{ Feb 2014 } IIT Kharagpur Food engineers have developed a cheap ready-to-eat paste for malnourished children

Current Affairs :- Feb 2014 

A four-member team of IIT researchers prepared the formulation in their food chemistry and technology lab which could be used as part of medical nutrition therapy for management of severe acute malnutrition children.
IIT professor Dr H N Mishra, who led the research, said that "It has all the vitamins, minerals, nutrients and protein which a malnourished child needs". 
Important to note : 
Rs 1.8 crore in funds for the IIT project was sanctioned by the biotechnology department of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.
IIT Kharagpur has tied up with Delhi-based Gattapu Chemicals as industry partner which would have the rights to sell the formulation.

{ Feb 2014 } Angela Merkel bagged Israeli Presidential Medal of Distinction

Current Affairs :- Feb 2014

Angela Merkel bagged prestigious Israeli Presidential Medal of Distinction. Angela Merkel is German Chancellor. It is highest civilian honour of Israel. Angela Merkel was awarded with the Medal of Distinction by Israeli President, Shimon Peres on 25th February 2014. 
Israel's Presidential medal is given every year by the President to a person for extraordinary contribution to the country.

{ Feb 2014 } Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi - Indian Navy Chief resigned

Current Affairs :- Fen 2014 

Indian Navy Chief Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi resigned on 26 February 2014 taking moral responsibility of the accident on INS Sindhuratna in Mumbai, thus he became first Defence forces Chief to resign since independence.
It was tenth mishap involving an Indian Navy warship and the third involving a submarine in the last seven months.

{ Feb 2014 } Dinesh Sarraf appointed ONGC chief

 Current Affairs :- Feb 2014

Mr. Dinesh Sarraf appointed as next Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on 26 February 2014. 
Name of Mr. Dinesh K Sarraf as the next head of ONGC was recommended by The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PSEB).
He will be replacing Mr. Sudhir Vasudeva who will be due to retire on 28 February 2014.
Mr. Sarraf is currently working as the head of OVL.

{ Feb 2014 } Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Sahara Chief Subrata Roy

Current Affairs :- Feb 2014 

The Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the Sahara chief Subrata Roy on 26 February 2014. The court ordered his arrest following his failure to appear before it in a case arising out of non refund of money to its investors.
However Sahara chief Subrata Roy on Thursday tendered an "unconditional apology" to the Supreme Court for his non-appearance in a contempt case and sought recall of the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him.

Important to note : 

The arrest warrant was issued against Subrata Roy in connection with the case in which his two companies — Sahara India Real Estate Corp Ltd and Sahara India Housing Investment Corp Ltd — have been directed to refund Rs 20,000 crore to investors.

{ Feb 2014 } Sourav Kothari Bagged National Billiard Championship title

Current Affairs :- Feb 2014 

Sourav Kothari won the National Billiard Championships held in Lucknow on 26 February 2014. Sourav Kothari bagged this title by beating Alok Kumar by 5-3. 
This is the first maiden title for Saurav Kothari. Sourav Kothari and Alok Kumar both play for Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB).
Third position was secured by B. Bhaskar who beat Dhruv Sitwala.
Read other important current affairs

{ Feb 2014 } Minister Gulam Nabi Azad inaugurated AIIMS Bhubaneswar

Current Affairs :- Feb 2014

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Gulam Nabi Azad inaugurated the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar on 26 February 2014.  During inauguration an e-Card system was also introduced. e-Card system (also known as health card) will help the patients to know about the disease, doctor assigned and treatment.
About AIIMS Bhubaneswar : 
It is built over an area of 125000 square metre.
It has three operation theatres (OTs), a recovery ward, four high dependant units.
It has overall 978 beds.

{ Feb 2014 } Marathi film Killa bagged Crystal Bear award at 64th Berlin International Film Festival

Current Affairs :- Feb 2014 

A Marathi film named Killa which has been directed by Avinash Arun won the Crystal Bear (Glasernen Bar) for the best film award by the Children’s jury in Generation Kplus section at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival on 17 February 2014.

The jury in its citation for the award to the film said that the film deals with the universal conflict of migration and how it impacts the lives of people, especially children made them want to discover India. The film Killa convinced the jury in all respects with good camera work and the great actors. 

Important to note : 

Film Killa was produced by Madhukar R Musle, Ajay G Rai and Alan McAlex.

{ Feb 2014 } 67th BAFTA Awards highlights

Current Affairs :- Feb 2104 

The 67th British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards were distributed in London on 16 February 2014. The Awards were conferred for the outstanding performances in films and documentaries screened at British Cinemas in 2013.

