CURRENT AFFAIRS JUNE2013

Reserve Bank of India Reserve Bank of India has decided to float Inflation-Indexed Bonds, which are aimed at weaning investors from investing in gold and real estate and channeling public savings into financial instruments. These bonds will have a fixed real interest rate and a nominal principal value that is adjusted against inflation. Some of the important features of these bonds are followings: Each retail investor can invest from Rs.10,000 to Rs.2 crore in the primary issuances of IIBs that will have tenure of 10 years. Investment can be made through banks and primary dealers (financial intermediaries that buy government securities directly from RBIs auctions and resell them. PDs act as a market maker in government securities. In the initial series of IIBs, 20% will be reserved for retail investors under the non-competitive bidding. First such tranche will be issued on June 4, 2013 and the same would be issued regularly through auctions on the last Tuesday of each subsequent month during 2013-14. The second series of IIBs, exclusively for retail investors, will be issued in second half of the financial year. Each tranche of IIBs will be for Rs.1,000-2000 crore and total issuance would be for Rs.12,00015,000 crore in 2013-14. IIBs will be part of the overall government borrowing programme of Rs.5.79 lakh crore for 201314. Interest payments on those bonds will be at half yearly intervals. Initially WPI based inflation will be used for providing inflation protection on IIBs. Finally, the protection will be provided through CPI based inflation. FIIs will be allowed to buy IIBs within the existing limit of US $25 billion set for them for investing in government bonds. IIBs will be considered as eligible securities for meeting the SLR requirement by banks. There will be no special tax sops for investments in IIBs. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directed banks to follow the Clean Note Policy strictly and issue clean currency notes to public on May 14, 2013. The RBI issued a notification that also asked the banks to do away the process of stapling the currency notes and to secure the note packets with paper bands. In its notification to the banks, the RBI also directed to sort notes into re-issuable and nonissuable notes and to withdraw soiled notes from circulation in the market. Banks have also been asked to stop window of bank notes as it disfigures the watermark impression and recognition becomes difficult. RBI Proposes New Electronic Bill Payment System A committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) headed by Executive Director of RBI G. Padmanabhan has proposed a new electronic bill payment system based on Giro model for payment of dues of essential services, insurance premium, taxes, utility and education fees. This model will enable the setting up of a centralised infrastructure bringing all the billers and banks to the bill platform through the aggregators. It will also allow interoperability in the bill payment process and enable the consumers to make payments at any of the collection points which is the essence of Giro system. The committee observed that in the Indian context, where cash continues to the predominant mode of payment, Giro could include any third party payment made through any payment mode viz. cash, cheque, credit/debit cards, prepaid payment instruments, etc. resulting in the transfer of funds to the bank account of a beneficiary. It has proposed that a system christened India Bill Payment System (IBPS) may be designed and implemented in the country. The participants in the IBPS would include billers,
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intermediaries/aggregators, banks, collection agencies operating the IBPS points and the IBPS points. Giro payment is a credit push transaction initiated by the payer and may involve the presence of three banks (collecting bank, payer bank and the payee bank). Restrictions on Gold Import by Banks The RBI imposed restrictions on gold import by banks in order to moderate the demand of gold for domestic use on May 12, 2013. The RBI decided to restrict the import of gold on consignment basis by banks, only to meet the genuine needs of exporters of gold jewellery. The RBI stated that the decision is based on the recommendations of the Working Group on Gold that had suggested aligning gold import regulations with the rest of the imports for creating a level playing field between gold imports and other imports. The restrictions have come into effect immediately. Other Banks State Bank of Patiala opened the first of its all ladies branch at Bhatinda, one of biggest business centres of the Malwa region of Punjab on May 4, 2013. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will maintain its annual lending at $ 10 billion (Rs.54,000 crore) over the next three years while looking at all options to overcome resource challenges. A fifth of this, or about $ 2 billion, will be earmarked for every year for the next three years. The announcement was made at the close of the multilateral lenders 46th annual meeting in Greater Noida. India is the biggest borrower of the Manila-based multilateral lender that had extended $ 2.4 billion loan to the country in 2012 across sectors like transport, energy, commerce, industry, trade and finance. By the end of 2012, both the United States and Japan hold the two largest proportions of shares each at 12.78%. China holds 5.45%, India holds 5.36%. The World Bank on May 7, 2013 announced that it will provide grant of 100 million US dollars to Afghanistan for expansion of the basic health and essential hospital services in the country. High Courts and Sessions Courts The High Court of Delhi directed the Union government of India on April 24, 2013 to respond on a plea that questioned how children below the age of 18 were allowed to open an account on social networking sites like Facebook and others. Central Government The Delhi government decided to hike auto fares by 25% in the national capital. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) cleared the government proposal to set up an exchange traded fund backed by a basket of PSU stocks, commonly referred to as CPSEETF. Creamy Layer: Cabinet Raises Income Limit Revising the criteria for applying creamy layer criteria for other backward classes (OBCs), the Union Cabinet on May 16, 2013 raised the income limit to Rs.6 lakh per annum from the existing Rs.4.5 lakh per annum that will allow more persons to take advantage of reservation benefits for OBCs in government jobs and admission to Central Educational Institutions. The decision means that only those OBC families earning over Rs.6 lakh annually will be out of the purview of reservation benefits the increase Rs.1.5 lakh being done to adjust against rise in consumer price index. The decision, however, does not match the recommendation of the National Commission for OBCs which proposed a dual ceiling of Rs.12 lakh per annum for urban areas and Rs.9 lakh for rural areas. The Union Cabinet gave approval for setting up Rashtriya Smriti to perform the last rites of the departed national leaders. Separate memorials for the national leaders were created near the Rajghat which consumed a lot of space.

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 Cabinet Nod for National Skill Development Agency - In an effort to give a single-point focus to skill development initiative, the government on May 9, 2013 cleared a proposal to set up a National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) subsuming other bodies engaged in this initiative. The Union Cabinet gave its nod to NSDA replacing the Prime Ministers National Council on Skill Development (PM-NCSD), the National Skill Development Coordination Board (NSDCB) and the office of the Adviser to the PM on Skill development. According to a government statement the Agency will be located in the ministry of finance. The new skill body will coordinate and harmonise the skill development efforts of the government and the private sector to achieve the targets of the 12th plan and beyond. The Central Ministers and NSDC will continue to implement schemes in their remit, the statement said. The NSDA is expected to provide the much-needed single point focus to ensure that skilling quality and standards meet sector-specific requirements benchmarked to international standards. Such an initiative will boost employability of youth in India, the statement said. The Union government of India approved the policy development of aviation hubs in India on May 9, 2013. Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari announced that the Inter-Ministerial Committee will be developed that will workout on different models for this policy. The formation of the hubs would require establishment of various facilities such as foreign exchange, immigration, provisions for visa-on-arrival as well as customs. For this various ministries will be involved and, therefore, the Inter-Ministerial Committee will be developed. This committee would facilitate establishment of various aviation hubs in different major cities. The aviation hub is basically an airport that is used as intermediate point for transferring air travelers from original destination to final destination of their journey. This is also technically called hub-and-spoke operation. States JHARKHAND Police has started a new operation named Jaal in bendi forest of Latehar (Jharkhand) against naxals on 7th May, 2013. Imparting Technical Training to Unemployed Youth The government of Jharkhand decided to impact technical skill development training to all unemployed youths of the naxal affected areas on May, 2013. This governments decision has come in the wake of recent success of one such project in Chaibasa where the unemployed youths of erstwhile naxal affected areas of Saranda were trained in a special institute Gurukul. Sarayu is one such naxal affected area of Jharkhand and presently, a special development plan called Saryu Development Plan, is being carried out there. The areas of Latehar and Palamu often faces acute water crisis. WEST BENGAL Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the official ban online lotterly Online lotto. It was started during the Left Front rule. TAMIL NADU The Tamil Nadu government has banned the production, possession, distribution and sale of tobacco products such as pan masala and gutka in the State. The Tamil Nadu Government in the month of May 2013 decided to implement a Rs.1481 crore Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction Project with financial assistance from the World Bank. The Government also has decided to make underground electric line in the Coastals district of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam to reduce loss during natural disasters. As per the Tamil Nadu government, the work would be started by the end of year and is supposed to be completed in the next five years. MADHYA PRADESH Madhya Pradesh government in the month of May 2013 has hiked the dearness allowance of Employees by eight per which would be effective from January 1, 2013. United Nations Public Service Award Cottage and Village Industry Department of the Madhya Pradesh Government bagged United Nations Public Service Award for year 2013 for their initiative named Graamin Haat on May 16, 2013. GA/June12/Page-3 CSB, Ch-17, Ph: 044-24333346

 UTTAR PRADESH BRGF Hiked The Union government of India announced increment in the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF), entitled to Uttar Pradesh on May 15, 2013. The fund has gone up to Rs.818.17 crore for 2013-14 from initial Rs.667 crore. To release the funds for Uttar Pradesh, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj has directed the State government to submit its annual plan by June 25, 2013. 35 districts of Uttar Pradesh are entitled for the BRGF Scheme. Lucknow Zardozi is Now a Brand The world famous textile embroidery handicraft of Lucknow, Lucknow Zardozi, became a full-fledged brand after being accorded with the Geographical Indication (GI) registration by Chennai-based Geographical Indication Registry. Lucknow Zardozi is primarily a very intricate needle handicraft work. Lucknow Zardozi has now been registered under the brand of Lucknow Zardozi. GOA - Digital Krishi Card Launched The Goa government launched a digital Krishi Card which is supposed to help farmers in making use of benefits such as subsidies and loans given by the State government. The Digital Krishi Card is based on the database created by the State Agriculture Department at Porvorim. Benefits Earlier the farmers had to go through the confusion of submitting documents such as affidavits every time when they applied for agro subsidies. With the launch of Digital Krishi Card they will have to quote the Unique Identity Number to get access to the subsidy. The card would also make farmers eligible for loans depending on their land holding. A loan of up to Rs.30,000 per annum for farmers owning a minimum of one hectare would be made available through various financial institutions to be empanelled by the government. However, the card would not be a legal document if the farmer or tenant wants to stake his claim over the land. HARYANA Shiksha Setu Cards to Students - Government of Haryana on May 5, 2013 issued Shiksha Setu Cards for government schools to keep students and teachers updated about the performance of the students. The Shiksha Setu Cards are issued for ensuring individual attention over every student as this will help to impart quality education to students in government schools. DA Hiked The Haryana government announced an increase in rate of Dearness Allowance (DA) payable to state government employees from 72% at present to 80% on May 2, 2013. Place in the News Fifty Five beaches of England met the new EU standards and received the Blue Flag awards in May, 2013. The Blue Flag awards were given away to recognise water quality as well as high standards of the beaches. Indian National Defence University, a dedicated first-of-its-kind institution for training and research in military studies will be set up in Gurgaon on May 23, 2013. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on May 19, 2013 declared that it will start the work on worlds biggest hydroelectric Inga dam on Congo river in October, 2015. DRC made the announcement on the construction of the dam in Paris after the talks between the DRC and International officials ended. The cyclonic storm Mahasen formed over Bay of Bengal in the second week of May, 2013 and it is expected to skip Chennai and move towards Bangladesh-Myanmar coast in the next couple of days. Nimati ghat of Majuli Island, worlds largest river island situated in Jorghat, Asom got submerged in Brahmaputra river on May 8, 2013. It has started loosing its land mass in October, 2012. But, in May, 2013 it completely submerged in water. Majuli had a total area of 1250 sq km (483 sq mi). Mount Fuji - International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) approved Japans Mount Fuji to be declared as the UNESCO World Heritage site. Mount Fuji is the snow-topped volcano in Japan. Japans Mount Fuji is located at 12460 feet and is the highest mountain of Japan.

