January 28, 2014 No
comments
Indian cricket
team captain MS Dhoni became the first captain to be involved in four One-Day
Internationals (ODIs) ties. This feat was achieved by him as India tied
the third ODI against New Zealand
in Auckland on January 25, 2014.
The
last three tied matches played by Indian captain MS Dhoni
ICC World Cup 2011 match in Bangalore
against England
ODI match played on September 2011 at Lords against England
ODI match played in February 2012 at Adelaide against Sri Lanka
ODI match played on September 2011 at Lords against England
ODI match played in February 2012 at Adelaide against Sri Lanka
Other
cricketers who have faced tied matches in three cases are
- West Indies’ Richie Richardson
- Australia’s Steve Waugh
- South Africa’s Shaun Pollock
Note:
Till date, India figured in seven
tied matches while New Zealand in six.
January 26, 2014 No comments
Indian ace shuttler Saina Nehwal
clinched the Syed Modi International
India
Grand Prix Gold badminton
title by defeating her compatriot P.V. Sindhu in the women’s singles
competition. Sania beat P.V. Sindhu 21-14, 21-17 in the final held at Lucknow, Uttar
Pradesh. It is Sania’s third straight win over Sindhu.
About
Syed Modi International India Open Grand Prix championship
Named after a famous Indian
badminton player, (Syed Modi) and an eight-time National Badminton
champion. After his death, a badminton tournament was constituted in his
memory, Syed Modi Memorial and All India Syed Modi badminton championship
hosted each year at Lucknow.
January 26, 2014 No
comments
India’s 65th
Republic Day celebrated on January 26, 2014 is being marked with a Google
doodle portraying “Janbaz (Daredevil) motorcyclists”.
The
Daredevil motorcyclists representing a unit of the armed forces, are seen
carrying the doodle which has been painted in the colours of the Indian national
flag. Unlike many of Google’s previous doodles, this doodle doesn’t have
any animation. It is clickable and takes one to information and search results
about the Republic Day of India.
“The
Tornadoes- Janbaz (Daredevil) motorcyclists” – team has many world
records to its credit, the most famous being the “Largest Human Pyramid of 251
men on 11 motorcycles, which was established on June 11, 2008 in
Jabalpur. The second record successfully achieved was the fastest human
pyramid of ten men on two motorcycles.
January 26, 2014 No
comments
The Nation celebrated 65th Republic Day this year. The main
function held at Rajpath, Delhi where
President
Pranab Mukherjee unfurled the tricolour and take salute of the Parade. The
Parade showcased India’s
military might and cultural
diversity to the world. Prime
Minister of Japan
Shinzo Abe was the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day parade. He is
the first ever Japanese dignitary to grace the occasion.- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is on an official visit to India from January 25 to 27 at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh. Their discussions added substance and content to the India- Japan Strategic and Global Partnership.
- PM Shinzo Abe announced a loan of $2 billion for 3rd phase expansion of Delhi Metro that would add another 103 km to the network.
Both the countries signed eight
pacts in various fields including power
generation, culture,
education
and tourism.
The pacts were signed after the delegation level talks between the Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in New Delhi.
January 25, 2014 No
comments
Indian-origin academician, Mr. Rakesh Khurana(46) has
been appointed dean of the prestigious Harvard College. He succeeds Evelynn
Hammonds, Professor of History of Science and
of African and African American Studies at Harvard and will assume his new role
on July 1, 2014. At present, he is the ‘Marvin Bower’Professor of
Leadership Development at Harvard Business
School (HBS), professor of sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS),
and co-master of Cabot House at Harvard.
About
Mr. Rakesh Khurana
- Ph.D. in 1998 through a joint program between HBS and Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
- Appointed to the HBS faculty in 2000 and became co-master of Cabot in 2010.
- Co-authored “Handbook for Leadership Theory and Practice” (2010) and “The Handbook for Teaching Leadership” (2012), seminal texts on leadership theory and pedagogical practice.
- Recognized by the London Times as one of “The Thinkers 50″, a list of the fifty most influential management thinkers in the world.
Note: Harvard College is the school within Harvard University that
grants undergraduate degrees.
January 25, 2014 No
comments
The Indian-born scientist and
Professor (Emeritus) at StanfordUniversity, Mr. Arogyaswami Joseph Paulraj
(69), won the prestigious Marconi Society Prize 2014 for developing the theory
and applications of Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antennas.
His idea for using multiple antennas
at both the transmitting and receiving stations, which is at the heart of the
current high speed Wi-Fi and 4G mobile systems, has revolutionized high speed
wireless delivery of multimedia services for billions of people. MIMO boosts
data rate by creating multiple parallel spatial data streams and is the key to
the latest wireless broadband networks like 4G cellular.
- Every wifi router and 4G phone uses MIMO technology that was pioneered by Mr. Paulraj.
- Mr. Paulraj is the only India-born scientist to receive both the Marconi Prize and the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal– the two top global IT technology awards.
About
Marconi Society Prize
- Also known as “Tech Nobel”
- Founded: 1974 by Guglielmo Marconi’s daughter Gioia Marconi Braga to mark the centennial of her father’s birth and memorialize his spirit of ingenuity in service to humanity. (He was the radio inventor).
- Headquarters:San FranciscoBayArea, United States.
- Prize: $100,000 honorarium and a sculpture and its honorees become Marconi Fellows.
- Annual award
- Rrecognizes advancements in communications awarded by the Marconi Foundation.
- Winners typically include scientists whose mathematical theories and inventions have shaped the Internet and broadband access, public key encryption, Web search, wired and wireless transmission, multimedia publishing, optical fiber and satellite communications.
- Previous winners: Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Bin, world wide web (www) designer Tim Berners-Lee, father of internet Vint Cerf, cell phone inventor Martin Cooper and fibre-optic communications developer Charles Kao, etc.
- The society is celebrating its 50th year in 2014.
Note: An electrical engineer, Paul worked for the Indian Navy
which then sent him to IIT Delhi for an
M.S program. He is known for pioneering the development of military sonars (APSOH
family). He also served as the founding director for three major labs in
India – CAIR (Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics ), CDAC (Center
for Development of Advanced Computing) and CRL (Central Research Labs of Bharat
Electronics).
January 24, 2014 No
comments
The Expert Committee
to Revise and Strengthen the Monetary Policy Framework, headed by RBI Deputy
Governor Urjit R Patel submitted its report to RBI Governor Dr. Raghuram Rajan.
Recommendations
of the Urjit R Patel committee:
- RBI should adopt the new Consumer Price Index (CPI) for anchoring the monetary policy.
- Set the inflation target at 4% with a band of +/- 2% around it.
- Monetary policy decision making should be vested in a Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) that should be headed by the Governor.
- The two schemes- Dependence on Market Stabilisation Scheme (MSS) and Cash Management Bills (CMBs) may be discontinue and the government debt and cash management must be taken over by the government’s Debt Management Office.
- All fixed income financial products should be treated on par with the bank deposits for the purposes of taxation and TDS.
- Detachment of Open Market Operations (OMOs) from the fiscal operations and instead linked solely to the liquidity management. OMOs should not be used for managing yields on government on government securities.
Main objective of the committee was to recommend what needs to be done to
revise and strengthen the current monetary policy framework with a view to
making it transparent and predictable.
January 24, 2014 No
comments
The legendary actor and doyen of Telugu cinema Akkineni
Nageswara Rao(91) passed away due to cancer in Hyderabad.
About
Veteran Telugu actor and producer Akkineni Nageswara Rao(ANR)
Born: September 20,1923 in Venkata Raghavapuram in Krishna
district of Andhra
Pradesh.
Known as one of the pillars of Telugu cinema
One of the earliest stars of the Black& White era, with moving performances in films viz. Devadas, Prema Nagar, Maya Bazaar, Laila Majnu and Anarkali, etc.
Acted in 256 films in a career spanning over 75 years.
Owns a production house, Annapurna Studios, named after his wife. It is considered as Asia’s most modern state-of-the-art shooting studio.
Known as one of the pillars of Telugu cinema
One of the earliest stars of the Black& White era, with moving performances in films viz. Devadas, Prema Nagar, Maya Bazaar, Laila Majnu and Anarkali, etc.
Acted in 256 films in a career spanning over 75 years.
Owns a production house, Annapurna Studios, named after his wife. It is considered as Asia’s most modern state-of-the-art shooting studio.
- Awards & honors: Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Dada Saheb Phalke Award(1991) , Nandi Awards for Best Actor, Filmfare Best Telugu Actor Awards, etc.
- International honors: Life time Achievement Award from Telugu Association of North America – 2012.
- ‘Manam’ was the last film of Akkineni Nageswara Rao, where he shared screen space with his son Nagarguna and grand son Naga Chaitanya.
January 23, 2014 No
comments
The Reserve
Bank of India
(RBI) set up an 8 -member panel to review governance of board of banks and
examine ‘fit and proper’ criteria for directors, including their tenure.
The Committee
will be chaired by former Axis Bank
Chairman P J Nayak.
The panel will:
- Review the regulatory compliance requirements of banks’ boards in India, and estimate that what could be intellectual and where requirements needed to be raised.
- Analyze representation on bank boards to see whether the boards have appropriate mix of capabilities and necessary independence to govern the institution.
- Investigate possible conflicts of interest in board representation, including among owner representatives and regulators.
- Examine the working of bank boards, including whether adequate time is devoted to issues of strategy, growth, governance and risk management.
- Review central bank regulatory guidelines on bank ownership, ownership concentration and representation in the board.
The panel is set to examine board
compensation guidelines, and any other issue relevant to the functioning of
bank boards and the governance they exercise. The Committee is expected to
submit its report within three months from the date of its first meeting.
January 23, 2014 No comments
RBI’s Deputy Governor Dr. Anand Sinha, who was looking after
the new bank licence process, retired. The procedure for granting licences to
the private sector is yet to be completed.
Dr. Sinha was in charge of the
Department of Banking
operations and Development (DBoD)
Was also handling the long process of inviting and selecting applicants for new bank licences.
It is believed that Dr. Sinha will be appointed as an adviser to the apex bank for a period of 3 months so that his expertise can be utilised for short-listing of applicants for bank licences.
His portfolio has been allocated to other 3 Deputy Governors – K C Chakrabarty, H R Khan and Urjit Patel., till his successor is appointed.
Was also handling the long process of inviting and selecting applicants for new bank licences.
It is believed that Dr. Sinha will be appointed as an adviser to the apex bank for a period of 3 months so that his expertise can be utilised for short-listing of applicants for bank licences.
His portfolio has been allocated to other 3 Deputy Governors – K C Chakrabarty, H R Khan and Urjit Patel., till his successor is appointed.
Note: A deputy governor in RBI can be appointed for a
maximum of 5 years or till the age of 62, whichever is earlier.
January 22, 2014 No
comments
Mr. Hery Rajaonarimampianina (55) has been declared
as the President
of Madagascar
to restore democracy on the island nation in the following elections.
He was officially declared as the president of the country by the president of
the special electoral court, Mr. Francois Rakotozafy. Mr. Hery got 53.49
% votes during the run-off presidential election while Jean Louis Robinson had
46.51 %.
Mr. Hery is the 8th
elected Malagasy president and 11th chief of state since
Madagascar’s independence in 1960. He was the former Finance
Minister of Madagascar. The World Bank
in its report on Madagascar estimated that the political
crisis of the country costs it around $8 billion in lost growth. In 2012, the economy of
the country grew just by 3.1%, which made it to lag behind most African
nations.
Note: The election is an attempt to restore normality to the
country and to induce foreign investment
and boost anemic growth.
January 22, 2014 No
comments
Author Amish Tripathi, who created waves in Indian
publishing with a $1 million book contract, has cracked it even bigger this
time with an American producer purchasing the rights to “The Immortals Of
Meluha”.
The Bollywood
director Karan Johar has obtained the rights for an adaptation of the popular
book, the English rights of the same has gone to an undisclosed American
producer.
About
Amish Tripathi
Banker-turned-author, as he worked
14 years in the financial services industry,
before starting his writing career.
Novels: The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas and The
Oath of the Vayuputras. The three books
collectively comprise the Shiva Trilogy.
Note: The Immortals of Meluha is the first novel of the Shiva
trilogy series and is the fastest selling book, available in many languages.