Following is the list of awards conferred : 

• Best Film      ->  12 Years a Slave
• Best Director -> Alfonso Cuar’on (Gravity)
• Best Actor    ->  Chiwetel Ejofor (12 years a Slave)
• Best Actress -> Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
• Best Supporting Actor ->  Barkhad Abdi (Capitan)
• Best Supporting Actress -> Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
• Best British Film ->  Gravity
• Best Debut By a British Writer, Director or Producer -> Kieran Evans
• Best Original Screenplay ->American Hustle
• Best Adapted Screenplay -> Philomena
• Best Film Not In The English Language -> The Great Beauty
• Best Documentary ->  The Act of Killing
• Best Original Film Score ->  Gravity
• Best Cinematography ->  Gravity
• Best Editing ->  Rush
• Best Sound -> Gravity
• Best Animated Film -> Frozen
• Best Visual Effects -> Gravity
• Best Makeup and Hair -> American Hustle
• Best Production Design -> The Great Gatsby
• Best Costumes -> The Great Gatsby
• Best Short Film -> Room 8
• Best Animated Short -> Sleeping With The Fishes
• BAFTA Rising Star Award -> Will Poulter

{ Feb 2014 } New high commissioner of Pakistan to India - Abdul Basit

Current Affairs :- Feb 2104

Pakistan has appointed Abdul Basit as Pakistan's High Commissioner to India. 
Mr. Abdul Basit joined the Foreign Service in 1982 and has held various assignments in Pakistan Missions abroad and at the headquarters.  

Important to note : 

Salman Bashir will be replaced by Abdul Basit.
Before this Abdul Basit was the Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany since May 2012.

{ Feb 2014 } Former Preston and England footballer Tom Finney died at the age of 91

Current Affairs - Feb 2014

Former Preston and England footballer Tom Finney died at the age of 91. He was nicknamed as the Preston Plumber. Born on 5 April 1922, he played his last game in 1963.
For the year 1953-54 and 1956-57, he won the footballer of the year title. 
He was among the most talented players of his generation.

{ Feb 2014 } Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kingfisher Airlines Sanjay Aggarwal resigned

Current Affairs :- Feb 2014

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kingfisher Airlines Sanjay Aggarwal resigned on 17 February 2014. 
Sanjay Aggarwal had joined kingfisher Airlines on 30 September 2010. 
Prior to Kingfisher, he was working with SpiceJet Airlines ltd. Aggarwal had led SpiceJet as its CEO and led the low-cost airline back to profitability. He quit the airline when media baron Kalanithi Maran of Sun TV Network Ltd bought SpiceJet in June 2010.

Kingfisher's operating license was suspended in October 2012 by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation following a strike by the airline’s employees. The permit has since expired, although it can be renewed within two years, which is by October 2014.

Ten-day festival Taj Mahotsav began in Agra ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Ten day annual festival Taj Mahotsav, began in Agra, Uttar Pradesh on 18 February 2014.
The festival will be celebrated from 18 to 27 February 2014 at the Shilp Gram, the Eastern gate of Taj Mahal. The theme of the festival for this year is Paigham-e Mohahabbat or the message of love.
Important to note : 
Taj Mahotsav was started in 1992 and  is organized by the Uttar Pradesh Department of Tourism to increase the Indian Tourism.

Sikkim won National Tourism Award 2012-13 ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

 Current Affairs In Feb 2014 

Sikkim won the National Tourism Award 2012-13 on 18 February 2014. The award was handed over to Bhim Dhungel, Sikkim’s Tourism Minister by Shashi Tharoor, Union Minister for Human Resource Development at a function at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
Union Ministry of Tourism declared Sikkim as the best State in the implementation of rural tourism projects.
The tourism department of Sikkim had tied up with states like Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka and Goa for tourist flow from these states to Sikkim. To ensure international tourism flow in the state, the department is also negotiating with countries like Bhutan and Nepal. 

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (CM), Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned from the post on 19 February 2014. He also quitted from the membership of the State Assembly and the Congress Party as a protest to the decision to bifurcate the Andhra Pradesh State.

Important to note : 

The Telangana Bill, splitting Andhra Pradesh and forming Telangana as 29th State was passed by the Lok Sabha on 18 February 2014 with Congress and BJP coming together on the issue. The Bill will be passed in Rajya Sabha on 19 February 2014.

WhatsApp acquired by Facebook for 19 billion dollar ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

 Current Affairs In Feb 2014

• Social media giant Facebook Inc acquired WhatsApp for 19 billion dollars in a cash and stock deal on 19 February 2014. 
• Whatsapp is a mobile messaging company.
• WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook Board of Directors.

Important to note : 

WhatsApp's core messaging product and Facebook's existing messenger app will continue to operate as standalone applications.
The acquisition price included 4 billion dollars in cash, about 12 billion dollars worth of Facebook shares and 3 billion dollars in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp's founders and employees.
Jan Koum co-founded WhatsApp with Brian Acton in 2009, both former Yahoo executives.

Classical language status to Odia ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014 

Odia on Thursday became the sixth language of the country to get "classical language" status after the Union Cabinet conceded a long-pending demand. for putting it in the same league as

Already five languages has Classical Language status, these are : 

• Sanskrit,
• Tamil,
• Telugu,
• Kannada and
• Malayalam.

The criteria for declaring a language as classical mandates high antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1,500-2,000 years, a body of ancient literature/texts which  is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers and a literary tradition that is original and not borrowed from another speech community.

Dr. Hemant Thatte developed a solution to preserve organs ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014 

NRI Dr. Hemant Thatte developed a 21-chemical solution named SOMAH Solution on 20 February 2014. The solution could preserve a donated organ for up to a week before a transplant. SOMAH Solution in Sanskrit means elixir of immortality. At present, hearts and lungs need to be transplanted within 4-6 hours of being recovered from a brain-dead donor, the liver within eight hours and kidneys within a little more than 24 hours.
The biggest advantage of SOMAH is that it can be used at room temperatures.

