Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook

Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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Table of Contents
Preface .......................................................................................................................................... 17 Pick of the Month ......................................................................................................................... 18 Turn Down the Heat: Report on Climate Extremities ........................................................... 18 G-8 Summit concluded in Lough Erne .................................................................................. 20 India and Iraq agreed to Enhance Cooperation in Oil Sector ............................................... 22 Article 21 is also valid for Foreign Nationals......................................................................... 23 Telegraph Services Came to an end in India ......................................................................... 24 EU leaders reached an Agreement on 1.3 trillion $ Budget ................................................. 28 India Signed Loan Agreement with WB for NACP-IV ............................................................ 28 Govt. to set-up Independent Regulatory Body for Coal Sector ............................................ 28 SEBI notified Norms for Listing of Preference Shares ........................................................... 29 Indian Money in Swiss Banks Dropped to Record Low ......................................................... 30 Tianhe-2: Fastest Computer of the World ............................................................................ 31 15 new Dark Galaxies Discovered ......................................................................................... 32 India won ICC Champions Trophy 2013 ................................................................................ 32 Roger Federer won Halle ATP Title ....................................................................................... 34 International ................................................................................................................................. 34 Marrakesh Treaty for Visually Impaired Signed ................................................................... 34 India & Oman Bilateral Trade registered a 129% Growth .................................................... 35 WHO Issued New HIV Treatment Guidelines ....................................................................... 36 India and Sri Lanka held talks on Trade and Investment ...................................................... 36 US Senate passed landmark Immigration Bill ....................................................................... 37 Kevin Rudd sworn in as new Australian Prime Minister ....................................................... 37 PRISM Programme: US Surveillance on top Internet Servers .............................................. 38 www.jagranjosh.com
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India and Germany Inked Pact on Co-Operation .................................................................. 40 UK and China signed Currency Swap Deal worth 200bn Yuan ............................................. 40 Supreme Court of Egypt invalidated Country's Shura Council ............................................. 41 India and Singapore Reaffirmed their Strong Defence Ties ................................................. 41 Bangladesh: Law for Protection of Hindu Religious Property .............................................. 41 Japan successfully tested the L0 Series Maglev Bullet Train ................................................ 42 World Leaders signed Agreement to tackle Malnutrition .................................................... 43 India offered 150 Million Dollars Credit to Myanmar .......................................................... 43 South Korea called off High Level Talks with North Korea ................................................... 44 Defence Budget of Pakistan raised by 15 percent ................................................................ 44 World Bank slashed Growth Forecast for China to 7.7 Percent ........................................... 44 Pakistan decided to declare Panja Sahib as a Holy City........................................................ 45 Trail of 26/11 Mumbai Attacks shifted to Islamabad Court ................................................. 45 USA & Russia agreed to end Syria Violence .......................................................................... 46 US to open Direct Peace Talks with Taliban ......................................................................... 46 Chinese First Pilot Carbon Emission Trading Scheme ........................................................... 46 India and Nepal signed an MoU on School Construction ..................................................... 48 Indian Embassy in Riyadh asked Indians to avail Concessions ............................................. 48 11 Countries decided to give Military Support to Syrian Rebels .......................................... 49 India & Russian Federation discussed CECA ......................................................................... 49 Indians and Pakistanis to pay 4600 US $ more for British Visa ............................................ 50 South Korean Websites Hit by Cyber Attack ........................................................................ 50 India & Hungary Signed Agreement on Gas Monitoring System.......................................... 51 US announced 150000 US Dollar Financial Aid to Uttarakhand ........................................... 52 New Labour Law approved by Australian Parliament .......................................................... 52
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UN Security Council eased Sanctions against Iraq ................................................................ 52 Japan got its First MOX Nuclear Shipment since Fukushima ................................................ 53 Rotary India offered help to Pakistan for Polio Vaccination ................................................ 53 UNSC imposed Sanctions on Syrian Rebel Group ................................................................. 54 International Quizzes ............................................................................................................ 54 World Dairy ................................................................................................................................... 58 National ......................................................................................................................................... 62 Government banned Testing of Cosmetic Products on Animals .......................................... 62 Govt and Nalanda University signed Headquarters Agreement .......................................... 63 Proposal to set-up Laboratories to Manage Epidemics cleared ........................................... 64 Union Govt banned Anti-Diabetes drug Pioglitazone........................................................... 