Current Affairs 01/08/2013-15/08/2013

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1.Bt cotton, a technology of an American seed company replaced ‘desi’ cotton Jayadhar, a popular variety of cotton grown in Karnataka that was also earlier used in making flags.

2.The country’s foreign exchange reserves dived by a hefty USD 2.995 billion to USD 277.167 billion, the Reserve Bank on Friday said.

3.Ms P.V. Sindhu takes a giant leap towards her goal
Sindhu may be upset over the loss in the semifinal but her parents, both former volleyball players, are happy that she made the country proud by winning a medal.
With her bronze medal in the World Badminton Championships, she has made a giant leap towards that goal. Despite Saturday’s loss in the semifinal to Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand, the 18-year-old Hyderabadi has won many hearts.

4.Wildlife Protection Amendment Bill 2013 introduced in Rajya Sabha
The Environment and Forests Ministry introduced in the Rajya Sabha major amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 that seek heavier penalties to check wildlife-related crimes and aim to make Indian laws consistent with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild flora and fauna (CITES).
Salient features of the Wildlife Protection Amendment Bill 2013:
The amended legislation aims to ban the use of animal traps except under certain conditions.
It also looks forward to engage gram sabhas and gram panchayats in management of protected areas, and to grant hunting rights to hunter-gatherer Scheduled Tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Hunting in national parks and sanctuaries or the alteration of their boundaries should be punished with 5 to 7 years in jail and fine of Rs 5 to 25 lakh as compared to the previous 3 to 7 years in jail and Rs 10,000 fine.
The punishment would be 7 years in prison and Rs 30 lakh fine for repeat offenders compared to the previous 3 to 7 years of imprisonment and Rs 25,000 fine now.
The amendments are strict against crimes related to sale, purchase and transfer of animals, their parts or products listed in various schedules.

5.Environmental activists in Gujarat are against the proposed Rs. 6,000 crore Mithi Virdi nuclear power plant in Saurashtra region’s Bhavnagar district to be set up by NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited).
They have written to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) that alleging the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) clearance by the State government was given without any site visits and documentation of ground realities.

6.GSLV-D5 to be powered by indigenous Cryogenic Engine, to lift off on August 19, 2013
As Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D5) is slated to lift off around 5 p.m. on August 19, 2013 from Sriharikota is powered by an indigenous cryogenic engine and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has used every expertise available in the country to ensure that the engine performs smoothly this time. GSLV-D5 will put India’s advanced communication satellite GSAT-14, weighing 1,980 kg, into orbit.
What is a Cryogenic Rocket Engine?
“Cryos” is a Greek word meaning Ice Cold. The Cryogenics is the study of producing extremely low temperatures. Cryogenic rocket engine uses a cryogenic fuel. A cryogenic fuel or oxidizer includes the gases liquefied at a very low temperature. Due to use of liquid gases as propellants, the cryogenic Rocket Engines are also called liquid-propellant rocket engines.

7.Rajya Sabha passes Companies Bill 2012
Rajya Sabha has passed the Companies Bill 2012 in order to replace the outdated Companies Act, 1956. Both the houses of Parliament have passed the Bill and before it becomes law it will go to President Pranab Mukherjee for his assent. The existing statute for regulation of companies in the country, viz. the Companies Act, 1956 had been under consideration for quite long for comprehensive revision in view of the changing economic and commercial environment nationally as well as internationally.
The Companies Act of 1956 replaced the first Companies Act that was created in 1919 (the pre-independent India). The Act of 1956 has been amended 25 times in all these years since its formation.

8.Pinaka rockets tested successfully
Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) successfully test fired Pinaka rockets were from a Multi- Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) from a base at Chandipur. The MBRL is capable of acting as a force multiplier and has been developed to supplement artillery guns. Pinaka has undergone several tough tests since 1995 and has already been introduced into the armed forces.
In July, 2013, a more advanced 2nd generation i.e. Pinaka Mark II Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher System had undergone successful firing trials at Chandhan area in Pokhran field firing ranges in western Rajasthan and is in development stage.

9.The Sun’s magnetic field is expected to undergo a 180-degree flip in the coming 3 to 4 months as its magnetic north and south poles reverse positions.
How does this Magnetic Flip take place?
The outer layers of the Sun consist of a soup of charged particles whose steady motion influences the alignment of the Sun’s magnetic field. There are two winds of such charged particles one moving east-west and the other north-south and these tug at each other to move the magnetic north and south poles of the Sun thus making them go a full circle once every 22 years. This period is called a solar cycle which results in reorientation of the solar dynamo and which is the source of the Sun’s magnetic field.