January 20, 2014 No comments
Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Union Minister Shashi Tharoor,
passed away
Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, was found dead in a
seven- star hotel in New Delhi. She
was suffering from lupus and was diagnosed with
stomach Tuberculosis.
About
Sunanda Pushkar
Born: January 1, 1962 in a Kashmiri family of landlords and
army officers native to Bomai.
Spouses: Sanjay Raina (1988), Sujith Menon (1991-1997), Shashi Tharoor (2010-2014) (her death).
Sales director in the Dubai-based TECOM Investments and a co-owner of Rendezvous Sports World (RSW).
RSW bid for IPL team Kochi Tuskers Kerala.
In April 2010, she had to give up a stake in the Kochi IPL team estimated at Rs 70 crore, when allegations of corruption were made against her.
It was alleged that Tharoor used her as a front to collect Rs 70 crores for helping the Kochi owners get their IPL team.
Married to Shashi Tharoor in August 2010.
On Jan 17, 2014 , a day after the Twitter controversy, Sunanda was found dead The Leela Palace hotel in New Delhi.
Spouses: Sanjay Raina (1988), Sujith Menon (1991-1997), Shashi Tharoor (2010-2014) (her death).
Sales director in the Dubai-based TECOM Investments and a co-owner of Rendezvous Sports World (RSW).
RSW bid for IPL team Kochi Tuskers Kerala.
In April 2010, she had to give up a stake in the Kochi IPL team estimated at Rs 70 crore, when allegations of corruption were made against her.
It was alleged that Tharoor used her as a front to collect Rs 70 crores for helping the Kochi owners get their IPL team.
Married to Shashi Tharoor in August 2010.
On Jan 17, 2014 , a day after the Twitter controversy, Sunanda was found dead The Leela Palace hotel in New Delhi.
January 20, 2014 No
comments
As per Time magazine, if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
wins in the upcoming election and Narendra
Modi becomes India’s next Prime
Minister, the atmosphere between India and the US may become more tense
which is already charged up following visa controversy involving Indian
diplomat Devyani Khobragade.
What is the issue between Narendra Modi and USA?
In
2005, the US State Department revoked Narendra Modi’s visa because of his
alleged role in Gujarat
riots in February 2002. There is an American law that bars visit of a foreign
official who is responsible for or directly carried out particularly severe
violations of religious freedom. But with Modi in the fray for the post of
Prime Minister, the US appears to be in a quandary whether to allow him the
visa or not. However, in the eventuality of Modi becoming India’s PM, the US
will have to soften its stance otherwise it will be detrimental for the ties
between the two nations.
January 20, 2014 No
comments
The private sector bank, Federal
Bank plans to recruit about 3,000 employees and add 300 branches in the
next three years.
As per Federal Bank Managing
Director and CEO, Shyam Srinivasan, in the last three years, 340 branches
were added across the country and they intend to add 80-100 branches every
year. Currently, the bank has about 10,126 employees.
About
Federal Bank
- Headquarters: Aluva, Kochi, Kerala
- Chairman: Prof Abraham Koshy
- It’s a private sector bank, offers a facility through which devotees can provide offerings to temples, churches and mosques through their federal bank accounts.
- Tied up with white label ATM facilities of Tata group, Muthoot Finance and Bank Tech.
- The bank’s technology product ‘Fed book’, which enables a customer to view transactions for the past several years, was a big hit with customers.
January 19, 2014 No
comments
Ms Jamila Bayaz (50) appointed as the first female police chief
in Afghanistan.
Ms Bayaz will lead the District One of Kabul province in Afghanistan.
She joined Afghan police force more
than three decades ago and presently, working as Colonel in Kabul’s police
force. The appointment will pave the way for more Afghani women to
rise through the ranks. It testifies that women position in Afghan society is
improving since the Taliban were driven out from power in
2001. District One of Kabul province houses the presidential palace
and numerous ministries. In addition to, it houses the Central Bank of
Afghanistan and is the main money and gold market of Afghanistan.
Note:Kabul province is divided into 22 districts. Each number
specifies the name of the district and is organized in ascending order in order
of importance.
January 19, 2014 No
comments
Legendary Bengali actress Suchitra Sen (82) passed way in
Kolkata due to massive heart attack. She was
the first Bengali actress to be honored at an international film
festival (She received the Best Actress award for ‘Saat Paake
Bandha’ at the 1963 Moscow film festival).
About
Legendary Bengali actress Suchitra Sen
- Known for power-packed performances in highly acclaimed Bengali films viz. Deep Jwele Jaai, Uttar Falguni, etc and in Hindi movies viz. Devdas, Bombai Ka Babu, Mamta, Aandhi, Saat Paake Bandha, etc. She has been nicknamed as the Greta Garbo of Bengali cinema.
- Received the Best Actress Award for the film Devdas (1955), which was her first Hindi movie.
- Her role in Hindi film Aandhi opposite Sanjeev Kumar is memorable as well as controversial. She portrayed the character of Indira Gandhi in the film.
- Ms. Sen was the only celebrity to refuse the Dadasaheb Phalke Award just to avoid travelling to New Delhi.
She devoted her retirement years
working for the Ramakrishna Mission.
January 18, 2014 No
comments
British Prime
Minister David Cameron ordered his cabinet secretary to inquire into
newly-released documents suggesting Margaret Thatcher government
facilitated the Indian government in 1984 to plan Operation Blue Star against
separatists hiding inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The investigation
will examine two issues – British action in 1984 and the decision to release
such sensitive government papers.
About Operation Blue Star
- In 1982, armed men, led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, took up residence in the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Punjab.
- In order to remove JS Bhindranwale and his armed followers from the GoldenTemple, an Indian military operation (known as Operation Blue Star) took place on June 3–8, 1984, ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
- Lieutenant-General Kuldip Singh Brar commanded the Operation Blue Star to overpower JS Bhindranwale and Sikh revolutionaries.
- The bloody and heavily criticized operation led to the assassination of then PM Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards (Satwant Singh and Beant Singh) on October 31, 1984.
Afterwards, more than 3,000 Sikhs
were killed in the resulting anti-Sikh riots.
January 17, 2014 No
comments
The crusading Marathi poet-writer and leader of the Dalit
Panthers movement, Namdeo Dhasal (64) passed away in Mumbai.
About
Namdeo Dhasal
Pioneer of the Dalit literature
movement known for its deep concern for the under-privileged.
Lately, he was writing columns for the Marathi daily Saamana.
Awards and Honors: Padma Shri award, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Maharashtra State Award and Golden Life Time Achievement.
Notable Works: Golpitha, Moorkh Mhataryane, Tujhu Iyatta Kanchi, Khel, Priyadarshini (based on late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi).
For Golpitha, he got Soviet Land Nehru Award.
Dilip Chitre translated a selection of Dhasal’s poems into English under the title ‘Namdeo Dhasal: Poet of the Underworld’, Poems 1972-2006.
One of the founders of the militant Dalit Panther movement which started after the casteist riots in Worli’s BDD chawls in the late ’60s.
Lately, he was writing columns for the Marathi daily Saamana.
Awards and Honors: Padma Shri award, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Maharashtra State Award and Golden Life Time Achievement.
Notable Works: Golpitha, Moorkh Mhataryane, Tujhu Iyatta Kanchi, Khel, Priyadarshini (based on late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi).
For Golpitha, he got Soviet Land Nehru Award.
Dilip Chitre translated a selection of Dhasal’s poems into English under the title ‘Namdeo Dhasal: Poet of the Underworld’, Poems 1972-2006.
One of the founders of the militant Dalit Panther movement which started after the casteist riots in Worli’s BDD chawls in the late ’60s.
January 17, 2014 No
comments
Mr. Rajeev Kher has been appointed as the new Secretary in Department of
Commerce. Mr. Kher is a 1980-batch IAS officer of Uttar
Pradesh cadre and at present serving at the post of Special Secretary,
Department of Commerce under Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
He will succeed Mr. S R Rao who is retiring on January 31, 2014.
Other appointments
- Mr. Sudarsanam Srinivasan, a 1980-batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre, has been appointed Member (Finance), Atomic Energy, Space and Earth Commissions.
- Mr. A Vijayanand, a 1980-batch officer of Indian Revenue Service (C&CE), will be additional secretary and financial adviser in the Department of Space.
Mr. VS Madan, Director
General and Mission Director of UIDAI has
been given a year’s extension, till March 2015.
January 16, 2014 No comments
President
Pranab Mukherjee bestowed the Sunil Gangopadhyay Memorial Award for Excellence
in Bengali Literature for 2012 and 2013 upon eminent poet and
litterateur Nirendranath Chakravarty and Sankha Ghosh at the Raj
Bhavan in Kolkata. The award was instituted in 2012 by ‘The Bengal’, a
Kolkata-based NGO.
About Sunil Gangopadhyay
Born: September 7, 1934
Died: October 24, 2012
- Known for his poems and novels in both West Bengal and Bangladesh.
- Used the pen names Nil Lohit, Sanatan Pathak, and Nil Upadhyay.
- His wrote thriller ‘Kakababu’ series which became very popular among children and teenagers.
- Famous filmmaker Satyajit Ray had made two films ‘Pratidwandi and Aranyer Din Ratri’ based on Gangopadhyay’s novels.
- He received Sahitya Akademi award in 1985 for his novel Sei Somoy.
He
was elected the President of Sahitya Akademi in 2008.
January 17, 2014 No
comments
The crusading Marathi poet-writer and leader of the Dalit
Panthers movement, Namdeo Dhasal (64) passed away in Mumbai.
About
Namdeo Dhasal
Pioneer of the Dalit literature
movement known for its deep concern for the under-privileged.
Lately, he was writing columns for the Marathi daily Saamana.
Awards and Honors: Padma Shri award, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Maharashtra State Award and Golden Life Time Achievement.
Notable Works: Golpitha, Moorkh Mhataryane, Tujhu Iyatta Kanchi, Khel, Priyadarshini (based on late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi).
For Golpitha, he got Soviet Land Nehru Award.
Dilip Chitre translated a selection of Dhasal’s poems into English under the title ‘Namdeo Dhasal: Poet of the Underworld’, Poems 1972-2006.
One of the founders of the militant Dalit Panther movement which started after the casteist riots in Worli’s BDD chawls in the late ’60s.
Lately, he was writing columns for the Marathi daily Saamana.
Awards and Honors: Padma Shri award, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Maharashtra State Award and Golden Life Time Achievement.
Notable Works: Golpitha, Moorkh Mhataryane, Tujhu Iyatta Kanchi, Khel, Priyadarshini (based on late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi).
For Golpitha, he got Soviet Land Nehru Award.
Dilip Chitre translated a selection of Dhasal’s poems into English under the title ‘Namdeo Dhasal: Poet of the Underworld’, Poems 1972-2006.
One of the founders of the militant Dalit Panther movement which started after the casteist riots in Worli’s BDD chawls in the late ’60s.
January 17, 2014 No
comments
Mr. Rajeev Kher has been appointed as the new Secretary in Department of
Commerce. Mr. Kher is a 1980-batch IAS officer of Uttar
Pradesh cadre and at present serving at the post of Special Secretary,
Department of Commerce under Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
He will succeed Mr. S R Rao who is retiring on January 31, 2014.
Other appointments
- Mr. Sudarsanam Srinivasan, a 1980-batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre, has been appointed Member (Finance), Atomic Energy, Space and Earth Commissions.
- Mr. A Vijayanand, a 1980-batch officer of Indian Revenue Service (C&CE), will be additional secretary and financial adviser in the Department of Space.
Mr. VS Madan, Director
General and Mission Director of UIDAI has
been given a year’s extension, till March 2015.
January 16, 2014 No comments
President
Pranab Mukherjee bestowed the Sunil Gangopadhyay Memorial Award for Excellence
in Bengali Literature for 2012 and 2013 upon eminent poet and
litterateur Nirendranath Chakravarty and Sankha Ghosh at the Raj
Bhavan in Kolkata. The award was instituted in 2012 by ‘The Bengal’, a
Kolkata-based NGO.
About Sunil Gangopadhyay
Born: September 7, 1934
Died: October 24, 2012
- Known for his poems and novels in both West Bengal and Bangladesh.