65 Eight new Ministers Inducted into Union Council of Ministers ............................................ 65 President inaugurated Gas-based Power Plant at Palatana ................................................. 67 e-Passbook Service for Provident Fund Subscribers launched ............................................. 68 DBTL Scheme Launched in 18 Districts of India .................................................................... 69 Government proposed Stiff Penalty for Overloaded Vehicles ............................................. 69 East Coast Railway suspended Night Trains on K-K Line ...................................................... 70 By-Election Results for ten Seats of Five States Declared .................................................... 70 Government re-constituted National Advisory Council ....................................................... 71 Government constituted Standing Council of Experts ......................................................... 71 Government to launch Rashtriya Uchhtar Shiksha Abhiyan ................................................ 72 Scheme Roshni to train youth in Naxal-hit Areas launched ................................................. 73 Unanimous Resolution passed on Naxal Violence................................................................ 73 Naveen Jindal and Dasari Narayana Rao named in Coalgate FIR ......................................... 74 CSC rejected Tamil Nadus demand for its Share of Water .................................................. 75
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Govt. target to achieve 80% Literacy Rate by 2017 .............................................................. 75 Govt extended Online RTI Facility to President Secretariat ................................................. 76 Government proposed Bill to prevent Floods ...................................................................... 76 Government approved near Doubling of Natural Gas Price................................................. 77 I&B Ministry cancelled licenses of 15 channels .................................................................... 78 National Quizzes ................................................................................................................... 79 India Dairy ..................................................................................................................................... 81 Economy........................................................................................................................................ 87 CCEA approved continuation of NMFP ................................................................................. 87 Mechanism for Coal Supply to Power Producers Approved ................................................ 88 CCEA approved Disinvestment of 5% Paid up Equity in NLC ................................................ 89 Govt to set-up 51 new low-cost Airports across India ......................................................... 90 India 3rd Most Attractive Destination for Investment: UNCTAD .......................................... 90 RBI penalised Axis, HDFC and ICICI Banks for Rule Violations .............................................. 91 SEBI issued Guidelines for Investment Advisers ................................................................... 92 India witnessed a Five-Fold Increase in Power Generation.................................................. 92 RBI extended Time for opening up of New Banks by Six Months ........................................ 93 Union Cabinet approved the Real Estate Bill 2013 ............................................................... 93 Government hiked the Import duty on Gold and Platinum ................................................. 94 DoT asked TRAI to Audit Spectrum Use ................................................................................ 94 Periodic Audit of Credits of 5 Crore Directed to Banks ........................................................ 95 CBDT revised Selection Criteria for Income Tax Officials ..................................................... 95 RBI hiked the Cap for Online Repatriation of Export Proceeds ............................................ 96 Foreign Investment Limit hiked by 5 Billion Dollar ............................................................... 97 Mineral Production April 2013: Provisional Data Released.................................................. 97
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Petrol Prices hiked by 2 Rupees per Liter, excluding VAT .................................................... 98 TRAI reduced Roaming charges for calls, SMSs .................................................................... 98 RBI left its Repo Rate unchanged at 7.25 Percent ................................................................ 99 Government proposed Plan to raise FDI Limit in Key Sectors .............................................. 99 CTT applicable on Non-Farm Products from 1 July 2013.................................................... 100 Global Prices of Fish Increased to Record High in May 2013 ............................................. 100 Duty Drawback Rate on Gold Ornaments Hiked ................................................................ 101 Plan for Visa-on-Arrival Facilities to Chinese ...................................................................... 102 Power Distribution Reform Package extended to 12th Plan .............................................. 102 3 IPC Common Sales Contracts Launched .......................................................................... 103 Pipavav Port Regained Top Position in Seafood Exports .................................................... 103 Union Government raised Rice Support Price by 4.8 Percent ............................................ 104 MSP for Paddy fixed at 1310 Rupees per Quintal............................................................... 105 FIPB approved Eight FDI Proposals ..................................................................................... 105 Economy Quizzes ................................................................................................................ 106 Corporate .................................................................................................................................... 109 Strides Pharma received WHO Pre-Qualification ............................................................... 109 European Commission approved Takeover of NYSE-Euronext .......................................... 110 Muthoot Finance Got approval to Establish White Label ATMs ........................................ 110 Apple signed Deal with Warner for Music Streaming ........................................................ 111 World Gold Council Established Local Unit in India ............................................................ 112 SBI cut Interest Rate on Bulk Fixed Deposits by 0.25 Percent ............................................ 112 BBC & ZeeQ Signed agreement for Bring Cbeebiess to India ............................................ 113 Sun Pharma got approval for Depo-Testosterone Injection............................................... 113 Amazon launched Indian Marketplace at Amazon.in ......................................................... 114
