chinese city.
DRDO is developing Unmanned Arial Vehicles for CRPF to track down Maoists
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on 7 February 2014 said that it is in
the process of developing Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) to track down Maoists in naxal hit states
including Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The vehicles will be used by the Central Reserve Police
Force to track the locations of the Maoists in even the forests.
DRDO also said that demonstrate of the first such vehicles operational capability will be done in
a couple of months. This information was given by Avinash Chader, the chief of DRDO in the occasion of Defence Expo-2014 in New Delhi.
Unmanned systems and futuristic war machines are the main highlights of the expo that will
end on 9 February 2014. The event started on 6 February 2014 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. It is
the 8th Land, Naval and Internal Homeland Security Systems Exhibition of the Ministry of Defence.
Defence Exhibition Organisation (DEO)
DEO was created as a nodal agency in 1981 as part of the Department of Defence Production,
Ministry of Defence to promote and export potential of Defence Public Sector Undertakings, DRDO
and the Ordnance Factory Board.
Since creation it has contributed in export promotion activities on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. It is the nodal and co-ordination agency for the conduct of two major expositions in India, like
Aero India and Defexpo India that has seen exponential growth over the years.
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO)
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) works under Department of Defence
Research and Development of Ministry of Defence. It works towards enhancing self-reliance in Defence Systems and undertakes design & development leading to production of world class weapon
systems and equipment in accordance with the expressed needs and the qualitative requirements
that is laid down by the three services.
DRDO is working in various areas of military technology which include aeronautics, armaments,
combat vehicles, electronics, instrumentation engineering systems, missiles, materials, naval systems, advanced computing, simulation and life sciences.
DRDO Awards
The scheme of DRDO awards was introduced in 1999 in its present form to motivate scientists,
engineers and its partners of DRDO for contributions made for the cause of national security. The
Scheme consists of a total of 17 awards, out of which, 4 awards are given by the Directors of the
concerned laboratories/establishments in recognition of outstanding contributions of their scientists and other supporting staff consisting of technical, administrative and allied cadres.
Production of Maruti 800 stopped by Maruti Suzuki India
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) on 7 February 2014 announced that it has stopped the production of the iconic car brand Maruti 800 that had been carrier for millions of middle class Indian
families. The company in its announcement claimed the production was the car was stopped in 18
January 2014.
Executive Director of MSIL, CV Raman in the announcement said that the spare parts of the car
will be available in the market for next 8 to 10 years as per the rules, even after the production was
stopped.
The sale of the car was stopped in 13-cities in April 2010 including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kanpur
and Pune. It was launched in India in early 1980s and the time of its launch it was priced 50000
rupees only and at the time of closure of production it was priced at 2.35 lakh rupees.
Sangakkara became second cricketer to hit triple century and a century in same match

44

Kumar Sangakkara, the cricketer of Sri Lankan national team on 7 February 2014 became the
second person in the history of Cricket to score a triple century and a century in the same test
match. By performing the rare record, he joined Graham Gooch, the former skipper of England team.
He achieved this reach by scoring 319 runs in the first inning of the match and 105 runs in the
second innings. He achieved this record, while playing in the second test match against Bangladesh.
But he failed to break the record of most runs in a Test match of Gooch by 32 runs as in 1990,
Gooch scored 333 and 123 runs in two innings, which on aggregated becomes 456 runs. Whereas,
Sangakkaras total aggregate of the two matches is 424 runs. In the second innings, he was dismissed by Sohag Gazi.
RBI released draft Report on Enabling PKI in Payment System Applications
A draft technical report on making payment system effective was released by Reserve Bank of
India on 7 February 2014. RBI in its report of the Technical Committee on Enabling Public Key
Infrastructure (PKI) in Payment System Applications said that the objective of an effective payment
system is to ensure a safe, secure, efficient, robust and sound payment system in the country.
RBI has kept the report open for public comment and suggestions till 28 February 2014. Public
Key Infrastructure enabled electronic payment systems that has been introduced by the RBI are
RTGS
NEFT
CBLO
FOREX Clearing
Government Securities Clearing
Cheque Truncation System (CTS)
The RBI report said that in the year 2012-13 the non-PKI enabled payment system like clearing
of MICR/Non MICR, electronic credit system, credit card and debit cards contributed to 75 percent,
which in value terms is only 6.3 percent. It also mentioned that the payment systems enabled on
non-PKI, MICR clearing and non-MICR clearing contributed to 37 percent and 10 percent in volume
terms and 69 percent and 25 percent in value terms.
The report in its highlights has also included security features in existing payment system
applications and feasibility in implementing PKI in all payments system applications. The Group has
also recommended that banks may carry out in phases PKI implementation for authentication and
transaction verification.
The report has also mentioned that the issuing banks will also have to convert the older credit or
debit cards with the magstripe into EVM chip and pin-enabled ones.
The systems of payment are subjected to various financial risks like
Credit risk
Liquidity risk
Systemic risk
Operational risk
Legal risk
The need to recognise the security and safety to be robust was needed following the increase in
the adoption of electronic payment products and delivery channels for transactional needs.
The Reserve Bank of India had, in September 2013, constituted a group to prepare an approach
paper for enabling PKI for Payment Systems in India. The members of the constituted group were
from banks (State Bank of India and ICICI bank), Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology-Certifying Authority (IDRBT-CA), Controller of Certifying Authority (CCA), New Delhi
and Reserve Bank of India [(Department of Technology (DIT), Department of Payment and Settlement Systems (DPSS), Department of Government and Bank Accounts (DGBA) - Core Banking Solution (CBS) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).
About Reserve Bank of India
The Reserve Bank of India was established on 1 April 1935 in accordance with the provisions of

45

the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. Its central office in the year was established in Calcutta, which
was shifted to Mumbai in 1937. The Governor of India sits in the head office of RBI in Mumbai, where
the policies of the bank are also formulated. Government of India owns RBI since 1949, before it was
privately owned institution.
Ban on burning tyres in Public Places: National Green Tribunal
National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 7 February 2014 issued a ban on the process of burning of
tyres at public places like roads and areas surrounded by residential buildings. The order was passed
following the actions of burning tyres during the religious and political possessions by groups as it
cause health hazard.
Burning tyres creates toxic smoke, which is also a serious environmental threat. This ban was
issued by Western Zone Bench of NGT after hearing a petition against the Maharashtra Pollution
Control Board (MPCB) and the State of Maharashtra.
The plea was filed by a group of 14 lawyers with a complaint that the process of burning tyres is a
serious threat to environment and overall on humans. The petition was filed in the tribunal in
November 2010. The 14 petitioners in their petition wanted a ban to be issued on tyre burning on/
during the occasions of agitations might be possible by religious or political groups. The NGT, Pune
in its order said mentioned the names of three states for compliance on the order it passed namely
Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The issued ban will led to penal consequences in Section 26 of the National Green tribunal Act,
2010 to the person/group that neglects the order of ban. National Green tribunal Acts, Section 26
says that any failure in following the order can result into a penalty of 10 crore rupees that can be
extended up to 25 crore rupees or/and imprisonment for a period of three years.
Background
Burning tyres in possessions might be possible its a political or religious or of any other kind is
a most famous and first step of showcasing agitation.
National Green Tribunal (NGT)
The National Green Tribunal has been established on 18 October 2010 under the National Green
Tribunal Act 2010. It was constituted for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to
persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. It is a specialized
body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues. The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil
Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.
10-FEB-2014
NABARD under RIDF has sanctioned loans worth over 19100 crore rupees
Chairman of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), H K Bhanwala on
9 February 2014 said that the organisation has sanctioned loans worth over 19100 crore rupees
under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) to states for agriculture and allied activities. The loans were sanctioned till last week, which was a part of 20000 crore rupees allocated to it
for 2013-14 in the Budget.
In NABARDs last meet, the institution sanctioned 33 projects under agricultural and allied sector, 250 projects under the rural connectivity sector and 804 projects under the social sector with the
total outlay of over 6000 crore rupees. Sole objective of institution of RIDF in NABARD was to give low
cost fund support to state governments and state owned corporation for quick completion of projects
related to medium and minor irrigation, soil conservation, watershed management and other forms
of rural infrastructure.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
NABARD is set up as an apex Development Bank with a mandate for facilitating credit flow for
promotion and development of agriculture, small-scale industries, cottage and village industries,
handicrafts and other rural crafts. It also has the mandate to support all other allied economic activities in rural areas, promote integrated and sustainable rural development and secure prosperity of
rural areas. In discharging its role as a facilitator for rural prosperity NABARD is entrusted with
Providing refinance to lending institutions in rural areas

46

 Bringing about or promoting institutional development and

Evaluating, monitoring and inspecting the client banks
NABARD was constituted following an interim report submitted on 28 November 1979 by a committee under chairmanship of B Sivaraman, former member of Planning Commission, Government
of India.
The Parliament, through Act 61 of 1981, approved the setting up of NABARD. The bank came into
existence on 12 July 1982 by transferring the agricultural credit functions of RBI and refinance
functions of the then Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation (ARDC). NABARD was set
up with an initial capital of 100 crore rupees.
Rural infrastructure development fund (RIDF)
The RIDF was set up by the Government in 1995-96 for financing ongoing rural Infrastructure
projects. The Fund is maintained by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD). Domestic commercial banks contribute to the Fund to the extent of their shortfall in
stipulated priority sector lending to agriculture. The main objective of the Fund is to provide loans to
State Governments and State-owned corporations to enable them to complete ongoing rural infrastructure projects.
Srinivasan elected as the new Chairman of ICC from July 2014 onwards
Narayanswamy Srinivasan, the President of BCCI on 8 February 2014 was elected as the new
Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). His tenure of the office will begin in July 2014
for a period of 2 years. This decision was taken by the ICC Board during their meet in Singapore. He
will succeed Alan Raymond Isaac.
Apart from the approval on his name, the new model of Governance, finance and competition was
also approved by the voice-vote. The new proposal was voted by eight member countries of ten member nations. Sri Lanka and Pakistan abstained from voting saying that more time was needed by
them to consult with their boards on the amended resolution.
With this appointment, the ICCs Board will be headed by Srinivasan. ICC Board is the apex
decision making body of the world cricket. Srinivasan will be assisted by a new Executive Committee
that will be chaired by Wally Edwards from Australia. The Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee chaired by Giles Clarke from the English cricket Board.
The newly elected team will oversee the affairs of the international cricket during its two year
transition period till 2016. Later on, the full members of the ICC will elect a new Chairman while
BCCI, CA and ECB - will be represented on both sub-committees, along with two representatives of
the other Full Members who will be elected by the Board.
The newly voted structure of ICC will bring changes to the twisted revenue-distribution model,
which says that the sharing of ICC revenue will be determined by the contributions made by each
full member from now onwards. Now the new executive committee will have five members of which
India, England and Australia will have permanent seats. This committee will recommend to the ICC
board, the decision-making body. The full members of ICC will get a larger share of revenues, which
will be based upon their contribution towards the game, particularly in terms of finance, ICCs history and their on-field performances in the three formats of the games.
The World Test Championship will be replaced with an ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 and 2021.
A Test Cricket Fund will be set up to promore test cricket. The fund will be available to all Test
playing nations except India, England and Australia. All full members will enter into contractually
binding bilateral agreements to ensure that Future Tours Program schedule is maintained till 2023.
The newly issued guidelines also says that the winner of the next ICC Intercontinental Cup will
be entitled to take part in play-off against the bottom-ranked Member and, if successful can obtain
Test status. The Associate and Affiliate members stakes would also be protected.
Mortality from Measles and Rubella reached historic low: WHO
World Health Organisation (WHO) new mortality estimates released on 6 February 2014 shows
that the global annual measles mortality reached historic low with vaccination expanding steadily.
The annual measles deaths dropped 78 percent to 122000 of lives in 2012 from 562000 lives in 2000

47

globally.
As part of the Measles and Rubella Initiative, in 2012, the second dose of global routine measles
immunisation coverage rose to 84 percent and about 145 million children were vaccinated against
measles. Despite the impressive progress towards measles elimination, WHO warned that measles
continued to be a global threat.
The African, Eastern Mediterranean and European regions are not likely to meet their measles
elimination targets on time. Over 10000 reported cases occurred in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, India, Indonesia, Ukraine and Somalia.
The Region of the Americas has achieved measles elimination and continues to maintain this
status while the Western Pacific region is approaching its target.
About the Measles & Rubella Initiative
The Measles & Rubella Initiative launched in 2001, is a global partnership led by the American
Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF
and WHO.
It is committed to ensuring that no child dies from measles or is born with congenital rubella
syndrome and to reduce the measles deaths by 95 percent till 2015.
Cabinet approved Amendment to Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill 2014
Union Cabinet on 7 February 2014 approved the proposal of the Department of Disability Affairs to
incorporate amendments in the proposed Rights of the Persons with Disabilities Bill 2014. The proposed amendments to the Bill are
Definition of person with disability in terms of interaction with barriers
High support needs person enabled to take independent and inform decision also;
Definition of low vision will be notified by the Government
The appropriate Government to take necessary steps to ensure reasonable accommodation for
persons with disabilities
No person with disability will be discriminated on grounds of disability
Appropriate Governments to ensure that the persons with disabilities enjoy legal capacity on
an equal basis with others, in all aspects of life to have equal rights as any other person before law
Recognizing legal capacity of person with disability, limited guardianship would be the norm, to
enable the person with disability to take joint decision with legal guardian
Person with disability would also have the right to appeal against the decision of appointment of
legal guardian
Disability Certificate to be valid across the country
Educational institutions funded and recognized will have to provide inclusive education for
children with disability
The appropriate Governments to constitute to expert committee with representation of persons
with disabilities for identification of posts for Government employment for persons with disabilities
Review period shortened from 5 years to 3 years in case of identified posts;
5 percent vacancies reserved for persons with disabilities will be computed against the total
number of vacancies in the cadre strength
National Commission and State Commission will have power to exempt any post in an establishment from the purview of reservation for persons with disabilities
For greater coverage and employability in Government sector, the appropriate Governments to
prescribe relaxation for upper age limit for employment of PWDs
National Commission shall formulate and enforce regulations
Background
The old version of the Bill was tabled in Rajya Sabha, which was approved by the Union Cabinet
on 30 December 2013 and disapproved by the rights activities. The right activists, who opposed the
old version of the bill, said it as the diluted version.
Indias Economy to grow by 4.9 percent in 2013-14: CSO
Central Statistics Office (CSO) in its release on 8 February 2014 estimated that India's economic
growth in the current (2013-14) fiscal will be 4.9 percent as compared to the growth rate of 4.5
percent in 2012-13. In its release, CSO said that the growth rate in the manufacturing and mining
sectors will continue to remain a cause of concern.
CSO in its estimation said that the Per Capita Income at current prices will be 74920 as compared to 67839 during 2012-13. This rise in Per Capita Income has rose by 10.4 percent. CSO has

48

also decided the Net National Income at factor cost at current prices will be 92.4 lakh crore rupees
during 2013-14 as compared to 82.6 lakh crore rupees during 2012-13. This will be a rise of 11.9
percent. It also highlighted the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the year 2013-14 will be 105.4 lakh
crore rupees showing a growth rate of 12.3 percent over the First Revised Estimate of GDP for the
year 2012-13 of 93.9 lakh crore rupees.
The advance estimates of the Central Statistics Office (CSO) that is functional under Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation are based on
Level of agricultural production from the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture &
Cooperation (DAC), Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
Monthly accounts of Union Government Expenditure maintained by Controller General of Accounts (CGA)
State Government expenditure maintained by Comptroller and Auditor general of India (CAG)
The estimations also depends upon the performance of key sectors like transport including railways, road, air and water transport etc. It has also taken into consideration of things like communication, banking and insurance. The advance estimates at current prices are derived by estimating
the implicit price deflators (IPDs) at sectoral level from the relevant price indices.
Earlier, in its revised estimates from the provisional forecast of 5 percent, CSO lowered the
growth for 2012-13 fiscal to 4.5 percent. C Rangarajan, the Chairman of the Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council described this revision as encouraging indication that the economic slowdown is over.
Economic Statistics
Economic Statistics covers statistics on Employment, Industry, National Accounts, Prices, Transport and Communication and Trade. Some of the statistics is compiled using administrative data
while others are through conducting business surveys. There are instances where a combination of
administrative and business surveys data are used to augment each other.
Kamar Ahmad Simon won Golden Conch Award of MIFF 2014
Bangladeshs Kamar Ahmad Simons documentary Are You Listening won the Golden Conch
Award on 9 February 2014 at the Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and
Animation Films (MIFF).The documentary was awarded the Golden Conch Award as the Best Documentary Award ( in above 40 minutes category).
Are You Listening is a 90 minutes documentary that is a set in the coastal belt of Bangladesh.
The documentary reveals the alarming effects of climate change and deftly captures the fighting
spirit of a community and their will to survive, which is a powerful and beautifully photographed film.
The award comprised of the Golden Conch trophy and 500000 rupees cash prize of which 300000
rupees for the Director (Kamar Ahmad Simon) and 200000 rupees for the producer (Sara Afreen).
About Kamar Ahmad Simon
Kamar Ahmad Simon was born in Dhaka.
Are You Listening is his first documentary and has been awarded twice by Jan Vrijman Fund
from IDFA and also by Visions Sud est from Switzerland.
It was awarded as one of the best Pitches at the Asian Forum for Documentaries and it is
invited to Campus Studio Lab for Editing.
About MIFF
The first ever International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films was
held in the year 1990.
The biennial festival is conducted with the active collaboration of Government of Maharashtra
and the Indian Documentary Producers Association. Mumbai is the permanent venue of the festival.
MIFF is one of the most prestigious festival in the documentary, short and animation genre at
par with International Film Festivals like Leipzig, Berlin, Oberhausen, Cracow and Tampere etc.
Sushil Koirala elected as the next Prime Minister of Nepal
The Parliament of Nepal elected Sushil Koirala as next Prime Minister of Nepal on 10 February
2014. Sushil Koirala is a veteran Nepali Congress (NC) leader.
The general election of Nepal was held on 19 November 2013. In the Constituent Assembly of

49

601-member the NC has 194 seats, while the CPN-UML has 173 seats.
After the results, CPN-UML had pressed for new elections for president and vice president. Both
the parties had reached a consensus and CPN-UML standing committee decided to give support to
Nepali Congress (NC).
They also agreed to draft the Constitution according to the 12-point agreement that was reached
in New Delhi in 2005, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Interim Constitution and the
mandate expressed by the people in the November election.
Under the six-point agreement, the two parties have agreed to promulgate the new constitution
within a year and to hold elections for the posts of president, vice president and chairman of the
Constituent Assembly. Sushil Koirala will take over the charge from Khil Raj Regmi, who was working as acting Prime Minister of Nepal from 14 March 2013.
After the dissolution of the Nepalese Constituent Assembly in March 2012 there was a political
deadlock in Nepal. The 36th Prime Minister of Nepal, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai was then replaced by
Khil Raj Regmi.
Bindra became 1st person to win three gold medals in Tri-series shooting
Abhinav Bindra, the Indian shooter on 8 February 2014 won his third gold-medal in the InterShoot Tri-series Shooting in the Air Pistol event. With this, he became the first person to win three
gold medals in the event that is being held at the Hague, Netherlands.
To win the third gold medal, he shot 209.3 in the finals and finished ahead of the second-placed
shooter by 2.4 points. On 7 February 2014, Bindra also topped in the qualifiers in the second competition and ended with a final score of 627.7 points being ahead of Alin George Moldoveanu, the Olympic champion by 6.6 points.
In the first competition on 6 February 2014 he qualified in the game on eighth position with a
score of 613.3 points and in the finals, he left behind highest qualifier Peter Hellenbrand of Netherlands by his last two shots that brought him 10.6 and 10.8 points.
Mumbai International Film Festival 2014
Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) for Documentary, Short and Animation Films held in
Mumbai from 3 to 9 February 2014.
MIFF is a biennial festival that is conducted with the active collaboration of Government of
Maharashtra and the Indian Documentary Producers Association, Mumbai as the permanent venue.
Golden Conch Award for 2014 is

Category
Be st Documentary Film
(Up to 40 minutes)

Names
Maria Stome ier

Name of Documentary
In Betwee n: Isang Yun in
North and South Korea

Be st Documentary Film

Kamar Ahmad

(Above 40 minutes)

Simon

Be st Short Fiction Film

Vikrant

(Up to 45 minutes)

Janardhan Pawar

Best Animation Film

Gitanjali Rao

True Love Story

Dhvani Desai

Chakravyuh

Are You Listening

Black Rock

Be st Dire ctor award

Most Popular Film

Yulia Lipnitskaya is the youngest Russian to win gold medal in Winter Olympics
Yulia Lipnitskaya became the youngest Russian athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Yulia, 15-years-old won this medal in Winter Olympics 2014 at Sochi, Russia on 9 February
2014 in free skating in the team figure skating competition.

50

Yulia scored 141.51 points and earned a combined total of 214.41 under the International Judging System. Kim Yuna of South Korea is the current record holder, who scored 150.06 and combined
total of 228.56 in womens single in Winter Olympics 2010.
The youngest athlete is South Korean short track speed skater Kim Yun-mi, who won the medal
at the age of 13 in Winter Olympics, 1994.
About Yulia Lipnitskaya
Yulia was born in the Ural Mountains, Russia.
Yulia won a silver medal at the Russian Senior Championships, 2012 and a gold medal at the
Russian Junior Championships, 2012.
Yulia holds the title of Master of Sport of International Class in Russia.
Banks declared 2 day Strike against proposed bank reforms and demands wage hike
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) on 9 February 2014 declared a two day all India strike
of banks. The strike is being carried out to protest against proposed banking reforms and in support
of their demand for an immediate revision in wages. The strike commenced on 10 February 2014
and will end on 12 February 2014.
The employees union demanded an increase of nearly 30 percent of their wages but the Indian
Banks Association (IBA) offered them an increase of 10 percent. Several rounds of discussions
failed to reach to any consensus so far. Banking reforms being opposed by the UFBU are
Privatization of banks
Mergers of banks
Issuing new bank licenses to corporate houses
Rising non-performing assets and related aspects
The strike of UFBU has been joined by 27 public sector banks, 8 foreign banks, 48 regional rural
banks across India and 18 private banks. UBFU claimed that over a million employees in all these
banks, barring the co-operative sector banks, are taking part with around 90000 bank branches to
remain shut for two days.
UFBU is an umbrella organisation of nine bank employee and officer unions. Earlier, UFBU went
on a strike on 18 December 2013 for similar reasons.
Human footprints discovered in England is the oldest seen outside Africa
A team of Scientists in February 2014 discovered human footprints on the Norfolk Coast in the
East of England, which are at least 8 lakh years old. This discovery is one of the most ancient
footprints found outside Africa and it is the earliest evidence of human life in Northern Europe.
The footprints were uncovered by a team of scientists from the Natural History Museum, the
British Museum and the University of London. These imprints are from up to five individuals in
ancient estuary mud at Happisburgh on the countrys east coast. This was established by seeing
the different lengths of the feet, of which two pointed towards the sea, whereas, the other three
pointed towards inland. Till now the radiocarbon has not been performed on the footprints. But it
was estimated by the team that to be between 2300 BC and 700 BC.
This discovery of footprints outside Africa is the first proof of the presence of Human in the
North Europe. Now, these footprints are being considered as the direct evidence of the earliest
humans in northern England. The details of these markings have been published in Plos One, a
science journal.
Happisburgh is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk and became a site of
national archaeological importance in 2010 when flint tools over 800000 years old were unearthed.
Earlier, in May 2013, a series of early human footprints were discovered on the beach at the site,
providing direct evidence of early human activity at the site.
Ranjit Bhatia, Olympian distance runner died
Ranjit Bhatia, an Olympian long distance runner died on 9 February 2014 in New Delhi. He was
77. He was popularly known as Bhatia Sahib.
He was a famous long and middle distance runner, sports journalist and educationist. He was a

51

Rhodes Scholar and a student at Oxford University. In Rome Olympics which held in 1960, he represented India in 5000 meter race and participated in Marathon race. He was a contemporary of Paan
Singh Tomar and Milkha Singh.
He was honored with an Order of British Empire award for his services to the game and his role
as a bridge between sports of India and United Kingdom.
Justice Mudgal committee submitted its report on IPL spot fixing scandal
The Supreme Court appointed committee on IPL spot-fixing submitted its report to the court on
9 February 2014. The committee was headed by Mukul Mudgal who is the former Chief Justice of
Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The committee appointed in the wake of IPL spot fixing in October 2013 was probing the charges
against team owners of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The Mudgal Committee also
comprised of Additional Solicitor General L N Rao and Nilay Dutta.
The report submitted by Mudgal Committee says that the allegations of betting and passing of
information during Indian Premier League 2013 against Gurunath Meiyappan has been proved.
However, whether he was indulged in the fixing still requires clarification. The report also says
that more investigation is needed against Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra, who is facing charges
of betting and fixing the match.
The Mudgal Committee Report has also sought a probe into the possible involvement of international stars, including six capped Indian players whose names figured in the conversations between bookies taped by the police.
Supreme Court of India on 7 March 2014 will examine the report submitted by the panel. The
panel led by Justice Mudgal made the report after compiling statements of players, officials associated to IPL and Journalists.
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 on the
league, then the team can be suspended immediately.
The Mudgal Committee in its recommendation has asked
Senior players should make ensure that younger players are aware about the spot-fixing and
other things that tarnish the 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.
11-FEB-2014
Domestic Content requirement of Indias Solar Mission challenged by US
Domestic content requirement of India's solar mission on 10 February 2014 was challenged by
the United States, which it alleged as discriminatory and against international norms including
the laws of WTO. It has badly affected the American domestic solar panel manufacturing industry.
The decision was taken by US as a measure to protect 10000 American jobs in solar industry
and to have a significant pie in the second largest solar market of the world. Domestic content
requirements of Indias solar mission in Phase II discriminates against US solar cells and modules
by requiring to use India-manufactured solar cells and modules instead of US or other imported
equipment.
At present the WTO dispute consultations with India has been requested by US in relation of
concerning domestic content requirements in Phase II of Indias Solar Mission. Union Cabinet in
October 2013 approved the measures governing the implementation of Phase II of its National Solar
Mission. Under the Phase II of the Solar Mission implementation, India has imposed domestic
content requirements under which solar power developers should use Indian-manufactured solar
cells and modules instead of US or other imported equipment.

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Background
India launched its National Solar Policy on 11 January 2010 named as Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). The Phase I of the national policy was composed of two parts
Batch 1 of policy implementation: India required developers of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects
employing crystalline silicon technology to use solar modules manufactured in India.
Batch 2: India expanded this domestic sourcing requirement to crystalline silicon solar cells
as well.
In the phase II of the solar draft policy, India has considered expansion of the scope of the
domestic content requirements further to include solar thin film technologies and at present the
majority is comprised of US solar exports to India.
Elements of Indias national solar policy appear to be inconsistent with Indias obligations under
the WTO agreements. These obligations include
Article III of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994), which generally
prohibits measures that discriminate in favor of domestically produced goods versus imports
Article 2 of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures, which prohibits traderelated investment measures that are inconsistent with GATT Article III
Article 3 of the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement),
which prohibits conditioning a subsidy on the use of domestic over imported goods
Article 5 of the SCM Agreement, which prohibits causing adverse effects on other WTO Members through subsidies that discriminate against imported goods
Parliamentary Panel: Share in procurement of FCI has gone down
The Committee on Public Undertakings headed by Jagdambika Pal on 10 February 2014 placed
its report in Parliament on the share of procurement by Food Corporation of India (FCI). Share of
Food Corporation of India (FCI) procurement is gradually coming down in both percentage and quantity terms said the Parliamentary Panel.
In its comment the Panel mentioned the data of different crops that has gone down and they are
Wheat share has declined from 53 lakh tonnes in 2008-09 to around 40 lakh tonnes
Paddy (in terms of rice) has down from 18 lakh metric tonnes in 2006-07 to 3 lakh tonnes in
the year 2011-12
The examination of the FCI by the Committee revealed that the agency has loosened its procurement activity with the introduction of Decentralized Procurement Scheme in the year 199798. The committee in its report has also recommended a need to augment procurement of food
grains with the enactment of Food Security Act. FCI has been urged by the committee to play its due
role effectively and expand its procurement activity and maintain its procurement share in procurement.
In its recommendation it has also suggested FCI to set-up more procurement centers to make
sure that the farmer doesnt gets engaged in distress sale. The estimated cost to implement the law
will cost around 130000 crore rupees to the government and it will require at least 62 million
tonnes of food grains. The panel has also suggested FCI to take actions on immediate basis to plan
better about the storage capacity. At present the existing norms to stock maximum foodgrain by FCI
is 26 million tonnes, which has not been revised since April 2005.
Background
The panel report in its recommendation has suggested to FCI to augment its procurement activities for successful and positive implementation of the Food Security Law, which has been created with an aim of providing legal right over highly subsidised foodgrains to 67 percent of the
population. The law was passed by the Parliament in September 2013 and at present is being implementation in 10 states.
About Food Corporation of India (FCI)
Food Corporation of India (FCI) is a nodal agency of the union government that procures and
distributes food grains on the behalf of government. It was created under the Food Corporations Act
1964 to fulfill the objectives of food policy, which are
Effective price support operations for safeguarding the interests of the farmers
Distribution of foodgrains throughout the country for public distribution system

53

 Maintaining satisfactory level of operational and buffer stocks of foodgrains to ensure National
Food Security
Since its inception, FCI has played a significant role in India's success in transforming the
crisis management oriented food security into a stable security system.
South Central Railway launched HYLITES
The South Central Railway (SCR) launched Hyderabad Live Train Enquiry System (HYLITES) on
10 February 2014. It is the first of its kind in India developed by South Central Railway on outsourcing basis.
About HYLITES
HYLITES is a GPS (Global Positioning System) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) based
smart phone application that operates on android platform
HYLITES will display real time information of the live status information like arrival, departure, platform numbers etc from Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Kachiguda stations
It also gives information about all running MMTS (Multi-Modal Transport System) and local
trains
Cancer awareness programme launched by Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh, the Indian cricketer cancer foundation named YouWeCan joined its hand with an
NGO Navbharat Sewa Samiti on 10 February 2014 to roll out a campaign named Cancer Mukt Purvi
Dilli. The aim of joining the hand is to focus on awareness, early detection of the disease and
education.
Yuvraj Singh during the launch of the programme highlighted the need for an early detection of
the dangerous disease to save more lives.
About YouWeCan foundation
The YouWeCan foundation was launched by Yuvraj Singh on 6 July 2012 after he successfully
fought his battle against cancer. This organisation was launched as an initiative dedicated to raise
cancer-awareness.
River Thames overflowing of its banks near London
Thames river is overflowing its banks in south of England. The flooding is swamping villages it
has sustained since centuries. This flowing has happened following a month-long heavy winter
rain. The river has burst its banks after reaching its highest level in years.
Sandbags have been piled by the residents and British troops of the region affected by floods to
protect their properties. The Environment Agency of the region has issued 14 severe flood warnings, which means that the floods may cause a risk to life of people along the Thames east of
Windsor that is 32 kilometers from London.
This flooding is the wettest January in England since 1766 and has made the region a spectator
of being under water for more than a month. Somerset, England has been one of the hardest areas
hit by the floodwaters that have forced many people out of their homes.
Earlier on 28 January 2014, U.K.s meteorological organization, Met Office has issued a yellow
warning of rain for the area.
Scientists discovered new River Dolphin Species in Amazon; this is first discovery in 100
years
Scientists in January 2014 discovered a new species of river dolphin in the Amazon River system. This discovery is the first discovery in almost 100 years and it is believed that this species will
be enlisted as endangered status of IUCN Red list. The small group of river dolphins were discovered
by a team of experts from Federal University of Amazons in Manaus, Brazil.
This species has been named as botos and were found in the Araguaia basin where they were
separated from other populations by only a narrow canal and series of rapids. Araguaian boto name
was suggested by the team who discovered the fact that this species is distinct after closer inspection and DNA test. Scientists say that these Araguaian botos are the closest relatives of Inia geoffrensis

54

and Inia boliviensis genetically. But it varies from other two species as they have different number
of teeth and has a wider skull. Due to local taboos, these dolphins are generally not hunted directly in
Amazon but they face risks from the hydroelectric projects, boat traffic, and pollution.
Scientists feel that this species of dolphins were separated from other group of dolphins about two
million years ago, which has caused the difference between them in terms of genetics and morphological basis. They have also discovered the evidences that individual species from the Araguaia
River represent a distinct biological group.
Over a 12 week study, the experts have observed around 120 Araguaian animals and following
the study they have estimated that not more than 600 species are left in the complete river basin.
The research was published in the journal Plos One.
Since 1918, this discovery of Araguaian variety of dolphins is the first discovery. The last discovery of river whales species by the scientists was Lipotes vexillifer (Chinese baiji), now extinct. These
whales were declared as functionally extinct after a survey mission conducted in 2006 that failed to
find a single specimen of the species.
Background
Overall, the species of river dolphins are included and defined as threatened and falls under the
IUCNs (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. Three of the four previously known
species falls under this list as they are rarest animals found in the world.
Other recent discoveries of the world
Apart from this discovery, scientists in October 2013 discovered a new species of arapaima (a
giant torpedo-shaped fish) in the central Amazon waters of Brazil.
In August 2012, the scientists of Brazil discovered a new species of blind snake named as
atretochoana eiselti, related to salamanders and frogs. This species was discovered after a hydroelectric dam was drained over a river connected to Amazon. This species was discovered by biologists
at the bottom of the bed of Madeira River in Rondonia.
Krishi Karman Awards for 2012-13
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, presented Krishi Karman Awards for the year 201213 on 10 February 2014. The awards were presented during inaugural function of World Congress on
Agro-Forestry (WCA-2014) held in New Delhi.
The awards were presented in two categories. In the Total food grain production category, the
awards were presented to Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Manipur states. In the excellence in the
Individual food grains crops category, the awards were presented to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra
Pradesh and Bihar States.
Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura got commendation prizes for total food grain production. Maharashtra got commendation prize for rice, Assam for
pulses and Punjab and Haryana for rice and wheat.
Total food grain production
Category
States
more than 10 million to nnes (large)
Madhya Pradesh
1 to 10 million tonnes (medium )
Odisha
Less than 1 million tonnes (small )
Manipur
Individual food grain crops
Crops
States
Rice
Chhattisgarh
Wheat
Bihar
Pulses
Jharkhand
Coarse cereals
Andhra Pradesh
KRISHI KARMAN AWARDS
Krishi Karman awards were instituted in 2010-11 by the Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture.
Krishi Karman awards are given to States for their effort and contribution towards raising the
countrys food grain production.
Krishi Karman Awards comprises of three awards for total food grain production and four awards
for production of rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses - the crops that constitute the food grain

55

basket.
Each award winning State gets a trophy, a citation and cash award. The cash award is 2 crore
rupees for total food grain production and 1 crore rupees for each of the four crops included in food
grains.
Film Black was screened at Fakel Theatre in Moscow
Black, the popular Indian film starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee was screened at
Fakel Theatre, Shosse Enthusiastov in Moscow on 9 February 2014. This screening was done in
Indian Cinema Club in association with the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre in Embassy of India
(JNCCEI), Moscow.
The film was screened after dubbing it into Russian language. Indian Ambassador of India to the
Russian Federation PS Raghvan and Barbara Raghavan were the Guests of Honor at the inauguration ceremony. This was also attended by Art-Director of Fakel Theatre, Natalia Gavruk-Gavarlina,
General Director of MOSKINO, Vasilisa Orestova and Head of Indian Cinema Club, Moscow, Anna
Abalueva.
8th Defence Expo 2014 concluded
8th Defence Expo was organized at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi from 6 February 2014 to 9 February 2014.
The DefExpo was Organised by the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence. The
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) was the event manager of the
DefExpo 2014.
The four-day DefExpo showcased emergence of India as an attractive destination for investment
in the Defence Sector and provides a platform for alliances and joint ventures in the Defence Industry. The exhibition was dedicated to global Land, Naval and Internal Security Systems business
activity from Suppliers to Manufacturers and Technology providers to Services.
It was the largest exhibition for the defence companies of world to display their land, sea and air
capabilities at a single exhibition.
A total of 624 companies from 30 countries displayed weapon systems for the Army, Navy and
Internal Security during the DefExpo. There were 12 country pavilions from France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, UK and USA.
Major participants are from Russia, France and Israel besides Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia,
Singapore, Slovak Republic, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Turkey, UAE,
Ukraine, UK and USA.
Background
The DefExpo was conceptualised in 1998 with an objective to promote defence exports from India
and exhibit the capabilities of Indian Defence R&D and production.
The first exhibition was held in 1999 and subsequently in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and
2012. While a modest 197 exhibitors participated in the first DefExpo, the biennial event featured
624 exhibitors in its 8th edition in 2014.
Russia is the biggest participating country in terms of indoor and outdoor space occupied. Russia
is also represented with the maximum number of 37 companies.
101st Indian Science Congress concluded
The 101st Annual Session of Indian Science Congress (ISC) was held at the University of Jammu,
Jammu & Kashmir from 3 February 2014 to 7 February 2014. The event was inaugurated by Dr.
Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India.
The President of the 101st ISC was Prof. R C Sobti.
The theme of the 101st ISC was Innovations in Science and Technology for Inclusive Develop-

56

ment. This is pursuance of the policy Science healing and innovative unveiled by Honble Prime
Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on 3 January 2013 at Kolkata.
During this session, an attempt was made to showcase the recent developments in the field of
Science & Technology in the country and abroad.
As many as 12000- 15000 delegates including Noble Laureates, Senior Scientists, Teachers,
Young Scholars and Students had participated and present their research findings.
There was parallel sessions held at the 101st ISC. These are Agriculture and Forestry Sciences;
Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences, Anthropological and Behavioral Sciences (including Archaeology and Psychology & Educational Sciences); Chemical Sciences; Earth System Sciences;
Engineering Sciences; Environmental Sciences; Information and Communication Science & Technology (including Computer Sciences); Material Sciences; Mathematical Sciences (including Statistics); Medical Sciences (including Physiology); New Biology (including Biochemistry, Biophysics &
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology); Physical Sciences; Plant Sciences during the Congress as
well as separate sessions for Women Science Congress, Children Science Congress, Science Exhibition and Science Communicators Meet.
Background
The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) owes its origin to the foresight and initiative of
two British Chemists, namely, Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P.S. MacMahon.
The Association was formed with the following objectives :
To advance and promote the cause of science in India
To hold an annual congress at a suitable place in India
To publish such proceedings, journals, transactions and other publications as may be considered desirable.
To secure and manage funds and endowments for the promotion of Science including the
rights of disposing of or selling all or any portion of the properties of the Association.
To do and perform any or all other acts, matters and things as are conductive to, or incidental
to, or necessary for, the above objects.
The first meeting of the Congress was held in January 1914 at the premises of the Asiatic
Society, Calcutta, with the Honourable Justice Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, the then Vice-Chancellor of
the Calcutta University, as President.
One hundred and five scientists from different parts of India and abroad attended and the papers
numbering 35 were divided into six sections-Botany, Chemistry, Ethnography, Geology, Physics, Zoology under six Sectional Presidents.
The Silver Jubilee Session of the Science Congress was held at Calcutta in 1938 under the
Presidentship of Lord Rutherford of Nelson but due to his sudden death, Sir James Jeans took the
chair. It was at this Jubilee Session that the participation of foreign scientists in session of the
Indian Science Congress was first initiated.
The Science Congress celebrated its Golden Jubilee in October 1963 at Delhi with Prof.D.S.
Kothari as General President.
The Diamond Jubilee Session of the Science Congress was held at Chandigarh in January 1973
under the Presidentship of Dr S Bhagavantam.
The Indian Science Congress Association celebrated its Seventy Fifth year of its inception, popularly called otherwise, Platinum Jubilee, in 1988, with Prof C N R Rao as General President.
The 100th edition of the Indian Science Congress was held in Kolkota in January 2013 under
the Presidentship of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India. The theme of the 100th ISC was
Science for shaping the future of India.
N Ramachandran elected President of IOAC
N Ramachandran was elected President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on 9 February 2014.
Presently, he is the chief of World Squash Federation. He was elected unopposed for the presiden-

57

tial post. He will remain in the office till 2016.