- Used the pen names Nil Lohit, Sanatan Pathak, and Nil Upadhyay.
- His wrote thriller ‘Kakababu’ series which became very popular among children and teenagers.
- Famous filmmaker Satyajit Ray had made two films ‘Pratidwandi and Aranyer Din Ratri’ based on Gangopadhyay’s novels.
- He received Sahitya Akademi award in 1985 for his novel Sei Somoy.
He
was elected the President of Sahitya Akademi in 2008.
January 15, 2014 No
comments
The insurance
sector regulator, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) set up
a 10-member committee
to study the options of allowing 100 % Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) in insurance intermediaries, Third-Party Administrators (TPA), surveyors
and loss assessors.
The 10-member committee :
- Headed by: IRDA Senior Joint Director, Suresh Mathur and has officials from the regulator, insurance council, insurance companies as well as brokers and will submit its report in three months.
- Objective: To study whether there is a case for raising the FDI limit in insurance entities (other than insurance companies) and if yes, to what extent. To study the options of allowing 100 % Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in insurance intermediaries, Third-Party Administrators (TPA), surveyors and loss assessors.
- Current Status: the FDI limit for these entities is 26 % in line with the limit stipulated for insurance companies.
The committee will also look at the
implications of modifying the limit on the industry
and the international
practices.
January 14, 2014 No
comments
The iconic but controversial former Israeli Prime
Minister, Ariel Sharon (85) passed away after spending eight years in a
coma following a stroke.
About Ex-Israeli PM Ariel Sharon
Known as “The Bulldozer,” a
fearless leader who got things done and was one of the most prominent figures
in Israel’s
history
– both on the battlefield and in political
life.
When Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack in 1973, he led a division that cut off Egyptian soldiers on the Sinai Peninsula – a move that helped Israel win the war. The Arab world called Mr. Sharon “the Butcher of Beirut” after he supervised Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon while serving as defence minister.
When Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack in 1973, he led a division that cut off Egyptian soldiers on the Sinai Peninsula – a move that helped Israel win the war. The Arab world called Mr. Sharon “the Butcher of Beirut” after he supervised Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon while serving as defence minister.
- Became Prime Minister in 2001, won the election with a promise to bring peace and security to Israel.
- Seemed to win re-election when he suffered a succession of strokes in 2005 and 2006. But, fell into a coma, from which he never recovered.
- After 8 years in a coma, he died on January 11 in a hospital near Tel Aviv.
January 14, 2014 No comments
Awami League chief Ms Sheikh Hasina (66) sworn in as Prime
Minister of Bangladesh
for the third time along with a 48-member cabinet. President
Abdul Hamid administered the oaths of office and secrecy to Ms Hasina and her
new cabinet members at the Bangabhavan presidential palace in Dhaka.
Awami League won 231 seats, of which
127 seats were uncontested, giving it a clear three-fourth majority in the
country’s 10th parliament.
The 18-party alliance led by former premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted the polls after her arch-rival Hasina rejected the opposition’s demand for a neutral caretaker regime for election oversight.
The 18-party alliance led by former premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted the polls after her arch-rival Hasina rejected the opposition’s demand for a neutral caretaker regime for election oversight.
January 13, 2014 No comments
Well-known Social activist Ila Pathak (80) passed
away.
Ila Pathak:
Born
in 1933, she was an active member of Movement for Secular Democracy (MSD) and
vice-president
of Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties’ (PUCL). She became the founder
secretary of Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group (AWAG). She was also a
former professor of H K Arts College and head of India Chapter
of Women’s International
League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).
Major contributions of Ila Pathak:
Pathak
played a major role in movement for justice to the victims of 2002 Gujarat
riots, protest against Patan P T C College gangrape incident, etc. She
was also a supporter to Manipur’s
Irom Sharmila’s protest against Armed Forces Special Powers’ Act (AFSPA).
January 11, 2014 No comments
A high-level panel of the Reserve
Bank of India
(RBI) has suggested that the central bank should gradually abolish the Statutory
Liquidity Ratio (SLR), the portion of deposits that banks must compulsorily
keep in government securities.
At present, SLR is at 23% while most
banks keep it around 27% as state-backed bonds often provide attractive rates
at low risk.
As per the Committee
on Comprehensive Financial Services for Small Businesses and Low-Income
Households, headed by Nachiket Mor (former executive director ICICI Bank):
- SLR should be gradually abolished
- A Separate category of banks should be created to cater to low-income households with a minimum entry capital requirement of Rs. 50 crore — 1/10th of the currently mandatory Rs. 500 crore.
- Banks should provide facilities for withdrawal, payment and deposit within 15 minutes walking distance anywhere in the country.
- All Indians above 18 to have a “full-service, safe, and secure electronic bank account” by 2016.
- The priority sector lending cap should be increased from the current 40% to 50%.
- Interest subsidies and loan waivers should be abolished.
What
is SLR?
Apart from keeping a portion of
deposits with the RBI as cash (CRR), banks are also required to maintain a
minimum percentage of their net demand and time liabilities with them at the
end of every business
day, in the form of gold, cash, government bonds or other approved securities.
This minimum percentage is called Statutory Liquidity Ratio.
Example: If you deposit Rs. 100/- in bank, CRR being 9% and SLR
being 11%, then bank can use 100-9-11= Rs. 80/- for giving loan or for investment
purpose.
SLR is the requirement imposed by
the regulator on commercial banks that compels them to invest a percentage
(currently 23%) of their Net Time and Demand Liabilities (NDTL) in
approved government securities. Through this, today, 23% all the resources –
deposits and borrowings – mobilised by commercial banks are invested in
government securities.
The Narasimham Committee – I
(1991) had recommended scaling down SLR from a high of 38.5 per cent to 25
per cent and the RBI moved in a calibrated fashion in that direction. SLR is at
23 per cent with effect from August 11, 2012. A reference book, popularly known
in the teaching-academic circle as Datt & Sundharam Indian Economy by
Gaurav Datt and Ashwani Mahajan mentions as follows: “There is
now a demand to abolish SLR altogether”.
Purpose/
Objective of SLR
SLR is aimed at serving three
purposes:
- (i) it is an instrument of credit control;
- (ii) it works as a cushion against the possibility of bank failures; and
- (iii) it is a conduit for financing government deficits. Out of these, SLR has been serving overwhelmingly the third purpose.
As a credit control instrument, it
is relatively blunt and being used rather infrequently. Between October 25,
1997 and August 11, 2012 SLR has been changed only five times from 25% to 23%.
As far as its function as a cushion
against bank failures is concerned, it is practically meaningless because weak
commercial banks are not allowed to fail by the Government/RBI which is guided
by the too-big-to-fail doctrine while resolving bank failures.
Therefore, one may conclude that the
biggest casualty of abolition of SLR would be government borrowing programmes
which are of gigantic size every year. So the basic question is who will
subscribe to such borrowings? The answer will determine the fate of the banking
structure, post-SLR abolition.
What
do the supporters of ‘SLR abolition’ say?
Abolition of SLR would dramatically
free up nearly a quarter of deposits for industrial and consumer loans — and
possibly lower interest rates. As per some experts, reducing SLR on a gradual
basis would be healthy for the financial sector and this would allow banks to
direct their resources to a more productive use.
January 11, 2014 No comments
Indian Pitta,
a bird endemic to the Himalayan foothills and Western
Ghats, was spotted at Aravalli Biodiversity Park near Vasant
Kunj in Delhi recently. As
per ornithologists, Indian Pitta, a small and colourful bird which is mainly
seen in closed-canopy forests, was spotted in Delhi after 60 years.
Why
sighting of Indian Pitta is special for scientists?
The sighting of Indian Pitta or
‘Navaratna’ was last reported by ornithologist Usha Ganguli in her book-A
Guide to the Birds of Delhi. But for scientists, the spotting of the bird
in national
capital after 60 years is special because it was seen in the mining pits which
they have converted in to moist forests. As an experiment, scientists planted
evergreen species in these despoiled pits of Aravalis which was a wasteland
earlier. The bird discovered the type of atmosphere it needs at this location.
January 8, 2014 No
comments
Janet Yellen (67) has been confirmed
as the new chief of the Federal Reserve
Bank of the US. With this, she has become the first woman to head the
world’s most powerful central bank.
Yellen who was earlier nominated by President
Barack Obama
was elected with the 56-26 vote in the US senate voting.
Yellen will replace current chairman Ben
Bernanke, who steps down on January 31, 2014 after 8 years in this
service, during which the pair tackled the country’s worst economic crisis
since the Great Depression.
January 7, 2014 No
comments
What were the key contributions of Kapila Hingorani?
Public Interest Litigation (PIL):
A
PIL means litigation for the protection of the public interest.
Understanding the Right to Constitutional Remedies:
Article
32 of the Constitution
of India
is known as “Right to Constitutional Remedies”. Article 32 (1) says that “The
right to move the Supreme Court by appropriate proceedings for the enforcement
of the rights conferred by this Part is guaranteed”.
Why PIL?
In
ordinary cases the aggrieved person/ party has the right to seek redress under
Article 32. Prior 1980s only the aggrieved party could approach the courts for
justice. The Indian legal system which was more or less with colonial nature
saw the state of deprivation of civil and political
rights particularly during the emergency era. After the emergency got ended in
1977, the 2 judges of the Supreme Court Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer and P. N.
Bhagwati recognized the possibility of providing access to justice to the poor
and to reach out to the people. Hence Public Interest Litigation was devised an
innovative way wherein a person or a civil society group could approach the
supreme court seeking legal remedies in cases where public interest is at
stake. Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer and Justice P. N. Bhagwati were
the first judges to accept PIL. In S. P. Gupta v. Union of India, 1981
case, Justice P. N. Bhagwati articulated the concept of PIL.
Hussainara
Khatoon v. State of Bihar was the first such PIL case filed by advocate Kapila Hingorani and focused on the
inhuman conditions of the prisons. The case led to release of more than 40, 000
under trial prisoners.
Concept of PIL:
In
S. P. Gupta v. Union of India, 1981 case, Justice P. N. Bhagwati provisioned
that if an injury is caused to a person or class of person or a legal right of
the person/class of person is violated, and such person or class of person by
reasons of poverty, helplessness or disability or social/economical
disadvantageous position cannot approach the court, then a member of the public
can maintain an application for an appropriate direction / order/ writ in the
High Court under article 226 and in case any breach of the fundamental rights
the person or class of person can seek judicial redress in Supreme court under
article 32.
Please
note that Article 226 is Power of High
Courts to issue certain writs.
Can PIL be filed for personal gains?
In
Ashok Kumar Pandey v. State of West Bengal
case it was maintained that one can approach the court to wipe out violation of
fundamental rights and genuine infraction of statutory provisions, but not for
personal gain or private profit or political motive or any oblique
consideration.
Remedial nature of PIL:
The
PIL has remedial nature and indirectly incorporates the principles enshrined in
the part IV (Fundamental Duties) of the Constitution of India into part III
(Fundamental Rights) of the Constitution.
National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)
In
1979, the apex court for the first time talked of the necessity of free
legal aid to poor persons to make the justice system mount a meaningful
protection of their rights. Eight years after the judgment of Hussainara
Khatoon Vs State of Bihar case, the National
Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was constituted under the Legal
Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free Legal Services to weaker
sections of the society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of
disputes.
January 5, 2014 No
comments
New Zealand’s
cricket
player Corey Anderson created a record by hitting the fastest century in
One-Day International
(ODI), reaching 100 in just 36 balls against the West Indies.
Prior to Anderson, Pakistan’s
Shahid Afridi had this record who took 37 deliveries to hit century against Sri Lanka
in 1996.
In his unbeaten 131, Anderson hit 14
sixes, the third highest number of sixes in an ODI innings. India’s Rohit
Sharma smashed 16 sixes against Australia
two months ago and Australia’s Shane Watson hit 15 against Bangladesh
in 2011.
January 3, 2014 No
comments
Ms Ashraf Jehan (56) appointed as
the first female judge of Shariah Court (Pakistan),
which hears cases under the Islamic legislation. Ms Jehan was earlier serving
as an additional judge at the high court in Sindh.