Important to note : 
Dr. Hemant Thatte is a senior cardiovascular surgeon at Harvard University.

IRCTC launched E-wallet Scheme ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014

An E-wallet scheme has been launched by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a public sector undertaking of the Ministry of Railways, to make the payment process fast and to reduce transaction failures due to bank payment related problems.
Under this scheme, users can deposit money in advance with IRCTC which can be used as a payment option along with other payment options available on the IRCTC website for paying money at the time of booking tickets. 
Important current affairs 2014

Important to note : 

This scheme is available for PAN verified users only.

ASI and Google unveil 360-degree online view of heritage monuments ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014

Google and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) today jointly launched 360-degree panoramic imagery of 30 out of 100 "nationally-important monuments" including Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, Jantar Mantar and Qutub Minar among others, on 20th February 2013. 

Important to note : 

The search engine giant and the Ministry of Culture had signed a memorandum at the Qutub Minar complex last October, following which the company created a "virtual walkthrough" application using its "Street View Trekker" technology for the first time in India.
The Street View Trekker technology was introduced in 2012, which is a Street View camera platform, with 15 cameras on board that capture a 360-degree view of the area around.

Bhartiya Mahila Bank signed three Pacts with New India Assurance ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014

Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) signed Pact with New India Assurance Company on 21st February 2014. The pact aims to deliver three unique innovative health insurance policies for women account holders of the bank. 
Name of the policies are  
BMB-Sakhee 
BMB-Nirbhaya 
BMB-Parivar Suraksha
The BMB-Sakhee aimed at rural women and those in the unorganised sector. It will offer a cover up to 50000 rupees a year.
The BMB-Nirbhaya scheme aimed particularly for working women. It offer cover limit up to 5 lakh rupees. It will include insurance for accidental situations unique to women.
The BMB-Parivar Suraksha aimed to cover the family of the woman account holder of the bank. 
The policies will provide customised health insurance package for women. This was the first launch of women centric insurance policies.

Matteo Renzi sworn-in as PM of Italy ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

 Current Affairs In Feb 2014

Matteo Renzi on 22 February 2014 sworn-in as Italy’s Prime Minister replacing Enrico Letta, who resigned from the office on 14 February 2014. Apart from this a new cabinet of 16 ministers also took the sworn of their offices at the Presidential palace in Rome.

Important to note : 

Matteo Renzi is 39 years old and is the Italy’s youngest Prime Minister and he is the third prime minister to reach office without winning an election. Renzi belongs to the Democratic Party, who was the former mayor of the Florence.

Bezbaruah Committee Constituted for the protection of rights of North Eastern people ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014

Under the chairmanship of M.P. Bezbaruah a committee was constituted on 21st February 2014 to look into the various kinds of concerns of the persons hailing from the North Eastern States. 
The committee was constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. M.P.Bezbaruah is a Member of North Eastern Council.
The Bezbaruah committee will do following functions :
To examine the various kinds of concerns, including the concerns regarding security, of the persons hailing from the North Eastern States.
To examine the causes behind the attacks/violence and discrimination against the people from the North-Eastern States.
To suggest measures to be taken by the Government to address these concerns.
To suggest legal remedies to address all the concerns.

Three MOU's signed between India and Canada ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014

India and Canada on 24 February 2014 signed three MoUs for cooperation in health sector, audio-visual co-production and skill development.
David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada is on a nine day visit (22 February 2014 to 2 March 2014) to India. 

Features of three MOU's are : 

The MoU between the Department of Biotechnology and Grand Challenges Canada would address the global health challenges especially women and child healthcare
The audio-visual cooperation MoU is aimed at co-production in the field of film and Television. This MoU will enable Indian and Canadian film producers to utilize a platform for collaboration on various facets of film making. The agreement is expected to deepen the engagement between the critical sectors of the film industries of both countries there by, providing a new chapter of collaboration. This agreement was signed by the Secretary Information and Broadcasting, Bimal Julka and Stewart Beck, High Commissioner of Canada to India.
Under the MoU on skill development, the two organisations namely National Skill Development Corporation and Association of Canadian Community College for Skill Development will facilitate exchange and learning.

Somdev Devvarman won ATP men's singles tennis title ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014

Somdev Devvarman on 23 February 2014 lifted his third ATP Challenge Tennis title after beating top seed Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3, 6-1 in the final of the USD 100000 ONGC-GAIL Open in RK Khanna Tennis stadium, New Delhi.

Book "Water, Peace and War" - Confronting the Global Water Crisis released ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014

1. Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari released a book titled Water, Peace and War – Confronting the Global Water Crisis. 
2. It was released on 24 February 2014. The book is authored by Brahma Chellaney.
3. The book focuses on a wide range of research from scientific and policy fields to examine the global linkages between water and peace.

Prokash Karmakar, Eminent painter passed away ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014 

• Eminent painter Mr. Prokash Karmakar, passed away this evening following age-related illness.
•  He was 81 years old. 
• He was born in 1933 in Kolkata.