10.Can’t opt for high inflation to promote growth: RBI
RBI has clarified that it could not espouse a policy of tolerating higher inflation in order to promote growth because such a stance would not yield the desired results. RBI cited a study which, although, gave empirical evidence that lower real interest rates could stimulate growth and investment, it didn’t recommend a policy of higher inflation tolerance as the means to lower real rates. The study was conducted in the backdrop of criticism that the RBI was adopting an anti-inflationary monetary policy stance to the impediment of growth.
As per the study, the incremental capital output ratio has increased in recent quarters and correspondingly, the implicit marginal productivity of investment has also declined. As a result, lower levels of real interest rate would have also contributed to the slowdown in growth.
Why RBI can’t adopt a policy which tolerates high inflation?
The negative impact of inflation on growth outweighs its positive impact if real rates are lowered beyond a threshold.
Tolerating higher inflation with growth supportive monetary policy response is unlikely to stimulate growth to the desired extent since the adverse impact of higher inflation on growth would more than offset the favorable impact of growth supportive monetary policy.
The adverse growth impact of high inflation was seen to operate primarily through compression of consumption demand since investment demand is more sensitive to lower real rates than higher inflation.
What is real interest rate?
The real interest rate is the rate of interest an investor expects to receive after allowing for inflation. It can be described more formally by the Fisher equation, which states that the real interest rate is approximately the nominal interest rate minus the inflation rate. If, for example, an investor were able to lock in a 5% interest rate for the coming year and anticipated a 2% rise in prices, he would expect to earn a real interest rate of 3%.

11.Taking further measures to control the liquidity in order to boost the position of rupee which has been on a decline for past some time, the RBI has decided to auction short-term Cash Management Bills (CMBs) for an amount of Rs. 22,000 crore every Monday. RBI will be selling Rs.11,000 crore each in two CMBs maturing in 35 and 34 days on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. The bills will mature on 17 September, 2013, when banking system liquidity gets strained on account of advance tax outflow. The auctions will be conducted using “Multiple Price Auction” method and the Cash Management Bills will have the generic character of Treasury Bills.
What are Cash Management Bills?
CMBs are short-term paper with the flexibility of fixing tenure according to the requirement of the government. The basic difference between a treasury bill and a CMB is that the former has fixed tenure of 30, 91, 182 and 364 days, while a CMB can be anything between seven days and one year. CMBs can be structured in such a way that they are redeemed at that time to infuse liquidity but treasury bills do not offer that flexibility.
Why the RBI is auctioning CMBs (Cash Management Bills)?
Past few months have brought some serious depreciation in the value of rupee against the dollar with rupee crossing the 6o mark versus dollar. The country is also facing the problem of inflation. RBI has been taking liquidity tightening measures to curb the instability of the currency. As part of its liquidity tightening measures, on 15 July, RBI said banks can borrow up to Rs.75,000 crore of money from it at 7.25%. Any excess of it shall be borrowed at a special rate called Marginal Standing Facility (MSF), which it raised to 10.25% from 8.25%.
However, the rupee continued to fall and RBI, on July 23, further restricted this liquidity to 0.5% of a bank’s own demand base. This effectively halved the money a bank can borrow from RBI to Rs.37,500 crore. It also directed banks to keep 99% of their cash reserve ratio, or the portion of deposit that banks need to keep with RBI on a daily basis.
The central bank has clarified that it gives priority to contain rupee-volatility and it chooses to curb inflation over growth. The latest measure of auctioning CMBs is aimed at absorbing the excess liquidity from the economy even as demand for such short-term bills is high. This is expected to bring some positive effect in terms of improving the position of Rupee as well as some impact on inflation.

12.Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi (Born: February 9, 1993 (age 20))put up a brilliant performance to regain the Politiken Cup chess Title in Copenhagen, Denmark. Parimarjan had recently won the DC International Open in US and tied for the top place in the World Open. The youngest international Grandmaster in chess won the same tournament in 2009. This was Negi’s second title in the last three outings.