Kho-Kho Federation of India President Rajeev Mehta were also elected unopposed as Secretary
General.
All India Tennis Association (AITA) chief Anil Khanna were also elected unopposed as Treasurer.
The poll was conducted by a three-member election commission of the IOA. It was preceded by a
Special GBM which made an amendment in the constitution under the diktat of International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Under the new constitution, any member against whom charges have been framed by a court of
law for an offence that carries imprisonment of more than two years will not be allowed to contest
elections and the case will be referred to the IOA Ethics Commission.
Indian Boxing Federation, Taekwondo Federation of India and Fencing Association of India were
barred by the IOC from casting votes on the ground that these three was suspended by their international federations.
Earlier, Abhay Singh Chautala, was the president of IOA.
Sikkim became first state to achieve 100 percent sanitation coverage
Sikkim became the first State in India to achieve 100 percent sanitation coverage under the
Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan Scheme on 9 February 2014. Sikkim achieved 100 per cent sanitation in
rural and urban households, schools, sanitary complexes and Aanganwadi centres.
As per the latest progress report card released by the Union Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, all 610577 inhabitants in Sikkim have latrines with high sanitation and hygiene
The achievement is the result of the initiative that was launched way back in 1999. In 1999
Chief Minister Pawan Chamling launched the initiative for achieving full sanitation in 7096 sq km
area of the state covering both rural and urban areas in all four districts of the State.
Besides, It was made mandatory for all Gram Sabhas to take up sanitation as a top priority on
their agenda.
So far, 163 panchayats in the State have been conferred monetary rewards Nirmal Gram Puruskar
for developing sufficient sanitation facilities of adequate quality in their respective areas.
According to a survey conducted in 20 gram panchayats by Planning Commission, 17 village
councils of Sikkim were declared as best performance panchayats, which is highest in the country.
Sikkim also topped the list among all states of the country in net performance indicators.
In 2008, Sikkim become the first ever Nirmal Rajya of the country. The status was granted for
achieving total sanitation coverage. Sikkim was awarded first-ever Nirmal Rajya Award.
Background
In 1986, Union Government started the Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP) primarily
with the objective of improving the quality of life of the rural people and also to provide privacy and
dignity to women.
CRSP adopted a demand driven approach with the name Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) with
effect from 1999.
To give a fillip to the TSC, Government of India also launched the Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP)
that sought to recognise the achievements and efforts made in ensuring full sanitation coverage.
Encouraged by the success of NGP, the TSC was renamed as Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA). The
objective is to accelerate the sanitation coverage in the rural areas so as to comprehensively cover
the rural community through renewed strategies and saturation approach.
The main objectives of the NBA are as under:
Bring about an improvement in the general quality of life in the rural areas.
Accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to achieve the vision of Nirmal Bharat by 2022
with all gram Panchayats in the country attaining Nirmal status.

58


Motivate communities and Panchayati Raj Institutions promoting sustainable sanitation
facilities through awareness creation and health education.
To cover the remaining schools not covered under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Anganwadi
Centres in the rural areas with proper sanitation facilities and undertake proactive promotion of
hygiene education and sanitary habits among students.
Encourage cost effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainable
sanitation.
Develop community managed environmental sanitation systems focusing on solid & liquid
waste management for overall cleanliness in the rural areas.
Union Government made it mandatory to install GPS devices in public transport
The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways made it mandatory for public transport vehicles running in major cities to install GPS. The announcement was made on 9 February 2014.
As per the directions of Union Ministry, All the owners of public transport are required to install
Global Positioning System (GPS) by 20 February 2014.
The project is a part of Nirbhaya Fund. The project involves setting up of closed circuit television
(CCTV) and using global positioning system (GPS) to ensure safety and security of women and girls in
distress.
In the first phase, the vehicles running in cities which had a population of more than 10 Lakh
should install GPS facility.
The road ministry had earlier asked passenger vehicle owners to install these devices by September 30, 2013.
About Nirbhaya Fund
The project was announced by Government of India in 2013 Union Budget.The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had approved a 1405-crore rupees project in January 2013.
The project aims to track and monitor public transport and provide alarm buttons for alerting
authorities.
It will be implemented within two years after allocation of funds to set up a National Level Vehicle Security and Tracking System and City Command and Control Centre with installation of GPS,
CCTV in public road transport.
R.K.Tiwari appointed new Chairman of CBDT
R.K.Tiwari was appointed as the new chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 9
February 2014.
The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
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.
About CBDT
The CBDT is a part of Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance. The Central Board of
Direct Taxes is a statutory authority functioning under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963.
CBDT is a seven-member body including the Chairman and it is the apex authority for policy
planning and administrative control over the I-T department and collection of direct taxes in the
country.
Jatinder Bir Singh appointed CMD of Punjab and Sind Bank
Jatinder Bir Singh was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Punjab and Sind Bank
(PSB) on 6 February 2014. He will succeed D.P.singh
He will take the charge from 10 February 2014.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) under the Union Government has approved
the appointment.

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Jatinder Bir Singh is 1983-batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

Prior to this, Singh was an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources.
About PSB
The bank was set up in 1908. Punjab & Sind Bank (P&SB) is a major Public Sector bank in
Northern India and working 100 percent on CBS platform.
The banks government shareholding is 79.86 percent. Of its 1249 branches and offices spread
throughout India, almost 515 are in Punjab state. The bank's corporate headquarters is in New
Delhi.
Cambridge University Scientists printed eye cells using Inkjet printer
In a bid to cure blindness, Cambridge University scientists successfully printed new eye cells
using inkjet printing technology for the first time on 10 February 2014.
One of the main reasons behind many eye diseases is the loss of nerve cells in the retina which
can further lead to the blindness. The retina consists of the precise arrangement of cells for effective vision.
Scientists found that Piezoelectric Inkjet Printer can print the cells derived from the central
nervous system and eyes.
This printer on receiving a specific electrical pulse ejected the cells from a sub millimeter diameter nozzle. They also used a high definition video technology to record the printing process with
high resolution and optimized their procedures.
The results showed that printed cells remained healthy and retained their ability to survive and
grow in culture. But, these results are preliminary. It was also confirmed that this printer can print
two types of cells from the retina of adult rat- ganglion cells and glial cells. Ganglion cells transmit
information from the eye to specific regions of the brain whereas Glial cells provide support and
protection of neurons.
For the first time, this technology has been used successfully to print mature central nervous
system cells. Scientists believe that this technique can produce artificial tissue grafts made from
the variety of cells found in the human retina. These tissue grafts can later be used in curing
blindness.
Indian boxers finished Fourth at the 58th Bocskai International Tournament
Indian boxers finished fourth at the 58th Bocskai International Tournament which concluded in
Hungary on 10 February 2014.
Indian contingents won a gold, a silver and two bronze medals to finish fourth among the 22
nations that participated in the tournament.
Indian boxers who won were:
L Devendro Singh (49kg) bagged the Gold Medal
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manoj Kumar (64kg) won the Silver Medal
Sumit Sangwan (81kg) and Sunil Kumar (57kg) secured Bronze Medals
The Indians finishing fourth despite provisional ban. The boxers were forced to play under the
flag of International Boxing Association (AIBA) in place of the national flag.
The organizers were so impressed with their performance that the boxers were presented with a
permanent invite for the event.
Vinod Sawhny appointed CEO of Reliance Communications
Vinod Sawhny was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Reliance Communications
(RCom) on 10 February 2014. Vinod Sawhny will succeed Gurdeep Singh.
Gurdeep Singh has been given additional responsibility of consumer business comprising DTH
and consumer broadband business.
Punit Garg will continue as CEO of Indian Enterprise and IDC business. Bill Barney also continues as CEO of Reliance Globalcom comprising Flag Telecom, Vanco and Yipes.
Anil Ambani announced the formation of RCom Management Board that will comprise of Sawhny,
Gurdeep Singh, Bill Barney, Suresh Rangachar, President for IT and Services, Manikantan Iyer,
Chief Financial Officer and Human Resource President Amit Das.
About Vinod Sawhny

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Sawhny served as CEO and Whole time Director of Beetel Teletech Limited. He was head of
Bharti Airtel and left the Company in 2012.
12-FEB-2014
IOC revoked suspension of IOA and allowed it to return in Olympic movement
International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 11 February 2014 revoked the ban imposed on Indian
Olympic Association (IOA). The step paved the way for Indias return into the Olympic fold. The decision of IOC of lifting the ban imposed on IOA came just after the IOA held elections as per IOC
directives on 9 February 2014.
Union Sports Ministry also adhered to the Olympic Charter under the pressure from IOC and
barred charge sheeted officials from contesting elections apart from conducting its polls. As a result
of elections conducted by IOA, Narayna Ramachandran was elected as the President of IOA.
Indian players so far were participating in the Sochi Winter Olympics without having the Indian
flag. With this decision, the Indian atheletes will now be participating under the Indian flag at the
closing ceremony of Winter Olympics at Sochi, Russia. The Indian atheletes who are participating in
the Sochi Winter Olympics are Shiva Keshavan (Luge), Nadeem Iqbal (cross-country skier) and
Himanshu Thakur (slalom skier). This decision of IOA, once again has brought Indian athletes to
represent India in the big events of the year including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and
Asian Games.
Besides, the decision of IOC is a historic one. This is because for the first time in the history of
Olympics the lifting of ban on a participating nation took place during the mid-way of Olympics.
Background
IOC suspended India in December 2012 for electing tainted men as secretary general and President and failed to comply with the Olympic charter and for allegations of corruption. The decision of
lifting the ban on India was taken in an ad hoc meeting. In Olympic history, this is the first time,
when the suspension of an NOC has been lifted during an Olympic Games and the decision will have
an immediate impact. Indian athletes entered the Sochi Winter Olympic Games under the Olympic
flag and have competed as Independent Olympic participants.
This decision means that the Indian athletes can now compete for the National Olympic Committee of India and will walk behind their national flag at the Closing Ceremony on 23 February. To
symbolically mark the lifting of the suspension and in recognition of the three Indian athletes competing in Sochi, the Indian flag will be raised in the Olympic Village.
Members of IOC met with the Indian committee during the suspension and oversaw the changes
in governance including recommendation to not elect any person with criminal records or facing
charges from serving the board. IOC delegation that observed the elections was headed by IOC
member Robin Mitchell. N Ramachandran was elected as the new President of IOA. Ramachandran
is the head of the World Squash Federation for the past six years and also the only person to identify
himself as a candidate. The voting process and selection was also overseen by the members of IOC.
Narayanaswami Srinivasan, the elder brother of Ramachandran is president of the Indian governing body for cricket, the BCCI and has been selected as the Chairperson of ICC.
President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Award of Honour of Rotary International
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee was conferred Award of Honour on 11 February 2014 in
New Delhi. The award was presented by Ron Burton, President of Rotary International at Rashtrapati
Bhavan.
The President, Mukherjee was awarded for the leadership he has provided and the Indias victory
over Polio. Recently India completed three years without reporting any case of polio on 13 January
2014.
Officially the World Health Organisation (WHO) certified India as polio-free on 11 February 2014.
The WHO on 24 February 2012 removed India from the list of countries with active endemic wild
polio transmission.
About Award of Honour
The Rotarys highest award, Award of Honour is recognition for Heads of countries or governments who have rendered unique service to the humanity and served the country and its people
upholding values reflected in Rotarys motto Service Above Self.

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The Rotary Club is one of the Worlds first service organizations established on 23 February 1905
in Chicago with the vision of Paul P Harris.
The Rotary Club is a place where professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas
and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.
Australian astronomers discovered oldest known star in universe
Astronomers of Australian National University discovered the oldest known star in the Universe
on 11 February 2014. The discovery was published in the journal Nature.
The star, known as SMSS J031300.36-670839.3, is in the Milky Way galaxy and some 6000 light
years from the Earth. The star was formed shortly after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago.
The star was discovered using the ANU SkyMapper telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory,
which is searching for ancient stars as it conducts a five-year project to produce the first digital map
of the southern sky. The discovery of the star was confirmed using the Magellan telescope in Chile.
The composition of the newly-discovered star shows it was formed in the wake of a primordial
star, which had a mass 60 times that of our Sun. The iron content of the star was used to determine
its age. The low iron content in the star suggests it was formed in a low energy explosion. This is a
new discovery, as it means early supernovae were more varied in their energy than previously
thought.

The discovery allowed astronomers for the first time to study the chemistry of the first stars,
giving scientists a clearer idea of what the Universe was like in its infancy. The discovery will open
the way for new approaches in examining the origins of the Universe.
This new discovery suggests early stars were much larger and would have burned more lithium
than experts previously realised. The stars burn the lithium, they blow up, and don't emit much iron.
This helps bring the lithium abundance into line with what the Big Bang theory predicts.
The Big Bang created a universe filled with hydrogen, helium and extremely small amounts of
lithium. Iron, along with other elements, was forced in stars and supernovae. While modern stars
were created from multiple star explosions and contain many different elements, older stars are
more simplistic in terms of composition.
Mark Zuckerberg became the most generous donor of America in 2013
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg became the youngest and the most generous philanthropist of America in 2013. This was revealed by the Chronicle of Philanthropy on 10 February
2014.
He had given almost 1 billion dollar of his fortune to the charity. The charity was made to the
Silicon Valley Community Foundation. He along with his wife Priscilla Chan dedicated their 2012
funds managed by the group for health and education.
Mr. Zuckerberg at 30 is the youngest benefactor ever to top the annual charitable donations list.
In September 2012, his net worth was estimated by Forbes magazine at 19 billion dollar, making
him the 20th richest in the United States.
Last year, the Facebook founder and his wife occupied the number two spot in charitable giving,
making donations of nearly 500 million dollar in 2012.
Over the past two years, Mr. Zuckerberg and his wife, a physician, have given 36 million Facebook
shares to the fund, valued at about 1.5 billion dollar.
Penguin decided to withdraw a book entitled, The Hindus: An Alternative History
The Hindus: An Alternative History written by Wendy Doniger
Penguin India, the publisher of book The Hindus: An Alternative History on 11 February 2014
agreed to withdraw the book from the Indian market. This book is written by Wendy Doniger, an
American Scholar and Indologist. The decision was made by the publisher following a legal wrangle
against it.

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The decision was made between the publisher and Delhi based complainant organisation called
Shiksha Bachao Andolan, who moved to court alleging distortion aimed at denigrating Hindu traditions. The organisation has found that the book is insulting Hindus. The settlement between complainant and penguin publishers says that all the recalled or withdrawn or unsold copies of the book
shall be pulped by Penguin within next six months.
Doniger reacted to the development of action saying that she is deeply troubled by what it foretells for free speech in India. Union Jairam Ramesh has said this decision was atrocious as the book
in not blasphemous. The author of the book is a scholar without any political agenda.
About the book
The book is a definitive narration of history and myths hidden in a new way to understand
Hinduism, the oldest major religion of the world. It has tried to elucidate the relationship between
imaginary worlds and recorded history. Wendy Doniger is a foremost scholar of Hinduism in the
world. She has highlighted the process how Sanskrit and vernacular sources are rich in knowledge
and compassion towards lower castes and women, without revising or misrepresenting the historical hierarchies.
Sammakkaa Saarakka, the largest tribal religious congregation of world began
Sammakkaa Saarakka Fair also called as Jatara, the largest tribal religious congregation of the
world began in Andhra Pradesh at Medaram in Warangal district of the Telangana region on 12
February 2014.
Sammakkaa Saarakka is a 4-day biennial fair and it is participated by more than a crore of
devotees from far-flung areas like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharastra, Odisha, Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu. The authorities of the festival have made elaborate arrangements that include makeshift accommodations, power supply and drinking water. Following the festive occasion the state
owned Road Transport Corporation has arranged about four buses to Medaram
About Sammakkaa Saarakka festival
Sammakkaa Saarakka festival is celebrated to pay tribute to the tribal warrior Sammakka and
her daughter Saaralamma Saaralamma who sacrificed their lives while fighting against the army of
Kakatiya dynasty to protect their people. Formally, the fair began with the elders of the local community by bringing the deity of Saaralamma from a forest temple to the special platform in Jatara at
Medaram village near Jampanna Stream, a tributary to River Godavari.
Devotees, who believe the sacrifice of their gods saved them, take a dip in the red waters of the
stream which was named after Sammaakkas son Jampanna.
Vice President of India launched India-China Year of Friendly Exchanges
The Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari and the visiting Chinese State Councilor Yang
Jiechi launched the India-China Year of Friendly Exchanges on 11 February 2014. The Year 2014
has been designated by the Governments of India and China as the Year of Friendly Exchanges.
The Year of Friendly Exchanges will help in forging a closer and stronger relationship between
India and China.
Earlier on 24 January 2014, the Vice-President of China Li Yuanchao had launched the IndiaChina Year of Friendly Exchanges in Beijing.
The broad contours of the India-China cultural cooperation was laid down in the Agreement on
Cultural Cooperation signed in May 1988, which provides for an executive Cultural Exchange
Programme (CEP) for implementation.
The latest CEP signed in October 2013 during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to
China provides for cooperation in a gamut of cultural fields including exchanges of visits of performing artists, officials, writers, archivists and archaeologists, organizing cultural festivals, film festivals and exchanges in the field of mass media, youth affairs and sports.
Other steps taken by India to forge closer and stronger relationship with China
Encouraging Chinese companies to establish production and supply chains so as to link the two
economies. This will also ensure a more balanced trade. Presently, there is a trade imbalance which
is tilted in favour of China. One of the ideas, which is being looked at carefully is of a dedicated
Chinese Industrial Park in India.

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The introduction of Chinese, as a language in middle schools in India. Recently, 22 Chinese

teachers have come to teach at select CBSE schools across the length and breadth of India. Greater
interaction between the ordinary people of two countries is a necessary condition for stronger overall
bilateral relations. More tourism, greater student exchanges and enhanced interaction between
Universities and Think-Tanks will help these two countries in evolving a better mutual understanding and their respective places in the world.
The annual program in which one country is on a visit to the other country by a group of 100
young person is another example of this initiative.
Glimpses of India is a programme which highlights Indian culture in China.
Why it is necessary to forge stronger relationship between India and China?
These types of programme are important for both India and China because both the countries
are:
Ancient civilizations. The old Silk Route which connected both the nations, helped not only to
the exchange of goods and commodities but also to a flourishing interchange of ideas, values and
philosophies.
Home to followers of Buddhism. In fact, Buddhism travelled from India to China. Indians gained
immeasurably from Chinese monks and scholars such as Fa Xian (Fa Hsian) and Xuan Zang (Huan
Tsang) who came to India in search of Buddhist scriptures. Analysts have pointed out many common
threads between Hindu and Buddhist philosophies on the one hand and Confucianism on the other.
Pioneers in scientific inventions. The concept of zero in number system originated in India. The
use of gun powder, the printing press and other technical innovations made their way outward from
China.
Developing countries and Emerging economies
Trade partners. Greater balance in trade will ensure its sustainability.
Neighbours and Strategic partners.
Mahindra reported 2013 as the best sales year in a decade in South Africa
Mahindra South Africa on 11 February 2014 announced that they had the best annual sales in
the year 2013. This sale is the largest over a decade, since Mahindra became operational in South
Africa. Mahindra credited government tenders a reason that bolstered the sale of its vehicles in the
country.
The company in its announcement said that it had sold 4056 units of different range that it offers
in South Africa. This sale has maintained the consistent upwards sales trend with a four percent
increase as compared to the sales of 2013.
Mahindra South Africa was successful in several state tenders and had supplied a variety of
products like Bolero, Xylo and Scorpio SUVs to government departments. It had sold 200 units of cars
to the government in 2013.
The company also said that people interest in its brand SsangYong has also increased. In 2012,
Mahindra started selling SsangYong in South African market. At present the company has 57 dealer
networks across the country of which 5 emerged in 2013.
Sonia Gandhi named as Chairperson of Congress Campaign Committee
Sonia Gandhi, the President of All India National Congress on 11 February 2014 was named as
the Chairperson of the partys 50-member Campaign Committee for 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Rahul
Gandhi has been named as the Co-Chairman for the same committee.
Earlier, the party said that the Vice President of the party, Rahul Gandhi will lead the campaign
for the upcoming general (Lok Sabha) elections. Apart from this, Prime Minister of India, Manmohan
Singh will be a member of the committee along with several union ministers.
Senior ministers named for the committee include AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Sushil Kumar
Shinde, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Salman Khurshid, Kamal Nath, Anand Sharma and Jairam Ramesh.
Former chief ministers named in the list include Sheila Dikshit and Ashok Gehlot. The committee
also has some senior party leaders like Ahmed Patel, Motilal Vora, Janardan Dwivedi, Madhusudan
Mistri, Digvijay Singh, Ambika Soni and BK Hariprasad are among the members of the Committee.
Union ministers included in the list of members of the committee are Jyotiraditya Scindia, V
Narayanasamy, Jitender Singh, Rajeev Shukla, Manish Tewari and JD Seelam.

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These decisions were made during a meeting of the party. Lok Sabha elections in India are
likely to be held in April and May 2014, which will lay the path for formation of the new government
by the end of May 2014.
ADB and Government of India signed for a 275 million dollar loan under RCIP
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of India signed for a 275 million dollar loan for
improving rural road connectivity in five states on 12 February 2014. The states include Assam,
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.
A Joint secretary of Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Country Director of
ADB signed the pact.
The loan is the second tranche of 800 million dollar under the Rural Connectivity Investment
Programme (RCIP). The second tranche of loan will help construct 3693 km of all-weather rural roads
in these five States benefiting nearly 1800 rural habitations. It is expected to be completed in June
2017.
This loan will invest in physical infrastructure, improve road design, road safety and asset management. The central government will provide counterpart funds of 81.56 million dollar for a total
second tranche project investment cost of 356.56 million dollar.ADB provided 252 million dollar and
the Government of India provided counterpart funds of 89 million dollar as a part of first tranche of
RCIP.
Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) is the executing agency of the project at the central level
and the state governments at the state level for a period of 43 months.
About Rural Connectivity Investment Programme
Rural Connectivity Investment Programme (RCIP) is a multi-tranche financing facility (MTFF)
started by Asian Development Bank (ADB).
RCIP will construct or upgrade the 9000 km of rural roads to an all-weather standard connecting
around 4800 habitations in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and West
Bengal.
India and Netherlands signed MoU on Renewable energy
India and Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for intensifying cooperation on renewable energy on 11 February 2014.
The MoU was signed between the Dutch Ambassador Alphonsus Stoelinga and the Secretary of
the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Satish Balram Agnihotri.
The MoU will encourage cooperation not only at the official and governmental levels but also
between leading Indian and Dutch private companies and research institutions.
Under MoU an Indo Dutch Joint Working Group will be setup and the exchange of technical and
institutional knowledge on clean energy will be facilitated.
India plans to add over 30 GW of renewable energy to its energy mix in the next 5 years. India and
Netherlands had great potential for enhancing cooperation in promoting renewable energy and offered to provide all possible assistance for the purpose.
Three-day long Desert Festival started in Jaisalmer
Internationally popular Desert Festival started at Thar Desert, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan on 12
February 2014. The festival started with a ceremonial procession from Jaisalmer Fort Gate (also
called Golden Fort due to its yellow sandstone structure) to Shahid Poonam Singh Stadium. The
festival will conclude with kite show and cultural programmes on sand on 14 February 2014.
Desert Festival
The Desert festival of Rajasthan takes place in Jaisalmer in the month of February every year
and lasts for three days.
The Rajasthan tourism organizes the Jaisalmer Desert Festival.
Desert festival has become a synonym of colour, music, folk performances, camel tattoo show,
camel dance and camel competitions. The famous fire dances, folk music and dance are the major
attraction of the desert festival celebrations of Rajasthan.
Other interesting competitions on the fringes are the moustache and turban tying competitions, which not only demonstrate a glorious tradition but also inspire its preservation.
Kosnam Himalaya Singh appointed as Lieutenant General
Konsam Himalaya Singh became the first Lieutenant General in the army from North East States

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on 12 February 2014. Singh is the senior most serving officer in the army from Manipur. At present
Singh is serving in the military secretarys branch which is headquartered in New Delhi.
About Konsam Himalaya Singh
Singh was born in Chararngpat village, Thoubal district Maj, Manipur. He completed his graduation in Defence Services Staff College Wellington and National Defence College.
Singh was commissioned to the second battalion Rahput Regiment in 1978.
Singh got his masters in defence studies from Madras University, masters in management studies from Osmaina University and MPhil in strategic studies from Madras University.
Singh has operational experience in Counter Insurgency Operations in Jammu and Kashmir
and in North East which included Line of Control (LoC), Line of Actual Control (LAC) and HAA (High
Altitude Area).
In Kargil war, Singh commanded 27 Rajput Regiment and he was awarded Yudh Seva Medal for
leading successful operations against Pakistan.
Singh was awarded thrice the COAS commendation card and once Army Commanders commendation card.
India ranked 8th in demand for digital governance
India was ranked 8th in the list of ten countries in terms of digital governance. The report on
digital governance was released by Accenture on 11 February 2014.
The list was topped by Singapore followed by Norway and UAE at second and third place respectively.
The report revealed the demand for the digital governance is rising in India and emerging economies which will enhance efficiency and output. In India the Government embarked on e- Governance model and the infrastructure which would pay the dividends in the long run.
The report is based on survey of 5000 respondents in ten countries including Brazil, Germany,
India, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Unitied Kingdom
and the United States.
According to the report, high-performing digital governments are:
Focusing on their digital strategy, which is deeply embedded in the government agenda and
public reforms.
Continuing long-term investment in key information and communication technology (ICT)
assets and the digitalization of core public services, such as taxation, pensions and healthcare.
Leveraging the power of new technologies, such as social media, mobility, analytics, big data
and cloud computing.
Connected across agency boundaries and have a strong culture of collaboration and data sharing.
Criteria used by the report for measuring digital governance
Citizen Service Delivery Experience: The extent to which government agencies are citizencentric, leveraging multichannel and cross-government public service delivery and initiating proactive communications, education and the use of social media for engagement.
Citizen Satisfaction: The extent to which citizens believe governments are meeting their needs
and providing quality services.
Service Maturity: The level to which a government has developed a digital presence, in terms of
publishing, interactions and online transactions.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company,
with approximately 281,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.
About Digital Governance
The Digital governance refers to offering online portals to access public services to employing
digital channels and social media to communicate and engage with citizens.
China and Taiwan hold first official level talks since 1949
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 talks were held at the Nanjing between Wang Yu-chi, head of
Taiwans mainland affairs office and his Chinese counterpart Zhang Zhijun. The talks are part of a
four day trip.
The talks are perceived as an attempt to facilitate wider exchanges and building cross-strait
relations and a confidence building exercise. Bilateral relations of the two nations have improved

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following the election of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou in 2008.

Measures which indicate this are:
Restoration of direct flights.
The landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed in June 2010 between Taiwan and China.
The two countries are hostile neighbours. China regards Taiwan as its part but Taiwan opposes
it. Chinas long term aim is to integrate Taiwan with mainland. Recently, Taiwan experienced a
long economic boom and thus has become more important for China. Taiwan on other hand, wants to
promote communication on sciences and other subjects, education and culture.
Background
Chinese civil war was fought between the Kuomintang led by General Chiang Kai-Shek and the
Chinese communist party led by Mao Tse-tung (also known as Mao Zadong). During this time, Nanjing
was the capital and ruled by the Kuomintang. The war was briefly suspended during the Japanese
attack. Finally, in 1949, Chinese communist party won over the Kuomintang. General Chiang KaiShek with his supporters went to the island of Formosa (Taiwan) and established Kuomintang government there. Thus since 1949, the island and the mainland have been governed separately.
Beijing considers Taiwan as a rebel region and aims to unite it with mainland by force if required. On other hand, Taipei accepts One China principle and is against independence for the
island. But the problem is that both the Governments claim to be legitimate government of China.
To address this issue, only government level officials can bring out any effective solution.
Ashok Varadhan appointed co-head of securities division of Goldman Sachs
Indian-Origin Ashok Varadhan was appointed as the co-head of the Goldman Sachs' securities
division on 11 February 2014. This division is the most profitable and the largest unit among the
global investment bank's four units.
Isabelle Ealet and Pablo Salame are other co-heads of security division. This division includes
bank's fixed-income, currency and commodities operations as well as its equities unit.
Ashok varadhan would build on Goldman's client franchise across its fixed income, currency and
commodities and equities businesses.
Ashok Varadhan is presently, head of macro trading in Goldman's Securities Division. Ashok
Varadhan joined Goldman Sachs in 1998 in Swaps Trading.
Ashok Varadhan serves as Vice Chairman of the U.S. Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee.
He graduated from the Duke University. He thus served on the Board of Directors of DUMAC, which
manages Duke Universitys endowment.
Hollywood child star Shirley Temple passed away
Former Hollywood child star Shirley Temple passed away on 11 February 2014. She was 85.
Born in 1928, Temple became a major star after getting her first film role at the age of three.
With the nickname America's little darling, she was ranked as Hollywood's biggest draw for four
years running from 1935 to 1938 in an annual poll of US cinema owners.
She was the first recipient of a special juvenile Oscar at the age of six. She holds the record as
the youngest ever Oscar winner.
She was such a hit that US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt dubbed her Little Miss Miracle.
After retiring from films in 1950 at the age of 21, Temple returned to the spotlight as a politician
and diplomat.
Richard Nixon appointed her as a member of the US delegation to the United Nations General
Assembly. President Ford named her the US ambassador to Ghana in 1974.
In 1989, she was made the US ambassador to Czechoslovakia.
She was given the Screen Actors Guild Awards life achievement award in 2006.

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103 persons killed in Algeria in a Military plane crash

103 persons were killed in Algeria when a military aircraft C-130 Hercules crashed in the mountains of Algeria on 12 February 2014. This was the deadliest air disaster since independence of the
country. The crash happened due to the poor weather condition.
The plane was traveling from the desert garrison town of Tamanrasset in the Deep South, and
crashed into Mount Djebel Fertas in the Oum El Bouaghi region.
Tamanrasset, in the far south of Algeria, near the border with Mali, is the main base for the
countrys southern military operations.
Extra troops and equipment have been stationed there in recent months as part of efforts to beef
up surveillance of Algerias frontiers with Mali and Libya, following a deadly hostage-taking crisis by
Islamist militants at a desert gas plant in January 2013.
The city lies 1500 kilometres from Constantine, and was the site of the last major plane crash in
Algeria, in March 2003.
In that disaster, an Air Algerie passenger plane crashed on take-off after one of its engines
caught fire. It killed all the 103 persons on board.
Afghan capital Kabul reported First polio case since 2001
The Capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, reported its first case of polio since 2001 on 11 February 2014.
The three-year-old from a nomadic family living on the northeastern edge of the city contracted the
disease.
After detecting the first case, Afghanistan has launched an emergency polio vaccination campaign in Kabul.
The highly contagious polio virus remains endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but Kabul city
has not had reported case since the Taliban regime was ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001.
The polio strain in the Pakistan and Afghanistan is identical. Around 1.5 million children crossed
the frontier every year, which causes cross-border transmission. Nearly all of the cases in Afghanistan in 2013 were in regions close to the Pakistan border.
Since the Afghan Taliban changed their policy, allowing vaccination in recent years, there has
been a decline in cases in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has deployed health workers at the border
crossings, attempting to monitor all children who cross, and vaccinating those at risk.
Besides Afghanistan and Pakistan, Nigeria is the only other country in the world where polio is
still endemic. In all the three countries Islamic extremists have obstructed health workers, preventing polio eradication campaigns from taking place.
BSE launched institutional trading platform on SME
The Bombay Stock Exchange launched an institutional trading platform (ITP) for small and medium enterprises on 12 February 2014.
The launch will facilitate the start-up companies and SMEs to list without IPO.
The launch of BSE SME ITP is consequent to the provision of SEBI in ICDR (Issue of Capital and
Disclosure Requirements) guidelines allowing SMEs to list on the exchange without bringing in
initial public offer (IPO).
It will help the start-up companies to raise capital and it will also provide easier entry and exit
options for informed investors like angel investors, VCFs and PEs etc.
The new platform offers better visibility and wider investor base while offering tax benefits to
long term investors.
The listing process in the new platform will be done within one month as against the couple of
months that a regular IPO route would take. Costs would be just a tenth of the IPO process.

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As per the regulatory norms, the BSE SME institutional trading platform has provided an exemption to SMEs, under which companies have to offer up to 25 percent of its share holding through an
IPO.
Any company with a paid up capital not exceeding 25 crore rupees in any of the previous financial years and has at least one full year's audited financial statements for the immediately preceding financial year at the time of making listing application is eligible to get listed at the BSE SME
ITP.
Any company that has not completed a period of more than 10 years after incorporation and its
revenues have not exceeded 100 crore rupees in any of the previous financial years is also one of the
eligibility criterion.
Canada announced to open Consulate General in Bangalore
Canada announced to open a Consulate General Office in Bangalore on 11 February 2014. The
office of the Consulate General of Canada will be located at the World Trade Centre in the Bangalore.
The office of Consulate General will work on the supervision of Visa and Immigration services.
The services will be offered for the entire South India. That is, the new office is supposed to cater
to the needs of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
According to officials in the High Commission of Canada, the services are expected to commence
by April 2014.
This would be the third office in India; the first two were in Mumbai and Chandigarh. Canada has
a consulate in Chennai and trade offices in Ahmadabad, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
Canada first established its Trade Office in Bangalore in 1996. The Consulate General is expected to reinforce Canadas strong commercial relations and make future business easier providing immigration and visa services, according to a statement from the High Commission.
Indian citizens have been eyeing at abroad education for higher studies, and thus the new Consulate General would aid the students from South India to come in terms with the admission procedure to Canadian educational institutions.
13-FEB-2014
Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, Mangalyaan, completed 100 days
The Mars Orbiter spacecraft, also called Mangalyaan, completed 100 days in space on 12 February 2014. As per the rough estimation, it has covered a third of its journey towards the Red Planet.
Till now it has completed its curved travel of 190 million km towards Mars (the Red Planet) out of
its total journey of 680 million km which it will be covering it over the next 210 days.
Although the orbiter has travelled 160 million km in a semicircular path, it is 16 million km
away from Earth if an imaginary straight line is drawn between the two because Earth is also moving
in the same direction.
The ground station of ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) has been
continuously monitoring it from Byalalu on the outskirts of Bangalore, Karnataka. ISTRAC is due to
do a few course corrections as the orbiter covers the remaining 490 million km using the pre-set
propulsion system.
All the five instruments on the Mars orbiter were switched on for tests and were found to be
performing well on 6 February 2014,
Subsequent to six orbit raising manoeuvres around the Earth following the launch, the Trans
Mars Injection (TMI) Manoeuvre on 1 December 2013 gave necessary thrust to the spacecraft to
escape from Earth and to initiate the journey towards Mars, in a helio-centric orbit.
Three more such trajectory correction manouevres are slated for April 2014, August 2014 and
September 2014. Then the spacecraft will be inserted into an orbit around Mars by an operation
called Mars Orbit Insertion on 24 September 2014.
The Mangalyaan is scheduled to be near the Red Planet around mid-September after travelling
nearly 300 days.
The first interplanetary probe, Mangalyaan, was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre,
Sriharikota on 5 November 2013. The main objective of India's launch is to check whether Mars
ever had an environment in which life evolved and to explore Mars' surface, topography, mineralogy
and atmosphere.
Union Home Ministry laid down guidelines for mercy petitions
The Union Home Ministry laid down guidelines for mercy petition on 11 February 2014. The

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Ministry spelt out the broad parameters for considering mercy petitions under Article 72 of the
Constitution.
The guidelines comprises of long delays in investigations/trial as well as age and mental deficiency of the applicant and the grounds where clemency may be justified.
The guidelines issued are:
Personality of the accused (age, sex or mental deficiency) or circumstances of the case (such
as provocation).
Cases in which appellate court has expressed its doubt as to reliability of the evidence but
nevertheless decided on conviction.

Cases where it is alleged that fresh evidence is obtainable, mainly with a view to seeing
whether fresh enquiry is justified.
Where the High Court has reversed on appeal an acquittal by a session judge or has on appeal
enhanced the sentence.
Difference of opinion in a Bench of two judges, necessitating reference to the third judge of
the high court.
Consideration of evidence in fixation of responsibility in gang murder cases.
Long delays in investigations and trial etc.
The above guidelines are not specific but are rather in the form of broad guidelines. The specific
guidelines could not be framed for examining mercy petitions due to vast majority of different type of
cases and varied circumstances.
SC laid down guidelines for dealing with mercy pleas
Karnataka won Irani Cup for the fifth time
Karnataka won the Irani Cup for the fifth time beating Rest of India in the final held at
Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on 12 February 2014. Karnataka beat Rest of India by an innings and 222 runs to win the trophy.
In response to Karnataka's score of 606 in the first innings, Rest of India scored 201 in the first
innings and 183 in the second.
Shreyas Gopal five wickets haul including a hat-trick and Skipper's Vinay Kumar four wickets
haul helped Karnataka comprehensively win the game.
The victory made Karnataka the first Ranji Trophy champion in the last eight seasons to win the
Irani Cup, a measure of the sides dominance this season. Also Vinay Kumar became the third
Karnataka captain to win both the Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup in a same year.
Karnataka last won the Irani Cup in 1998 at the same venue under Venkatesh Prasad.
Man of the Match: R. Vinay Kumar
About Irani Cup
The Irani Cup (earlier called Irani Trophy) tournament was conceived during the 1959-60 season to mark the completion of 25 years of the Ranji Trophy championship.
It was named after the late Z.R. Irani, who was associated with the Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) from its inception in 1928, till his death in 1970.
The fixture is always played between the previous year's Ranji Trophy winners and the Rest of
India Team.
Assam became the First State to legally ban smokeless tobacco
Assam became the first state to legally ban the consumption of all forms of smokeless tobacco
including pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine within the State on 13 February 2014.
Taking note of the fact that smokeless tobacco accounts for 90% of oral cancers, the Act also bans
the manufacture, advertisement, trade, storage, distribution and sale of the substances.
Assams Governor Janaki Ballav Patnaik gave his assent to the Assam Health (Prohibition of
manufacturing, advertisement, trade, storage, distribution, sale and consumption of zarda, gutkha,
pan masala, etc, containing tobacco and nicotine) Bill 2013 on 11 February 2014. As a result, the Bill
became an Act with effect from 13 February 2014.
The Provisions of the Act
Bans on manufacture, advertisement, trade, storage, distribution, sale of the tobacco and consumption also.

