February 2015

INTERNATIONAL

Zoe Konstantopoulou Elected As new President Of Greece
Greece Parliament has elected Zoe Konstantopoulou, a member of the left wing party Syriza as its new President on 6 February. She was elected after receiving a record number of 235 of 300 deputies’ votes in the Parliament. With this win, she has the record of more votes a President of parliament received after the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974. This will be the second time that a woman is elected as the Greece Parliament President, with the first being Anna Psarouda-Benaki in 2004. However, Konstantopoulou also set another record, since the 38-year-old politician is the youngest Parliament President that has ever been elected in Greece.

Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott Survives Confidence Vote
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on 9 February survived a vote of confidence motion on spilling the top leadership of Liberal Party. Tony Abbott was elected as the Prime Minister of Australia in September 2013.

Russia – Ukraine Signed Ceasefire Agreement
The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France signed a Ceasefiredeal on 12 February after marathon talks at Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko hosted these talks which were held in the background of new attacks in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions on 12 February. At the end of the talks, both Russia and Ukraine agreed to bring into effect a ceasefire in the warring zone of eastern Ukraine from 15 February 2015.

Sri Lanka Parliament Enacts witness Protection Law
Sri Lankan Parliament has passed the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Bill on 20 February. This bill aims at protecting the rights of criminal victims and witnesses especially in human rights accountability.

---

INDIA & WORLD

India and China Jointly Launched Visit India Year In China
India and China on 2 February jointly launched the Visit India Year in China in Beijing. The initiative is aimed at enhancing the flow of tourists from China to India and to strengthen the people to people bond. China will support the promotion of Indian tourist resources in its country.

India Ranked 29th On Intellectual Property Index
India has been placed at 29th rank among the 30 countries in the international intellectual property (IP) index released by U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) on 4 February. US has been placed at the top in the list and Thailand at last position.

India Ranked 136 In World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) 2015
India was ranked 136 out of 180 nations worldwide in terms of press freedom in 2015, which marks an improvement from its rank of 140 in 2014, even though its absolute score declined from 40.34 to 40.49. In the top of the list were three Scandinavian countries: Finland on the 1st position followed by Norway and Denmark.

India and Sri Lanka Signed 4 Agreements Including Civil Nuclear Cooperation
Sri Lanka’s newly-elected President Maithripala Sirisena on 16 February held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.After the talks, India and Sri Lanka signed bilateral agreements on civil nuclear cooperation, cultural cooperation and cooperation in the field of Agriculture. Besides, an agreement was also signed for Sri Lanka’s participation in the Nalanda University Project.India and Sri Lanka also agreed to expand defence and strategic cooperation, including a trilateral format with the Maldives.

US To Provide Work Permits For H-1B Spouses Visa Holders
The United States  on 24 February announced that it would allow work permits to spouses of H-1B visa holders from 26 May 2015. Under existing US laws, spouses of H-1B visa holders are not eligible to work. This announcement is expected to benefit thousands of talented and professional spouses who have settled in US but are unable to work.

---

NATIONAL

31 Major Minerals To Be Notified As Minor Minerals
The Union government has on 5 February decided to notify 31 major minerals as minor ones.This is being done to devolve more power to the states and, consequently, expedite the process of mineral development in the country. State governments are allowed to make rules to regulate the grant of quarry leases, mining leases or other mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals.

Telecom Subscriber Base Reaches To 97 crore
Telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 7 February released a report on subscriber base. India telecom subscriber base reaches all-time high at 970 million at the end of December 2014.The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 964.20 million at the end of November 2014 to 970.97 million at the end of December 2014. This surpasses the previous record of 965.5 million reached in June 2012. Teledensity in the country, which means connection per 100, reached 77.58.

PM Constituted 3 Sub-groups Of Chief Ministers within NITI Aayog
The first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog was held in New Delhi on 8 February. The meeting was presided by NITI Aayog’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.During the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constituted three sub-groups of Chief Ministers within National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.
* First sub-group - It will study the 66 centrally-sponsored schemes and recommend which schemes should continue, which should be transferred to states, and which to discontinue.
* Second sub-group – It will focus on skill development and creation of skilled manpower within states.
* Third sub-group – It will decide on the institutional mechanisms to be evolved for Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, so that cleanliness becomes a part of life in perpetuity.

PM Narendra Modi Launched ‘Soil Health Card’ scheme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the centrally sponsored nation-wide ‘Soil Health Card’ (SHC) scheme on 19 February in Suratgarh town of Sriganganagar district, Rajasthan. The nationwide scheme will help farmers to scientifically analyse the soil of farms in the country. The scheme aims at helping farmers in improving productivity by appropriate use of nutrients or fertilisers.

---

STATES

Maharashtra Govt Planning To Revamp Jeevan Amrut Yojana
Maharashtra Government is planning to revamp the Jeevan Amrut Yojana (blood-on-call) scheme to make it more beneficial to people. State government is seeking to strengthen the network of blood storage units in rural areas instead of current mechanism of transporting blood through motorcycles. It is first of its kind scheme in the country, launched in 2014. It aimed at facilitating blood supply to patients scheduled to undergo surgeries and medical procedures in remote areas.

Adani To Set Up Country’s Largest 10,000 MW solar Plant In Rajasthan
Adani Enterprises Ltd  on 9 February signed a pact with the Rajasthan government to develop the country’s largest solar park in the state with 10,000 MW capacity over the next 10 years at an estimated investment of about Rs 40,000 crore. The company will set up solar power project of 5000 MW on its own in the next five years. The Adani Group will also develop solar manufacturing units and power evacuation systems.