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Coca-Cola opened its Bottling Plant in Myanmar ............................................................... 114 ED Slapped 8600 Crore Show-Cause Notice on Emaar MGF .............................................. 115 MoU Signed between CCI and ACCC for Cooperation ........................................................ 116 Railtel & IIT Roorkee signed Mou to establish 8th TCOE .................................................... 116 DGFT and Government of Delhi Signed MoU to Use e-BRC ............................................... 117 5 IT Vendors Roped in by UK-Based Network Rail for IT Infra ............................................ 117 GVK Hancock Coal Signed Agreement with Thiess ............................................................. 118 Media General and New Young Broadcasting Decided to Merge ...................................... 118 RIL announced to Invest 1.5 Lakh Crore over Next Three Years ........................................ 119 Apple unveiled New Software called iOS7.......................................................................... 119 Microsoft India and JIS Group to set up Innovation Center ............................................... 120 CCI approved Mylan-Unichem Deal .................................................................................... 120 Apollo Tyres acquired Cooper Tire & Rubber Company ..................................................... 120 DuPont launched Seed Facility in Ukraine to Increase Harvests ........................................ 121 TV18 launched 24 Hours News channel News18 India in UK ............................................. 121 IndusInd Bank and Western Union Business Solutions tie up ............................................ 122 Infosys and Wipro announced Single Digit Hike for Employees ......................................... 122 Twenty-Nine Axis Bank Accounts Hacked........................................................................... 123 Maersk Line Unveiled World's biggest Container Ship ....................................................... 123 Muthoot Finance launched New Ad Campaign .................................................................. 123 Samsung launched New Handset Model Samsung Galaxy Mega....................................... 124 Robert Pattinson became Brand Ambassador of Dior Homme .......................................... 124 Ratan Tata Appointed as Chief Advisor of AirAsia India ..................................................... 125 Subramanian Ramadorai appointed Chairman of AirAsia India ......................................... 125 Venus Remedies Ltd Received Patent for Potentox from Mexico...................................... 125
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ICSI and NISM Signed an MoU ............................................................................................ 126 Tata Coffee Inaugurated Premium Extraction Plant at TN ................................................. 127 EXIM Bank Granted License to Open Representative Office .............................................. 127 Airtel Slashed Charges of Data Usage by 90 Percent .......................................................... 128 Tata Commissioned a 1MW Geothermal Plant in Australia ............................................... 128 TripAdvisor Acquired GateGuru .......................................................................................... 129 Birla Chemicals acquired CA&P Div of Solaris Chemtech ................................................... 130 NGT Gave approval to Sterlite to Operate Copper Plant in TN .......................................... 130 MCX-SX Got approval for Separate SME Trading Platform ................................................ 131 Corporate Current Affair Quizzes ....................................................................................... 131 Environment & Ecology .............................................................................................................. 134 Cambodian tailorbird: New Species of Bird discovered ..................................................... 134 UNESCO increased Pressure to conserve Great Barrier Reef ............................................. 135 Indian Monsoon to get Worse and Unpredictable ............................................................. 135 Genes of Snail Reveal Migration Patterns of Humans ........................................................ 136 Uttarakhand Landslides and Flood: a Man Made Crisis ..................................................... 136 State of Environment in Six Metros of India Indicated ....................................................... 138 GEAC Gave Approval for Field Trials of 5 GM Crops ........................................................... 139 Stranded Unusual Blue Jellyfish Discovered Near Newquay .............................................. 140 Toxic Radioactive Isotope Found in Fukushima Groundwater ........................................... 141 Science & Technology ................................................................................................................. 142 ISRO set to establish Navigation Satellite System .............................................................. 142 Satellites Launched to Bring Rural Areas Online ................................................................ 143 Drayson Racing Electric Car Established New World Record ............................................. 143 World's 1st ultra-high resolution 3D model of a Human Brain ........................................... 144
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China organised first Classroom Lecture from Space ......................................................... 145 Camera Sensor Developed that would Not Need Flash ..................................................... 145 Scientist Discovered New Three-Horned Dinosaur ............................................................ 146 Molecule designed by Scientists to fight Prostrate Cancer ................................................ 146 Microsoft Unveils Windows 8.1 .......................................................................................... 147 NE-RIST Students designed new Solar Water Heater ......................................................... 147 Tiny Archicebus Fossil of Oldest Primate discovered in China ........................................... 147 Scientists developed New Prospective Biomaterial for Bone Formation ........................... 148 India-US Science Body launched Space Solar Power Initiative ........................................... 149 Early Tsunami Warning System installed in Rangachang ................................................... 149 Devap Air-Cooling System to be used in Nalanda University ............................................. 