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 For violating the law, one shall be punished with imprisonment up to seven years and fine
between 1 lakh rupees and 5 lakh rupees.
Consumption or possession of zarda, gutka and pan masala containing tobacco shall be punished with a fine of 1000 rupees for the first offence and 2000 rupees for each subsequent offence.
Although 28 States/UTs have banned similar bans under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. However, Assam is the first State to ban the sale
of tobacco through legislature.
The Act has been enacted in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and
Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.
About Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. The
Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011 came into effect from 5 August 2011.
The Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011 were issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which lays down that tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any
food products.
Currently, 28 States/UTs have issued orders for implementation of the Food Safety Regulations
banning manufacture, sale and storage of Gutka and Pan Masala containing tobacco or nicotine.
The States are Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Mizoram,
Chandigarh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland,
Andaman & Nicobar, Daman & Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh,
Goa, Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, J&K and Assam.
Enforcement and implementation of this regulation, however, lies with the Commissioners of
Food Safety under the State governments, as per the provisions of Food Safety & Standards Act 2006.
Other forms of tobacco including cigarette and bidi etc. are regulated by the Cigarettes and Other
Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production,
Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA), 2003.
COPTA, 2003 regulates consumption, production, supply and distribution of tobacco products, by
imposing restrictions on advertisement, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products; prohibiting
smoking in public places; prohibiting sale to and by minors, prohibiting sale within a radius of 100
yards of educational institutions and through mandatory depiction of specified pictorial health warnings on all tobacco product packs.
Enforcement of the provisions thereof lies with the officers authorized for this purpose by the
Central Government as well as State Governments.
Satellite Centre of PGIMER, Chandigarh to be established at Sangrur
The Union cabinet approved the establishment of the Satellite Centre of Post Graduate Institute
of Medical Education (PGIMER), Chandigarh at Sangrur, Punjab on 12 February 2014.
The Project would be the part of Scheme of Redevelopment of Hospitals and Institutions undertaken in the 12th Five Year Plan. The project would cost around 449 crore rupees including recurring cost of 161 crore for the first four years.
The Project will reduce the average distance and bring specialized healthcare service within the
reach of people of the region.The project also would cater to region specific diseases and will also
reduce disease burden on PGIMER, Chandigarh.
Besides, it will help increase hospital bed strength so as to provide health care services to the
marginalized classes and also help towards meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) norms.
Union Government approved Pune Metro Rail Project
The Union Ministry of Urban Development gave an in-principle approval to the Phase - I of the
Pune Metro Rail Project on 12 February 2014. The approval by the Union Government will facilitate
the State Government to take necessary action for faster implementation of the project.
The project is aimed to improve the public transport system in the Pune Municipal Corporation
(PMC) and Pimpri - Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) areas.
While giving the approval the Union Government advised the State government to update and
keep the design and technology of the system in accordance with the revised Detailed Project Report
prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
Maharashtra Government will implement the project through a Special Purpose Vehicle which
will be jointly owned by the Union and State government.
Pune Metro Rail Project phase I details:
It will cover a length of 31.51 km along two corridors.

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Corridor-1 will cover 16.59 km from Pimpri - Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to Swargate.
Corridor-2 will cover 14.92 km from Vanaz to Ramwadi.
The project is expected to be completed by 2021.
The revised cost estimate for entire project is 10183 crore rupees
World Radio celebrated across the globe
World Radio Day 13 February
World Radio Day was celebrated across the globe on 13 February 2014. This is the third Radio Day
being observed by the UNESCO to celebrate radio as a medium.
The theme for World Radio Day 2014 is Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Radio.
The theme of the Day was chosen by the UNESCO in order to get the balance right in favour of
women in radio. That is, UNESCO seeks to strengthen pluralism and freedom of expression in radio.
Less than one quarter of radio stories are about women, and women represent less than one
third of all top level management and governance positions in media.
On the eve of celebrations of Radio Day across the globe, UNESCO sought to promote gender
equality by:

Sensitising radio station owners, executives and governments to develop gender-related

policies and strategies for radio.
Building radio skills for youth radio production, with focus on girls as producers, hosts and or
reporters.
Promoting the safety of women radio journalists.

Background
At its 36th General Assembly in 2011, UNESCO proclaimed the 13th February as World Radio
Day.
The 13th February is significant to UNESCO as it is the anniversary of the day the United Nations established their first Radio Station in 1946.
The United Nations Radio stations main purpose is to promote the universal ideals of the United
Nations which include gender equality, peace, tolerance, respect for human rights, economic and
social development and the upholding of international law.
Union Government launched HIV Salvage Therapy
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched third-line drug therapy for people living
with HIV/AIDS on 12 February 2014. The third-line therapy also called salvage or rescue therapy is
prescribed for people who have limited drug options left.
The announcement for the salvage therapy was made by Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi
Azad at the launch of at the launch of the National AIDS Control Programme Phase IV (2012-2017).
The highly expensive therapy will be provided free. The third-line therapy would enhance longevity and improve the quality of life of patients.
The Union Health Ministry also extended free anti-retroviral therapy (ART) to more of them by
revising the eligibility norm.
For receiving free ART, the minimum CD4-count limit had been reduced from 500 to 350. The
count is a measure of the viral load.
Anti Retroviral Therapy
Anti Retroviral therapy (ART) consists of the combination of at least three antiretroviral (ARV)
drugs to maximally suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of HIV disease.

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Huge reductions have been seen in rates of death and suffering when use is made of a potent
ARV regimen, particularly in early stages of the disease.
Furthermore, expanded access to ART can also reduce the HIV transmission at population level,
impact orphanhood and preserve families.
South Africa launched commemorative silver stamp of Nelson Mandela
South Africa launched a commemorative silver stamp of Nelson Mandela on 11 February 2014.
This Black and white stamp is released to mark the 24th anniversary of release of Nelson Mandela
after spending 27 years in the jail.
Stamp is printed in silver to reflect the richness of Mandelas wisdom, his legacy and his stature.
The miniature sheet features a portrait of Mandela in duotone. It is a method of changing a monochrome original illustration or photograph to two shades or colors and printing it using two different
plates.
Cost of each stamp is about 4.50 dollars and can be purchased online. The South African postal
office claimed that 5 million stamps have been produced. Office also informed that about 20 cents
from every stamp sale will go to a literacy campaign run by a foundation named after Mandela.
This is the fourth commemorative stamp of Nelson Mandela. The other stamps were released
when
He won Nobel Prize
He became first black president of South Africa
He turned 90.
Background
Nelson Mandela was a famous anti apartheid South African leader. He was born on 18 July 1918
and died on 5 December 2013. He along with the then South African President FW de Klerk was
honored with Nobel peace prize in 1993 in recognition to their efforts to end the apartheid system.
He was the first democratically elected black president of South Africa and held the prestigious post
from 1994 to 1999. 18 July was declared as Nelson Mandela International Day to promote global
peace in 2009.
CCSD approved revision of VSHSE Scheme in 12th FYP
The Cabinet Committee on Skill Development (CCSD) approved for continuation and revision of
Vocationalisation of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (VSHSE) Scheme in the 12th Five
Year Plan (FYP) on 12 February 2014.
The objectives of the scheme are
To enhance the employability of youth through competency based modular vocational courses.
To maintain their competitiveness through provisions of multi-entry multi-exit learning opportunities and vertical mobility.
To fill the gap between the educated and the employable.
To decrease pressure on academic higher education.
Further, skills and employability of the youth will be enhanced through industry and demand
driven vocational courses.

Main features of the Scheme

This is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) under which financial assistance will be given to all
State Governments and Union Territorys for implementation of vocational education in Government Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools.
Incentives will be given to Government aided and recognized private schools during the remaining period of the 12th FYP. The total allocation approved by the Planning Commission for the Scheme
in the 12th FYP is 500 crore rupees per annum.
The Scheme also involve capacity building of vocational education teachers or skill trainers,
development of competency based curriculum and teaching material, development of MIS for monitoring and tracking students and funding of innovative practices under vocational education.

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About Vocational of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Scheme

The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Vocationalisation of Secondary Education is being implemented since 1988.
The Revised Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Scheme is in operation since 1992-93.
The Revised Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Scheme was approved in September 2011
for the remaining period of the 11th Five Year Plan.
A pilot based on the National Vocational Education Qualification Framework was approved as part
of the revised scheme and it was decided that the continuation of the scheme in the 12th Five Year
Plan, will be taken up on the basis of learning emerging from the pilot.
In September 2012 a pilot project on National Vocational Education Qualification Framework
(NVEQF) under the scheme was launched in Haryana across 40 schools. The scheme is being revised based on the learning emerging from the Haryana Pilot Project.
Delhi Government approved Delhi Nagar Swaraj Bill
Delhi government approved the Delhi Nagar Swaraj Bill on 13 February 2014. The Bill seeks to
make the people of the city a part of the decision making process.
The Bill is aimed at decentralizing power to grassroots by setting up Mohalla Sabhas across the
New Delhi. It gives power to the common people to solve problems at the local level and run day to day
administration.
The Bill provides for eight to 12 mohallas in each ward. All registered voters will be part of the
mohalla sabha and this general body will elect four representatives: two men and two women. One
representative will be from the SC/ST/OBC category. The representatives of mohallas will form the
area ward committee.
The Bill will make mohalla sabhas and ward committees stronger and gives power to the people
to curb corruption at the local level.
14-FEB-2014
Waythamoorthy, an Ethnic Indian Malaysian minister resigned over betrayal
P Waythamoorthy, a prominent ethnic Indian minister of Malaysia on 11 February 2014 resigned
from the cabinet over the failure of government to fulfill its promises to protect the rights of minority
groups in the Muslim-majority nation.
He is leader of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) and he resigned as a Deputy Minister in
the Prime Ministers Department. This resignation is an apparent blow to the Malay-dominated
government struggling to halt the slide in support from over 2 million ethnic Indians.
Third World Congress on Agro-Forestry
Third World Congress on Agro-Forestry was held from 10 to 14 February 2014 in New Delhi, India
for the first time. The theme of the Congress is Trees for Life.
Third World Congress on Agro-Forestry was organized by the World Agro-forestry Centre, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Indian Society of Agro-forestry and Global Initiatives.
The Third World Congress on Agro-Forestry will help shape next steps to be undertaken in the
field of integrative science. These are:
Transformative change in landscapes
Tree improvement
Innovative tree-based value chains
Debates on global and local sustainability
Reform of land and tree tenure and holistic education
The Third World Congress was organised to
Expand global awareness and understanding of agro-forestry
Share the current status of knowledge and practice of agro-forestry and consolidate its research
base
Build support for agro-forestry within governments, companies, academia, NGOs and the media
Increase the engagement of the private sector.
About World Congress on Agro-Forestry
The World Congress on Agro-Forestry is organised to raise local, regional and global profile of the

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practice and significantly increase awareness, support, engagement and investment.

It aims to create a deliberate and tangible legacy in terms of recognition, partnerships, investments and impact, and produce a global roadmap for agro-forestry with clear targets.
The first two congresses were held in Orlando (USA, 2004) and Nairobi (Kenya, 2009).
Belgium became second country to allow Mercy Killing for Children
Parliament of Belgium on 14 February 2014 legalised death to terminally ill children of any age.
The Parliament took the decision despite of opposition from the Church and some pediatricians.
This action of legalizing death for the children came 12 years after the country legalised euthanasia
for adults.
This ground-breaking legislation was adopted by 86 votes in favour. 44 votes were against the
legislation with 12 abstentions. This legislation had given a chance of euthanasia to children in a
hopeless medical situation of constant and unbearable suffering that cannot be eased and which will
cause death on a short-term.
With this action, Belgium, the Catholic country, became the second country after Netherlands to
allow mercy-killing for children and the first to lift all age restrictions. The legislation was voted
following the results of opinion polls in which majority of Belgians backed the move with one survey
by putting support at 75 percent.
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.
The legislation will become a law only after the royal signature.
Other European countries that allows active euthanasia are
Luxembourg, which permits active euthanasia for over 18 years in age
Switzerland lets doctors to help adult patients to commit suicide
India's postion on Euthanasia
The case for Euthanasia or mercy killing in India emerged with the filing of a petition by Pinki
Virani for Aruna Shanbaug in Supreme Court in 2011. Aruna Shanbaug is lying almost in a vegetative state in King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai since 1973. Pinky Virani, who is a journalist
and has written a book on Shanbaug, argued in her petition that Shanbaug is being forced to live her
life stripped of basic dignity.
Supreme Court taking her concerns as genuine, however, in Aruna Ramachandra Shanbaug vs.
Union of India case (2011) ruled in favour of Passive Euthanasia and not Active Euthanasia.However,
passive euthanasia is contingent upon circumstances, for example, in the case of an irreversible
coma.
Supreme Court also ruled that in each case, the relevant High Court will evaluate the merits of
the case, and refer the case to a medical board before deciding on whether passive euthanasia can
apply. And till Parliament introduces new laws on euthanasia, it is Ms Shanbaug's case that is to be
used as a point of reference by other courts.
Even the 17th Law Commission of India under Former SC judge, Justice M Jagannadha Rao, in
its 196th Report had earlier argued in favour of passive euthanasia and had drafted a bill named The
Medical Treatment of Terminally-ill Patients (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners) Bill,
2006. The views expressed by the Supreme Court in Aruna Shanbaug case and 17th Law Commission was endorsed by the 19th Law Commission of India under Justice P V Reddi in its 241st Report.
Active euthanasia involves taking specific steps such as injecting the patient with a lethal
substance e.g. Sodium Pentothal which causes the person to go in deep sleep in a few seconds and
the person dies painlessly in sleep, thus it amounts to killing a person by a positive act in order to
end suffering of a person in a state of terminal illness. It is considered illegal all over the world
except where permitted by legislation. In India too it is illegal and a crime under Section 302 or
Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code.
Passive euthanasia,otherwise known as negative euthanasia, involves withholding of medical
treatment or withholding life support system for continuance of life e.g., withholding of antibiotic
where without doing it, the patient is likely to die or removing the heartlung machine from a
patient in coma.
Volcano Mount Kelud of Indonesia erupted
Volcano Mount Kelud of Kediri district (main island of Java) of Indonesia erupted on 13 February

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2014 after rumbling for several weeks. Following this eruption, the government of the country has
ordered around 2 lakh people of 36 villages within 10 kilometers of the crater to evacuate. The
eruption spewed ash and sand 17 kilometers into the air.
The volcanic eruption has resulted in the closure of three international airports namely
Jogyakarta, Solo and Surabaya. The closure action was taken because the ash released during the
eruption has darkened the skies across the country, which has reduced visibility. The ashes can
also pose danger to the engines of the aircrafts.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency said that the spewed ash and gravel of the volcano flew as
far as 200 kilometers away. The noise of this mountain eruption was heard at a distance of 130
kilometers from Surabaya and even further afield in Jogakarta. Reports say that the ash has covered the grounds of both the cities, which is falling till now.
Last time, Mount Kelud erupted in 2007. In 1990, its eruption killed more than 30 people leaving
behind more than 100 injured. Before the eruption of 1990 a powerful eruption happened in 1919 in
which about 5000 people were killed.
Earlier in January 2014 an eruption occurred on the island of Sumatara on Mount Sinabung in
which 14 people were killed.
Reason for Volcanic eruptions in Indonesia
Indonesia falls across a series of geological fault-lines, which makes it prone for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and acts as a belt of seismic
activities around the basin of the Pacific Ocean. Being in the area of colliding continental plates,
Indonesia witnesses regular powerful earthquakes and often sees volcanic eruptions. The 1731meter Kelud is among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Mount Kelud is also considered as
one of the most dangerous volcanoes of the country.
Till date the eruptions of Mount Kelud has claimed more than 15000 lives since 1500, which
includes 10000 deaths in a massive volcanic eruption of 1568.
Balu Mahendra, the award winning film director and cinematographer died
Balu Mahendra aged 75 died in Chennai on 13 February 2014 due to cardiac arrest. Mahendra
was an award winning film director and cinematographer and is now survived by his wife and son.
Some of his masterpieces are
Azhiyatha Kolangal
Moondram Pirai
Veedu
Sandhiyaa Raagam
Vanna Vanna Pookal
Balu Mahendra
He graduated in cinematography as a gold medalist in 1969 from Pune Film Institute
He did camera for the blockbuster film Shankarabharanam
Nellu in Malayalam was his first film as a cinematographer. The film was directed by Ramu
Kariat
Kokila in Kannada language was his first film as a director
He is native of Amirthakali near Mattakalappu in Sri Lanka
Azhiyatha Kolangal was his first Tamil film
He won the national award for best cinematography in 1983 for Moondram Pirai, which was the
first national award in acting for Kamal Haasan
SEBI approved the new Corporate Governance norms
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) board approved the new corporate governance
norms in a meeting held in New Delhi on 13 February 2014. The new corporate governance norms
would become applicable for all listed companies with effect from 1 October 2014.
The new corporate governance norms issued are in line with the global practices and in accordance with the Companies Act, 2013.
The board also approved a long-term policy for mutual funds to tax breaks on investments up to 2

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lakh rupees.
The SEBI board also approved new Know Your Client Registration Agency (KRA) Regulations which
will make easier for the investors to comply with Know Your Client (KYC) requirements across various segments of the capital markets.
Guidelines of new corporate governance
Exclusion of nominee Director from the definition of Independent Director
Performance evaluation of Independent Directors and the Board of Directors
Prohibition of stock options to Independent Directors
Separate meeting of Independent Directors
It has been decided that the maximum number of Boards an independent director can serve on
listed companies be restricted to 7 and 3 in case the person is serving as a whole time director in a
listed company
To restrict the total tenure of an Independent Director to 2 terms of 5 years. However, if a
person who has already served as an Independent Director for 5 years or more in a listed company as
on the date on which the amendment to Listing Agreement becomes effective, he shall be eligible for
appointment for one more term of 5 years only.
Compulsory whistle blower mechanism
At least one woman director on the Board of the company
Constitution of Stakeholders Relationship Committee
Enhanced disclosure of remuneration policies
Mandatory constitution of Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Chairman of the said
committees shall be independent.
Expanded role of Audit Committee
Prior approval of Audit Committee for all material Related Party Transactions (RPTs)
Approval of all material RPTs by shareholders through special resolution with related parties
abstaining from voting
The scope of the definition of RPT has been widened to include elements of Companies Act and
Accounting Standards.
Mutual Funds in India
SEBI Board has approved a Long Term Policy for Mutual Funds in India. The long term policy
includes all aspects - including enhancing the reach and promoting financial inclusion, tax treatment, obligation of various stakeholders, etc.
The objective of Long-Term Policy for Mutual Funds is to deal with the public policy objectives of
achieving sustainable growth of the mutual fund industry and mobilisation of household savings for
the growth of the economy.
To weed out non-serious players, SEBI increased the minimum net worth requirement for
mutual funds from 10 crore Rupees to 50 crore Rupees. Also they have been asked to contribute their
own funds in the form of seed capital, amounting to 1 per cent of the amount raised from investors for
their schemes.
Government should allow the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to invest up to 15
per cent of their corpus in equities and mutual funds.
All Central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) be permitted to invest their surplus funds in
mutual fund schemes.
Government shall provide a similar tax treatment to all long-term investment instruments,
including pension, insurance or long-term mutual fund schemes.
The proposed tax benefits include creation of a long-term investment product, Mutual Fund
Linked Retirement Plan, with tax incentive of 50000 rupees under the existing Income Tax Act.
Government shall enhance the limit under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act from 1 lakh
rupees to 2 lakh rupees to help make various mutual fund schemes eligible for such tax benefits.
KYC compliance
SEBI also made the KYC (Know Your Client) compliance easier for investors by allowing various
kinds of intermediaries such as brokers and mutual funds to access the investor KYC details from
the centralised KYC Registry Agency (KRA), rather than carrying out a fresh KYC process.
Delhi Police launched a Helpline number 1093 for North-Eastern People
The Delhi Police launched a new helpline number 1093 exclusively for North-Eastern people
living in New Delhi on 13 February 2014. The helpline number will be functional from 14 February
2014.
The number 1093 will allow the north-eastern people to register all sorts of complaints including
racism and harassment directly to the police. The number will have 5 direct lines and all calls will be

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received at the central police control room (CPCR) situated at Delhi Police headquarters.
The Delhi police is also planning to launch a Facebook page and a Twitter account for people from
the northeast where they can post complaints and suggestions.
In a series of step taken by the Union and Delhi Government after the Nido Tania incident, this
step of Delhi Police will go a long way in addressing the grievances of the people from north-eastern
States.
US snowstorm that has left 7 lakh homes powerless has been termed as Snowmaggedon
Huge snow storm that blanketed the densely North-East of United States in third week of February 2014 after wreaking havoc with ice in South has been termed as Snowmaggedon. This snow
blanketing has led to power cut in about 7 lakh 50000 houses, mostly in South Carolina and Georgia.
The natural calamity has also led to cancellation of 6500 flights.
Due to this weather calamity at least 18 people have lost their lives and people in about 22 states
from Texas to Maine have been affected due to the weather change. The storm has dumped up to 15
inch of snow in Washington DC region and 8 inch around New York City.
This deadly storm packed with snow and ice has triggered widespread road accidents. This brutal
freezing action of the weather in the country has been termed as historic Snowmaggedon by major
television networks of US and forecasters. This snowmaggedon has sent the temperatures across
US to -34C low. It is expected that the sleet and freezing rain will set-up along I-95, the major interstate highway that runs the length of eastern seaboard.
Following the impacts of the snowy wave, Barack Obama, the US President has declared a state
of emergency in Georgia and South Carolina and he has also ordered to deploy federal resources to
help deal with the frigid storm.
Hillary R Clinton launched a new global review of data on women empowerment
Hillary R Clinton launched a new global review of data on women empowerment on 14 February
2014. The global review of data will analyse the advancement of women and girls around the world
since the mid 1990s.
Clinton announced the new partnership at New York University between the Clinton Foundation
and the Gates Foundation.
The Project will collect and review data on the progress of women since the 1995 United Nations
Beijing conference. Data is needed to promote female participation in education, politics and the
economy around the world.
The project is part of No Ceilings initiative of Hillary Clinton that aims at empowering women in
the 21st century.
National Women's Day of India observed on 13 February
National Women's Day of India was observed on 13 February 2014. This day is observed on the
date of birth of Indias first women governor Sarojini Naidu. Sarojini Naidu was born on 13 February
1879 and died on 2 March 1949. This was the 135th birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu.
Her birthday has been selected to observe as a National Woman Day in recognition of the works
done by her for uplliftment and development of women in India. Her name and birth date was proposed to celebrate as the National Womens Day in India by members of Bhartiya Mahila Sangh and
Akhil Bhartiya Mahila Sammelan.
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu is also known as the Nightingale of India
She was a child prodigy, a poet and an activist during the independence of India
From 1947 to 1949, she served as the first woman to become the governor of an Indian state of
United Provinces of Agra and Oudh
In 1925, she served as second woman to become President of the Indian National Congress and
the first Indian woman to do so
Naidu joined the Indian national movement after the partition of Bengal in 1905
In 1928, the British Government awarded her with the medal Naidu Kaiser-i-Hind for her work
during the plague epidemic in India

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Literary works of Sarojini Naidu

Golden Threshold published in 1905 was her first collection of poems
The Bird of Time: Songs of Life, Death and the Spring
Feast of Youth
The Magic Tree
The Wizard Mask
Muhammad Jinnah: An Ambassador of Unity
The Sceptred Flute: Songs of India, Allahabad: Kitabistan
The Indian Weavers
Apart from this, the International Womens Day is observed and celebrated on 8 March every
year.
Navy started largest combat exercise; surveillance to be done with dedicated satellite
Indian Navy on 13 February 2014 kicked off its largest exercise with both the western and eastern fleets in the Bay of Bengal for intensive combat maneuvers. This is a month-long exercise of
combined fleets was embarked by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral DK Joshi and Flag Officer Commanding-in- Chief Naval Command Vice Admiral Anil Chopra.
The units participating in the exercise includes nuclear submarine Chakra and aircraft carrier
Viraat. During the exercise missile, gun-firings and torpedo will be undertaken and it will also witness the maiden participation of P-8I (intelligent hawk eyes) maritime reconnaissance aircraft,
which was acquired recently.
The best part of this a month-long exercise is its surveillance for the first time by a decicated
military satellite GSAT-7 or Rukmini launched in August 2013 and have a 2000 nautical mile footprint over the critical Indian Ocean region. The satellite is capable of surveying and communicate
will the network of all Indian warships, submarines and aircrafts.
This exercise will be concluded across the Indian Ocean Region in a dense maritime environment in the background of two completely networked fleets.
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

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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.
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.
Justice Mukul Mudgal appointed as Chief of BCCC
Justice Mukul Mudgal, former Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court, was appointed as
the chief of the Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC). The appointment was approved by
the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), an association of channels. He will take charge as the
chief of BCCC towards the end of February 2014.
Justice Mudgal will replace Justice A P Shah, former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court who has
been appointed as head of the Law Commission of India.
About Justice Mukul Mudgal
Justice Mukul Mudgal chaired a committee set up by the Union Information and Broadcasting
Ministry to propose amendments to the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
He also headed the Committee that was set up by the Supreme Court to probe into IPL spot-fixing.
About BCCC
BCCC is an independent complaint redressal system established in June 2011 by the IBF - an
apex body of broadcasters.
The Council is a thirteen member body consisting of a Chairperson who is retired Judge of the
Supreme Court or High Court and 12 other members.
The objective of BCCC is to
issue certain guiding principles for programme content on the channels;
usher in a redressal mechanism for viewer complaints; and
ensure that programming creativity flourished in a free-speech environment without ad-hoc
interventions.
India and Kyrgyz Republic signed two agreements
India on 14 February 2014 signed two agreements with Kyrgyz Republic during the visit of Abdyldaev
Erlan Bekeshovich, Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz to India. The two sides exchanged documents to facilitate mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and to simplify visa regime for diplomatic and
official passport holders.
List of agreements signed during the visit of foreign Minister of Kyrgyz are

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S.No.

Name of the
M OU/Agreement/Treaty
Signing of Protocol on Mutual

Kyrgyz Signatory
Erlan Abdyldaev

Legal Assistance Treaty in

Minister of Foreign

Criminal Matters Exchange of

Affairs of Kyrgyz

Instrument of Ratification

Republic

Indian Signatory
Salman Khurshid
External Affairs
Minister

Exchange of Notification on the

completion of internal
2

Jeenbek Kulubaev

procedures from both the sides

Director,

Mukta D Tomar Joint

for implementation of Visa Free

Department of Asia

Secretary(CPV), MEA

Agreement for diplomatic and

Africa Division, MFA

official passport holders

Arvind Kejriwal resigned as Delhi CM

Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi resigned on 14 February 2014. He resigned following
his government failure to muster the support over whether the Jan Lokpal Bill should be presented
before the House or not. 42 MLAs voted against the bill whereas only 27 members favoured it.
The decision of resignation was announced by him after a cabinet meeting. He sent his
resignatiom to LT. Governor Nejeeb Jung within 48 days after he became the Chief Minister of
Delhi.
Kejriwal in his announcement said that his cabinet has recommended the Lieutenant Governor
Najeeb Jung to dissolve the Legislative Assembly and to hold fresh elections.

Background
Aam Aadmi Party formed the state government after garnering 28 seats in the Assembly elections held in December 2013 by support of 8 congress MLAs and lone JDU MLA and an independent.
Kejriwal became the Chief Minister of Delhi on 28 December 2013. BJP that emerged as the single
largest party with 31 seats and its ally Akali Dal got one seat had failed to from the government due
to lack of majority in the 70 member Assembly
Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014 passed by the Assembly of the state
Odisha Legislative Assembly on 14 February 2014 passed the Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014. The
provision of the bill has kept the Chief Minister, ex-Chief Ministers, other ministers and public
servants under the purview of the 6-member anti-corruption panel.
The Bill was introduced in the State Assembly of Odisha on 12 February 2014 and it was unanimously passed after a two-day discussion. The bill has similar provisions of Central Act that was
passed by the Parliament in December 2013.
This Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014 says that people/bodies that receive government grants will
come under the purview of the Lokayukta, who has been empowered to probe the graft charges.
It says that the sitting or former High Court judge will be the Chairman of the Lokayukta and the
commission would consitst of at least two judicial members. There will be a women or scheduled
caste among the other member among three non-judicial members. The Bill has also mentioned
that the Lokayukta should be at least 50 years in age.
The selection committee that will chose the Lokayukta will include
Chief Minister, who will head the committee
Leader of the Opposition
Speaker of Odisha assembly
Chief Justice of Orissa High Court or a judge nominated by him
An eminent jurist nominated by the Governor
The Governor reserves the power of appointing the Lokayukta but this appointment will be made
on the recommendation of the selection committee.

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Difference between the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 1995 and Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014
Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 1995
Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014
This Act was not empowered to attach or confiscate properties of persons or organisations against
whom corruption charge was established
Lokayukta investigating into corruption cases will be empowered to attach properties of the guilty
for a period of 90 days
For such cases special courts will be set up for trial, the Bills provision said that the new Act will
give authority to the Lokayukta to recommend the State government to transfer and suspend any
public servant found guilty
On receipt of the complaint against any public servant, the Lokayukta may order preliminary
inquiry against him/her by his inquiry wing or any other agency to ascertain whether there is a
prima facie case for proceeding in the matter. He also reserves the power to superintendence and
direction of the agency or investigating agency, which includes crime branch of police or state vigilance
The bill has also granted power to the Lokayukta to constitute an inquiry wing that will be headed
by the director of inquiry for the purpose of conducting preliminary inquiry into offence alleged/
committed by a public servant, which will be punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act
(PCA) 1988.
Lokayuktas administrative expenses that include salaries, allowances and pensions and others
will be charged on the consolidated fund of the state.
The Lokayukta also reserves the right to recommend the state government to constitute a special court to hear and decide the cases that arose out of the PCA 1988 or under Odisha Lokayukta Act
2014. The bill says that the chairman of the panel will hold office for five years from the date he
assumes office or until he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.
The Bill doesnt grants to power to the Lokayukta to inquire complaint made against the Chairperson or any other member and this power has been rested in the hands of the Governor. The
governor will have to refer the petition signed by atleast 25 MLAs of to the Orissa High Court before
suspending the chairperson or any other member.
Provision of Penalty under the Bill: The Bill says that for making false or playful complaint the
person/organisation will be penalized with an imprisonment up to one year with a fine which could
be extended up to 1 lakh rupees.
Background
This bill was passed following a three-month deadline that was set by Naveen Patnaik, the Chief
Minister of the state. Kalpataru Das, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister piloted the Bill on behalf of
the Chief Minister. Only five amendments were accepted by the Government of total 60 clauses
before it was passed. This passage of the bill had repealed, the Odisha Lokpal and Lokayukta Act
1995.
17th Round of Talks held between India and China on Boundary Issue
The 17th Round of talks between India and China on the Boundary Issue was held in New Delhi
on 11 February 2014. The Special Representatives of India and China on the Boundary Question was
represented by National Security Adviser of India, Shivshankar Menon and State Councillor of China,
Mr. Yang Jiechi.
Main Highlights of the 17th Round of Talk
Both the Special Representatives agreed that a strong and expanding India-China partnership
bodes well for peace and stability in the region and the world.
They stressed the need for continuing the momentum of high-level exchanges and enhancing
people-to-people ties.
They agreed to encourage the holding of regular dialogues between the two Governments on all
bilateral issues, including on counter-terrorism, disarmament & international security and maritime affairs on schedule.

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The discussions were also held on a framework for a resolution of the Boundary Issue which is
the second part of the 3-step process earlier agreed to by both side. The 3-step process involves
agreements on principles, a framework and, finally, a boundary line. The 3-step process will be based
on the Agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the
India-China Boundary Question.
Both sides also emphasised on continued maintenance of peace and tranquility in the IndiaChina border areas.
The Special Representatives also elaborated on possible additional confidence building measures, including the early implementation of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in
October 2013.
Both the sides also agreed to have an early meeting in 2014 of the Annual Defence Dialogue.
The discussions also focused on regional and international issues of mutual interest including
cooperation in the East Asia Summit process as well as developments in West Asia and Afghanistan.
They agreed to expand India-China consultations on such subjects.
The Boundary Issue between India and China
The boundary issue is too complex to be resolved anytime soon, especially as India and China
differ on the most fundamental question: how long is the India-China border, also known as Line of
Actual Control (LAC)?
Due to disputes regarding the claim over certain territories, the LAC has long been undecided.
Indias position is that the India-China border is 4117 kilometers long, measured from the extreme
eastern side (India-China-Burma junction) to the extreme northwestern end of Pakistan Occupied
Kashmir.
The Chinese, however, put the India-China border at just about 2000 kilometers, discounting
the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh which they refer to as Southern Tibet and Jammu and
Kashmir.
Agreements signed between India and China to resolve the Boundary Issue
1993: On 7 September 1993 Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity along the
Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas was signed.
1996: On 29 November 1996, Agreement on Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field
along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas was signed.
2003: On 23 June 2003, Declaration on Principles for Relations and Comprehensive Cooperation
between India and China was signed. The Declaration laid down the basis for Special Representative
talks on Boundary Issue.
2013: On 23 October 2013, Border Defence Cooperation Agreement was signed.
15-FEB-2014
Javed Miandad, former Pakistani cricketer resigned as Director-General of countries cricket
Javed Miandad, the former test captain of Pakistan on 15 February 2014 tendered his resignation from the post of Director-General of Cricket to the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board
(PCB). Now the resignation of Miandad awaits its acceptance by the PCB management committee,
which has been deferred until the next committee meeting.
He was serving Pakistan cricket as the Director-General in the board since 2008. He sent his
letter of resignation to the Najam Sethi, the new PCB chief just after four days the government
sacked Zaka Ashraf as Chairman and dissolved the governing body. To run the affairs of cricket, the
government has also appointed a managing committee through a notification.
Earlier, Nawaz Sharif the Prime Minister of Pakistan removed Zaka Ashraf from the post of
Chairman of PCB and formed a managing committee to look after the works of the board. Later, the
committee at its first meeting selected Najam Sethi to head the board.
About Javed Miandad
Miandad has played 124 Tests and 233 ODIs for Pakistan
In 2008, he was appointed as the director general under former chairman Ijaz Butt
He was born on 12 June 1957 and played cricket for Pakistan between 1975 and 1996
He has also served as a coach for the Pakistan Cricket team
Italy agreed to support the development of Herat airport in western Afghanistan
Italy has agreed to develop biggest cargo airport in Afghanistan on Herat airport that is located in
Western part of the country. To help Afghanistan, Italy will provide a financial assistance of 200

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million dollar to Afghanistan. To this effect an agreement was signed between Italy and Afghanistan
in Kabul in third week of February 2014.
As per the agreement, the work of the airport development as the countrys largest cargo airport
will be completed by 2017. Afghanistan is a land locked country and this geography cuts it from any
access to marine trade. This agreement of developing Herat airport as an international cargo airport
would help in boosting the economy of Afghanistan.
Background
Italian Development Cooperation has its presence in Afghanistan mainly in Kabul and Herat
Province since 2001 to support civilian reconstruction and development in order to reduce poverty
along with improvement of governance. Afghanistan is the largest recipient of Italian development
aid in the world, as Italy has supported the country with over 500 Mio Euro.
The objective of Italian Cooperation with Afghanistan is to develop the capacities of Afghan men
and women to drive forward economic, social and political development in their country on their own
terms and initiative.
In line with the Afghan Governments objectives and the National Priority Programs defined at
the Kabul Conference of 2010, the Italian Development Cooperation focuses on the following priority
areas:
Security
Governance
Justice
Education
Gender
Health
Agriculture and Rural Development
Infrastructures
The Italian Development Cooperation is also particularly engaged in assisting victims in humanitarian crises in order to reduce the vulnerability and alleviate poverty of affected populations in
this region.
Green Circle-RWITC Foundation launched to promote clean and green living
To promote clean and green living, a green foundation named Green Circle RWITC Foundation
was launched in Mumbai on 14 February 2014. The organisation will promote its goal through social,
cultural and public programmes. The foundation has been set up by Royal Western India Turf Club
(RWITC) along with the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
This foundation will also work towards spreading awareness about importance of solar energy
and its benefits to the society. Various activities have been planned in phases under the foundation
to improve Clubs infrastructure to make it environment friendly and efficient. In the process of
development of the foundation energy audit will be conducted and carbon reading of the club will be
done followed by bio-diversity Resource Park.
TERI will work to create programmes of information, inspiration and awareness.
About TERI
TERI was formally established in 1974 with the purpose of tackling and dealing with the immense and acute problems that mankind is likely to face within in the years ahead
On account of the gradual depletion of the earth's finite energy resources which are largely
non-renewable and
On account of the existing methods of their use which are polluting
About Royal Western India Turf Club Limited (RWITC)
The Royal Western India Turf Club Limited (RWITC) is one of the oldest and most well-known
horses racing Clubs in the country. It is a company limited by guarantee and regulated by its Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Club.