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 The Union Cabinet of India approved the establishment of the Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission. The objective behind this approval is to conserve and restore the heritage sites associated with the Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. Oklahoma City (US) - 91 people, including 20 children were killed because of huge tornado that went through Oklahoma City suburbs in US on May 20, 2013. The worst affected area was Moore, situated towards the south of Oklahoma. Tornadoes, high winds as well as hail storms hit Kansas as well. Maryland, a state, located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, on May 2, 2013 became the first southern state to abolish the death penalty. The person who was attended was former Maryland death row inmate Kirk Bloodsworth. He will be the first person in the country freed from death penalty because of DNA evidence after being convicted in a death penalty case. Rajasthan Forts Nominated for UNESCOs World Heritage Site List Six hill forts of Rajasthan have been nominated for UNESCOs World Heritage list on May 9, 2013. The International Council in Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which evaluates cultural properties for UNESCO, recommended the inclusion of the following forts in the UNESCO List: 1. Chittorgarh Fort (Chittorgarh) 4. Kumbhalgarh Fort (Rajsamand) 2. Ranthambhore Fort (Sawai Madhopur) 5. Jaisalmer Fort (Jaisalmer) 3. Amber Fort (Jaipur) 6. Gagron Fort (Jhalawar) There are 29 world heritage sites in India (23 in the cultural category and 6 in the natural category). Personalities Arunima Sinha, became the first Indian amputee to conquer Mount Everst on May 21, 2013. She is former national level volleyball player and had lost one of her legs after being thrown off a moving train of Padmawati Express for resisting a chain-snatching attempt by some criminals, when she was travelling from Lucknow to Delhi on April 12, 2011. Dr. Ranjana Advani has become the first Indian woman to receive the Saul Rosenberg MD Professorship in Lymphoma from Stanford University. Nunshi and Tashi Malik, two 21-year old Indians from Dehradun became first twins to scale Mount Everest on May 19, 2013. Anshu Jamshenpa of Arunachal Pradesh scaled the Mount Everest on May 18, 2013 for the third time. Samina Baig, 22, became the first Pakistani woman to scale Mount Everest on May 19, 2013. She did this along with Nunshi and Tashi Malik, the first Indian twin sisters to scale the Everest. Overall, she is the third Pakistani to reach a top Mount Everest. Ritankar Das, an 18-year-old Indian-American has become the youngest graduate topper of the prestigious University of California in more than a century. Trainee IRS officer Amar Gehlot, resident of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, joined the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) as part of the 65th IRS (I-T) batch was adjusted the best trainee officer. He was given the seventh medal by the President, the Finance Ministers gold medal, for his excellent record at academics and other streams of taxation at the institution. Ami Bera, the only Indian-American Congressman joined the newly formed American Sikh Congressional Caucus to work civil rights issues. Sri Srinivasan - The United States senate on May 23, 2013 approved the first Indian-American, Sri Srinivasan, as judge of the US Court of Appeals, DC circuit. Sachin Tendulkar has announced his retirement from the cash-rich Indian Premier League soon after Mumbai Indians won their maiden title defeating Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs in the final. Senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar said it was the perfect time to retire from the Twenty-20 event as he has to face the reality after turning 40.

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 Women Top Civil Service Examination - Girls emerged the winners in this years Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations, bagging the first and third positions in the results which were declared in New Delhi on May 3. Haritha V. Kumar, a [Link] student from Kerala University, stood first, followed by V. Sriram, on MBBS student, also of Kerala University, Stuti Charan, marketing and management student of IIPM, Delhi, came third. Stephen Hawking Joins Academic Boycott of Israel The campaign for an academic boycott of Israel in protest against its treatment of Palestinians got a boost on May 8, 2013 when Stephen Hawking withdrew from a high profile conference to be hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, probably in June 2013. Robert Tufts 4 year old boy is Mayor of Town in Minnesota. Robert Tufts was selected mayor last year of Dorset town, with a population of mere 22 people. Billionaires Joins Hands to Eradicate Polio Billionaries Bill Gates and Carlos Slim joined hands to eradicate polio in six years. Gates, the founder of US tech giant Microsoft while Slim is the worlds richest person. Slim will contribute $ 100 million to a project to eradicate polio within six years. Poliomyelitis often called Polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute, viral, infection, primarily gvia the fecal-oral route. Defence and National Security The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone of the Indian National Defence University (INDU) at Binola, Gurgaon. It is Worlds third and Indias first of-its-kind defence university. India successfully test-fired the 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Navys latest guided missile warship INS Tarkash off the high-level C manoeuvre in the predetermined flight path and successfully hit the target. The missile was launched from the Russian-built warship at 1100 hours, said BrahMos Aerospace Chief A. Sivathanu Pillai. The Indian Navy has commissioned its first fighter squadron in three decades with the 303 Black Panthers squadron getting formal status but will have to wait till the end of this year for the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier to arrive from Russia to start sea-borne operations. The new Indian Navy Air Squadron (INAS), commissioned at a ceremony, in the second week of May 2013, led by Defence Minister A.K. Antony, operates the MiG 29 K fighters that were inducted into service in 2010 and have been going through trials and training missions over the past three years before the arrival of the carrier. North Korea Launches Fourth Missile North Korea on May 19, 2013 test-fired a short range missile off its east coast, its fourth in two days despite pleas from South Korea and the UN Chief to halt the launches at a time of high tensions. The guided missile was fired into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) on May 19, afternoon. On May 18, the North had fired three short range missile off its east coast, apparently as part of military drill. South Korea unification ministry, which handles cross-border relations, said the launches pose threats to the region and should be stopped immediately. UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon, speaking in Moscow, also called for Pyongyang to refrain from further missile tests. He said it was time for it to resume talks with the international community and reduce tensions. The US State Department urged Pyongyang to exercise restraint, without specifically commenting on the launches. It was unclear what type of missiles were fired on May 18-19, 2013. Seoul military officials quoted by Yonhap news agency said they may be KN-02 surface-tosurface missiles with a range of up to 160 km, or rockets of at least 300mm in caliber fired from a multiple launcher.
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 Sukhoi to Guard Indian Ocean Even as the western and eastern fronts with Pakistan and China are bolstered with additional Sukhoi-30 MKI squadrons, India has also kickstarted plans to base its most lethal air dominance fighter in South India to keep a strategic eye over Indian Ocean. In the South the new base is at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, which will house a Sukhoi squadron (16 to 18 jets) after the requisite tech-flight hangers, avionic bays, labs, fuel dumps and other infrastructure come up over the next few years. Long range fighters (Sukhoi has a cruising speed range of 3,200 km) operating from Thanjavur will be able to dominate the crucial Andaman and Nicobar archipelago as well as the Bay of Bengal, said a source. India has so far inducted over 170 of the 272 Sukhoi-30MKIs contracted from Russia in deals worth Rs.55,717 crore ($ 12.4 billion). Pune and Bareilly already have two Sukhoi squadrons each, while Tezpur, Chabua, Halwara and Jodhpur have a squadron each. Indian Coast Guard Ship Vaibhav, the third in the series of 90 m class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) was commissioned at Tuticorin by Vice Admiral Anurag G. Thapliyal, Director General of Indian Coast Guard on May 21, 2013. The ship is fitted with advanced Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) making it an apt platform to carryout search and rescue operations in Indian Search and Rescue Region (ISRR). New US Stealth Drones Launched from Aircraft Carrier by Remote Control The US Navy launched an unmanned, autonomous aircraft the size of a fighter jet from a warship for the first time on May 14, 2013. The X-47B drone is the first designed to operate an aircraft carrier, which allows it to be used around the world without needing permission to take off from airfields in other countries. The Navy already operates two other unmanned aircraft: the small, low cost Scan Eagle, which does not carry weapons; and the Fire Scout, which is armed but built more like a helicopter. First Naval P-81 Aircraft Arrived at INS-Rajali Indian Naval Aviation received a major boost with the arrival of the first of eight Boeing P-81 Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance and Anti Submarine Warfare (LRMRASW) aircraft at Naval Air Station Rajali (INS-Rajali) on May 15, 2013. The remaining seven aircrafts would be delivered over the next two years. The P-81 aircraft, based on the Boeing 737-800 (NG) airframe, is the Indian Naval variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing has developed for the US Navy. The aircraft is equipped with foreign & indigenous sensors Operations and Electronic Intelligence missions. The aircraft is fully integrated with state-of-the-art sensors and highly potent Anti-Surface and Anti-Submarine weapons. These LRMRASW aircrafts have been procured under the contract signed in 2009. The Indian Navy is in process of procuring an additional four P-81 aircrafts under the option clause. Committees/Commissions The Union government had set up an expert Committee under the supervision Raghuram G. Rajan, Chief Economic Adviser, to evolve a composite index to measure backwardness of the state. The Panel is set up in consistent to the Budget announcement, and it can also invite other experts as Special Invites for discussions. The decision was taken amid demands for special category status by Bihar. The backwardness of the States will be considered in terms of measures like distance of the State from the national average under criteria such as per capita income and other human development indicators and for evolving a Composite Development Index of States. The Committee is supposed to submit its report within 60 days. It is important here to note that the present criteria for determining backwardness are based on terrain, density of population and length of international borders. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has set up a committee to prepare a single Bill for administration of all Central Universities in the country. The three-member committee comprising Prof. A.M. Pathan, former Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Karnataka; V.K. Bhasin, Former Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice; and Prof. Y. C. Simhadri, former Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University; will prepare a draft bill for
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administration of all Central Universities as recommended by the Madhav Menon Committee on Autonomy of Central Educational Institutions including Central Universities. Committee to Enhance MSME Exports The Union government consideration had set up a sixmember inter-ministerial committee in April, 2013 under the chairmanship of Finance Secretary RS Gujral to suggest measures for enhancing MSME exports. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector contributes about 40% in the countrys total exports and over 8% to Indias Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The committee will suggest short and long term measures to enhance exports from MSME sector. It will submit its recommendations by mid-May 2013. State Security Commission Set-up Andhra Pradesh government on May 4, 2013 set-up the State Security Commission under the chairmanship of the state Home Minister. The 6 member Commission has been set-up following the Supreme Courts directions for efficient, transparent and accountable performance of police system. Chief Secretary to the state Government, Principal Secretary in Home department, Law Secretary and a retired High Court Judge will be members of the commission. The Director General of Police will be the Convener and Secretary of the commission. The Commission will advise the government on broad policy guidelines pertaining to effective policing and will assist it in identifying organizational goals for preventive tasks. It will also recommend the government on strategic and perspective plans for police. Khandeparkar Committee on Illegal Mining The Goa government-appointed Justice RMS Khandeparkar committee on illegal mining has decided to probe further the illicit tapping of ironore in Goa, which will help the government arrest illegalities and prepare a roadmap for future of mining industry in the state on May 7, 2013. The State government had notified Khandeparkar Committee to further investigate into the findings of Justice MB Shah Commission, which had pegged illegal mining in the state to Rs.35,000 crore. Schemes/Initiatives The Cabinet Committee on Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) approved the cost estimates of Phase IV of the UID Scheme. The estimated cost of the scheme is around Rs.3436 crore. A new initiative launched by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to make services more and more automated by allowing passengers to recharge their Metro smart cards through the internet. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare relaxed the eligibility parameters for the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) on May 21, 2013, with an expectation of reducing the neo-natal and maternal mortality in young mothers. The benefits of the scheme is extended to every woman from BPL category as well as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from all States and Union Territories of the country if they give birth to the new one in government as well as the private accredited health facility, as well as to those women from BPL category who deliver at home (as part of their choise). Reason Behind Age Relaxation The decision of relaxing the age parameters for the JSY came up after the government realized that the majority of women who could have been benefited with the scheme needed to prove that they were above 19 years in age and didnt have more than two children. Because of the initial parameters that existed under the purview of the JSY scheme, the JSY failed to respond to the maternal mortality of the girls aged 14-15 (who suffered maximum), as they didnt succeeded in getting the age verification as well as the number of children they had. The Yojana, launched on April 12, 2005, by the Prime Minister, is being implemented in all the States and UTs with special focus on low performing states. The Union Cabinet of India on May 1, 2013 approved major changes to the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) with the objective of removing poverty in rural areas by empowering women. Approximately, 25 lakh Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) will be granted bank loans at an interest rate of seven percent. They could avail loans upto Rs.3 lakh annually.
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 Aajeevika National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), government of India in June, 2011. Aided in part through investment support by the World Bank, the Mission aims at creating efficient and effective institutional platforms of the rural poor enabling them to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services. Tribal Forest Dwellers Empowerment Scheme Launched Union Minister of Tribal Affairs & Panchayati Raj, V. Kishore Chandra Deo, launched the Tribal Forest Dwellers Empowerment Scheme of National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) for economic upliftment of schedule tribe forest dwellers on May 8, 2013. A Radio Partnership MoU was also signed between NSTFDC and All India Radio (AIR) for coverage of Scheduled Tribes related schemes. Forest Rights Act recognized and regularized the pre-existing rights of ST forest dwellers and under this scheme, financial assistance will be provided to them at concessional rate for their empowerment. MoU between NSTFDC and AIR will help to impart information about Scheduled Tribes related schemes. NSTFDC would generate awareness, provide training and assist in market linkage apart from providing financial assistance at concessional rate of interest of 6% per annum to the beneficiaries. This assistance would be made available through 33 State Channelizing Agencies of NSTFDC and certain PSU Banks/Regional Rural Banks having refinance agreements with NSTFDC. The government enacted a Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Under this Act, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional forest Dwellers have been given the right to hold the forest land for habitation or for self-cultivation or for carrying out any other traditional activity for their livelihood. Most of the Scheduled Tribes are poor and need financial support for productive utilization of land for their livelihood. Pehal for Family Planning - Central government has launched a new scheme named Pehal to check family planning in collaboration with PSI and Federation of Obstetrics and Gynae Association of India. Under this scheme, 3 lakh 50 thousand females will be betting Intra Uterine Device (IUD) for family planning. This scheme is the extension of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). The scheme will be implemented in Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Launched in 2005, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). It is one-time cash incentive to pregnant women for institutional/home births through skilled assistance. Government Approved Launch of NUHM The Union Cabinet of India approved the launch of the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) on May 1, 2013 to reduce rates of infant mortality, maternal mortality and for universal access to reproductive health care. The mission will be implemented in 779 cities and towns each with the population of more than 50000 is expected to cover about 7.75 crore people. The Cabinet also gave its nod to a bill which provides for confiscating property illegally acquired by corrupt public servants. The major changes to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 were approved by the Cabinet. The Union Cabinet also approved the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM)s decision to conduct auction of 839 channels of FM radio stations in 294 cities through e-auction. The decision is part of the amendments in the Policy Guidelines for Phase III expansion of FM Radio broadcasting services through private agencies. The government also approved amendments to a bill that seeks to eradicate manual scavenging. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill, 2012 includes provisions for mandatory inclusion of women in vigilance committees at the district, state and national level and a survey to identify manual scavengers. The Union Cabinet also referred the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill to a Group of Ministers. The law deal with a womans right to marital property in case of a divorce.