Note: The Shariah Court was established in 1980 during the rule
of military dictator Ziaul Haq as part of his policy towards Islamisation of
Pakistan’s institutions. It examines the country’s laws to check them for
conformity with Islamic injunctions and hears appeals under religious
legislation known as the “Hudood Laws”, which run parallel to the penal code.
January 3, 2014 2 Comments
The Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development,
Dr. Shashi Tharoor named as the Person of the Year by the animal rights body PETA
(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) – India for
taking steps to advance animal protection. Mr. Tharoor recommended the National
Council for Teacher Education
(NCERT) to ban the use of animals, viz. for dissection, etc, in training
teachers.
By his initiative, in 2012, the
Ministry of Environment
and Forests issued a directive instructing all the institutes or establishments
associated with teaching of medical, pharmacy and other courses in life
sciences to follow UGC guidelines for discontinuation of dissection and animal
experimentation in universities and colleges and introduce use of alternatives
to animal experimentation.
About
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) – India
- Based in Mumbai, launched in January 2000.
- Operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment.
- Focuses primarily on the areas in which the greatest numbers of animals suffer the most: in the food and leather industries, laboratories and the entertainment industry.
- Responsible for the ending of animal experiments by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education in 2008.
January 1, 2014 No
comments
The
French Constitutional Council approved the government’s controversial “millionaire
tax” proposal for companies to pay 75% tax on annual salaries exceeding €1
million ($1.375 million USD), in line with President
Francois Hollande’s drive to limit executive pay at a time of economic
hardship. To reduce France’s budget
deficit, the increase in tax raised discontent among the business
leaders and the football
clubs.
About Millionaire Tax
The
super tax is one of the President Francois Hollande’s signature
policies, to pull out France from its economic crisis.
- The tax will include a 50% levy on the portion of wages exceeding €1 million paid in 2013 and 2014. It will be levied on companies, not the individual.
- The tax, for earnings in 2013 and 2014, will hit around 470 companies and a dozen football clubs. It is expected to raise €210 million a year.
- Including social contributions, the rate will effectively remain about 75%, though the tax will be capped at 5% of a company’s turnover.
January 1, 2014 No
comments
The Reserve Bank
of India
(RBI) cautioned that any political
instability after the Lok Sabha
elections
in 2014 will drag the besieged economy further
down, except there is a stable new government at the centre. On the
release of the 8th edition of the RBI’s Financial Stability Report
2013, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan stated that any political instability after
general elections will lead to erode investor’s confidence in the economy. A
stable new government would be positive for the economy.
Excerpts
of the 8th edition of the RBI’s Financial Stability Report 2013
- The gross Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in the system will rise to Rs. 2.29 lakh crore by September 2014 from Rs. 1.67 lakh crore in September 2013.
- External sector risks have been considerably reduced and the effect of the tapering on the economy is expected to be limited and short-lived.
- The delay in the tapering of the $85 billion-a-month bond buyback programme by the US Fed till January 2014, has given the country time to replenish the forex reserves and rein in the high current account gap.
- Realignment of global growth as well as high inflation differential between advanced economies (AEs) and Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs) is a potential source of exchange rate volatility and may result in volatile cross-border flows with every reprising of risk.
- Corporate performance continues to be weighed down by boom period expansions and excess capacities, amid shifting asset composition towards financial investments.
- Five sectors – infrastructure, iron and steel, textiles, aviation and mining together contribute 24 per cent of total advances of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) and account approx 53 % of their total stressed advances.
- House prices and outstanding loans for housing by housing finance companies have grown relatively faster during the last few years.
- Inadequate social security coverage in India against a backdrop of changing demographics will pose challenges for expanding the pension system given the fiscal constraints. The National Pension System (NPS) created to serve Government employees and private sector workers.
Note: RBI publishes Financial Stability Report (FSR) in
every six months. Its’ purpose is to create awareness about the vulnerabilities
in the financial system and to inform about the resilience to stress of the
financial institutions and to generally serve as a health check
on the financial system.
January 1, 2014 No
comments
The Country’s biggest lender, State
Bank of India
(SBI) appointed Mr. P.Pradeep Kumar as its Managing Director and group
executive in charge of corporate banking. The
seat was lying vacant as of Ms. Arundhati Bhattarcharya became the Chairman of
SBI in October 2013.
Previously, Mr. Kumar was the deputy
managing director and group executive of the corporate banking group of SBI,
which looks after corporate accounts and project finance of
the bank. The other three managing directors are K Krishna Kumar (national
banking), Hemant Contractor (global banking) and A Vishwanathan (subsidiaries
and associates).
Note: The top management at SBI consists of a chairman, four
managing directors, over a dozen deputy managing directors and about 35 chief
general managers.
January 1, 2014 No comments
Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal delivered on the AAP’s promise of its poll manifesto
by announcing 20 kilo litres of free water a month to all metered households.
The decision was questioned by Congress, saying every citizen of Delhi must be
provided 700 litres of free water per day.
However, there is a condition that
those consuming above this limit will have to pay as per tariff, increased by
10%, effective Jan 1, 2014. The promise of 700 litres of free water to
every Delhi household was made in the AAP poll manifesto. The cost of
providing the free water would be borne by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for the
first three months. Though AAP were to provide for 700 litres of water per
day to every household but the DJB in its final calculations arrived at the
figure of 667 litres per day or 20 kilo litres a month to be provided to those
households with regular connections.
In another step, the AAP government,
which had promised to go over the problems of auto-rickshaw drivers, new
Transport Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj decided to issue 5,500 inter-state permits
for them to commute within the National
Capital Region.
December 31, 2013 No comments
Mr. Jayanta Narayan Chaudhary appointed as new chief of National
Security Guard (NSG). Mr. Chaudhary is the 1978 batch IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya
cadre and is due to retire in May 2015. He succeeded Arvind Ranjan.
About
National Security Guard (NSG)
- Set up in 1984 as a Federal Contingency Deployment Force to tackle all facets of terrorism in the country.
- Operates under the oversight of the Ministry of Home Affairs and is headed by the Director General of the Indian Police Service (IPS).
- The NSG members are also known as Black Cats because of the black drill cotton coveralls and balaclavas or helmets they wear.
December 31, 2013 No comments
Noted veteran actor Farooq Sheikh (65) passed away in
Dubai.
Farooq
Sheikh:
Born: March 25, 1948
He started his career in acting in Bollywood
in 1973 with the film Garm Hava and gained accolades for his roles in
movies like Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Chashme Buddoor, Kissi Se Na Kehna, Noorie.
He played the role of a father in Ranbir Kapoor starring film Yeh Jawaani
Hai Deewani released this year (2013).
Last Film: Club 60 which released in December 2013
December 30, 2013 No
comments
The top-most leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Arvind
Kejriwal, sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Delhi. He was
administered the oath by the Lieutenant Governor of the capital Najeeb Jung.
Along with Kejriwal, six others:
Manish Sisodia, Girish Soni, Rakhi Birla, Satyendra Jain, Saurabh Bharadwaj and
Somnath Bharti, took oath as ministers. The AAP has come to power after
winning 28 seats out of 70 in the recently held assembly polls in Delhi.
Although it didn’t have the majority, the Congress party extended its
unconditional support to AAP for forming government. Now, Kejriwal
government has the task to deliver on the promises they have made which include
cutting down electricity tarriff and improve water supply to all parts of the national
capital.
The
new government has to prove majority in the assembly on January 2, 2014.
Arvind
Kejriwal:
- Born: August 16, 1968 in Siwani in Haryana
- Education: Graduated in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur
- Worked for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as a Joint Commissioner in the Income Tax Department.
- Instrumental in drafting a proposed Jan Lokpal Bill and his efforts to bring and implement the Right to Information (RTI) Act at grassroots level.
- 2012: Launched Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which ousted the Shiela Dixit’s regime of Congress after winning 2013 Assembly polls.
- In the assembly elections he defeated his rival Shiela Dixit by a huge margin of 25, 864 votes.
- Became the second youngest Chief Minister of Delhi. Chaudhry Brahm Prakash was the youngest Chief Minsiter at 34 when he took over in 1952.
December 30, 2013 No
comments
US President Barack
Obama has
inked a two-party federal budget bill,
preventing the risk of a government shutdown for two years in the country.
The legislation was passed by both
the Senate and the House of Representatives after a prolonged stand-off between
the Democrats and the Republicans. The bill had been drafted by a cross-party
budget panel set up after October’s 16-day government shutdown.
The Defence
Bill, among others, provides $527 billion in base defence spending and $80
billion for the war in Afghanistan,
in addition to a crackdown on assault* in military and relaxes restrictions on
transferring detainees from the federal prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Why
did the US government shutdown happen?
The US Congress failed to pass the
government budget due to disagreement between the Republicans, who have
majority in the lower house – the House of Representatives – and the Democrats,
who control the upper house, the Senate.
Since President Barack Obama’s
election, the parties have never come to a resolution on a US budget that
extends further than a few months. They’ve just negotiated around the margins
and come up with short-term fixes.
Now, the Republicans are using
budget deadlines to gain political
leverage over contentious policies.
This time the issue was Mr.
Obama’s healthcare reform
programme- the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(Obamacare) which continues to be very controversial for a range of reasons. The
Republican-controlled House of Representatives though approved budgets but
eliminated funding of this programme or wanted it delayed by one year. The
Senate rejected these demands. It led to a deadlock situation and no budget
bill could be agreed by both houses, resulting into the shut down.
December 29, 2013 No
comments
Ace archer Deepika Kumari created history by
clinching her sixth consecutive title at the 34th National Archery Championships
held at JRD Tata Stadium, Jamshedpur. With this achievement, Deepika now
holds more individual titles at the national meet than Dola Banerjee, who won 5
national titles. However, the record of winning most individual titles is still
held by Bengal archer Krishna Ghatak, with seven consecutive titles between
1975 and 1982.
Top Achievers at the National Meet:
- Jharkhand (Gold-10, Silver-2, Bronze-5. Total: 17)
- SSCB (Gold-3, Silver-3, Bronze-4. Total: 9)
- Punjab (Gold-1, Silver-3, Bronze-4. Total: 8)
December 28, 2013 No
comments
The current Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Marpadi
Veerappa Moily, has been assigned an additional charge of the Environment
and Forests Ministry after the exit of Jayanthi Natarajan.
Ministry of Environment &
Forests ( MoEF)
The MoEF is the chief agency
in the administrative framework of the Central Government accountable for the
planning, promotion, co-ordination and overseeing the implementation of India’s
environmental and forestry policies and programmes.
The main concerns of MoEF are implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to conservation of the country’s natural resources including its lakes and rivers, its biodiversity, forests and wildlife, ensuring the welfare of animals, and the prevention and abatement of pollution.
The main concerns of MoEF are implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to conservation of the country’s natural resources including its lakes and rivers, its biodiversity, forests and wildlife, ensuring the welfare of animals, and the prevention and abatement of pollution.
December 28, 2013 No
comments
In
consultation with the Finance
Ministry, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
decided to treat the three categories of Financial Portfolio Investors (FPIs)
uniformly for tax purposes. In other words, the new rule aims to bring all
foreign investors under a common framework called the SEBI (Foreign Portfolio
Investors) Regulations, 2013.
The
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), their sub-accounts and Qualified
Foreign Investors (QFIs) will soon be merged into a single and new investor
class, called FPIs. As per their risk profiles, FPIs are divided into
three categories.
These
are as follows:-
- Category I- the lowest risk entities comprises foreign government and government-related foreign investors.
- Category II – regulated entities such as university funds, university-related endowments and pension funds, etc.
- Category III – other entities viz. Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs), etc.
Stock
market regulator SEBI received a clear note from the Department of Economic
Affairs in the Finance Ministry to consider the FPIs similar to Foreign
Institutional Investors (FIIs) on tax purposes. The proposal was made by
the K M Chandrashekhar panel that reviewed various classes of foreign
investors and suggested to unify foreign investment
norms met for the first time.
The
clarity on tax treatment of FPIs is aimed at encouraging inflows into the
domestic equity and debt markets.
Other
than uniform tax zone for FPIs, the SEBI
- Made grading of Initial Public Offering( IPO) voluntary to boost the dormant primary market.