He won many prestigious awards including :

1. Lalit Kala Akademi National Award in 1968,
2. Rabindra Bharati University Award in 1970,
3. Birla Academy of Art and Culture in 1976,
4. AIFACS Award in 1996,
5. The West Bengal government awarded him with Abanindra Puroskar in 2000.

Book "Ambedkar Awakening India's Social Conscience" released by Vise President ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

 Current Affairs In Feb 2014 

• Book "Ambedkar Awakening India’s Social Conscience" was released by the Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari on 26 February 2014.
• Book has been authored by Dr. Narendra Jadhav. Br. Narendra Jadhav is a member of Planning Commission.
• Book is intellectual biography of Dr Ambedkar. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was a great social reformer. 

About Dr. Narendra Jadhav : 

Dr. Narendra Jadhav is a well-known economist, policy maker, educationist, social scientist and best-selling author and holds a PhD in Economics from Indiana University, USA. 

India decided to block the US investigations over trade policies and patents laws ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014 

• India has decided to block the investigations by the United States into its trade policies and patent laws, and prepare for a battle at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 24 February 2014.
• India is furious about a threat of trade sanctions made by the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office over its protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), preference for domestic producers and non-trade barriers. 
•  India has since hardened its stance, instructing officials not to allow any request from the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) to examine India’s trade practices.

28 February observed as National Science Day across India ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014

National Science Day was observed across the India on 28th February 2014.
This day is celebrated annually to mark the discovery of the "Raman effect" by Indian physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman on 28 February 1928.
The Theme of the science day of 2014 was "Fostering Scientific Temper and Energy conservation". This day is celebrated every year on this day to spread a message about the significance of scientific applications in the daily life of the people. 

Important to note : 

The National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) in 1986 asked the Government of India to designate 28 February as National Science Day. 
Indian physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for discovery of Raman Effect

India signed Public and Homeland security agreement with Israel ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

 Current Affairs In Feb 2014

• The Governments of India and Israel have signed a number of agreements on cooperation in legal assistance and Public and Homeland Security.
• The agreements relate to Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters, Agreement on Protection of Classified Material and Agreement on Cooperation in Homeland and Public Security.
• The pacts were signed by Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry Rajiv Sharma and Ambassador of Israel in India Alon Ushpiz and one agreement by Director in the Ministry of Defence Amir Kain.

New CSR rules notified by Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

 Current Affairs In Feb 2014

Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs notified new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rules for companies on 27th February 2014. 

These new CSR rules will become effective from 1st April 2014.

The new rules give effect to Section 135 and Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013.

Provisions : 

• Companies falling under ambit are required to spend 2 % of their 3 year average annual net profit on CSR activities in each financial year, beginning from the next fiscal year 2014-15.
• Company has to declare its CSR policy. This policy should mention plans/ activities /programmes or projects. These works should not be a part of routine business activities.
• Companies can undertake CSR activities as per the approval of the company’s board and decision of its CSR Committee in accordance with its CSR policy.
• Rules also define the manner in which CSR committee should formulate and monitor CSR policy, role of board of directors.
• A Company is permitted to collaborate with other companies in pursuing their CSR activities but they need to show their CSR reports separately.
• Companies are permitted to spend only 5% of the total CSR expenditure for manpower required for CSR activities in a single financial year. The manpower would include company’s own personnel and those of the implementing agencies.
• Company can also carry out CSR activities with a Society or a registered trust.
• Surplus from CSR activities cannot become a part of the profit of the company.
• Any type of contributions to any political party will not be treated as CSR activities. 
• Spending for the benefit of the company’s own employees also cannot be a part of CSR activity.
• All CSR activities will have to be within India.
• The new rules will be applicable to the foreign companies registered in India.

Music Album Raunaq written by Kapil Sibal launched ( Current Affairs In Feb 2014 )

Current Affairs In Feb 2014 

• Music album entitled Raunaq, written byKapil Sibal, the Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology was launched on 27th February 2014.
•  It was launched by Salman Khan. 
• This album was composed by music maestro AR Rahman. 
• Raunaq is a video album with seven songs, all songs have been penned down by Kapil Sibbal. Songs sung by artists from the music industry including Lata Mageshkar (Laadli), Shreya Ghosal (Kismat se), Jonita Gandhi (Aa Bhi Jaa) and Rahman (Laadli and Boondein). 
• As per Kapil Sibal, "these songs are a reflection of the current social scenario of India and reflects his view of the world that how things touched him."

Eminent Telugu writer - Hanumath Shastry passed away ( Current Affairs in Feb 2014 )

 Current Affairs in Feb 2014

• The renowned Telugu writer Janamaddhi Hanamachhaastri died on 28th February 2014 in Kapada town of Andhra Pradesh.
•  He was 90 years old. 
• He wrote more than 30 books in Telgu. He was born on 5th September 1926 in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Tunisia's new government of independents sworn in ( Current Affairs Till Jan 2014 )

 Current Affairs Till Jan 2014

Tunisia's new technocratic government headed by Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa was sworn in Wednesday, replacing an Islamist-led administration under an accord to end political turmoil and prepare for fresh elections.
The formal transfer of power took place at the presidential palace after a marathon overnight parliamentary session in which 149 of the country’s 193 lawmakers finally approved Jomaa’s line-up.