Delhi Assembly Elections 2015 Results Declared
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on 10 February declared the results of Delhi Legislative Assembly Elections 2015. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) headed by social activist turned politician Arvind Kejriwal with 67 seats has emerged as the largest party in the house of 70 seats. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) – Won record 67 seats with record vote share of 54.2% percent. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – Won 3 seats with vote share of 32.3% percent. 2015 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections were held on 7 February 2015 to elect 70 members of the Sixth Delhi Legislative Assembly.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Launched CCTNS
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on 11 February launched the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) project in the state. This 19 crore rupees project will be completely funded by the Union Government. It will help in connecting 177 sites and 114 police stations in the state besides 13 district headquarters, 26 sub-divisional police officers and three police ranges along with state crime records bureau.

---

CONFERENCES

15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit
The 15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit was held from 5-7 February 2015 in New Delhi.The theme of the summit was Sustainable Development Goals and Dealing with Climate Change.The summit was organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The summit witnessed a pool of distinguished speakers from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. Politicians, Diplomats, Corporates, Government Officials, media, NGOs and activists attended the summit.During the summit, two reports namely, Global Sustainable Development Report and Energy Security Outlook were also launched.Issues like the need for mitigation in Energy supply sector, generating finances for projects focusing on Sustainable Development, and educating the youth about sustainable development were discussed. Stress was laid on collective actions of both public and private sectors in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

---

AWARDS & HONOURS

Eminent Marathi Writer Bhalchandra Nemade Selected For Jnanpith Award 2014
Eminent Marathi writer Bhalchandra Nemade on 6 February  was chosen for the Jnanpith Award 2014 by the Jnanpith Selection Board. He is the 4th Marathi writer to receive the honour and is the 50th recipient of Jnanpith award.His novel Kosala (Cocoon) published in 1963 was not only instrumental in changing the dimensions of the Marathi novel, but also the world of Marathi fiction was transformed with its advent.

57th Annual Grammy Awards
The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on 8 February at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. In all, 83 Grammy Awards were presented at the function.
* Two Indians — Ricky Kej and Neela Vaswani — took home a Grammy Award each. Neela Vasvani won the trophy in the Best Children’s Album category for “I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World (Malala Yousafzai)”. She had narrated the audio version of the book. On the other hand Ricky Kej’s collaboration in the album “Winds Of Samsara” won the Best New Age Album trophy. He had teamed up with South African musician Wouter Kellerman for the album, which symbolises peace and harmony.
* Beck Hansen’s album “Morning Phase” won the Best Album of the Year Award while the song “Stay With Me” featuring James Napier, William Phillips & Sam Smith won Best Song of the Year Award and Best Record of the Year Award.

Amartya Sen Won John Maynard Keynes Prize
Economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has won the newly instituted Charleston-EFG John Maynard Keynes Prize 2015 on 10 February.With this, Professor Sen will receive 7500 British pounds to commission a work of art and will give the annual Charleston-EFG Keynes Lecture at the Charleston Festival in the United Kingdom. This year’s lecture is scheduled for 23 May 2015 and it will be on The Economic Consequences of Austerity.

87th Annual Academy Oscar Awards 2015
The 87th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) was held on 23 February at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.The Academy Awards (commonly referred as Oscars) were presented in twenty four categories. They are :-
* Best Actor – Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything).
* Best Actress – Julianne Moore (Still Alice).
* Best Supporting Actor – J. K. Simmons (Whiplash).
* Best Supporting Actress – Patricia Arquette (Boyhood).
* Best Director – Alejandro G. Iñárritu for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).
* Best Original Screenplay – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).
* Best Adapted Screenplay – The Imitation Game.
* Best Original Song – Glory (Selma).
* Best Original Score – The Grand Budapest Hotel.
* Best Production Design - The Grand Budapest Hotel.
* Best Editing – Whiplash.
* Best Cinematography – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).
* Best Sound Editing – American Sniper.
* Best Sound Mixing – Whiplash.
* Best Foreign Language Film – Ida (Poland).
* Best Documentary Feature – CitizenFour.
* Best Documentary Short Subject – Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1.
* Best Live Action Short Film – The Phone Call.
* Best Visual Effects – Interstellar.
* Best Animated Feature Film – Big Hero 6.
* Best Animated Short Film – Feast.
* Best Makeup and Hairstyling – The Grand Budapest Hotel.
* Best Costume Design – The Grand Budapest Hotel.
* Most awards – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (Both received 4 awards).
* Most nominations in 87th Academy Awards – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (both 9 nominations)

---

SPORTS & GAMES

35th National Games
The 35th National Games of India concluded on 14 February 2015 at Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala). In all the 35th National Games saw disbursal of 1334 medals comprising of 405 Gold, 406 Silver and 523 Bronze medals respectively. Services Sports Control Board emerged overall champion and winner of the Raja Bhalendra Singh Trophy for the third consecutive time. Services have won total 159 medals including 91 Gold Medals. It was followed by hosts Kerala with 54 golds and Haryana with 40 golds. Now the 36th edition of National Games would be held at Goa in 2017. The 2015 National Games of India, also known as the 35th National Games of India, were held in Kerala from 31 January 2015 to 14 February 2015.The mascot of the 35th National Games is”’Ammu”’, The Great Hornbill, or the Great Indian Hornbill, the State bird of Kerala.