- Allowed companies to issue debt through a shelf filing, along with regulations empowered it to monitor investors’ call records and conduct searches at companies suspected of wrongdoing.
Note: Under the former system, tax treatment for FIIs was
different from that for sub-accounts and QFIs. Beneath the new FPI norms, all
categories of FPIs would be given similar tax treatment as currently available
to FIIs.
December 28, 2013 No
comments
The Andhra
Pradesh High Court directed to Telugu actors Mohan Babu and
Brahmanandam Kanneganti to surrender Padam Shri to the President
of India,
as they allegedly misused it. The HC gave its decision on the petition
filed by the BJP senior leader N Indraseena Reddy.
Why
High Court directed Telgu actors to return Padam Shri?
- Tollywood actor-producer Mohan Babu bestowed the award in 2007 and comedian Brahmanandam in 2009, in acknowledgment of their services to the Telugu film industry.
- They both used the title ‘Padma Shri’ before their names for promoting the Telugu feature film “Denikaina Ready” (‘Ready for Anything’, produced by Mr. Mohan Babu and starring his son Vishnu).
- The petitioner argued that as per the Article 18(1) of the Constitution, the national awards does not amount to a title and cannot be used as suffixes or prefixes.
- Aftermath, the Court took the serious note of the actors for prefixing the name of the award to their names in the credits of the Telugu movie that was released in 2012.
- And raised objection for using ‘Padma Shri’ in title cards in a wrong way (as if it was their surname) and delivered judgment in the petitioner’s favour. This will be a lesson for the actors who misuse the honorary award.
About
Padma Awards
Padma Awards, the country’s highest
civilian awards, are conferred in three Categories viz. Padma Vibhushan,
Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in all disciplines/
fields of activities, viz. art, social work, Public affairs, science and
engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature And education,
sports,
civil service, etc.
- ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service;
- ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and
- ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field.
The awards are
announced on the occasion of Republic
Day every year. The Awards are conferred by the President of
India at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhawan sometime around March/
April.
December 27, 2013 No
comments
Mr. Vinod Kumar Duggal, the former Home Secretary has been
appointed the new Governor of Manipur.
About
Vinod Kumar Duggal
An Indian Administrative Service
(IAS) officer of the 1968 batch, retired as union home secretary in March 2007.
He will replace the present Governor of the state, Ashwani Kumar, who was given an additional charge of Manipur, while being a Governor of Nagaland.
Previously, he was a member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the apex body for disaster management in India, which is headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He will replace the present Governor of the state, Ashwani Kumar, who was given an additional charge of Manipur, while being a Governor of Nagaland.
Previously, he was a member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the apex body for disaster management in India, which is headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He also worked as municipal
commissioner of Delhi
from 1996 to 2000.
December 27, 2013 No
comments
Mr. Sidharth Birla, Chairman of Xpro India Limited
took the charge as the President
of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) on December 21, 2013. He succeeded the HSBC India Country Head Naina Lal
Kidwai.- Chairperson and MD of Bharat Hotels, Jyotsna Suri elected as Senior Vice-President.
- Chairman of Ambuja Neotia group, Harshavardhan Neotia elected as Vice-President of FICCI.
About
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
- FICCI is the largest and oldest apex business organization in India. ( a non-government, not-for-profit organization)
- Establish:1927
- Headquarters:New Delhi
Mission: To enhance efficiency and global competitiveness of Indian
industry and to expand business opportunities both in domestic and foreign
markets through a range of specialized services and global linkages.
December 27, 2013 No
comments
Dr. Michiaki Takahashi (85), a Japanese
virologist, who developed a vaccine for the chicken pox virus passed
away. Dr. Takahashi developed his vaccine by growing live but weakened
versions of the virus in animal and human cells. The disease was
not sourced by the vaccine, but the vaccine encouraged immune system to create
antibodies. Thus, it fools the immune system into thinking that it has seen
this disease before.
About Chicken Pox
- Caused by the Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) which is a form of herpes.
- Highly contagious disease that is spread via contact with infected person.
- Symptoms: rashes in the body, fever, loss of appetite, headache and tiredness.
- It’s most common in kids under age 12, but anyone can get chickenpox.
Chickenpox is caused by the
varicella-zoster virus, a form of herpes. If a person contracts the virus, has
an active infection and then recovers, the virus is not actually gone from the
body. It can hide in nerve cells for years or decades, then emerge again to
cause shingles, a painful condition that causes a skin rash and occurs mostly
in adults.
December 26, 2013 No
comments
Mikhail Kalashnikov (94), the Russian gun designer whose
AK-47 rifle became the weapon of choice for many national
armies and guerrillas around the world, passed away.
About
AK- 47 ( ”Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947″)
Officially known as “Avtomat
Kalashnikova 1947″.
’47’ from the year
(1947) it went into production.
It is a selective-fire,
gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle and has a rate of fire of 600
rounds-a-minute. The AK-47 has only eight moving parts can be broken down and
reassembled in 30 seconds and will work in conditions that would render many
other small arms inoperable. Invented by Mikhail Kalashnikov, who received
numerous honors including the Hero of Socialist Labor and Order of Lenin and
Stalin Prize.
December 24, 2013 No
comments
To expand its global presence, the Canara Bank
received a license from the US regulators to open a branch in New York. As
stated by the Chairman and Managing Director of Canara Bank, R. K. Dubey, the
Board of Governors of the US Federal Reserve approved the proposal of the bank
to open a branch in New York. This is the first time that an Indian bank
has secured an approval of the US regulators.
About
Canara Bank
Operates in four segments: treasury
operations, retail banking operations,
wholesale banking operations and other banking operations.
December 24, 2013 No
comments
The Government of India
appointed Ms Usha Sangwan as the first woman managing director of Life Insurance
Corporation of India (LIC) and Vijay Kumar Sharma as an MD and chief executive
officer of LIC Housing Finance.
With these appointments,
LIC is set to function at its full strength of four MDs. These are S B Mainak,
Sushobhan Sarkar, Usha Sangwan and V K Sharma.
As per the norms, LIC can have four
MDs, and a chairman, as part of its top management.
About
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
- Indian state-owned insurance group and Investment Company.
- Headquarters: Mumbai.
- Founded: 1 September 1956.
- Current Chairman: SK Roy
- Offers a variety of insurance products to its customers such as insurance plans, pension plans, unit-linked plans, special plans and group schemes.
December 22, 2013 No
comments
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an oil tycoon and political
opponent of Vladimir Putin, released from prison after being pardoned by the
Russian President.
He left for Germany
where his mother is being treated for cancer He spent ten years in jail for tax
fraud, embezzlements and money laundering.
President Putin signed a decree
pardoning his former political opponent on humanitarian grounds.
Who
is Mikhail Khodorkovsky?
He is a Russian businessman, an
oligarch, a philanthropist, a public figure and an author. He was once Russia’s
richest man as head of oil giant Yukos, spent 10 years in custody for tax
evasion and theft after funding opposition parties.
December 22, 2013 No
comments
The Environment
Ministry, following the ‘in principle’ acceptance of the Kasturirangan panel
report, issued a fresh order on easing norms on activities related to
plantations and agriculture
in Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA).
- The Ministry elucidated that the recommendations made by the Kasturirangan panel, neither put any fresh restrictions on land use in the ESA nor do they in any way impact the continued occupation of land in possession of the local people and affect their day to day activities or normal livelihood.
- The new order cleared that the boundary of the ESA and the regulatory regime — an emotive issue in some of the affected states — would be finalized after the draft notification for the same is placed in the public domain and comments on it from all stakeholders including state governments are received.
What
are the recommendations made by the Kasturirangan panel?
The key suggestions made by the K.
Kasturirangan panel:
- Promotion of Ecotourism; economically empower the local population, Incentives green growth in the Western Ghats, etc.
- Ban on mining, quarrying, sand mining, thermal power plants, building and construction projects on areas that are 20,000 sq m or more, township and area development projects with an area of 50ha and above and red category of industries in ESA.
- Defined 37% of the Western Ghats landscape as ecologically sensitive.
December 21, 2013 No
comments
The Ministry of External Affairs transferred diplomat Ms
Devyani Khobragade to India’s
Permanent Mission in the United
Nations, giving her full diplomatic immunity.
Why
Ms Devyani Khobragade has been transferred to India’s Permanent Mission in the
United Nations?
Ms. Devyani Khobragade, India’s
deputy consul general in New York, arrested in the 2nd week of
December 2013 for an alleged case of visa fraud and to make false statements
in connection with the visa application for an Indian national
employee who was domestic helper in her home.
- Later on, she was released on a $250000 bond after she pleaded not guilty in a court. She will have to face a maximum of 15 years in jail if convicted on both matters.
- The U.S. State Department clarified that Indian diplomat does not enjoy immunity from US laws. It is firm about its policies in support of the domestic workers.
- Under the Vienna convention on consular relations (VCCR), the Indian Deputy Consul General enjoys immunity from the jurisdiction of US courts only with respect to acts performed in the exercise of consular functions.
- Due to the fear that Ms. Khobragade may be detained again, posted to UN. Here, she will enjoy full diplomatic immunity and US can’t arrest her.
December 19, 2013 No
comments
Legendary actor Peter O’Toole (81), applauded for his
role in the classic 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, passed away
in London.
Peter
O’Toole
He was an Irish actor who made his
film debut in 1959. He rose to stardom playing T. E.
Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) for which he was
nominated for Academy Award for the first time. He received seven further
Oscar nominations – for Becket (1964), The Lion in
Winter (1968), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), The
Ruling Class (1972), The Stunt Man (1980), My
Favorite Year (1982) and Venus (2006) – and holds the
record for the most Academy Award acting nominations without a win. He bagged
four Golden Globes, a BAFTA and an Emmy, and was the
recipient of an Honorary Academy Award in 2003. He bid adieu to his
50-year acting career in 2012.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel sworn in for a third term after being reelected in a vote in the lower house of parliament. The event marks the beginning of the third so-called grand coalition in the Germany’s post-war history.
Merkel’s conservative Union bloc – The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) won 41.5% of vote. To gain absolute majority they formed coalition with their rivals Social Democrats (SPD). By this coalition, for the next four years, Europe’s biggest economy will be ruled by the Germany’s two biggest parties.
The new government faces a host of challenges, from bedding down European reforms aimed at shielding the bloc from future crises, to seeing through Merkel’s costly switch from nuclear to renewable energy, etc.
Note:Angela Merkel is a former research scientist who has been the Chancellor of Germany since 2005, and the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since 2000. She is the first woman to hold either office.
Sandeep
Acharya, who won the second season of Indian Idol in 2006, passed away
at Gurgaon. He was suffering from jaundice and is survived by his wife
and a one-month-old daughter. The playback singer belonged to Bikaner, Rajasthan.
About Sandeep Acharya
Runner up in the Golden Voice of Rajasthan.
Winner of India Idol Season 2 on April 22, 2006. After winning the singing reality show, he released his first album “Mere Saath Saara Jahaan“.
Winner of the best new Bollywood talent in New Jersey, USA.
Bagged the Sur Aradhna award for the best upcoming male singer category.
The upcoming album and songs of Playback singer are such as, ‘O Sanam Tere Bina’, Kuyn Ni Aayo re, etc.
Mary Kom, the legendary boxer from North East wrote her autobiography titled “Unbreakable”. The book was inaugurated by Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan at Mumbai.
Mary decided to pen down her life’s battles, so that she could inspire
and motivate others to never loose hope and fight for their dream. The
autobiography details her rise to the top from a modest background; the
book beautifully brings out her long lasting spirit and is an
inspirational story for everyone, especially for women.
India’s Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade arrested in New York for an alleged case of visa fraud and making false statements in connection with the visa application for an Indian national employee who was domestic helper in her home. Later on, she released on a $250000 bond after she pleaded not guilty in a court.
The U.S. State Department clarified that Indian diplomat does not enjoy immunity from US laws. It is firm about its policies in support of the domestic workers. Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations(VCCR), the Indian Deputy Consul General enjoys immunity from the jurisdiction of US courts only with respect to acts performed in the exercise of consular functions.
Ms. Devyani is currently employed as the Deputy Consul General for Political, Economic, Commercial and Women’s Affairs at the Consulate General of India in New York.
Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez signed a multi-year contract with the British-based team Sahara Force India.