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 ISSNIP Project Launched Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women & Child Development launched the World Bank assisted ICDS Systems Strengthening and Nutrition Improvement Project (ISSNIP) was launched on May 9, 2013. The programme aims at improving child development and nutritional outcomes for children in selected districts having higher proportion of children under nutrition. Four major components under the project are: 1. Institutional and systems strengthening in ICDS 2. Community mobilization and behaviour change communication 3. Piloting multi-sectoral nutrition actions 4. Project Management, Technical Assistance and Monitoring & Evaluation The ministry of Women and Child Development has also launched the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY), a conditional maternity benefit scheme which provides a cash benefit of Rs.4,000 directly to women 19 years and above for the first two live births if they fulfil specific conditions relating to maternal and child health and nutrition. ICDS nutrition services and provisions of maternity benefits are also part of National Food Security Bill. IBIN Node - The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, launched the India Backbone Implementation Network (IBIN) with the purpose to improve implementation of policies, programmer, and projects. 12th Five Year Plan has located as the critical necessity for accelerating more inclusive and faster growth. Indai@75 partners with the Planning Commission to launch this national network of collaboration and will be hosting the first node of IBIN. This model is based on Japans model during Total Quality Movement in 1960-70. India@75 is a path breaking initiative. It envisions how India should be in her 75th year of independence and seeks to bring together all stakeholders including the industry, government, institutions, community groups and individuals to translate the vision into a reality. Prof CK Prahlad has been the inspiration behind India@75. Inter-Ministerial Group to Tackle Ponzi Schemes The Union government of India, on May 7, 2013, constituted an Inter-Ministerial Group to suggest the possible ways to tackle with the fraudulent money pooling activities and protect the investors interest in the same. Members of the Inter-ministerial group will comprise of representatives from the Finance and Corporate Affairs Ministries, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The decision to constitute a Inter-Ministerial Group was taken in wake up of the instance of people being defrauded by Ponzi Schemes like the Kolkata-based Saradha Group cheating in which many investors were fooled via fraudulent money pooling schemes. Ponzi Schemes are the activities that involve collecting money from public (investors) on a large scale making fraud promises of big returns. These are paid from the money that is paid by the new investors and in this type of scheme the old investors get big returns by bringing in new investors. Amma Canteen Scheme Tamil Nadus Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa announced the expansion of the Amma Canteen (budget canteen) scheme to nine other districts in the state while including more dishes in the menu of canteens on May 15, 2013. Idli will be sold at Rs.1 per piece, sambar rice at Rs.5 per plate and curd rice at Rs.3 per plate. The Chennai Corporation initially started the Amma Canteen in 200 wards in the city. Delhi Swavlamban Scheme - The Delhi government launched the Delhi Swavlamban Scheme, to offer a pension for workers in the unorganised sector on May 1, 2013. The scheme will be a cocontributory pension programme in collaboration with the Swavlamban scheme of the Centre. The Delhi government will make a contribution of Rs.1000 per year along with equal contribution of the central government and a contribution not exceeding Rs.12,000 from the subscriber. The scheme is Aadhaar-linked and aimed to ensure universal coverage. Besides workers in the informal sector, Anganwadi workers will also be benefited. The quantum of pension may vary from case-to-case.

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 Dairy Development Scheme Launched The Puducherry administration has launched a central government sponsored scheme to promote dairy activities and enhance socio-economic status of the farmers in the Union Territory on May 14, 2013. Under the scheme Rashtriya Kisan Yojana, 400 beneficiaries have been selected in the first phase of which 27 have been extended a subsidy of Rs.50,000 each running to a total of Rs.13.5 lakh. Summit/Conference India China Bilateral Meet on Healthcare Sector in Geneva was held in Geneva on May 21, 2013. The meeting was held on the sidelines of World Health Assembly with the objective of strengthening of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in healthcare sector. The 45th Session of the Indian Labour Conference concluded in New Delhi on May 18, 2013 with a resolve to provide universal social security coverage and assured pension to the entire working population. The conference was a two-day affair. 6th European Conference on Space Debris The European Space Agency (ESA) on April 25, 2013 during the 6th European Conference on Space Debris in Darmstadt, Germany announced that the Space Junk such as the debris of rockets should be removed from the orbit of the Earth. Prof Heiner Klinkrad was the Chairman for the 6th European Conference on Space Debris in Darmstadt, Germany. The researchers agreed to the point that the debris-environment in the orbit would become unstable within few decades and this phenomenon is called Kessler Syndrome. Removal of five to ten large debris, every year can be the solution to reverse the process of debris growth in the orbit. European Space Agency in 2012 launched Clean Space Initiative that aims at developing the technology to capture and remove space debris safely. IMDEX Asia 2013 The International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (IMDEX) Asia, 2013 has opened in Singapore with a record number of navy and air force chiefs attending. In all, 61 delegations from 48 countries and 194 exhibitors attended the event. A total of 15 warships from nine countries took part in the event, which is hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy from May 14 to 16, 2013. 15 warships from nine countries are as follows Australia Armidale Class Patrol Craft HMAS Bathurst India INS Satpura (Frigate) & INS Kirch (Corvette) Indonesia KCR 40Class Patrol Craft KRI Kujang & Diponegoro Class Corvette KRI Frans Kaisiepo Malaysia KD Lekiu Frigate France FSL Offshore Petrol Vellel US US Freedom (Combat Ship) Singapore RSS Justice (Petrol Vessel) Thailand HTMS Rattanakosin (Frigate) Korea ROKS Wang Jaon (Destroyer) Agreement/Deal/Sign/Talk Iran has agreed to source automobiles and pharmaceuticals to help India settle payments for oil imports in rupees. This would open another door for two of Indias biggest exports. Japan and Turkey signed a long-awaited deal to build a sprawling nuclear power plant on Turkeys Black Sea coast, a milestone for the Japanese nuclear industry as it recovers from the 2011 Fukushima disaster on May 3, 2013. The agreement came a day after Japan signed a nuclear co-operation deal with the United Arab Emirates. The Sinop plant is to comprise four reactors with a combined output of 4800 MW. Construction is to begin in 2017, with the first reactor to be operational by 2023.