13.India’s junior women hockey team created a history by clinching country’s first ever bronze medal in the junior women hockey World Cup as they defeated England. The Indian girls beat England 3-2 in the bronze medal play-off to finish on the podium – their best-ever showing in the marquee event. Captain Ms Sushila Chanu held that the entire team was delighted to have made the country proud.

14.Hassan Rouhani sworn as the new President of Iran in the ceremony held at the Iranian Parliament in Tehran. Rouhani, who will have 4-year tenure as President, is the 7th (different) President of Iran after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. He secured a little over 50% votes to win the election and succeeded Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

15.Robert Mugabe has been re-elected as Zimbabwe’s President for next five-year term amid Zimbabwe’s Movement of Democratic Change (MDC)allegations of fraud in the elections. MDC has decided to challenge an election victory by President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party in the court. Western observers were kept out by Harare and independent domestic monitors have described the vote as deeply flawed by registration problems that may have disenfranchised up to a million people.

16.There is a sudden spike in the Anglo-Spanish conflict over Gibraltar as Spain has threatened to impose border charges and close airspace which can turn into a form of economic blockade of the peninsula.

17.Raghuram Govind Rajan (50), who is currently the Chief Economic Adviser to the Govt. of India, has been appointed as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for 3 years. He will take over from D. Subbarao who demits office on September 4, 2013. The appointment was approved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Dr. Rajan, who is credited to have correctly predicted the 2008 financial crisis, is set to take over the helm of the central bank at a time when the economy is grappling with a multi-pronged crisis of high consumer price inflation, industrial slowdown, sharp depreciation of the rupee and a widening current account deficit.

18.Scientists from the Maastricht University in the Netherlands have produced the first lab-grown beef burger of the world which is being seen as a step towards food revolution. The burger was served to the volunteers in London.

19.The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide $ 400 million for reconstruction and rehabilitation in the disaster-hit areas in Uttarakhand. The fund would be spent in works in sectors including the housing, tourism, irrigation, agriculture, education, and health sector.
Of the total money received, $ 95 million would be spent in the construction of roads. Also, $ 20 million would be given to the five hydro-power projects that are funded by the ADB and have been damaged due to the recent flood-disaster.

20.The Washington Post, an American daily newspaper, has announced its sale to Amazon founder and CEO Jeffrey P Bezos. Bezos has agreed to buy the newspaper assets of the Washington Post Company for $ 250 million. The decision to sell the assets was made following the decline in revenue and fall in the circulation of its copies.
The Washington Post has been owned by the Graham family for 80 years. Currently, Donald E. Graham is the Chairman and Chief Executive of Washington Post.
In another major deal, the Boston Globe, one of the most renowned newspapers in US was sold by New York Times Company to John Henry, the American billionaire owner of Liverpool Football Club for $70 million. Globe was launched in 1993 and broke the records of highest price ever paid to the American newspaper. Fall of the newspaper’s circulation to nearly half over a decade is one of the reasons behind the sale.

21.The Govt. has appointment Arundhati Bhattacharya has been appointed as the new managing director of the State Bank of India (SBI). Previously, Bhattacharya was the managing director of SBI Capital, the merchant banking arm of the bank.Who is SBI’s first woman MD (Managing Director)?
Ms Arundhati Bhattacharya will be State Bank of India’s first woman managing director.
Who was the first Woman MD (Managing Director) of a Public Sector bank in India?
The first woman MD of a Public sector bank in India was Ms Ranjana Kumar. The Government of India appointed Ms Ranjana Kumar as the Chairperson and managing Director of the Indian Bank, she became the first woman to become head of a public sector bank in India.
Some other ladies who are at present heading banks in India:
Public Sector Banks:
United Bank of India: Ms. Archana Bhargav (Chairman & MD)
Allahabad Bank: Ms Shubhalakshmi Panse (Chairman & MD)
Private Sector Banks:
ICICI Bank: Ms.Chanda Kochhar (MD & CEO)
Axis Bank: Ms Shikha Sharma (MD & CEO)

22.The Central Government has appointed Rajeev Rishi, Executive Director, Indian Bank has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director, Central Bank of India. He will have a tenure of five years from the date of taking over charge.

23.History was created when India thrashed Zimbabwe in the final match of the five-match ODI series played in Zimbabwe. The victory marked India’s first-ever five-match ODI series whitewash on foreign soil. The Indian team, under the captaincy Virat Kohli, achieved the feat when they pipped Zimbabwe by 7 wickets in the fifth and final one-dayer at Bulawayo.