Heena Sandhu become first Indian shooter to hold a world record ( Current Affairs till Jan 2014 )

Current Affairs till Jan 2014 

• Heena Sandhu's score of 203.8 in 10 m Air Pistol set at the Munich World Cup in November 2013 was recognized as World record on 30 January 2014. 
• The declaration was officially made by the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF).
•  The declaration of the ISSF came following the adoption of new format.
• Heena, thus, became the first Indian woman ever to hold the world record in Shooting World Cup.
• She had defeated the World Champion Zorana Arunovic of Serbia.

Chief Minister of Uttrakhand Vijay Bahuguna resigned ( Current Affairs Till Jan 2014 )

Current Affairs Till Jan 2014

Chief Minister of Uttrakhand Vijay Bahuguna 22-month tenure came to an end on 31 Jan 2014, when he submitted his resignation to Governor of the state.

Important to note : 

There will be a visit of the observers (namely Ghulam Nabi Azad, Janardan Dwivedi and Ambika Soni) of Congress in the state. The observers of the state will attend a Congress Legislature Party meeting in which the new leader will be elected.

Gandhi portal for British-Indian children launched by India ( Current Affairs Till Jan 2014 )

Current Affairs Till Jan 2014

India launched a Gandhi Portal named Search for Gandhi in London on 31 January 2014. With this India aims to popularize Mahatma Gandhi among children of British Indians settled in UK. 
Portal meant for children aged 6 to 15 was launched by Sam Pitroda and High commissioner of India to UK Ranjan Mathai. 

Subsidised LPG cylinders quota raised to 12 ( Current Affairs Till Jan 2014 )

Current Affairs Till Jan 2014 

Union Government raised the quota of subsidised LPG cylinders from 9 cylinders to 12 cylinders per household in a year on 30 January 2014. This hike will be effective from April 2014.

Important to Note :

The hiked subsidised LPG quota will cost 5000 crore rupees more in subsidy to the exchequer annually. 99 crore people will be benefitted from the hike.

Fixed 2-year tenure for IAS, IPS, IFoS officers ( Current Affairs TilL Jan 2014 )

Current Affairs Till Jan 2014

Officers of the three premier services — IAS, IPS and IFoS — will now spend a minimum of two years in each posting, according to new rules aimed at checking political interference.
However, transfers and postings before two years will be done by a Civil Services Board to be constituted by states under the new rules circulated by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the central government.
A cadre officer, appointed to any cadre post, shall hold the office for at least two years unless he or she is promoted, retired or sent on deputation outside the state or for training exceeding two months, the rules said.

Important to Note : 

The rules were amended following the Supreme Courts direction to check the unnecessary political interference.
Every state will now have to make appointments of cadre officers on the recommendation of a Civil Services Board constituted by it under the chairmanship of the chief secretary. Besides, the transfer of a cadre officer before the minimum specified tenure can be done only on the recommendation of the board. According to the amendments effected to the IAS/IPS/IFoS cadre rules, an officer appointed to any cadre post shall hold office for at least two years unless in the meantime, he/she is promoted, retired or sent on deputation outside the state or training exceeding two months.

Iran has halted Uranium Enrichment activities ( Current Affairs Till Jan 2014 )

Current Affairs Till Jan 2014

• Iran has started halting the Uranium enrichment and has begun down-blending Uranium enriched to higher level. 
• The steps were taken on 20 January 2014 by Iran to limit its nuclear programme as per an interim deal with the world powers. 
• This report was confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran has halted enrichment work of the uranium and paved ways to suspend some sanctions imposed on it by the European Union and the United States.

Egypt approved the new Constitution in referendum ( Current Affairs Till Jan 2014 )

 Current Affairs Till Jan 2014

• Egypt approved the new Constitution in a referendum held by the Egypt’s electoral commission on 18 January 2014.
• The proposed new Constitution was drafted by a 50-member committee headed by Amr Moussa in December 2013.

Main features of new Constitution

The President can serve a term of four years for two times and can be impeached by the Parliament.
Islam remains the state religion but it provides for absolute religious freedom giving some protection to minorities (Christians and Jews).
The state guarantees equality between men and women.
Parties may not be formed on the grounds of religion, race, gender or geography.
Military to appoint defence minister for next eight years.

Emergency rule imposed in Bangkok, capital of Thailand for two months ( Current Affairs Till Jan 2014 )

Current Affairs Till Jan 2014

• 60 day state of emergency has been imposed in Bangkok by the Thailand government on 21 January 2014. The emergency measure came into effect from 22 January 2014.
• The emergency has been imposed to suppress the anti-government protest that has blocked the parts of the capital.
• The emergency decree bans public gatherings, censor the news reports and imposition of curfew for next 60 days.
• Deputy Interior Minister, Visarn Techateerawat announced emergency after a cabinet meeting.

India launched its Garuda Vasudha Advanced Light Helicopter of Geological Survey ( Current Affairs Till Jan 2014 )

 Current Affairs Till Jan 2014

• Dinsha Patel (Minister of Mines) launched the Advanced Light Helicopter named Garuda Vasudha of Geological Survey of India.
• It was launched from the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Bangalore on 23 January 2014.
• The Garuda Vasudha is a Dhruv category built by HAL.
• Garuda Vasudha of GSI is equipped with Heliborne Geophysical Survey System (HGSS) comprised of four aerogeophysical sensors namely

Time Domain Electromagnetic
Magnetic
Spectrometric 
Gravimetric along with Data Acquisition Systems procured from M/s Pico Envirotec Inc, Canada
Important to Note :

Garuda Vasudha is used for extensive surveys by the GSI for locating hidden mineral health.