150 Researchers developed an Eco-friendly Battery using Wood ............................................ 151 Supermoon, Largest & Brightest Moon of 2013 Observed ................................................ 152 ESO discovered Dusty Surprise around Giant Black Hole ................................................... 153 Sensor Chip to Detect Disease from Blood Drop Designed ................................................ 153 Science and Technology Quizzes ........................................................................................ 154 Sports .......................................................................................................................................... 156 India to host 2016 World Twenty20 and 2023 World Cup ................................................. 156 ICC granted Associate Membership to Afghanistan ........................................................... 157 India Consolidated Top Position in ICC ODI Rankings ......................................................... 157 India topped in Medal Tally in Jr.Asian Wrestling Championship ...................................... 159 IBL launched School Programme for Badminton Talent Hunt ............................................ 160 Indian Girl's Team won Gold Medal in Table Tennis .......................................................... 161 Bayern Munich won German Cup 2013; defeated Stuttgart .............................................. 161 MS Dhoni received ICC ODI Championship Shield .............................................................. 161
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Delhi Police invoked MCOCA against Sreesanth and 25 Others ......................................... 162 IPL Spot Fixing Probe Report submitted to BCCI ................................................................ 162 ESPN to provide Live Signal of ICC Champions Trophy to DD ............................................. 162 Bob and Mike Bryan won Doubles Title at French Open 2013 ........................................... 163 Rafael Nadal won Men's Singles Title of the French Open 2013 ........................................ 163 IPL Spot-Fixing Case: Sreesanth and 18 others Granted Bail .............................................. 164 Government approved Several Sports related Projects ..................................................... 164 Asian Athletic Championship 2013 to be held in Pune....................................................... 165 National Cycling Coach killed in Road Accident in Noida ................................................... 165 Manjeet bagged Silver at 3rd China Open Boxing Tournament ......................................... 166 Sports Quizzes ..................................................................................................................... 166 State ............................................................................................................................................ 169 Prime Minister Flagged Off Banihal-Qazigund Rail Link in J&K .......................................... 169 Rajasthan launched a Scheme for Energy Conservation .................................................... 171 JD(U) parted away from NDA after breaking its Alliance ................................................... 171 PCI finalized 59000 crore Gujarat Plan for 2013-14 ........................................................... 172 Permanent Benches to be established in Karnataka HC .................................................... 172 Planning Commission finalized 21500 Crore Odisha Plan .................................................. 173 Odisha reopened White Tiger Safari at Nandankanan ....................................................... 174 First All-Women Police Station became Functional in Itanagar ......................................... 175 Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative by TN Agri. University ..................................................... 175 Power Tariff Hike came into Effect in Uttar Pradesh .......................................................... 176 Tamil Nadu Plan for 2013-14 Finalized at 37128 Crore Rupees ......................................... 176 Karnataka Government amended Karnataka Police Act, 1963 .......................................... 177 Assam Violence: HC ordered to probe Role of Badruddin Ajmal ....................................... 177
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Haryana Govt rolled out New Communication Infra policy ............................................... 178 Coffee Board Announced Setting up CEC in Bangalore ...................................................... 178 Maharashtra to set Education Commissionerates for Tribals ............................................ 179 Northern Railway to Deploy Electric Golf Carts for Elderly ................................................ 179 Govt extended Special Package for Ind. Development of J&K ........................................... 180 30 Marine Stations to be set-up in Tamil Nadu .................................................................. 181 Punjab approved Regularisation of Unauthorised Colonies ............................................... 181 Goa celebrated Revolution Day on 18 June 2013 ............................................................... 182 Andhra Assembly passed Bill to restore Gender Balance ................................................... 183 Nitish Kumar won Vote of Confidence ............................................................................... 183 1000 crore as Disaster Relief Fund for Uttarakhand .......................................................... 183 Aadhaar Card Mandatory for Teaching Staffs in Maharashtra .......................................... 184 PCI finalized Annual Plan for 2013-14 for Goa ................................................................... 184 PCI approved 8000-cr Rupees Project Ananta for Andhra ................................................. 186 Delhi State Annual plan for 2013-14 Finalized at 16626 Crore .......................................... 187 One Liners ................................................................................................................................... 187 News Capsule .............................................................................................................................. 189 Appointments of the Month ................................................................................................... 189 Anil Goswami Took Over as the Union Home Secretary .................................................... 189 P. Sathasivam appointed be the Next Chief Justice of India .............................................. 190 Bimal Julka appointed as the Secretary of I&B Ministry .................................................... 192 SK Roy appointed Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation ............................................... 192 Avinash Chander appointed Chief of DRDO ....................................................................... 193 Infosys appointed N Murthy as Boards Executive Chairman ............................................ 194 Rami Hamdallah Appointed as Prime Minister of Palestine ............................................... 194