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 Bermuda and other British overseas territories on May 1, 2013 signed deals with financial centres on sharing tax information. The similar recent deals were struck with Jersey, Guersey and the Isle of Man. As per the deal, the bank account details, such as names, addresses, dates of birth, account numbers, account balances and payment details will be passed on. The data will be shared with both the UK tax authorities and those in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. IBSA Womens Forum Resolution Signed The Union Minister for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath signed the Fifth India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Womens Forum Resolution at the end of the three day meet of IBSA Womens Forum on May 16, 2013. The signed joint resolution, will allow the three countries to recognize the key role of Governments of these countries with the support of the Civil Society to ensure and accelerate efforts towards achieving gender equality and empowerment of women. The resolution was signed between Krishna Tirath, her South African counterpart Lulama Xingwana and Maria do Carmo Gadinho Delgado, Secretary of Evaluation of Policies and Economic Autonomy of Women of Brazil. IBSA (India Brazil-South Africa) Trilateral Initiative IBSA is a trilateral, developmental initiative between India, Brazil and South Africa to promote South-South cooperation and exchange. Formation of IBSA for the first time was discussed during the G-8 meeting that took place in Evian, France in 2003. Further, the External Affairs Minister of India, Yashwant Sinha, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Brazil, Celso Amorim and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma met in Brasilia on June 6, 2003 and farmalised the launch of IBSA Dialogue Forum with an adoption of the Brasilia Declaration. Womens Forum of IBSA The womens Forum initiative launched under the People-toPeoples Forum by the heads of the IBSA states came up during the second IBSA Summit in South Africa in 2007. The forum came into existence with the aim of cooperation between the three countries with the objective of promoting gender equality and empowerment. The Election Commission of India and the National Literacy Mission Authority, Ministry of Human Resource Development, on May 21, 2013 signed a Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) on Electoral Literacy and Greater Participation for a Stronger and Inclusive Democracy in New Delhi. The MoU is the first ever by the Election Commission of India with a government Department. Under the MoU, ECI and NLMA will work jointly to sensitize citizens, especially the vulnerable and disadvantaged including women, SCs, STs, Minorities, in NLMA covered districts, about their electoral rights and about exercise of franchise. Electoral Literacy will form part of curriculum for adult Literacy and Basic education. NLMA will spread electoral literacy during its environment Building and mass mobilization campaigns, with specific focus on electoral registration and informed and ethical voting in coordination with the Election Commission. GoM to Consider Functional Autonomy of CBI The Union Cabinet of India approved constitution of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to consider the matter relating to an appropriate law being made to provide for the independence of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and its functional autonomy on May 14, 2013. It has also been decided, with the approval of the Prime Minister that the composition of the GoM will be as under P. Chidambaram (Minister of Finance) Sushilkumar Shinde (Minister of Home Affairs) Kapil Sibal (Minister of Communications and Information Technology and Minister of Law and Justice) Salman Khurshid (Minister of External Affairs) V. Narayanasamy (Minster of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; and Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office)
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The GoM will prepare the draft law and the draft affidavit to be filed in the Supreme Court in the context of the Writ Petition (Civil) No. 120 of 2012, within three weeks. The GoM will be serviced by the Department of Personnel and Training. A Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) was signed between National Commission for Women (NCW) and HUDCO on May 7, 2013 in New Delhi to elevate the condition and status of the marginalized and destitute women in India. This MoU is a part of Corporate Social Responsibility of HUDCO, under which focus will remain on providing better amenities of housing and other facilities such as drinking water, sanitation and electricity to poor and destitute women. Under the MoU, NCW shall identify the areas where the activity or project has to be undertaken and HUDCO shall provide financial assistance for implementation of these projects along with technical advice. KP Group Signs MoU with Argentina University KP Group of Institution signed an MoU with La Panta University of Argentina during the Indo-Argentina summit organised in Agra recently. As per the MoU, top 20 students of La Panta University of Argentina will do relevant courses in the field of technology and IT at KPGI and top 20 students of KPGI will do courses of various languages like Spanish, French, German and Computer Courses organised by La Patna University. MoU Signed Between National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Ministry of Power for 2013-14 Main Points are: According to the MoU signed, NTPC will work towards generation of 242 BU during 2013-14. In 2013-14, NTPC will also strive to produce 4 MMTPA coal from its own captive mines. NTPC envisaged fresh capacity addition of 1875 MW in 2013-14. Milestones related to other ongoing projects and Mines of NTPC are also part of MoU. Other sections associated with CSR and Sustainability, Financial Performance, Human Resource and R&D in line with guidelines of Department of Public Enterprises also formed a part of this MoU. Ministry of Power will assist NTPC in the areas related to Commercial, Fuel Security and Ash Utilisation and land acquisition. INDIASRI LANKA FTA Handbook Released in Colombo Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka launched a handbook on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Colombo on May 15, 2013. The FTA has helped Sri Lanka increase its exports to India manifold. The trade imbalance has decreased as a result of the favourable terms of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. INDIA - UK Cooperation in the Field of Health Sector - An MoU on cooperation has been signed in the field of Health sector in Geneva between the government of India and the government of the UK and Northern Ireland on May 20, 2013. The areas identified for cooperation in the MoU include: Promoting exchange on healthcare policy in India and the UK Human resources for Health Regulatory issues Health technology development Primary healthcare Strengthening of public infrastructure and capacity Health security, including cooperation on infectious diseases, emerging infections and drug resistance Super-Priority Visas for Indians Britain rolled out the same-day visa for Indians, making it the first country to get a visa to visit the UK within 24 hours on May 14, 2013. The same-day visa service was announced by British Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit to India. However, it comes with a fat price, it will cost 600 (nearly Rs.50,000) in addition to the price of the visa. Those in Delhi and Mumbai will be able to apply for this service. Tech Mahindra Signed Agreement with Falcorp of South Africa to float a new company on May 6, 2013. Tech Mahindra and Mahindra Satyam together employed close to 400 associates in South Africa.
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 Kerala & Himachal Pradesh Cooperation in Rural Development Kerala & Himachal Pradesh announced that they would share information about feasible models and best practices to strengthen implementation of their rural development projects on May 18, 2013. Kerala Panchayats and Social Welfare Ministry shared details about local self governance in the state, community farming and the Kudumbashree programme with Himachal Pradesh. A larger ministerial team from Himachal Pradesh is likely to visit Kerala to assess the progress made in the state in the sector of social security. A delegation from Kerala will pay a visit to Himachal Pradesh to study development projects for tribal communities there and to replicate that in their state. INDIA-NETHERLANDS MoU on Technical Cooperation Kamal Nath, Minister for Urban Development & Parliamentary Affairs and Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Minister for Infrastructure and Environment, Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) on Technical Cooperation in the field of Spatial Planning, Water Management, and Mobility Management on May 14, 2013 at the Hague, Netherlands. Udaipur The second meeting of the Expert Group to negotiate SAARC Motor Vehicle Agreement was held in Udaipur, Rajasthan on May 20, 2013. The Sixteenth SAARC Summit in Thimphu, endorsed the recommendation to declare 2010-20 as the Decade of Intra-regional Connectivity in SAARC. It was agreed on the need to expedite negotiations with a view to finalize the agreements on Motor Vehicles and Railways. FTA Handbook Released in Colombo Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka launched a handbook on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Colombo on May 15, 2013. The FTA has helped Sri Lanka increase its exports to India manifold. The trade imbalance has decreased as a result of the favourable terms of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. Meet / Visit The eighth India-Seychelles Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was held on May 8, 2013 at New Delhi. The Joint Commission exchanged views on bilateral, regional and international matters of mutual interest during the meet. The next meeting of the Joint Commission will be held in Seychelles. India and China held 36th Border Personal Meeting at Nathula. This meeting is held every year on May 15 in Sikkim. Minister of State for Power (Independent Charge) Jyotiraditya Scindia led a high-level delegation to Berlin. Scindia had detailed discussions with Germanys Minister of State for Economic. Cooperation & Development Gudrun Kopp on the implementation of the joint Declaration of Intent on Establishment of Green Energy Corridors. The Green Energy Corridors will enable evacuation of over 30000 MW of renewable energy generated from wind and solar power during the 12th Five Year Plan in India into the national grid, for which Germany has committed to provide developmental and technical assistance of Euro 1 billion. Chinas PM Li Keqiang paid a three-day visit to India in the third-week of May. During this visit India and China expressed a strong desire to resolve pending issues and take the relationship forward in new spheres such as civil nuclear during two rounds of discussions in New Delhi on May 20 and 21, 2013 between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. India and China on May 20, 2013 decided to scale up its two-way trade from 67.8 bn Dollars in 2012-13 to 100 billion dollar by 2015. The two leaders firmed up eight agreements to enhance cooperation in a range of areas including trade, culture and water resources. India, China lay Road, map for better ties and trade. Agree to evolve mechanism to ease border tension, address trade balance. Sign eight pacts for bilateral boost. China realizes the need to accord due consideration for Indian sense of national pride. GA/June12/Page-14 CSB, Ch-17, Ph: 044-24333346

Special representatives to ensure that Depsang type incidents dont recur. They will meet soon to work on boundary agreement. Both countries to cooperative in civil nuclear energy. Three working groups drawn up to boost trade between the two nations. China to make further improvements to existing facilities for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims. It will also provide information of water level discharge and rainfall on the mainstream Brahmaputra river. Both nations to join hands in finding water efficient irrigation methods for agriculture.

From India Chinese Premier Li Keqiang dashed to Pakistan. He arrived on May 21, 2013 to a red carpet welcome in Islamabad. He held talks with President Asif Ali Zardari, assuring that Chinas relation with its all-weather strategic partner will continue to flourish and strengthen, come what may. Zardari conferred the countrys highest civil award Nishan-e-Pakistan on Li for his meritorious service for strengthening Pakistan-China relations. Indian PMs Visit to Japan and Thailand Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid a visit to Japan in the last week of May 2013. Ina a nuanced address to three different forums, during this visit, comprising Indian and Japanese parliamentarians, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh talked of the responsibility of India and Japan to address multiple challenges in the India-Pacific region to chart a new course for Asia in this century. Indian PM Dr. Singh and his counterpart Japanese PM Shinzo Ave on May 29 decided to accelerate talks on a civil nuclear deal that would allow Japan to export nuclear reactors to India and to bolster maritime security cooperation at a time when Chinas postures in the regions seas have thrown up concerns. India is set to benefit from the famed Japanese bullet train technology, with Tokyo on May 29, 2013 pledging to invest heavily in building high speed railway systems in the country. The two sides will jointly fund a feasibility study for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route. Naval Exercises The two sides also institutionalized naval exercises which will now be held on a regular basis with increased frequency. Both sides expressed their commitment to continue working in the international export control regimes the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Agreement. PM in Thailand The PM Mr. Singh dashed to Thailand from Japan on May 30. India and Thailand signed an extradition treaty and other important agreements at the conclusion of talks between PM Manmohan Singh and his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra. The security cooperation got a major boost. The two countries ratified a treaty on exchanging sentenced prisoners and signed a pact on cooperation in anti-money laundering policies. The other pacts cover areas of mutual cooperation such as space technology development and cultural cooperation. An ambitious project to develop a 3,200 km highway linking India, Myanmar and Thailand was an important item on the agenda of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit here. President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, visited India from May 20-22, 2013 during which he was conferred with Doctoris Honoris Causa for Letters by the Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, on May 20, 2013 and met Prime Minister and President separately on May 21, 2013. The visit of President Karzai was his third visit to India in the last three years after Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs landmark visit to Afghanistan in May 2011 followed by his visits in October 2011 in which both the leaders signed the historic Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Afghanistan and India.

