Current Affairs 30/11/2013 to 19/12/2013
Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 7:15 am1.The European Union (EU) has given GSP(“Generalised Scheme of Preferences”)-Plus status to Pakistan, a move that is likely to encourage the textile and other industries as it grants exporters duty-free access to 28 member nations of the EU group. Pakistan was in talks with several EU member countries to get the status.
Under this, 75 Pakistani products would have duty-free access to European markets.
2.With a view to tackle illegal activities of Chit Funds, the West Bengal Assembly adopted a fresh Bill ‘West Bengal Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments Bill, 2013′.
The bill has arrived close on the heels of Sardha Chit Fund Scam which swindled the investors of their money.
Under the provisions of the new Bill personal properties of a person, who has borrowed money from defaulting Chit Fund Company will be attached besides, the properties of the owner, partners, directors and employees of the Financial Institutions will also be impounded.
3.Iran has revealed that it has successfully sent a monkey into space for the second time in 2013 as part of a space mission aimed at manned space flight.As per Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, the monkey – named Fargam, or Auspicious – came back from space in perfect health
4.Legendary actor Peter O’Toole (81), applauded for his role in the classic 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, passed away in London.
5.The parliament passed the historic Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, paving the way for establishment of an ombudsman to fight against corruption in public offices and ensure accountability on the part of public officials, including the Prime Minister, but with some safeguards. Welcoming the Bill’s passage, 76-year-old social activist Anna Hazare broke his fast, into its ninth day, in Ralegaon Siddhi, Maharashtra.
What is Lokpal Bill 2011?
The Lokpal Bill, 2011, also referred to as The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011, is an anti-corruption law in India which “seeks to provide for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for matters connecting them. The bill was introduced in parliament following massive public protests led by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare and his associates.
Highlights of Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill 2011
The bill provides for the setting up of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas at the States.
The Lokpal consists of a Chairperson and a maximum of eight members of which 50% shall be judicial members.The Chairperson may be either a serving or retired Chief Justice of India, or a Judge of the Supreme Court or an eminent person. Fifty per cent of the total members shall be from the higher judiciary.
The Chairperson and the members of the Lokpal shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Selection Committee consists of the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge nominated by him. One eminent person recommended by the Selection committee and nominated by the President will be its fifth member.
Lokpal will have the power of superintendence and direction over any investigation agency including CBI for cases referred to them by Lokpal.
A high powered Committee chaired by the Prime Minister will recommend selection of the Director, CBI. Directorate of Prosecution headed by a Director of Prosecution under the overall control of Director.
The appointment of the Director of Prosecution, CBI will be made on the recommendation of the Central Vigilance Commission.
Transfer of officers of CBI investigating cases referred by Lokpal with the approval of Lokpal.
The Bill also mandates setting up of Lokayuktas through enactment of a law by the State Legislature within 365 days from the date of commencement of the Act.
6.South India’s first high altitude cricket stadium built in Krishnagiri in the hilly Wayanad district by Kerala Cricket Association, inaugurated by state Governor Nikhil Kumar.The stadium spreads over 4.4 hectares area and is situated at about 2800 feet above the sea level. The Kerala Cricket Association had invested 6.5 crore rupees for construction of the stadium. The stadium has all amenities on par with international standards and can accommodate about 10,000 spectators.
HPCA Stadium Stadium (Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium) in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh is situated at an altitude of 1,457 m (4,780 ft 2 in) above sea level.
7.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its mid-quarter Monetary Policy Review kept the interest rates unchanged. By this move, the central bank gave the indication that solely monetary policy can’t deal with the inflation; the government must take initiatives on supply-side reforms and put in place better storage facilities to hold food prices.
This has come as a welcome relief for the industry which is facing depressing economic environment as indicated 1.8% growth in industrial output in November 2013.
What are Key policy rates?
The Key Policy Rates or signally rates are decided by RBI. These are Bank Rate, Repo Rate, Reverse Repo Rate, Marginal Standing Facility, Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory liquidity ratio (SLR).
On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation, the RBI decided to:
Keep the policy Repo Rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) unchanged at 7.75%, and
Keep the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0% of the Net Demand and Time Liability (NDTL).
Wait for more data before taking policy action, as current inflation is high but its trajectory is uncertain.
Thus, the reverse repo rate under the LAF will remain unchanged at 6.75%, and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 8.75%.
8.German Chancellor Angela Merkel sworn in for a third term after being reelected in a vote in the lower house of parliament. The event marks the beginning of the third so-called grand coalition in the Germany’s post-war history.
9.Sandeep Acharya, who won the second season of Indian Idol in 2006, passed away at Gurgaon. He was suffering from jaundice and is survived by his wife and a one-month-old daughter. The playback singer belonged to Bikaner, Rajasthan.
10.The Supreme Court held that no approval from the Central Government is required by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute senior bureaucrats in court-monitored corruption cases. The court cleared that the sanction is not necessary under section 6A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act when the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act is monitored by court.
11.DRDO has developed a 16 ton capacity Heavy Drop System (HDS) to improve Army’s para-dropping capacity. The system (HDS) consists of a platform and a highly advanced system of parachutes to drop loads consisting of military stores such as vehicles including BMP class, supplies and ammunition from IL-76 heavy lift aircraft.
Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), an Agra-based laboratory of the DRDO designed and developed the three prototypes of the system.
12.On the first anniversary of December 16 brutal act that jolted the country, the Centre approved several proposals for improving women’s safety under the Nirbhaya Fund.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced that mobile handset makers will have to introduce an SoS alert button to ensure that women in distress can be reached by the police in the minimum possible time.
13.The Union Ministry of Finance, Government of India appointed C. V. R. Rajendran as Andhra Bank Chairman and Managing Director. Previously, he was Executive Director of Bank of Maharashtra. As CMD of Andhra Bank, Rajendran will have a 5-year term or until superannuation, whichever is earlier.
14.Harsh Kumar Bhanwala has been appointed as Chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) by the Centre. Bhanwala, succeeds Prakash Bakshi, who retired as NABARD Chairman. Previously, Bhanwala was an Executive Director at India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL), a state-owned infrastructure lender.
15.China’s Chang’e-3 lunar spacecraft which is carrying its first moon rover Yutu or Jade Rabbit rover made a “soft landing” on the moon since 1976. With this accomplishment China has joined the elite club of the US and Russia to achieve this feat. The probe touched down on an ancient 400-kilometre (250-mile) wide plain known in Latin as Sinus Iridum, or The Bay of Rainbows.
What is Soft Landing?
Soft Landing is a landing by a spacecraft on the moon or a planet at a sufficiently low velocity for the equipment or occupants to remain unharmed.
16.In a bid to curb the misuse of bureaucrats by ministers for political motives, both at the Centre and in the states, the government approved fresh amendments to a 50-year-old Code of Conduct for Ministers.The new Paragraph 2 (f) will now read as: “After taking office, and so long as he remains in office, the minister shall:- uphold the political impartiality of the civil services and not ask the civil servants to act in any way which would conflict with the duties and responsibilities of the civil servants.”
17.Lieutenant Governor (LG) Najeeb Jung has recommended imposition of President’s rule in Delhi among other options as the impasse continued over formation of a new government in Delhi after a suspended verdict with no party ready to assume power.
In his report submitted to the President, Jung listed Central rule with the Assembly being kept in suspended animation as one of the options. As per the report, none of the party is in a position to form the government and so far there is no clarity on government formation. It also noted that AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal sought more time for further consultations.
Hence, Jung has suggested that the President’s rule should be imposed in Delhi by keeping the Assembly under suspended animation till any government is formed. If no party comes forward to stake claim to form the government, the President’s rule can be imposed in the next two days.
What has happened so far?
In the recently held Assembly Elections in Delhi for 70 seats, no party could secure clear mandate of 36 seats. As per the results, BJP won 31 seats along with its ally Akali Dal got 32 seats, AAP clinched 28 seats followed by Congress 8 seats. BJP has already refused to form the government citing “lack of clear mandate”. At this point AAP has become a key player as its support to BJP or Congress can facilitate in government formation. Though AAP is ready to support any of these two parties but has some conditions. As a condition for its support, AAP’s chief Arvind Kejriwal made 18 suggestions to be implemented by the government forming party in Delhi. Of 18 suggestions the Congress is ready to implement 16 but is opposed to two of it. Hence, the stalemate persists.