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The Club hosts racing at two race courses, namely:

Mahalaxmi Race Course, Mumbai
Arjun Marg, Pune
G-4 Director Generals for UN Affairs met in New Delhi
New Delhi a place where Director Generals for UN Affairs of G-4 nations met
G-4 Director Generals for UN Affairs met on 11 February 2014 in New Delhi. During the meet,
the four G-4 nations namely Brazil, Germany, India and Japan also conducted an Outreach Seminar
on UNSC Reform on 12 February 2014.
During the meeting, the Director Generals (DGs) of the four nations exchanged their views on
Security Council Reform. Similar such a meet was held on 26 September 2013 in New York on the
sidelines of the 68th UN General Assembly.
The DGs of the four nations discussed the current state of play on UNSC reforms in New York as
well as the way forward with the view to move the process urgently to text-based intergovernmental
negotiations. For betterment of the geopolitical realities of the 21st Century they underlines the
broad support that exists among UN member states for expansion of the UNSC in both permanent
and non-permanent categories. This was done to make the council more representative, transparent and efficient. The DGs of the G-4 nations also stressed on a point that reforms will enhance
effectiveness and credibility as well as the legitimacy of the decisions of UNSC.
The G-4 countries reiterated their commitments as aspiring new permanent members of the
UN Security Council, as well as their support for each others candidatures. They also reaffirmed
their view of the importance of developing countries, in particular Africa, to be represented in both
the permanent and non-permanent categories of an enlarged Council.
They also agreed to continue their discussions leading up to the 2015 Summit, with Japan offering to host the next meeting in Tokyo. The G-4 nation DGs of also met External Affairs Minister of
India, Salman Khurshid on 12 February 2014.
A one day Outreach Seminar on United Nations Security Council Reform: Perspectives and Prospects was organised by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and Ministry of External
Affairs on 12 February 2014.
Background of September 2013 meeting
The Foreign Ministers of the G-4 nations met in New York and stressed the need to intensify
efforts to translate the commitments made in the Outcome of the 2005 World Summit into Concrete
outcomes at latest by 2015.
Italy Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigned
Italy Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigned on 14 February 2014. The statement released by the
Italian presidential palace stated that the Italys President, Giorgio Napolitano accepted the resignation.
Letta belongs to the center-left Democratic Party. Letta is likely to be replaced by the Democratic
Party leader, the mayor of Florence Matteo Renzi.
About Enrico Letta
Letta was sworn as the Prime Minister in April 2013 forming the grand coalition government.
The Democratic Party has a majority in the lower house of Parliament but relies on smaller parties
in the Senate.
The last election held in Italy was in 2008 where Berlusconi became the Prime Minister for the
third time. After Berlusconis expel from the parliament for the conviction of tax fraud, the country
leaders have been appointed.
OPCW selected US and Finnish Companies to destroy remaining chemical weapons of Syria
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) selected two US and Finnish
companies to help destroy Syria's chemical arsenal. This is the part of an ambitious plan to destroy
all the chemical arsenal of Syria by 30 June 2014 that has suffered a string of setbacks.
The two companies were chosen from 14 bids floated from around the world to destroy the remainder of the chemicals arsenal of Syria. Finland's company Ekokem and the US subsidiary of

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French company Veolia Environment would destroy chemical weapon ingredients as well as some
effluent left over from destruction activities aboard a US ship.
Hydrolysis systems aboard the US ship Cape Ray are to mix the chemicals with heated water and
other chemicals to break down the lethal agents, resulting in a sludge equivalent to industrial toxic
waste.
Tenders to help destroy Syria's entire arsenal by 30 June 2014 deadline came from a wide-range
of companies, including France's Airbus, China National Chemical Corporation, Switzerland's Dottikon
and US-based Paragon Waste Solutions.
Syria has declared around 700 tonnes of most dangerous chemicals, 500 tonnes of less dangerous precursor chemicals and around 122 tonnes of isopropanol, which can be used to make sarin
gas.
The OPCW and the United Nations are participating in a joint mission overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons programme under a UN resolution 2118 approved in August 2013.
About OPCW
The OPCW is the United Nations implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
The OPCW was established in 1997 and is headquartered at Hague, Netherlands. At present OPCW
has 190 member countries.
The Four key functions of OPCW
Destroying all existing chemical weapons under international verification by the OPCW
Monitoring chemical industry to prevent new weapons from re-emerging
Providing assistance and protection to States Parties against chemical threats
Fostering international cooperation to strengthen implementation of the Convention and promote the peaceful use of chemistry
SAI set up 14 high-level expert committees
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) set up 14 different high-level expert committees on 14 February 2014. The committees have been mandated to identify the country's medal prospects and provide
them with specialised training in the run up to the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games to be
held in 2014.
The committees have been formed for 14 sporting disciplines including shooting, weightlifting,
boxing, archery, athletics, judo, badminton and wushu among others.
Every committee will have 4 to 6 members each, which will comprise of concerned federation
officials, SAI appointed coaches and sports experts. The committees will start working from February
2014.
The committees will primarily have three functions to perform
Identification of core probables in their respective sport who would form the part of the training
programme
Identification of medal prospects out of these core probable
Identification of specialised training needs of selected athletes
These committees will function till the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. The committees will help in identifying the medal prospects who require specialised training and monetary
support.
Based on the recommendations of respective committees, SAI will work with athletes for the
podium finish at the Games, along with developing them for future events.
Union Government approved two plant to manufacture Semiconductor chips
The Union Government approved the setting up of two plants to manufacture semiconductor
chips in India on 14 February 2014. The plants will be set up by two business consortia, including
Israel's Tower Jazz-IBM and STMicroelectronics at a cost of around 63412 crore Rupees.
One of the business consortiums consists of India's Jaiprakash Associates, IBM and Tower Jazz.
It plans to set up a plant at a cost of 34399 crore Rupees near the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar
Pradesh.
The other, which consists of France-based STMicroelectronics, HSMC Technologies (Hindustan
Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation) and Malaysia's Silterra, will set up a plant in Prantij in
Gujarat at a cost of 29013 crore Rupees.
It is expected that the final agreements regarding both plants will be signed by August 2014.
The government has been working on a plan to reduce its costly import bill and manufacture
some products, which are imported. The two plants are expected to help the country reduce its im-

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port bill by allowing manufacture of semiconductor chips locally.They will also create direct employment opportunities for around 22000 people and indirect opportunities for a lakh more.
The government is offering 25% subsidy on capital expenditure, tax breaks and 5124 crore Rupees to each plant as interest-free loans in a bid to attract chip makers.
The companies in the consortia will get all benefits listed under the National Policy on Electronics like Modified Special Incentive Package, which allows up to 10000 crore Rupees in benefits
under the 12th Five Year Plan ending 2017.
They will benefit under section 35 AD of I-T Act and will also be allowed to deduct 100% expenditure made on research and development for development of electronic chips.
According to various estimates, India's demand for electronics products is slated to reach 400
billion dollars by 2020. Currently, it imports more than 90% of consumer electronic products and the
imports are set to reach 300 billion dollars by 2020 from just 7 billion dollars in 2013.
Semi Conductor
A material is neither a good conductor of electricity nor a good insulator. The most common
semiconductor materials are silicon and germanium.
Semiconductor is a hardware component, which is crucial to the functioning of various electronic devices such as, transistors, mobile phones, computers and hi-tech defence equipment.
17-FEB-2014
Indian Flag unfurled at Sochi Winter Olympics after IOC revoked ban on Indian body
The Indian flag was unfurled on 16 February 2014 at the Winter Olympics Village at Sochi, Russia at a special ceremony at International Plaza of the Mountain Village. This was done after International Olympic Committee (IOC) revoked a 14-month long suspension of the country from participation in its games.
This event of unfurling the national flag was attended by the three Indian athletes, who are
talking part in the games namely Luger Shiva Keshavan, alpine skier Himanshu Thakur and cross
country skier Nadeem Iqbal. The event was also attended by their coaches, officials of Indian Olympic Committee and President of Indian Olympic Association, N Ramachandran.
Earlier, the tri-colour of India was not unfurled at the opening ceremony of Winter Olympics at
Sochi Games village as India was facing the suspension from the games. The games started on 7
February 2014 and the suspension was revoked on 11 February 2014. Earlier, the Indian participants of the Winter Olympics took part under the IOC flag.
Researchers at IIT Kharagpur developed ready-to-eat food paste for malnourished children
Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur developed ready-to-eat food paste
for malnourished children on 16 February 2014.
A four-member team led by Professor Dr H N Mishra of IIT Kharagpur prepared the formulation in
their food chemistry and technology lab. This formulation could be used as part of medical nutrition
therapy for management of severe acute malnutrition children.
The researchers prepared five food formulations based on peanut, potato and Bengal gram (chana)
to suit different tastes and nutrient needs of malnourished children. It is also easily digestible. It
has all the vitamins, minerals, nutrients and protein which a malnourished child needs.
Since the product targeted the underprivileged section of the society, the cost of production was
low and could be sold by the industry profitably at 50 60 Rupees a kilogram.
Department of Bitechnology under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology had sanctioned
1.8 crore rupees in funds for this project of IIT Kharagpur.
IIT Kharagpur has tied up with Delhi-based Gattapu Chemicals as industry partner which would
have the rights to sell the formulation.
The team has also made the machines needed to develop the food. It was hoped that the food
would be available in the market by next year.
Malnourishment in India

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According to UNICEF estimates, one in every three malnourished children in the world lives in
India.
Malnutrition in early childhood has serious, long-term consequences because it puts them at
greater risk of disease and early death.
The World Health Organisation has issued guidelines stating that ready-to-use therapeutic foods
could be used to manage severe acute malnutrition in community settings.
With an estimated 8.1 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in the country,
it was regarded as an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children below five years of age
in India.
First Braille-signage coach in India to be attached with Purushottam Express
Purushottam Express 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
superfast train running between Delhi and Puri.
In a first of its kind, the Railways manufactured an AC three-tier coach with Braille signages as
part of its social commitment to make trains and stations more-friendly towards specially-abled
passengers.
The first coach with Braille signages has been manufactured at Integrated Coach Factory in
Chennai with the inputs received from Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO),
Lucknow and in consultation with blind associations.
The coach costs about 40000 Rupees as Braille printing are superimposed on the stickers which
can be used by both a person with normal vision as well as a visually impaired person.
Expected to be a major step for facilitation of visually-impaired passengers during journey in
trains, Railways plans to equip more AC and non-AC coaches with Braille-embedded signages.
It was announced in the Rail Budget of 2013-14 that Braille stickers will be introduced for visually-challenged passengers.
VV Dongre and Guocheng Zhang won International Gandhi Award 2013
Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India on 15 February 2014 presented the International Gandhi
Award for the year 2013 to Dr. Vijaykumar Vinayak Dongre (VV Dongre) and Prof. Guocheng Zhang at
Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. They were awarded for making outstanding contributions in the
field of leprosy to eradicate the disease through treatment, training and research.
International Gandhi Award
The International Gandhi Award was instituted by the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation
that was established in 1950 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhis service and scientific approach
towards leprosy. It recognizes the commendable contributions of individuals and institutions in
ameliorating the quality of life of people afflicted with leprosy. Every alternate year, two awards are
given to individuals/institutions for making outstanding contribution in the field of leprosy.
Leprosy
Leprosy is a dreaded and incurable disease and has been in existence over several centuries. It
has resulted to inhuman treatment with the patients. In 2012-13, India recorded around 83,000
leprosy cases with a prevalence of 0.68 per 10000 people.
United Nations has passed a resolution on discrimination against people affected by leprosy and
efforts are being made to repeal laws that prevent people affected by leprosy from participating in
society.
Recently, the World Health Organization Expert Committee has set the challenge to reduce the
rate of new patients with disability due to leprosy to one in a million by 2020. This challenge can be
met only through a multi dimensional and integrated approach.
World Bridge Championship to be hosted by India in 2015
World Bridge Championship for Bermuda Bowl (men) and Venice Cup (women) will be hosted by
India for the first time in October 2015. This was announced by the World Bridge Federation (WBF) on

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17 February 2014.
Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Panaji in Goa have been shortlisted to host the World Bridge Championship. About 550 players from 66 countries are expected to be seen in action in this world meet.
About World Bridge Championship
The World Bridge Federation (WBF) conducts the World Bridge Team Championships every two
years. This is the premier tournament in international bridge and sees the top teams from each
geographic region competing against one another for the Bermuda Bowl trophy. Additionally, there
are separate trophies for the top women`s team as well as the top senior team (D`Orsi Trophy) globally.
WBF President: Gianrrigo Rona of Italy
Bridge Federation of India (BFI) President: N R Kirubakara Moorthy
Erlan Abdyldaev, the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz Republic visited India
Erlan Abdyldaev, the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz Republic was on an official visit to India from 13
to 15 February 2014. During this India visit of Abdyldaev, the two sides also exchanged documents to
make functional a bilateral treaty on mutual legal assistance and an agreement on visa free travel
for diplomatic, official and service passport holders.
He visited India on the invitation of Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India. Apart
from Salman Khurshid, during the visit he also met with
EM Sudarsana Natchiappan, Minister of State for Commerce and Industries
He also interacted with the think tank, India Central Asia Foundation and with the IndiaKyrgyz Friendship Society
The two sides also reviewed the significant process made in bilateral relations and noted common positions on current international and regional issues
In recent years the Kyrgyz Republic has chosen a political path of parliamentary democracy that
is similar to India's. In this context the two sides agreed to intensify parliamentary exchanges and
the Indian side welcomed the proposed visit of a Kyrgyz Parliamentary delegation to India later in
2014.
During the meeting, the two sides also expressed satisfaction with the progress on the implementation of the protocol of the 6th India-Kyrgyz Republic Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade,
Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation held in Bishkek in July 2013.
The two sides also discussed and agreed to take new steps to stimulate bilateral trades and they
observed that the trade levels between the two countries were below potential. Kyrgyz Republic and
India also noted the scope of cooperation in fields of pharmaceuticals, transport and communication,
mining, education, textiles and garment industries, health and tourism as priority sectors for promotion of bilateral investments.
Kyrgyz side proposed a joint theatrical production of the epic Manas and also discussed cooperation in the field of film making. The two sides also agreed to continue their close cooperation in the
UN. In the context of UN reform, the Kyrgyz side supported permanent membership for India in the
United Nations Security Council. The Kyrgyz side also supported full membership for India in the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Some examples of partnership of India with Kyrgyz Republic are
Commissioning of a potato processing plant in Talas
Implementation of the IT Centre of Excellence in Bishkek that has been planned for pan Central Asia e-network
Union Government raised the import tariff value on gold and silver
Union Government raised the import tariff value on gold and silver on 15 February 2014. The gold
tariff has been raised to 421 US dollar per 10 grams and silver is 663 US dollar per kilogram considering the global prices.

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The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) issued notification of the tariff value on imported gold and silver.
Previously, the tariff value on imported gold was at 404 US dollar per 10 grams, while on silver it
was 635 per kilogram. The tariff value on imported brass scrap reduced to 3913 US dollar per tonne
from 3959 US dollar per tonne.
Gold is the second largest import item in India after petroleum. The gold imports declined as
government has taken several measures to curb shipment of jewels/gold to reduce the high current
account deficit.
President Rule imposed in Delhi after resignation of Kejriwal
President of India on 17 February 2014 imposed Presidents Rule in Delhi after accepting the
resignation of Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi. This information was published in a
press release by Lt Governor Najeeb Jungs office.
With this imposition of the President Rule, the Delhi Assembly will be kept under suspended
animation. Najeeb Jung on 15 February 2014 recommended for Presidents rule in the national
capital after resignation of Arvind Kejriwal and his Council of Ministers. Jung rejected the recommendation of the outgoing AAP government that the Assembly should be dissolved. This move of
Jung has kept the option open for formation of government in Delhi by any political party of a combination of parties in the future.
The Presidents Rule was imposed through a resolution under Article 356 of the Constitution of
India under the emergency provisions says about the provisions in case of failure of constitutional
machinery in States and it is
If the President, on receipt of a report from the Governor of a State or otherwise, is satisfied that
a situation has arisen in which the Government of the State cannot be carried on in accordance
with the provisions of this Constitution, the President may by Proclamation(a) Assume to himself all or any of the functions of the Government of the State and all or any of
the powers vested in or exercisable by the Governor or anybody or authority in the State other than
the Legislature of the State
(b) Declare that the powers of the Legislature of the State shall be exercisable by or under the
authority of Parliament
(c) Make such incidental and consequential provisions as appear to the President to be necessary or desirable for giving effect to the objects of the Proclamation, including provisions for suspending in whole or in part the operation of any provisions of this Constitution relating to anybody or
authority in the State: Provided that nothing in this clause shall authorise the President to assume
to himself any of the powers vested in or exercisable by a High Court, or to suspend in whole or in part
the operation of any provision of this Constitution relating to High Courts.
Interim Union Budget 2014-15 presented by P. Chidambaram in Lok Sabha: Highlights
Interim Budget 2014-15 was presented in the Lok Sabha by Union Finance Minister, P
Chidambaram on 17 February 2014. This was the 83rd budget of the Union Government and 9th
personal budget by Chidambaram as Finance Minister.
In the union budget, Chidambaram left direct taxes. The 2014-15 interim budget has implemented a surcharge of 10 percent on super-rich people (having income above 1 crore rupees in a
year). Excise duty on cars, two-wheelers, SUVs and capital goods and consumer durables has been
slashed to boost the manufacturing and growth. For storage and warehousing of rice, he exempted
the service tax of in 2013-14 it was done in case of paddy. The blood banks have also been exempted
from its purview.
The Highlights of the Union Budget 2014-15 are as follows
To sustain the pace of plan expenditure, it has been kept at the same level in 2014-15 with
555322 crore rupees has been provided under the plan expenditure as it was budgeted in 2013-14.
The non-plan expenditure in 2014-15 has been estimated at 1207892 crore rupees
Spending raised to 2.24 trillion rupees in 2014-15, up 10 percent year on year
Government to provide 112 billion rupees capital infusion in state run banks in 2014-15
33725 crore rupees has been given to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
67398 crore rupees has been given to Ministry of HRD
15260 crore rupees has been given to Drinking water and sanitation ministry

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 6730 crore rupees has been given to Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry
6000 crore rupees has been given to the Union Ministry of Housing and Poverty Allegation
21000 crore has been given to the Ministry of Women and Child Development
29000 crore rupees has been given to the railways as budgetary support
Government has announced one-rank-one-pension scheme for defence personnel from 2015
246397 crore rupees has been sanctioned for subsidies
116000 crore rupees has been allocated for food subsidy
Defence allocation has been enhanced by 10 percent to 224000 crore rupees for 2014-15 from
203672 crore rupees of 2013-14
To strengthen the capacity of Central Armed Police Forces by modernization and providing
state-of-the-art equipment and technology, the government has allocated 11009 crore rupees
To formulate and promote the scheme of community radio station, the government has sanctioned a fund of 100 crore rupees
The interim budget has sanctioned 6730 crore rupees to the Social Justice Ministry
7000 crore rupees has been sanctioned for the Panchayati Raj Ministry
The finance minister claimed that 140 million Indian people are out of poverty
246397 crore rupees has been allocated for food, fertilizer and fuel subsidy
No changes has been introduced under the tax laws but changes has been introduced for the
indirect taxes
To stimulate growth, the government has slashed excise duty to 10 percent from 12 percent
The interim budget has stressed its focus on manufacturing and manufacturing exports
A ten point agenda has been created by Chidambaram to make India the third largest economy
after US and China
The government has moved for a populist move on the students loans and it has decided to
waive 2600 crore rupees on outstanding loans taken by students up to 31 March 2009. It has declared a moratorium on these loans.
Two projects sanctioned under Nirbhaya Fund of which the original was of 1000 crore rupees
that was non-lapsable and another 1000 crore rupees has been granted
The global risks 2014 report has mapped 31 global risks of which few has been highlighted as
serious areas of concern and they are
Fiscal crisis
Structurally unemployment and underemployment
Income disparity
Governance failure
Food crisis
Political and social instability
10 Tasks as part of the road map ahead include
Fiscal consolidation: To achieve the target of fiscal deficit of 3 percent of GDP by 2016-17 and
remain below that level always.
Current Account Deficit: CAD will be inevitable for some more years which can be financed
only by foreign investment. Hence, there is no room for any aversion to foreign investment.
Price Stability and Growth: In a developing economy, a high growth target entails a moderate
level of inflation. RBI must strike a balance between price stability and growth while formulating the
monetary policy.
Financial Sector reforms to be completed as laid down by Financial Sector Legislative Reforms
Commission.
Massive investment in infrastructure: to be mobilized through the Public Private Partnership.
Manufacturing sector to be the base of Indias development: All taxes, Central and State that go
into an exported product should be waived or rebated. There should be a minimum tariff protection to
incentiwise domestic manufacturing.
Subsidies, which are absolutely necessary should be chosen and targeted only to the absolutely
deserving.
Urbanisation to be managed to make cities governable and livable.
Skill development must be given priority at par with secondary and university education, sanitation and universal health care.
States to partner in development so as to enable the Centre to focus on Defence, Railways,
National Highways and Tele-communication.
Budget in Indian Constitution
Budget in Indian Constitution is an annual financial statement. It is included in part V, Chapter
2 of Parliament Procedure in Financial Matters of Constitution of India.

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As per the article 112 of Indian Constitution

The President shall in respect of every financial year cause to be laid before both the Houses of
Parliament a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Government of India for
that year, in this Part referred to as the annual financial statement.
(2) The estimates of expenditure embodied in the annual financial statement shall show separately(a) The sums required to meet expenditure described by this Constitution as expenditure charged
upon the Consolidated Fund of India; and
(b) The sums required to meet other expenditure proposed to be made from the Consolidated
Fund of India, and shall distinguish expenditure on revenue account from other expenditure.
Lok Sabha Speaker referred the pepper spray incident to Committee of Privileges
The speaker of Lok Sabha, Meria Kumar on 16 February 2014 referred the pepper spray incident
in the Lok Sabha to the Privileges Committee.
The 15 member Committee headed by senior Congress leader P C Chacko has power to take
punitive measures. The Punitive measure includes recommending imprisonment and even expulsion among others.
The incident occurred in the Parliament on 13 February 2014, pepper spray was used in the
Loksabha resulting in hospitalization of three MPs (Member of Parliamentarians) following a disturbance over introduction of the Telangana bill. Later congress member L Rajagopal was expelled and
16 Seemandhra MPs were suspended.
About Committee of Privileges
Committee of Privileges functions are semi judicial in nature. It examines the cases of breach of
privileges of the House and its members and recommends appropriate action.
The Lok Sabha committee has 15 members while the Rajya Sabha committee has 10 members.
Interim Union Budget 2014-15 Tax Proposal
Interim Budget 2014-15 was presented in the Lok Sabha by Union Finance Minister, P
Chidambaram on 17 February 2014. This was the 83rd budget of the Union Government and 9th
personal budget by Chidambaram as Finance Minister. In the union budget 2014-15, the Finance
Minister left untouched the direct taxes.
Following changes in some indirect tax rates are proposed
States to partner in development so as to enable the Centre to focus on Defence, Railways,
National Highways and Tele-communication.
The Excise Duty on all goods falling under Chapter 84 & 85 of the Schedule to the Central Excise
Tariff Act is reduced from 12 percent to 10 percent for the period up to 30 June 2014. The rates can
be reviewed at the time of regular Budget.
To give relief to the Automobile Industry, which is registering unprecended negative growth,
the excise duty is reduced for the period up to 30 June 2014 as follows:
Category
Percent
Small Cars, Motorcycle, Scooters and Commercial Vehicles from 12 to 8 percent
SUVs
from 30 to 24 percent
Large and Mid-segment Cars
From 27/24 to 24/20 percent
It is also proposed to make appropriate reductions in the excise duties on chassis and trailors.
The rates can be reviewed at the time of regular Budget
To encourage domestic production of mobile handsets, the excise duties for all categories of
mobile handsets is restructured. The rates will be 6 percent with CENVAT credit or 1 percent without CENVAT credit.
To encourage domestic production of soaps and oleo chemicals, the custom duty structure on
non-edible grade industrial oils and its fractions, fatty acids and fatty alcohols is rationalized at 7.5
percent.
To encourage domestic production of specified road construction machinery, the exemption
from Counter Vailing Duty (CVD) on similar imported machinery is withdrawn.
A concessional custom duty 5 percent on capital goods imported by the Bank Note Paper Mill
India Private Limited is provided to encourage domestic production of security paper for printing
currency notes.
The loading and un-loading, packing, storage and warehousing of rice are exempted from Service Tax.
The services provided by cord blood banks are exempted from Service Tax.

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Air Costa signed an agreement to buy 50 Embraer Jets

Vijayawada-based airline Air Costa signed an agreement with Brazil-based Embraer for 50 Embraer
Jets E2s. The deal has an estimated value of 2.94 billion dollar.
The acquisition of aircrafts is a mix of 25 E190-E2s and 25 E195-E2s with an additional purchase
rights for 50 aircrafts bringing the total potential order to up to 100 aircraft and can reach 5.88 billion
dollar if all are exercised.
Air Costa become the first customer of E-Jet E2s in the Indian market and will take delivery of
the E190-E2 in 2018 and the E195-E2 is scheduled to enter service in 2019. Also, Air Costa will be the
first airline to order and operate a large number of regional jets in India.
Embraer S.A is the world's largest manufacturer of commercial jets up to 130 seats and is one of
Brazil's leading exporters. The deal is a boost for Embraer. It met with its delivery targets for its
commercial and executive segments.
Air Costa currently operates a fleet of four aircraft in the southern Indian cities of Bangalore,
Hyderabad, Chennai and other cities.
The airline, which only started operations in October 2013, is part of the privately held LEPL
Group, a diversified company with interests in property development and infrastructure projects.
IFC to probe human rights abuses at Tata Global Beverages Ltd plant in Assam
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) of World Bank group decided to investigate the
claims of labour and human rights abuses at Tata Global Beverages Ltd plant in Assam on 14 February 2014.
The decision to probe the claims was taken following the filing of complaints by three non-governmental agencies from Assam on behalf of the workers in February 2013. It highlights the concerns about inadequate compensation, and poor health and hygiene conditions at the tea plantations.
The IFC had jointly financed the tea plantation project with tea giant Tata Global Beverages Ltd
in Assam. The project is being run by Amalgamated Plantations Pvt. Ltd (APPL).
The IFC had contributed 7.8 million dollar in the 87 million dollar Tata Tea project. The project
was aimed at promoting the idea of shareholder workers and helping to create more than 30,000
permanent jobs.
APPL was set up in 2009 to acquire and manage tea plantations previously owned by Tata Global
Beverages. Tata Global Bevarages is the second largest tea brand in the world.
Tata Global Beverages took a 41 percent stake in APPL and the IFC took 20 percent with the
remainder held by workers and smaller firms.
China to build the longest underwater tunnel of the World
China announced a plan to build the longest underwater tunnel of the World on 14 February
2014. Water tunnel will be constructed beneath the Bohai Sea.
The 123-km long underwater tunnel will connect the port cities of Dalian in Liaoning province
and Yantai in Shandong province. The project will cost 36 billion dollar to construct the shortcut
between two northern port cities in an earthquake-prone region.
The work on tunnel is expected to start from 2015 or 2016 and is expected to be completed by
2026. Once complete, it would drastically cut the current travel time between the two cities to about
40 minutes, which are currently separated by a 1400-km drive or about eight hours by ferry.
The tunnel would surpass the combined length of the world's two longest tunnels, Japan's Seikan
Tunnel linking Honshu and Hokkaido and the Channel Tunnel between Britain and France.
Three tunnels in total will be built at least 30 metres below the sea bed, two about 10 metres in
diameter, and a third between them for maintenance and emergency vehicles.

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Second AE put Foodgrain production at 263.2 MT in 2013-14

Union Agriculture Ministry released the Second advance estimates of Crop Production on 14
February 2014. As per the estimate, Foodgrain production is likely to touch a record of 263.2 million
tonnes in 2013-14, as against the benchmark high of 259 million tonnes achieved in 2011-12. This
would be the highest foodgrain production ever achieved in the country.
The estimated foodgrain production of 263.2 for 2013-14 million tonnes is higher than the foodgrain
production of 257.13 million tonnes in 2012-13. This is 6 million tonnes higher than the production
in 2012-13.
Record production of rice, wheat, oilseeds and cotton has contributed to the overall rise in foodgrain
output in the 2013-14. Also, a good monsoon along with improved sowing of both kharif (summer) and
rabi (winter) crops have improved prospects of a better foodgrain production in 2013-14.
The rice output is expected to be 106.19 million tonnes, as against 105.24 million tonnes produced in 2012-13. Wheat production is expected to be 95.60 million tonnes compared to 93.51 million
tonnes produced in 2012-13.
The output of Pulses in 2013-14 has gone up to 19.77 million tonnes compared to 18.34 million
tonnes in 2011-12. Coarse cereal production increased by 1.5 million tonnes to 41.64 million tonnes.
The total oilseeds production is expected to be 329.83 lakh tonnes as against 309.43 lakh tonnes
in 2012-13. Production of rapeseed and mustard is likely to be an all-time high at 82.51 lakh tonnes,
compared to 80.29 lakh tonnes in 2012-13.
Researchers at Chinese Academy of Sciences developed fire-resistant paper
Researchers with Shanghai institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Science developed a
new type of paper that is resistant to fire on 14 February 2014. The research was published in
Chemistry - A European Journal.
The paper will not catch fire even at 1000 degrees Celsius temperature. This new paper is formed
from calcium phosphate compound.
The novel kind of inorganic paper is flexible and incombustible, but still feels like ordinary paper.
It can be torn, folded, and destroyed by strong acid.
It can be used for important documents to preserve for long periods of time.
18-FEB-2014
Bhagat Singhs house and school in Pakistan got 80-million for restoration
80-million rupees has been sanctioned for restoration of Bhagat Singhs ancestral house, school
and village on 17 February 2014. The legendary freedom fighter, Bhagat Singh ancestral house,
school and village are in Faisalabad District of Punjab Province in Pakistan.
In part of development of village of the independence war hero, the plan says that the money will
be spent in bringing in clean drinking water, which is not available in the village and to make the
drainage system finer that is in bad shape at present.
Apart from this, the Faisalabad District government has also planned to shift Singh's belongings
from Faisalabad Museum and Library to his house.
About Bhagat Singh
Bhagat Singh was a freedom fighter of undivided India and was born on 28 September 1907 at
Bangay village of Jaranwala Tehsil in Faisalabad (the then Lyallpur) district of the Punjab Province.
He along with two others Rajguru and Sukhdev was hanged by the British government at Shadman
Chowk at the age of 23 years on 23 March 1931 following his trial for involvement in the Lahore
Conspiracy Case
In October 2012, the Government of Punjab (Pakistan side) made a decision to rechristen the
Fawara Chowk to Bhaghat Singh Chowk but this plan was put on hold following the reports of the idea
of renaming has pulled objections from some quarters
Bhagat Singh was an Indian socialist and is considered to be one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement
He is often referred as the Shaheed Bhagat Singh in the word Shaheed means martyr
As a teenager, he studied European revolutionary activities and was attracted to anarchist and

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Marxist ideologies. He wrote a book titled Why I am an Atheist: An Autobiographical Discourse

In an another development a UK-based historian described the Indian Freedom fighters Bhagat
Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad as terrorists during his lecture led recently, that sparked a controversy. In his lecture, on the topic Nonviolent Resistance in India during 1915-1947 at Warwick
Universitys professor David Hardiman said that the Terrorists groups, who predate Mahatma Gandhi
were always there alongside Gandhis non-violent movement.
Japan snowstorm left 19 dead and injured more than 1600 people
Japan in fourth week of February 2014 faced a severe snowstorm that has killed 19 people and
left more than 1600 people injured. This snowstorm weather has also sparked widespread transport
chaos. People of the country have been trapped in small communities because they have been cut off
by snow-locked roads and railway lines.
The meteorological agency of Japan in its latest forecast said that now the storm is moving
towards northernmost Hokkaido. In its announcement, the agency has also issued warning of heavy
snowfall and avalanches along with high waves along the northeastern coast. Hokkaido is the place
that was battered by a quake that sparked tsunami almost three years ago.
To help people in the distressed areas, the members of Japans Self-Defence forces have also
stepped in.
The weather of Japan gone worst after snow began falling on 15 February 2014 in Tokyo and piled
up to 26 centimeters by 15 February 2014. This is the heaviest snowfall witnessed by people of the
country in almost of one decade.
Killa, a Marathi film bagged Crystal Bear award at 64th Berlin International Film Festival
Killa, a Marathi film on 17 February 2014 won the Crystal Bear (Glasernen Bar) for the best film
award by the Childrens jury in Generation Kplus section at the 64th Berlin International Film
Festival. The film has been directed by Avinash Arun.
The jury in its citation for the award to the film said that the film deals with the universal
conflict of migration and how it impacts the lives of people, especially children made them want to
discover India. The film Killa convinced the jury in all respects with good camera work and the great
actors.
In the entire history in Berlinale, Killa is the third Marathi film to be selected and is the first
Indian film to win this award.
Film Killa has been produced by Madhukar R Musle, Ajay G Rai and Alan McAlex
It has been made under the banner, Jar Pictures and has been presented by M R Filmworks.
Another film of Jar Films that was selected in the Sundance Film Festival 2014 in World Dramatics
Competition Section was Liars Dice starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui
This film is a part of NFDC Film Bazaar's Work-in-Progress (WIP) Lab in 2013
Amruta Subash of Vihir fame, Archit Deodhar, Parth Bhalerao of Vhootnath Returns and Shrikant
Yadav are some actors of the film
At present Avinash is working as the director of photography for Nishikant Kamats next starring
Irrfan Khan.
Killa is a film that deals with the universal conflict of migration and the process, how this migration impacts the lives of people, mainly children. The story of the film revolves around a young boy
named Chinu who finds it difficult to adjust to the new surroundings after he migrated following
death of his father.
The 67th BAFTA Awards
The 67th British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards were given in London on
16 February 2014. The Awards were conferred for the outstanding performances in films and documentaries screened at British Cinemas in 2013.
The Awards are:
Category
Names

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Best Film
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best British Film
Best Debut By a British Writer, Director or Producer
Best Original Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Film Not In The English Language
Best Documentary
Best Original Film Score
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Sound
Best Animated Film
Best Visual Effects
Best Makeup and Hair
Best Production Design
Best Costumes
Best Short Film
Best Animated Short
BAFTA Rising Star Award

12 Years a Slave
Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)
Chiwetel Ejofor (12 years a Slave)
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Barkhad Abdi (Capitan)
Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
Gravity
Kieran Evans
American Hustle
Philomena
The Great Beauty
The Act of Killing
Gravity
Gravity
Rush
Gravity
Frozen
Gravity
American Hustle
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
Room 8
Sleeping With The Fishes
Will Poulter

About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) supports, promotes and develops the art
forms of moving like film, Television and Video games.
BAFTA Identifies, rewards and celebrates excellence at its internationally- renowned, annual
awards inspiring the practitioner and benefiting the public.
Iran threatened Pakistan that it may send Forces
Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli on 17 February 2014 warned Pakistan that it
may send Iranian forces to enter Pakistani and Afghan territory to release border guards seized by a
rebel group.
This statement of the Iranian Interior Minister came a week after little-known Jaish al-Adl
posted photos of five men on twitter with a claim that they are the border guards it has seized near
Pakistan. Jaish Al-Adl (Army of Justice) is a Sunni insurgent Iranian group.
In this warning to Pakistan, the Iranian minister has also asked Pakistan to treat the case
strongly and seriously or to allow Iran to secure the remote region deep on Afghanistan and Pakistan
soil. In case of failure, might be possible that Iran will consider their right to intervene and create
new security sphere for safety.
As per reports of Iranian media, the guards were seized by militants on 6 February 2014 in the
province of Sistan-Balochistan of Iran, who took them across the border to Pakistan.
Earlier, 14 Iranian border guards were killed and three others captured in the same area in an
attack in October 2013 was also carried out by Jaish Al-Adl. Apart from this, Iran says that a Sunni
Muslim militant group named Jundollah is linked with Al-Qaeda and has claimed a number of attacks and kidnapping since 2003. In 2010, the Jundollah attempted a suicide bombing in which a
dozen of people were died at a Shiite mosque.
Tom Finney, the former Preston and England footballer died at the age of 91
Tom Finney, the great footballer died at the age of 91 on 14 February 2014. In the English game,
he was rivaled by Bobby Charlton and Staneley Matthews. He is nicknamed as the Preston Plumber.
Between 1946 and 1960, Finney made appearance in more than 400 leagues for Preston North End
and won 76 caps for England.
About Tom Finney

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 For England he scored 30 goals, which placed him joint sixth on all-time list with Alan Shearer
and Nat Lofthouse
Finney played his last game in 1963
He was born on 5 April 1922 in Preston in the street next to the clubs Deepdale stadium
In 1953-54 and 1956-57, he won the footballer of the year title
He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1961
He became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1992
In 1998 Queen's New Year Honours, he was knitted
Finney was a one-club man and is considered to be one of the most talented players of his
generation.
Tom Finney, was an English footballer, famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North
End for which he made 569 first-class appearances,
He was President of Kendal Town
Arun Jaitley launched a book entitled ModiNomics in Delhi
ModiNomics: Inclusive Economics, Inclusive Governance written by Sameer Kochhar
Arun Jaitely, a BJP leader on 16 February 2014 unveiled a book entitled ModiNomics: Inclusive
Economics, Inclusive Governance at the Indian Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road in New Delhi. The book
has been authored by Sameer Kochhar.
The book presents an insight of Modis idea of both Inclusive Economics as well as Inclusive
Governance. It also speaks about the vision of Narendra Modi about economic and development
strategies. The programme of book launch was skipped by the BJPs Prime Ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi.
Till date, Sameer Kochhar has edited books that praises the reform initiatives of finance minister, P Chidambaram, the Vice-Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and
economist Vijay Kelkar. Earlier 2013, Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India launched a
book edited by Kochchar entitled An Agenda for Growth: Essays in honour of P. Chidambaram.
Some other books of Sameer Kochhar
Growth & Finance: Essays in Honour of C. Rangarajan. The books preface was written by P.
Chidambaram and its forward has been written by Manmohan Singh
Speeding Financial Inclusion preface was written by C. Rangarajan
Policymaking for Indian Planning: Essays on Contemporary Issues in Honour of Montek S.
Ahluwalia was edited by Sameer Kochhar
Building from the Bottom: Infrastructure and Poverty Alleviation was edited by Sameer Kochhar
Li Na of China ranked World No. 2 in WTA Singles Ranking
Li Na of China was ranked World Number 2 in the latest Womens Tennis Association (WTA)
singles ranking released on 17 February 2014. Li Na became the first Asian player, Male or Female,
to hold the WTA World No. 2 singles ranking.
She moved to second spot with 6690 points behind the American great Serena Williams, the 17time Grand Slam title-winner, on 12380 points. She was ranked World No. 3 in WTA singles ranking
in 2013.
The previous Asian record was No.4 for Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan.
Li Na, 32, won the Australian Open 2014 adding to her only Grand Slam title French Open which
she won in 2011. In all she has won nine WTA titles in her career including Australian Open and
Shenzhen Open in 2014 and two WTA doubles titles.
In another break through for the Asian tennis and especially Chinese tennis, Peng Shuai of
China was rated the top women's doubles player in the latest released WTA doubles rankings.
The Womens Tennis Association singles ranking
Rank
Player
Country
1
Serena Williams
USA
2
Li Na
China
3
Agnieska Radwanska
Poland
4
Victoria Azarenaka
Belarus
5
Maria Sharapova
Russia
6
Petra Kvitova
CZE