Anil Kumble and Betty Wilson Inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
Former India captain Anil Kumble and Australian legend Betty Wilson were inducted into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame on 22 February at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia. Kumble and Wilson became the 77th and 78th inductees into the Hall of Fame. Kumble is the fourth Indian to be included in the elite group other three includes Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Bishan Bedi. Wilson is the second Australian woman in the Hall of Fame behind Belinda Clark. Wilson was given the honour posthumously. Anil Kumble had played 132 Tests for India and captured 619 wickets. Wilson played 11 tests between 1947 and 1958 and scored 862 runs and claimed 68 wickets. Wilson passed away on 22 January 2010, aged 88

Chris Gayle Becomes First Batsman To Hit Double Century In World Cup History
West Indies’ opener Chris Gayle made his name into history books by becoming the first ever batsman to score a double-century in the ICC World Cup. He achieved this feat against Zimbabwe in a Pool B clash in Canberra on 24 February 2015. Gayle hit Tendai Chatara for a boundary in the 46th over of the West Indies innings to reach the double-century mark in 138 balls. Assisted by this double-century, West Indies reached mammoth total of 372 for 2 wickets. Gayle surpassed the previous World Cup best of 188 not out by South Africa’s Gary Kirsten against the United Arab Emirates at Rawalpindi in 1996.

AB De Villiers Hits Fastest 150 In ODI History
South Africa captain AB de Villiers has hit the fastest 150 in one-day internationals (ODI’s). He achieved this feat in 64 balls in World Cup Pool B match against West Indies held on 27 February at Sydney and also broke the previous record of Australia’s Shane Watson by 19 balls. AB De Villiers in the innings scored 162 runs from 66 balls and it comprised of 8 sixes and 17 fours. In this match, South Africa scored 408 runs which is the second-highest total in World Cup history.

---

ECONOMY

RBI 6th Bi-monthly Monetary Review 2014-15
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has on 3 February announced sixth Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2014-15. In its bi-monthly monetary policy statement, RBI has not changed its main lending rate i.e.Repo Rate and cash reserve ratio (CRR). But changed statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) of scheduled commercial banks.The RBI reduced the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) of scheduled commercial banks by 50 basis points from 22.0% to 21.5% of their net demand and time liabilities.

ICICI Bank Launches India’s First Digital Bank Pockets
The Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) Bank, has on 10 February launched India’s first digital Bank on mobile phones, Pockets. This service will enable users to instantly send money to any e-mail id, mobile number, friends on Facebook and bank account.

Railway Budget 2015-16
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 26 February 2015 presented the Railway Budget 2015-16 in the Lok Sabha. In his first Railway Budget, Prabhu outlined a plan to invest  over 8 lakh crore rupees over 5 years. The size of the Plan Budget has gone up by 52 percent from 65789 crore rupees in 2014-15 to 100011 crore rupees in 2015-16.
2015-16 Railway Budget at a Glance (Rs in crore) :-
* Gross Traffic Receipts – 1,83,578.00
* Total Work Expenditure – 1,62,210.00
* Net Railway Revenue – 25,076.45
* Total Passenger Earnings – 50,175.00
* Good Earnings – 1,21,423.00
* Divindend Payable To General Revenues – 10,810,74
* Operation Ratio – 88.5%

Highlights of the Railway Budget 2015-16 :-

New Trains :- Announcement of no new trains (This will be done after doing a comprehensive analysis and feasibility studies)

Passenger Fare :- No increase in Passenger fares

Freight :- Freight increase up to 10% on select items: 10% for urea, 2.7% for cement and 6.3% for coal, 0.8% for iron and steel

Railway Operations :- Railway’s Operating Ratio to improve to 88.5% in 2015-16 compared with targetted 91.8% in 2014-15

Railway Finances :-

a) Five-year outlay at Rs 8.5 lakh crore

b) Plan expenditure in Railways to he hiked 52% to Rs 1.11 lakh crore for 2015-16

c) 77 projects totalling Rs 96,182 crore on cards to expand capacity

Railway Safety :-

a) Rs 6,581 cr earmarked on level crossing safety

b) Train protection warning system to prevent fires

c) Collision avoiding system

d) 917 safety work projects to eliminate over 3,000 unmanned crossings in all states

e) Audio visual warning and radio based signals design for unmanned level crossing with technical assistance from IIT-Kanpur on cards to enhance safety

f) Five years safety plan will be ready by June 2015

g) Surveillance camera on cards for women’s safety, financing from Nirbhaya fund

Improving Train Speed :- Speed of 9 railway corridors to be increased from existing 110 and 130 kmph to 160 and 200 kmph respectively. Average speed of freight trains in empty and loaded conditions will be enhanced to 100 kmph for empty freight trains and 75 kmph for loaded trains.

Network Expansion :- Fast-track sanctioned works on 7000 kms of double/third/fourth lines Commission of 1200 km of network in 2015-16 at an investment of 8686 crore rupees.