18.Despite the dingy performance against South Africa, the Indian cricket team has retained its top position in the latest ICC ODI rankings. India topped the rankings chart with 120 points, which is followed by Australia with 114 points.
Other latest ICC rankings:
A.B. Devilliers of South Africa replaced Virat Kohli as the World’s number one Batsman.
Indian skipper, M.S. Dhoni was placed at number 6 and Shikhar Dhawan was placed at 10 spot in the rankings table.
In the bowler’s rankings, Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal, was ranked no. 1.
In the category of All Rounders, Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh retained his number one position.
South Africa is no.1 Test team on the ICC test rankings chart.
19.Germany registered a record sixth title win defeating France in the title clash of the Hero Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup held at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi, India. Germany’s Niklas Wellen stunned the opponent with a brilliant hat-trick to guide defending champions to victory.
20.Australia reclaimed the Ashes test series just four months after the last series defeat in England with a 3rd Test victory on home soil.
21.As per the announcement of International Hockey Federation (FIH), Bhubaneswar, capital of Odisha will host the 35th edition of the Champions Trophy men’s hockey tournament to be held from December 13-21 in 2014.
The event will be held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar which is currently undergoing renovation. The event will be hosted by Hockey India in collaboration with Orissa state government.
22.India clinched men’s Kabaddi World Cup for the fourth time in row, defeating its arch rival Pakistan in the neck and neck final clash played at Guru Nanak Dev Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Men’s World Cup Kabaddi 2013:
Organizer: Government of Punjab, India
Final Match: Guru Nanak Dev Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Key Players: India’s Haravinder Singh Dulla was voted Best Raider and Balbir Singh Best Stopper of the tournament.
23.Indian won women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2013 championship for a third consecutive time, vanquishing debutant New Zealand in the final match played at Guru Gobind Singh sports complex in Jalandhar, Punjab.India’s Anu Rani declared Best Stopper and Ram Bateri was announced Best Raider.
24.The Indian government pulled up the country’s Army chief General Bikram Singh for accepting a ‘Legion of Merit’ ,the sixth highest American military honor, without its approval. The Indian Defense Ministry questioned that the bestowment of the honor was not the part of General Singh’s itinerary during his visit to the U. S., then why he accepted the ‘Legion of Merit’, without prior clearance from the government.
25.Mary Kom, the legendary boxer from North East wrote her autobiography titled “Unbreakable”. The book was inaugurated by Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan at Mumbai.
26.India’s Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade arrested in New York for an alleged case of visa fraud and making false statements in connection with the visa application for an Indian national employee who was domestic helper in her home. Later on, she released on a $250000 bond after she pleaded not guilty in a court
27.As per the data released by the China’s General Administration of Customs, India’s trade deficit with China after 11 months of this year has reached a record $29.5 billion, exceeding 2012’s annual figure. Towards the end of 2013, India’s exports to China reached only $14.87 billion out of total bilateral trade of $59.24 billion.
The numbers underline the sharp decline in once-burgeoning trade, which reached $74 billion in 2011 when China became India’s biggest trading partner.
28.The National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned “unregulated open burning” of plastic, rubber or such other articles across the country. NGT directed all the municipal authorities to ‘set up, operationalise and coordinate the waste management systems within their limits
29.Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez signed a multi-year contract with the British-based team Sahara Force India. The 23-year-old Mexican completes Sahara Force India’s 2014 line-up alongside Nico Hülkenberg and helps to create one of the most exciting pairing on the grid.
30.Time magazine chose Pope Francis as its person of the year. The magazine gave this honor to Pope Francis for changing the perception of the Roman Catholic church in an extraordinary way in a short time.
31.Retired High Court Judge DP Buch was sworn as the fourth Lokayukta of the Gujarat by Governor Kamla Beniwal, on the post that was lying vacant for a decade and over which Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Governor Kamla Beniwal were on a collision course for three years.
32.Mid-East governments (Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians) signed a historic trilateral agreement at the World Bank in Washington, which outlines regional water-sharing initiatives from the Red Sea to Dead Sea to relieve shortages in the waterless lands.
The Dead Sea has unique water properties like humans can float naturally on the surface, etc. Owing to human intervention, the sea is depleting 1m (3.3ft) a year. Thus, in order to save the Dead Sea, a pipeline will built on the Jordanian side of the Aqaba Gulf to carry sea water from a desalination plant at the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, while providing drinking water to the region.
33.NASA satellites discovered a desolate and remote ice plateau in East Antarctica, the coldest place on earth. The remote region plunged as low as minus 94.7oC (minus 135.8oF). This beat the previous record of -89.2 degrees Celsius measured at the Russian Vostok Research Station in East Antarctica on July 21, 1983.
34.The External Affairs Ministry appointed former Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai as India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He succeeded Jaimini Bhagwati, who retired recently.
35.As per the secret documents disclosed by whistle-blower Edward Snowden, in an effort to identify terrorist threats, US and British spies have reportedly penetrated the massive communities playing video games such as World of War craft, etc.
36.The Supreme Court has banned the use of red beacon light with flashers on all vehicles except those used by high dignitaries holding constitutional post; also banned pressure horns, multiple sound emitting horns and musical horns in vehicles.
The court passed the order on a PIL filed by Uttar Pradesh resident Abhay Singh on misuse of red beacon.
37.Researchers at University of Toronto have discovered a new greenhouse gas that is 7,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide to cause greenhouse effect which causes warming of the Earth.
As per the scientists, the newly discovered gas, PerFluoroTriButylAmine (PFTBA), has been in use by the electrical industry since the mid-20th century.
The discoverers have claimed that PFTBA which does not occur naturally has the highest radiative efficiency of any molecule detected in the atmosphere up to now.
The study showed that PFTBA was 7,100 times more powerful at warming the Earth over a 100-year time period than CO2. This gas remains in the atmosphere for about 500 years, and unlike CO2 which is absorbed by forests and oceans, there are no known natural “sinks” on Earth to absorb it.
Do we need to worry about PFTBA?
Not at current levels. The current concentration of PFTBA in the atmosphere is very low as compared to CO2 so it does not displace the focus of our concerns from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal as the main drivers of climate change. However, higher concentration of the gas would contribute to a serious global warming. So we need to ponder over using such compounds in large quantity without first understanding their impact on climate change.
38.The Reserve Bank of India has granted license to Doha Bank to start banking operations in India and has allowed it to open a branch in Mumbai to provide full-scale banking services.
Doha Bank which is the largest commercial bank in the state of Qatar intends to expand its operations at the local, regional and international levels.
39.Raman Singh (61) of BJP was sworn in as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh for the 3rd term in row. Governor Shekhar Dutt administered Singh the oath of office and secrecy during a grand swearing-in ceremony.
40.According to the latest annual list of Fortune 500 companies in India published by business magazine Fortune, state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC) is country’s biggest company in terms of annual revenue, followed by Mukesh Ambani-led private sector giant Reliance Industries at the second place.
Indian Oil Corp (IOC) was the biggest with annual revenue of Rs 4,75,867 crore, followed by Reliance Industries (RIL) with a full-year revenue of Rs 4,09,883 crore. This is followed by Bharat Petroleum (Rs 2,44,822 crore) at the third place and Hindustan Petroleum (Rs 2,17,771 crore) at fourth.
As per Fortune 500, India Top 10 Companies are:
1. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)
2. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)
3. Bharat Petroleum
4. Hindustan Petroleum
5. State Bank of India
6. Tata Motors
7. ONGC
8. Tata Steel
9. Essar Oil
10. Coal India
41.Bharti Airtel, has inked an infrastructure-sharing agreement with the telecom subsidiary of Reliance Industries.
The deal will allow the telecom unit, Reliance Jio, to access Bharti’s nationwide infrastructure while Bharti will have in return access to the optic fibre capacity established by Jio in future.
42.Uruguay has become the first nation in the world to make it legal to grow, sell and consume marijuana. The country’s parliament has passed the government-sponsored bill which allows registered Uruguayans over 18 to buy up to 40g (1,4oz) of the drug a month.
43.Mizoram Assembly poll results are out and Congress has defeated its main rival Mizo National Front (MNF) by a huge margin. Although Congress faced debacle in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi, it has managed to save face in Mizoram by registering a second consecutive win in the small Christian-dominated state that MNF once wanted to take out of the Indian Union.