India and Japan signed the memorandum in tourism ( Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014 )

 Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• India and Japan signed the MoU for strengthening cooperation in tourism on 22 January 2014. 
• It would facilitate travel and tourist visits and strengthen the tourism partnership between the two countries. 

Important points of memorandum are :

• To expand bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector
• To exchange information and data related to tourism
• To encourage cooperation between Tour Operators and tourism stakeholders including Hotel owners
• To establish exchange programmes for cooperation in Human Resource Development
• To exchange visits of Tour Operators/Media/ Opinion Makers for promotion of two way tourism
• To exchange experience in the areas of promotion, marketing, destination development and management

USA allowed Sikh military men to wear turban ( Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014 )

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• By updating its policy on 23 January 2014 USA allowed the Sikh military men to wear turbans, head scarfs and religious clothing with their uniform.
• The uniform relaxation would allow personnel from different religions to wear turbans, skullcaps, keep beards and tattoos.
• Soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen belonging to the said religions can now request exemptions to strict military uniform and grooming policies.
• However, the requests would be evaluated individually and could be denied if they hinder military readiness.

LPG Connection Portability Scheme launched ( Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014 )

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• The Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas launched LPG Connection Portability Scheme across the country on 22 January 2014.
•  The scheme covers 480 districts in the country and all possible LPG markets which have multiple LPG distributors.
• Under the scheme an LPG consumer can switch to the distributor of his or her choice within a cluster of LPG distributors in the vicinity. 
• To facilitate LPG to consumers Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have made more than 1400 clusters distributors.
•  No transfer fee or additional security deposit will be charged for transfer of connection under the scheme.

Important to Note :

• The OMCs in India are Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum.

India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd signed MoU with Exim Bank of Korea ( CURRENT AFFAIRS TILL - JAN 2014 )

CURRENT AFFAIRS TILL - JAN 2014

• India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) signed an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of Korea (K-EXIM) for infrastructure finance on 17 January 2014 .
• As per the IIFC’s statement the signed MoU covers cooperation in project and investment financing related to infrastructure as well as other finance areas of mutual interest.

Coins bearing Goddess Vaishno Devi issued by RBI ( CURRENT AFFAIRS TILL - JAN 2014)

CURRENT AFFAIRS TILL - JAN 2014

• RBI issued 5 rupees and 10 rupees coins bearing Goddess Vaishno Devi on 16 January 2014. 

Important to Note : 
The coins were issued to commemorate the silver jubilee of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

Anju Bobby George declared winner of World Athletics Final, 2005 ( current affairs till - JAN 2014 )

• Anju Bobby George was declared winner of the World Athletics Championships final held in Monte Carlo in 2005. 
• The decision was given by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) on 13 January 2014. 
• The decision of the IAAF came following the disqualification of the Gold Medalist Tatyana Kotova of Russia for doping.
• At the World Athletics Final in 2005, Anju Bobby George won the Silver Medal with a long jump of 6.75 meter. The Gold Medal was won by Tatyana Kotova with a jump of 6.83 meter and the Bronze Medal was won by Grace Upshaw of the US.

U-19 Cricket World Cup : Vijay Zol selected captain of India to lead

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• Vijay Zol of Maharastra was selected as the Captain of India to lead the Under-19 Cricket World Cup by the All-India Junior Selection Committee on 13 January 2014. 
• The U-19 Cricket World Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in February 2014.

Cristiano Ranaldo confered with FIFA Ballon d'Or award 2013

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• Cristiano Ranaldo confered with FIFA Ballon d’Or award 2013. Voting was done by national team captains and coaches and selected journalists in the FIFA member countries. 
• Cristiano Ronaldo scored 69 goals for Real Madrid and Portugal Collectively in the year 2013.

Three stolen 10th Century Indian artifacts were handed over to India by USA

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• Three stolen 10th Century Indian artifacts were handed over to India by USA.
•  Three rare 10th century statue of Shiva and Parvati and other relics were handed over to the Indian consulate in New York on Jan 14.

Important to note that these three items valued at more than $2 million. These were stolen from a temple in Rajasthan and were smuggled to USA. 

India and Japan conducted joint maritime exercise

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

India and Japan held joint exercise in Kochi Coast on 14 January 2014. 

Two ships which participated were :

• Indian Cost Guard Ship ICGS Samrat
• Japan Coast Guard Ship JCG Mizuho 

Important to Note 

• The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between India and Japan Coast Guards in the year 2006. 
• The MoC provides that two countries Guards will meet annually to discuss maritime issues of mutual concerns and formulate a cooperative approach to address.

The Indian Coast Guard Ship Abhinav was commissioned in Kochi

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• The Indian Coast Guard Ship Abhinav was commissioned in Kochi on 15 January 2014 by the Director General of Coast Guard Vice Admiral Anurag G Thapiyal. 
• It has been designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited.