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7
Jelena Jankovic
Serbia
8
Angelique Kerber
Germany
9
Simona Halep
Romania
10
Sara Erranil
Italy
About Women Tennis Association (WTA)
The WTA is the global leader in womens professional sport with more than 2500 players representing 92 nations competing for a record 118 million dollar in prize money at the WTAs 54 events
and four Grand Slams in 33 countries.
It was founded in 1973 by tennis great Billie Jean King of the US uniting all of women's professional tennis in one tour. It is headquartered in St. Petersburg, USA.
Current WTA Chairman and CEO is Stacey Allaster.
ONGC and OIL signed Production Sharing Contract in two water Blocks of Bangladesh
ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) signed Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for two shallow water
exploration blocks SS-09 & SS-04 and extraction in Bay of Bengal of Bangladesh on 17 February 2014.
This contract can be considered as a significant milestone in India-Bangladesh relations.
The two Production Sharing Contracts was inked between the State-owned Petrobangla of
Bangladesh and the ONGC Videsh. OVL participated in the Bangladesh Offshore Bidding Round in
December 2012 after forming a consortium (50:50) with Oil India Limited (OIL).
About ONGC Videsh Limted (OVL)
OVL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), the national oil company of India, and is Indias largest international oil and gas E&P Company. At present,
OVL participates in 35 projects in 18 countries including Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia,
Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya, Mozambique, Myanmar, Russia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and
Vietnam.
Extradition Treaty between India and Bangladesh came into Effect
India-Bangladesh Inked Pact for Enhanced Trade Facilitation and Combating Tax Evasion
Peng Shuai of China ranked World No. 1 in WTA Doubles Ranking
Peng Shuai of China was ranked World Number 1 in the latest Womens Tennis Association
(WTA) Doubles ranking released on 17 February 2014. Peng Shuai is the first Chinese player to
ascend to the top of the WTA's doubles ranking.
Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese Taipei was ranked No.2 in WTA Doubles ranking which is the highest
ranking ever for a player from Chinese Taipei.
The year 2013 was a break-through for the pair Peng Shuai and Hsieh Su-Wei. The pair won the
five doubles titles including the first major Championship at the Wimbledon. Hsieh became the first
player from Chinese Taipei and Peng Shuai the fifth Chinese player to win a Grand Slam title of any
kind.
The pair is also the first team from Asia to win the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships held in
Istanbul in 2013. The pair Hsieh and Peng also raised the champions trophy at the Internazionali
BNL dItalia (Rome), Western & Southern Open (Cincinnati) and Guangzhou Open.
With their win in Qatar Total Open (Doha) in February 2014, the pair has a perfect 10-0 record in
doubles finals.
The Top Ten Women in Doubles
Rank
Name
Country
1
Peng Shuai
China
2
Su- Wei Hsieh
Taipei, China
3
Elena Vesnina
Russia
4
Ekaterina Makarova
Russia
5
Katarina Srebotnik
UAE
6
Sara Errani
Italy
6
Roberta Vinci
Italy
8
Nadia Petrova
USA
9
Sania Mirza
India
10
Kveta Peschke
USA
New Zealand won two-Cricket Test series against India 1-0
New Zealand on 18 February 2014 won the two match Test Series against India 1-0 as the second

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match played in Wellington ended in a draw. Brendon McCullum, the skipper of the team of New
Zealand in the second test match created a history by becoming first Kiwi player to score triple
hundred. He scored 302 runs in the second innings.
Score of second test match
New Zealand batting first scored
1st Inning: 192 runs
2nd Inning: 680 for 8 wickets
India batting second scored
1st Inning: 438
2nd Inning: 166 for 3 at stumps on the final day
McCullum was adjudged man of the match of the second test
India ended this tour to New Zealand winless as earlier, India lost the five matches ODI series 04 with one tie and in the 2 matches test series it lost the first match with 40-run played at Auckland.
and tied the second one.
Now India is scheduled to play Asia Cup in Bangladesh that starts on 25 February 2014. Indias
first match of Asia Cup will be held on 26 February 2014 against the hosts.
Sachin and Sehwag nominated for Cricketer of the Generation award
Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag on 17 February 2014 were nominated amongst the nominees for the ESPNcricinfo@20 Cricketer of the Generation award, with the
cricket news website today announcing two more categories to its seventh annual awards.
The two new special awards-Cricketer of the Generation and Contribution to Cricket will add to
the six categories announced earlier. The award ceremony will be held in Mumbai on 14 March
2014.
Others nominated for the award are
Shane Warne
Braine Lara
Muttiah Muralitharan
Jacques Kallis
The finest player of the last 20 years to honour with this award will be judged by a 50-member
jury of current and former cricketers along with sportswriters. This is the ESPNcricinfos 20th anniversary celebration.
Former Indian captain, Rahul Dravid will nominate the winner of the Contribution to Cricket
award and under this every person who has contributed to cricket in all forms will be considered and
includes pitch curators, groundsmen, umpires to grassroots organizers or a person who has made a
positive impact on the game
Carnatic music Vocalist R K Srikantan died at 94
he popular Carnatic music, Vocalist Rudra Krishna Srikantan, 94 died due to chest congestion
in Bangalore on 17 February 2014. His biography named Voice of Generation was released in January 2014 on his birthday.
About Srikantan
R K Srikantan was born on 14 January 1920 at Hassan district of Karnataka. His father Krishna
Sastry was a Sanskrit and Veda scholar and his Brothers also were performers.
Srikantan was a recipient of Padma Bhushan in 2011. He received the Best Teacher Award by
the Bangalore City Corporation.
He was conferred with many awards like Sangeetha Kala Ratna, Kanaka Purandara Award and
the Rajyotsava Award from the Karnataka government.
He received Honorary Doctorate from Bangalore University. Many awards from different state
governments like National Eminence Award by Shanmukhananda Sabha, Mumbai, Sangeetha Sagara
by Carnatic Music Association of North America (CMANA), Sapthagiri Sangeetha Vidwanmani by

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Tyagaraja Trust, Tirupati; Sangeetha Ratnakara by Bhairavi Fine Arts, Cleveland, Swati Puraskar
by the Governemnt of Kerala etc.,
Abdul Basit appointed high commissioner of Pakistan to India
Pakistan appointed Abdul Basit as Pakistans high commissioner to India on 17 February 2014.
He will replace Salman Bashir. Salman Bashir relinquishes charge of office on 28 February 2014.
Basit will take charge of office in March 2014.
He is currently working as ambassador to Germany. From May 2012, he was representing Pakistan in Berlin.
Basit had joined the Foreign Service in 1982. He had held various assignments in Pakistan
missions abroad and at the headquarters, including as the foreign office spokesperson.
He had previously served at Pakistans missions in Moscow, New York, Sanaa, Geneva and London.
The ambassadors of Commonwealth countries are designated as High Commissioner.
First pro-Hindi Political Party of Tamil Nadu launched
First pro-Hindi political party of Tamil Nadu was launched by Madras High Court Advocates Association in Tamil Nadu on 17 February 2014. The party Tamil Maanila Katchi favours a pro-Hindi
stand.
The launch saw the participation of a large number of advocates.
In place of a bilingual system of learning, there will be a trilingual regime including Hindi.
Denying Hindi education to southern children has not helped their development. The state will
need to break from the past and make Hindi a compulsory subject at least till Class V.
Party has its lots of agendas like non-discrimination of Brahmins, Development of barren lands,
safeguarding interests of fishermen, traders and women.
Party made a strong pitch for abolishing the practice of distributing freebies by governments,
saying it made people lazy.
Kingfisher Airlines CEO Sanjay Aggarwal resigned
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kingfisher Airlines Sanjay Aggarwal resigned on 17 February
2014.
He had joined kingfisher Airlines on 30 September 2010.
Prior to Kingfisher, he was working with SpiceJet Airlines ltd. Aggarwal had led SpiceJet as its
CEO and led the low-cost airline back to profitability. He quit the airline when media baron Kalanithi
Maran of Sun TV Network Ltd bought SpiceJet in June 2010.
Prior to joining SpiceJet, Aggarwal was Chief Operating Office of Flight Options. Flight Options is
the second largest private jet provider of world. He had also worked for US Airways for six years.
The Mumbai-based Kingfisher Airlines had accumulated losses of 16023.46 crore rupees as on
31 March 2013 and its net worth was a negative 12919.82 crore rupees. Kingfisher Airlines was
launched in 2005.
Kingfishers operating license was suspended in October 2012 by aviation regulator Directorate
General of Civil Aviation following a strike by the airlines employees. The permit has since expired,
although it can be renewed within two years, which is by October 2014.
Meanwhile, a group of 14 lenders led by State Bank of India (SBI) that has an exposure of 7000
crore rupees to the airline is trying to recover at least 1000 crore rupees from it by selling assets
such as buildings, helicopters and other fixed assets.
Reader Digest sold for 1 Pound only
The Reader's Digest was sold for just 1 pound to Mike Luckwell on 17 February 2014.

100

Jon Moulton's private equity company, Better Capital, has offloaded Reader's Digest UK after
investing tens of millions of pounds into trying to rejuvenate the struggling business.
Luckwell the venture capitalist has acquired the title with the aim of targeting the frisky over50s group that holiday and insurance company Saga has built a successful business on.
Luckwell personal fortune is estimated at more than 135 million pounds.
Saga cleverly focused on holidays and the financial sector for the over-50s. Today it has annual
sales running into hundreds of millions that merits a bit of competition.
The acquisition will provide access to a database of more than 1.5 million names, of which only
9% have recently purchased a Reader's Digest product.
Better Capital took the business out of administration in a 13 million pound management buyout in April 2010 and has since ploughed a further 23mln pound into the company.
The investment failed to fuel a turnaround at the title, which no longer has its sales officially
audited in the UK.
Reader's Digest was founded in 1922 by DeWitt and Lila Bell Wallace. By the early 1960s it had a
global circulation of 23 million an issue with 40 international editions.
The title remained the biggest selling consumer magazine in the US until as recently as 2008.
New layer of cornea discovered by Indian doctor Harminder Dua
A new layer in the human cornea was discovered by the Indian doctor Harminder Dua at The
University of Nottingham in 2014. It plays a vital role in the structure of the tissue that controls the
flow of fluid from the eye.
The research was published in a paper in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
The new finding could shed new light on glaucoma. The new layer named as Duas Layer is just
15 microns thick but incredibly tough. Comprised of thin plates of collagen, it sits at the back of the
cornea between the corneal stroma and Descemet's membrane.
It makes an important contribution to the sieve-like meshwork, the trabecular meshwork (TM),
in the periphery of the cornea.
The TM is a wedge-shaped band of tissue that extends along the circumference of the angle of
the anterior chamber of the eye.
It is made of beams of collagen wrapped in a basement membrane to which trabecular cells and
endothelial cells attach. The beams branch out randomly to form a 'meshwork'.
Scientists had previously believed the cornea to be comprised of five layers - from front to back
the corneal epithelium, Bowman's layer, the corneal stroma, Descemet's membrane and the corneal endothelium.
Pressure within the eye is maintained by the balance of aqueous fluid production by eye tissue
called the ciliary body and drainage principally through the TM to the canal of Schlemm, a circular
channel in the angle of the eye.
Defective drainage through the TM is an important cause of glaucoma, a condition that leads to
raised pressure in the eye that can permanently affect sight. Around 1 to 2% of the world's population
yearly have chronic glaucoma and globally around 45 million people have open angle glaucoma which
can permanently damage the optic nerve - 10% of whom are blind.
It is hoped the discovery will offer new clues on why the drainage system malfunctions in the
eyes of some people, leading to high pressure.
Glaucoma is a devastating disease caused by defective drainage of fluid from the eye. Glaucoma
is the second largest leading cause of blindness of world.
19-FEB-2014
Renaud Lavillenie broke 21-year pole vault record of Sergey Bubka
Renaud Lavillenie, the French Olympic champion on 15 February 2014 broke 21-year-old world
record of pole vault of Sergey Bubka with a leap of 6.16 meter at Donetsk in the Ukraine.
Lavillenie aged 27 cleared the height in his first attempt by going 1 centimeter higher than the
record set indoors by Bubka on 21 February 1993 at the age of 21. Bubka, the former Olympic champion also holds the world outdoor record of 6.14 meter achieved by him in Sestriere, Italy in 1994.

101

Bubka was the pioneer of the sport to become the first man to clear 6 meter and was present in
Donetsk, when Lavillenie eclipsed his world record. Lavillenie is the six-time outdoor world champion. In pole vault, the world records set indoors or outdoors are accepted.
Renaud Lavillenie
Renaud Lavillenie, a French pole vaulter was born on 18 September 1986
Lavillenie won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics
He has also won one World Indoor Championships gold medal, two European Championships
gold medals and three European Indoor Championships gold medals
He holds the French national records for the highest pole vault clearance both outdoors (6.02 m)
and indoors (6.16 m)
He has been the pole vault overall winner of the IAAF Diamond League four consecutive years
from 2010 to 2013
Sergey Bubka
Sergey Bubka is a former pole vaulter from Ukrain and was born on 4 December 1963
He represented the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991, was twice named Athlete of the
Year by Track & Field News, and in 2012 was one of 24 athletes inducted as inaugural members of
the International Association of Athletics Federations Hall of Fame
He has been a consecutive IAAD World Championships winner for six times
He is also a gold winner of Olympics
He has broken the world record of mens pole vaulting 35 times of which 18 were broken indoors
and 17 times outdoor
At present Bubka is a key member of the IOC and in 2013 he lost out to Thomas Bach on the
race for President of the organisation
Countrys first wild dog breeding centre to be created IGZP in Vizag
Central Zoo Authority on 18 February 2014 selected the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) of
Vizag for creation of a conservation breeding centre for the endangered wild dog Dhole. This will be
the first zoo in India to have a breeding centre for Dholes and it will be created in two to three
months. 50 lakh rupees will be invested to undertake the project.
IUCN has classified Dholes as an endangered species. The population of wild dogs has gone up
from just two to 22 in the country in a series of successful in-breeding of wild dogs in the zoo. 22 is
the highest number of wild dogs in captivity in India.
Cause identified by IUCN for dwindling number of wild dogs or Dholes
Habitat loss
Depletion of prey base
Persecution and possibly disease caused from domestic and feral dogs
Interspecific competition as the destruction of forest corridors has lead them to fight with other
predators
Assessment Information of Dholes by IUCN
2004 Endangered
1996 Vulnerable
1994 Vulnerable (Groombridge 1994)
1990 Vulnerable (IUCN 1990)
1988 Vulnerable (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1986 Vulnerable (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)
Conservation Actions to protect Dholes in India
In India, the Dholes is protected under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Act of 1972 (permission is
required to kill any individual unless in self-defence or if an individual is a man killer). The creation
of Project Tiger Reserves in India has provided some protection for populations of the dukhunensis
subspecies as potentially it is thought that the Project Tiger could potentially maintain dhole prey
bases in areas where tigers and dholes coexist.
About Dholes/Wild Dog
Dhole is Asiatic wild dog or Indian wild dog. Its scientific name is Cuon Alpinus and it is a species
of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the Henus Cuon that

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differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats.
Dholes at one point of time were found throughout the continent but the species is now endangered. It has been estimated that less than 2500 mature individual Dholes are available anymore.
Ungulates are the main prey of dholes that has also suffered high depletion in their population.
Many species of ungulate has now extinct and others are rare and the habitat loss is the main
reason for their extinction apart from hunting. These dogs attack large and dangerous animals such
as wild boar, water buffalo, and even tigers.
Sikkim won National Tourism Award 2012-13
Sikkim won the National Tourism Award 2012-13 on 18 February 2014. The award was handed
over to Bhim Dhungel, Sikkims Tourism Minister by Shashi Tharoor, Union Minister for Human
Resource Development at a function at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
Union Ministry of Tourism declared Sikkim as the best State in the implementation of rural
tourism projects. The Ministry described, Sikkim as a perfect destination to experience rich culture
and scenic natural beauty.
Bhim Dhungel at the award ceremony informed that the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan
Chamling has launched an ambitious project of 140-crore rupees for development of the tourism
facilities in the state along with halting points, view points, retiring units and other infrastructural
facilities.
Tourism in Sikkim
The tourism department of Sikkim had tied up with states like Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka and
Goa for tourist flow from these states to Sikkim. To ensure international tourism flow in the state,
the department is also negotiating with countries like Bhutan and Nepal.
Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
The Ministry of Tourism of Government of India is the nodal agency for the formulation of national policies and programmes and for the co-ordination of activities of various Central Government
Agencies, State Governments/UTs and the Private Sector for the development and promotion of
tourism in the country. This Ministry is headed by the Union Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge) and at present the Union Minister of State for Tourism is Chiranjeevi.
Some other Achievements, Recognitions and Awards received by Sikkim
Sikkim has been ranked as the first state in India for implementation of Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan.
Sikkim has received 2 MGNREGA Awards for excellent implementation of MGNREGA Scheme
in the State
In 2013 for e-Governance, Sikkim received e-North East Award
It received the Agriculture Leadership award in 2013
Environment for Spring Conservation Project Sikkim received e-North East award in 2012
In 2004-05 it received the award as best performing state in Education
In recognition of commendable work done in the field of information Technology it received
Skoch Challenger Award in 2005
Hospitality India Award in 2006
State Leadership Award 2009 in horticulture
Best State for Adventure Tourism for the year 2009
Worldfloat introduced Citydeals, a Social plus e-Commerce feature
Worldfloat, a social networking site on 18 February 2014 announced that it had introduced ecommerce feature named Citydeals that would take on the major players like Flipkart, Snapdeal and
OLX in discount deals market.
Pushkar Mahatta, the founder of Worldfloat said that the new feature would allow users to sell
and buy products locally. This feature is like the feed of Facebook and would allow users to sell and
buy products like mobiles, real estate, bikes, car and more. Initially the services of the new feature
will be available in major cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata.
This feature is different from its competitors because the company will not charge a single penny
from the users for selling or buying their products, but the monetising model will be advertisement-

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based.
About Worldfloat
Worldfloat was launched in June 2012 as a social networking site and since then it has added
features like free online movies, education videos, search engine facilities and comparison engine.
Government de-allocated six Coal Blocks due to delay in production
The Union Government of India on 18 February 2014 de-allocated six coal blocks given to firms
following delay in production. This de-allocation has been done on the recommendation made in this
regard by an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) that was headed by Additional Secretary, Coal as its
Chairman.
The IMG was set-up to review the progress of development of captive coal blocks that were allotted to private companies.
Firms whose blocks has been de-allocation includes
Hindalco Industries
Tata Power
Century Textiles and Industries
J K Cement
The decision made by Coal Ministry to de-allocate the coal blocks given to JSPL and Sterlite has
been put on hold in view of cases pending in courts.
Earlier on 17 February 2014, the Ministry de-allocated 10 coal blocks allocated to firms like
Adani Power
Jindal Steel and Power Ltd
Uttam Galva Steels
ACC Cement
Death sentence of 3 convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case commuted to life imprisonment
The Supreme Court of India on 18 February 2014 commuted the death sentence of three convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to life imprisonment. The decision was made by the apex
court following the delay of 11 years in deciding their mercy plea by the central government.
The decision was made by the three-judge bench of Supreme Court that was headed by the Chief
Justice of India, P Sathasivam and included Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice SK Singh. The court
rejected the submission of the central government that said that there was no unreasonable delay
in deciding their mercy plea and it also condemned prisoners by saying that they did not went through
an agonizing experience as they were enjoying their life behind the bars. The Court in its decision
held that the prolonged execution of capital sentence was a dehumanizing effect on the prisoners as
they have been waiting for execution of the sentence because their mercy pleas were not confirmed
or replied in any other form.
The bench of the Court in its decision said that it was unable to accept the view of the centre and
thats why it has commuted the death sentence of convicts namely Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan
to imprisonment for life subject to remission by the government.
The Court in its decision also suggested the government to handle the cases of mercy petitions
in a more systematized manner as the mercy pleas can be decided at mush faster speed than it is
being done at present. It also asked the Centre to give timely advice to the President so that mercy
petitions can be decided without unreasonable delay.
Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi was killed on 21 May 1991 and his assassins were convicted by a TADA Court in
January 1998. He died in the suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur near Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist organization from Sri Lanka was blamed for
the attack. The death of Rajiv Gandhi came a few days after India ended its involvement in Sri
Lanka through an Indian Peace Keeping Force in the Sri Lankan Civil War.

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In the judgment, the TADA Court pronounced a death sentence and the same was confirmed by
the Supreme Court on 11 May 1999.
Norms provided in Constitution of India for commutation of death sentence
The Constitution of India in the clemency procedure under Article 72 provides the power to the
President
1. To grant pardons etc and to suspend, remit or commute sentences of any person convicted of
any offence in certain cases like
a) In all cases where the punishment or sentence is by a Court Martial
b) In all cases where the punishment or sentence is for an offence against any law relating to a
matter to which the executive power of the Union extends
c) In all cases where the sentence is a sentence of death
2. Nothing in sub-clause (a) of clause (1) shall affect the power conferred by law on any officer of
the Armed Forces of the Union to suspend, remit or commute a sentence passed by a Court Martial.
3. Nothing in sub-clause (c) of clause (1) shall affect the power to suspend, remit or commute a
sentence of death exercisable by the Governor of a State under any law for the time being in force.
Under Article 161 it provides
Power of Governor of a state to grant pardons, etc reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against
any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the State extends.
These Constitutional provisions provide a hope to condemned prisoners and their family members that the death sentence can be commuted into a life imprisonment.
TV Comedy Pioneer Sid Caesar Died at 91
Sid Caesar a great TV comedian died at 91 on 14 February 2014.
His first TV comedy-variety show The Admiral Broadway Revue was aired in 1949. The TV comedy Shows of 1950s from Saturday Night Live to Sitcoms owe a debt to Caesar's brilliant interpretation of material. Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour reached as many as 60 million viewers
weekly making Caesar richer by 1 million dollar annually.
Other TV shows which were his major achievements includes Your Show of Shows, 1950-54,
with co-star Imogene Coca, and Caesar's Hour that appeared in 1954-57.
His emphasis on humour was born out of human nature which forms the part of comedies such
as Modern Family.
Caesar wrote the biography Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, With Love and Laughter in 2003.
Caesar was born in 1922 in Yonkers, New York, USA and was the third son of an Austrian-born
restaurant owner and his Russian-born wife.
Quadricycle to run from 1 Oct 2014 across the country
A new category of four-wheelers - Quadricycle - will be allowed to run in cities across the country
from 1 October 2014. The objective is to largely replace the auto-rickshaws. The emission norms of
these vehicles will be better than auto-rickshaws.
The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will issue the gazette notification with
respect to this shortly as the proposal has been vetted by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.
Quadricycle is more efficient on security and safety concerns as it had introduced the provision
of seatbelts and braking system like that of cars, which falls under M1 category of vehicles.
As a safety measure, it will be mandatory for such vehicles to have seatbelts for both the occupants in the front and two in the rear seat.
These features are significant since there is no provision for carrying out crash tests for these
vehicles. Several automobile manufacturers had called the vehicle unsafe, forcing introduction of
the changes.
Quadricycles will have hard top and doors. The weight of the battery was excluded from the vehicle curb weight to promote no carbon emission.

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Gross NPAs of listed banks soared 35.2 percent during first three quarters of 2013-14
The gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of listed banks rose 35.2 per cent to 2.43 trillion rupees
during the first three quarters of the current financial year 2013-14.
Stressed loans of listed banks rose to 50 per cent for the calendar year 2013, even as the banks
struggle to recover their dues and restructure loans.
Bad loans stood at 138613 crore ruppes for December 2013 against 92398 crore rupees in December 2012.
Among the listed banks, SBI had the highest share of gross NPAs at 67799 crore rupees followed
by PNB at 16596 crore rupees, and Bank of Baroda at 11926 crore rupees.
ING Vysya's net NPAs increased the most at 359 per cent, followed by Bank of Maharashtra at 352
percent.
ICICI Bank's gross NPAs rose 8.2 per cent, or by 791 crore rupees to 10399 crore rupees. The
level of bad loans was 9607.75 crore rupees as on 31 March 2013.
About NPA
Banks usually classify any commercial loans as non-performing assets which are more than 90
days overdue and any consumer loans which are more than 180 days overdue. More generally, an
asset which is not producing income.
Bubba Watson won Northern Trust Open
Bubba Watson won the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, USA on 16 February 2014. This is his first title since 2012 Masters where he won the 6.7
million US dollar and fifth US PGA Tour title.
Watson played the final 39 holes without a bogey and shot a 7-under 64 to win the Northern Trust
Open. His 15-under total of 269 gave him a two-stroke victory over eight-time US PGA Tour winner
Dustin Johnson. Johnson closed with a five-under par 66 at Riviera Country Club for 271.
Jason Allred had three birdies in his three- under 68 for a share of third place on 272. Brian
Harman closed with a 68 at fourth place and South African Charl Schwartzel was at fifth place after
a 68 for 273.
About Northern Trust Open
In 1889, Northern Trusts partnership with the tournament established The Rivera Country
Club. The annual site of the Northern Trust Open was opened for play in 1927.
In 2013 John Merrick won the tournament and was the first winner from Los Angeles.
19-FEB-2014
Snowden elected Rector of University of Glasgow
Edward Snowden, former National Security Agency contractor, was elected as the new Rector of
the University of Glasgow on 18 February 2014. He will replace Charles Kennedy. He will serve the
post for next three years. Snowden was nominated by a group of students at the University.
He defeated the former champion cyclist Graeme Obree, the author Alan Bissett and the Rev
Kelvin Holdsworth, who also stood for the post.
The position of Rector not only represents the students but is chairman of the University Court.
It is the body that administers the resources of the University.
The Rector is meant to represent student issues to university officials but it has previously
served as political designation.
He is wanted by the US for leaking tens of thousands of documents to journalists and has been
granted temporary asylum in Russia.
Ten-day festival Taj Mahotsav began in Agra
Taj Mahotsav, the ten day annual festival began in Agra, Uttar Pradesh on 18 February 2014.The
festival will be celebrated from 18 to 27 February 2014 at the Shilp Gram, the Eastern gate of Taj
Mahal. The theme of the festival for this year is Paigham-e Mohahabbat or the message of love.

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About Taj Mahostav

Taj Mahotsav was started in 1992 and since then its glory has reached to greater heights. The
festival is organized by the Uttar Pradesh Department of Tourism to increase the Indian Tourism.
Taj Mahotsav is a vibrant platform that gives information of India where one can find Indias
rich arts, crafts, cultures, cuisine, dance and music.
In Taj Mahotsav legendary artisans from different parts of the country get an opportunity to
display their exquisite works of art like wood or stone carvings from Tamil Nadu, Bamboo or cane
work from North East India, Paper mash work from South India and Kashmir, the marble and zardozi
work from Agra.
The Performances of folk, classical music and dances of various regions, especially the Brij
Bhumi will be performed the way they used to be centuries ago.
Bharti Airtel Signed an Agreement with Loop Mobile
Largest telecom operator of India Bharti Airtel signed a strategic agreement with Loop Mobile on
18 February 2014. Under the agreement Bharti Airtel will acquire the mobile network and 3 million
subscribers of Loop Mobile in Mumbai circle.
With this deal, Bharti Airtel will become the largest mobile operator with 7 million subscriber
base in Mumbai relegating Vodafone to second position with 6.8 million subscriber base.
The proposed transaction will bring together Loop Mobiles 2G/EDGE enabled network supported
by 2500 plus cell sites, and Airtels 2G and 3G network supported by over 4000 cell sites across
Mumbai.
It will also offer subscribers the widest exclusive retail reach with 220 outlets that will enable
best-in-class customer service.
The deal between Airtel and Loop is expected to stand at 700 crore rupees. Loop will use these
sale proceeds for repaying debt of 400 crore rupees and the rest will go to promoters IP Khaitan and
family. Loop is the oldest mobile service provider in Mumbai.
This deal assumes significance as customers of Loop Mobile will get continuity of services. Licence of Loop Mobile will expire in September 2014.
Connaught Place in Delhi ranked 8th most expensive office location
Connaught Place (CP) in Delhi was ranked as the worlds eighth most expensive office location in
a report released by the Cushman & Wakefield on 18 February 2014.
The Connaught Place in Central Delhi fell four places from 4th rank in 2013 due to an appreciation in both the dollar and euro against the rupee in 2013 and also limited activities.
Mumbai Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) emerged as the second most expensive office location in
India and 8th most expensive across Asia Pacific and Africa Collections (APAC). Kolkata CBD recorded the highest rental growth in India.
The focus of the report is prime office rental performances and occupancy costs across the globe,
including a ranking of the most expensive locations across the world in which to occupy office space.
Highlights of the Report 2014
London has been ranked as the worlds most expensive office market for the second consecutive year.
Hong Kong was ranked second for the second consecutive year. Other top ranked cities are
Moscow in Russia (3rd ), Beijing in China (4th ), Tokyo in Japan (5th), New York in USA (6th), Rio de
Janeiro in Brazil (7th), Paris in France (9th ) and Sydney in Australia (10th ).
Global office rents increased by 3 percent overall. The USA and Mexico saw the prime rents rise
compared to other top ranked cities that saw the fall in prime rents. Moscow and New Delhi recorded
no change in rental values.
In Asia Pacific rental growth was largely flat on the back of a slowing economy however, the
economic climate improved as the year progressed.
RPG life lost battle for domain name rpglife.com
RPG Life Sciences, a pharma company from India, lost the battle against the owner of domain
name rpglife.com on 17 February 2014. RPG Life Sciences complaint against the owner of the domain name rpglife.com was overruled by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
WIPO based in Geneva, Switzerland is an arbitration service provider for settlement of domain

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name disputes. Interestingly, the owner has now offered to sell the domain name to RPG Life.
The RPG Life Sciences had filed complaint on the basis that the registered trademarks RPG and
RPG Life were both distinctive and predated the registration of the disputed domain name, which
was registered only on October 28, 2005.
It further argued that the owner of the rpglife.com registered the domain name in bad faith. The
disputed domain name, rpglife.com, redirected internet users to a role playing game (RPG) website.
A domain name is said to be registered in bad faith if it is not used for any legitimate purpose but
for cyber-squatting - when domain names of reputed companies are acquired only to sell them at a
profit. If the arbitrator finds that the disputed domain name was registered and used in bad faith, it
can be transferred to the complainant.
However, WIPO ruled that the complaint was an attempt to deprive a registered holder the ownership of a domain name, also referred to as reverse hijacking. That is not only was the company's
complaint denied but the arbitrator alluded that the complaint was filed in bad faith.
WIPO's arbitrator pointed out, Mathe, the owner of the domain name rpglife.com, was simply
using an established acronym for the words role playing game (RPG) in conjunction with the word
life.
As the disputed domain name led internet users to a website which had relevant content and
advertised goods and services applicable to role playing games, usage of the domain name was held
to be entirely legitimate.
RPGs are an extremely popular genre of gaming where the players assume the roles of characters in fictional settings. Classics such as Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), Final Fantasy and World of
Warcraft (WOW) are variants of RPGs.
Email Miles, a system using GPS developed to track the emails
A new system Email Miles using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to calculate the
number of miles an email has travelled before reaching an inbox was developed on 18 February
2014.
The system uses GPS technology and internet tracking to determine where a message was sent
and where it was received. It then calculates the total distance between the two and displays it on
the screen alongside a map.
The system was developed by Inventor Jonah Brucker-Cohen to show how indirect the route of
many emails can be.
Brucker-Cohen said the system does all of its time and distance calculations using the internet
and a coordinate mapping system. When all of the mileage amounts are tallied, it adds them all and
provides the user with a map, the countries and continents and miles the email travelled.
3000 Americans renounced citizenship over Tax Laws
3000 Americans have renounced their citizenship in 2013 owing to become tired of dealing with
intrusive US tax laws and complicated tax filings.
The numbers of Americans renouncing citizenship for 2013 represented an increase of three
times over the average for the previous five years.
In 2008, a total of 231 Americans renounced their citizenship. In 2009 the figure rose to 742
while in 2010 the figure touched 1534. In 2011, the number reached to a high 1781 and in 2012 the
figure went down to 933.
Unlike other countries, the US continues to tax citizens on all income, regardless of where it is
earned or where they reside. For expats, filing taxes in two countries often means wrestling with a
huge mountain of paperwork.
Some of the rush may be caused by Americans hoping to avoid the new disclosure requirements.
The new disclosure requirements approved by Congress in 2010, is aimed at recouping some of the
hundreds of billions of dollars the government loses each year in unpaid taxes.

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The first wave of renunciations in 2010 coincided with a part of the law that requires individuals
to report foreign assets worth as little as 50000 USD. That was in addition to a separate provision
that forces Americans to disclose foreign bank holdings larger than 10000 USD.
The renunciations dipped in 2012. However, with another part of the law becoming effective the
trend of renouncing citizenship is expected to increase. The new provision requires financial institutions to report all foreign accounts held by Americans.
The law has prompted some banks to kick out their American clients rather than comply. Penalties can be high if banks make a mistake reporting US-held accounts, even if they are basic checking and savings accounts.
Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned as AP Chief Minister
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (CM), Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned from the post on 19 February
2014. He also quitted from the membership of the State Assembly and the Congress Party as a
protest to the decision to bifurcate the Andhra Pradesh State.
Kiran Kumar urged the governor to make alternate arrangements at the earliest as he is not
likely to continue as caretaker Chief Minister.
The Telangana Bill, splitting Andhra Pradesh and forming Telangana as 29th State was passed
by the Lok Sabha on 18 February 2014 with Congress and BJP coming together on the issue. The Bill
will be passed in Rajya Sabha on 19 February 2014.
20-FEB-2014
Parliament passed Street Vendors Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending
Bill
Parliament on 19 February 2014 passed the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) bill-2014. The Bill provides protection of livelihoods rights, social security of
street vendors, regulation of urban street vending in the country and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The Rajya Sabha adopted the bill by a voice vote and without discussion
and earlier it was adopted by Lok Sabha on 6 September 2013.
The Street Vendors Bill aims at protect the rights of the urban street vendors and regulating
street vending activities. It also aims towards creation of a conducive atmosphere where street
vendors will be eligible to carry out their business in a fair and transparent manner, without fear of
eviction and harassment.
Main features of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending)
Bill, 2014 are as follows
The Bill provides for constitution of a Town Vending Authority in each Local Authority, which is
the fulcrum of the Bill, for implementing the provisions of the Bill.
In order to ensure participatory decision making for aspects relating to street vending activities like determination of natural market, identification of vending zones, preparation of street
vending plan, survey of street vendors etc. the TVC is required to have representation of officials and
non-officials and street vendors, including women vendors with due representation from SC, ST,
OBC, Minorities and persons with disabilities. It has been provided that 40 percent members of the
TVC will be from amongst street vendors to be selected through election, of which one-third shall be
women.
To avoid arbitrariness of authorities, the Bill provides for a survey of all existing street vendors,
and subsequent survey at-least once in every five years, and issue of certificate of vending to all the
street vendors identified in the survey, with preference to SC, ST, OBC, women, persons with disabilities, minorities etc.
All existing street vendors, identified in the survey, will be accommodated in the vending zones
subject to a norm conforming to 2.5 percent of the population of the ward or zone or town or city.
Where the numbers of street vendors identified are more than the holding capacity of the
vending zone, the Town Vending Committee (TVC) is required to carry out a draw of lots for issuing
the certificate of vending for that vending zone and the remaining persons will be accommodated in
any adjoining vending zone to avoid relocation.
Those street vendors who have been issued a certificate of vending/license etc. before the
commencement of this Act, they will be deemed to be a street vendor for that category and for the

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period for which he/she has been issued such certificate of vending/license.
It has been provided that no street vendor will be evicted until the survey has been completed
and certificate of vending issued to the street vendors.
It has also been provided that in case a street vendor, to whom a certificate of vending is issued,
dies or suffers from any permanent disability or is ill, one of his family member i.e. spouse or dependent child can vend in his place, till the validity of the certificate of vending.
Thus the mechanism is to provide universal coverage, by protecting the street vendors from
harassment and promoting their livelihoods.
Procedure for relocation, eviction and confiscation of goods has been specified and made street
vendor friendly. It is proposed to provide for recommendation of the TVC, as a necessary condition for
relocation being carried out by the local authority.
Relocation of street vendors should be exercised as a last resort. Accordingly, a set of principles
to be followed for relocation is proposed to be provided for in the second Schedule of the Bill, which
states that
(i) Relocation should be avoided as far as possible, unless there is clear and urgent need for the
land in question
(ii) Affected vendors or their representatives shall be involved in planning and implementation of
the rehabilitation project
(iii) Affected vendors shall be relocated so as to improve their livelihoods and standards of living
or at least to restore them, in real terms to pre-evicted levels
(iv) Natural markets where street vendors have conducted business for over fifty years shall be
declared as heritage markets, and the street vendors in such markets shall not be relocated.
The Local authority is required to make out a plan once in every 5 years, on the recommendation of TVC, to promote a supportive environment and adequate space for urban street vendors to
carry out their vocation. It specifically provides that declaration of no-vending zone shall be carried
subject to the specified principles namely; any existing natural market, or an existing market as
identified under the survey shall not be declared as a no-vending zone; declaration of no-vending
zone shall be done in a manner which displaces the minimum percentage of street vendors; no zone
will be declared as a no-vending zone till such time as the survey has not been carried out and the
plan for street vending has not been formulated. Thus the Bill provides for enough safeguards to
protect street vendors interests.
The thrust of the Bill is on natural market, which has been defined under the Bill. The entire
planning exercise has to ensure that the provision of space or area for street vending is reasonable
and consistent with existing natural markets. Thus, natural locations where there is a constant
congregation of buyers and sellers will be protected under the Bill.
There is a provision for establishment of an independent dispute redressal mechanism under
the chairmanship of retired judicial officers to maintain impartiality towards grievance redressal of
street vendors.
The Bill provides for time period for release of seized goods, for both perishable and non-perishable goods. In case of non-perishable goods, the local authority is required to release the goods within
two working days and incase of perishable goods, the goods shall be released the same day, of the
claim being made.
The Bill also provides for promotional measures to be undertaken by the Government, towards
availability of credit, insurance and other welfare schemes of social security, capacity building
programmes, research, education and training programme etc. for street vendors.
Section 29 of the Bill provides for protection of street vendors from harassment by police and
other authorities and provides for an overriding clause to ensure they carry on their business without the fear of harassment by the authorities under any other law.
The Bill specifically provides that the Rules under the Bill have to be notified within one year of
its commencement, and Scheme has to be notified within six months of its commencement to
prevent delay in implementation.
Apart from the Street Vendors Bill 2014, the Parliament also passed two other bills namely Governors Emoluments, (Allowances and Privileges) Amendment and National Institutes of Technology,
Science Education and Research (Amendment). These two bills were also approved by the Rajya
Sabha without discussion after these were adopted by the Lok Sabha.
K Rehman Khan inaugurated Minority Cyber Village in Rajasthan
Indias first Minority Cyber Village was inaugurated by the Minister for Minority Affairs K Rehman
Khan on 19 February 2014 in Chandoli in Alwar district of Rajasthan.