44.Beverages and food giant PepsiCo India appointed former Nokia senior executive D. Shivakumar as the company’s new chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) for the Indian region.
45.India will host the 2017 Under-17 World Cup Football. This will be the first time India will host an international football competition at world level.
46.“Miss Earth Venezuela” Alyz Henrich won the 13th edition of the Miss Earth Pageant held at the Versailles Palace in Alabang, Muntilupa City, Philippines. Miss Earth is an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness.
47.Star India Pvt. Ltd., the television network, bags sponsorship rights of the Indian cricket team covering BCCI events, International Cricket Council (ICC) events and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events, from January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2017. This brings to an end a 12-year partnership with Sahara, the existing team sponsor, whose contract expires on December 31,2013.
48.In the 2013 Delhi state assembly elections, AAP emerged as the second largest party in Delhi winning 28 seats in the assembly. After a remarkable performance in the Delhi state assembly election Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is all set to be recognized as ‘a state party’ by the Election Commission.
About Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
Mr. Arvind Kejriwal launched AAP on November 26, 2012, who was the former member of India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, founded by Anna Hazare.
How does EC recognizes a ‘state party’?
As per the criteria of election commission, a party can be called as a state party if all its candidates get minimum of 8 percent votes or secure minimum of 6% of the total votes polled and one assembly seat for every 25 seats in the state. After the announcement, the party will have the option of retaining its original symbol or it may design an alternative symbol for its party.
Note: If a political party is recognized as a “State Party” in four or more States then it will automatically become a national party.
49.December 10 was observed as Human Rights Day across the globe marking the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The theme chosen for the year 2013 is ‘20 Years Working for Your Rights’.
50.The BJP clinched majority of seats in the Assembly Elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made remarkable debut in Delhi where it clinched 28 of 70 seats. In Delhi, though the BJP secured highest number of seats (31) but it fell short of 5 seats for attaining the majority.
51.Mauritius and India agreed on the principle of including a Limitation Of Benefit (LOB) or anti-treaty shopping law clause in the revised tax treaty to ring-fence its jurisdiction from any attempts of round-tripping and money laundering activities.
52.As per Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), all of Syria’s unfilled munitions have been destroyed.
The United Nations and OPCW teams are working in tandem in Syria with an aim to remove the most toxic chemicals from Syria by the end of the year for destruction at sea and destroy the entire program by mid-2014. The OPCW, which won the Nobel Peace Prize 2013, has been instructed by the United Nations to supervise the destruction of the Syrian government’s chemical weapons stockpile.
53.Jordan has been elected as a non-permanent member of United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Jordan has replaced Saudi Arabia which was recently elected for the position but rejected the seat in protest at the UN council’s failure to end the war in Syria and act on other Middle East issues.
Which are the new members on UNSC?
Jordan is the latest entrant on the UNSC as its non-permanent member. Besides, Lithuania, Chile, Nigeria and Chad will also join as new members of the council, replacing Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Pakistan, Morocco and Togo. The other five temporary council members that will remain next year are Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, South Korea and Rwanda.
54.India’s first indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas successfully launched an infrared seeking air-to-air missile that hit its target with precision.
55.Employing or engaging a person has become an offence now as Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013 comes into force across India except J&K. The law forbids the employment of manual scavengers, the manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective equipment and the construction of insanitary latrines.
56.At the 18th Session of the Conference of State Parties, Mr. Ahmet Uzumcu was re-appointed as the OPCW Director General.
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
An independent, international body established in 1997.
Objective: To implement the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Has a working relationship with the UN.
Headquarters: The Hague, the Netherlands.
Conducts inspections of destruction procedures, as well as evaluating members’ own declarations, in order to examine that the convention is being followed.
57.To help global efforts to ensure gender equality and empowerment of women, India contributed $1 million to the UN as the fourth installment of India’s multi-year pledge to provide USD 5 Mn to UN Women (United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women).
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr. Asoke K Mukerji urged UN Women to focus on increasing the use of information and communication technology for empowerment of women.
58.An informal group of ministers, headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar recommended a number of incentives to cash-starved sugar mills including financial package to pay cane farmers.
Why the need for a financial package for sugar mills ?
Owing to an increase in prices of fuel and fertilizer, farmers are insisting that mills pay Rs.280- Rs.300 per quintal for sugarcane. But millers hold that they can afford to pay only Rs.225 per quintal.
59.What is WTO Ministerial Conference?
The WTO Ministerial Conference is the topmost decision-making body of the World Trade Organization which regularly convenes every two years. It brings together all members of the WTO, all of which are countries or customs unions. The Ministerial Conference can take decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.
The conference has key issues to discuss viz. Trade facilitation, Agriculture negotiations, Cotton Least-developed countries Monitoring mechanism, Small and vulnerable economies, Yemen’s accession, E-commerce “Non-violation” in intellectual property, etc.
What was India’s stand at the Bali Ministerial of the World Trade Organisation 2013 ?
India decided not to agree to the ‘Peace Clause’ for agriculture subsidies that the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevedo has proposed for Bali talks.
Here, India stands to seek safeguards for subsidies given to the farmers for food security purposes by poor countries. Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said that for India, food security is non-negotiable, it is an integral part of the millennium development goals and the need for public stockholding of food grains to ensure food security must be respected, and for this WTO rules must be updated.
For this valuable cause, India got support from many WTO members like South Africa, Nepal, Egypt, Uganda, Namibia, Argentina, Zimbabwe, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mauritius and Nicaragua, etc.
What is the Peace Clause under current context and why an issue over this Peace Clause?
Under this ‘Peace Clause’, developing countries can provide WTO-prohibited subsidies to farmers without inviting any dispute under the Agreement on Agriculture, developed countries will have the right to drag these countries to the WTO Disputes Settlement Body, under the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures. This would render the peace clause null-and-void.
Note : Developed countries pressurizing India to accept a peace clause, which offers four years of immunity against penalties imposed for breaching the farm subsidy cap of 10 per cent under the WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA).
Outcome of the 9th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Because of India’s concern of Food security, WTO’s Bali Ministerial Conference revised draft decisions on a package of issues designed to streamline trade, allow developing countries more options for providing food security, boost least developed countries’ trade and help development more generally.
60.Pakistani teen activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived bullet-injury inflicted by the Taliban for championing girls’ education has won the UN Human Rights Prize 2013.
61.Nelson Mandela (95), South African anti-apartheid icon passed away at his residence at Johannesburg. The death of the great statesman is being mourned by his nation and the world with tributes flooding in from the leaders and people all over the globe.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela:
Born: July 18, 1918 to the Thembu royal family belonging to Xhosa clan.Sobriquet:The Father of the Nation (South Africa), Madiba, or as Tata (“Father”). He studied law at Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand. Joined anti-colonial politics and the African National Congress (ANC) and became a founding member of its Youth League.
62.Sports goods manufacturer Adidas unveiled the new ball for 2014 World Cup – called the “Brazuca,” in honor of Brazil at a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. Adidas has been following the tradition of providing the official ball for every World Cup tournament since 1970.
What does Brazuca mean?
The word “Brazuca” has a dual meaning, used as a term for Brazilians living overseas – including its many footballers – but also as slang used to describe national pride or anything “Brazilianish”. The ball is decorated with a ribbon design in shades of blue, gold and green, which the manufacturer says represents the traditional “wish bracelets” worn in Brazil.
The ball will be introduced in the inaugural game of FIFA World Cup 2014 on June 12, 2014 in Sao Paulo, and will be played with until the final on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
63.The Union Cabinet has approved for the creation of Telangana with 10 districts and sketched the draft for carving out the India’s 29th state from the current Andhra Pradesh.
64.Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency (ICRA) warned the banking industry that it may suffer more shocks due to the pile up of its’ gross bad assets which is set to touch 4.4 %, or Rs 2.9 trillion of total assets by this fiscal end.
65.India ranked 98th in the Forbes list of world’s best countries for doing business that has cited poverty, corruption and discrimination against girls among the challenges facing the country. The rating of 145 nations was done on the several factors viz. property rights, innovation, taxes, technology, corruption, freedom (personal, trade and monetary), red tape, investor protection, stock market performance, etc.
Ireland topped the Forbes ‘doing business’ list, as it maintains an extremely pro-business environment which attracts investments from world’s biggest companies. Ireland was followed by New Zealand and Hong Kong.