24.The Union Cabinet has given nod to the proposal to divest 10% government stake in Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). The move expected to fetch around Rs. 3,750 crore to the exchequer at the current market price. Currently, the government controls 78.92% stake in IOC.
IOC is India’s largest oil refiner and has a market capitalization of Rs. 54,519 crore. It posted a net profit of Rs. 5,005 crore in 2012-13, up from Rs. 3,954 crore in 2011-12. IOC sells fuel at below-market prices, for which it is partially compensated by the government.
The government has set a disinvestment target through PSU stake sales in the current financial year is Rs. 40,000 crore. So far, it has managed to garner only around R929 crore through stake sale in MMTC, Hindustan Copper and National Fertiliser.

25.Noted Malayalam poetess Sugathakumari has been conferred with the prestigious Saraswati Samman 2012 for Manalezhuthu (the Writings on the Sand), a collection of poems in Malayalam.

26.The Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) has accorded the Geographical Indication (GI) registration to the Lucknow Zardozi - the world renowned textile embroidery.
The Zardozi products manufactured in areas in Lucknow and surrounding districts have now become a BRAND and will carry a registered logo to confirm their authenticity.
Zardozi
Zardozi or Zar-douzi work is a type of embroidery in Iran, India and Pakistan.
Zardozi is a Persian word that means “Sewing with gold string”.

27.Some products with GI Tag (List includes products from 2003-2008)
Tea:
Darjeeling Tea (Name and Logo).
Kangra Tea – Himachal Pradesh
Assam Tea (Application of Assam Tea under process (November 2009)
Agricultural Products:
Navara Rice:Kerala
Palakkadan Matta Rice:Kerala
Malabar Pepper :Kerala
Alleppey Green Cardamom:Kerala
Coorg Green Cardamom:Karnataka
Allahabad Surkha – Uttar Pradesh (Guava)
Coffee:
Monsooned Malabar Arabica Coffee:Karnataka
Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee:Karnataka
Coir Products:
Alleppy Coir : Kerala
Leather :
E I Leather : Tamilnadu
Embroidary:
Kasuti Embroidery : Karnataka
Essential Oils:
Mysore Sandalwood Oil : Karnataka
Handicrafts:
Aranmula Kannadi : Kerala
Bidriware : Karnataka
Channapatna Toys & Dolls : Karnataka
Mysore Rosewood Inlay : Karnataka
Kondapalli Bommallu : Andhra Pradesh
Silver Filigree of Karimnagar : Andhra Pradesh
Temple Jewellery of Nagercoil : Tamil Nadu
Thanjavur Art Plate : Tamil Nadu
Applique – Khatwa Patch Work of Bihar : Bihar
Sujini Embroidery Work of Bihar : Bihar
Sikki Grass Work of Bihar : Bihar
Ganjifa cards of Mysore (Karnataka) : Karnataka
Karnataka Bronze Ware : Karnataka
Horticulture:
Mysore Jasmine : Karnataka
Udupi Jasmine : Karnataka
Hadagali Jasmine : Karnataka
Coorg Orange : Karnataka
Mysore Betel leaf : Karnataka
Nanjanagud Banana : Karnataka
Incense Sticks:
Mysore Agarbathi
Paintings:
Mysore Traditional Paintings : Karnataka
Madhubani Paintings : Bihar
Thanjavur Paintings : Tamil Nadu
Soap :
Mysore Sandal Soap – Karnataka
Textiles & Textile Goods:
Pochampalli Ikat : Andhra Pradesh
Salem Fabric : Tamil Nadu
Chanderi Fabric : Madhya Pradesh
Solapur Chaddar : Maharashtra
Solapur Terry Towel : Maharashtra
Kotpad Handloom fabric : Orrissa
Mysore Silk : Karnataka
Kota Doria : Rajasthan
Kancheepuram Silk : Tamil Nadu
Kullu Shawl : Himachal Pradesh
Madurai Sungudi : Tamil Nadu
Orissa Ikat : Orissa
Srikalahasthi Kalamkari : Andhra Pradesh
Muga Silk : Assam
Ilkal Sarees : Karnataka
Nakshi Kantha : New Delhi
Navalgund Durries : Karnataka
Molakalmuru Sarees : Karnataka
Salem Silk : Tamil Nadu
Kovai Cora Cotton : Tamil Nadu
Arani Silk : Tamil Nadu
Bhavani Jamakkalam (carpet ) : Tamil Nadu
Wet Grinder:
Coimbatore Wet Grinder