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 G-7 Finance Ministers Meet in Aylesbury, England Group of seven finance officials agreed on May 11, 2013 to press on with measures to deal with failing banks and gave a green light to Japans efforts to galvanize its economy. British Finance Minister George Osborne said the finance ministers and central bankers meeting outside London focused on unfinished banking reforms. The emergency rescue of Cyprus in March acted as a reminder of the need to finish an overhaul of the banking sector, five years after the world financial crisis began. India to Develop Chahbahar Port Project The 17th Session of the India-Iran Joint Commission was held in Tehran on May 4, 2013. The Session was co-chaired by Ali Akbar Salehi, Foreign Minister of Islamic Republic of Iran and by Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India. India and Iran discussed bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. They discussed Indian participation in Chahbahar Port Project, which will provide connectivity with Afghanistan and will give an impetus to Afghanistans economic development. The two sides also reiterated the importance of greater connectivity between Russia, Central and South Asia through the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC). India and Iran also signed the following Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs): Between the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Islamic Republic of Iran (ISIRI) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Between the Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, Republic of India and School of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamic Republic of Iran. Between the government of Republic of India and the government of Islamic Republic of Iran on cooperation in the field of water resources. JWG to Address Expatriate Indian Workers India and Saudi Arabia decided to set up a Joint Working Group (JWG) to address the concerns of expatriate Indian workers in Saudi Arabia on the Nitaqat law on April 28, 2013. The India-Saudi Arabia Joint Working Group on Labour will discuss a Memorandum of Under-standing on labour cooperation and other issues. The decision were taken at a meeting of a high level Indian delegation led by the Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vyalar Ravi with the Saudi Labour Minister Adel Fakieh in Jeddah. The first meeting of the group will be held in Riyadh on May 1, 2013. Nitaqat Law The Nitaqat law makes it mandatory for local companies to hire one Saudi national for every 10 migrant workers. The new policy will result in to denial of job opportunities for many Indians working there. The Nitaqat aims at creating more jobs for Saudi citizens. It was enacted following Arab Spring, which had happened mainly because of huge unemployment in countries such as Yemen and Egypt. Bills Frances President has signed into law a controversial bill making the country, the ninth in Europe and 14th globally, to legalise gay marriage. The Union Cabinet on May 9, 2013 has given its approval for moving official amendments to the multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2010 pending in the Lok Sabha. Objectives of Amendment The objective of the official amendments is to ensure that the provisions of the Bill are in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution (Ninety-Seventh Amendment) Act, 2011. The Official Amendments also proposes to have provision for revival of sick societies. It is proposed that if the Central Registrar at any time, is of the opinion that a multi-State cooperative society has become sick, then it may, by order, declare such society as sick cooperative society. The Central government or any person authorized by it shall prepare a scheme for rehabilitation and reconstruction of such sick society and the society shall place it before the general body for approval. It is also proposed that where a scheme for rehabilitation and the reconstruction of a multi-State cooperative society has been prepared, the Central government may, on the recommendation of general body, reorganize the board of such persons having experience in the field of cooperative,
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management finance, accountancy and any other area relating to such societies as may be recommended by general body. Australian PM Gillard Introduces Disability Tax Bill In a rare departure from her characteristically tough style, a teary-eyed Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard introduced a new tax Bill to Parliament on May 15, 2013 that would fund better care for Australians with severe physical and mental disabilities. Ms. Gillard said that the tax would provide a funding base for a national disability insurance scheme that had remained little more than a concept for the past six years. Irelands government unveiled the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill on May 1, 2013. It explains when life-saving abortions can be performed. Moreover, its a clarification of rights within the ambit of Current law. The Bill mentioned clearly that anyone illegally involved in abortion could face a maximum 14-years prison sentence whether he is a doctor or a patient. Fund India Signs $ 252 million Loan with ADB The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $ 252 million loan to continue improving rural roads in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. World Banks approval for $ 100 million loan to NHB The World Bank has approved a concessional loan of $ 100 million for the National Housing Bank (NHB) for the implementation of a low-income housing programme. The loan has been granted under the concessional International Development Association window on a long-term basis for 25 years. Companies/Industry The Supreme Court of India upheld the constitutional validity of Governments decision allowing 51% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the multi-brand retail sector. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the Rs.10,500 crore Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposal of Swedish furniture major IKEA in the single-brand retail sector. The Supreme Court set aside the Orissa High Court order that had quashed the state governments petition to allot iron-ore licence to South Korean steel major Posco in Khandadhar hills in Sundergarh distrcit. China has become the worlds biggest market for personal computers with industry specialists saying it received 69 million shipments of PCs in 2012. In the process, China trounced the US which was the biggest PC market till 2011. IIP Growth in 2012-13 Dips to 20-Year Low Countrys industrial performance during 2012-13 was the worst in the past 20 years. During 2012-13, the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) grew by only 1.0%, down from 2.9% in the previous year 20112 and manufacturing output grew by just 1.2%. The current industrial scenario is very near to the crisis year of 1991-92 when there was only 0.6% IIP growth resulting a severe balance of payments position. DIPP Released 6th Issue of Consolidated FDI Policy The department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India has released the 6th issue of consolidated FDI Policy, effective from April 5, 2013. The Key changes brought by the FDI Policy 2013 are as follows: A citizen of Pakistan or an entity incorporated in Pakistan can invest in sectors/activities other than defence, space and atomic energy sectors/activities prohibited for foreign investment. The erstwhile requirement for an independent valuation of the capital goods/machinery/equipment by a third party entity has been removed. Downstream investment by Banking Companies has been allowed in certain cases. Foreign investment in multi-brand retail trading has been permitted. Foreign investment limits in teleports and D2H (Direct to Home) has been increased from 49% to 74% (wherein any investment beyond 49% to 74% would be subject to government route).
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 Foreign investment in Air Transport Services (in both scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services) has been permitted. Foreign investments in single brand product retail trading allowed. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) have been permitted to invest in Asset Reconstruction Companies upto 10% of the total paid-up capital. Downstream investments by foreign owned Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) permitted. Foreign investment upto 49% has been permitted in power exchanges (inclusive of limits of 26% and 23% on FDI and FII investments respectively) to put power exchanges at par with commodity exchanges. ONGC has reclaimed the spot as the countrys most valued company, pushing IT giant TCS to the second slot. In the ranking of top-10 companies, ONGC was at the top position, followed by TCS, RIL, ITC, CIL, HDFC Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC and Infosys. Stock Market UKs Cairn Energy plc sold 8% stake in Carin India for 910 million US dollars. Cairn Energy retains about 10% shareholding in Cairn India following the sale. An Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) has approved 10% equity sale in Coal India which is expected to fetch over Rs.17,000 crore to the government. At present, the government holds 90% stake in Coal India. NSE Launched Debt Trading Platform National Stock Exchange, the leading bourse, launched the countrys first dedicated debt trading platform on May 11, 2013. The new platform launched is awaiting the market regulator SEBIs guidelines for allowing participation of mutual funds, insurance companies and pension funds. NSE had recently received approval from SEBI to launch the debt segment. Debt Trading Platform The debt trading platform is supposed to provide retail investors an opportunity to invest in corporate bonds on a liquid and transparent exchange platform. Banks and primary dealers are the first to enter and they will provide enough liquidity in the debt segment. The mutual funds, insurance companies and pension funds are also expected to participate after guidelines for the same are issued. BSE Launched an Islamic Equity Index The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) launched an Islamic equity index based on the wide-measure S&P BSE 500 index on April 30, 2013. It will provide a new benchmark for Islamic investors in one of the worlds largest stock exchanges. The new index includes the largest 500 companies in the BSE, out of more than 5000 listed. These companies fulfill Islamic finance principles such as bans on investing in alcohol, tobacco and gambling-related businesses. The BSE had launched the countrys first Islamic index in 2010 after tracking the 50 largest and most liquid stocks. Indias Islamic banking industry has made slow progress because banking rules need lenders to declare the rates of interest they charge customers. Bharti Airtel will sell a 5% stake to Doha-based Qatar Foundation Endowment for Rs.6796 crore ($ 1.26 billion) to bolster finances weighed down by Rs.63,689 crore ($ 11.7 billion) of debt. The deal, which values Bharti at Rs.135920 crore ($ 25.2 billion), could be one of the countrys largest private equity transactions ever, if the definition of private equity is extended to include sovereign wealth funds and endowments. Exports/Imports Exports Rise 1.7% in April 2013 According to the data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, in April 2013, Indias merchandise exports rose a marginal 1.68% to $ 23.76 billion in the corresponding month last year. However, the imports in the country surged a massive 10.86% to $ 41.95 billion, against $ 37.80 billion in the year ago period, primarily owing to a 138% jump in gold
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and silver imports. Consequently, the trade deficit stood at $ 17.8 billion compared with $ 14.04 billion in April 2012. In April 2013, gold imports stood at $ 7.5 billion, against $ 3.1 billion in the year-ago period. Trade deficit during April 2013 was the third-highest after $ 20 billion in October 2012 and $ 21 billion in January 2013 this year. India has Cut Down the Import of Crude Oil India has cut down the import of crude oil from Iran by over 26.5% in the financial year ended on March 31, 2013. India had imported 13.3 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran in 2012-13, which steeply came down from 18.1 million tonnes shipped in the 2011-12 financial year. The US and EU have shut down the use of their financial systems for Iranian crude trade, and Washington has recently imposed more treasury sanctions on trade with Iran which is making the imports from the Islamic nation even more complicated. Taxation/Trade Karnatakas Finance Ministry turned down the Centres request to place mobile phones and tablets in the list of declared goods in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. The Union government slashed the import tariff value of gold and silver to 466 dollars/10 g and 761 dollars/kg, respectively on May 16, 2013. The decision to slash the import tariff was taken Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) after considering weak global price trend. Earlier in April 2013, the tariff value of gold was 472 dollars/10 g, while silver was 762 dollars/kg. Government has cut the import tariff value of gold as international prices of gold and silver showed a declining trend as investors shifted funds to equities with firming up of dollar. Tariff value is actually the base price on which the customs duty is determined to prevent underinvoicing. The government has also hiked the tariff value of crude palm oil to 831/tonne from 827 dollars/tonne, while RBD palm oil has been reduced to 836/tonne form 857 dollars tonne on April 27, 2013. The tariff value of crude soyabean oil and their varieties of palm oil have also been raised. In the London market, gold prices fell by 1.6% to 1370.82 dollars per ounce, while silver declined by 1.8% to 22.20 dollars an ounce. Similarly, gold prices in the national capital fell by Rs.500 to Rs.26,800 per ten grams, while silver dropped by Rs.1000 to Rs.43,700 per kg. Production/ Agriculture Foodgrains Output for 2013 Exceeded its Target - The Union government of India on May 3, 2013 revised the production estimates of the foodgrains upwards by 5.22 million tonnes for 2012-13, over earlier expectation of 254.24 million tonnes due to the higher output of wheat, rice and coarse cereals. Space A Russian capsule named Bion-M filled with 45 mice and 15 newts has returned from a months mission in orbit with data scientists hope will pave the way for a manned flight to Mars. China successfully launched a communication Satellite called Zhongxing-11 from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Southwest Sichuan province on May 2, 2013. Cluster of Hydrogen Clouds Discovered between Two Nearest Galaxies Astronomers at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory discovered a cluster of hydrogen clouds between our two nearby galaxies Triangulum (M33) and Andromeda (M31). The cluster of these clouds was never seen before. The researchers contemplated that these were the rare blobs of gas condensed from gigantic and undetected pool of ionized and hot gas.