66.The senior most Information Commissioner Ms Sushma Singh will be the next Chief Information Commissioner of India (CIC), she will succeed Ms Deepak Sandhu. The decision to appoint Sushma Singh, a former IAS officer, as the next CIC was taken unanimously by a panel consisting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Law Minister Kapil Sibal. She will be the second woman to become CIC after Ms Deepak Sandhu whose term comes to an end later this month.
67.The Legislative Assembly of Karnataka passed a stringent Essential Services Maintenance Bill (ESMA), 2013 which will render striking work a non-bailable offence and empowers the police to arrest a striking employee without warrant.
68.Following its plan to achieve the Rs.40, 000 crore disinvestment target for this fiscal, the government issued Follow-on-Public Offer (FPO) of Power Grid Corporation which was fully subscribed.
The sale of 78.70 crore shares valuing $ 1.1 billion, or 17% stake, could fetch around Rs 7,083 crore at the upper end of the price band. .
With this offer, the government holding in the company will come down to 57.89% from the current level of 69.42%.
69.In a bid to foster regional consciousness and bring member states closer, Kathmandu-based Indian diplomat Abhay Kumar composed an anthem for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). SAARC Anthem by Kumar will be translated in Hindi, English, Nepali, Bengali, Pashto, Urdu, Sinhala, Dzongkha and Dhivehi, languages spoken in the South Asian region.Note - ‘ASEAN Way’ is ASEAN’s anthem .
70.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dedicated to the Nation GAIL India Ltd’s 1,000 km long natural gas pipeline from Dabhol to Bangalore during the inaugural ceremony of the 8th Asia Gas Partnership Summit (AGPS).
71.India’s Current Account Deficit (CAD) has improved significantly to $ 5.2 billion (1.2% of GDP) in the second quarter (July-September) of this fiscal mainly due to decrease in gold imports and increase in exports.
72.India’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully test-fired nuclear capable Prithvi II missile as part of a regular training exercise. The indigenously developed ballistic missile with a maximum range of 350 km was fired from Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Balasore district, about 230 km from Bhubaneswar.
73.According to a survey by corruption watchdog Transparency International, India is positioned at 94th place on corruption index which ranked 177 countries. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia are viewed as the world’s most corrupt countries while Denmark and New Zealand have scored the best.
74.President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Nagaland’s famous Hornbill Festival. Hornbill (name of a bird) Festival, considered one of the biggest events in the state, puts on display the rich tradition and cultural heritage of the Naga people. Nagaland is also observing the golden jubilee (50 years) of its formation as a state.
75.With an aim to minimize frauds, RBI has made it mandatory for debit card holders to punch in their PIN numbers every time they use the card. In June 2013, the central bank had extended the deadline for implementation of mandatory PIN punching at Point-of-Sales (PoS) and merchant outlets till November 30, 2013 following representation of banks.
76.In an attempt to carry out its first ever ‘soft landing’ on moon, China launched its lunar mission-Chang’e-3 which is carrying country’s first moon rover marking a major milestone for China’s space programme.
77.As stated by the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, India is once again among a small list of countries that qualifies for an exemption from unilateral sanctions imposed by the US on countries importing oil from Iran.
78.In a historic development, India’s first Mars mission- the Mars Orbiter Mission’s (MOM) spacecraft’s was propelled into the Mars Transfer Trajectory freeing it from the influence of Earth’s gravity. ISRO successfully conducted the Trans Mars Injection (TMI) operations to put MOM on course to the Red Planet with the help of spacecraft’s 440 Newton liquid engine which was fired for about 22 minutes providing a velocity increment of 648 metres/second to the spacecraft. With this, the Earth orbiting phase of the spacecraft ended and is now on path to Mars.
The spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Spacecraft Control Centre at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bangalore with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennae at Byalalu.
79.Maharashtra will have its fifth tiger reserve in Nagzira as the National Tiger Conservation Authority has given nod to the development of the conservation zone. The tiger reserve will be set up between Bhandara and Gondia districts.
80.Ex- Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Satyananda Mishra has been appointed as the chairman of Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) board.
The Forward Markets Commission (FMC) also approved the appointment of Satyananda Mishra as the independent Director of MCX’s board.
81.India’s first “Synthetic Rubber Plant” was unveiled at Panipat in Haryana.
The plant has been set up by Indian Synthetic Rubber Ltd (ISRL) which is a joint venture promoted by Indian Oil, TSRC Corporation, Taiwan, and Marubeni Corporation, Japan.The plant will be the country’s first unit to produce e-SBR (Styrene Butadiene Rubber) whose output will be 120 kilo tonnes synthetic rubber annually.
82.Lt General Raheel Sharif promoted and appointed as the new chief of Pakistan army.
83.Thailand’s Thidapa Suwannapura won the Women’s Indian Open golf tournament played at the Delhi Golf Club. The win also made Suwannapura the second Thai to win the title, after three-time winner and defending champion Phatlum Pornanong.
India’s Gauri Monga was tied fifth — the best show by an Indian in the tournament.
84.India’s rising badminton star P.V. Sindhu achieved another feat as she lifted the Macau Open Grand Prix Gold title by defeating Canada’s Michelle Li in the final clash, in Macau.
85.According to a study by the Planning Commission, the cost of bringing all households above the poverty line would have been Rs. 55,744 crore during 2011-12 if cash transfers were used instead of anti-poverty schemes. This would have been sufficient to plug the poverty gap and would be just a fraction of annual anti-poverty budget instead of initiating new anti-poverty schemes.
As per the analysis by the Planning Commission:
Of Rs. 55,744, Rs 42,932 crore would have had to be transferred to the below poverty line households in rural areas and the rest Rs 12,812 crore to those in urban areas.
In 2011-12, the UPA government had spent Rs 72,822.07 crore on food subsidy. The expenditure in the same year on the UPA’s seven flagship schemes was Rs. 1,09,379 crore.
This cost is likely to increase as the annual cost of implementing the Food Security Law alone is estimated at Rs 1.2 lakh crore.
The anti-poverty programmes in our country have leakages and is inefficient.
What is Poverty Gap?
Poverty gap is the amount of cash required for a household to lift it above the poverty line. It is the difference in the level of consumption of the households below the poverty line and those on the line.
As per the Tendulkar Committee report, a household of five people in India subsists with a monthly consumption of Rs. 874.50which is the Poverty Line. This poverty line is in proximity to the World Bank Poverty Line of an income of $1.25 a day (on a Purchasing Power Parity basis).
86.NATO held Cyber Coalition 2013: Largest-ever cyber-exercises to practise averting large-scale, simultaneous cyber attacks on member states and their allies. The drill was hosted by National Defence College training center in Tartu, Estonia.
Objective: Cyber Coalition an exercise with technical components to give its participants a good learning about NATO’s Cyber Defence capabilities, identify areas for improvement within the NATO-wide Cyber Defence community. It also aims to better the capability, cooperation and information sharing between NATO and NATO nations and partners in cyber defence via mode of education, research and development, lessons learnt.
Who all participated in Cyber Coalition 2013?
Representatives of 27 nations and NATO partners from Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Ireland and Finland participated in the drill. New Zealand and the European Union took part as observers. A total of 400 people participated, including government, legal and IT experts. Participants put their skills to the test to show how they would respond to a cyber attack.
87.As per the Reserve Bank of India, the incremental bank loans to medium service enterprises (as defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006) provided after November 13, 2013, up to the credit limit of Rs 10 crore, would qualify as priority sector advances. This dispensation would remain in force up to March 31, 2013.
88.India conveyed its plan to Iran towards developing Chah-bahar port there that would ensure connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia even though the recent Iran-P5+1 interim deal has not reached a decisive point.
The development of Chah-bahar port — around 80 km away from Pakistan’s Gwadar port- has been affected by the uncertainty of sanctions on Iran and Finance minister P Chidambaram who has conditioned his permission on the port, by demanding a certain percentage return on investment from the port development project.
About Chah-bahar Port:
Afghanistan and Iran inked an agreement which will permit Afghanistan to use Iran’s south-eastern Chabahar port for shipments and trade.
89.Andhra Pradesh is on high alert as very severe cyclone Lehar is gusting towards it. Currently, it is centered 650 km east-southeast on Machilipatttam in the State where it is likely to hit. It would be the second storm to hit Andhra in barely a week after the impact of cyclone Helen. The Army, the Navy and the Coast Guard have been alerted. Fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea while those already in the sea have been asked to return.