The 23-year-old Mexican completes Sahara Force India’s 2014 line-up
alongside Nico Hülkenberg and helps to create one of the most exciting
pairing on the grid.
The 2014 Formula 1 grid line up of many teams are taking shape, such as:–
Red Bull: Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo,
Ferrari: Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen,
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg,
McLaren: Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen,
Force India: Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez, etc.
Angela Merkel sworn in as German chancellor for 3rd time
German Chancellor Angela Merkel sworn in for a third term after being reelected in a vote in the lower house of parliament. The event marks the beginning of the third so-called grand coalition in the Germany’s post-war history.Merkel’s conservative Union bloc – The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) won 41.5% of vote. To gain absolute majority they formed coalition with their rivals Social Democrats (SPD). By this coalition, for the next four years, Europe’s biggest economy will be ruled by the Germany’s two biggest parties.
The new government faces a host of challenges, from bedding down European reforms aimed at shielding the bloc from future crises, to seeing through Merkel’s costly switch from nuclear to renewable energy, etc.
Note:Angela Merkel is a former research scientist who has been the Chancellor of Germany since 2005, and the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since 2000. She is the first woman to hold either office.
‘Indian Idol 2′ winner Sandeep Acharya passed away
Sandeep
Acharya, who won the second season of Indian Idol in 2006, passed away
at Gurgaon. He was suffering from jaundice and is survived by his wife
and a one-month-old daughter. The playback singer belonged to Bikaner, Rajasthan.About Sandeep Acharya
Runner up in the Golden Voice of Rajasthan.
Winner of India Idol Season 2 on April 22, 2006. After winning the singing reality show, he released his first album “Mere Saath Saara Jahaan“.
Winner of the best new Bollywood talent in New Jersey, USA.
Bagged the Sur Aradhna award for the best upcoming male singer category.
The upcoming album and songs of Playback singer are such as, ‘O Sanam Tere Bina’, Kuyn Ni Aayo re, etc.
C.V.R Rajendran is new CMD of Andhra Bank
The Union Ministry of Finance, Government of India appointed C. V. R. Rajendran as Andhra Bank Chairman and Managing Director. Previously, he was Executive Director of Bank of Maharashtra. As CMD of Andhra Bank, Rajendran will have a 5-year term or until superannuation, whichever is earlier.
Centre appoints Harsh Bhanwala as new NABARD Chairman
Harsh Kumar Bhanwala has been appointed as Chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) by
the Centre. Bhanwala, succeeds Prakash Bakshi, who retired as NABARD
Chairman. Previously, Bhanwala was an Executive Director at India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL), a state-owned infrastructure lender.
Lieutenant Governor (LG) Najeeb Jung recommended imposition of President’s rule in Delhi
Lieutenant Governor (LG) Najeeb Jung has recommended imposition of President’s rule in Delhi
among other options as the impasse continued over formation of a new
government in Delhi after a suspended verdict with no party ready to
assume power.
In his report submitted to the President, Jung listed Central rule with the Assembly being kept in suspended animation as one of the options. As per the report, none of the party is in a position to form the government and so far there is no clarity on government formation. It also noted that AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal sought more time for further consultations.
Hence, Jung has suggested that the President’s rule should be imposed in Delhi by keeping the Assembly under suspended animation till any government is formed. If no party comes forward to stake claim to form the government, the President’s rule can be imposed in the next two days.
What has happened so far?
In the recently held Assembly Elections in Delhi for 70 seats, no party could secure clear mandate of 36 seats. As per the results, BJP won 31 seats along with its ally Akali Dal got 32 seats, AAP clinched 28 seats followed by Congress 8 seats. BJP has already refused to form the government citing “lack of clear mandate”. At this point AAP has become a key player as its support to BJP or Congress can facilitate in government formation. Though AAP is ready to support any of these two parties but has some conditions. As a condition for its support, AAP’s chief Arvind Kejriwal made 18 suggestions to be implemented by the government forming party in Delhi. Of 18 suggestions the Congress is ready to implement 16 but is opposed to two of it. Hence, the stalemate persists.
In his report submitted to the President, Jung listed Central rule with the Assembly being kept in suspended animation as one of the options. As per the report, none of the party is in a position to form the government and so far there is no clarity on government formation. It also noted that AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal sought more time for further consultations.
Hence, Jung has suggested that the President’s rule should be imposed in Delhi by keeping the Assembly under suspended animation till any government is formed. If no party comes forward to stake claim to form the government, the President’s rule can be imposed in the next two days.
What has happened so far?
In the recently held Assembly Elections in Delhi for 70 seats, no party could secure clear mandate of 36 seats. As per the results, BJP won 31 seats along with its ally Akali Dal got 32 seats, AAP clinched 28 seats followed by Congress 8 seats. BJP has already refused to form the government citing “lack of clear mandate”. At this point AAP has become a key player as its support to BJP or Congress can facilitate in government formation. Though AAP is ready to support any of these two parties but has some conditions. As a condition for its support, AAP’s chief Arvind Kejriwal made 18 suggestions to be implemented by the government forming party in Delhi. Of 18 suggestions the Congress is ready to implement 16 but is opposed to two of it. Hence, the stalemate persists.
India sticks to top position in ICC ODI rankings
Despite the dingy performance against South Africa, the Indian cricket team has retained its top position in the latest ICC ODI rankings. India topped the rankings chart with 120 points, which is followed by Australia with 114 points.
Other latest ICC rankings:
The Indian government pulled up the country’s Army chief General Bikram Singh for accepting a ‘Legion of Merit’ ,the sixth highest American military honor, without its approval. The Indian Defense
Ministry questioned that the bestowment of the honor was not the part
of General Singh’s itinerary during his visit to the U. S., then why he
accepted the ‘Legion of Merit’, without prior clearance from the
government.
General Bikram Singh is the fifth Indian armed forces officer, to have received the award after Field Marshal Kariappa and first Indian Chief of Army Staff Gen Rajendra Singhji.
Note: As per the norms, any Indian defense forces official has to seek permission from the government to accept foreign honors.
Other latest ICC rankings:
- A.B. Devilliers of South Africa replaced Virat Kohli as the World’s number one Batsman.
- Indian skipper, M.S. Dhoni was placed at number 6 and Shikhar Dhawan was placed at 10 spot in the rankings table.
- In the bowler’s rankings, Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal, was ranked no. 1.
- In the category of All Rounders, Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh retained his number one position.
- South Africa is no.1 Test team on the ICC test rankings chart
India defeats Pak to lift Men’s Kabaddi World Cup
India clinched men’s Kabaddi World Cup for the fourth time in row, defeating its arch rival Pakistan in the neck and neck final clash played at Guru Nanak Dev Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Men’s World Cup Kabaddi 2013:
Organizer: Government of Punjab, India
Final Match: Guru Nanak Dev Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Teams Played: 11 Teams played representing their respective nations. The teams were from Argentina, Canada, England, Denmark, Pakistan, India, Kenya, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Spain, and the US
Winner: India defeated Pakistan
Key Players: India’s Haravinder Singh Dulla was voted Best Raider and Balbir Singh Best Stopper of the tournament.
Men’s World Cup Kabaddi 2013:
Organizer: Government of Punjab, India
Final Match: Guru Nanak Dev Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Teams Played: 11 Teams played representing their respective nations. The teams were from Argentina, Canada, England, Denmark, Pakistan, India, Kenya, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Spain, and the US
Winner: India defeated Pakistan
Key Players: India’s Haravinder Singh Dulla was voted Best Raider and Balbir Singh Best Stopper of the tournament.
India clinched Women’s Kabaddi World Cup
Indian won women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2013 championship for a third consecutive time, vanquishing debutant New Zealand in the final match played at Guru Gobind Singh sports complex in Jalandhar, Punjab.
Women’s World Cup Kabaddi 2013:
Organizer: Government of Punjab, India
Final Match: Guru Gobind Singh sports complex in Jalandhar, Punjab.
Teams Played: 8 Teams viz. India, Pakistan, Denmark, England, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, and United States
Winner: India defeated New Zealand
Key Players: India’s Anu Rani declared Best Stopper and Ram Bateri was announced Best Raider.
Women’s World Cup Kabaddi 2013:
Organizer: Government of Punjab, India
Final Match: Guru Gobind Singh sports complex in Jalandhar, Punjab.
Teams Played: 8 Teams viz. India, Pakistan, Denmark, England, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, and United States
Winner: India defeated New Zealand
Key Players: India’s Anu Rani declared Best Stopper and Ram Bateri was announced Best Raider.
Indian Govt pulls up Army chief for accepting U.S. military honor ‘Legion of Merit’ without its permission
The Indian government pulled up the country’s Army chief General Bikram Singh for accepting a ‘Legion of Merit’ ,the sixth highest American military honor, without its approval. The Indian Defense
Ministry questioned that the bestowment of the honor was not the part
of General Singh’s itinerary during his visit to the U. S., then why he
accepted the ‘Legion of Merit’, without prior clearance from the
government.General Bikram Singh is the fifth Indian armed forces officer, to have received the award after Field Marshal Kariappa and first Indian Chief of Army Staff Gen Rajendra Singhji.
What is Legion of Merit?
It is the sixth highest American U.S. Military award which is awarded to both US military personnel as well as to military and political figures of other nations for exceptionally meritorious conduct and services.Note: As per the norms, any Indian defense forces official has to seek permission from the government to accept foreign honors.
“Unbreakable”: The autobiography of Mary Kom unveiled
Mary Kom, the legendary boxer from North East wrote her autobiography titled “Unbreakable”. The book was inaugurated by Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan at Mumbai.
Mary decided to pen down her life’s battles, so that she could inspire
and motivate others to never loose hope and fight for their dream. The
autobiography details her rise to the top from a modest background; the
book beautifully brings out her long lasting spirit and is an
inspirational story for everyone, especially for women.About Mary Kom
- Five-time World Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships.
- First Indian women boxer to qualify and win a bronze medal at the London Olympics in the flyweight (51 kg) category.
- Won lots of awards like Padma Bhushan (2013), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award (2009), Padma Shree (2006), Arjuna Award (2003), etc.
- Appointed the International Boxing Association’s Ambassador for Women’s Boxing in 2009.
India’s Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade held in US on visa fraud charges
India’s Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade arrested in New York for an alleged case of visa fraud and making false statements in connection with the visa application for an Indian national employee who was domestic helper in her home. Later on, she released on a $250000 bond after she pleaded not guilty in a court.The U.S. State Department clarified that Indian diplomat does not enjoy immunity from US laws. It is firm about its policies in support of the domestic workers. Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations(VCCR), the Indian Deputy Consul General enjoys immunity from the jurisdiction of US courts only with respect to acts performed in the exercise of consular functions.
Ms. Devyani is currently employed as the Deputy Consul General for Political, Economic, Commercial and Women’s Affairs at the Consulate General of India in New York.
Why was Ms. Devyani Khobragade arrested?
Indian diplomat Ms. Devyani was accused of paying her domestic assistant just a few dollars an hour and lying on a visa application. The minimum wage paid to the employee in USA is $4,500 a month, but she was paying only $530 a month.What is the reaction of Indian Embassy over the arrest of Indian Diplomat?
The Indian embassy pointed to Article 41 (section 3) of VCCR (Personal Inviolability of Consular Officers) which clearly says that proceedings against a consular officer “shall be conducted with the respect due to him by reason of his official position”. The Indian Government has taken this issue forcefully with the US saying that the action by law authorities was in complete violation of this Article and least expected from a friendly country.Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963:
The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 is an international treaty that defines a framework for consular relations between independent countries. A consul normally operates out of an embassy in another country, and performs two functions:- protecting in the host country the interests of their countrymen, and
- furthering the commercial and economic relations between the two countries.
Sergio Perez joined Sahara Force India with multi-year deal for 2014 F1 season
Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez signed a multi-year contract with the British-based team Sahara Force India.
The 23-year-old Mexican completes Sahara Force India’s 2014 line-up
alongside Nico Hülkenberg and helps to create one of the most exciting
pairing on the grid.The 2014 Formula 1 grid line up of many teams are taking shape, such as:–
Red Bull: Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo,
Ferrari: Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen,
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg,
McLaren: Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen,
Force India: Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez, etc.