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Ayaz Sadiq Elected a Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan ....................................... 195 Nawaz Sharif sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan .................................................. 196 S.E. Rice appointed as National Security Adviser to Obama .............................................. 196 K R Kamath Re-Elected Chairman of IBA ............................................................................ 197 VK Duggal appointed Nodal Officer in Uttrakhand............................................................. 198 Darren Lehmann appointed Coach of Australian Cricket Team ......................................... 199 Awards in the Month of April .................................................................................................. 199 M. Hariawala won Healthcare Visionary of Decade the Award ......................................... 199 Ooman Chandy received the UN Public Service Award...................................................... 200 Amrit Singh received India Abroad Publisher's Special Award ........................................... 200 Russian Film won Golden Goblet at Shanghai Film Festival ............................................... 201 Michael Christian awarded with Top Jock .......................................................................... 201 Irish Author Kevin Barry won IMPAC Dublin Literary Award .............................................. 201 Uttarakhand NGO bagged French Award ........................................................................... 202 Ashok Shah won Award at the World Street Food Congress ............................................. 203 A Kapoor 1st Living Indian-Origin Sculptor to win Knighthood ........................................... 203 Tan Twan Eng Declared Winner of Walter Scott Prize 2013 .............................................. 203 Prof Michael Stratton Knighted for Services in Health Sector ............................................ 204 Ad Agency won Gold Lion at Cannes Advertising Festival 2013 ......................................... 205 UIDAI won 21st Century Achievement Award 2013 ........................................................... 206 Personality in News ................................................................................................................. 206 Silvio Berlusconi sentenced to 7 years Jail in Sex Trial ....................................................... 206 Oprah Winfrey named most powerful celebrity by Forbes ................................................ 207 Endowed fellowship at Caltech to honour of Satish Dhawan ............................................ 208 Raghav Joneja is the Youngest Indian to climb Everest ...................................................... 209
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Lydia Nsekra is the First Woman to be elected to FIFA ...................................................... 209 Ancient Asian Giant Lizard named after Jim Morrison ....................................................... 210 Duas Layer: New cornea layer named after Harminder Dua............................................. 210 Indian-American Girl appointed to US Military Academy .................................................. 210 Kanji Ram is 2nd Hindu to enter Pakistan's Punjab Province .............................................. 211 John Ashe elected President of UN General Assembly ...................................................... 212 Hassan Rohani Won Presidential Elections of Iran ............................................................. 213 PM took oath as Rayja Sabha Member from Assam .......................................................... 214 Amol Rajan Became First Non-White Editor of the Independent ...................................... 214 James Comey nominated as next FBI director by Barack Obama ...................................... 215 Wallenda 1st Man to Walk across Grand Canyon on Tightrope ......................................... 216 Person Died.............................................................................................................................. 217 Jiah Khan, the 25-Year Old Bollywood Actress Died ........................................................... 217 Actress Esther Williams and Competitive Swimmer Died at 91 ......................................... 217 Scottish fiction writer Iain Banks died at the Age of 59...................................................... 218 Carnatic Vocalist Ranjani Hebber Guruprasad Passed Away.............................................. 219 VC Shukla the Former Union Minister died ........................................................................ 219 Bahukutumbi Raman, One of the Founders of RAW, Died at 77 ....................................... 219 Tamil Actor-director Manivannan passed away ................................................................. 220 Veteran CPI leader Satya Pal Dang passed away ................................................................ 221 Person Resigned ...................................................................................................................... 222 Rajeev Shukla resigned as Chairman of IPL ........................................................................ 222 Lal Krishna Advani resigned from top Positions of BJP ....................................................... 222 Ajay Maken and C P Joshi Resigned from the Union Cabinet............................................. 224 Adel el-Khayat resigned as Governor of Luxor ................................................................... 225
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Walmart India Head Raj Jain Resigned ............................................................................... 226 Defence | Security ................................................................................................................... 226 Stealth Frigate INS Trikand commissioned into the Indian Navy ....................................... 226 Indian Air Force received its First Boeing C-17 Globemaster ............................................. 227 Glide bombs for Fighters Planes being developed by India ............................................... 227 The Monetary Allowance to Gallantry Awardees Doubled ................................................ 228 Indo-Russian INDRA 2013 military exercise ........................................................................ 229 Books/Author........................................................................................................................... 229 King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson Book won Gold Medal ........................................ 229 Book entitled Ziauddin Barnis Tarikh-I-Firoz Shahi Released ............................................ 230 City of Bohane won IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2013.................................................... 