Under this, 75 Pakistani products would have duty-free access to European markets.
2.With a view to tackle illegal activities of Chit Funds, the West Bengal Assembly adopted a fresh Bill ‘West Bengal Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments Bill, 2013′.
The bill has arrived close on the heels of Sardha Chit Fund Scam which swindled the investors of their money.
Under the provisions of the new Bill personal properties of a person, who has borrowed money from defaulting Chit Fund Company will be attached besides, the properties of the owner, partners, directors and employees of the Financial Institutions will also be impounded.
3.Iran has revealed that it has successfully sent a monkey into space for the second time in 2013 as part of a space mission aimed at manned space flight.As per Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, the monkey – named Fargam, or Auspicious – came back from space in perfect health
4.Legendary actor Peter O’Toole (81), applauded for his role in the classic 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, passed away in London.
5.The parliament passed the historic Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, paving the way for establishment of an ombudsman to fight against corruption in public offices and ensure accountability on the part of public officials, including the Prime Minister, but with some safeguards. Welcoming the Bill’s passage, 76-year-old social activist Anna Hazare broke his fast, into its ninth day, in Ralegaon Siddhi, Maharashtra.
What is Lokpal Bill 2011?
The Lokpal Bill, 2011, also referred to as The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011, is an anti-corruption law in India which “seeks to provide for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for matters connecting them. The bill was introduced in parliament following massive public protests led by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare and his associates.
Highlights of Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill 2011
The bill provides for the setting up of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas at the States.
The Lokpal consists of a Chairperson and a maximum of eight members of which 50% shall be judicial members.The Chairperson may be either a serving or retired Chief Justice of India, or a Judge of the Supreme Court or an eminent person. Fifty per cent of the total members shall be from the higher judiciary.
The Chairperson and the members of the Lokpal shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Selection Committee consists of the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge nominated by him. One eminent person recommended by the Selection committee and nominated by the President will be its fifth member.
Lokpal will have the power of superintendence and direction over any investigation agency including CBI for cases referred to them by Lokpal.
A high powered Committee chaired by the Prime Minister will recommend selection of the Director, CBI. Directorate of Prosecution headed by a Director of Prosecution under the overall control of Director.
The appointment of the Director of Prosecution, CBI will be made on the recommendation of the Central Vigilance Commission.
Transfer of officers of CBI investigating cases referred by Lokpal with the approval of Lokpal.
The Bill also mandates setting up of Lokayuktas through enactment of a law by the State Legislature within 365 days from the date of commencement of the Act.
6.South India’s first high altitude cricket stadium built in Krishnagiri in the hilly Wayanad district by Kerala Cricket Association, inaugurated by state Governor Nikhil Kumar.The stadium spreads over 4.4 hectares area and is situated at about 2800 feet above the sea level. The Kerala Cricket Association had invested 6.5 crore rupees for construction of the stadium. The stadium has all amenities on par with international standards and can accommodate about 10,000 spectators.
HPCA Stadium Stadium (Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium) in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh is situated at an altitude of 1,457 m (4,780 ft 2 in) above sea level.
7.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its mid-quarter Monetary Policy Review kept the interest rates unchanged. By this move, the central bank gave the indication that solely monetary policy can’t deal with the inflation; the government must take initiatives on supply-side reforms and put in place better storage facilities to hold food prices.
This has come as a welcome relief for the industry which is facing depressing economic environment as indicated 1.8% growth in industrial output in November 2013.
What are Key policy rates?
The Key Policy Rates or signally rates are decided by RBI. These are Bank Rate, Repo Rate, Reverse Repo Rate, Marginal Standing Facility, Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory liquidity ratio (SLR).
On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation, the RBI decided to:
Keep the policy Repo Rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) unchanged at 7.75%, and
Keep the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0% of the Net Demand and Time Liability (NDTL).
Wait for more data before taking policy action, as current inflation is high but its trajectory is uncertain.
Thus, the reverse repo rate under the LAF will remain unchanged at 6.75%, and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 8.75%.
8.German Chancellor Angela Merkel sworn in for a third term after being reelected in a vote in the lower house of parliament. The event marks the beginning of the third so-called grand coalition in the Germany’s post-war history.
9.Sandeep Acharya, who won the second season of Indian Idol in 2006, passed away at Gurgaon. He was suffering from jaundice and is survived by his wife and a one-month-old daughter. The playback singer belonged to Bikaner, Rajasthan.
10.The Supreme Court held that no approval from the Central Government is required by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute senior bureaucrats in court-monitored corruption cases. The court cleared that the sanction is not necessary under section 6A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act when the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act is monitored by court.
11.DRDO has developed a 16 ton capacity Heavy Drop System (HDS) to improve Army’s para-dropping capacity. The system (HDS) consists of a platform and a highly advanced system of parachutes to drop loads consisting of military stores such as vehicles including BMP class, supplies and ammunition from IL-76 heavy lift aircraft.
Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), an Agra-based laboratory of the DRDO designed and developed the three prototypes of the system.
12.On the first anniversary of December 16 brutal act that jolted the country, the Centre approved several proposals for improving women’s safety under the Nirbhaya Fund.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced that mobile handset makers will have to introduce an SoS alert button to ensure that women in distress can be reached by the police in the minimum possible time.
13.The Union Ministry of Finance, Government of India appointed C. V. R. Rajendran as Andhra Bank Chairman and Managing Director. Previously, he was Executive Director of Bank of Maharashtra. As CMD of Andhra Bank, Rajendran will have a 5-year term or until superannuation, whichever is earlier.
14.Harsh Kumar Bhanwala has been appointed as Chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) by the Centre. Bhanwala, succeeds Prakash Bakshi, who retired as NABARD Chairman. Previously, Bhanwala was an Executive Director at India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL), a state-owned infrastructure lender.
15.China’s Chang’e-3 lunar spacecraft which is carrying its first moon rover Yutu or Jade Rabbit rover made a “soft landing” on the moon since 1976. With this accomplishment China has joined the elite club of the US and Russia to achieve this feat. The probe touched down on an ancient 400-kilometre (250-mile) wide plain known in Latin as Sinus Iridum, or The Bay of Rainbows.
What is Soft Landing?
Soft Landing is a landing by a spacecraft on the moon or a planet at a sufficiently low velocity for the equipment or occupants to remain unharmed.
16.In a bid to curb the misuse of bureaucrats by ministers for political motives, both at the Centre and in the states, the government approved fresh amendments to a 50-year-old Code of Conduct for Ministers.The new Paragraph 2 (f) will now read as: “After taking office, and so long as he remains in office, the minister shall:- uphold the political impartiality of the civil services and not ask the civil servants to act in any way which would conflict with the duties and responsibilities of the civil servants.”
17.Lieutenant Governor (LG) Najeeb Jung has recommended imposition of President’s rule in Delhi among other options as the impasse continued over formation of a new government in Delhi after a suspended verdict with no party ready to assume power.
In his report submitted to the President, Jung listed Central rule with the Assembly being kept in suspended animation as one of the options. As per the report, none of the party is in a position to form the government and so far there is no clarity on government formation. It also noted that AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal sought more time for further consultations.
Hence, Jung has suggested that the President’s rule should be imposed in Delhi by keeping the Assembly under suspended animation till any government is formed. If no party comes forward to stake claim to form the government, the President’s rule can be imposed in the next two days.
What has happened so far?
In the recently held Assembly Elections in Delhi for 70 seats, no party could secure clear mandate of 36 seats. As per the results, BJP won 31 seats along with its ally Akali Dal got 32 seats, AAP clinched 28 seats followed by Congress 8 seats. BJP has already refused to form the government citing “lack of clear mandate”. At this point AAP has become a key player as its support to BJP or Congress can facilitate in government formation. Though AAP is ready to support any of these two parties but has some conditions. As a condition for its support, AAP’s chief Arvind Kejriwal made 18 suggestions to be implemented by the government forming party in Delhi. Of 18 suggestions the Congress is ready to implement 16 but is opposed to two of it. Hence, the stalemate persists.
18.Despite the dingy performance against South Africa, the Indian cricket team has retained its top position in the latest ICC ODI rankings. India topped the rankings chart with 120 points, which is followed by Australia with 114 points.