Railway Modernisation :-  

a) 6,000 km of route km to be electrified in 2015-16, up from 462 route km in 2014-15

b) 800 km of gauge conversion on cards

Railway Convenience :-

a) Proposes to move towards paperless ticketing

b) Now, book your tickets 120 days in advance

c) Rs 120 crore provided for lifts and escalators at Railway stations

d) Phone charging facilities will be provided in all trains including general compartments

e) Online booking of wheelchairs for seniors, physically challenged passengers

f) Food can be ordered through IRCTC website while booking tickets

g) Wifi availability at 400 railway stations across the country including B class stations too

h) To introduce “Operation 5 minutes” to allow unreserved passengers to book tickets in 5 minutes

Railway Cleanliness :-

a) 17,000 toilets to be replaced and modernized

b) Vacuum-based toilets on cards

c) New toilets in 650 railway stations

d) Railways will set up waste management plants to dispose off waste

e) Will work on Swacch Rail in lines with Swacch Bharat

Bullet Train :- Feasibility study for High Speed Rail between Mumbai-Ahmadabad is in advanced stage.
Station Redevelopment :- Zonal and Divisional offices to be empowered for quicker decision making Development of 10 Satellite Railway terminals in major cities with twin purpose of decongesting the city and providing service to suburban passengers

Infrastructure :-
* Track capacity will be increased by 10% to 1.38 lakh km.
* 10 satellite railway terminals will be developed in major cities in 2015-15.
* Connectivity to North-East India will be improved. In J&K rail connectivity will be on focus.

Tourism :-
* Railways will promote Gandhi circuit in order to mark centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi’s return from South Africa. Special travel scheme Kisan Yatra for farmers for farming and marketing technique centres. Under Incredible India, Incredible Rail will be launched.

Union Budget 2015-16
Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley on 28 February 2015 presented Union Budget 2015-16 in the Lok Sabha. It was the first full year Budget of the NDA government under leadership of Prime Minister of Narendra Modi and the second budget of Arun Jaitley as Finance Minister.
2015-16 Budget Estimates (Rs in Crore )  
* Revenue Receipts – 1,141.6
* Capital Receipts -   635.9
* Total Receipts   – 1,777.5
* Non-Plan Expenditure – 1,312.2
* Plan Expenditure – 465.3
* Total Expenditure – 1,777.5
* Revenue Deficit  – 394.5
* Effective Revenue Deficit – 283.9
* Fiscal Deficit – 555.6
* Primary Deficit – 99.5

Highlights of the Union Budget 2015-16 :-

Taxation:-
* No change in the Tax slab on personal income.
* Wealth tax abolished.
* Additional 2% surcharge for the super-rich with income more than Rs. 1 crore.
* For next 4 years, corporate tax has been reduced to 25 percent from present 30 percent.
* Service tax increased to14 per cent.
* Apart from CSR, 100% tax exemption for contribution to Swachch Bharat Abhiyan.

New projects:-
* New projects  5 more AIIMSs in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Assam.
* IIT in Karnataka. While, the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad, Jharkhand will be converted into IIT.
* 2 more IIMs in Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh.
* Post-Graduation institutes of Horticulture in Amritsar, Punjab.
* University of Disability Studies will be established in Kerala.
* In Arunachal Pradesh, Centre of film production, animation and gaming will come up.
* For Infrastructure sector Rs. 70,000 crores allocated.
* Projects in rail road and irrigation bonds will be tax free.
* Infrastructure development through PPP model will be revitalised and government will bear majority of the
risk.
* Atal Innovation Mission will be established to draw on expertise of researchers and entrepreneurs to foster
scientific innovations. For this mission Rs. 150 crore allocated.
* 5 ultra-mega power projects each of 4000MW proposed by Government

Defence:-
* 2,46,726 crore allocated for Defence. It is 9.87 per cent greater than last year.
* Make in India campaign will take into consideration for speedy manufacturing of Defence equipment.
 Welfare Schemes and new Programmes :-
*  Under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, six crore toilets across the country will be built.
* By 2020, housing for all.
* Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA) will get MGNREGA of Rs. 5,000 crore. It is highest allocation to this scheme.
* To improve quality of life of common man, GST and JAM trinity (Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar and Mobile) will be launched. To encourage first generation SC/ST entrepreneurs, MUDRA bank will provide finance.
* Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) will be further be expanded to 10.3 crore from 1 crore.
* Government will contribute 50% of the premium limited to Rs. 1,000 a year for the Atal Pension Yojana.
* 9,000 crore unclaimed funds in PPF/EPF will be used for Senior Citizens Fund.
* For all Indian, government will create universal social security system.
* For electric cars production Rs. 75 crore allocated.
* Renewable energy target for 2022 – 60K MW in wind; 10K MW in biomass, 100K MW in solar and 5K MW in small hydro plants.
* Under the new tourism scheme, development of churches and convents in old Goa; Hampi, Elephanta caves, , Jallianwala Bagh, Forests of Rajasthan, Leh palace, Varanasi Qutb Shahi tombs at Hyderabad.
* Visa on Arrival (VoA) facility to be increased for 150 countries from present 43 countries.
* As an alternative to purchasing gold, Sovereign Gold Bond will be launched.
*  In order to facilitate depositors of gold to earn interest and jewellers to obtain loans on their metal accounts new scheme will be launched.
* Forward Markets Commission (FMC) will be merged with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). * Under SARFAESI Act 2002, NBFCs registered with the RBI having asset size of Rs 500 crore and above to be considered as financial institution for mid-corporate businesses and fund SME.
* For Rural Infrastructure Development Bank, Rs. 25,000 crore allocated.
* To support Micro Irrigation Programme, Rs. 5,300 crore allocated.