230 Vice President Released Dard-E-Dil Likhun Kab Tak ........................................................... 231 The Garden of Evening Mists won Walter Scott Prize 2013 ............................................... 231 Ambedkar Speaks (Trilogy) by Dr. Narendra Jadhav Released ........................................... 232 Healing Memories: Civilizations in Dialogue Released ....................................................... 234 Coffee table book on Freedom Fighters Descendants launched....................................... 234 Important Dates....................................................................................................................... 235 World Environment Day was observed on 5 June 2013 ..................................................... 235 World Oceans Day observed across the World .................................................................. 236 World Day against Child Labour celebrated on 12 June ..................................................... 236 World Blood Donor Day observed on 14 June.................................................................... 237 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day celebrated on 15 June 2013 ....................................... 238 World Day to Combat Desertification Observed Across World ......................................... 238 World Refugee Day observed across the World on 20 June .............................................. 240 World Music Day observed on 21 June .............................................................................. 240
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International Olympic Day Celebrated Across on 23 June ................................................. 241 United Nations Public Service Day Celebrated on 23 June................................................. 242 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking .............................................. 242 Reports and Surveys ................................................................................................................ 244 World Population Prospects Report ................................................................................... 244 Number of Internet Users in India to reach 330 Million by 2016 ...................................... 245 Survey: 9 out of 10 People suffer from Nomophobia ........................................................ 245 Meeker Report 2013 ........................................................................................................... 245 IATA recorded a Significant Fall in Air Accidents in 2012 ................................................... 247 Qatar has the Highest Density of Millionaires: Report ....................................................... 249 Unemployment Rate hit Record High in Eurozone ............................................................. 249 Places in News ......................................................................................................................... 250 CP: Fifth in the List of Worlds Most Expensive Office Market ........................................... 250 Highest Krishi Vigyan Kendra to be Opened at Nyoma, Leh............................................... 251 Infinity Tower, the Tallest Twisted Tower launched in Dubai ............................................ 251 Kochi to Host 29th Annual Meeting of the WEF (India Chapter) ....................................... 252 Kedarnath Temple Shut Down for One Year ...................................................................... 252 Syrian Heritage Sites in the List of World Heritage in Danger ............................................ 253 Japan's Mount Fuji given World Heritage Status by UNESCO ............................................ 253 Miscellaneous .......................................................................................................................... 254 Bangalore-Mumbai Economic Corridor Project .................................................................. 254 NASA's Rover identified Rock Laden with Minerals on Mars ............................................. 254 NASA Selected Eight New Astronauts; Four of These are Women .................................... 254 NASA and Italian Space Agency Signed Agreement ........................................................... 255 45th Session of Indian Labour Conference Concluded ....................................................... 255
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Conference on Sports & Youth Affairs Concluded in New Delhi ........................................ 256 39th G8 Summit held at Lough Erne in Northern Ireland ................................................... 256 Manmohan Singh was on four days Visit to Japan ............................................................. 257 Panel to Examine Indecent Representation of Women in Media ...................................... 258 Committee to revise Newspaper Advertisement Rates ..................................................... 259 Union External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid visited Iraq............................................ 259 Secretary of State of the US, John Kerry Completed India Visit ......................................... 259 US Supreme Court: Human DNA cannot be patented ........................................................ 260 BLA Militants blasted Jinnahs Residence in Balochistan ................................................... 260 Harlequin Enterprises entered Hindi and Tamil Market..................................................... 260 Gold Coins Dating Back to the Gupta Period Unearthed in WB ......................................... 261 IAF launched Operation Rahat to rescue Pilgrims .............................................................. 261 15th India Realty Expo 2012 Concluded in Dubai ............................................................... 262 Exhibition Titled Jamini Roy (1887 1972): Journey to the Roots ..................................... 263 Questions of the Month.............................................................................................................. 264
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PREFACE
The Current Affairs eBook June 2013 is designed to provide latest updates of events that occurred in the month of June 2013. The eBook contains each and every important happening of the month that carries any probability of being asked in different types of competitive exams like IAS|PCS, SSC, Banking, LIC, Railway and all other competitive exams. The happening in the sections like International (bilateral and Indias relation with the world), National, Economy, Science and Technology, Environment and Ecology, Corporate, State, Sports, Important Personalities, Books and Authors, Awards and Honours, Important Dates, Reports and Surveys and more all are covered in complete detail. Representation of verified facts and figures along with fine-tuned analysis and commen makes the events easy to understand and perceive. The aspirants of competitive exams will definitely be benefitted by the content of the eBook.