Other latest ICC rankings:
A.B. Devilliers of South Africa replaced Virat Kohli as the World’s number one Batsman.
Indian skipper, M.S. Dhoni was placed at number 6 and Shikhar Dhawan was placed at 10 spot in the rankings table.
In the bowler’s rankings, Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal, was ranked no. 1.
In the category of All Rounders, Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh retained his number one position.
South Africa is no.1 Test team on the ICC test rankings chart.
19.Germany registered a record sixth title win defeating France in the title clash of the Hero Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup held at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi, India. Germany’s Niklas Wellen stunned the opponent with a brilliant hat-trick to guide defending champions to victory.
20.Australia reclaimed the Ashes test series just four months after the last series defeat in England with a 3rd Test victory on home soil.
21.As per the announcement of International Hockey Federation (FIH), Bhubaneswar, capital of Odisha will host the 35th edition of the Champions Trophy men’s hockey tournament to be held from December 13-21 in 2014.
The event will be held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar which is currently undergoing renovation. The event will be hosted by Hockey India in collaboration with Orissa state government.
22.India clinched men’s Kabaddi World Cup for the fourth time in row, defeating its arch rival Pakistan in the neck and neck final clash played at Guru Nanak Dev Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Men’s World Cup Kabaddi 2013:
Organizer: Government of Punjab, India
Final Match: Guru Nanak Dev Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Key Players: India’s Haravinder Singh Dulla was voted Best Raider and Balbir Singh Best Stopper of the tournament.
23.Indian won women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2013 championship for a third consecutive time, vanquishing debutant New Zealand in the final match played at Guru Gobind Singh sports complex in Jalandhar, Punjab.India’s Anu Rani declared Best Stopper and Ram Bateri was announced Best Raider.
24.The Indian government pulled up the country’s Army chief General Bikram Singh for accepting a ‘Legion of Merit’ ,the sixth highest American military honor, without its approval. The Indian Defense Ministry questioned that the bestowment of the honor was not the part of General Singh’s itinerary during his visit to the U. S., then why he accepted the ‘Legion of Merit’, without prior clearance from the government.
25.Mary Kom, the legendary boxer from North East wrote her autobiography titled “Unbreakable”. The book was inaugurated by Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan at Mumbai.
26.India’s Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade arrested in New York for an alleged case of visa fraud and making false statements in connection with the visa application for an Indian national employee who was domestic helper in her home. Later on, she released on a $250000 bond after she pleaded not guilty in a court
27.As per the data released by the China’s General Administration of Customs, India’s trade deficit with China after 11 months of this year has reached a record $29.5 billion, exceeding 2012’s annual figure. Towards the end of 2013, India’s exports to China reached only $14.87 billion out of total bilateral trade of $59.24 billion.
The numbers underline the sharp decline in once-burgeoning trade, which reached $74 billion in 2011 when China became India’s biggest trading partner.
28.The National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned “unregulated open burning” of plastic, rubber or such other articles across the country. NGT directed all the municipal authorities to ‘set up, operationalise and coordinate the waste management systems within their limits
29.Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez signed a multi-year contract with the British-based team Sahara Force India. The 23-year-old Mexican completes Sahara Force India’s 2014 line-up alongside Nico Hülkenberg and helps to create one of the most exciting pairing on the grid.
30.Time magazine chose Pope Francis as its person of the year. The magazine gave this honor to Pope Francis for changing the perception of the Roman Catholic church in an extraordinary way in a short time.
31.Retired High Court Judge DP Buch was sworn as the fourth Lokayukta of the Gujarat by Governor Kamla Beniwal, on the post that was lying vacant for a decade and over which Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Governor Kamla Beniwal were on a collision course for three years.
32.Mid-East governments (Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians) signed a historic trilateral agreement at the World Bank in Washington, which outlines regional water-sharing initiatives from the Red Sea to Dead Sea to relieve shortages in the waterless lands.
The Dead Sea has unique water properties like humans can float naturally on the surface, etc. Owing to human intervention, the sea is depleting 1m (3.3ft) a year. Thus, in order to save the Dead Sea, a pipeline will built on the Jordanian side of the Aqaba Gulf to carry sea water from a desalination plant at the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, while providing drinking water to the region.
33.NASA satellites discovered a desolate and remote ice plateau in East Antarctica, the coldest place on earth. The remote region plunged as low as minus 94.7oC (minus 135.8oF). This beat the previous record of -89.2 degrees Celsius measured at the Russian Vostok Research Station in East Antarctica on July 21, 1983.
34.The External Affairs Ministry appointed former Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai as India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He succeeded Jaimini Bhagwati, who retired recently.
35.As per the secret documents disclosed by whistle-blower Edward Snowden, in an effort to identify terrorist threats, US and British spies have reportedly penetrated the massive communities playing video games such as World of War craft, etc.
36.The Supreme Court has banned the use of red beacon light with flashers on all vehicles except those used by high dignitaries holding constitutional post; also banned pressure horns, multiple sound emitting horns and musical horns in vehicles.
The court passed the order on a PIL filed by Uttar Pradesh resident Abhay Singh on misuse of red beacon.
37.Researchers at University of Toronto have discovered a new greenhouse gas that is 7,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide to cause greenhouse effect which causes warming of the Earth.
As per the scientists, the newly discovered gas, PerFluoroTriButylAmine (PFTBA), has been in use by the electrical industry since the mid-20th century.
The discoverers have claimed that PFTBA which does not occur naturally has the highest radiative efficiency of any molecule detected in the atmosphere up to now.
The study showed that PFTBA was 7,100 times more powerful at warming the Earth over a 100-year time period than CO2. This gas remains in the atmosphere for about 500 years, and unlike CO2 which is absorbed by forests and oceans, there are no known natural “sinks” on Earth to absorb it.
Do we need to worry about PFTBA?
Not at current levels. The current concentration of PFTBA in the atmosphere is very low as compared to CO2 so it does not displace the focus of our concerns from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal as the main drivers of climate change. However, higher concentration of the gas would contribute to a serious global warming. So we need to ponder over using such compounds in large quantity without first understanding their impact on climate change.
38.The Reserve Bank of India has granted license to Doha Bank to start banking operations in India and has allowed it to open a branch in Mumbai to provide full-scale banking services.
Doha Bank which is the largest commercial bank in the state of Qatar intends to expand its operations at the local, regional and international levels.
39.Raman Singh (61) of BJP was sworn in as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh for the 3rd term in row. Governor Shekhar Dutt administered Singh the oath of office and secrecy during a grand swearing-in ceremony.
40.According to the latest annual list of Fortune 500 companies in India published by business magazine Fortune, state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC) is country’s biggest company in terms of annual revenue, followed by Mukesh Ambani-led private sector giant Reliance Industries at the second place.
Indian Oil Corp (IOC) was the biggest with annual revenue of Rs 4,75,867 crore, followed by Reliance Industries (RIL) with a full-year revenue of Rs 4,09,883 crore. This is followed by Bharat Petroleum (Rs 2,44,822 crore) at the third place and Hindustan Petroleum (Rs 2,17,771 crore) at fourth.
As per Fortune 500, India Top 10 Companies are:
1. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)
2. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)
3. Bharat Petroleum
4. Hindustan Petroleum
5. State Bank of India
6. Tata Motors
7. ONGC
8. Tata Steel
9. Essar Oil
10. Coal India
41.Bharti Airtel, has inked an infrastructure-sharing agreement with the telecom subsidiary of Reliance Industries.
The deal will allow the telecom unit, Reliance Jio, to access Bharti’s nationwide infrastructure while Bharti will have in return access to the optic fibre capacity established by Jio in future.
42.Uruguay has become the first nation in the world to make it legal to grow, sell and consume marijuana. The country’s parliament has passed the government-sponsored bill which allows registered Uruguayans over 18 to buy up to 40g (1,4oz) of the drug a month.
43.Mizoram Assembly poll results are out and Congress has defeated its main rival Mizo National Front (MNF) by a huge margin. Although Congress faced debacle in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi, it has managed to save face in Mizoram by registering a second consecutive win in the small Christian-dominated state that MNF once wanted to take out of the Indian Union.
44.Beverages and food giant PepsiCo India appointed former Nokia senior executive D. Shivakumar as the company’s new chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) for the Indian region.