About Sergio Perez
- Member of the FerrariDriverAcademy till 2012 and took his first Formula One podium at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix
- Previous teams: McLaren, Sauber
- In December 2013, Force India signed Perez in a 15million Euro deal.
Pope Francis named as the TIME’s Person of the Year
Time magazine chose Pope Francis as its person of the
year. The magazine gave this honor to Pope Francis for changing the
perception of the Roman Catholic church in an extraordinary way in a
short time. The Argentine pontiff, who as archbishop of Buenos Aires was
known as the slum cardinal for his visits to the poor and penchant for subway travel, beat former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and gay rights activist Edith Windsor for the award.
Note: This is the third time the magazine has selected a Pope as its Person of the Year. Time gave that honor to Pope John Paul II in 1994 and to Pope John XXIII in 1963.
Note: This is the third time the magazine has selected a Pope as its Person of the Year. Time gave that honor to Pope John Paul II in 1994 and to Pope John XXIII in 1963.
Retired Justice DP Buch: Gujarat’s fourth Lokayukta
Retired High Court Judge DP Buch was sworn as the fourth Lokayukta of the Gujarat by Governor Kamla Beniwal, on the post that was lying vacant for a decade and over which Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Governor Kamla Beniwal were on a collision course for three years.
What was the dispute between CM Narendra Modi and Governor, over the issue of appointment of Lokayukta?
The issue triggered a major controversy
when the Governor appointed Justice (retd) R.A. Mehta as Lokayukta on
August 25, 2011, without consulting the state government. This led to a
long-drawn legal battle that reached the Supreme Court,
which later on preserved the Governor’s decision. But after wining the
legal battle over the appointment, Mr. Justice Mehta rejected to take
charge of Lokayukta in August, 2013 because the government didn’t accept
his objectivity and credibility.
About Lokayukta
Lokayukta is an anti-corruption investigator organization in the Indian states.
The institution of Lokayukta has been set up to inquire into the
allegations against Public Functionaries in the State and for matters
connected therewith.
Note: The anti-corruption
investigator post of Gujarat was lying vacant since the last officer,
Justice R M Soni’s term expired in December 2003.
Mr. Ranjan Mathai appointed India’s High Commissioner to the UK
The External Affairs Ministry appointed former Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai as India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He succeeded Jaimini Bhagwati, who retired recently.
About Mr. Ranjan Mathai
- An IFS officer of 1974 batch, who retired as Foreign Secretary this year.
- Played a critical role in the Indo-Bangla Ganges Water Sharing accord during Sheikh Hasina’s first stint as the Prime Minister.
- Apart from serving as India’s Ambassador to France, he also had postings in Israel and Qatar among other places.
Raman Singh takes oath as Chhattisgarh CM
Raman Singh (61) of BJP was sworn in as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh for the 3rd term in row. Governor Shekhar Dutt administered Singh the oath of office and secrecy during a grand swearing-in ceremony.
Raman Singh has retained the CM post as the BJP registered victory by winning 49 of the 90 seats. Congress could manage 39 seats in the 90-member Assembly while the rest of the 2 seats were bagged by BSP and an Independent each.
With this, Singh has now joined the elite club of BJP chief ministers who have scored three consecutive terms in their respective states.
Raman Singh has retained the CM post as the BJP registered victory by winning 49 of the 90 seats. Congress could manage 39 seats in the 90-member Assembly while the rest of the 2 seats were bagged by BSP and an Independent each.
With this, Singh has now joined the elite club of BJP chief ministers who have scored three consecutive terms in their respective states.
Congress victorious in Mizoram Assembly polls 2013
Mizoram Assembly poll results are out and Congress has defeated its main rival Mizo National Front (MNF) by a huge margin. Although Congress faced debacle in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi,
it has managed to save face in Mizoram by registering a second
consecutive win in the small Christian-dominated state that MNF once
wanted to take out of the Indian Union.
It is Congress’ fourth electoral win after Mizoram attained statehood in 1987, following the signing of the historic 1986 Mizo Accord between the Centre and MNF led by the legendary Laldenga.
Results:
Of the total 40 seats Congress clinched 33 seats limiting its opponent MNF to a just 5 seats. Many give the credit of Congress’ triumph to Lal Thanhawla‘s popular Congress New Land Use Policy (NLUP), which was evolved to tackle jhum or shifting cultivation. Four-time chief minister Lal Thanhawla (71) has won from 2 seats – Serchhip and Hrangturzo. It is his 9th electoral win since Mizoram became a Union territory in 1972 and a full-fledged state in 1987.
It is Congress’ fourth electoral win after Mizoram attained statehood in 1987, following the signing of the historic 1986 Mizo Accord between the Centre and MNF led by the legendary Laldenga.
Results:
Of the total 40 seats Congress clinched 33 seats limiting its opponent MNF to a just 5 seats. Many give the credit of Congress’ triumph to Lal Thanhawla‘s popular Congress New Land Use Policy (NLUP), which was evolved to tackle jhum or shifting cultivation. Four-time chief minister Lal Thanhawla (71) has won from 2 seats – Serchhip and Hrangturzo. It is his 9th electoral win since Mizoram became a Union territory in 1972 and a full-fledged state in 1987.
PepsiCo appointed D Shivakumar as head of Indian region
Beverages and food giant PepsiCo India
appointed former Nokia senior executive D. Shivakumar as the company’s
new chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) for the Indian region.
Note: He will succeed Gautham Mukkavilli, current General Manager for PepsiCo India Beverages( who has been named the senior Vice-President , Business Transformation – AMEA at PepsiCo).
What type of responsibilities will D.Shivakumar look after?
- Oversee all aspects in India, including the Pepsi-Cola, Lay’s, Slice, Kurkure, Tropicana, Quaker and NourishCo (a joint venture with Tata Global Beverages) brands.
- Responsible for deploying the Rs. 33,000 crore investments in India that PepsiCo announced last month.
- Also look after the franchise businesses in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Note: He will succeed Gautham Mukkavilli, current General Manager for PepsiCo India Beverages( who has been named the senior Vice-President , Business Transformation – AMEA at PepsiCo).
Miss Venezuela, Alyz Henrich crowned Miss Earth 2013
Miss Venezuela, Alyz Henrich was crowned Miss Earth 2013 title at a pageant organized at Versailles Palace, Philippines.
It is the second beauty pageant title for Venezuela this year. In
November 2013, Gabriela Isler, of the same nation was crowned Miss
Universe 2013. India’s contestant Shobita Dhulipala couldn’t make it to the top 16 of the event.
The Top 3 runners-up:
The Top 3 runners-up:
- Miss Earth Fire 2013 Catharina Choi of Korea
- Miss Earth water 2013 Punika Kulsoontornrut of Thailand
- Miss Earth Air 2013 is Katia Wagner of Austria
About Miss Earth:
Miss Earth is an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness. The contest held its maiden edition in 2001 to promote the preservation of the environment. Nicole Faria, who won in 2010, is the first Indian contestant to have won the title.Telugu film industry suffered 300 crores losses in 2013
Year 2013 proved ominous for Telugu film industry as among 170-odd films
released till December 7, 2013, only 12 to 14 films were either
blockbusters, hits and average grossers, while more than 140-odd films
were disasters and left more than 70-odd producers battling for
existence. The downslide caused the Telugu cinema industry hefty losses
of around Rs 300 crore.
While films like ‘Atharintiki Daredi’ bagged the spot of being most successful this year with 85-crore plus, other films that touched 40 crore mark were-Mirchi, Badshah, Nayak, Seethamma Vakitlo, whereas Gundejari Gallanthaiyinde and Balupu crossed 22 crores, while Prema Katha Chitram, grossed 15 crores and films like Tadaka, touched 10 crore mark and even small movies like ‘Swamy Ra Ra’ ( 7 crores) ‘Anthakamundhu Aa Tharvatha’ and Adda ( 3 to 4 crores) but industry sank deeply under the heap of 100-odd flops.
However, dreary performance of few star films jolted the industry since their films could not even fetch their production cost by a big margin- ‘Ramayya Vasthavayya ( 19 crores out of 35 crores), Shadow ( 12 crores out of 30 crores), Greekuveerudu (10 out of 22 crores), Iddarammayilitho (22 out of 33 crores), Toofan (10 out of 60 crores), Masala (10 out of 24 crores), Bhai (12 cores out of 25 crores) Sahasam (5 out of 11 crores) and the list goes on.
Major factors behind the debacle:
The failure of films and heavy losses can in 2013 can be attributed to certain factors like poor scripts, surging salaries of stars, technicians and rampant piracy and most significantly Telugu audience are not willing to digest crap in the name of star movies and rejected new-age small movies, if they lacked novelty and even the 60-days bandh in Seemandhra added to producer’s woes as it hampered collections of many films.
While films like ‘Atharintiki Daredi’ bagged the spot of being most successful this year with 85-crore plus, other films that touched 40 crore mark were-Mirchi, Badshah, Nayak, Seethamma Vakitlo, whereas Gundejari Gallanthaiyinde and Balupu crossed 22 crores, while Prema Katha Chitram, grossed 15 crores and films like Tadaka, touched 10 crore mark and even small movies like ‘Swamy Ra Ra’ ( 7 crores) ‘Anthakamundhu Aa Tharvatha’ and Adda ( 3 to 4 crores) but industry sank deeply under the heap of 100-odd flops.
However, dreary performance of few star films jolted the industry since their films could not even fetch their production cost by a big margin- ‘Ramayya Vasthavayya ( 19 crores out of 35 crores), Shadow ( 12 crores out of 30 crores), Greekuveerudu (10 out of 22 crores), Iddarammayilitho (22 out of 33 crores), Toofan (10 out of 60 crores), Masala (10 out of 24 crores), Bhai (12 cores out of 25 crores) Sahasam (5 out of 11 crores) and the list goes on.
Major factors behind the debacle:
The failure of films and heavy losses can in 2013 can be attributed to certain factors like poor scripts, surging salaries of stars, technicians and rampant piracy and most significantly Telugu audience are not willing to digest crap in the name of star movies and rejected new-age small movies, if they lacked novelty and even the 60-days bandh in Seemandhra added to producer’s woes as it hampered collections of many films.
EC declares AAP a state party
In the 2013 Delhi state assembly elections,
AAP emerged as the second largest party in Delhi winning 28 seats in
the assembly. After a remarkable performance in the Delhi state assembly
election Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is all set to be recognized as ‘a state
party’ by the Election Commission.
About Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
Note: If a political party is recognized as a “State Party” in four or more States then it will automatically become a national party.
The 4th Edition of Stamps of India National Exhibition 2013 (SINE) organized by Bharatiya Daktikit Sangstha, Kolkata at NDMC Convention Centre, Parliament Street, New Delhi.
To celebrate 100 years of cinema in India, SINE acknowledges the contribution of legendary yesteryear actors like Durga Khote, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Smita Patil and queen of melody, Suraiya, It features a range of stamps and postcards on these iconic personalities.
Year 2013 is being celebrated as a centenary milestone to showcase the cinematic heritage of the Indian film industry in the last 100 years.
About Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
- Mr. Arvind Kejriwal launched AAP on November 26, 2012, who was the former member of India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, founded by Anna Hazare.
- Election symbol – Broom Stick
- Central manifesto – to implement the Jan Lokapal Bill within 15 days of coming to power.
- The AAP led several protests like a campaign against an alleged nexus between government and private corporations relating to price rises for electricity and water in Delhi, etc.
How does EC recognizes a ‘state party’?
As per the criteria of election commission, a party can be called as a state party if all its candidates get minimum of 8 percent votes or secure minimum of 6% of the total votes polled and one assembly seat for every 25 seats in the state. After the announcement, the party will have the option of retaining its original symbol or it may design an alternative symbol for its party.Note: If a political party is recognized as a “State Party” in four or more States then it will automatically become a national party.
How much does recognition matter for any party? How does recognition of a Party as a ‘State Party’ helps that party ?
EC recognition of any party as a State Party will entail the party to participate in the all-party meetings convened by the EC/State/Central Government, get a permanent common symbol for all their contestants, privilege to address the voters through the All India Radio and Doordarshan during poll.All unfilled chemical munitions of Syria destructed: OPCW
As per Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), all of Syria’s unfilled munitions have been destroyed.