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PICK OF THE MONTH

TURN DOWN THE HEAT: REPORT ON CLIMATE EXTREMITIES
World Bank in June 2013 came up with an executive Summary Report named by Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts, and the Case for Resilience, which focuses on the risks of climate change to development in SubSaharan Africa, South East Asia and South Asia. The Report is a said extension to World Bank report in November 2012 which was named by Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4C Warmer World Must be Avoided which concluded that the world would warm by 4C by the end of this century if we did not take concerted action now. The Report Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts, and the Case for Resilience is totally based on scientific analysis which examines the likely impacts of present day, 2C and 4C warming on agricultural production, water resources, and coastal vulnerability for affected populations. The Report finds many significant climate and development impacts that are already being felt in some regions, and in some cases multiple threats of increasing extreme heat waves, sea level rise, more severe storms, droughts and floods are expected to have further severe negative implications for the poorest. The best example to support the above fact can be cited from Vietnam where livelihoods are under threat. Livelihoods in Vietnam, which is part of vulnerable Southeast Asia, are facing threats from sea-level rise, ocean warming, and more severe storms and floods caused by an increasing possibility of the temperature rising by four degrees Celsius, the World Bank warns in a report.
EFFECTS OF THE RISING TEMPERATURE IN MAJOR PART OF THE WORLD

Thailand: Rising sea levels indicates that Bangkok could be flooded by the 2030s Africa: Droughts and heat signifies that 40 per cent of the land now used for growing maize in Sub-Saharan Africa will no longer be able to support the crop. South Asia: A potential change in the regularity of the monsoon season in South Asia could also cause a crisis. The floods which hit Pakistan in 2010 affecting 20 million people could become common. The report basically presents an alarming scenario for the days and years aheadwhat we www.jagranjosh.com
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could face in our lifetime. As per the scientists if the world warms by 2C warming which may be reached by 2040 which can cause widespread food shortages, unprecedented heat-waves, and more intense cyclones. In the near-term, climate change, which is already unfolding, could batter the slums even more and greatly harm the lives and the hopes of individuals and families who have had little hand in raising the Earths temperature. Climate related extreme events could push households below the poverty trap threshold. High temperature extremes appear likely to affect yields of rice, wheat, maize and other important crops, adversely affecting food security. Promoting economic growth and the eradication of poverty and inequality will thus be an increasingly challenging task under future climate change. Immediate steps are needed to help countries adapt to the risks already locked in at current levels of 0.8C warming, but with ambitious global action to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many of the worst projected climate impacts could still be avoided by holding warming below 2C
SOME IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE HIGHLIGHTED AS PER THE REPORT

Rising Sea Levels: Rising sea level is matter to high concern in the last two decades which is partly due to melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets; the rapid growth in melt area observed since the 1970s in Greenlands ice sheet is a clear illustration of its increasing vulnerability. Arctic sea ice also reached a record minimum in September 2012. As per the Report there are indications that the greatest melt extent in the past 225 years has occurred in the last decade. Ocean Acidification: Coral reefs are always extremely sensitive to changes in water temperature and acidity levels. The report warns that by the time the warming levels reach 1.4 C in 2030s, coral reefs may stop growing. This would be a result of oceans becoming more acidic as a result of higher CO2 concentrations. And with 2.4 C, coral reefs in several areas may actually start to dissolve. This is likely to have profound consequences for people who depend on them for food, income, tourism and shoreline protection. Heat Extremes: A 4C warmer world would also suffer more extreme heat waves, and these events will not be evenly distributed across the world, according to the report. Sub-tropical Mediterranean, northern Africa, the Middle East, and the contiguous United States are likely to see monthly summer temperatures rise by more than 6C. Temperatures of the warmest July between 2080-2100 in the Mediterranean are expected to approach 35C about 9C warmer than the warmest July estimated for the present day. The warmest July month in the Sahara and the Middle East will see temperatures as high as 45C, or 6-7C above the warmest July simulated for the present day. Lower Agricultural Yields: Hotter weather could in turn lower crop yields in a 4C world raising concerns about future food security. Field experiments have shown that crops are highly www.jagranjosh.com
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sensitive to temperatures above certain thresholds. One study cited in the report found that each growing degree day spent at a temperature of 30 degrees decreases yields by 1% under drought-free rain-fed conditions. The Report asserts that drought-affected areas would increase from 15.4% of global cropland today, to around 44% by 2100. The most severely affected regions in the next 30 to 90 years will likely be in southern Africa, the United States, southern Europe and Southeast Asia, says the report. Supporting the fact, In Africa, the report predicts 35% of cropland will become unsuitable for cultivation in a 5C world. Risks to Human Support Systems: The report also identifies severe risks related to adverse impacts on water availability, particularly in northern and eastern Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. River basins like the Ganges and the Nile are particularly vulnerable. In Amazonia, forest fires could as much double by 2050. The world could lose several habitats and species with a 4C warming. Non-linear Impacts: There is a high risk of triggering nonlinear tipping elements as global warming approaches and exceeds 2C. The most relevant examples include the disintegration of the West Antarctic ice sheet leading to more rapid sea-level rise, or large-scale Amazon dieback drastically affecting ecosystems, rivers, agriculture, energy production, and livelihoods which would further add to 21st-century global warming and impact entire continents. The projected 4C warming simply must not be allowed to occurthe heat must be turned down. Only early, cooperative, international actions can make that happen.