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Chandoli has been selected as the first village for the pilot project as it holds more than 80
percent of minority population and also because the minorities of the Mewat region is still backward
in education. The project will be carried in other areas after the success of the pilot project.
About the Cyber Village
The Cyber village project will provide computer education to people in the age group of 15 to 59.
Further also, institution under the project will be instituted in the villages with substantial
population of minority
Under this project experts will provide training of commuter skills to the people of chandoli
The Minority Affairs minister in his announcement said that the government is also considering opening special schools on pattern of Kendriya Vidyalayas from minority community. Government has also planned to come up with 200 new colleges in minority dominated areas and the areas
include Laxmangarh, Tijara, Kishengarhbas and Ramgarh
Hindi writer and Jnanpith Award winner Amar Kant died
Hindi writer Amar Kant died due to ill health at his residence in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh on
17 February 2014. He was 89. His short stories and novels portray the common peoples life and often
his works were being compared with the legendary Prem Chand.
About Amar Kant
Kant was born in 1925 in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. Amarkant took active part in the Quit
India Movement of 1942.
Amar Kant prominent novels are Inhin Hathiyaron Se, Katili Raah Ke Phool, Sookha Patta, Kale
Ujle and Beech ki Deewar. Other story collections are Zindagi Aur Jonk, Desk Ke Log, Maut Ka
Nagar, Mitra Milan and Kuhasa.
Kant received the 45th Jnanpith Award in 2009 along with Shree Lal Shukla, Hindi satirist of
Raag Darbari fame.
He also won Sahitya Akademi Award in 2007. He won Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Inhi
Hathiyaron Se, a voluminous work set against the backdrop of Quit India Movement.
Kant also received Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan Award, Maithli Sharan Gupta Award and
Amarkant Keerti Samman from Madhya Pradesh government and Vyas Samman in 2009.
India and Bahrain signed Agreements to expand Cooperation in Key Areas
India and Bahrain on 19 February 2014 signed three agreements in New Delhi during the state
visit of Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Kingdom of Bahrain to India. The two sides signed the
agreements with a decision to expand their cooperation in key areas that includes trade and business.
The agreements were signed in the presence of Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India
and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Vice President released a book entitled Public Issues Before Parliament
Public Issues Before Parliament written by Vijay Darda
Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India on 19 February 2014 released a book entitled Public
Issues Before Parliament written by Vijay Darda at a function in New Delhi.
Public Issues Before Parliament
The book is a summarization of the significant contributions made by Vijay Darda during his
stint as a Member of Parliament. The book is dedicated to the common who considers Parliament as
an embodiment of his hopes and aspirations.

During the release of the book, the Vice President said that the now Parliament is becoming a
place of public agitation. He also opined that there cannot be an interchange between the venue of
agitation and venue of debate. This remark was made by him in the backdrop of the incident of use
of pepper spray in the Lok Sabha that took place in the third week of February 2014 and the scenes
witnessed in the state Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir.
About the writer Vijay J Darda
He is a politician from Indian National Congress party and is a Member of the Parliament of

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India representing Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha since 1998.

He is the chairman and editor-in-chief of the Marathi newspaper Lokmat.
Vijay J Darda was born on 14 May 1950
People are free to adopt children irrespective of religious background: SC
Supreme Court of India on 19 February 2014 ruled that people are free to adopt children irrespective of their religious background. This ruling of the Apex Court has paved the way for adoption of a
child by people hailing from Muslim community even though it is not allowed under their personal
law.
The decision was made by the three-Judge bench of Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice
of India, P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Shiva Kriti Singh. The bench held that
the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2006 is a small step towards the concept
of Uniform Civil Code mentioned in Article 44 of the Constitution of India.
The Court in its direction also said that the law has entitled adoption by people belonging to any
religion and any person, who does not submit himself to personal law can adopt a child.
The bench said the Act is an enabling legislation that gives a prospective parent the option of
adopting an eligible child by following due procedure. This judgment of Supreme Court came following a petition filed by activist Shabnam Hashmi 8 years ago after being refused a permission to
adopt.
Study found that Fertilization destabilizes Global Grassland Ecosystems
A new research study named Nutrient Network (NutNet) published in the third week of February
2014 says that use of fertilizers in farming and industries have destabilizing effects on global grassland ecosystems. The study was carried out by an international team of researchers and scientists
from Lancaster University and University of Minnesota, who found that the natural ecosystem creates more stable ecosystems overtime, because of less synchronized growth of pants.
The conclusion on the study was compiled, when the team was exploring the theory that whether
spread of fertilizer by farmers when coupled with the atmospheric nitrogen is brought back to the
ground through rainfall has an effect on the grassland. The team found destabilization of the natural
eco-system as a result.
The team discovered that the balance output of the ecological safety net on addition of fertilizer
was upset across diverse grassland as the various organisms in those disappeared. The team assessed the effect of fertilizer on 41 sites across 5 continents. The experimental network included
eco-systems from alpine areas of China to Serengeti in Tanzania.
This study was the first international experiment of this size with the use of naturally occurring
sites. This study was made possible following a grass-roots campaign named NutNet (Nutrient Network) and supported by scientists to carry out an ecology research. This study was published in the
international journal Nature.
Asteriod named 2000 EM26 with potential hazard raced past Earth
An asteroid named 2000 EM26 raced past the Earth at a distance of 3.4 million kilometer on 17
February 2014. The asteroid 2000 EM26 was tracked by the Slooh Space Camera atop the Mount
Teide in Canary Island, Spain.
The asteroid 2000 EM26 equal to the size of three football fields is 270 meters in diameter and is
moving at the speed of 12.37 kilometers per second.
The streaking of 2000 EM26 asteroid past the Earth took place one year after another asteroid
exploded over Chelyabinsk in Russia on 13 February 2013. The explosion of the asteroid had injured
1200 people and sent shock waves shattering windows and damaging buildings in Chelyabinsk.
The closest NEOs that moved quickly past Earth in our lifetimes was asteroid 2012 DA14 a 40000
ton space rock with 30meter diameter.
About Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM)
Tracking the asteroids or Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) has been a significant endeavour for NASA
and the astronomical community. So far 10731 known near- Earth objects have been discovered.
Towards this NASA is in the process of developing an Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). ARM will

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be the first ever mission to identify, capture and redirect an asteroid.

ARM plans to use capabilities of the new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket and
high-power solar electric propulsion to capture an asteroid in near future.
In developing ARM, NASA is assessing two concepts to robotically capture and redirect an asteroid mass into a stable orbit around the Moon.
In the first concept, NASA will capture and redirect an entire asteroid. In the other concept,
NASA will retrieve a large, boulder-like mass from a larger asteroid and return it to the lunar orbit.
In both the cases, astronauts aboard an Orion spacecraft will then study the redirected asteroid
mass in the vicinity of the Moon and bring back samples.
Facebook acquired WhatsApp for 19 billion dollar
Social media giant Facebook Inc acquired WhatsApp for 19 billion dollars in a cash and stock deal
on 19 February 2014. Whatsapp is a mobile messaging company.
Under the Agreement
WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook Board of Directors.
Also, the acquisition will not impact the WhatsApp's brand, which will be maintained and the
company's headquarters will remain in California's Mountain View.
WhatsApp's core messaging product and Facebook's existing messenger app will continue to operate as standalone applications.
The acquisition price included 4 billion dollars in cash, about 12 billion dollars worth of Facebook
shares and 3 billion dollars in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp's founders and employees.
The deal would give WhatsApp the flexibility to grow and expand and noted that users of the
service will not experience any change in usage.
About WhatsApp
WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange
messages without having to pay for SMS.
Jan Koum co-founded WhatsApp with Brian Acton in 2009, both former Yahoo executives.
MGI released the report From Poverty to Empowerment
McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) released the report titled From Poverty to Empowerment: India's
imperative for jobs, growth and effective basic services on 19 February 2014. The report praising the
reduction in poverty in India from 45% in 1994 to 22% in 2014 has suggested for creating a new
national vision for economically empowering the people living in poverty.
For realizing the vision, McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) has created the Empowerment Line.
The Empowerment Line is an analytical framework that determines the level of consumption required to fulfill eight basic needsfood, energy, housing, drinking water, sanitation, health care,
education, and social securityat a level sufficient to achieve a decent standard of living rather
than bare subsistence.
The Main highlights of the report based on Empowerment Line
In 2012, 56 percent of the population lacked the means to meet essential needs that is, some
680 million Indians experienced deprivation.
The Empowerment Gap, or the additional consumption required to bring these 680 million
people to the level of the Empowerment Line, is seven times higher than the cost of eliminating
poverty as defined by the official poverty line.
Indian households, on average, lack access to 46 percent of the basic services they need, and
it identifies wide geographic disparities in the availability of social infrastructure.
Job creation and productivity gains have historically been the most powerful forces for improving living standardsand India is in need of deep reforms that can encourage businesses to invest,
scale up, and hire.
In 2022 more than one-third of the population will remain below the Empowerment Line and
that 12 percent will remain trapped in extreme poverty if no major reforms are undertaken.
MGIs research outlines a more ambitious yet economically sound path of inclusive reforms,
which could lift 580 million people above the Empowerment Line by 2022, while virtually eliminating
extreme poverty.

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In this regard the report has outlined four key priorities

Accelerating job creation
India needs to add 115 million new non-farm jobs over the next decade to accommodate a growing population and reduce agricultures overall share in employment.
Raising farm productivity.
Increasing investment in agricultural infrastructure and implementing reforms to improve
market access, rationalize price supports, expand the adoption of new technologies, and streamline
agricultural administration and extension services can help to achieve annual yield growth of 5.5
percent. This would bring Indias yields into line with those in other emerging Asian countries by
2022.
Increasing public spending on basic services
To fill the most critical gaps, public spending on basic services would need to grow in real terms
by about 6.7 percent annually through 2022.
The fiscal resources will be available if India can achieve faster GDP growth. The share allocated
to health care, water, and sanitation, however, needs to double.
Making basic services more effective
Half of Indias current public spending on basic services does not translate into improved outcomes for the poor. By 2022, however, that spending can become 50 percent more effective if the
nation as a whole matches the standards already set by the best-performing states.
Some of the most promising strategies include forming partnerships with the private and social
sectors, mobilizing community participation, and using technology to streamline and monitor operations.
About McKinsey Global Institute
The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the business and economics research arm of McKinsey,
was established in 1990 to develop a deeper understanding of the evolving global economy. Our goal
is to provide leaders in the commercial, public, and social sectors with the facts and insights on
which to base management and policy decisions.
Wharton India Economic Forum to be held in Pennsylvania
The 18th Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) will be held on 22 February 2014 at Philadelphia
in Pennsylvania, USA. WIEF is an annual student-run India-focused conference hosted by the Wharton
School of the University of Pennsylvania.
The theme for WIEF 2014 is India: Time to Reboot.
The conference will bring together business and political leaders, professionals, academics and
students from around the world to discuss India's evolution into a global economic power.
The WIEF conference started in 1996. WIEF has not only been the leading business forum focused on India in the United States, but is also one of the largest and most prestigious in the world.
It is attended by over 500 people annually, and features renowned speakers who are at the forefront
of Indias economic and business growth and development.
Khajuraho Dance Festival began at Khajuraho in MP
The World famous Khajuraho Dance Festival began at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh on 20 February 2014. The Dance Festival will be celebrated from 20 to 26 February 2014.
The aim of the Khajuraho Dance Festival is to promote cultural heritage and traditional dances
of India. The Dance festival is organized by the Kala Parishad under the Madhya Pradesh government.
Live performances of classical dances like Kathak (Uttar Pradesh), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh),
Odissi (Odisha), Bharatnatyam (Tamil Nadu), Manipuri (Manipur) and Mohniattam (Kerala) will be
the major attractions.
About Khajuraho
The Khajuraho in Chattarpur district of MP is famous for its group of temples that were built
during the Chandela Dynasty between 950 AD and 1150 AD and famous for its archaeological excellence.
Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic
sculptures.
In 1986 UNESCO designated the group of Khajuraho temples as a world heritage site.
Telengana Bill passed in Lok Sabha

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The Telengana bill dividing Andhra Pradesh was passed in the Lok Sabha on 18 February 2014.
The Lok Sabha passed the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Bill 2014 that aims to create the 29th
State of India.
The Bill saw the light of the day in the Lok Sabha due to support from the main opposition party
in the Lok Sabha Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Moving the bill for consideration and passage, the Centre announced that the Union Government will give special financial package to Seemandhra, residual part of Andhra Pradesh, to address
the grievances of the people of Seemandhra region.
WB and UNICEF launched campaign about safe drinking water and Sanitation
West Bengal government and United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) launched a campaign on
20 February 2014 to educate people about safe drinking water and safe sanitation practices.
The campaign is meant to generate demand for improved water supply in unreached habitations
and gradually provide access to piped water supply for all by 2020. The week-long campaign will be
observed from 20 to25 February across all the districts, blocks and gram panchayats.
Various entertainment activities like street play, magic show, puppet show, motivational songs,
skits performances by local artists etc will be orgainsed during Gram Mela in each block to educated
people.
Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services, coupled with poor hygiene practices,
kills and sickens thousands of children every day, and leads to impoverishment and diminished
opportunities for thousands more.
21-FEB-2014
Cabinet approved Odia as Classical Language
Union Cabinet on 20 February 2014 gave its nod for classifying Odia, the official language of
Odisha as a classical language to give impetus to scholarships in the language. Odia is the first
language from the Indo-Aryan linguistic group to be billed in the list of classical language. The
proposal to give Odia a status of classical language was moved by the Culture Ministry. As per the
eighth schedule under Articles 344 (1) and 351 Odia (Oriya) of Constitution of India is one of the 22
scheduled languages of India.
The demand of classifying Odia as a classical language was the demand of the state government
since 2004, which was accepted by the Sahitya Akademi in July 2013 and then was forwarded to the
Union Ministry of Culture.The Odisha Government submitted a document with a demand of classical tag on its official language was prepared under the supervision of founder director of the Central
Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore, Debiprasanna Pattanayak and researcher Subrat Kumar
Prusty.
Odia being one of the oldest languages has been declared as classical language because of the
demands and also because it has no resemblance to Hindi, Bengali, Telugu and Sanskrit.
Odia is the sixth language to be become the classical language of the country. Other five Indian
languages that have been declared as the classical languages of which four are Dravidian languages
Tamil was classified in 2004
Sanskrit was classified in 2005
Telugu was classified in 2008
Kannada was classified in 2008
Malayalam was classified in 2013
The five international languages of the world that has been classified as the classical language
are Chinese, Sanskrit, Arabic, Greek and Latin.
Background
Once any language is declared as a classical language then it gets a financial assistance to setup a centre for excellence for the study of the language and also opens up an avenue for two major
awards for scholars of eminence.
This declaration also brings the facility to request the University Grants Commission for creation of a certain number of professional chairs for classical languages for scholars of eminence in
the language at least in Central Universities.

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Expert Committee of Sahitya Akademi in 2004 mentioned four Criteria on which the language is
classified as a classical language
High antiquity of its early or ancient texts or literature of recorded history over a period of 1500
to 2000 years
Originality of the literary tradition and an assurance that the language has not been borrowed
from another speech community
Considered as the valuable heritage in form of ancient literature/texts by generations of speaker
Distinction of the literature and classical language from the modern and may not be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its branch
Sri Lankan Parliament passed a law that makes mandatory graphic warning on Cigarette
packs
Sri Lankan Parliament on 19 February 2014 passed a law that made it mandatory to put graphic
warning on cigarette packs.
The three regulations are presented under the provisions of the National Authority on Tobacco
and Alcohol Act, which was passed in January 2014 to discourage smoking.
The regulation says that pictorial warnings should be printed on the surface of both front and
back portions of every cigarette packet, package or carton containing cigarettes covering 80 percent
of the pack, package or cartoon.
The regulations also made it mandatory to specify health warnings on the packs and includes
Smoking makes children ill, Smoking causes heart diseases, Smoking causes cancer and Smoking
causes sexual impotence mandatory.
The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control declared graphic warnings on cigarette packs in 2011 both to educate and scare the smokers to give up the habit of smoking.
Following international treaty of WHO, Sri Lanka and Ukraine joined the group of countries that
has announced implementation of graphic warning labels to be required on all cigarette packs sold
in those countries in 2012.
India called for comprehensive institutional & structural reforms in SAARC: Salman Khurshid
India on 20 February 2014 called on for comprehensive institutional and structural reforms in
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Salman Khurshid, the Union Foreign Minister at the 35th meet of the Foreign Ministers at
Bandos Island Resort in Maldives emphasized that there is a need for clearly defining the relations
between SAARC and the observer nations.
There are nine observer countries to the SAARC and includes
Australia
China
The European Union
Iran
Japan
South Korea
Mauritius
Myanmar
US
On the sidelines of the SAARC meet Salman Khurshid also met Sartaj Aziz, the Foreign Minister
of Pakistan.
As per the proposal of Nepal the 18th SAARC Summit will be held in Kathmandu in November
2014 if a final decision will be made on the proposal.
About South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
SAARC is n economic and geopolitical cooperation and have eight member nations, which primarily are located primarily in South Asian Continent. It is headquartered in Kathmandu in Nepal.
The idea of regional political and economical cooperation in South Asia was first coined in 1980 and
the first summit was held in Dhaka on 8 December in 1985 that led to its official establishment.
Member nations of SAARC
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Nepal
Pakistan

India
Sri Lanka

Maldives
Afghanistan

Online Shopping Portal for authentic Tribal Products launched

The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs on 20 February 2014 launched an online shopping portal for
sale of authentic tribal products that will seek to create a niche market for indigenous artisans. The

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Portal was launched by Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Raj V Kishore Chandra Deo.
The e-Commerce Portal will feature 69 tribal products like textiles, metal artifacts and Jewellery.
Products that will be available on the portal will include
Shawls, stoles and mufflers in Angora, Sheep wool and Pashmina from states like Orissa and
Assam
Paintings from four states
Metal artifacts and jewellery from states like Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland
With the launch of this portal the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India
Limited (TRIFED) also aims to provide branding, source certification and developing standards for
products
Initially, the portal will be open for Indian shoppers only and it will be made available for the
international buyers later. The products that will be available on the portal carry detailed write-ups
on the portal.
India successfully test-fired Akash missile from ITR Complex in Chandipur
India on 21 February 2014 successfully test-fired indigenously developed surface-to-air Akash
Missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) launch complex-3 at Chandipur in Odisha coast.
Akash Missile
The missile that was launched targeted a floating object that was supported by Pilotless Target
Aircraft (PTA) Lakshya. The intercepting floating object PTA Lakshya aircraft was flown from launch
complex-2 at a definite altitude over the sea.
Trial session of Akash was conducted last time on 6 June 2012 from the same base and it is
possible that some more trials will be conducted within next couple of days.
Akash Missile
About Akash Missile
The Akash (sky) is an all-weather medium-range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system developed
in India. It provides multidirectional and multi-target area defence. The missile system was indigenously developed as part of the integrated guided-missile development programme (IGMDP). In operation from 1983 to 2007, the programme developed a range of missiles, including the Nag, Agni
and Trishul missiles and the Prithvi ballistic missile.
The strike range of Akash is 30 Kilometer and it has the capability of targeting a aircraft in the
range
It can carry warhead of 50 kilogram and is packed with a battery that can track and attack
several targets simultaneously. Each Akash battery includes four 3D passive electronically scanned
array (PESA) radars and four self-propelled launchers with three missiles each, all of which are
interconnected. It also has battery level radar known as the Rajendra radar and a battery control
centre. It can track and attack multiple targets concurrently. A self-destructive device is also integrated into the missile.
It also has the capability of to neutralise aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles and airto surface missiles
Experts of defence compare Akash with the American MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile
system.
Akash Missile
Features of the mid-range surface-to-air missile system
The system features a launcher, a missile, a control centre, an integral mission guidance system, a multifunctional fire control radar, a system arming and explosion mechanism, a digital autopilot, C4I (command, control communication and intelligence) centres and supporting ground equipment.
The Group Control Centre (GCC) acts as command and control headquarters for the SAM system.
100 tons of radioactive water leaked at Fukushima Power Plant
100 metric tons of radioactive water leaked from a holding tank at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power plant on 20 February 2014.
The leak of an estimated 100 metric tons of highly contaminated water was discovered by Tokyo

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Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

The water leak was highly radioactive with a reading of 230 million becquerels per litre of radioactive isotopes. A becquerel is a unit used to measure radioactivity. WHO guidance advises against
drinking water with radioactivity levels higher than 10 becquerels per litre.
The level is about 7.6 million times the governments limit for water allowed to be released into
the ocean.
The leak, according to TEPCO, might have been caused by a faulty valve in the pipes that transfers water from a decontamination facility to storage tanks.
However, the contaminated water had not reached the Pacific Ocean because the tank is located
several hundred metres away from the sea and there are no spillways near the tank.
The Fukushima nuclear plant was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011 faced multiple problems including leaks and power cuts since the disaster.
Since the incidence, TEPCO has been storing the enormous volumes of water contaminated at
the site in a steadily growing collection of containers.
According to TEPCO, as many as 20 trillion becquerels of cesium-137, 10 trillion becquerels of
strontium-90 and 40 trillion becquerels of tritium have found their way into the sea by way of groundwater leaks between May 2011 and August 2013.
CCEA approved National Mission for Green India
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a National Mission for a Green
India on 20 February 2014. The Green India Mission (GIM) aims to improve and increase Indias
diminishing forest cover.
The GIM scheme envisages a total cost of 46000 crore rupees over the next 10 years. The GIM is
one of eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
The mission has following objectives:
To increase forest cover on 5 million hectares (ha) of forest/non-forest land.
To improve the quality of forest cover on another 5 million hectare.
To enhance annual CO2 sequestration.
To improve the livelihoods of about 3 million households living in and around forest areas.
To respond to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures.
To improve entire ecosystem and increase forest-based livelihood income for 30 lakh forest
dependent households.
The GIM will be converged with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act, Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), and National Afforestation Programme.
Funding for the GIM will come from the Plan outlay. The Union government will provide 90 percent of the funds for implementing the scheme in the north-eastern states, and 75 percent of the
funds for other states. State governments will meet the balance requirement.
The mission will involve grassroots-level organizations including gram sabhas (village councils)
and joint forest management committees (JFMCs). A governing council chaired by the environment
minister and a national executive council chaired by the environment secretary at the national
level will facilitate implementation of the mission.
NRI Dr. Hemant Thatte developed SOMAH Solution to preserve organs
NRI Dr. Hemant Thatte developed a 21-chemical solution named SOMAH Solution on 20 February 2014. The solution could preserve a donated organ for up to a week before a transplant. SOMAH
Solution in Sanskrit means elixir of immortality.
In studies conducted on pigs, the solution has been found to be effective in preserving tissues for
up to a week. The study on pigs showed that the hearts stored in SOMAH solution for 24 hours can be
resuscitated without medicines as against other solutions that allow for only four hours. That is,
with the help of SOMAH, the process of deterioration can be slowed down. So, it can be used for long

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distance transportation.
The biggest advantage of SOMAH is that it can be used at room temperatures. If an organ can be
maintained in the same energy status it was used to before being retrieved, the organ is in a better
state when transplanted. It can get into rhythm sooner.
At present, hearts and lungs need to be transplanted within 4-6 hours of being recovered from a
brain-dead donor, the liver within eight hours and kidneys within a little more than 24 hours. Moreover, the available organs cannot be transported long-distance for transplant and have to be made
available locally.
Dr. Hemant Thatte is a senior cardiovascular surgeon at Harvard University who was born in
Dadar and raised in Pune. Dr Thatte has worked in Harvard for more than two decades. Over a
decade ago, he synthesized a solution called GALA that could preserve blood vessels used as bypass
channels during heart surgeries. GALA is in use across the US and France.
IMF projected 5.4 percent economic growth for India in 2014-15
International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 20 February 2014 released its annual report on the state of
the Indian economy and projected that Indias economic growth for 2014-15 will be 5.4 percent. In its
release it said that India has restored macroeconomic and financial stability but structural impediments to growth and persistently high inflation is the major areas of concern. It has also suggested
India to strengthen its inflation management policies and do away with supply bottlenecks for better
GDP.
In its forecast, IMF (multilateral agency) said that inflation driven food prices seems to remain
near double digits in 2014-15. It also said that the tight monetary policy would slow the growth
recovery. In its forecast for the fiscal year 2013-14, it projected that Indias growth will be 4.6 percent
and will pick up to 5.4 percent in 2014-15 at factor cost. These projections of India were a conclusion
of its annual discussions with India.
Indias National Food Security Act has been described by IMF as landmark legislation which will
ensure that a majority of population of the country will have access to adequate quantities of food at
affordable prices. IMF also said that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) could push up due to weaker
rupees and ongoing energy price increases.
To tackle price rise, IMF has asked the high Inflation countries of G20 nations like India to
strengthen their fiscal and monetary policy framework. For G20 countries, IMF has also asked to
better their supply infrastructure, which will help in doing away bottlenecks to achieve faster growth
poverty reduction and job creation.
The G20 leaders meet will start in Sydney on 22 February 2014.
Earlier on 17 February 2014, the Union Finance Minister of India, P Chidambaram in his interim budget projected that the economy will pick up and the objective of 6 percent growth is doable
in the fiscal year 2014-15. RBI appointed committee has also suggested focus of the central bank
should be towards CPI inflation and its recommendation it has asked to bring down the CPI inflation
to 8 percent in 2014-15 and to 6 percent by 2016.
About the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 188 countries and is working to
foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote
high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world. It is headquartered in Washington, US. The IMF has played a part in shaping the global economy since the end
of World War II.
India Economic Growth projected to be 4.5 percent by IMF
Indias Economy to grow by 4.9 percent in 2013-14: CSO
India ranked lowest in International Intellectual Property Index
Economic growth for 2012-13 lowered to 4.5 percent from 5 percent estimated earlier
ASI & Google jointly launched the 360 degree online view of Indian heritage sites
Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) joined hands with the Google to launch the 360 degree online
view of the Indian heritage sites on 20 February 2014.

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The aim is to create a dynamic, immersive online experience by which people within India and
around the world can understand and engage more of India's diverse cultural heritage.
Under the first part of the project, a total of 30 heritage sites from across the nation have been
mapped using the Street View Trekker of Google. Under the Street View Trekker a person gets a
step by step walk around virtual tour of the place.
The Indian heritage sites that have been mapped include the likes of Taj Mahal, Raigad Fort,
Nagarjuna Konda Buddhist Stupas, Fatehpur Sikri, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, Red Fort, Aga
Khan Palace, Agra Fort and more.
The 30 monuments will also be now available to viewers on GoogleMaps and on the World Wonders site, part of Google Cultural Institute.
In October 2013, Google had announced its project to capture the panoramic of 100 Indian Heritage sites with Union Ministry of Culture and ASI. In pursuance of the signed agreement with ASI
and Union Culture Ministry, Google created a virtual walkthrough application using its Street View
Trekker technology for the first time in India.

About Street View Trekker Technology

The Street View Trekker technology was introduced in 2012, which is a Street View camera
platform, with 15 cameras on board that capture a 360-degree view of the area around. It is mounted
on a wearable backpack and the total unit weighs around 20 kilograms. The operator walks through
pedestrian routes and is designed to reach places that can be accessed by foot.
P V Sindhu ranked 9th in BWF womens Singles ranking
P V Sindhu was ranked ninth in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) womens singles ranking
on 20 February 2014. Sindhu moved to ninth with 55752 points from the eleventh just one place
behind the Sania Nehwal (rank 7th).
Sindhu, 18 reached the finals of Syed Modi International before winning the All India Open
Senior Ranking in Kochi. Sindhu is just 3928 points behind the Olympic bronze medalist, Saina
Nehwal.
Sindhu and Saina will be playing the All England Open Championships from 4 to 9 March 2014 in
Birmingham, England.
Parupalli Kashyap was ranked 18th place and Sourabh Verma reached the 41st rank in the BWF
mens singles ranking.
The top ten ranks of BWF womens Singles
Ranking
Names
Country
1
Li Xuerui
China
2
Wang Yihan
China
3
Intanon
Thailand
4
Wang Shixian
China
5
Sung Ji Hyun
South Korea
6
Bae Yeon Ju
South Korea
7
Saina Nehwal
India
8
Tai Tzu Ying
Taiwan
9
P V Sindhu
India
10
Porntip Buranaprasertsuk Thailand
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched three indigenous kits
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad launched three indigenous kits
in Hyderabad on 20 February 2014. These were developed by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN)
of Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR).
The technologies include three different kits for
PCR-based Pathogen Detection Kit for detection of food borne pathogens
ELISA-based Serum Ferritin Estimation Kit for diagnosing iron deficiency anaemia
Dried Blood Spot (DBS) Collection Kit for diagnosing Vitamin-A deficiency
PCR-based Pathogen Detection Kit
Detects deadly bacteria in food and water

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 Rapid, sensitive, specific and cost-effective

Saves time, money and labour considerably
ELISA-based Serum Ferritin Estimation Kit
Useful in screening iron status in the population and its bio-availability in fortified foods and
other pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals
A major breakthrough for monitoring iron deficiency anaemia control programmes
Accurate, cost-effective and convenient as compared to other commercial kits available
Beneficial for patients who require repeated blood transfusion
Dried Blood Spot (DBS) Collection Kit
Field-friendly method fir blood sample collection and transportation
Helpful in screening population in remote areas for sub-clinical vitamin-A deficiency
Reduces the inconvenience to children
Proven method for prevention of blindness and several other conditions
These three kits are accurate, cost-effective and user-friendly. These will enable the early detection of nutritional deficiencies and timely intervention.
About ICMR
ICMR is the fulcrum of Department of Health Research (DHR). DHR is a new department under
the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It encourages the innovations and takes it to the
people.
ICMR has launched 4 technologies during the last 6 months
Indigenous vaccine for Japanese encephalitis
Indigenous test kit for molecular diagnosis of Thalassemia
Magnivisualizer, a device for cervical cancer screening
Glucose monitoring devices and strips for detection of diabetes
Union Cabinet approved the setting up Equal Opportunities Commission
Union Cabinet approved the setting up of an Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) on 20 February 2014. The proposal for EOC was made by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs on the recommendations of the Justice Sachar Committee on Social, Economic and Educational Status of Muslim
Community in India.
The Equal Opportunities Commission will address the grievances of people from the minority
communities when minorities are discriminated against by government agencies. Its role is advisory in nature and will have no jurisdiction over private agencies.
EOC is a three-member body and will be headed by a retired judge of the High Court. It will not
have any powers to impose penalties.
About Sanchar Committee
Justice Sachar Committee on the social, economic and educational status of the Muslim community of India was formed in March 2005.
The Committee in its report submitted in 2006 noted that though Muslims constituted 18.5
percent of the population and their representation in bureaucracy was just about 2.5 percent.
The Sachar Committee held that mechanisms like the National Commission for Minorities
and the National Human Rights Commission cannot look into day-to-day complaints against nonstate agencies. So Sachar Committee recommended for an Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC).
Sachar Committee recommended EOC for all people.
International Mother Language Day observed across the world on 21 February 2014
21 February: International Mother Language Day
International Mother Language Day (Bhasha Divas) was observed across the world, with Bangladesh
leading on 21 February 2014. This day is observed with an aim to promote awareness of linguistic,
multilingualism and cultural diversity.
International Mother Language Day was announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999 and was
formally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution establishing 2008 as
the International Year of Languages.

It celebrates cultural diversity and commemorates the language martyr students of 1952
Bangladesh. In 1952 four students were killed on 21 February 1952 because they campaigned to

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officially use Bengali as their mother language in Bangladesh instead of Urdu. These students are
honored by the encouragement of multiculturalism and the promotion of protective measures for
endangered languages.
Current International Mother Language Day events include multicultural festivals which promote the hearing of all voices, and display social cohesion, cultural awareness, and tolerance. The
unique nuances and subtleties of linguistic communication which connect individuals to culture
and personal identity are valued and encouraged.
This day is being celebrated since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and
multilingualism. UNESCO highlights the importance of mother tongue as part of the right to education and encourages its member states to promote instruction and education in the mother tongue.
UNESCO promotes mother tongue-based bilingual or multilingual approaches in education - an
important factor for inclusion and quality in education. Research shows this has a positive impact
on learning and learning outcomes. The Organization provides normative frameworks for language
policy and education and shares good practices in bilingual and multilingual education and mother
tongue instruction.
IRCTC launched E-wallet Scheme to make payment process fast
Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) launched E-Wallet Scheme in the
second week of February 2014. The scheme was launched to make payment process fast and to
reduce transaction failures due to bank payment related problems.
Under the scheme, user can deposit money in advance with IRCTC and the money can be used
as payment option along with other payment options available on IRCTC website for the payment at
the time of booking tickets.
Names of all the passengers booked on a fully waitlisted e-ticket are dropped at the time of
preparation of reservation charts and fare is refunded automatically.
In this regard, there is no difference between e-tickets booked through E-wallet scheme or those
booked through other payment options available on website www.irctc.co.in.
The scheme is available only for PAN verified users.
Cambridge University to release a book titled The Meaning of Success: Insights from Wome
Cambridge University planned to release a book called The Meaning of Success: Insights from
Women on 5 March 2014.
The book aims to devise steps that need to be taken by the Cambridge University so that women
are not disadvantaged in academic appointments and promotions.
The women covered in the book includes world-leading academics to more junior academic and
administrative staff. In the book they have talked openly and honestly about their achievements,
sacrifices, highs and lows.
The book provides the opportunity to reflect on how success of a woman is recognized and rewarded.
Cambridge is facing an acute shortage of female professors making senior members call for a
debate on gender progression within the higher education sector.
Data provided by the Higher Education Statistics Agency reveal that there are four male professors for every female professor in UK universities despite women accounting for 45 percent of the UK
academic workforce.
More than 50 Cambridge staff among them heads of colleges and departments appeal for a
broader and more inclusive approach to academic appointments and promotions so that talented
women stand a better chance of progressing to senior positions.
Union Cabinet approved Coal Regulatory Authority
The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of Coal Regulatory Authority (CRA) on 20 February
2014. The proposal for setting up CRA was made by the Union Coal Ministry.

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The regulator is a non-statutory entity. Its orders will be advisory and not mandatory in nature.
It will be empowered to specify the principles and methodology to determine the price of raw and
washed coal and any other by-product generated during washing.
The regulator will not have the power to decide the price in the domestic market, and Coal India
will continue to enjoy its freedom to set the rates. The regulator will also have no say in the allocation of coal acreages.
It will not have the power and functions that are vested with the Coal Controller under the
present law. Powers, such as the settlement of disputes over quality, will be transferred to the regulator once the bill is passed.
However, it will regulate testing methods to declare grades or quality, specify the procedure for
automatic sampling and adjudicate upon disputes. It will also monitor the closure of mines and the
approval of mining plans.
The regulatory authority will go a long way in cleaning up the muck that has accumulated in this
sector. This will make the sector competitive and increase private participation.
United Bank of India CMD Archana Bhargava resigned
Archana Bhargava, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Kolkata-based United
Bank of India (UBI) resigned on 21 February 2014.
Union Finance Ministry accepted the application for a voluntary retirement of Archana Bhargava.
Her term was to end in February 2015.
Ms. Archana S. Bhargava joined as CMD of United Bank of India on 24 April 2013. Prior to this,
Ms. Bhargava served as a General Manager of Punjab National Bank, which she joined in 1977.
Union Finance Ministry has decided that two executive directors would jointly run the bank till a
new incumbent took over.
At a time when the entire Indian banking system is stressed, UBI is no odd man out. The banks
total income during the quarter was 2986 crore rupees while its interest earning stood at 2765.5
crore rupees.
UBI is the lead bank in four eastern and north eastern states. It is among the biggest lenders to
the tea industry. It also has exposure in some big industries in the iron and steel sector.
Mahila Bank signed three health insurance Pacts with New India
Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) signed Pact with New India Assurance Company on 21 February
2014. The pact aims to deliver three unique innovative health insurance policies for women account holders of the bank. The policies named as BMB-Sakhee, BMB-Nirbhaya and BMB-Parivar
Suraksha.
The policies will provide customised health insurance package for women. This was the first
launch of women centric insurance policies.
The policies are:
The BMB-Sakhee aimed at rural women and those in the unorganised sector. It will offer a
cover up to 50000 rupees a year.
The Nirbhaya scheme aimed particularly for working women. It offer cover limit up to 5 lakh
rupees. It will include insurance for accidental situations unique to women.
The BMB-Parivar Suraksha aimed to cover the family of the woman account holder of the
bank.
All the three policies cover all women whether in the unorganised sector with no maternity
benefits, or working and even their families.
All the three products would be available soon on the portals of the branches of the bank and
mobile applications as part of the women empowerment process.

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Bharatiya Mahila Bank launched by Prime Minister of India

Bezbaruah Committee Constituted for the protection of rights of North Eastern people
A committee was constituted under the chairmanship of M.P. Bezbaruah on 21 February 2014.
The committee was constituted to look into the various kinds of concerns of the persons hailing from
the North Eastern States.
The committee was constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. M.P.Bezbaruah is a Member of North Eastern Council.
The Committee will look upon the issues as follows: To examine the various kinds of concerns, including the concerns regarding security, of the
persons hailing from the North Eastern States.
To examine the causes behind the attacks/violence and discrimination against the people
from the North-Eastern States.
To suggest measures to be taken by the Government to address these concerns.
To suggest legal remedies to address all the concerns.
The committee will interact with the students/professionals, NGOs, students organizations and
other persons from the North Eastern States living in Delhi to seek their suggestions.
Whistleblower Protection Bill passed by Union Legislature
Whistleblower Protection Bill was passed by Union Legislature on 21 February 2014.
The bill aims to provide a regular mechanism to encourage persons to disclose information on
corruption or willful misuse of power by public servants and ministers.
The Whistleblower Bill 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.
The bill seeks 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 was passed by Lok Sabha in 2011 and was taken up by the Rajya Sabha in 2012 for
consideration.
Rajya Sabha made two new proposals in the bill.
First, the definition of disclosure was amended to include wilful misuse of power or wilful misuse
of discretion which leads to demonstrable loss to the government or demonstrable gain to the public
servant or any third party.
Second, the definition of competent authority to which a complaint can be made has also been
expanded.
Oldest M.P. Rishang Keishing retired after serving seven decades
Rishang Keishing the oldest Parliamentarian of India decided to retire on 21 February 2014. He
is 94.
He joined politics as the member of the first Lok Sabha in 1952 after being elected from Socialist
Party. He had served the nation for seven decades. He joined Congress in 1962.
The present term of Rishang Keishing of Rajya Sabha is due to ends in April 2014.
Till now, he had served as four time Chief Minister of Manipur, two tenure in Rajya Sabha and
two tenures in Lok Sabha.
Keishing is a former school teacher. He hails from Naga- dominated Ukhrul district.