President of India, Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated ANTRI at Port Blair

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• President of India, Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Andaman and Nicobar Tribal Research and Training Institute (ANTRI) at Port Blair on 12 Jan 2014.
•  The ANTRI will formulate a new policy for the tribal integration with the developed society, but in their own way and own environment without disturbing their distinct identity and unique culture.

Sheikh Hasina sworn-in as Bangladesh Prime Minister.

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• Sheikh Hasina along with her Cabinet of 49 Ministers was sworn-in before President Abdul Hamid at the Bangabhaban (the President’s House) on 12 January 2014.
• Sheikh Hasina was sworn-in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the third time.
• Her cabinet has 29 ministers, 17 state ministers and 2 deputy ministers.

Anu Vidyut Pariyojana launched in Fatehabad, Haryana

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation of 2,800 Megawatt nuclear power plant in Fatehabad district of Haryana on 13 January 2014.
• It will have will have four units of 700 MWes each and it will be built at a cost 23502 crore rupees.

 

71st Golden Globe Awards 2014 announced

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

71st Golden Globe Awards were announced at Los Angeles on 11 January 2014 in an event organised  by Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Following were the winners in different categories :

• Best Motion Picture, Drama: 12 Years a slave  
• Best Director - Motion Picture: Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity 
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture: Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama: Mathew Mc Conaughey for Dollas Buyers Club 
• Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy - American Hustle
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy - Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Amy Adams – American Hustle 
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy - Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club 
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
• Best Screenplay- Spike Jonze – Her
• Best Animated Feature Film- Frozen
• Best Foreign Language Film - The Great Beauty (Italy) 

Note : Woody Allen won a lifetime achievement award for more than four decades of writing, producing and directing films

Dinosaurs footprints spotted in Jaisalmer

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• A team of foreign and Indian scientists have spotted the foot-prints of Dinosaurs at Thaiat village in Jaisalmer district.
• A team of 34 foreign scientists from a number of countries including France and Germany are camping in Jaisalmer to study fossils of dinosaurs found in sandy desert areas near the city recently.
• The team was led by Dr Jan Schlogl of Slovakia observed the footprints.

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards conferred by the President

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 9th January 2014 conferred the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Awards to thirteen NRIs, PIOs and organisations.

• Lisa Maria Singh (Australia) -  for Public service and fostering friendly relations between India and Australia.
• Kurian Varghese (Bahrain) -   for Business for enhancing India’s image and for Promotion better understanding of India abroad.
• Vasdev Chanchlani (Canada) - for Community service and fostering ties between India and Canada and efforts in promotion Indian culture and heritage.
• Ramakrishna Mission (Fiji) - for Community service and philanthropic activity and enhancing India’s prestige abroad.
• Satnarainsing Rabin Baldewsingh (Netherlands) - for Public service and developing closer ties between India and South Africa.
• Bikas Chandra Sanyal (France) - for Education and culture and enhancing India’s image.
• Sasindran Muthuvel (Papua New Guinea) - for the field of Public service.
• Shihabudeen Vava Kunju (Saudi Arabia) - for the Community service and promoting ties between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Ela Gandhi (South Africa) - for Public service, enhancing India’s image and promoting ties between India and South Africa.
• Shamsheer Vayalil Parambath (United Arab) - for Health business and in promoting Better understanding of India United Arab Emirates.
• Shailesh Lakhman Vara (United Kingdom) - for Public service and in promoting ties between India and the people of U.K.
• Parthasarathy Chiramel Pillai (USA) - for Science and for fostering closer relations between India and USA.
• Renu Khator (USA) - for Education and enhancing India’s prestige abroad.

Prime Minister of Tunisia Ali Larayedh resigned

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• Ali Larayedh, the Prime Minister of Tunisia resigned from his office on 9 January 2014. 
• With his resignation, the country will be led by the caretaker Government of technocrats led by new Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa.

Social activist IIa Pathak passed away at 80

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• Social activist IIa Pathak passed away due to prolonged illness in Ahmedabad on 9 January 2014.
• She was the founder of Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group (AWAG)

Union Cabinet approved the National Youth Policy, 2014

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• The Union Cabinet approved the introduction of the National Youth Policy, 2014 (NYP, 2014) on 9 January 2014.
•  The NYP, 2014 will replace National Youth Policy, 2003 which is currently in force.
• The vision of NYP, 2014 is to empower youth to achieve their full potential, and through them enable India to find its rightful place in the community of nations.

EC called off ties with Google to register new voters after concerns raised over privacy and data security.

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• Election Commission on 9 January 2014 decided to call off the tie with Google for registering the new voters through online and to guide regarding the voting procedures. 
• The Election Commission had signed an agreement with Google Company on 2 January 2014. 
• Election Commission (EC) decided not to share details of around 800 million voters with internet giant Google.

Defence Ministerial Meeting held between India and Japan

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

• India and Japan decided to strengthen defence Cooperation especially in maritime security, at the Defence Ministerial Meeting held in New Delhi on 6 January 2014.
• Also two countries decided to strengthen the Strategic and Global Partnership between Japan and India.

Important to Note: 


Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe will be the chief guest of India's Independence Day on 26 January 2014

Morten Sorby appointed as new CEO of Uninor

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

Uninor is a joint venture between Telenor Group and Unitech Group. Morten Sorby is fourth CEO of Uninor.