28.India to launch indigenous Aircraft Carrier project(INS Vikrant).
India will launch its biggest ever Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) project, in terms of size and complexity of design, on August 12 at Kochi.
Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) project:
It will be India’s biggest Indigenous Aircraft Carrier warship with a displacement of 40,000-tonne.
The project will render India to join the select club of nations like the U.S., France, Russia and the U.K., who are capable of designing and building 40,000-tonne aircraft carriers.
Being built by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL)

29.Former NSA contractor and whistleblower of U.S electronic surveillance programme Edward Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Russia and left the transit zone of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport for an undisclosed “safe location”.
Mr. Snowden, a former CIA employee and NSA contractor had been stuck at Sheremetyevo Airport since June 23, when he arrived in Moscow on the way from Hong Kong. However, he could not continue his journey as U.S. authorities revoked his passport.

30.Draft amendments to the Right To Information Act (RTI) have been approved by the Union Cabinet in order to nullify an order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) bringing the 6 national political parties under the ambit of the Act. There is a consensus among almost all major political parties to the proposed amendments as they feel that the CIC has exceeded its jurisdiction by passing such an order.
What was the order passed by CIC regarding RTI Act?
Responding to the petitions by several RTI activists, the CIC had ruled that the national parties have to share details with RTI petitioners on issues related to their funding and the criteria on which they have selected candidates for fighting election.

31.With the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Coordination Committee giving nod to the divide Andhra Pradesh and create Telangana, demands for statehood from several regions of the country backed by political parties have re-emerged, and reluctant State governments are battling new fires.
From where are the demands of separate state coming in India?
The country is witnessing protests demanding creation of separate States from various regions which include:
West Bengal: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), fighting for a Gorkhaland state.
Assam: Karbi Anglong state demands have resurfaced. The demand for Bodoland has also re-emerged.
Uttar Pradesh: Previous government of UP under Mayawati had proposed splitting Uttar Pradesh into Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Awadh Pradesh, and Paschim Pradesh, and this was ratified by the Assembly.
Maharashtra: Creation of Vidarbha state is being supported by the BJP. The proposed state corresponds to the eastern 11 districts of the state of Maharashtra.

32.The National Teeka Express was launched by Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. It has been launched to protect children from life-threatening childhood diseases.

33.Bhim Sain Bassi, the 1977-batch IPS officer of AGMU (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories) cadre has taken over the charge as the 20th Delhi Police Commissioner as he succeeded Neeraj Kumar, the outgoing Delhi Police Chief. Bassi will hold the office till February 2016.

34.The GDP growth for the current fiscal has been fixed lower by the Reserve Bank of India’s professional forecaster’s survey. From the earlier estimation of 6% it has now been fixed as 5.7%.
Forecast by RBI:
The growth is expected to rise further to 6.5% in 2014-15.
The bank credit growth forecast for 2013-14 has also been revised downward to 15 % from 16 %.
For money supply has been revised downwards in 2013-14 to 13% from 14.6 %.
Agricultural prospects for 2013-14 are encouraging given the good monsoon so far.
Revival in mining and manufacturing will take some more time but some improvement can be seen.
Inflation and Risk:
RBI revised the inflation target to 5.3 % from the earlier target of 6.5 %.
Average WPI inflation is expected to moderate to 5.3 % during 2013-14.
The rupee depreciation of about 9 % in Q1 of 2013-14 is likely to put pressure on domestic inflation.
Fuel under-recoveries have raised sharply due to the exchange rate depreciation and domestic price rigidities.
Businesses have weakened but signs are there that the downturn can be contained.

35.Defending champion India will take on Pakistan in its opening match of the ICC cricket World Cup, 2015 on February 15, 2015 which is to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand from February 14 to March 29, 2015. India has never lost to Pakistan in any of its five World Cup clashes so far.

36.India beat Nepal 1-0 to in the final match lift the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-16 Championships title played at the Dasharath Stadium in Nepal. India returned unbeaten in the biennial tournament.
SAFF U-16 Championship
Annual international football competition
First edition: Nepal (August 2011)
Contestants: National teams of the members of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).