45.India will host the 2017 Under-17 World Cup Football. This will be the first time India will host an international football competition at world level.
46.“Miss Earth Venezuela” Alyz Henrich won the 13th edition of the Miss Earth Pageant held at the Versailles Palace in Alabang, Muntilupa City, Philippines. Miss Earth is an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness.
47.Star India Pvt. Ltd., the television network, bags sponsorship rights of the Indian cricket team covering BCCI events, International Cricket Council (ICC) events and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events, from January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2017. This brings to an end a 12-year partnership with Sahara, the existing team sponsor, whose contract expires on December 31,2013.
48.In the 2013 Delhi state assembly elections, AAP emerged as the second largest party in Delhi winning 28 seats in the assembly. After a remarkable performance in the Delhi state assembly election Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is all set to be recognized as ‘a state party’ by the Election Commission.
About Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
Mr. Arvind Kejriwal launched AAP on November 26, 2012, who was the former member of India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, founded by Anna Hazare.
How does EC recognizes a ‘state party’?
As per the criteria of election commission, a party can be called as a state party if all its candidates get minimum of 8 percent votes or secure minimum of 6% of the total votes polled and one assembly seat for every 25 seats in the state. After the announcement, the party will have the option of retaining its original symbol or it may design an alternative symbol for its party.
Note: If a political party is recognized as a “State Party” in four or more States then it will automatically become a national party.
49.December 10 was observed as Human Rights Day across the globe marking the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The theme chosen for the year 2013 is ‘20 Years Working for Your Rights’.
50.The BJP clinched majority of seats in the Assembly Elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made remarkable debut in Delhi where it clinched 28 of 70 seats. In Delhi, though the BJP secured highest number of seats (31) but it fell short of 5 seats for attaining the majority.
51.Mauritius and India agreed on the principle of including a Limitation Of Benefit (LOB) or anti-treaty shopping law clause in the revised tax treaty to ring-fence its jurisdiction from any attempts of round-tripping and money laundering activities.
52.As per Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), all of Syria’s unfilled munitions have been destroyed.
The United Nations and OPCW teams are working in tandem in Syria with an aim to remove the most toxic chemicals from Syria by the end of the year for destruction at sea and destroy the entire program by mid-2014. The OPCW, which won the Nobel Peace Prize 2013, has been instructed by the United Nations to supervise the destruction of the Syrian government’s chemical weapons stockpile.
53.Jordan has been elected as a non-permanent member of United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Jordan has replaced Saudi Arabia which was recently elected for the position but rejected the seat in protest at the UN council’s failure to end the war in Syria and act on other Middle East issues.
Which are the new members on UNSC?
Jordan is the latest entrant on the UNSC as its non-permanent member. Besides, Lithuania, Chile, Nigeria and Chad will also join as new members of the council, replacing Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Pakistan, Morocco and Togo. The other five temporary council members that will remain next year are Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, South Korea and Rwanda.
54.India’s first indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas successfully launched an infrared seeking air-to-air missile that hit its target with precision.
55.Employing or engaging a person has become an offence now as Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013 comes into force across India except J&K. The law forbids the employment of manual scavengers, the manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective equipment and the construction of insanitary latrines.
56.At the 18th Session of the Conference of State Parties, Mr. Ahmet Uzumcu was re-appointed as the OPCW Director General.
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
An independent, international body established in 1997.
Objective: To implement the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Has a working relationship with the UN.
Headquarters: The Hague, the Netherlands.
Conducts inspections of destruction procedures, as well as evaluating members’ own declarations, in order to examine that the convention is being followed.
57.To help global efforts to ensure gender equality and empowerment of women, India contributed $1 million to the UN as the fourth installment of India’s multi-year pledge to provide USD 5 Mn to UN Women (United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women).
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr. Asoke K Mukerji urged UN Women to focus on increasing the use of information and communication technology for empowerment of women.
58.An informal group of ministers, headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar recommended a number of incentives to cash-starved sugar mills including financial package to pay cane farmers.
Why the need for a financial package for sugar mills ?
Owing to an increase in prices of fuel and fertilizer, farmers are insisting that mills pay Rs.280- Rs.300 per quintal for sugarcane. But millers hold that they can afford to pay only Rs.225 per quintal.
59.What is WTO Ministerial Conference?
The WTO Ministerial Conference is the topmost decision-making body of the World Trade Organization which regularly convenes every two years. It brings together all members of the WTO, all of which are countries or customs unions. The Ministerial Conference can take decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.
The conference has key issues to discuss viz. Trade facilitation, Agriculture negotiations, Cotton Least-developed countries Monitoring mechanism, Small and vulnerable economies, Yemen’s accession, E-commerce “Non-violation” in intellectual property, etc.
What was India’s stand at the Bali Ministerial of the World Trade Organisation 2013 ?
India decided not to agree to the ‘Peace Clause’ for agriculture subsidies that the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevedo has proposed for Bali talks.
Here, India stands to seek safeguards for subsidies given to the farmers for food security purposes by poor countries. Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said that for India, food security is non-negotiable, it is an integral part of the millennium development goals and the need for public stockholding of food grains to ensure food security must be respected, and for this WTO rules must be updated.
For this valuable cause, India got support from many WTO members like South Africa, Nepal, Egypt, Uganda, Namibia, Argentina, Zimbabwe, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mauritius and Nicaragua, etc.
What is the Peace Clause under current context and why an issue over this Peace Clause?
Under this ‘Peace Clause’, developing countries can provide WTO-prohibited subsidies to farmers without inviting any dispute under the Agreement on Agriculture, developed countries will have the right to drag these countries to the WTO Disputes Settlement Body, under the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures. This would render the peace clause null-and-void.
Note : Developed countries pressurizing India to accept a peace clause, which offers four years of immunity against penalties imposed for breaching the farm subsidy cap of 10 per cent under the WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA).
Outcome of the 9th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Because of India’s concern of Food security, WTO’s Bali Ministerial Conference revised draft decisions on a package of issues designed to streamline trade, allow developing countries more options for providing food security, boost least developed countries’ trade and help development more generally.
60.Pakistani teen activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived bullet-injury inflicted by the Taliban for championing girls’ education has won the UN Human Rights Prize 2013.
61.Nelson Mandela (95), South African anti-apartheid icon passed away at his residence at Johannesburg. The death of the great statesman is being mourned by his nation and the world with tributes flooding in from the leaders and people all over the globe.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela:
Born: July 18, 1918 to the Thembu royal family belonging to Xhosa clan.Sobriquet:The Father of the Nation (South Africa), Madiba, or as Tata (“Father”). He studied law at Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand. Joined anti-colonial politics and the African National Congress (ANC) and became a founding member of its Youth League.
62.Sports goods manufacturer Adidas unveiled the new ball for 2014 World Cup – called the “Brazuca,” in honor of Brazil at a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. Adidas has been following the tradition of providing the official ball for every World Cup tournament since 1970.
What does Brazuca mean?
The word “Brazuca” has a dual meaning, used as a term for Brazilians living overseas – including its many footballers – but also as slang used to describe national pride or anything “Brazilianish”. The ball is decorated with a ribbon design in shades of blue, gold and green, which the manufacturer says represents the traditional “wish bracelets” worn in Brazil.
The ball will be introduced in the inaugural game of FIFA World Cup 2014 on June 12, 2014 in Sao Paulo, and will be played with until the final on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
63.The Union Cabinet has approved for the creation of Telangana with 10 districts and sketched the draft for carving out the India’s 29th state from the current Andhra Pradesh.
64.Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency (ICRA) warned the banking industry that it may suffer more shocks due to the pile up of its’ gross bad assets which is set to touch 4.4 %, or Rs 2.9 trillion of total assets by this fiscal end.
65.India ranked 98th in the Forbes list of world’s best countries for doing business that has cited poverty, corruption and discrimination against girls among the challenges facing the country. The rating of 145 nations was done on the several factors viz. property rights, innovation, taxes, technology, corruption, freedom (personal, trade and monetary), red tape, investor protection, stock market performance, etc.
Ireland topped the Forbes ‘doing business’ list, as it maintains an extremely pro-business environment which attracts investments from world’s biggest companies. Ireland was followed by New Zealand and Hong Kong.