Economic Survey 2014-15
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Economic Survey for 2014-15 in the Parliament on 27 February 2015.The Economic Survey forms the basis for the Union Budget for the fiscal year starting 1 April. This Economic Survey has been prepared by the Finance Ministry’s Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian.
Following are the important highlights of Economic Survey:-
Economic Growth :-
* Economic growth at market prices is expected between 8.1 to 8.5% during 2015-16 (based on the new GDP calculation formula)
* Growth rate in 2014-15 is estimated at 7.5%
* The total stock of stalled projects stands at Rs. 8.8 lakh crore or 7% of GDP and are mostly in private sector
Fiscal Deficit and Current Account Deficit :-
* Union Govt. will stick to fiscal deficit target of 4.1% of GDP in 2014-15
* Country needs to meet its medium-term fiscal deficit target of 3% of GDP
* Current Account Deficit (CAD) estimated to fall 1% of GDP in 2015-16
Inflation:-
* Consumer inflation in 2015-16 likely to range between 5 to 5.5%
* Inflation likely to be below RBI’s target by 0.5 to 1% point
* Inflation shows declining trend in 2014-15
* Decline in inflation by over 6% points since late 2013
Foodgrain Production:-
* Foodgrains production for 2014-15 estimated at 257.07 million tonnes
* The production will exceed last 5 years by 8.5 million tonnes
Subsidy :-
* Food subsidy at Rs. 1,07,823.75 crore during 2014-15 (up to January 2015), an increase of 20% over previous year

---

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pakistan Successfully Test Fires Cruise Missile Ra’ad
Pakistan on 2 February conducted a successful flight test of the indigenously developed Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) named ‘Ra’ad’. The Ra’ad Missile, with a range of over 350 km, has been developed exclusively for launch from Aerial Platforms.This missile system has enabled Pakistan to achieve a greater strategic standoff capability on land and at sea.

Iran’s Safir Rocket successfully Launches Fajr Satellite into Orbit
Iran has launched its Fajr (Dawn) observation satellite on 2 February, using a Safir-2 rocket, its first launch since 2012 and declared that it has safely entered orbit. The launch marks the 35th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution and comes one day ahead of the country’s Space Technology Day.

US Names Russian Nuclear Power Plants For India and Iran Best Projects of 2014
Iranian nuclear power station Bushehr and the Indian Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant topped the “Nuclear energy” category as the modern technologies they use produce cleaner and more effective sources of energy. The Russian-backed Iranian nuclear power station Bushehr and the Kudankulam Indian nuclear power plant projects were named projects of the year 2014 by the US Power Engineering magazine in the “Nuclear energy” category on 13 February 2015.

India Successfully Test Fired BrahMos Missile From INS Kolkata
India on 14 February successfully test-fired its 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from Indian Navy’s latest destroyer INS Kolkata. BrahMos is a missile with a range of 290 kilometers and can carry a conventional warhead of up to 300 kilograms. It has a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is three times faster than the US subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile. This speed makes BrahMos one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world. It can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft and land. INS Kolkata the country’s largest indigenously built warship was commissioned in Indian Navy on 16 August 2014.

India Successfully Test Fired N-capable Prithvi-II Missile
Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile was test-fired on 19 February at Chandipur, Odisha. The test-fired was part of a regular training exercise of Strategic Force Command of Defence (SFC) and monitored by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). Prithvi-II was developed indigenously which is nuclear-capable and has a strike range of 350 km. It is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1000 kg of warheads.

---

PERSONS IN NEWS

A) APPOINTMENTS

Arvind Kejriwal Sworn In As 8th Delhi Chief Minister
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal sworn in as 8th Chief Minister of Delhi on 14 February at a function in Ramlila Maidan, Delhi. Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung administered the oath of office and secrecy to Kejriwal. In 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, AAP staged a historic victory by sweeping 67 of the 70 seats. This will be Arvind Kejriwal‘s second term as Delhi Chief Minister. Earlier in February 2014, he had resigned after running a 49-day government with the support of Congress.

Nitish Kumar Sworn In As Bihar Chief Minister For 4th time
Senior Janata Dal United leader Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the 24th Chief Minister of Bihar on 22 February. He succeeded Jitan Ram Manjhi, who resigned from his office on 20 February 2015 before the trust vote wherein he was supposed to prove majority in the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly. With this, Nitish Kumar took oath as the state’s chief minister for the fourth time. In 2000, for first time he was made CM of Bihar but had resigned within 7 days. In 2005, he was sworn in as the CM of Bihar for second time and in 2010 for third time. In May 2014 he had resigned from the CM post taking the responsibility of his party’s (JDU) dismal performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

B)RESIGNS

IPCC Chairman RK Pachauri Resigned
Dr Rajendra K Pachauri has stepped down as Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) with effect from 24 February. Pachauri is suspected to be involved in a sexual harassment case with a woman employee of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the environmental-think tank that he heads as its Director General.

C)DEATHS

Indian Sculptor and Artist Mrinalini Mukherjee Died
Acclaimed sculptor Mrinalini Mukherjee was died on 2 February in New Delhi. She was 65. She was the daughter of acclaimed artists Benode Behari and Leela Mukherjee. She was best known for her sculptures crafted using knotted hemp ropes and cast bronzes. Mrinalini Mukherjee was the first Indian artist whose work was displayed at the Sydney Biennale in 1986. In 1994, her art sculptures were displayed in the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford and later she travelled all over United Kingdom.

D)VISITORS

Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam Visited India
Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam visited India from 8 – 11 February 2015. During his four day visit, Tony Tan Keng Yam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on enhancing bilateral relations, as well as broadening cooperation in fighting terrorism, among other issues.In their talks, the two leaders deliberated on strengthening of cooperation on regional and international issues to raise the partnership to a higher level.They agreed on sharing of experiences in science and technology, space and other areas to enhance productivity and efficiency as well as broadening cooperation in fighting terrorism.