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Few serving oldest parliamentarian:

Ram Sundar Das (92), JD(U) MP from Hajipur, Bihar
Kailash Joshi (84), BJP MP from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Jai Narain Prasad Nishad (83), JD(U) MP from Muzaffarpur, Bihar
Shafiqur Rahman Barq (83), BSP MP from Sambhal
Sukhdev Singh Libra (81), Congress MP from Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab
24-FEB-2014
Cheteshwar Pujara named as brand ambassador of Gujarat Election Commission
Cheteshwar Pujara, the middle order batsman of Indian cricket team on 20 February 2014 was
appointed as the brand ambassador of the Gujarat State Election Commission.
Pujaras name, which has been accepted by the Election Commission of India was sent as a
suggestion to it by Rajendra Kumar, the district collector of Rajkot district. His name was suggested
as he is popular among the cricket lovers and youth of the sate and he would appeal the people to
caste their votes in the general elections.
Oleksandr Turchynov appointed as interim President of Ukraine
Oleksandr Turchynov, the Speaker of Ukraine was named as the interim President of the country on 23 February 2014. Earlier, the Parliament on 22 February 2014 impeached (dismissed) the
President Viktor Yanukovych and he was toppled after he rejected an EU-Ukraine trade pact.
This rejection of the trade-pact with EU triggered protests against him and Independence Square
acted as the epicenter of the 3-months-long anti-government protests. During the protests about 80
lives were lost in the clashes between the police and the protesters since 18 February 2014.
This appointment of Turchynov as the interim President has also paved a way to form a new
unity government as the Parliament took a decision to form an-inter-party commission, which will
try to form a new national unity government. The interim President said that now Ukraine will reopen talks with the European Union about closer links.

Other important decisions taken by the Parliament are

The former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was set free from the jail, which was one of the
condictions of the EU-Ukraine trade Pact and was rejected by Yanukovych in 2013. Yulia is considered as the fiery princess of the 2004 Orange Revolution which was a series of protests and political
events of Ukraine
Dismissal of the Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara and Education Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk
Arrest warrants were issued on the name of the former Incomes Minister Olekssandr Klimenko
and former Prosecutor-General Viktor Pshonka
Official status of Russian language was lowered by declaring null and void by the Parliament by
cancelling the 2012 law brought in by Yanukovych and that approved the of Russian language in
Courts, Schools and other government institutions in areas that had more than 10 percent of Russian-speakers
Seizure of luxury estate near Kiev of the ousted President Yankovych by the Parliament
Matteo Renzi sworn-in as PM of Italy
Matteo Renzi on 22 February 2014 sworn-in as Italys Prime Minister replacing Enrico Letta, who
resigned from the office on 14 February 2014. Apart from this a new cabinet of 16 ministers also took
the sworn of their offices at the Presidential palace in Rome.
Renzi, 39 is the Italys youngest Prime Minister and he is the third prime minister to reach
office without winning an election. Renzi belongs to the Democratic Party, who was the former mayor
of the Florence.
The Renzis 16-member cabinet is the smallest cabinet of the country. This cabinet is also the
youngest one with an average age of 48. Half of the cabinet ministers are women in Italian history.
Italys new Finance Minister is Pier Carlo Padoan who is a deputy secretary-general and chief
economist of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Radioactive water leaked at Fukushima Plant

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Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) on 20 February 2014 said that around 100 tonnes of
highly radioactive water have leaked from a storage tank at Japans Fukushima nuclear plant. The
leakage of the highly contaminated water was discovered on 19 February 2014 and it happened after
a valve was left open.
This is the latest leak reported at the Fukushima Plant that has seen huge volumes of radioactive water since 2011 quake-tsunami disaster. This leak of the contaminated water will affect waters across the pacific in the foreseeable future.
During the incident of earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 crippled the plant in which the
cooling systems for the reactors were knocked by the waves leading to meltdowns at three of them.
High Levels of Toxic Radioactive Isotope Found in Fukushima Nuclear Plant Groundwater
India and Canada signed three MoUs
India and Canada on 24 February 2014 signed three MoUs for cooperation in health sector, audio-visual co-production and skill development. At present David Johnston, the Governor General of
Canada is on a nine day visit (22 February 2014 to 2 March 2014) to India and this visit is the first by
a Canadian Governor General since 1998.
These MoUs were signed after talks between Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India and
David Johnston in New Delhi.
Features of the three MoUs
The MoU between the Department of Biotechnology and Grand Challenges Canada would address the global health challenges especially women and child healthcare
The audio-visual cooperation MoU is aimed at co-production in the field of film and Television.
This MoU will enable Indian and Canadian film producers to utilize a platform for collaboration on
various facets of film making. The agreement is expected to deepen the engagement between the
critical sectors of the film industries of both countries there by, providing a new chapter of collaboration. This agreement was signed by the Secretary Information and Broadcasting, Bimal Julka and
Stewart Beck, High Commissioner of Canada to India.
Under the MoU on skill development, the two organisations namely National Skill Development
Corporation and Association of Canadian Community College for Skill Development will facilitate
exchange and learning
Other similar agreements in the field of audio-visual co-production signed by Indian government
are
In 2005 signed an agreement with Italian government
In 2005, the Indian government also signed similar agreements with Government of United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
In 2007 it signed an agreement with Germany and Brazil
In 2010 with France
In 2011 with New Zealand
In 2012 with Poland and Spain
Delhi Waveriders won the 2nd edition of Hockey India League cup 2014
Delhi Waveriders on 23 February 2014 emerged as the champions of the Hero Hockey India
League 2014 after defeating Jaypee Punjab Warriors at Astroturf Hocket Stadium in Ranchi. In the
final match of the tournament, Delhi scored 3-1 against Punjab in the shoot-out after the regulation
70 minutes game ended in a 3-3 tie.
With this win, the Delhi team was handed over a trophy and a cash prize of 2.5 crore rupees and
the runner ups were given a sum of 1.25 crore rupees. Apart from the two teams, Ranchi Rhinos was
awarded with a sum of 75 lakh rupees for finishing at third position in the tournament. To stay at
the third place, Ranchi team defeated Uttar Pradesh Wizards 3-2.
Delhi Waveriders was captained by Sardar Singh
Jaypee Punjab Warriors was captained by Jamie Dywer
Delhi Waveriders head Coach - Cedric DSpuza
Jaypee Punjab Warriors head coach - Barry Dancer
FIH President - Leandro Negre

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 FIH CEO - Kelly Fairweather

Hero Hockey India League Chairman Dr Narinder Batra
YES Bank Garv Award winner Mark Knowles, Jaypee Punjab Warriors
Man of the Match Nicolas Jacobi, Delhi Waveriders
Hero Goal of the Match Award Norris Jones Lloyd, Delhi Waveriders
Other Tournament Awards
Awards

Prize Money / Trophy

Winner Team / Player

Winner Team of HHIL 2014

2.5 crore rupees

Delhi Waveriders

Runners up team of the League

1.25 crore rupees

Jaypee Punjab warriors

Team positioned 3rd in the League

Ponty Chadha Upcoming Player of
the Tournament:
Airtel Maximum goals

75 lacs rupees

Ranchi Rhinos

20 lacs rupees

Jaypee Punjab warriors

10 lacs rupees

Jamie Dwyer, Jaypee Punjab warriors

Star Fair Play

Hero Most Valuable Player of the
League

Trophy

Ranchi Rhinos
Jaap Stockmann, Jaypee Punjab
warriors

25 lacs rupees

UNSC adopted resolution to boost humanitarian aid access in Syria

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted a resolution on 22 February
2014 to boost humanitarian aid access in Syria to ease some civilian suffering.
In the 15-member UNSC, the resolution was co-authored by Australia and Luxembourg calling
for an immediate end to all forms of violence in the country and strongly condemned the rise of Al
Qaida-affiliated terror.
Highlights of Resolution
The Resolution demanded that all parties (in particular the Syrian authorities) will promptly
allow rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for UN humanitarian agencies and their
implementing partners, including across conflict lines and across borders.
It strongly condemned the widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities. And also urged all parties involved in the conflict to lift sieges of
populated areas including in Aleppo, Damascus and Rural Damascus, and Homs.
It also stressed the importance of medical neutrality and demanded the demilitarization of medical facilities, schools and other civilian facilities.
The general secretary will submit a report to the members every 30 days from the adaption of
resolution specifying progress made towards the resolutions implementation.
The resolution emphasized that the humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate in the
absence of a political solution and expressed support for the UN-sponsored direct talks between Government and opposition representatives.
About UNSC
The Security Council is one of the six main organs established under the UN Charter, headquarters at New York, US. The United Nations gives primary responsibility for maintaining international
peace and security to the Security Council.
The Security Council shall consist of fifteen Members of the United Nations. The Republic of
China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, and the United States of America shall be permanent members of the Security
Council.
The General Assembly will elect ten other members of the United Nations to be non-permanent
members of the Security Council. The non-permanent members of the Security Council shall be
elected for a term of two years.
NTPC signed MoU to Develop Kajra Thermal Project of 1320 MW in Bihar
NTPC on 22 February 2014 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bihar State
Power Generation Company Limited (BSPGCL) and Lakhisarai Bijlee Company Private Limited (LBCPL)
to develop a 1320 MW (2 X 660 MW) Thermal Power Project at Kajra in Lakhisarai district of Bihar.
9200 crore rupees will be invested on development of the project thaqt will gave two units of 660 MW
each.

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The MoU between the three institutions was signed at Patna in Bihar in presence of Nitish
Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar and Arup Roy Chaudhary, the CMD of NTPC and Energy Minister
of Bihar.
As per the MoU signed between the three institutions, the project will be developed through a
joint venture in which 74 percent stake will rest with NTPC and the rest with BSPGCL.
Five-day Global Ayurveda Festival conclude in Kerala
A Five-day Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF) conclude in Kerala on 24 February 2014. The second
edition of GAF was held from 20 to 24 February 2014 and the chief guest was Mauritius President
Rajkeswar Puryaag.
The Festival was organised by the Centre for Innovation in Science & Social Action (CISSA,) with
the support of the Kerala government and the Ayurveda fraternity of Kerala.
The main theme of GAF 2014 is Ayurveda in Public Health.
There were other sub themes that included Mental Health and Ayurveda, Clinical Research in
Ayurveda, Cosmetology in Ayurveda and a variety of other related topics.
The global event concluded with global Ayurveda Exhibition& Arogya Expo and International seminar.
About Global Ayurveda Festival
The GAF is a bi-annual festival organized by the CISSA jointly with the Kerala government.
CISSA is a non-profit, non-governmental organization of scientists and citizens combining rigorous scientific analysis, innovative policy development and effective citizen advocacy to build a cleaner,
safer and healthier world.
G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meet
The G-20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors was held at Sydney, Australia on 22 February 2014 to 23 February 2014.
G-20 summit 2014
The official theme of the meeting is restoring global growth.
The G20 nations set the target to increase global growth by at least two percentage points over
the next five years that is by 2019. To achieve the target a clear action plan is yet to endorse.
The ambitious target would translate about 2 trillion dollar in economic activity.
The summit also produced a breakthrough on international tax avoidance, with all nations agreeing
to adopt a common reporting standard for the automatic exchange of tax information and to detail
plans for implementing it by September 2014.
The meeting had done little to reduce concerns over the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to scale
back its stimulus program as the job market improves.
The reduced flow of cheap money has unsettled investors in emerging markets and contributed
to sharp declines in some currencies. Political instability has also made matters worse for countries
such as Argentina, Turkey and Ukraine.
The annual G20 summit will be held in November 2014 in Brisbane.
About G-20 Major Economies
The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier forum for its members international economic cooperation and decision-making. Its membership comprises 19 countries plus the European Union.
G20 leaders meet annually, additionally during the year Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors meet regularly to discuss ways to strengthen the global economy, reform international
financial institutions, improve financial regulation, and discuss the key economic reforms that are
needed in each of the member countries.
The G20 started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the
aftermath of the Asian financial crisis. In 2008, the first G20 Leaders Summit was held, and the
group played a key role in responding to the global financial crisis.

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It consists of the US, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the UK, Canada, China, France, Germany,
India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, and
the European Union.
About G-20 Developing Nations
The G20, also known as the Group of 20 is a bloc of developing nations established in 2003.
Distinct and separate from the G-20 major economies, the group emerged at the 5th Ministerial
WTO conference, held in Cancn, Mexico, in September 2003.
The G-20 accounts for 60 percent of the world's population and 26 percent of worlds agricultural
exports.
Construction activities allowed in eco- sensitive zones of Aravali
Union Government announced to notify the revised regional plan for NCR (2021) on 24 February
2014.
The plan allowed tourism activities in ecologically sensitive zones and permitted constructions
in nature conservation zones (NCZ) beyond the current 0.5 percent cap.
Nature conservation zones include most part of the Aravalis, riverbeds and areas surrounding
other major water bodies. The NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) has approved the plan.
The previous plan was prepared in 2005. It had earlier mentioned that only regional recreational
activities like parks, wildlife sanctuaries etc were allowed in NCZs with a limit of construction not
exceeding 0.5 percent of land.
The revised sub-regional plan of Haryana suggests that besides recreational activities (including tourism) other activities such as agriculture, horticulture, pisiculture, social forestry and plantation including afforestation may be allowed in NCZs.
Haryana has already prepared the draft plan for Mangar region, proposing a mega tourism complex in the area that has a sacred forest.
The move was claimed as disastrous for green belts such as the Aravalis by environmentalists.
Coca-Cola announced to set up Accelerator Programme TARGET in India
Coca-Cola announced to set up its Accelerator Programme TARGET in India on 23 February
2014.
Target has identified five startups. The company will help the startups to develop their business
ideas by providing them access to mentors, tools, resources and operational support.
Target will work with startups focused on mobile, data and analytics, content, social and search,
all of which are becoming critical to retail in ensuring the right assortments in stores, determining
the right prices, and ensuring faster delivery.
Initially, it will work with a startup Turnaround Innovision, which automates generation of rotating 3D s, which can be used to better showcase products on websites.
Another, Konotor, enables in-app two-way communication, which can be used for communications with customers.
This is a new trend that could provide more fuel to the emerging startup ecosystem in India.
About Microsoft Accelerator Programme
Microsoft launched its accelerator programme in July 2012, and it's now into the fourth batch of
startups. The intense four-month programme provides mentorship by senior technical people from
Microsoft, influential business leaders, domain experts, venture capitalists and angel investors.
It also provides space for the startups to work out of, but it does not make any investments in the
firms. It could, however, benefit from the startups' use and promotion of its tools, and especially its

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Azure cloud platform that reduces initial costs and provides easy global reach to customers.
Indian origin boy Shubham Banerjee developed low cost Braille Printer
A 12 year old boy of Indian Origin Shubham Banerjee developed a low cost Braille Printer on 23
February 2014.
By using a 350 dollar LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 set, he had developed a Braille Printer to help
blinds.
The invention was named as Braigo, a mash-up of Braille and LEGO. Users can type in letters,
and the Braigos needle will hammer out the translated message in raised dots on paper.
LEGO Mindstorms EV3 is a remarkably powerful and functional robotics kit people of any age can
use to build some impressive and complicated projects.
About Braille Printer
Braille printers receive data from computer devices and emboss that information in Braille onto
paper through the use of solenoids that control embossing pins.
Braille printers typically print on heavyweight paper and use up more pages for the same amount
of information than pages printed on a regular printer.
They are also slower and noisier. Inter-point printers are Braille printers that emboss Braille on
both sides of a page. The price of a Braille printer is directly related to the volume of Braille it
produces.
Union Cabinet approved converting of 7200 km state roads into Highways
Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways decided to convert 7200 kms of states roads into
national highways on 23 February 2014.
With this the total length of the state highways converted into National Highways during the UPA
regime would reach about 17000 km.
About 10000 km of state highways were declared national highways during the last 10 years.
These roads are spread across states including Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and
Uttar Pradesh besides bordering areas like Leh and Laddakh regions.
The present length of the National Highways in the country is about 80000 km.
The Union Ministry had received the proposals for declaration of more than 64000 kms of State
roads as National Highways from various State Governments, against which the Ministry has declared about 10000 kms. of roads/routes as new National Highways.
Expansion of National Highway network is a continuous process and declaration of new National
Highway is taken up from time to time depending upon requirement of connectivity, inter-se priority
and availability of funds.
Once an stretch is declared as NH, development is carried as per the NH specification stipulated
by Indian Roads Congress. The criteria for declaration/conversion of State Highways (SH).
The Ministry has devised an eleven points criteria for declaration of National Highways based
upon the comments of the Planning Commission, are as under:
Road which run through the length and breadth of the country.
Roads connecting adjacent countries.
Roads connecting the National Capital with State Capital and roads connecting mutually the
State Capitals.
Roads connecting major ports, non-major ports, large industrial centers or tourist centers.
Roads meeting very important strategic requirement in hilly and isolated areas.

Arterial roads which enable sizeable reduction in travel distance and achieve substantial
economic growth thereby.

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Roads which help opening up large tracts of backward area and hilly regions (other than
strategically important ones).
National Highways grid of 100 km is achieved.
The road must be upto the standard laid down for State Highways (SHs) both in its technical
requirements as well as the land requirements. It will, however, be ensured that the roads being
upgraded generally satisfy the standards laid down for SH but MDR and other roads required to be
upgraded to form grid and connect important/backward areas will also be considered.
The existing Right of Way (ROW) should be the property of the State Government and must be
generally free any type of encroachments.

The right of way required for the National Highways (preferably 45m, minimum 30m) must be
available for acquiring, free of encroachments and the State Government would complete acquiring
formalities within six months.
Phase II of Vision 2023 released by Tamil Nadu Government
Tamil Nadu Government unveiled a new industrial policy on 23 February 2014.
The State Government released an exclusive policy for the phase-II of Vision 2023 document
with the introduction of automobile and Auto- components policy and The Biotechnology Policy.
Vision- 2023 has set a target of attracting investments to the tune of 15 lakh crore rupees.
The Vision 2023 includes 217 infrastructure projects in six major sectors energy, transport,
industrial and commercial infrastructure, urban infrastructure and services, agriculture and human development.
The Automobile Policy aimed at making Chennai as one of the top five global auto clusters of
India. Chennai is considered as the Detroit of Asia for having a number of manufacturing facilities
by many auto firms.
Korean-auto maker Hyundai, US Car maker Ford, Japanese auto major Nissan in a joint venture
with France-based Renault have set up manufacturing facilities near Chennai.
German car maker BMW, Mercedes Benz and commercial vehicle maker Daimler have set up
similar production plants near Chennai.
The industrial policy had its focus on creating a business friendly environment with world class
infrastructure and to boost employment and skill levels obtaining in the State.
According to the centre of Monitoring Indian Economy report, Tamil Nadu had achieved 18.2 per
cent growth in investments higher than Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karanataka.
25-FEB-2014
Somdev Devvarman won ATP men's singles tennis title
Somdev Devvarman, the Indias top singles star on 23 February 2014 lifted his third ATP Challenge Tennis title after beating top seed Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3, 6-1 in the final of the USD
100000 ONGC-GAIL Open in RK Khanna Tennis stadium, New Delhi.
This was the fourth Challenger level final for Somdev and the first since 2010, when he achieved
success in Izmir, Turkey. His first title came in 2008 in Lexington, USA.
Egypt: Military-backed interim government led by Hazem El-Beblawi resigned
The interim Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi on 24 February 2014 announced resignation of
his government after a Cabinet meeting that was also attended by Field Marshal Abdul Fattah alSisi. This resignation was accepted by Adly Mansour, the interim President.
Military-backed interim government of Egypts decision of resignation came just eight months
after seizing the power and paved a way ahead for the presidential bid for of the Army Chief General
Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. This resignation of the government came following a series of strikes that
included strikes of public sector workers, which led to an acute shortage of cooking gas in the country.

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Its expected that the Fattah al-Sisi would announce his resignation from both the posts and run
for presidential elections following demands of people. Earlier, the Government of Egypt in January
2014 approved a new constitution, which says that an election should take place by mid-April 2014.
Background
The military-backed government with El-Beblawi was sworn in on 16 July 2014 after ouster of
the Islamist President Mohammed Morsi from his office. Due the crackdown by the security forces
on the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement to which Morsi belong, more than thousand
people have been killed with detention of several.
Egypt's Army Chief Fattah al-Sisi promoted to Field Marshal
Egypt approved the new Constitution in referendum
Hazem El-Beblawi named as new Prime Minister of Egypt
Eminent painter Prokash Karmakar died
Prokash Karmakar, an eminent painter died on 24 February 2014 following age-related illness.
He was 81. His paintings reflected the degenerating society and the confusion that prevails in modern India.
Karmakar was influenced by the works of Picasso and other impressionists of the 19th century
Impressionism movement. The term impressionist was coined by Louis Leroy, a French art critic in
1874 based upon the painting impression, Sunrise on Monets painting. This term was created to
define loose, undefined and unfinished style that was used by Monet and several other artists.
About Prokash Karmakar
His works are a part of famous galleries like Lalit Kala Akademi in Lucknow and Delhi, National Gallery of Modern Art, Academy of fine Arts in Kolkata
He started holding street exhibitions in 1956, which brought him into the limelight his and his
first exhibition was held in 1959 on the railings of Indian Museum, Calcutta
He was born in 1933, Kolkata (then Calcutta)
Awards won by Karmakar
In 1968, he won Lalit Kala Akademi National Award
In 1970, he won Rabindra Bharati University Award
In 1976, he won Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Calcutta
In 1996, he won AIFACS Award
In 2000, the West Bengal government awarded him with Abanindra Puroskar
Lankan government rejected UN High Commissioner Draft Report
Government of Sri Lanka on 24 February 2014 rejected the draft report of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillai. The drafted report calls for an international inquiry into alleged
human rights violations by the government of Sri Lanka. This is a categorical rejection of the recommendations and conclusions of the High Commissioner report.
The release of the Sri Lankan government came in response to the draft report of the High
Commissioner that has been submitted and will be presented during 25th Session of the UN Human
Rights Council in Geneva on 26 March 2014.
The statement of the government says that the report as bias and is an unwanted interference
in the internal affairs of the sovereign state. It also claimed that the recommendation of an international inquiry mechanism seems to be preconceived, prejudicial agenda and politicized.
Earlier, Sri Lanka has claimed that the country has made significant progress in its own reconciliation process and it has been conveyed to the UNHRC from time to time. Also, US had announced
that it would sponsor a resolution against the country in the matter and the report of the High
Commissioner will become a basis of such a resolution.
Indira Paryavaran Bhawan inaugurated by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India on 25 February 2014 inaugurated Indira Paryavaran
Bhawan on Jorbagh Road, New Delhi. This Bhawan will house the Ministry of Environment and
Forest and has a provision to accommodate its 600 officials.
The Bhawan is Indias first on site Net Zero Building built by the adoption of Solar Passive design

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and energy efficient building material. This has been designed as the highest-green rated building
i.e., GRIHA 5-Star and LEED India Platinum. The requirements of GRIHA 5-Star and LEEDS Platinum
ratings have been achieved by adopting various measures some of which are as follows
Effective Ventilation has been achieved by orientating the building in an East-West direction,
separating different blocks with connecting corridors and having a large central court yard.
The design is such that 75% of natural daylight is utilised to reduce energy consumption.
The entire building has an access friendly design for differently-abled persons.
With an Installed capacity of 930 KW peak power, the building has the largest roof top Solar
system among Multi storied buildings in India.
Total energy savings of about 40% has been achieved by adoption of energy Efficient Chilled
Beam system of Air Conditioning. This is an innovative air conditioning system, where air conditioning is done by convection currents rather than air flow through diffusers and chilled water is
circulated right up to the diffuser points unlike the conventional systems.
Green materials have been used like Fly ash bricks, regional building materials, materials
with high recycled content, high reflectance terrace tiles and rock wool Insulation of outer walls.
Rapidly renewable Bamboo Jute Composite material has been used for door frames & shutters.
UPVC windows with hermetically sealed double glass, Calcium Silicate ceiling tiles having
high recycled content and grass paver blocks in pavements and roads.
Reduction in water consumption has been achieved by use of Low discharge water fixtures,
recycling of waste water through Sewage Treatment Plant, use of plants with Low water demand in
landscaping, use of Geothermal cooling for HVAC system, rain water harvesting and use of curing
compounds during construction.
This project has been developed at an expense of about 209 crore rupees. The Indira Paryavaran
Bhavan building has already received the following awards:
February 2013: The Project received an award from Adarsh/GRIHA of MNRE for exemplary demonstration of Integration of Renewable Energy Technologies
January 2014: The Project was accorded 5-Star Green Building Certification by GRIHA under
MNRE
FNCII and CII agreed to organise Nepal-India Economic Summit annually
The Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Confederation
of Indian Industry (CII) on 24 February 2014 agreed to organise Nepal-India Economic Summit every
year. This summit will be held alternatively in the two countries.
This decision on Nepal-India Economic Summit was made during a meet of the President of
FNCCI, Suraj Vaidya and incoming President of CII, Ajaya S Shriram at the FNCCI secretariat in
Kathmandu. Shriram is on the official visit to Nepal to take part in the Nepal Economic Summit
2014 has been held from 24 February to 26 February 2014 with the slogan Destination Nepal for
Investment.
Apart from this, two business organizations from India have also agreed to play a strategic role for
developing hydropower projects that have been long pending in Nepal. The private sector has also
agreed to make a joint study in Nepal to find out the possible areas for improvement in the country
for new trade treaty.
Economic Relation between India and Nepal
India is one of the largest foreign investor in Nepal after China. New figures released by Nepals
Department of Industry says that, China has took over India to become the largest contributor of
Foreign Direct Investment to Nepal over first six months of the current fiscal year. Chinas investment in Nepal reached to 174 million US dollar between July and December 2013.
India is also the major export destination of Nepal products. It is expected that this meet and plan
to organise Nepal-India Economic Summit every year will enhance the promotion of bilateral economic and trade relations between the two countries.

The special relation between India and Nepal was initiated in 1950 with Indo-Nepal Treaty of
Peace and Friendship, which also defines the security relations between the two countries. The
agreement also governs both bilateral trade and trade transiting Indian soil.

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The book Water, Peace and War - Confronting the Global Water Crisis released
Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari released a book titled Water, Peace and War Confronting the Global Water Crisis on 24 February 2014. The book is written by Brahma Chellaney.
The book focuses on a wide range of research from scientific and policy fields to examine the
global linkages between water and peace.
The book founds a way on how we can secure humankinds water future and promised to become
the recognized authority on the most precious natural resources of this century.
The author sketched a bleak picture of water scarcity in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, regions also struggling with unstable governments and rapidly growing populations. Water stressed
conditions are also appearing in developed countries, such as Australia, Spain, and South Korea.
Even the deep-water aquifers that support modern agriculture in North America are dwindling.
Indian- American Scientist Sangeeta Bhatia developed a cheap paper test to diagnose cancer
An Indian-American scientist Sangeeta Bhatia developed a cheap, simple, paper test that can
detect cancer on 24 February 2014. Sangeeta Bhatia is professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The research ended the need for expensive tests such as mammograms and colonoscopy. The
diagnostic is based on urine sample. It could reveal within minutes whether a person has cancer or
not.
The paper test relies on nanoparticles that interact with tumor proteins called proteases, each of
which can trigger release of hundreds of biomarkers that are then easily detectable in a patient's
urine.
The concept of a synthetic biomarker technology to amplify signals from tumor proteins would be
hard to detect on their own. These proteins, known as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), help cancer
cells escape their original locations by cutting through proteins of the extracellular matrix, which
normally holds cells in place.
The MIT nanoparticles are coated with peptides (short protein fragments) targeted by different
MMPs. These particles congregate at tumor sites, where MMPs cleave hundreds of peptides, which
accumulate in the kidneys and are excreted in the urine.
In the original version of the technology, these peptides were detected using an instrument
called a mass spectrometer, which analyzes the molecular makeup of a sample.
To create the test strips, the researchers first coated nitrocellulose paper with antibodies that
can capture the peptides. Once the peptides are captured, they flow along the strip and are exposed to
several invisible test lines made of other antibodies specific to different tags attached to the peptides.
If one of these lines becomes visible, it means the target peptide is present in the sample. The
technology can also easily be modified to detect multiple types of peptides released by different types
or stages of disease.
Essar Energy rejected takeover bid by majority owner Ruias Brothers
Essar Energy rejected a 1.5-billion dollar takeover bid by the Ruia brothers on 25 February 2014.
The rejection followed the findings of an Independent Committee headed by Phillip Aiken.
The Committee found that the offer undervalued the company and will not cater the rights of the
minority shareholders.
The offer by the Ruia brothers was 70 pence a share which was one-sixth of its 2010 floating
price. Committee claimed that such a offer price will undervalue the company and its future prospects.
Ruias-owned Essar Global Fund Limited (EGFL), which owns a majority 78% stake in Essar Energy. The Ruias brothers proposed to make an offer to buy the remaining 22% stake in the company
for 70 pence a share on 14 February 2014.
Essar Energy then appointed an independent committee of the board to take a call on the proposed offer on behalf of the minority shareholders.
The independent committee concluded that the current proposal from EGFL clearly undervalued
the company and its long-term growth prospects.

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British Army unmanned aircraft The Watchkeeper to start flying over Wiltshire
The British Army latest unmanned aircraft The Watchkeeper will start flying over Wiltshire on
25 February 2014. The Watchkeeper unmanned aerial system (UAS) was developed by Thales for the
British army.
The reconnaissance and surveillance drone with a 10.7m wingspan is equipped with a day and
night camera. It will provide 24-hour high-definition coverage and a radar sensor to improve visibility in bad weather.
The drone capable of flying at an altitude of up to 4900 m (16000 ft) was designed to be able to stay
above areas of interest for a significantly longer period of time compared with existing systems, in
order to provide better s to ground-based troops.
The aircraft was tested in West Wales in 2010.
The Army currently operates four types of UAS in Afghanistan. The fleet has already completed
about 120000 flying hours. From now onwards, Watchkeeper will be operated alongside helicopters
and other aircraft from the Boscombe Down airfield in Amesbury, Wiltshire, by 1st Artillery Brigade.
About UAV
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as drone, is an aircraft without a human
pilot aboard. Its flight is controlled either autonomously by onboard computers or by the remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle.
MTDC and Mehair launched seaplane service
Maritime Energy Heli Services Pvt Ltd (Mehair) in association with the Maharashtra Tourism
Development Corporation (MTDC) launched a seaplane service on 24 February 2014. It is the first of
its kind in mainland India that will link Mumbais Juhu airport with tourist destinations of the
state.
In the first phase, Mehair planned to link the destinations like Aamby Valley lake, Mula Dam,
Pawna Dam (Lonavla), Varasgaon Dam (Lavasa) and Dhoom Dam with Juhu airport. All the places
are around 30 minutes flying distances from Mumbai.
In the second phase, Mehair plans to link five more destinations in Maharashtra. In April 2014,
the Mehair will take delivery of a nine-seater Cessna 208 along with the existing four-seater Cessna
206 amphibian aircraft.
The seaplane service prices are 750 rupees for Nirman Point and to other destinations will be
priced around 4000 rupees or 4500 rupees.
In 2011, Mehair pioneered the launch of seaplane in India, the service has been operational in
the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In Kerala, first seaplane service was launched and had to shut down in 2013 due to protests by
fishermen.
NABARD formed Joint Liability Group to finance Small Farmers
Rural development agency National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) announced to form a new concept called Joint Liability Group (JLG) on 24 February 2014.
JLG aimed to provide institutional credit to small farmers like share croppers, oral lessees and
agricultural labourers.
JLG scheme will be highly beneficial for states like Punjab and Haryana where average land
holdings are shrinking and strength of such farmers is large in these states.
Similar on the pattern of Self Help Groups (SHG), NABARD will provide refinance facility to banks
for providing loans and financial assistance to small and marginal farmers who are normally deprived of finance.
NABARD has already 41 lakh SHGs which are credit linked.
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of NABARD is H K Bhanwala.
About Joint Liability Group (JLG)

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A Joint Liability Group (JLG) is an informal group comprising preferably of 4 to10 individuals but
can be up to 20 members, coming together for the purposes of availing bank loan either singly or
through the group mechanism against mutual guarantee.
The JLG members would offer a joint undertaking to the bank that enables them to avail loans.
The JLG members are expected to engage in similar type of economic activities like crop production.
The management of the JLG is to be kept simple with little or no financial administration within
the group. JLGs can be formed primarily consisting of tenant farmers and small farmers cultivating
land without possessing proper title of their land / rural entrepreneurs engaged in non-farm activities.
Union Government inaugurated the National Centre for Good Governance
Union Government inaugurated the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) on 24 February 2014. NCGS is an apex think tank of the country in guiding and implementing good Governance
reforms.
National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) has been set up by upgrading the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR), Mussorrie.
The focus of the NCGG will be action oriented research in good Governance. The Centre will
function as a national repository on information on best practices, initiatives and methodologies
that promote good Governance, e-Governance initiatives, change management and capacity building within the Government.
The NCGG would work towards resolution of key issues in Governance, analyse policy and
programme implementation, develop action plans, support governance reforms and help in developing synergy across various sectors and Ministries or Departments.
The expected outcome of the NCGG will be in the form of research papers, best practices on
Governance reforms, policy analysis and options will provide the necessary direction, guidance and
capacity building inputs on Governance and management issues to the Central and State Government organisations, Central Training Institutes and State Administrative Training Institutes.
Governing body and Structure of NCGS
A Governing Body with Cabinet Secretary as the Chairman has been constituted for NCGG. The
affairs of the Society shall be managed under the overall superintendence, direction and control of
the Governing Body.
NCGG will also have 12 members Management Committee and Secretary of Department of Personal and Training (DOPT) as the Chairperson.
NCGG will have a 3 tier structure. The first tier will consist of the internal Faculty and Staff, the
second of outside domestic experts and the third of international consultants.
Nokia to use Android operating system of Google
Nokia announced to launch new series of handset with the use of Android on 25 February 2014.
Nokia will switch to Smartphone that use Googles Android operating system rather than the Windows Phone software from Microsoft.
For the first-time Smartphone experience, Nokia Corp. is pushing the Nokia X. New series will
use Android OS, and will be able to run most Android apps. However, app developers may have to
tweak some of their software because the phone doesn't have key Google services.
For instance, location services will have to be designed for Nokia's Here Mapping software rather
than Google Maps. In-app payments will have to be tweaked to allow billing through mobile carriers
rather than credit cards, which many people in emerging markets lack.
Nokia is trying to lure those who might have been drawn to multitude of apps available on Android. The selection on Windows Phone devices is far more limited. Instead of having them hooked
on Google services through Android. Nokia could steer them to Microsoft services with a customized
Android system.
Both the Asha and the Nokia X will have a feature called Fast lane. It remembers your favorite
apps and services and offers quick access, along with recent notifications, on a single screen that is
one swipe away from the home screen.

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About Android Operating System

Android is a Linux-based mobile phone operating system developed by Google. Android was unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliancea consortium of hardware,
software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.
Android is unique because Google is actively developing the platform but giving it away for free to
hardware manufacturers and phone carriers who want to use Android on their devices.
A modified version of Android is used in the Google TV, the Barnes & Noble Nook reader, the
Samsung Galaxy Tab, and countless other devices. Parrot makes both a digital photo frame and a car
stereo system powered by modified versions of Android.
Ugandan President signed anti-gay bill
The Ugandan President Yoweri-Museveni signed anti-gay bill on 24 February 2014 which imposes tough penalties for homosexual acts.
Main features of the bill
Homosexuality being already illegal in Uganda, the new legislation imposes a 14 year prison
sentence for the first time offenders and life sentence for repeat offenders found guilty of aggravated
homosexuality.
The law makes illegal the promotion and recognition of homosexual relations, including by any
government entity or nongovernmental organization inside or outside Uganda. This is the first time
the law targets lesbians.
The law makes it a crime to fail to report anyone who breaks the law, essentially ensuring that
gays will need to live secret lives.
Analysis
The US President Barak Obama and Secretary of State John F Kerry described the anti-gay law
as morally wrong which will be a step backward for all Ugandans. And also they expressed that US
was deeply disappointed with the enactment of law and called for its repeal.
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, or ILGA, lists 78 countries (real figure 83 ) with criminal laws against sexual activity by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
or intersex people (LGBTIs).
In January 2014, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed the law that bans homosexuality and imposes 14 year prison terms for anyone entering a same-sex union. It also sets 10-year
prison sentences for those who run gay clubs or organizations.
In India, enforcement of the law against homosexual activity had been suspended by Delhi High
Court ruling on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. However, the Supreme Court overturned the
Delhi HC ruling on 11 December 2013. So India is back on the main list of countries with antihomosexuality laws.
26-FEB-2014
Venom GT, worlds fastest car recorded 435 kilometer per hour
Engineers of US firm Hennessey have developed the worlds fastest car Venom GT with a top
speed of a speed of 435 kilometers per hour. The firm set a new record for the fastest car in the world
during a test run at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on 25 February 2014 by beating the previous best record of 431 kilometer per hour set by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.
Venom GT has been stretched of
Lotus Exige with 7 liter
927 kW twin-turbo V8 that is wedged between its axles
During the test run, the driver Brain Smith broke the record and stopped on 5.1 kilometer stretch
of tarmac rather than using a high-speed oval to give the car a running start.
Although, Venom GT has broken the record of fastest car of Bugatti but the place in the Guinness
book of records will be retained by Bugatti only. The record of Venom will not be entered into the
record book because Hennessey has verified the speed independently and the car can only be driven
on the NASA landing strip.

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To replace the record of Bugatti the book requires cars that run in two directions to account for
variables including gradients and wind direction
UP Assembly passed Water Management and Regulatory Commission Bill 2014
Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh on 25 February 2014 passed the UP Water Management
and Regulatory Commission Bill 2014 by Voice Vote. This nod of the Assembly has paved the way to
set-up a body that would suggest ways and means for judicious utilization of water.