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Science and Technology A supercapacitor developed by an 18-year-old from California could charge cell phones in as little as 20 sec. This new invention was one of the two winners of the Young Scientist Award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix. The new device fits inside cell phone batteries, providing near-instantaneous charging capabilities. Eesha Khare, the inventor of the new superconductor, is a high school student, and a native of Saratoga, NY. First Cloned Human Embryo A group of US Scientists declared that they have succeeded in creating a cloned human embryo using the technique that helped in developing the cloned sheep in 1996. The scientists took fifteen years to create the cloned embryo. The team of scientists developed the embryo using skin samples of a womans egg to develop an early cloned human embryo. Aim of this research is the development of a source of stem cells not a baby. These can be helpful in repair of damage created after heart attack or brains of patients of Parkinsons disease. Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer technique was used in development of the embryo and it is the same technique that was used for developing the Sheep Dolly, the first cloned animal in 1996. China Produced Worlds Lightest Substance- Zhejiang University of China, in May, 2013, announced that the team of scientists produced an ultra-light substance known as carbon aerogel, which has the density of 0.16 milligrams per cubic centimeters, breaking the previous record of the worlds lightest material held by graphite aerogel. Graphite aerogel, developed by German scientists last year, had a density of 0.18 mg/cc. Aerogel is a material produced with semi-solid gel dried and solvent removed. It appears in a solid state with many internal pores filled with air, and thus is of minimal density. Researchers discovered a new species of dragonfly from a wildlife sanctuary in Goa. The new species was spotted at Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife sanctuary at Collem in south Goa by researchers Parag Rangnekar and Rohan Naik in collaboration with Dr K.A. Subramanian, the scientist with Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. Robotic jelly fish Cyro, designed by a team of researchers at Virginia Techs College of Engineering, is 5 ft, 7 in wide and weighs 170 pounds but is stealthy enough to one day be used as an underwater spy for the military. Cyro, named after the jelly fish Cyanea capiliata, has eight aluminum arms and a white, flexible silicon covering. Health / Diseases / Drugs The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposal of Department of AIDS Control, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for the implementation of National AIDS Control Support Project (NACSP) under the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP). The amount for this would be RS.2,250 crore. India on May 14, 2013 unveiled its indigenously developed Rotavirus Vaccine named Rotavac after the Phase-III clinical trial of low cost rotavirus Vaccine. The Rotavac that has demonstrated strong efficacy and excellent safety profile; if gets its approval by the Durgs Controller General of India (DCGI) than will be made available in the market at a rate of 54 rupees per dose. New Sex Superbug can be More Deadly than AIDS Doctors have warned that the new sexually transmitted Sex-Superbug named H041 can be much more deadly than the AIDS virus. In 2011, the superbug was discovered for the first time in Japan and then it spread to Hawaii and now visible in Norway and California. Vitamin-C Kills TB Scientists recently discovered that vitamin-C kills tuberculosis. Scientists in an experiment managed to kill lab grown tuberculosis (TB) bacteria with good old Vitamin-C. A team from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York made the finding while researching how TB bacteria become resistant to the TB drug Isoniazed. New Concept of Needleless Vaccine Delivery System Developed The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) designed and successfully tested a new concept of needless vaccine delivery system in the laboratory. The new device was the result of collaboration among the laboratory for hypersonic and
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shock wave, the Department of Aerospace Engineering, and the Microbiology and Cell Biology department of the Indian Institute of Science. Special Vaccination Programme The Union government had launched its four-week special immunization programme in high-risk areas across the country on May 2, 2013. The vaccination sessions, is planned to be held for a week each in June, July and August 2013. The first special immunization week, which took place from April 24-30, was organised in collaboration with UNICEF. The government has declared the year 2012-13 as the year of intensification of routine Immunisation. Intensification efforts saw the expansion of the Pentavalent vaccine to six more states, after Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The pentavalent vaccine protects children from Hib pneumonia and Hib meningitis in addition to diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and Hepatitis-B. Research from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil have engineered spider protein which could be the start of a new generation of anti-venom vaccines. Engineered protein may be a promising candidate for developing therapeutic serums or vaccines against other venoms. Energy/ Gas/Oil Amendments in Guidelines of JNNSM The guidelines for selection of solar power projects under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), issued in July, 2010, incorporated the following main provisions for allotment of the projects to companies on May 20, 2013. Amendments are as follows Eligible Project Capacity 5 MW for Solar PV and 5 MW to 100 MW for Solar thermal projects. Number of Applications by One Company (including its parent, affiliate or ultimate parent or any group company) Only one, limited to 5 MW for Solar PV and 100 MW for Solar thermal projects. Net Worth of Company Minimum Rs.3 crore/MW for projects upto 20 MW capacity plus additional Rs.2 crore/MW for each additional MW capacity. Short-listing and Final Selection of Projects On the basis of fulfillment of financial and technical criteria laid down in RfS document and discount offered by the project developers on CERC approved applicable tariff, as per mechanism specified in RfP document. Shale Gas Export to India Cleared USA granted conditional authorization to export domestically produced Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to countries that do not have Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with it on May 18, 2013. It opens up the prospects of export of shale gas to India. The decision was announced by Department of Energy in USA. The gas will be exported from Freeport Terminal on Quintana Island in Texas. Shale gas is natural gas that is found trapped within shale formations. Shale gas has become an increasingly important source of natural gas in the United States since the start of this century. Kundankulum Nuclear Power Project - Supreme Court gave its approval to Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tirunelveli district on May 6, 2013. The Supreme Court disposed of a public suit which seeks to halt its commissioning which wanted the government to submit a report on the compliance of all safety steps before the plant is commissioned. However the apex court gave detailed directions to the government on the safety and the monitoring of the plants operations. While giving its judgment Supreme Court said that Nuclear energy is extremely important for the countrys growth and a balance has to be made between the right to life and sustainable development. KNPP Construction started March, 2002 but completion was not achieved 11 years later. Long construction times for nuclear reactors are common in India, but this delay is by some people believed to have been caused by anti-nuclear protests by the locals and peoples movement against nuclear energy. Recently, Atomic Energy Regulatory Boards inspection of the reactor pressure vessel of Unit-1 was completed and no defects therein were found. The Tamil Nadu state government formed a four-member expert panel which submitted a report to the government after inspecting the safety features of the plant. The Tamil Nadu government, in the wake of the acute power shortages in the state, has ordered in favour of
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the commissioning of the plant. According to the Chairman and Managing Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, KC Purohit, things are going on smoothly and the loading of fuel assemblies into the reactor pressure vessel would begin by mid-August 2012. Environment The Centre will establish a National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency as an authority for promotion, regulation and control of efficient use of water in irrigation, municipal and industrial uses. This was decided in the first meeting of the Advisory Board of the National Water Mission (NWM) that was established as part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change. During the first meeting in New Delhi on May 3, 2013 the members were informed that the National Bureau of water use Efficiency, will have the responsibility of improving water use efficiency across various sectors namely irrigation, drinking water supply, power generation and industry. Dolphins and Wild Elephants among Top 100 Mammals Facing Extinction Threat The Zoological Society of London in May, 2013 revealed that Indian dolphins as well as the wild elephants were among recent top 100 mammals facing the risks of extinction. Status of Wild Elephants - The latest list of the endangered mammals rang an alarming bell, especially for the largest land mammal of Asia, the wild elephant, which ranked 17th on ZSL list. Status of River Dolphins - River dolphin ranked 60th in the list of top 100 endangered mammals of the world. In India, in the river basins, these dolphins are found primarily in plains that have rivers with slow flow. At present, dolphins are found in Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and KarnaphuliSangu river systems of Bangladesh as well as India. Education Delhi Universitys four-year undergraduate programme is now a reality with the Executive Council approving all the courses, examination schemes and amendments to university ordinances on May 9, 2013 that are required to introduce the new structure from this July onwards. The Academic and the Executive Councils in their meetings held on May 7-9, approved 55 courses with a majority of 86-6 and 19-2. These courses had earlier been scrutinized by a Standing Committee of the Academic Council. Amendments to the university ordinances, including changes in nomenclature of degrees and admissions under reserved categories, were also approved. The four-year programme with multiple degree options will untail a shift from the present 10+2+3 scheme to a four-year graduation with multiple exit points. Till now admissions for candidates from the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and People With disability (PWD) were conducted centrally. From this year, Sc/St and PWD admissions will be decentralized and colleges will declare a cut-off list for the students under these categories. Instead of the baccalaureate degrees proposed to be offered under the four-year course, Council members have come to a consensus that a diploma will be given if a student exits after two years, a bachelors degree after three years and a bachelors degree with honours or a [Link]. degree on completion of four years. Transport/Cars/Scooters Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, on May 3, 2013, asserted that the government of 12.1 billion dollars in the aviation sector in the 12th plan period (2012-2016). The rapidly expanding air transport network and opening up of infrastructure to the private sector have fuelled the growth of air traffic in India. India-Backed Rail Link Commissioned in Sri Lanka The first phase of Sri Lankas northern railway project, funded by a line of credit facilitated by India, was commissioned on May 14, 2013. Coaches chugged along from Medawachchiya in Anuradhapura, the North Central Province, to Madhu Road, marking the return of a crucial transportation link. Tracks along the 43 km stretch GA/June12/Page-22 CSB, Ch-17, Ph: 044-24333346

were reconstructed as part of the $800 million-project, being executed by the Indian Railway Ministrys IRCON International Limited to restore the 252 km-railway line that would connect different parts of the country. Films / Film Festival Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap was conferred with the French honour Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters for his efforts in the promotion of Indian cinema across the globe on May 20, 2013. India was the guest country at the 66th Cannes International Film Festival. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been conferred with the Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for 2012 on May 12, 2013. The Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for Excellence in Indian Cinema is given by Star Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Excellence in Indian Cinema. Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi inaugurated Incredible India exhibition which depicts Indian Film Industry growth during 66th Cannes Film Festival. 66th Cannes Film Festival: The following is a list of major prize winners this year: Palme d Or : La Vie dAdele Chapitre 1 & 2 (Blue is the Warmest Colour) directed by Abdellatif Kechiche Grand Prix (Prize) : Inside Llewyn Davis directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen Jury Prize : Like Father, Like Son directed by Hirokazu Kore-Eda Best Director : Amat Escalante for Heli Best Actor : Bruce Dern in Nebraska Best Actress : Berenice Bejo in Le Passe (The Past) Media/Telecommunication/IT The President of India Pranab Mukherjee launched the Bichitra Tagore Variorum website at a function at Jadhavpur University, Kolkata. According to the Computer Emergency Response team, 48 government sites were hacked in 2013, 371 in 2012 and 303 in 2010. Samsung Electronics had successfully tested super-fast fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology that would eventually allow users to download an entire movie in one second on May 13, 2013. Nevada became the first US State that allowed its residents to play online poker for money, legally. Online poker gained legitimacy in Nevada in February, 2013. Other States that will legalise online poker soon in US are Delaware and New Jersey. WEBGIS The India-WRIS (Water Resource Information System) aims as a single window solution for comprehensive, authoritative and consistent data & information of Indias water resources along with allied natural resources in a standardized national GIS framework with tools to search, understand and analyse the data for assessment, planning and development and finally Integrated Water resources Management (IWRM). Appointments/Election Shashi Kant Sharma - The President of Indian Union, Pranab Mukherjee appointed Shashi Kant Sharma as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India on May 21, 2013. He succeeded Vinod Rai and assumed the office on May 23, 2013. Laxman Singh Rathore The Director General of Meteorology and Permanent Representative of India with World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was elected as the Member of Executive Council of WMO during the 65th Executive Council of WMO meeting at Geneva on May 19, 2013. Brazilian Roberto Azevedo, 55, has been named to take the helm of the World Trade Organization (WTO), on May 8, 2013. Career diplomat Azevedo beat veteran Mexican trade negotiator Herminio Blanco in the final round of the contest and is the first official from the BRICS group of emerging
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economics to take the job. He has been Brazils WTO Ambassador since 2008. Azevedo is the first Latin American to be appointed as the head of the WTO since it was created in 1995. Nirbhay Sharma has been appointed as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh on May 16, 2013 as the term of present incumbent Gen (Retd) J.J. Singh ended in January, 2013. The leader of the Indian National Congress K. Siddharamaiah sworn-in as the 22nd Chief Minister of Karnataka on May 11, 2013. He served as a Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka twice (1996 & 2004). A Legislative Assembly election was held on May 5, 2013 for 223 out of all 224 assembly constituencies in Karnataka, India. Mittu Chandilya - Air Asia India appointed India-born and Singapore-based management consultant Mittu Chandilya as its first CEO on May 15, 2013. He is one of the youngest airline CEOs in India. Air Asia India is a joint venture of the Malaysian LCC, Tata Sons and Telestra Tradeplace. The Law and Railway ministries vacated by Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Kumar Bansal were allotted to Kapil Sibbal and CP Joshi as additional charges on May 12, 2013. The International Tea Committee (ITC), a global tea body, which held its annual general meeting (AGM) in London elected G.V.K. Bhanu, Chairman, Tea Board of India, as its Vice-Chairman with Norman Kelly of the UK being elected the Chairman on May 2, 2013. Bhanus name was proposed by the US and supported by China and Sri Lanka. Outstanding scientist G. Satheesh Reddy has been appointed as Director of Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad from May 1, 2013. Satheesh Reddy took over charge from S.K. Chauduri following his superannuation on April 30, 2013. Italy appointed Staffan de Mistura the Deputy Foreign Minister of Italy as the Special Envoy to India on Marines Issue on May 4, 2013. His appointment to the post was done by the Prime Minister of Italy Enrico Letta. The National Front of Malaysia led by Najib Razab on May 5, 2013 won by simple majority in the 13th General Elections to secure its 56-year hold on the power. Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) has elevated its current Managing Director and Chief Executive Rajiv Lall as the Chairman in place of Deepak Parekh who has stepped down from the post on May 1, 2013. Former Indian spinner Laxman Shivaramakrishnan appointed as member of International Cricket Committee (ICC) on May 6, 2013. Laxman replaced Tim May. Anil Kumble is the President of this Committee. Congolese-born Cecile Kashetu Kyenge elected as Italys first black Cabinet Minister on April 26, 2013. Bahrains Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa appointed as the President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on May 2, 2013 replacing the disgraced ex-leader Mohammad bin Hammam. Badminton Association of India (BAI) President Akilesh Das Gupta was elected to the Badminton World Federations Executive Council in the election at Kuala Lumpur. General elections were held in Malaysia on May 4, 2013, following the dissolution of the Parliament announced by the Prime Minister on April 3, 2013. Malaysias Electoral Commission announced on May 5, 2013 the ruling Barisan nasional (National Front) coalition had secured the parliamentary seats needed to retain government. With a record 80% voter turnout this weeks opinion polls showed strong support for former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahims three-party opposition alliance. Radha Krishnan Mathur, a 1977-batch IAS officer from the Manipur-Tripura cadre, took over as the new defence secretary in South block on May 25, 2013. He replaces Shashikant Sharma, who has taken over as the new Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