E)MISCELLANEOUS

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan Named In LIMCA Book of Records
Indore MP and Loksabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s name was included in the LIMCA book of records in the month of February 2015. Her name was included for being the only woman of the country to represent the same Lok Sabha constituency on the same party ticket for eight times in a row. As a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she represents the Indore constituency of Lok Sabha in Madhya Pradesh. For the first time she was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989. Since then she has been re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009 and finally to the 16th Lok Sabha on 18 May 2014.She was unanimously elected as Speaker of 16th Lok Sabha on 6 June 2014.

---

PLACES  IN  NEWS

Four New Fish Species Discovered In KeralaFour new fish species named Puntius nelsoni, Puntius nigronotus, Systomus chryseus and Systomus rufus have been discovered in Kerala. They were discovered by Mathews Plamoottil, a zoology professor at Baby John Memorial Government College in Kollam.

---

ABBREVIATIONS

1) ICICI – Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India

2) SWIFT – Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication

3) TRAI – Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

4) ILO – International Labour Organization

5) UNDP – United Nations Development Programme

6) OECD – Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

---

BOOKS IN NEWS

Kiran Bedi Released Comic Book Titled ‘ Kiran Bedi — Kaise Bani Top Cop ‘
Kiran Bedi on 9 February 2015 released a comic book titled Kiran Bedi — Kaise Bani Top Cop at a thanksgiving event organised in her Vidhan Sabha constituency Krishna Nagar, Delhi. The book is penned down by her sisters, Reeta Peshawaria Menon and Anu Peshawaria.The 32-page comic book with Hindi text and illustrations narrates the story of the first woman IPS officer of the country.The comic talks about Bedi’s childhood life in Amritsar, how she met her husband Brij Bedi while playing tennis and how she became the first woman IPS officer on 16 July 1972.

---

COMMITTEES

Usha Thorat Committee For Evaluating Applications Of Small Finance Banks and Payments Banks
The Reserve Bank of India on 3 February 2015 constituted a committee to evaluate applications received for the proposed small finance banks. The committee was headed by Usha Thorat, former Deputy Governor of RBI. The purpose of the small banks will be to provide a whole suite of basic banking products such as deposits and supply of credit, but in a limited area of operation. The objective for these Small Banks is to increase financial inclusion by provision of savings vehicles to under-served and unserved sections of the population, supply of credit to small farmers, micro and small industries, and other unorganised sector entities through high technology-low cost operations.

---

IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES

International Mother Language Day Celebrated On February 21
The International Mother Language Day 2015 was celebrated all over the world on February 21, 2015. The objective of this day is to promote linguistic and cultural goodwill among diversity. It aims to fosters unity among various nations. As it promotes the preservation and protection of all languages used by people all over the world.The year 2015 is the 15th anniversary of International Mother Language Day. International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999. The day, February 21, represents the date in 1952 when students from Bangladesh demonstrating for recognition of their language, Bangla, as one of the two national languages of the then Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, the capital of what is now Bangladesh.

World Cancer Day was Observed Across The World
World Cancer Day (WCD) 2015 was observed across the world on 4 February 2015.The tagline for the WCD 2015 was Not beyond Us. The tagline signified that solutions do exist across the continuum of cancer, and that they are within our reach.The WCD 2015 explored how we can implement what we already know in the areas of prevention, early detection, treatment and care so as to impact the global cancer burden for the better.

Read More

FEBRUARY 2014

National News

All Post Offices modern by 2015

 

P. Chidambaram budget announced that by 2015 all post offices in India would be modernised.  There are 1.55 lakh such centres in India. The modernisation will include handheld devices, solar panels,a thermal printer and  biometric readers for finance handling, energy generation and immediate identification. Reform in IT is also intended.

The budget allocated Rs.4,909 crore to this endeavor.

 

‘One rank-one pension’ demand for ex servicemen accepted

The budget  announced the acceptance of the demand for the one rank one pension scheme by military ex-servicemen.

Portable scanner turns woe for girl child

Many scores of people were arrested under the Pre-Natal Diagnostics Act (PNDT Act) and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act  (MTP Act) in Haryana this year after 70 cases were reported.

Illegal use of a pocket sized portable scanning devices led to many foeticide of female foetuses. The ultra sound scanners were imported from China and the arrests have exposed a huge racket.

 

Tehelka upon Rape

Tehelka head Tarun Tejpal has been allowed to appear for bail after he was charged under the amended act Criminal Law Amendment Act of  2013 for rape and sexual assault of employee and colleague. His is the first case under the act in Goa.

Tarun Tejpal was the editor in Chief of Tehelka before he resigned and was arrested for the same.

he has many written works to his credit:

The Alchemy of Desire (debut novel)

The Story of my Assassins

The Valley of Masks released in 2011 was longlisted for Man Asian Literary Prize in 2011 while his debut novel was  nominated for the Bad Sex Award literary prize in Britain.

 

International News

 

 Steadfast activist goes on fast

Yevgeny Vitishko,Suren Gazaryan and Dr. Sergei Volkov are ecologists who have been actively fighting against the impact of the construction work on at the Sochi in connection with the Olympic games. Consequently they are being targeted in ‘false’ cases and arrested. While Gazaryan has fled to Estonia after he was charged in a similar case,Vitishko who was arrested and detained since 2012 for his protests has gone on a hunger strike after being released recently from jail.