37.Global biotechnology company ‘Life Technologies’ has launched India’s first private DNA forensics laboratory which is expected to accelerate sampling process thereby reducing the burden on existing forensic laboratories. The technology based on DNA testing has widely been accepted as the most effective crime fighting tool among law enforcement agencies for a variety of applications, including assaults, missing persons and disaster victim identification.

38.Indian Grand Prix 2014 dropped
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has dropped India from the 2014 as the racing calendar for the coming year has been modified. The race organizers Jaypee Sports International Ltd. stated that the India will hold the Grand Prix in March 2015.

39.Abortion Law passed in Ireland
Ireland adopted the law to allow abortion under limited circumstances after President Michael D. Higgins signed the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill passed by Parliament.

40.Moussa Faki Mahamat, Minister for Foreign Affairs and African Integration of Republic of Chad, paid an official visit to India on 12-13 August 2013. During his visit he met Salman Khurshid, external affairs of India.The visit was aimed at increasing bilateral cooperation between the India and Chad.

41.French Lawn Tennis Player and Wimbledon 2013 (Women’s Singles) winner Marion Bartoli announced her retirement on 14 August 2013, during the Western & Southern Open at Lindner Family Tennis Centre in Cincinnati, Ohio. She announced the retirement after losing in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters to Romania's Simona Halep. Bartoli is 28-years-old.

42.The Rajya Sabha on 13 August 2013 passed Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2012, under which marriages solemnized in India irrespective of the religion of the persons getting married will have to be compulsorily registered.

43.A major fire broke out on board INS Sindhurakshak at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on 14 August 2013. An explosion on board damaged the submarine. The fire was doused in time and prevented from spreading to other vessels docked in the vicinity.
INS Sindhurakshak is the ninth of the ten Sindhughosh-class diesel-electric submarines of the Indian Navy. On 4 June 2010, the Indian Defence Ministry and Zvezdochka shipyard signed a contract worth 80 million US dollars to upgrade and improve the submarine. The submarine suffered two fire incidents, a minor one in 2010 and a major one on 14 August 2013, which led to in its sinking at Mumbai's naval dockyards.
Sindhurakshak was constructed in Admiralty Shipyard, St. Petersburg. Construction of the submarine started in 1995. It was launched in June 1997 and delivered in December 1997. A fire broke out aboard Sindhurakshak while the vessel was in Visakhapatnam in February 2010.

44.The first season of the Indian Badminton League (IBL) started on 14 August 2013 at New Delhi. The IBL is the franchise league which is proposed by Badminton Association of India (BAI). The schedule of the IBL is 14 August 2013 to 31 August 2013. The league will include Indian as well as foreign badminton players.
Important Facts about the Indian Badminton League (IBL)

• Deepika Padukone and Aamir Khan are the brand ambassadors of the IBL.
• The franchise cities include Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Lucknow.
• The opening ceremony of the event took place at Delhi on 13 August 2013 and the final will be held at Mumbai on 31 August 2013. The semi-final matches will take place at Bangalore and Hyderabad.
• The six teams at the inaugural IBL are Krrish Delhi Smashers, Pune Pistons, Banga Beats (Bangalore), Awadhe Warriors (Lucknow), Hyderabad Hotshots and Mumbai Masters. Each franchise will consist of 11 players- 4 foreign, 6 Indians and 1 junior Indian.
• The overall prize money of the event is 1 million US dollar. This is the richest tournament of badminton in the world.
• Five matches will be played per tie which will include two men's singles, one each of women's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles.
• Six icon players from India include Jwala Gutta (Krrish Delhi Smashers), Ashwini Ponnappa (Pune Pistons), Lee Chong Wei (Mumbai Masters), P Kashyap (Banga Beats), Saina Nehwal (Hyderabad Hotshots) and PV Sindhu (Awadhe Warriors).

45.India won six medals at the 7th Asian Junior Wushu Championships which concluded in Manila, Philippines which concluded on 13 August 2013.