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 Philippines former President Joseph Estrada was declared the winner of Manilas mayoral election on May 14, 2013, his first ballot victory since his ouster in a 2001 anti-corruption revolt and a possible prelude to a return to higher office. Resignation/Dismissed/Retired/Quit Pakistans Ambassador to the United States Sherry Rehman has resigned from her post following the defeat of Pakistan Peoples Party in general elections on May 14, 2013. Rehman, a former journalist and parliamentarian, was appointed as ambassador on November 23, 2011. Paul Walsh, chief executive of drinks giant Diageo for 13 years, will step down as per the announcement made by the company on May 7, 2013. Law Minister Ashwani Kumar resigned following the resignation of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. Ashwani Kumar was under fire from the opposition after the Supreme Court had come down heavily on the CBI for allowing the law ministry to vet the draft of CBI probe report on Coalgate. Former Pakistani premier Yousuf Raza Gilani resigned from the post of vice-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, accepting responsibility for its resounding defeat in the general elections. Paris Saint-Germain midfielder David Beckham on May 16, 2013 has announced that he will retire from football at the end of the season. He made his first-team debut in 1992. With Manchester United, Beckham won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999. He then played four seasons with Real Madrid, winning the La Liga championship in his final season with the club. England defender Rio Ferdinand has announced his retirement from international football on May 15, 2013. He played 81 times for the England national football team between 1997 and 2011, and has been a member of three FIFA World Cup squads. Stiliyan Petrov, the captain of Aston Villa retired from football on May 9, 2013 at the age of 33 years. Aston Villa Football Club is the English professional association football club that is based in Birmingham. In 2005, Stiliyan Petrov also wrote the autobiography titled You Can Call Me Stan. Arrests/Jailed Indian fast bowler, S. Sreesanth and his two team mates from Rajasthan Royals namely Anit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by Delhi Police on charges of Spot Fixing in IPL-6 on 17th May. Deaths The British comedy writer as well as performer Eddie Braden, renowned for Morecambe and wise died on May 21, 2013. One of Australias most recognizable actors, Penne Hackforth-Jones, died on May 19, 2013. The dhrupad vocalist Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar, passed away on May 8, 2013. He was also the court musician of Maharana Bhupal Singh of Udaipur. He won various prestigious honours and awards such as Tagore Ratna Award, Tansen Samman and Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship. Noted Islamic scholar Asghar Ali Engineer, passed away on May 14, 2013. He was the Chairman of the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) founded in 1993 after the 1992 Babri Mosque destruction. He edited Indian Journal of Secularism. The master of visual effects and stop-motion animation, Ray Harryhausen, died on May 7, 2013 in Hammersmith Hospital in London, UK. The seven-time Italian Prime Minister Giulio Antreotti, who dominated Italian politics after World War II, but was tainted by accusations of Mafia ties, died in Rome on May 6, 2013. He was nicknamed The Hunchback because of his stooped appearance and Beelzebub by his detractors for his backroom politicking.
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 Eminent Belgian scientist Christian de Duve, a winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine, died after committing euthanasia, which is legal in Belgium on May 4, 2013. Sarabjit Singh, the Indian national and a death row prisoner in the Lahores Kot Lakhpat Jail, died on May 2, 2013 at the Lahores Jinnah Hospital in Pakistan. He was attacked by the inmates in the jail. Sarabjit Singh was the Indian national who spend 23 years in Pakistani jail, after being convicted of involvement in the serial bomb blasts of 1990 in Lahore and Faisalabad that killed 14 people. He was arrested from Kasur Border for illegal crossing the border in Pakistan in August, 1990. In May, 2012, his fifth mercy petition was dismissed. On 3rd May, 2013, Gunmen killed Pakistans lead prosecutor Choudhary Zulfikar investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto as he drove to court in Islambad. Shanti Tigga, the Territorial Armys first woman jawan, was found dead. Uttanur Rajamma, a veteran Bandaya writer passed away. From 1970s, she was identified for her association with the Bandaya literary movement. Ray Manzarek, a founding member and key boardest of 1960s rock group The Doors, died on May 20, 2013 at a medical clinic in Germany following battle with cancer. He was 74. Awards/Honours President Pranab Mukherjee presented the 47th Jnanpith Award for the year 2011 to Dr. Pratibha Ray on May 22, 2013 in New Delhi. The Chief Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy won United Nations Public Service Award for his Mass Contact Programme on May 22, 2013. The Mass Contact Programme was appraised world wide as the democratic experiment. The CM of Kerala, Oommen Chandy met a lot of people without intermediaries. He got up to 5.5 lakh petitions, out of which he resolved approximately 3 lakh petitions and also distributed financial aid of Rs.22.68 crore as part of this programme. US President Barack Obama has announced to award the nations highest civilian honour (Presidential Medal of Freedom) posthumously to the first American female astronaut Dr Sally Ride for her contributions to the US space programme and education system on May 21, 2013. Singer Hariharan was conferred with the Lata Mangeshkar Samman Alankaran in Indore on May 20, 2013. The Lata Mangeshkar Samman Alankaran is conferred by the Madhya Pradesh government on playback singer, Hariharan. Hariharan is the Padma Shri recipient as well. American writer Lydia Davis won Man Booker International Award given in recognition of a writers overall contribution to fiction on May 22, 2013. Kannada writer U.R. Ananthamurthy failed to win the award. The President of India Pranab Mukherjee presented National Florence Nightingale Award 2013 to 35 nursing professionals for their services with devotion, sincerity, dedication and compassion in New Delhi on May 12, 2013. The awards were given on the occasion of International Nurses Day. Florence Nightingale was a celebrated English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing. She was dubbed The Lady with the Lamp after her habit of making rounds at night. A young woman scientist from Meghalaya Jenita Mary Nongkynrih, was selected for ISRO Young Scientist Award 2013 for her urban information system project in the North East. The award for Jenita Mary Nongkynrih carries a citation and cash of Rs. 50,000. Indias noted sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the Moscow Choice Prize in Russia with a 12-feet creation of the Hindu God Ganesha on April 28, 2013. The World Sand Art Championship, 2013 was held at Moscows Kolomenskoe Museum Reserve from April, 22-28, 2013.

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 Pranab Mukherjee conferred the prestigious Asom Ratna for the year 2012 to acclaimed Assamese writer Indira Goswami posthumously and Srimanta Shankardev Award for the year 2008 to veteran actor Sharmila Tagore on May 13, 2013. A Chennai-born scientist of Indian origin, Venkatesh Manner, President, Micronutrient Initiative, Canada, has been awarded Canadas higest civilian award, the Order of Canada, on May 8, 2013. The Pakistani activist, Malala Yousufzai, 15, was selected for UNA-USAs Global Leadership Award called Champion for Global Change Award for 2013, in the month of May, 2013. Malala was shot in 2012 by Taliban for promotion of girl education. In 2012, the UN Secretary, General Ban KiMoon had declared 10 November as the Malala Day. She was also given the title of daughter of the United Nations. Saina Nehwal received 22nd Yudhveer Foundation Award for her excellent contribution in sports on May 3, 2013. Madhya Pradesh Assembly Deputy Speaker and senior Congress leader Harvansh Singh died on May 14, 2013. Wilkenfeld Award - A cancer surgeon at Mumbais Tata Memorial Hospital, Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi, has won a prestigious US award for his innovative leadership in the fight to reduce tobacco use and tobacco-related disease in India. Odiya writer Manoj Das has been selected for the NTR National Literary Award for 2013 on May 4, 2013. The US has honoured 15 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women, including two Indian-Americans, as Champions of Change in recognition of their significant contribution to the community on May 7, 2013. The two Indian American women (Aparna Bhattacharyya from Atlanta and Pramila Jayapal from Washington), State were recognised at a White House event. Britains Nehal Bhogaita has won the title of Miss India Worldwide, making her the first deaf to win the beauty pageant on May 3, 2013. Rudra Prasad Sengupta, Kirti V. Sharma and Dinesh Poddar received Chaman Lal Smriti Puraskaar on May 5, 2013. Vamsi Vakulabharanam, associate professor in the School of Economics of the University of Hyderabad, has been selected for Prof. Amartya Sen Award for young social scientists. Eminent Hindi writers Ramdarash Mishra and Narendra Kohli have been awarded the prestigious Vyas Samman for 2011 & 2012 respectively. The award is instituted by K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991. Malayalams long wait for Classical status is over. On May 23, 2013, the Union Cabinet decided to grant the coveted recognition to the language, spoken by 3.33 crore Malayalis all over the world. Malayalam now joins Tamil, Kannada and Telugu, all members of the Dravidian linguistic family, as the four Classical language of South India. The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) on violinist N. Rajam, Grammy award-winning percussionist T.H. Vikku Vinayakram and veteran playwright Ratan Thiyam for the year 2012, on May 28, 2013. Apart from these three personalities, other 34 artists were given away the Akademi awards (Akademi Puraskar). Green Oscar to Indian Conservator Indias hornbill conservator Aparajita Datta has won a Green Oscar: the Whitley award on May 2, 2013. Princess Royal Anne, daughter of the UKs Queen Elizabeth, presented the Whitely award, an international natural conservation prize, to Datta at a ceremony at the Royal Geographical Society in London in honour of the latters work to protect threatened hornbills in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh.

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Sports/Game SURFING - Spice Coast Open, the first ever national surfing and Stand Up Paddle (SUP) competition of India took place at Kovalam Beach, Thiruvananthapuram. Tamil Nadu surfers grabbed the first position at the first ever national surfing and SUP competition of India. It was organised by Surfing Federation of India (SFI). CRICKET Mumbai Indians Lift its First IPL Trophy In the final match of Indian Premier Leagure 2013, Rohit Sharma led Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs to lift the title for the very first time at Eden Gardens on May 26, 2013. Previous IPL Winners IPL Season 1: Rajasthan Royals IPL Season 2: Deccan Chargers IPL Season 3: Chennai Super Kings IPL Season 4: Chennai Super Kings IPL Season 5: Kolkata Knight Riders IPL Season 6: Mumbai Indians