Talk about dedication!

 

Broiling unfriendly relations between US and Venezuela

Venezuela in South America after Hugo Chavez’s death has been under strife and chaos. It has socialist rulers who try time and again to curb unrest and rebellion. The government is taking actions that in anyway hampers its working. Consequently, six US diplomats to the nation, three recently and three in September of 2012, were expelled for ‘helping’ rebels in an anti government movement.

The two countries have not been on friendly terms, neither have exchanged ambassadors since 2010.Its current president is Nicolas Maduro.

 

New Pakistani  High Commissioner to India

Abdul Basit will replace  Salman Bashir as high Commissioner to India from Pakistan. He started working in foreign services in 1982. He was formerly the Pakistan’s ambassador to Germany.

Sports News

Olympics

India Fencing Again

The suspension on participation in fencing from India in the International Olympic games has been lifted.

The Fencing Association of India (FAI)  was  suspended by the International Fencing Federation (FIE) in  December 2012.

This decision came following the suspension of Indian Olympic Association by International Olympic Committee the same month.

Cricket

Kuldeep Yadav became the first Indian bowler to make a hat-trick in the under-19 cricket World Cup. He felled Nick Farrar (0), Kyle Stirling (0) and Alex Baum (5) of Scotland.

Anish Wadwa scored a century in a V.G.N. Prince of Arcot Trophy tournament match held in Chennai recently.
Golf

The Louis Philippe Cup will be held in  the The Bombay Presidency Golf Course (BPGC)

Professional who have qualified in the Professional Golf Tour of India  and  the Asian Golf Tour will participate. A total of nine cities will be participating.

 

MISCELLANEOUS

WhatsApp acquired by Facebook 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.
WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook Board of Directors.

India's first Minority Cyber Village inaugurated
India's 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.

About the Cyber Village :
The Cyber village project will provide computer education to people in the age group of 15 to 59.
Institution under the project will be instituted in the villages with substantial population of minority

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned
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.
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.

India and Kyrgyz Republic signed two agreements
On 14th February 2014 India and Kyrgyz Republic signed two agreements. Agreements were signed during the visit of Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz Mr Abdyldaev Erlan Bekeshovich. Two countries exchanged documents to facilitate mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and to simplify visa regime for diplomatic and official passport holders.

Odisha Legislative Assembly passed the Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014
G-4 Directors General for UN Affairs Meeting held on 11th Feb 2014
The Directors General (DGs) of UN Affairs of the G-4 nations met in New Delhi on 11 February 2014 to exchange views on Security Council Reform. Last year such meeting took place in New York on the sidelines of the 68th UN General Assembly on 26 September 2013.The G-4 DGs agreed to continue their discussions leading up to the 2015 Summit, with Japan offering to host the next meeting in Tokyo.

G-4 nations are :Brazil, Germany, India and Japan Prime Minister of Italy Enrico Letta resigned
Prime Minister of Italy Enrico Letta resigned on 14 February 2014. The statement released by the Italian presidential palace stated that the Italy’s 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.

14 Sport Committees set up by Sports Authority of India (SAI)
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) Set Up 14 Different high level and expert Committees for providing specialized training to athletes or sports person of different sports like shooting, weightlifting, boxing, archery, athletics, judo, badminton and wushu etc.

Union Government of India 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

IIT Kharagpur Food engineers have developed a cheap ready-to-eat paste for malnourished children
A four-member team of IIT researchers prepared the formulation in their food chemistry and technology lab which could be used as part of medical nutrition therapy for management of severe acute malnutrition children.

China to build world's longest underwater tunnel
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.

Kejriwal resigns as introduction of Jan Lokpal Bill defeated in Delhi Assembly
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has resigned on Friday following dramatic scenes in the Delhi Assembly over the introduction of Jan Lokpal Bill.
Defying Lt Governor's advice, the AAP Government on Friday tabled the Jan Lokpal Bill in Delhi Assembly but its introduction was defeated by BJP and Congress MLAs, forcing Kejriwal to consider the option of resignation.

Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014 passed by the Assembly of the state
Legislative Assembly of Odisha passed Lokayukta Bill 2014 keeping CM, ex-CMs, ministers and public servants under purview of anti-corruption panel.

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 BCCC.

National Women's Day of India observed on 13 February
National Women's Day of India was observed on 13 February 2014 in memory of India’s first women governor Sarojini Naidu. It was her 135th birthday.

India and Kyrgyz Republic signed two agreements
India signed two agreements with Kyrgyz Republic during the state visit of Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz to India.

World Radio celebrated across the globe
World Radio Day was celebrated across the globe on 13 February 2014.

Assam became the First State to legally ban smokeless tobacco
Assam became the first state to legally ban consumption of all forms of smokeless tobacco including pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine

Satellite Centre of PGIMER, Chandigarh to be established at Sangrur
Union cabinet approved the establishment of the Satellite Centre of PGIMER, Chandigarh at Sangrur.

Delhi Government approved Delhi Nagar Swaraj Bill
Delhi government approved the Delhi Nagar Swaraj Bill

Current Affairs 12-Feb-2014
President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Award of Honour
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee conferred Award of Honour

Mars orbiter completes 100 days
The Mars Orbiter spacecraft completes 100 days in space on Wednesday (Feb. 12), or roughly a third of its journey towards the Red Planet.
The country's first interplanetary probe, launched on November 5, 2013, is in good health during its curved travel of 190 million km so far towards Mars; it has to traverse a total of 680 million km over the next 210 days, Indian Space Research Organisation said on Tuesday.