The proposed regulatory body would suggest tariff for use of water for commercial, irrigation and
domestic purposes and this body will work under the state government. Now, the bill will be referred
to Vidhan Parishad for further passage. After passage by the Assembly and Vidhan Parishad, the Bill
will be sent to the governor of the state for signature.
The bill was tabled in the Assembly by PWD Minister Shivpal Yadav. As per the proposal, the
commission will comprise a chairperson and members not exceeding more than five in numbers.
The bill also mentions that for being selected as the chairperson of the commission a person will
have to holds a bachelors degree and having an experience of administrative tasks of minimum 25
years and must have held the post of the chief secretary of the state government or government of
India. The tenure of a chairperson or member has been fixed for two years which will also include
reappointment for two consecutive terms. The bill also bares any ex-MLA or MP from being a chairperson or a member of the commission.
Earlier, the state had similar commission that was constituted in 2008 but was dissolved in 2012
after Samajwadi Party government came in power in the state.
Angela Merkel awarded with Israeli Presidential Medal of Distinction
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor was awarded with Israels highest civilian honour, the
Israeli Presidential Medal of Distinction on 25 February 2014 in Jerusalem by President Shimon
Peres. She was awarded with this medal for her unwavering commitment to the security of Israel
along with her fight against anti-Semitism and racism in particular through education.
Angela Merkel was awarded with the Medal of Distinction by Israeli President, Shimon Peres. At
the time of the award ceremony, Merkel was on a 24-hour long visit to Israel with 16 ministers from
her cabinet.
Israels Presidential medal is given every year by the President to a person for his/her extraordinary contribution to the country.
What is anti-Semitism?
Anti-Semitism is a hostile belief or behavior towards Jews as a religious or racial group and the
term was coined in 1879 by the German agitator, Wilhelm Marr to designate the anti-Jewish campaigns underway in central Europe at that time. The person who holds the position of ant-Semitism
is known as anti-Semite.
Vice President released Commemorative Postage Stamp of Maulana Hasrat Mohani
Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India on 25 February 2014 released a commemorative postage stamp in the honour of Maulana Hasrat Mohani in New Delhi. Mohani was a freedom fighter and
an eminent poet.
Hasrat Mohani alongwith Ali brothers (Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali), Maulana Azad and Hakim
Ajmal Khan were the part of the Khilafat Committee formed by Indian National Congress in 1919.
About Maulana Hasrat Mohani
Maulana Hasrat Mohani was the first person who raised the issue of complete independence in
Indian National Congress Meet in Ahmadabad in 1921
He was also the first Indian leader to propose guerrilla warfare for achieving independence from
the British rulers
He is called as Mohani as he was born at village Mohan in district Unao of UP in 1878
He launched a literary magazine named Urdu-e-Moalla and in 1908 he was sentenced to two
years rigorous imprisonment by British government for publishing an article against British poli-

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cies in Egypt
He was also arrested again in 1916 for his involvement in Reshmi Romal Tehrik (Silk Letter
Movement organised by the Deobandi leaders between 1913 to 1920)
He died on 13 May 1951 at Lucknow
Apart from in India, a postage stamp on the name of Maulana Hasrat Mohani is also in existence
in Pakistan. It launched a postage stamp by his name on 23 January 1989 of 3 rupees.
Sikkim Lokayukta Bill 2014 unanimously passed by Legislative Assembly
The State Legislative Assembly of Sikkim on 26 February 2014 unanimously passed the Sikkim
Lokayukta Bill-2014. The passed bill is aimed at providing transparent and corruption free governance in the state. It empowers people to file petition against any corrupt individual may be he is a
Chief Minister to Panchayat and from Chief Secretary to peon.
The bill was introduced by the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, who is also the In-Charge State
Law Department. This bill will become a law after the assent of the Governor, Sriniwas Patel.
This bill is based on the central Lokpal Bill. It is expected, that the Bill will benefit people of
Sikkim by providing a chance to fight against corruptions and irregularities in governance and
certain public functionaries.
AERA abolished User Development Fee at Hyderabad Airport
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) abolished the user development fee at the
Hyderabad airport on 25 February 2014.
AERA concluded the decision after considering various aspects of the airports operations, including the investments made by the airport operator, land allocation, traffic trends and earnings.
As a result, the cost of flying at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Hyderabad will be cheaper
from 1 April 2014 till 31 March 2016 for both domestic and international embarking passengers. As
of now, domestic passengers pay 430 rupees as UDF with their ticket, while international passengers flying from the city pay 1700 rupees.
Hyderabad will now be the first airport in the country where UDF is being abolished. All major
airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore, among others, charge this fee.
While both domestic and international passengers will now have to pay less for flying from the
airport, the development delivers a blow to the airport operator GMR Hyderabad International Airport
Ltd, part of the GMR Group.
GMR Hyderabad International Airport is a joint venture company promoted by the GMR Group
that holds 63 per cent share. The other share holders are the Union government at 13 per cent,
Andhra Pradesh government at 13 per cent and Malaysia Airports Holdings with a stake of 11 per
cent.
The Hyderabad airport, commissioned in March 2008, handled 6.3 million domestic passengers
and 2.1 million international passengers in 2012-13.
During the first half of the current fiscal it handled 3.2 million and 1.2 million domestic and
international passengers, respectively. It has a designed capacity to handle 12 million passengers.
User development fee is a charge levied by airports on passengers to help the operator recover
part of the investments made for the development of the airport and other facilities.
Bimal Jalan Committee on New Bank Licences submitted its report to RBI
Bimal Jalan Committee on New Bank Licenses submitted its report to the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) on 25 February 2014. The report contains names of entities eligible for bank licences.
The committee was constituted by RBI under the chairmanship of Bimal Jalan in October 2013.
RBI had constituted the committee to examine the criteria, business plans and corporate governance practices of applicants applying for new bank Licenses.
Other members of the committee are former RBI Deputy Governor Usha Thorat, former Securities and Exchange Board of India Chairman C B Bhave and Nachiket M Mor, Director of the Central

139

Board of Directors of the RBI.

The central bank issued guidelines for licensing of new banks on 22 February 2013.
There are around 25 players in the group to get bank license, among them primarily are Public
sector units, India Post and IFCI and private sector Anil Ambani group and Aditya Birla group. Bajaj
Finance, Muthoot Finance, Religare Enterprises and Shriram Capital have also applied.
In the past 20 years, the RBI has licensed 12 banks in the private sector in two phases. Ten
banks were licensed on the basis of guidelines issued in January 1993.
Kotak Mahindra Bank and Yes Bank were the last two entities to get banking licenses from the
RBI in 200304.
India has 27 public sector banks, 22 private sector banks and 56 regional rural banks.
LinkedIn announced to launch Chinese version
LinkedIn announced to launch of Chinese version of its site on 25 February 2014. The Chinese
language website will be a beta or test version of the site.
China will give a license to the company but the company will have to locate its servers in China
and allow the local government to control content in the manner it does with Chinese social media
sites.
LinkedIn seeing a potential market of 140 professionals for its Chinese language version accepted Chinas condition on censoring content.
LinkedIn already has more than 4 million users in China who use its English language website,
but the company has signaled that it is interested in making a broader expansion in the country.
China has the world's largest online community with more than 618 million users. However,
Great Firewall of China Government blocks any online forums or content deemed to be sensitive. For
instance, China had barred access to Facebook and Twitter for several years.
Even China's Supreme Court ruled in October 2013 that Internet users could face three years in
jail if slanderous information spread online was viewed more than 5000 times or forwarded more
than 500 times.
Ibrahim Mahlab sworn in as Prime Minister of Egypt
Ibrahim Mahlab was sworn in as new Egypt Prime Minister on 25 February 2014. He is a former
member of Hosni Mubarak's political party.
Mahlab was the housing minister in the previous administration. He will head Egypt's sixth
government since the 2011 uprising that toppled the autocratic Mubarak.
Ibrahim Mahlab will replace Hazem el-Beblawi government.
He is the former CEO of Arab Contractors, one of the region's largest construction firms.
He is expected to lead an interim government at least until the election of a new president.
Madan Babu won Protein Science Young Investigator Award for 2014
Madan Babu, an Indian-born scientist, won the Protein Science Young Investigator Award for
2014 at Cambridge, UK on 20 February 2014. The Protein Science Young Investigator Award is given
by the Protein Society for important contribution made in the study of proteins.
Madan received the award for his contributions to the understanding of the principles of regulation in biological systems, especially in the fields of intrinsically disordered proteins and gene regulation. With this award, he became the first scientist of Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) to win
the award.
At present Madan Babu heads the Regulatory Genomics and Systems Biology group at the MRC
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
About the Award
The Award recognises important contributions to the study of proteins, by a scientist in the early
stages of an independent career. The award is named after The Protein Societys academic journal,
Protein Science.

140

Sri Lanka rejected the call of UNHRC for International Inquiry

Sri Lanka rejected the call by United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for an international inquiry on 25 February 2014. The call for international inquiry was made by the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay in her report on post-civil war scenario in Sri Lanka.
Pillays draft report says that Sri Lanka is facing mounting international failing to investigate
allegations of war crimes. The report recommended for an independent, credible criminal and forensic investigation to conduct with international assistance into all alleged violations of human rights
and humanitarian law.
The report also suggested for establishing a truth-seeking process and urged Sri Lankan Government to take more steps to demilitarize the former war zone. Those perpetrators of attacks on
minorities, media and human rights defenders be arrested and punished.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's administration rejected Pillays report expressing
the recommendations as arbitrary, intrusive and of a political nature.
In another development the US is planning to propose a third resolution at the UNHCR over
Srilankas failure to properly investigate alleged atrocities and wars crimes committed during the
civil war. The US earlier had successfully carried out two resolutions urging Sri Lanka to conduct its
own investigation into allegations against Sri Lankan government troops.
Background
In 2009 Sri Lankas civil war between the government troops and the Tamil Tiger rebels (LTTE)
ended. The LTTE fought for a separate state for the ethnic minority Tamils in the north and east of
Sri Lanka. The government troops crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels which lead to mass graves which
were discovered recently.
A UN report said almost 40000 Tamil civilians died in government attacks but Srilanka denied
such a high toll of deaths and later Sri Lankas Government declared that not a single civilian was
killed. In 2011 Sri Lanka acknowledged some civilian deaths and announced a census of the war
dead but its results were vague.
Government troops were accused of deliberately shelling civilians, hospitals and blocking food
and medical aid to hundreds of thousands of people. The rebels were accused of holding civilians as
human shields, killing those who escaped their control and recruiting child soldiers.
CIIL to document 500 endangered Indian languages
The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) will commence on a mega project to document
almost 500 endangered languages in India, each spoken by less than 10000 people.
The decision to document endangered languages was taken by the CIIL during a two-day workshop on Endangered tribal languages in south India. The workshop was organized by the Anthropological Society of India and the CIIL on 23 February 2014.
It has been approved in principle by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. The
CIIL will collaborate with universities and institutes.
The objective of documenting the endangered languages is to bring out dictionaries and also
document and preserve the ethic knowledge system enshrined in the languages, including folklore
and also to frame grammar rules.
In the first phase, about 70 languages from different parts of the country will be studied and 500
languages would be taken up in a span of 10 years. The study and documentation of each language
would cost between 6 lakh Rupees and 8 lakh Rupees.
According to the Census of India 2001, there are 122 endangered languages spoken in India.
The Anthropological Survey of India put it at 323, while a UNESCO report puts it at 196.
About CIIL
Central Institute of Indian Languages was established to coordinate the Indian languages through
scientific studies, promote inter disciplinary research to contribute to mutual enrichment of languages and thus contribute towards emotional integration of the people of India.
Aims of CIIL are to Advices and Assists Central as well as State Governments in the matters of
language and contribute to the development of all Indian Languages by creating content and corpus.
Sun Edison to set up 18 MW Solar Park in Tamil Nadu
Sun Edison, a US-based solar energy firm, announced on 25 February 2014 to set up a solar park

141

in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.

The 18 megawatt (MW) park will work on a model where parcels of the solar assets will be sold to
different customers who wish to own solar plants either captive power consumption or to avail themselves of the accelerated depreciation scheme.
The accelerated depreciation schemes helps the owner, write off the cost of the asset as depreciation during the first year of ownership to save taxes and allows to sell the renewable energy
credits.
Parcels of the assets that are not sold off will be owned by SunEdison which will sell the power
generated to third party consumers based on long term power purchase agreements.
The solar park will lock in electricity pricing for 25 years, protecting owners from the rising cost
of fossil fuel-generated electricity.
Of the 18MW, 9MW of solar modules are fixed while remaining 9 MW are tracker modules. The
tracker modules comprise of building solar plants on axis that moves from east to west, tracking the
movement of the sun to capture maximum sunlight.
While the fixed ones will generate about 1.6 million units of electricity per MW per year, the
tracker modules will generate 1.86 million units. The total cost for a tracker model project will be 8.7
to 8.8 crore rupees per MW when compared with 7.8 crore rupees per MW for fixed model.
Sun Edison has already constructed and sold 1.5 megawatt (MW) of the 18 megawatt (MW) and
expects to complete the rest by September 2014.
Union Government and ADB signed an agreement on improving road connectivity in
Chhattisgarh
Union Government and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement on 26 February
2014 for a 300 million US dollar loan to improve road connectivity along key corridors in the State of
Chhattisgarh.
The Projects objective is to improve more than 900 kilometers of State roads, in line with the
Chhattisgarh Road Master Plan, involving upgradation of roads sections and strengthening culverts
and bridges.
The project also has components to build the capacity of the road agency in contract and project
management, as well as to introduce a road asset management system in the State, which will help
in planning for better road maintenance.
The loan will be funded from ADBs ordinary capital resources. It has a principal repayment
period of 20 years, and annual interest set in accordance with ADBs LIBOR-based lending facility.
The Government of Chhattisgarh will provide counterpart finance of about 128 million US dollar
to cover the estimated total project cost of 428 million dollar.
27-FEB-2014
Indian Navy Chief Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi resigned
Indian Navy Chief Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi resigned on 26 February 2014 taking moral
responsibility of the accident on INS Sindhuratna in Mumbai. He is the first Defence forces Chief to
resign since independence.
The government accepted the resignation of Admiral Joshi with immediate effect. Vice Admiral
R K Dhowan will be the Acting Chief till the next Chief is appointed.
Navy release said that smoke engulfed the Russian-origin Kilo class submarine INS Sindhuratna.
The incident led to seven sailors falling seriously ill and two officers missing.
The incident on 26 February 2014, was the tenth mishap involving an Indian Navy warship and
the third involving a submarine in the last seven months. Sindhuratna had recently undergone a
refit in Mumbai and was handed over to Navy in December2013.
Past incidents:
Serial
Date
1
February 2014

Submarine
INS Mysore

2
3

30 January 2014
25 January 2014

INS Airawat
ICSG Sangram

22 January 2014

INS Betwa

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Incident
Delhi class warship, suffers damage after it scrapes the bottom of sea
Propeller of amphibious ship damaged
a Coast Guard patrol boat, accidently fires
at naval socks, command officers are
killed
Crack in sonar dome in ships hull

5
6
7

20-21 January 2014

17 January 2014
23 December 2013

INS Vipul
INS Sindhugosh
INS Talwar

8
9

4 December 2013
14 August 2013

INS Konkan
INS
Sindhurakshak

Leak in compartment after refit

Kilo class sub runs
Stealth frigate hits fishing vessel, no
casualities
Fire onboard
Internal blasts sink submarine, 18 dead

Largest Solar Power Plant of India launched in Madhya Pradesh

The largest 130-MW Solar Power Plant of India Welspun Solar MP Project was launched at
Bhagwanpur in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh on 26 February 2014. It is also the Asia's Largest Solar
Power Plant.
The Welspun Solar MP project was constructed at a cost of 1100 crore rupees on 305 hectares of
land. It will supply power at 8.05 rupees a kWh.
This Project will raise Indian solar capacity by 7 percent.
About Solar Power Capacity of India
The Union Government launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) in 2010.
India currently has a grid-connected solar-power capacity of 2208 MW.
The JNNSM aimed for India to reach an installed capacity of 20000 MW (or 20 gigawatts) of solar
power by 2022.
The production cost of solar power in India has fallen by more than half in recent years, from 17
rupees per kilowatt-hour (kWh) three years ago to 7.50 rupees per kWh now. But these costs are still
high compared to coal (2.50 rupees per kWh), nuclear (3 rupees per kWh) or natural gas (5.5 rupees
per kWh).
India is mapping its potential for solar-energy production across the entire country on the basis
of satellite ry, in collaboration with the United States.
About Welspun Energy Ltd
Welspun Energy Ltd. (WEL) is the biggest developer of solar photovoltaic projects of India. The
energy arm of Welspun Group is an independent power producer with plans to build grid connected
750MW of solar power & 1 GW of wind power plants across India.
Dinesh Sarraf appointed next ONGC chief
Dinesh Sarraf appointed as next Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC) on 26 February 2014.
The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PSEB) recommended Dinesh K Sarraf as the next head of
the country's most valuable company ONGC.
Dinesh Sarraf will replace Sudhir Vasudeva who will be due to retire on 28 February 2014.
Sarraf is currently working as the head of OVL. He had successfully transformed ONGC Videsh
Limited (OVL) into an aggressive overseas firm, stitching 4 deals worth over 11 billion dollar since
taking charge of the company.
Dinesh Sarraf had previously worked as the director (Finance) of ONGC.
Supreme Court referred the issue of legalizing euthanasia to Constitutional bench
The Supreme Court referred the petition seeking legalization of euthanasia to a five-judge Constitution Bench on 25 February 2014. The Public Interest Litigation filed by NGO Common Cause
sought to declare dying with dignity a fundamental right for terminally ill patients.
A 3-Judge Bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam, Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Shiva Kirti Singh
while referring the issue to the Constitution Bench relied on two earlier cases.
In 1996 Gian Kaur Case the Constitution Bench upheld that the right to live with dignity under
Article 21 of the Constitution will be inclusive of right to die with dignity. However, the decision did
not arrive at a conclusion for validity of euthanasia be it active or passive.
In 2011 the Supreme Court rejected the plea for mercy killing of Aruna Shanbaug who has been

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in a persistent vegetative state for the past 37 years and had laid down elaborate guideline for carrying out passive euthanasia.
In view of the inconsistent opinions rendered in the two cases and also considering the important question of law involved which needs to be reflected in the light of social, legal, medical and
constitutional perspective, the 3-Judge Bench referred it to the issue to the 5-judge Bench.
Sourav Kothari won the National Billiard Championship title
Sourav Kothari won the National Billiard Championships held in Lucknow on 26 February 2014.
He beat Alok Kumar by 5-3. This is the first maiden title for Saurav Kothari since he turned professional in 2007.
Sourav Kothari and Alok Kumar both play for Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB).
Third position was secured by B. Bhaskar who beat Dhruv Sitwala.
Union Ministry of H & FW inaugurated AIIMS Bhubaneswar
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Gulam Nabi Azad inaugurated the All India Institute
of Medical Science (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar on 26 February 2014. During inauguration an e-Card
system was also introduced. e-Card system (also known as health card) will help the patients to know
about the disease, doctor assigned and treatment.
Highlights of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar
It is built over an area of 125000 square metre.
It has three operation theatres (OTs), a recovery ward, four high dependant units.
It has overall 978 beds.
It has a 10-bed ICU along with 150 beds spanning different specialties.
It started the OPD services in the basic disciplines of medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, dentistry and gynaecology in June 2013 which increased to 24 subsequently.
After the allocation of land by the state government, a satellite Centre of the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar
will be established at Balasore.
Under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Sahayata Yojana (PMSSY), the Union Government has already
approved establishing of four medical colleges at Balasore, Balangir, Koraput and Baripada in Odisha.
Further, two medical collages, at Berhampur and Burla will be upgraded.
Including aforementioned and some other projects Union government has planned an investment of 1250 crore rupees for the health sector of Odisha.
Harold Ramis actor, director of Comedy films died at 69
Harold Ramis, the American actor, writer and director of classic comedy films died in Chicago on
24 February 2014. He was 69.
Harold Ramis was best known for the films like Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day and Caddyshack.
His other films include Analyze This in 1999, a comedy about a psychiatrist whose main patient
is an insecure mobster. The film was starred by Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal. Two years later, in
2001, he brought out the sequel Analyze That.
Ramis received The American Comedy Award, the British Comedy Awards and a BAFTA award
for screenwriting.
Turkish President approved the bill restricting the judicial powers
Turkish president Abdullah Gul approved the bill on restricting the judicial powers on 26 February 2014. This bill is about curbing the independence of the judicial powers.
The bill will give more control to the Justice ministry in comparison to the Supreme Board of
Judges and Prosecutors. This body is an independent body which deals with the appointment of the
judiciary.
In another development, the Turkish parliament approved another bill putting restrictions on
internet. The law would permit the telecommunication authority to close the websites for violation
of privacy. However, the authority would still need courts approval within 24 hours. The authority
would also have to obtain a court order to access records of user activity.
Legendary Guitarist Paco de Lucia passed away
Legendary Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia passed away in Mexico on 26 February 2014. He was

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66.
He recorded his first album at the age of 18 in Madrid. He was reputed for a series of flamenco
albums in the 1970s which inspired a New Flamenco movement. He is known for his blending
Flamenco music with Jazz, classical and other genres. He was also a producer and composer.
Some of his best works are Ro Ancho, Entre dos aguas, La Barrosa, mpetu, Cepa Andaluza and
Gloria al Nio Ricardo.
Some Awards won by him
He won UK Bafta award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1985.
He won Spains prestigious Prince of Asturias Prize for Art in 2004.
He won the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts in 1992.
He won two Latin Grammy awards in 2004 and 2012.
Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Sahara Chief Subrata Roy
The Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the Sahara chief Subrata Roy on 26 February 2014. The
court ordered his arrest following his failure to appear before it in a case arising out of non refund of
24000 crore rupees to investors by two of his companies.
The Court rejecting Roy's plea to exempt him from personal appearance on the ground of illhealth of his 92-year-old mother ordered to issue non-bailable warrants.
Roy is also facing contempt of court along with the three other directors for failure of two Sahara
firms to comply with the court's order of 31 August 2012 asking Sahara to refund 24000 crore Rupees
irregularly collected from nearly 3 crore investors.
However, Sahara claimed that it has refunded the entire amount to investors except 2000 crore
Rupees and had deposited 5120 crore Rupees with market regulator SEBI. But the Sahara firms have
been falling short of the SC's scrutiny of the mode and proof of refunds.
Sahara-SEBI dispute
Whether SEBI or Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs has jurisdiction over fund raising through
bonds by two unlisted Sahara entities
Whether or not raising funds from more than 50 people, even through private placement,
qualifies as public offering.
In 2008, two Sahara Group firms sought nod from two Registrar of Comapnies (RoCs) to raise
funds through optionally fully convertible debentures (OFCDs), via private placements. Raised funds
from 3 crore investors.
In 2009, Sahara Prime City approached SEBI to go public. SEBI asked Sahara Group firms to
refund money raised through OFCDs.
In April 2010, SEBI forwarded investors complaint to ROC.
Case heard by Supreme Court and ordered Sahara Group to refund 24000 crore Rupees including interest.
Vice President Released a Book Ambedkar Awakening Indias Social Conscience
The Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari released a book Ambedkar Awakening Indias Social Conscience on 26 February 2014. The book was authored by Dr. Narendra Jadhav. Narendra
Jadhav is a member of Planning Commission.
This book is the first ever intellectual biography of Dr Ambedkar. There is only one English
biography ever written on Dr. Ambedkar in English. It was written by Dhananjay Keer and was published in 1954.
Two other notable biographies of Dr Ambedkar are in Marathi and were written in 1960s.
All the three biographers were close associates of Dr Ambedkar and had great advantage of being
able to interact with him in person.
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was a great social reformer, a valiant champion of human rights and an
emancipator of the downtrodden masses of India, who dedicated all his life to awaken the social
conscience of modern India.
About the author
Narendra Jadhav is a well-known economist, policy maker, educationist, social scientist and
best-selling author and holds a PhD in Economics from Indiana University, USA.
Narendra Jadhav is currently serving as Member, Planning Commission with responsibilities

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covering Education, Labour-Employment-Skill Development, Social Justice and Empowerment.

RBI issued guidelines to deal with distressed assets
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines for revitalising distressed assets on 26 February 2014. The guidelines suggested the forming of Joint Lenders Forum (JLF) and adoption of Corrective Action Plan (CAP) for operationalising the framework.
Highlights of the Guidelines:
Before a loan account turns into a NPA, banks are required to identify incipient stress in the
account by creating three sub-categories under the Special Mention Account (SMA1) category. SMA
Sub-categories.
SMA-0: Account will fall in this category if the Principal or interest payment not overdue
for
more than 30 days but account showing signs of incipient stress.
SMA-1: If the Principal or interest payment overdue between 31-60 days
SMA-2: If the Principal or interest payment overdue between 61-90 days
RBI to set up a Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC) to collect, store, and
disseminate credit data to lenders.
Banks are advised that as soon as an account is reported by any of the lenders to CRILC as
SMA-2, they should mandatorily form a committee to be called Joint Lenders Forum (JLF) if the
aggregate exposure (AE) of lenders in that account is 1000 million rupees and above.
The RBI suggested infusion of more equity into their companies by promoters and transfer of
their holdings to a security trustee or an escrow arrangement till the turnaround of the company.
The Indian Banks Association (IBA) would prepare a master JLF agreement and operational
guidelines for JLF which could be adopted by all lenders.

While JLF formation and subsequent corrective actions would be mandatory in accounts
having AE of 100 crore rupees and above, in other cases also the lenders would have to monitor the
asset quality closely and take corrective action for effective resolution as deemed appropriate.

For accounts with AE of 500 crore rupees and above, the techno-economic viability study and
restructuring package would have to be subjected to an evaluation by an independent evaluation
committee (IEC) of experts.
The IEC would be required to give its recommendation in these cases to the JLF within 30
days.
Thereafter, considering the views of IEC, if the JLF decided to go ahead with the restructuring, the restructuring package, including all terms and conditions as mutually agreed upon between
the lenders and the borrower, would have to be approved by all the lenders and communicated to the
borrower within next 15 days for implementation.
28-FEB-2014
Government constituted an expert committee to study demand for Bodoland state
Government of India (Union Home Ministry) on 27 February 2014 constituted one-man expert
committee to study and examine the demand of a separate Bodoland state, which will be carved out
from Assam. The one-man committee will be headed by former Union Home Secretary G K Pillai and
will submit its report in nine months after consulting all sections of the society on the viability of a
separate state.
Government for the first time had formed such a committee to examine the demand of Bodoland
in Assam. The demand for a separate Bodoland has identified following the decision of the government to form a new Telangana State. At present major Bodo outfits have intensified their agitation
with the demand of a separate state for the Bodo tribals. Bodo tribals mostly live in a few districts of
the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River in Assam.
Earlier in 2003, the government constituted an autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC)
by signing an accord after years of violent agitation that claimed hundreds of lives. In 2012 the BTC
area has witnessed ethnic clashes between the Bodo tribals and immigrant Muslims.
Bezbaruah Committee Constituted for the protection of rights of North Eastern people
India decided to block the US investigations over trade policies and patents laws of India
India decided to block the investigations by the United States into its trade policies and patent
laws, and prepare for a battle at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 24 February 2014.

146

India is furious about a threat of trade sanctions made by the US Trade Representatives (USTR)
office over its protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), preference for domestic producers and
non-trade barriers. India has since hardened its stance, instructing officials not to allow any request from the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) to examine Indias trade
practices.
WTO cases and Consequences
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), which represents about 50 US business groups,
asked the USTR to designate India a Priority Foreign Country in USTRs 2014 report. The designation appropriately will rank India among the very worst violators of intellectual property rights and
establish a process leading to concrete solutions.
US regarded India as a serial trade offender where US firms unhappy about imports of everything
from shrimp to steel pipes and lack of fair access to the Indian market for its goods. The USTR listed
12 report markets in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad as being among the worst offenders globally for
the sale of pirated software and counterfeit goods.
The US is going to fill its second case at the WTO over domestic content requirements in India's
solar programme, which aims to ease energy shortages in Asia's third-largest economy.
India urged the US administration consider the trade issues in the context of the wider economic and strategic relationship between the two countries.
United States International Trade Commission
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is an agency of more than 200
committed professionals with decades of specialized experience in trade issues and regions of the
world.
The USTR negotiates directly with foreign governments to create trade agreements, to resolve
disputes, and to participate in global trade policy organizations.
USTR was established in 1962, headquarters at Washington and other offices in Geneva and
Brussels.
National Science Day observed across India on 28 February
28 February National Science Day
India on 28 February 2014 observed National Science Day to mark the discovery of the Raman
Effect by Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (CV Raman).
In 2014, the theme of the day is Fostering Scientific Temper and Energy conservation. This day
is celebrated every year on this day to spread a message about the significance of scientific applications in the daily life of the people.
The National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) in 1986 asked the
Government of India to designate 28 February as National Day.
What is Raman Effect?
Raman Effect is also termed as the Raman scattering and it speaks about the change in the
wavelength of light (inelastic scattering of a photon) when it passes through a transparent sample of
a chemical compound. This change in the wavelength is caused due to deflection of the molecules.
The Raman Effect was discovered by CV Raman and for this discovery he was awarded with the
Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
The American Chemical Society in 2013 designated Raman Effect as an International Historic
Chemical Landmark. In 1998 the Raman Effect was designated as a National Historic Chemical
Landmark in recognition of its significance as a tool for analyzing the composition of liquids, gases
and solids.
Themes of National Science Day from 2010 to 2013
2010 - Gender Equity, Science & Technology for Sustainable Development
2011 - Chemistry in Daily Life
2012 - Clean Energy Options and Nuclear Safety
2013 - Genetically Modified Crops and Food Security
India and Saudi Arabia signed MoU on defence cooperation
India and Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation

147

pact to take their strategic partnership further in areas of security on 26 February 2014.
The pact was signed between India and Saudi during the visit of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince,
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to India (from 26 to 28 February 2014) to discuss bilateral, regional and
other issues of mutual interest.
The defence cooperation pact will allow exchange of defence-related information, military training and education as well as cooperation in areas varying from hydrography and security to logistics.
Background
A new era of Indo-Saudi ties started in 2006, when King Abduallah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud visited
India, which was highest level political visit from Saudi Arabia to India. It is also called as Delhi
Declaration.
In 2010 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Riyadh and decided to elevate the bilateral
engagement to strategic partnership covering security, economic, defence and political areas called
as Riyadh Declaration.
Saudi Arabia is Indias fourth largest trade partner and also the largest crude oil supplier has
recorded bilateral trade at 43 billion US dollar in 2012-13.
India signed Public and Homeland security agreement with Israel
India and Israel signed an agreement on Cooperation in Public and Homeland security on 27
February 2014.
Besides this, two other agreements were signed. These are:
Agreement on cooperation in legal assistance in criminal matters.
Agreement on protection of classified material.
These agreements were signed by Additional Secretary (Home Ministry) Rajiv Sharma and Israeli Ambassador Alon Ushpiz.
Both the countries are facing wrath of terrorism and terrorism is a global threat. To eliminate
terrorism, such agreements are necessary for both the countries. Such agreements also strengthen
bilateral relations.
Earlier, India and Israel had signed the Extradition Treaty and Agreement for the transfer of
sentenced persons in 2012.
Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs notified New CSR rules
Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs notified new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rules for
companies on 27 February 2014. The new CSR rules will become effective from 1 April 2014.
The new rules give effect to Section 135 and Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013, which
relate to CSR related spending by companies.
The new rules mandates that Companies having huge profits would have to spend at least 2 % of
profits on the CSR activities which in turn would be used for the benefits of the society.
Companies having minimum of 500 crore rupees net worth or 5 crore rupees as net profit or
1000 crore rupees turnover are mandated to spend 2% on CSR activities. However, while undertaking net profit criteria, profits from overseas branches and dividends received from other companies
in India will be excluded.
Provisions
Companies falling under ambit are required to spend 2 % of their 3 year average annual net
profit on CSR activities in each financial year, beginning from the next fiscal year 2014-15.
Company has to declare its CSR policy. This policy should mention plans/ activities /programmes
or projects. These works should not be a part of routine business activities.
Companies can undertake CSR activities as per the approval of the companys board and decision of its CSR Committee in accordance with its CSR policy.
Rules also define the manner in which CSR committee should formulate and monitor CSR
policy, role of board of directors.
A Company is permitted to collaborate with other companies in pursuing their CSR activities
but they need to show their CSR reports separately.

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 Companies are permitted to spend only 5% of the total CSR expenditure for manpower required
for CSR activities in a single financial year. The manpower would include companys own personnel
and those of the implementing agencies.
Company can also carry out CSR activities with a Society or a registered trust.
Surplus from CSR activities cannot become a part of the profit of the company.
Any type of contributions to any political party will not be treated as CSR activities.
Spending for the benefit of the companys own employees also cannot be a part of CSR activity.
All CSR activities will have to be within India.
The new rules will be applicable to the foreign companies registered in India.
CSR activities included in Schedule VII
Protection of national heritage, art and culture which include restoration of buildings and sites
of historical importance and works of art
Promotion and development of traditional arts and handicraft
Setting up public libraries
Setting up homes and hostels for orphans
Setting up old age homes
Setting up day care centres
Setting up of homes and hostels for women
Training to promote rural sports, nationally recognized sports, Olympic sports and paralympic
sports
Contributions or funds provided to technology incubators located within academic institutions
which are approved by the
Central Government
Works to making safe drinking water available
Maintaining quality of soil, air and water
Conservation of natural resources
Ensuring ecological balance
Protection of flora and fauna, animal welfare, agro-forestry
Rural development projects
Livelihood enhancement projects
Promoting healthcare and sanitation
Measures for reducing inequalities faced by socially and economically backward groups
Efforts which benefit war widows, armed forces veterans and their dependents
Union Minister of RT & H inaugurated Electric passenger bus
Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways (RT&H) R. Ramalinga Reddy inaugurated an electric passenger bus in Bangalore on 27 February 2014. This bus is a first of its kind in India and has
zero emission level.
It is an initiative of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Cooperation (BMTC) with the coordination
of Utopia. Initially for trial runs the bus will be used between Kempe Gowda and Kadugodi for 3
months.
Main Features of the Bus
Eco friendly with zero emission level.
It has capacity of 31 seats.
It has a range of 250 km.
Battery management designed to monitor the temperature and voltage of electric cells to ensure safety.
Music album, Raunaq written by Sibal and composed by AR Rahman launched
Raunaq: a music album written by Kapil Sibbal and composed by AR Rahman
A music album entitled Raunaq based on the songs composed by music maestro AR Rahman and
written by Kapil Sibal, the Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology was
launched on 17 February 2014. The album was launched by Slaman Khan, the Bollywood actor and
the chief guest on the occasion of the release of the album in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Some of the songs of the album have been sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Shreya Ghosal.
Raunaq is a video album and includes 7 songs all penned down by Sibbal. The writer of the songs,

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Sibal said that these songs are a reflection of the current social scenario of India and reflects his
view of the world that how things touched him.
Hanumath Shastry, the eminent Telugu litterateur died
Janamaddhi Hanamachhaastri, the renowned Telugu writer died on 28 February 2014 in Kapada
town of Andhra Pradesh. He was 90.
Janamaddhi Hanamachhaastri
He wrote over 30 books in Telugu, which includes Maa seema Kavulu, Vidurudu, Tyaagamoorthulu
and Mahasoudham
For his contribution to Telugu literature, he was conferred with a doctorate by Telugu University Hyderabad
In memory of CP Brown, he established a library in Kadapa. Brown was a British officer who
helped to preserve ancient Telugu manuscripts
He was born on 5 September 1926 in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh
Mahindra entered Bhutan with the launch of electric car e2o
Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd on 27 February 2014 launched electric car e2o in Thimphu, Bhutan.
The company has also signed an MoU with the Government of Bhutan for a strategic partnership to
promote the usage of electric vehicles in the Kingdom of Bhutan.
The e2o has is the future ready all electric zero emission urban mobility solution and its launch
in the country is a part of the commitment of the company with Bhutan to partner with its vision to
create a sustainable, clean and green society.

As per the signed MoU, Mahindra will establish infrastructure including set-up of a service stations for swappable batteries for the customers of the car.
The e2o Mahindra will be available in three variants
Base model it will be priced for at 6.99 Ngultrum ex-showrooms Bhutan
7.99 Ngultrum (ex-showroom Bhutan) for the premium variant
8.39 Ngultrum (ex-showroom Bhutan) for the premium variant with Quick2Charge
Mission document on National Mission for sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem approved
Union Cabinet of India on 28 February 2014 approved the Mission document on the National
Mission for sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE). This mission has been launched under
the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and the budget for implementation of the
mission will be 550 crore rupees during 12th Five Year Plan period.
The Mission has been developed with its primary objective to develop a sustainable national
capacity to continuously access the health status of the Himalayan Ecosystem and enable policy
bodies in their policy-formulation functions. The mission will also assist states in the India n Himalayan Region with implementation of actions selected for sustainable development.
The NMSHE will address a variety of important issues like
a) Himalayan glaciers and associated hydrological consequences
b) Prediction and management of natural hazards
c) Biodiversity conservation and protection
d) Wild life conservation and protection
e) Traditional knowledge societies and their livelihood
f) Capacity in regulation of science and critical peer evaluation to help governance issues related to sustenance of the Himalayan Ecosystem
g) Assist in restoration and rehabilitation process of Uttrakhand
This mission would also assess the vulnerability of the Himalayan region to climate change
scientifically in dimensions like physical, biological and socio-cultural aspects. This scientific assess would lead to formulation of appropriate policy measures and time bound action programme to
sustain its ecological resilience and ensure the continued provisions of key ecosystem services.
Other important aims of the Mission
To build and support capacities at central and state levels to assess climate change and formulation of response measures to challenges in the Himalayan region

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 Safeguard the communities in the Himalayas from the impacts of climate change through
evidence based policy formulation and enhanced research and capacity (major beneficiaries
marginalized and vulnerable communities)
The 12 Himalayan States of India in the Indian Himalayan region (IHR) has been covered under
the Mission of which 10 are hill states and two are partial hill States, namely
Jammu & Kashmir
Himachal Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Sikkim
Arunachal Pradesh
Nagaland
Manipur
Mizoram
Tripura
Meghalaya
Assam
West Bengal
The Government of Indias, Department of Science and Technology has been given the responsibility to coordinate the implementation of the Mission (NMSHE) and a Mission cell (NMSHE Cell) will
be created at the Climate Change Programme Division of the Department of Science and Technology. This cell will be headed by a Mission Director.

Background
NAPCC was launched in June 2008 by the Prime Minister`s Council on Climate Change to fulfill
Indias vision in context to climate change. In recent times, climate change has evolved as an
important area of concern and has laid ahead a challenge for environmental and development planning.
NAPCC comprises of eight national Missions and these are
National Solar Mission
National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
National Water Mission
National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system
National Mission for a Green India
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
Union Ministry of Environment & Forest approved field trials for GM crops
Union Ministry of Environment & Forest approved field trials for Genetically Modified (GM) crops
rice, wheat, cotton and maize on 26 February 2014. Ministry of Environment & Forest cleared Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committees (GEAC) decision to allow gene modification field trials for
food crops.
Field trials are pilot projects that are conducted to test efficacy of the seeds. Earlier, field trial of
the crops was stalled by GEAC (countrys apex bio-safety regulatory authority) till a verdict was given
by Supreme Court of India on a Public Interest Litigation filed by activist Aruna Rodrigues opposing
GM field trails.
Technical Expert committee recommended an indefinite temporary prohibition on trails until
certain shortcomings in the process were addressed by the government. Later the court asked the
government to submit an affidavit on its position and the government is expected to submit it soon.
In November 2013, the Maharashtra government became the first state to permit field trials of
GM food crops. The companies like Bioscience, Mahyco, and BASF India would go ahead with trails
for genetically modified crops.
Genetically Modified crops
The Genetically modified (GM) crops that are derived from organisms whose genetic material
(DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally.

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The genetic modification could be aimed at altering the nutrient content of food, reducing its
allergenic potential or improving the efficiency of food production systems.
Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) functions:
To permit the use of GMOs and products thereof for commercial applications.
To adopt producers for restriction or prohibition, production, sale, import & use of Genetically
Modified Organisms both for research and applications under EPA.
To approve for conduct of large scale field trials, evaluation of large scale field trial data and final
approval for release of transgenic crop in to the environment.
To authorize large scale production and release of GMOs and products thereof into the environment.
To authorize agencies or persons to have powers to take punitive actions under the EPA.

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