TENNIS Madrid Open 2013 - Mens Singles - Rafael Nadal (Spain) defeated Stanislas Wawrinka (Swiss) Womens Singles Serena Williams (US) defeated Maria Sharapova (Russia) Italian Open 2013 Mens Singles - Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Roger Federer (Swiss) Womens Singles - Serena Williams beat Victoria Azarenka Mens Doubles Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (USA) beat Mahesh Bhupati & Rohan Bopanna Womens Doubles Su-Wei Hsieh (Taiwan) & Peng Shuai (China) beat Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci (Italy) BASKETBALL Kerala girls retained the title for the fourth year running defeating Tamil Nadu in the final of the 30th IMG Reliance National Youth Basketball Championship in Kolkata. In boys final, Delhi defeated Rajasthan. CARROM Sri Lankas Chamil Coorey and D. Nishanta Fernando defeated Indias Yogesh Pardeshi and K. Sriniwas to lift the mens doubles title of the fifth Asian Carrom Championship in Vijayawada. BOXING Indian boxers won the 2013 Invitational FXTM International Limassol Boxing Cup held in Limassol, Cyprus. Indian boxers won the tournament on the European circuit for the first time. Pugilist Preeti Beniwal on May 22, 2013 bagged the bold medal in Senior National Womens Boxing Championship. In the event held at Khatima, Uttarakhand, Preeti out-punched Manipurs Y. Shandhya 22-9 in the final of the 60 kg category. Preeti is employed with Haryana Police as Sub-Inspector. Invitational FXTM International Limassol Boxing Cup Indian boxers won the Invitational FXTM International Limassol Boxing Cup 2013 held in Limassol, Cyprus on May 19, 2013. They won 10 medals which included four gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals which ensured them the first rank. Indian boxers performed in the following way: Reigning national champion Madan Lal (52 kg) beat Ayigah Dodsi from Belgium to bag the flyweight title. Gold medalist at the Youth Olympic Games 2009 V. Durga Rao (56 kg) beat German Dieter Dier to bag his very first international medal on the senior tour. HOCKEY Odisha on May 27, 2013 clinched the boys title while Haryana won the girlss championship at the third National Sub-Junior Hockey tournament. Rangaswamy Cup Karnataka captured the 64th Senior National Hockey Championship beating Uttar Pradesh on May 16, 2013 in Bengaluru. BADMINTON Indias rising shuttler P.V. Sindhu on May 4, 2013 won her maiden Grand Prix Gold title winning Malaysia Open Womens final.
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 CHESS 9 year old Mumbai girl Ananya Gupta claimed a bronze medal in the World School Chess Championship held at Haldikki in Greece. Ananya, had clinched gold at the 9th Singapore Chess Festival earlier. Ananya is a product of South Mumbai Chess Academy (SMCA). Norway Chess 2013 Super Tournament World Champion Viswanathan Anand suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Hao Wang of China for the second time this year to sign off joint fourth in the Norway Chess 2013 super tournament that concluded on May 18, 2013. Meanwhile, Sergey Karjakin of Russian emerged as the sole winner of the tournament. Alexander Alekhine Memorial Chess Tournament Grandmaster (GM) Levon Aronian defeated GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, in the final round of the Alexander Alekhine memorial chess tournament on May 1, 2013. Israels Boris Gelfand stood second while Indias Vishwanathan Anand stood third in the tournament. BILLIARDS/SNOOKER Ronnie OSullivan retained snookers World Championship title with an 18-12 win over Barry Hawkins at Sheffields Crucible Theatre in May 2013. WEIGHTLIFTING 15th Asian Youth Weight lifting Championships Akshay B. Gaikwad won the gold each in snatch and Clean and Jerk (C&J) with 109 kg and 135 kg respectively and got the first position overall in 62 kg category. Lalu Taku won a silver a snatch and also a bronze in Clean and Jerk (C&J) and completed with a total of 242 kg, which fetched him another bronze. In 44 kg girls category, Chandrika Tarafdar got the first position with a total of 131 kg in two lifts. Earlier, TBC Lalchhanhima (56 kg) won bronze with overall lifts of 90 kg and 130 kg. Jamjang Deru of Arunachal Pradesh, India won three medals, which included two gold and one silver, on May 28, 2013, the opening day of 15th Asian Youth Weight lifting Championships in Doha. He won the medals in the boys 50 kg category. FOOTBALL Europa League Chelsea lifted the Europa League 2012-13 after beating Benfica in the final held at Amsterdam on May 16, 2013. The 2014 UEFA Europa League final will be played at the Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy. F1 RACE Spanish Grand Prix Ferraris Fernando Alonso won Spanish Grand Prix by beating Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen on May 12, 2013. It was his second victory of the year. GOLF US PGA Tour Players Championship Tiger Woods shook off a double bogey at the 14th hole and held on to win the US PGA Tour Players Championship on May 12, 2013. Woods won the US Tours flagship event, worth $ 9.5 million this year, for the second time more than a decade after his victory in 2001. ARCHERY World Cup - Indian womens compound team which comprised Gagandeep Kaur, Trisha Deb, and P. Lily Chanu, won bronze medal on May 18, 2013 at Shanghai. This is Indias first ever world medal in archery. ATHLETICS IAAF World Challenge Meeting in Jamaica, Kingston, US-based discus thrower, Vikas Gowda (India) clinched gold medal on May 5, 2013 with the throw of 61.38 m. ASIAN GRAND PRIX SERIES Indian athletes impressed by bagging 11 medals, including 4 gold, in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix Series, in Bangkok on May 4, 2013. MR Poovamma (womens 400 m), Sahana Kumari (womens high jumb), Jithin Thomas (mens high jump) and Nitin Rawat (mens 5000 m) won a gold each while Siddhanth Thingalaya (mens 110 m hurdles), Rajiv Arokai (mens 400 m), Kheta Ram (mens 5000 m) and Renjith Maheshwary (mens triple jump) won a silver apiece. Anu Mariam Jose (womens 400 m), Arpinder Singh (mens triple jump) and Mukesh Kumari (womens javelin) won a bronze each. Wang Li Ke of China won the gold in the event with a heave of 18.91 m while another Chinese Guo Yan Xiang cleared 18.64 m for the silver and Kamulya Grigority of Uzbekistan took third place in 18.62. SQUASH Asian Squash Championship Pakistans top seeded player, Aamir Atlas Khan won the Asian Squash individual championship for the first time in 14 years when he beat Kuwaits Abdullah Al Mezayan in straight sets in Islamabad on May 20, 2013.
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 TABLE TENNIS Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship Canadas Zhang Mo defeated Singapores Yu Mengyu after India settled for seven bronze medals and two silver on the final day of the Commonwealth table tennis championship on May 10, 2013. Mens Singles - Zhan Jian (Singapore) beat Li Hu (Singapore) Mens Doubles - Zhan Jian & Yang Zi (Singapore) beat Christopher Doran & Samuel Walker (England) Womens Doubles - Feng Tianwei & Yu Mengyu (Singapore) beat Joanna Parker & Kelly Sibley (England) Wrestling Rules Changed The ancient sport of wrestling, on May 18, 2013, agreed to change its rules to make the sport more attractive for spectators, in a desperate last throw of the dice to stave off the threat of being axed from the Olympics in 2020. The Changes Rather than being played as the best of three two-minute periods, bouts will simply be two times three minutes with cumulative scoring. The wrestler with the most points at the end wins. A takedown will be rewarded with two points instead of one, while there will be less incentive for wrestlers to push opponents off the mat, urging them instead to try and make plays inside. A 30-second shot clock similar to that employed in basketball will meanwhile be switched on if a wrestler is deemed to be passive, giving him 30 sec to score or else a point will go to his opponent. Report Three Lakh Newborns Last Hardly a Day - Over three lakh newborns in India die within 24 hours of their being born every year the highest number in the world. With a total of 3,09,000 babies hardly surviving a day, India tops the list for such deaths, according to a report titled State of the Worlds Mothers released in New Delhi on May 7, 2013. As per a report released by the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) in May 2013, India is the largest producer of chickpea in the world. Australia comes second in this respect. Delhi has the lowest proportion of working women in any major Indian city, analysis of newly released Census data confirms. Kolkata and Mumbai have nearly double the proportion of working women as the capital and southern cities are at the highest end of the spectrum. General - National Chinas First Blue Book on India - The first ever Blue Book on India released in China by a prominent official Beijing publisher has portrayed government in Serious Crisis but expressed that India would emerge as a stronger country. Chinese think tanks releases blue books every year on a number of issues. Blue Books Contain The book, however, sees India today as a country beset with numerous challenges, saying the current Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government has been facing its most serious crisis since it came to power in 2009. The book estimates that by 2030, Indias population will exceed that of China. On the foreign policy front, the blue book notes that India has focused on boosting relations with her neighbours in South Asia, pushed forward peace with Pakistan and developed strategic relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal the countries with which China has also recently deepened economic ties. On military strategy, it argues that Indias defence policy has undergone an adjustment from focusing on Pakistan to a dual focus on China and Pakistan, including a consideration of the possibility of a limited two-front war. To this end, the book says, India has expanded military forces on the border with China and also expanded its naval power towards the east. The government approved a proposal to set up two major ports at Sagar Island in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh at an investment of about Rs.15820 crore on May 9, 2013.
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The new major ports are likely to be set up on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, and will cater to increased imports of coal and oil besides boosting the local economy and generating jobs. The new ports will be notified as major ports under the Indian Ports Act, 1908. Major ports come under the Central government, while minor ports are operated by State governments as well as by the private sector. At present, there are 12 major ports Kolkata-Haldia, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Ennore, Chenai, V.O. Chidambaranar (formerly Tuticorin), Kochi, New Mangalore, Mormugao, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru (JNPT) and Kandla. The government approved the National Cyber Security Policy on May 8, 2013 that aims to create a secure computing environment in the country and build capacities to strengthen the current set up with focus on manpower training. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the policy which stresses on augmenting Indias indigenous capabilities in terms of developing the cyber security set-up. India Gets Observer Status in Arctic Council Indias bid for observer status in the Arctic Council was successful on May 15, 2013 along with that of five other countries China, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Singapore at a meeting in Kiruna, Sweden. Promotion to IAS, IPS only after Test Impressive annual confidential reports (ACRs) of the state civil/police service officers will no longer be enough to get them inducted IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service (IFS) through promotion. Now they will have to appear in a competitive examination which is to be conducted annually by the UPSC. Under the new Scheme, the selection will now be made through a comprehensive three-stage process written examination, interview and service records carrying a maximum of 1,000 marks. International Indian workers who have traveled to Saudi Arabia legally will be allowed to regularize their visa status, get new jobs or to return home if they register voluntarily with the Saudi authorities during the three months grace period announced by the Kingdom. The Saudi Arabian government has announced a new concession to the expatriates who are affected by the new Nitaqat (Naturalisation) Law to be enforced in the Kingdom. Those expatriates who were staying illegally/overstayed could return to homeland without facing penal action. Libyas parliament on May 5, 2013 passed a comprehensive law which bans anyone who served as a senior official under Muammar Gaddafi during his 42 year long rule from working in government. The passing of such Political Isolation Law possibly will lead to the dismissal of many current leaders, some of whom had defected to the rebel side during the countrys 2011 civil war or had been elected to office since Gaddafis ouster and killing. Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan imposed a state of emergency in three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa in an effort to curb the increasingly violent attacks by radical Islamist armed group Boko Haram on May 14, 2013. Saudi Arabias official press agency, SPA, reported on May 4, 2013 that private girls schools are now allowed to hold sport activities in accordance with the rules of Shariah law. Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of United States John Kerry announced their commitments to a negotiated settlement for the end of the conflict of Syria at Moscow on May 7, 2013. Nawaz Sharifs Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has secured majority in Pakistans National Assembly after 18 independent candidates joined the party, allowing it to form government as the centre without striking alliance with any other party. Nigeria declares emergency in northeast states Nigerian troops moved into cities in the northest on May 15, 2013 after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency there in response
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to an Islamist insurgency. Residents saw army trucks carrying soldiers enter Yola and Maiduguri after Jonathan declared the emergency in three states Borno, Adamawa and Yobe following attacks by militants of the Boko Haram group. Russia and the United States have agreed to work together to bring the warring sides in Syria to the negotiating table, raising hopes for an end to carnage in the war-torn country and a thaw in frosty relations between Moscow and Washington. Emerging from hours-long talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on May 7, 2013 Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that the two sides agreed to convene as soon as possible an international conference on Syria. The meet was a follow-up to the Geneva Peace Conference in June 2012, which called for the Syrian government and the opposition to create a transitional government to steer the peace process in Syria. Agreement Eulogized by the UN and EU The United Nations and Arab League envoy on Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi have welcomed the agreement between Russia and the United States to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis through an internationally supported intra-Syrian dialogue. Syrian Opposition Stand The Moscow-Washington accord also got thumbs up from the European Union (EU), which said that it was very satisfied with the outcome of talks in the Russian capital. The UN General Assembly approved an Arab-backed resolution on May 15, 2013 calling for a political transition in Syria, but more than 70 countries refused to vote yes because of its support for the main opposition group. There are also fears that the resolution could torpedo a new USRussia effort to end the escalating conflict. The US co-sponsored the resolution, saying it would promote a political solution. But the key Syrian ally Russia urged a no vote, saying it was counterproductive and irresponsible to promote a one sided resolution when Moscow and Washington are trying to get the Syrian government and opposition to agree to negotiations. The resolution, which is not legally binding though it can carry moral weight, was approved by a vote of 107-12 with 59 abstentions. Abbreviation AERB ASHA CCEA NUHM POPRES SHGs SRS

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board Accredited Social Health Activists Cabinet Committee on Economic Affaris National Urban Health Mission Population Reference Sample Self Help Groups Sample Registration Survey.

Books and Authors Waiting to be Heard - by Amanda Knox A Garland of Memories by Ruskin Bond How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid An Ardent Patriot Dinesh Goswami by Kumar Deepak Das Congress After Indira by Zoya Hasan A leaf Turns Yellow The Sufis of Awadh by Muzaffar Ali Trojan Horse by Mark Russinovich The Outsider by Jimmy Connors A Garland of Memories by Rusikin Bond -----CSB, Ch-17, Ph: 044-24333346

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