46.Double Trap shooter Ronjan Sodhi was recommended for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award 2013 while cricketer Virat Kohli was among the 15 sportspersons picked for the Arjuna award 2013 by the selection committee in New Delhi. The comittee was headed by billiards legend Michael Ferreira.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is India’s highest honour for a sportsperson. Sodhi had won two silver medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games. In 2011, he became the first Indian to successfully defend a World Cup title.
The other Indian shooters who received the Khel Ratna in the past are: Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra (2001-02), Anjali Bhagwat (2002-03), Manavjit Sandhu (2006-07), Gagan Narang (2010-11), Lt Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rahore (2004-05) and Vijay Kumar (2011-12).
Rising badminton player PV Sindhu, was also in the list of 15 chosen players for the Arjuna award. She became the first Indian woman shuttler to clinch a bronze medal at the recently-concluded World Championships

47.Ibrahim Boubacar Keita won Mali's Presidential elections on 12 August 2013 after his opponent Soumalia Cisse conceded defeat before official results were announced. Soumalia Cisse's concession allows Mali to avoid a protracted election fight and to move ahead with establishing a democratically elected government, one of the international community's caveats for unlocking some 4 billion US dollars in promised aid.

48.Zafar Futehally, (93 years) India’s best known naturalist and ornithologist passed away on 11 August 2013 at Kihim in Maharashtra.
Zafar Futehally led the early years of the conservation movement in India and served as a link between conservationists and corporate.

49.The first Cyber Forensic Laboratory (CFL) of India was established in Tripura on 11 August 2013. The lab was established at the Tripura High Court and the purpose of the lab is to facilitate information related to court cases. The CFL was inaugurated by Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur.

50.A modern and sophisticated breast milk bank was inaugurated on 7 August 2013 at the state-run Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital (SSKM) by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

This novel scheme was launched to cater to the basic needs of a child who is just born, but does not get the milk from the mother or when the mother dies after giving birth to the child.

51.International Youth Day is an awareness day designated by the United Nations to be observed on 12th August every year. This year’s observance of International Youth Day focuses on the issue of youth migration.
The theme for 2013 is Youth Migration: Moving Development Forward.
The United Nations General Assembly on 17 December 1999 declared the 12 August as the International Youth Day by endorsing UN resolution 54/120.

52.13 August: International Lefthanders Day
13 August was designated as the International Lefthanders Day by The Left-Handers Club. First International Lefthanders Day annual event was observed on 13 August 1992.

53.Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won the 100 metre sprint title at the 14th IAAF World Championships 2013, Moscow on 11 August 2013.
Olympic champion, Usain Bolt clocked a season's best 9.77 seconds at the Luzhniki Stadium Moscow, with American Justin Gatlin claiming silver and Nesta Carter of Jamaica, taking bronze.

54.Janata Party was merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 11 August 2013 following a meeting of Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy and BJP President Rajnath Singh. Subramanian Swamy had served as member of the Planning Commission of India. He was also former Cabinet Minister at the Centre and has been a five-time MP. He has been an ardent proponent of Hindutva philosophy outside and was active in exposing the 2G Spectrum scam. He was a former member of the Janshangha.

55.A slew of achievers from different fields, from sports to science, were today conferred the Bangabibhusan Award to mark the second anniversary of the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal.

On the occasion, Banerjee said "Work for turning around the state in the path of development has begun."

"As the government steps into its third year, we dedicate this day to Ma, Mati, Manush (mother, country and people)," she said.

Governor M K Narayanan, who gave away the awards commended the chief minister for instituting this award.

"I commend the chief minister for conferring this award to a select list of celebrities who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields through their outstanding contribution to the society and nation," he said.
Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, Olympian footballers P K Banerjee and Chuni Goswami, actor Mithun Chakraborty, dancer Thankamani Kutti were among those conferred the prestigious Bangabibhusan award.
Recipients were given a citation and Rs two lakh each.
Industrialist B K Birla, a recipient of the award, could not be present as he was abroad, Banerjee said, adding, he would be given away the award after his return.
The other awardees include scientist Dr Samir Brahmachari, film maker Ritoporno Ghosh, football legend Tulsidas Balaram, mountaineer Aung Narvu Sherpa, film actors of yesteryear Sandhya Roy and Sabitri Chatterjee, noted baul singer Purnadas Baul, veteran journalist Amitabha Chowdhury, painter Subhaprasanna and hockey Olympian Gurbux Singh.
Ace tennis player Leander Peas, Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua, paddler Poulami Ghatak, former India women's cricket captain Jhulan Goswami and social worker D C Murmu were conferred this year's "Bangabhusan award".