Uninor started its operations in 2009

India won the U-19 Asia Cricket Cup

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

India defeated Pakistan to win 2014 Under-19 Asia Cup in the final match played at Sharjah cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on 4 January 2014. The Indian under-19 squad led by Vijay Zol beat Pakistan side by 40 runs.

Munish Sharda appointed as MD and CEO of Future Generali Life

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

Munish Sharda has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of private insurer Future Generali India Life Insurance on 7 January 2014. 

He was with Aviva Life at the position of Director – Sales and Distribution for past five years.

Nuclear capable Surface-to-Surface missile Prithvi II successfully test-fired

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable surface to surface Prithvi II missile with a strike range of 350 km from a test range at Chandipur near Balasore on 6 January 2014. 

It is capable of of carrying warheads of 500 kg to 1,000 kg

Mahesh Mangaonkar won Open du Gard squash title

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

Mahesh Mangaokar of India on 6 January 2014 won the Open du Gard squash title.
Mangaokar is 19 years old and is from Mumbai.
He defeated Scottish player Scot Greg Lobban 9-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-5 in the final match to claim the tour title.

Justice A K Ganguly resigned as chairman of WBHRC

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

The former Supreme Court Judge, Justice A K Ganguly on 6 January 2014 resigned as the Chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC). He resigned following allegations of sexual harassment by a law intern.
He submitted his resignation to the Governor of the West Bengal. M K Narayanan.

GSLV-D5 is carrying communication satellite GSAT-14 successfully launched

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 5 January 2014 launched its heavy-duty rocket GSLV-D5 for placing communication satellite GSAT-14 into the orbit. The rocket GSLV-D5 lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota at 4:18 IST. It was powered by an indigenously developed cryogenic engine.

Mr. R. Chandrashekhar has become new NASSCOM president.

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

Mr. R. Chandrashekhar was appointed as President of National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) on 4 January 2014. R. Chandrasekhar succeeded Som Mittal whose tenure with the NASSCOM ended on 3 January 2014.

Aditya Joshi became world no. 1 junior shuttler

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

Aditya Joshi from Dhar town in Madhya Pradesh on 6 January 2014 became the first male junior badminton player from India to be ranked top in the world. 

Brisbane International Title 2014 is won by Serena Williams

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

:-  In Queensland, Australia on 4 January 2014.  Serena Williams won the Brisbane International title.
:- Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka (Belarusian tennis player)

MS Dhir is elected as the Speaker of Delhi Assembly

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

1. MS Dhir an MLA of Aam Aadmi Party has been elected as the Speaker of the Delhi Assembly on 3 January 2014.
2. His election as the speaker was announced by the Pro-tem Speaker, Mateen Ahmad in the House.
3. He was elected as the Speaker of the House after his party won the trust vote on 2 January 2014. 
4. He defeated his BJP rival Jagdish Mukhi.

Raj Jain appointed as CEO of Bharti Retail

Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014


Raj Jain was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Pankaj Madan as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) by the Bharti Retail on 3 January 2014.

President Pranab Mukherjee has given assent to Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill 2013

 Current Affairs Till - Jan 2014

Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India on 1 January 2014 gave his assent to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2013. With this accent, the Bill has turned to be an Act.  

Important points need to know about this bill :

1. As per the Act a Lokpal will be at the centre level and Lokayukta’s will be at the states levels
2. A Lokpal consist of a Chairperson and a maximum of eight members, of which 50 percent should be of judicial members
3. The Act provides that 50 percent of the total members of the Lokpal should be from SC/ST/OBCs, minorities and women
4. The Chairperson and members of the Lokpal will be selected through a selection committee, which include the Prime Minister of India, Lok Sabha Speaker, Lok Sabha’s leader of opposition, the Chief Justice of India or the Judge of the Supreme Court nominated by the Chief Justice. Then the President of India will nominate the eminent Jurist on the basis of the recommendations of the first four members of the selection committee
5. The Prime Minister has been brought under the purview of the Lokpal 
6. The jurisdiction of the Lokpal will cover all the categories of the public servant
7. Under its also comes any/all entities, which will receive the donations from a foreign source in excess of 10 lakh rupees in context of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)
8. The Act will provide adequate protection to the honest and upright public servants
9. The Act provide Lokpal the right to superintendence and direct any investigation agency including the CBI on the cases, which will be referred to them from the Lokpal itself
10. The Director of the CBI will be recommended by the high power committee that will be chaired by the Prime Minister of India
11. Director will control the Directorate of Prosecution that is headed by the Director of Prosecution 
12. The Central Vigilance Commission will recommend the Director of Prosecution, CBI for appointment Lokpal’s approval will be required for the transfer’s of the officers of CBI, who are investigating the cases referred by the Lokpal
13. The Act gives the provisions to attach and confiscate the property that has been acquired by corrupt means even in the case that the prosecution of the case remains pending
14. Clear time lines for preliminary enquiry and trial has been layed in the Act. It also mentions setting-up of special courts towards the end of the trial
15. It mentions that a mandate for setting up the Lokayukta institution through enactment of a law by the State Legislature within 365 days from the date on which the Act was commenced.