66.The senior most Information Commissioner Ms Sushma Singh will be the next Chief Information Commissioner of India (CIC), she will succeed Ms Deepak Sandhu. The decision to appoint Sushma Singh, a former IAS officer, as the next CIC was taken unanimously by a panel consisting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Law Minister Kapil Sibal. She will be the second woman to become CIC after Ms Deepak Sandhu whose term comes to an end later this month.
67.The Legislative Assembly of Karnataka passed a stringent Essential Services Maintenance Bill (ESMA), 2013 which will render striking work a non-bailable offence and empowers the police to arrest a striking employee without warrant.
68.Following its plan to achieve the Rs.40, 000 crore disinvestment target for this fiscal, the government issued Follow-on-Public Offer (FPO) of Power Grid Corporation which was fully subscribed.
The sale of 78.70 crore shares valuing $ 1.1 billion, or 17% stake, could fetch around Rs 7,083 crore at the upper end of the price band. .
With this offer, the government holding in the company will come down to 57.89% from the current level of 69.42%.
69.In a bid to foster regional consciousness and bring member states closer, Kathmandu-based Indian diplomat Abhay Kumar composed an anthem for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). SAARC Anthem by Kumar will be translated in Hindi, English, Nepali, Bengali, Pashto, Urdu, Sinhala, Dzongkha and Dhivehi, languages spoken in the South Asian region.Note - ‘ASEAN Way’ is ASEAN’s anthem .
70.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dedicated to the Nation GAIL India Ltd’s 1,000 km long natural gas pipeline from Dabhol to Bangalore during the inaugural ceremony of the 8th Asia Gas Partnership Summit (AGPS).
71.India’s Current Account Deficit (CAD) has improved significantly to $ 5.2 billion (1.2% of GDP) in the second quarter (July-September) of this fiscal mainly due to decrease in gold imports and increase in exports.
72.India’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully test-fired nuclear capable Prithvi II missile as part of a regular training exercise. The indigenously developed ballistic missile with a maximum range of 350 km was fired from Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Balasore district, about 230 km from Bhubaneswar.
73.According to a survey by corruption watchdog Transparency International, India is positioned at 94th place on corruption index which ranked 177 countries. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia are viewed as the world’s most corrupt countries while Denmark and New Zealand have scored the best.
74.President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Nagaland’s famous Hornbill Festival. Hornbill (name of a bird) Festival, considered one of the biggest events in the state, puts on display the rich tradition and cultural heritage of the Naga people. Nagaland is also observing the golden jubilee (50 years) of its formation as a state.
75.With an aim to minimize frauds, RBI has made it mandatory for debit card holders to punch in their PIN numbers every time they use the card. In June 2013, the central bank had extended the deadline for implementation of mandatory PIN punching at Point-of-Sales (PoS) and merchant outlets till November 30, 2013 following representation of banks.
76.In an attempt to carry out its first ever ‘soft landing’ on moon, China launched its lunar mission-Chang’e-3 which is carrying country’s first moon rover marking a major milestone for China’s space programme.
77.As stated by the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, India is once again among a small list of countries that qualifies for an exemption from unilateral sanctions imposed by the US on countries importing oil from Iran.
78.In a historic development, India’s first Mars mission- the Mars Orbiter Mission’s (MOM) spacecraft’s was propelled into the Mars Transfer Trajectory freeing it from the influence of Earth’s gravity. ISRO successfully conducted the Trans Mars Injection (TMI) operations to put MOM on course to the Red Planet with the help of spacecraft’s 440 Newton liquid engine which was fired for about 22 minutes providing a velocity increment of 648 metres/second to the spacecraft. With this, the Earth orbiting phase of the spacecraft ended and is now on path to Mars.
The spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Spacecraft Control Centre at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bangalore with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennae at Byalalu.
79.Maharashtra will have its fifth tiger reserve in Nagzira as the National Tiger Conservation Authority has given nod to the development of the conservation zone. The tiger reserve will be set up between Bhandara and Gondia districts.
80.Ex- Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Satyananda Mishra has been appointed as the chairman of Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) board.
The Forward Markets Commission (FMC) also approved the appointment of Satyananda Mishra as the independent Director of MCX’s board.
81.India’s first “Synthetic Rubber Plant” was unveiled at Panipat in Haryana.
The plant has been set up by Indian Synthetic Rubber Ltd (ISRL) which is a joint venture promoted by Indian Oil, TSRC Corporation, Taiwan, and Marubeni Corporation, Japan.The plant will be the country’s first unit to produce e-SBR (Styrene Butadiene Rubber) whose output will be 120 kilo tonnes synthetic rubber annually.
82.Lt General Raheel Sharif promoted and appointed as the new chief of Pakistan army.
83.Thailand’s Thidapa Suwannapura won the Women’s Indian Open golf tournament played at the Delhi Golf Club. The win also made Suwannapura the second Thai to win the title, after three-time winner and defending champion Phatlum Pornanong.
India’s Gauri Monga was tied fifth — the best show by an Indian in the tournament.
84.India’s rising badminton star P.V. Sindhu achieved another feat as she lifted the Macau Open Grand Prix Gold title by defeating Canada’s Michelle Li in the final clash, in Macau.
85.According to a study by the Planning Commission, the cost of bringing all households above the poverty line would have been Rs. 55,744 crore during 2011-12 if cash transfers were used instead of anti-poverty schemes. This would have been sufficient to plug the poverty gap and would be just a fraction of annual anti-poverty budget instead of initiating new anti-poverty schemes.
As per the analysis by the Planning Commission:
Of Rs. 55,744, Rs 42,932 crore would have had to be transferred to the below poverty line households in rural areas and the rest Rs 12,812 crore to those in urban areas.
In 2011-12, the UPA government had spent Rs 72,822.07 crore on food subsidy. The expenditure in the same year on the UPA’s seven flagship schemes was Rs. 1,09,379 crore.
This cost is likely to increase as the annual cost of implementing the Food Security Law alone is estimated at Rs 1.2 lakh crore.
The anti-poverty programmes in our country have leakages and is inefficient.
What is Poverty Gap?
Poverty gap is the amount of cash required for a household to lift it above the poverty line. It is the difference in the level of consumption of the households below the poverty line and those on the line.
As per the Tendulkar Committee report, a household of five people in India subsists with a monthly consumption of Rs. 874.50which is the Poverty Line. This poverty line is in proximity to the World Bank Poverty Line of an income of $1.25 a day (on a Purchasing Power Parity basis).
86.NATO held Cyber Coalition 2013: Largest-ever cyber-exercises to practise averting large-scale, simultaneous cyber attacks on member states and their allies. The drill was hosted by National Defence College training center in Tartu, Estonia.
Objective: Cyber Coalition an exercise with technical components to give its participants a good learning about NATO’s Cyber Defence capabilities, identify areas for improvement within the NATO-wide Cyber Defence community. It also aims to better the capability, cooperation and information sharing between NATO and NATO nations and partners in cyber defence via mode of education, research and development, lessons learnt.
Who all participated in Cyber Coalition 2013?
Representatives of 27 nations and NATO partners from Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Ireland and Finland participated in the drill. New Zealand and the European Union took part as observers. A total of 400 people participated, including government, legal and IT experts. Participants put their skills to the test to show how they would respond to a cyber attack.
87.As per the Reserve Bank of India, the incremental bank loans to medium service enterprises (as defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006) provided after November 13, 2013, up to the credit limit of Rs 10 crore, would qualify as priority sector advances. This dispensation would remain in force up to March 31, 2013.
88.India conveyed its plan to Iran towards developing Chah-bahar port there that would ensure connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia even though the recent Iran-P5+1 interim deal has not reached a decisive point.
The development of Chah-bahar port — around 80 km away from Pakistan’s Gwadar port- has been affected by the uncertainty of sanctions on Iran and Finance minister P Chidambaram who has conditioned his permission on the port, by demanding a certain percentage return on investment from the port development project.
About Chah-bahar Port:
Afghanistan and Iran inked an agreement which will permit Afghanistan to use Iran’s south-eastern Chabahar port for shipments and trade.
89.Andhra Pradesh is on high alert as very severe cyclone Lehar is gusting towards it. Currently, it is centered 650 km east-southeast on Machilipatttam in the State where it is likely to hit. It would be the second storm to hit Andhra in barely a week after the impact of cyclone Helen. The Army, the Navy and the Coast Guard have been alerted. Fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea while those already in the sea have been asked to return.