FB founder and wife biggest donors in 2013
Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan were the largest philanthropic donors in the United Stats in 2013, donating nearly 1 billion dollars to charity, according to the annual list published by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

3G auction after new govt takes charge: TRAI
The 3G spectrum in 2100 Mhz band should be made available by June and be auctioned immediately after the new government takes charge, TRAI chairman Rahul Khullar said on Tuesday.

Centre’s conciliation talks with Vodafone fail
Tax Department to pursue the demand notice
Unable to reach any breakthrough in the ongoing talks with Vodafone in the Rs.20,000-crore tax dispute, the Union Finance Ministry is learnt to have decided to withdraw its conciliation proposal and move ahead with the collection of the levy from the U.K.-based telecom major for making capital gains while acquiring Hutchison Whampoa’s stake in Hutchison Essar in 2007.

Current Affairs 11-Feb-2014
Jatinder Bir Singh appointed CMD of Punjab and Sind Bank
Mr. 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.
Mr. Jatinder Bir Singh is 1983-batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre. Before Jatinder Bir Singh was an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Water
R.K.Tiwari appointed as new Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 9 February 2014.
Mr. R.K.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.

Krishi Karman Awards given for 2012-13
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, presented Krishi Karman Awards for the year 2012-13 on 10 February 2014.
The awards were presented during inaugural function of World Congress on Agro-Forestry (WCA-2014) held in New Delhi.
Awards are as :
Total food grain production
More than 10 million tonnes (large) - Madhya Pradesh
1 to 10 million tonnes (medium ) - Odisha
Less than 1 million tonnes (small ) - Manipur

Individual food grain crops
Rice - Chhattisgarh
Wheat - Bihar
Pulses - Jharkhand
Coarse cereals - Andhra Pradesh

Important to Note : 
Krishi Karman awards which were instituted in 2010-11 by the Ministry of Agriculture are given to States for their effort and contribution towards raising the country's food grain production.

Sikkim is India's first state with 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.
Important to Note : Sikkim is India's least populated and second smallest state in area after Goa.

N Ramachandran elected as President of Indian Olympic Association
N Ramachandran elected as President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on 9 February 2014.
Kho Kho Federation of India President Rajeev Mehta elected as Secretary General.
All India Tennis Association (AITA) chief Anil Khanna elected unopposed as Treasurer.

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 Development.

Vinod Sawhny appointed CEO of Reliance Communications
Vinod Sawhny appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Reliance Communications

Indian boxers finished Fourth at the 58th Bocskai International Tournament
Indian boxers finished fourth at the 58th Bocskai International Tournament which concluded in Hungary

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.

Domestic Content requirement of India’s Solar Mission challenged by US
US challenged Domestic content requirement of India's solar mission alleging it as discriminatory and against international norms.

Vinod Sawhny appointed CEO of Reliance Communications
Vinod Sawhny appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Reliance Communications

103 people kill when a military plane crashed in eastern Algeria.
Talks between Vodafone and Indian Govt fails after the government decided to withdraw its conciliation proposal to sort out the tax dispute due to which Vodafone may now have to pay Rs.20,000 crore as tax dues.
IOC lifted the ban on the Indian Olympic association.
BCCI announced the cricket teams for the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup.

Nepal's parliament elected Sushil Koirala as the next Prime Minister.
Gurunath Meiyappan has been indicted for illegal betting in last year's Indian Premier League in a report submitted by retired judge Mukul Mudgal.

Sikkim become India's first state with 100 percent sanitation coverage.

Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra became the first individual to win three gold medals in Inter Shoot Tri series being held at Hague, Netherlands.

World Squash Federation president N. Ramachandran elected unopposed as president of Indian Olympic Association.

Maruti Suzuki India has stopped production of Maruti 800.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) board announced that BCCI president N. Srinivasan will be the Chairman of the ICC board from July.

The Union Cabinet approved the Telangana bill.

Winter Olympics starts in Sochi, Russia.
Three Indian athletes Shiva Keshavan, Himanshu Thakur and Nadeem Iqbal are competing as independent athletes in Winter Olympics due to IOA's (Indian Olympic Association) suspension by the International Olympic Committee.

Delhi Government ask anti-corruption officials file an FIR against former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for an alleged Rs. 31-crore scam crafted around expensive street-lighting for the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Sony Company announces that it will sell its personal computer (PC) unit and cut 5,000 jobs.

The last session of 15th Lok Sabha started from today.

World Cancer Day is celebrated to deepen the understanding of this killer disease.
Microsoft Corp named 46 year old, Hyderabad born Satya Nadella as its next chief executive officer.
Sachin Tendulkar and CNR Rao conferred with Bharat Ratna by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee.
Justice Askhok Kumar Mathur has been appointed as the Chairman of the 7th Pay Commission.

AIADMK and CPI (M) entered into an alliance in Tamil Nadu for Lok Sabha polls 2014.
The Delhi cabinet cleared the Jan Lokpal Bill, which will be pass at a special assembly session at the Indira Gandhi stadium in New Delhi according to Delhi Govt.

Founder member of Aam Admi Party Madhu Bhaduri quits party.
Karnataka wins their seventh Ranji Trophy cricket title after beating Maharashtra by seven wickets in the final in Hyderabad.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan inaugurated India's first monorail in Mumbai.
Harish Rawat sworn in as Uttarakhand's eighth Chief Minister after resignation of Vijay Bahuguna.

Read More