The United Nations and OPCW teams are working in tandem in Syria with an aim to remove the most toxic chemicals from Syria by the end of the year for destruction at sea and destroy the entire program by mid-2014. The OPCW, which won the Nobel Peace Prize 2013, has been instructed by the United Nations to supervise the destruction of the Syrian government’s chemical weapons stockpile.
The United Nations and OPCW teams are working in tandem in Syria with an aim to remove the most toxic chemicals from Syria by the end of the year for destruction at sea and destroy the entire program by mid-2014. The OPCW, which won the Nobel Peace Prize 2013, has been instructed by the United Nations to supervise the destruction of the Syrian government’s chemical weapons stockpile.
Why destruction of Chemical weapons is going on in Syria?
The Syrian government under Bashar-al Assad was accused by the US and its Western allies of using Chemical weapons (mainly Sarin gas) to crush the rebellion in the country. Syria rejected the allegations and blamed the rebels for its use. The matter went to the extent that the US started contemplating military action against the country which was opposed by Russia. Later, on Russia’s intervention, Syria joined Chemical Weapons Convention which requires all parties to declare and destroy all of the chemical weapons they possess. Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has the job is to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention. Syria joined the OPCW and agreed to dismantle its chemical arsenal to avoid possible U.S. military strikes.Mr. Ahmet Uzumcu re-appointed as OPCW Director General
At the 18th Session of the Conference of State Parties, Mr. Ahmet Uzumcu was re-appointed as the OPCW Director General.
Turkish career diplomat
Director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) since 2010
Represented Turkey at the United Nations Office in 2006 and Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Council between 2002 and 2004
2013: Nobel Peace Prize went to OPCW headed by Ahmet Uzumcu.
OPCW is currently working in destroying Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles which marks as the first time the OPCW is working in a war zone.
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
- An independent, international body established in 1997.
- Objective: To implement the Chemical Weapons Convention.
- Has a working relationship with the UN.
- Headquarters: The Hague, the Netherlands.
- Conducts inspections of destruction procedures, as well as evaluating members’ own declarations, in order to examine that the convention is being followed.
About Ambassador Ahmet Uzumcu
Turkish career diplomat
Director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) since 2010
Represented Turkey at the United Nations Office in 2006 and Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Council between 2002 and 2004
2013: Nobel Peace Prize went to OPCW headed by Ahmet Uzumcu.
OPCW is currently working in destroying Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles which marks as the first time the OPCW is working in a war zone.
Stamps of India National Exhibition 2013 (SINE)
The 4th Edition of Stamps of India National Exhibition 2013 (SINE) organized by Bharatiya Daktikit Sangstha, Kolkata at NDMC Convention Centre, Parliament Street, New Delhi.To celebrate 100 years of cinema in India, SINE acknowledges the contribution of legendary yesteryear actors like Durga Khote, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Smita Patil and queen of melody, Suraiya, It features a range of stamps and postcards on these iconic personalities.
Year 2013 is being celebrated as a centenary milestone to showcase the cinematic heritage of the Indian film industry in the last 100 years.
India contributes $1 million to UN women’s body
To help global efforts to ensure gender equality and empowerment of women, India contributed $1 million to the UN as the fourth installment of India’s multi-year pledge to provide USD 5 Mn to UN Women (United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women).
- India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr. Asoke K Mukerji urged UN Women to focus on increasing the use of information and communication technology for empowerment of women.
About UN Women
UN Women is a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women and girls.- Became operational in January 2011
- Member of the United Nations Development Group
- Headquarters at New York, USA
- UN Women’s Office based in New Delhi covers four countries: India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. In these countries, the organization strengthen women’s rights by working with women, men, feminists, women’s networks, governments, local authorities and civil society.
- It stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on many priority areas such as Ending violence against women, Promoting Leadership and Participation, Economic Empowerment, national planning and budgeting for women, etc.
Ministerial panel recommends bail out package to the sugar industry including financial assistance to sugar cane farmers
An informal group of ministers, headed by Agriculture
Minister Sharad Pawar recommended a number of incentives to
cash-starved sugar mills including financial package to pay cane
farmers.
At present, sugar industry is facing a financial crisis due to higher cost of production and decline in the prices of sugar. This has led to 3400 crore rupees cane arrears from 2012-13 during the marketing year that ended in September 2013. Thus, owing to liquidity crunch, the sugar mills demanded interest-free loans for working capital requirement, hike in import duty, export subsidies among others. This financial package will allow millers to pay money they owe to the farmers.
Why the need for a financial package for sugar mills ?
Owing to an increase in prices of fuel and fertilizer, farmers are insisting that mills pay Rs.280- Rs.300 per quintal for sugarcane. But millers hold that they can afford to pay only Rs.225 per quintal.At present, sugar industry is facing a financial crisis due to higher cost of production and decline in the prices of sugar. This has led to 3400 crore rupees cane arrears from 2012-13 during the marketing year that ended in September 2013. Thus, owing to liquidity crunch, the sugar mills demanded interest-free loans for working capital requirement, hike in import duty, export subsidies among others. This financial package will allow millers to pay money they owe to the farmers.
Recommendations of the Panel headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar:
To ensure timely payments to cane growers, the PM-constituted panel recommended loan recasting for mills as per the RBI norms, incentives for production for raw sugar of up to 4 million tonnes and setting up of buffer stock besides doubling ethanol-blending in petrol to 10%.- The bailout includes 7200 crore rupees at 12 percent interest rate to sugar mills by the banks to pay off the arrears of the sugarcane growers.
- The 12% interest on the financial support on the loan will be paid by Government of India (GoI) and Sugar Development Fund (SDF). The GoI will pay 5% of the loan, while the 7% will be paid by the SDF. This makes the loan amount free of interest for the sugar mills.
- The mills will have to repay loans in 5 years, but can get a moratorium on repayment in the first two years.
- To increase import duty on sugar (but at present there is no hike in import duty).
- An inter-departmental panel will be set up to coordinate with oil marketing companies and sugar mills for ethanol blending.
Malala wins UN Human Rights Prize 2013
Pakistani teen activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived bullet-injury inflicted by the Taliban for championing girls’ education has won the UN Human Rights Prize 2013.
The winners of the prestigious United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights for 2013 are –
Nelson Mandela (95),
South African anti-apartheid icon passed away at his residence at
Johannesburg. The death of the great statesman is being mourned by his
nation and the world with tributes flooding in from the leaders and
people all over the globe.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela:
Born: July 18, 1918 to the Thembu royal family belonging to Xhosa clan.Sobriquet:The Father of the Nation (South Africa), Madiba, or as Tata (“Father”). He studied law at Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand. Joined anti-colonial politics and the African National Congress (ANC) and became a founding member of its Youth League.
Mandela was showered with several national and international honors from countries and organizations across the globe. He received more than 250 honours, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Soviet Order of Lenin, and the Bharat Ratna.
The winners of the prestigious United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights for 2013 are –
- Ms. Malala Yousafzai (student activist), Pakistan
- Mr. Biram Dah Abeid (campaigner against slavery) from Mauritania
- Ms. Hiljmnijeta Apuk (human rights activist and campaigner for rights of people with disproportional restricted growth – short stature) from Kosovo
- Ms. Liisa Kauppinen of Finland – President emeritus of the World Federation of the Deaf
- Ms. Khadija Ryadi – former President of the Morocco Association for Human Rights
- Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice – the Constitutional Court
What is the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights?
- An honorary award given to individuals and organizations in recognition of outstanding achievement in human rights in every five years.
- The Laureates who won this award later are – Amnesty International, Jimmy Carter, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Eleanor Roosevelt.
- The Prize not only gives public recognition to the achievements of the recipients themselves, but also sends a clear message to human rights defenders the world over that the international community is grateful for, and supports, their tireless efforts to promote all human rights for all.
Anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela passed away
Nelson Mandela (95),
South African anti-apartheid icon passed away at his residence at
Johannesburg. The death of the great statesman is being mourned by his
nation and the world with tributes flooding in from the leaders and
people all over the globe.Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela:
Born: July 18, 1918 to the Thembu royal family belonging to Xhosa clan.Sobriquet:The Father of the Nation (South Africa), Madiba, or as Tata (“Father”). He studied law at Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand. Joined anti-colonial politics and the African National Congress (ANC) and became a founding member of its Youth League.
- Politically he was a nationalist and democratic socialist.
- In 1948, when the South African National Party came to power, he rose to prominence in the ANC’s 1952 Defiance Campaign, was appointed superintendent of the organisation’s Transvaal chapter and headed the 1955 Congress of the People.
- Repeatedly arrested on the charges of sedition and, with the ANC leadership, was unsuccessfully prosecuted in the Treason Trial from 1956 to 1961.
- Arrested in 1962 and convicted of conspiracy to subvert the government, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial.
- Spent 27 years in prison, initially on Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison.
- In 1990, he was released following escalating pressure from an international campaign for his release and growing civil tension.
- Initiated talks with President F.W. de Klerk to abolish apartheid and establish multiracial elections in 1994, in which he led the ANC to victory.
- In 1994, he became South Africa’s first black president and formed a Government of National Unity in an attempt to defuse racial tension.
- He also promulgated a new constitution and created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuses.
- His government took initiatives with liberal economic policy and took steps to promote land reforms, combat poverty, and expand healthcare services.
- Served as the President of the ANC from 1991 to 1997.
- Served Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999.
- Acted as mediator between Libya and the United Kingdom in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial, and supervised military intervention in Lesotho.
- He didn’t contest for a second term, and subsequently became an elder statesman, focusing on charitable work in fighting poverty and HIV/AIDS through the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Mandela was showered with several national and international honors from countries and organizations across the globe. He received more than 250 honours, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Soviet Order of Lenin, and the Bharat Ratna.
Ms Sushma Singh will be the next Chief Information Commissioner of India
The senior most Information Commissioner Ms Sushma Singh will be the next Chief Information Commissioner of India
(CIC), she will succeed Ms Deepak Sandhu. The decision to appoint
Sushma Singh, a former IAS officer, as the next CIC was taken
unanimously by a panel consisting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha
Sushma Swaraj and Law Minister Kapil Sibal. She will be the second
woman to become CIC after Ms Deepak Sandhu whose term comes to an end
later this month.
Sushma Singh
The RTI act 2005 provides for establishment of Central and State information commissioner as a designated authority to receive and inquire into a complaint from any person.
Sushma Singh
- Former Secretary to the Government of India
- She joined the IAS in 1972, Jharkhand cadre
- Offices held earlier: Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and also in the Ministry for the Development of the North Eastern Region (DONER).
The RTI act 2005 provides for establishment of Central and State information commissioner as a designated authority to receive and inquire into a complaint from any person.
- 26 October 2005: Mr. Wajahat Habibullah became India’s first Chief Information Commissioner.
- Under the CIC, the Chief Information Commissioner enjoys complete financial and administrative powers of a Department of the Government of India except in matters relating to the creation of posts, re-appropriation and writing-off losses for which it needs the specific concurrence of the Ministry of Finance.
- The Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee comprising — Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha; a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.
- According to the RTI Act 2005, Chief Information Commissioner / Information Commissioner shall hold office for a term of 5 years or till he attains the age of 65 years.
- The Chief Information Commissioner shall not be eligible for reappointment.
- The general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs of the Commission are vested in the Chief Information Commissioner, who is assisted by the Information Commissioners.
Indian diplomat Abhay Kumar writes anthem for SAARC
In a bid to foster regional consciousness and bring member states
closer, Kathmandu-based Indian diplomat Abhay Kumar composed an anthem
for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). SAARC
Anthem by Kumar will be translated in Hindi, English, Nepali, Bengali,
Pashto, Urdu, Sinhala, Dzongkha and Dhivehi, languages spoken in the
South Asian region.
Who is Abhay Kumar ?
- Indian poet, artist and diplomat.
- First secretary, Press, Information and Communication, Indian Embassy.
- The Earth Anthem written, produced and directed by him in eight languages.
- Wrote first ever South Asian Anthem
- Honoured with the SAARC Literary Award for his contribution to contemporary South Asian Poetry and nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2013.
- 2011: Gov2. award on behalf of the Public Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs.
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