G-8 SUMMIT CONCLUDED IN LOUGH ERNE

39th edition of the G8 Summit concluded at Lough Erne in Northern Ireland on 18 June 2013. The two day summit from 17 June 18 June 2013 was presided over by the David Cameron, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom. The UK assumed the one-year Presidency of the G8 in January 2013 and thus David Cameron, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom was the presiding leader of the 39th Summit. The two day summit was attended by the leaders from G8 Nations namely Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the USA and UK. Jose Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission, and Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council also were a part of the meet. During the 39th Summit leaders of the G8 Nations reached a conclusion to achieve the change on three issues which are critical for the growth, prosperity and economic development of the
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world. The basic agenda of this summit was Tax, Trade and Transparency (three Ts).
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The EU is a part of the G8 since 1977, but it doesnt hold a Presidency of the G8 Summit.
LOUGH ERNE DECLARATION FROM THE G8 SUMMIT 2013

Trade deal making history In context of the trade discussions, a proposal of setting up of the global and open free trade system was also discussed. As per the proposal, EU-US trade deal would worth up to 100 billion pounds to the economy of EU, 80 billion to the US and 85 billion to the rest of the world.
SEVEN-POINT STRATEGY ON SYRIA

A NEW seven-point strategy to end the bloodshed in Syria was the headline-grabber from the G8 summit in Northern Ireland.
THE SEVEN POINT STRATEGY INCLUDES

Increase commitment to humanitarian aid To bring all sides on the table with immediate effect by maximizing the diplomatic pressure Back a transitional governing body for Syria Maintain Syrias public institutions by learning lessons of Iraq A new commitment by the G8 to work together to rid Syria of terrorists and extremists Condemn the use of chemical weapons by anyone in Syria, and allow for a UN probe Decision to support a new non-sectarian government in Syria
APART FROM THESE SOME OTHER DECLARATIONS AND STATEMENTS WERE MADE
G8 Action Plan Principles to Prevent the Misuse of Companies and Legal Arrangements Global Economy Working Session The threat posed by kidnapping for ransom by terrorists and the preventive steps the international community
About 39th G8 Summit: The 39th G8 summit was held from 17 to 18 June 2013 at the Lough www.jagranjosh.com
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Erne Resort, in Lough Erne in Northern Ireland. This was the sixth edition of the G8 summit to be held in the United Kingdom. The earlier G8 summits hosted by the United Kingdom were held at London in 1977, 1984 and 1991, Birmingham in 1998 and Gleneagles in 2005. What is G8? The head of the six major industrial democracies (France, the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan and Italy) for the first time met in November 1975 to deal with the major economic and political issues facing their domestic societies and the international community as a whole. In the year of its constitution it was termed as G6. In the San Juan Summit of 1976 in Puerto Rico Canada became its member followed by the European Community at the London Summit of 1977. In 1998 Russia came up with its full participation, at Birmingham Summit making it G8. The Presidency of the G8 rotates each calendar year and the country holding the G8 Presidency is responsible for hosting and organising the annual summit, with a number of preparatory meetings leading up to it.
G-8 LEADERS CALL FOR SYRIA PEACE TALKS IN GENEVA

The G8 leaders in their meet at Lough Erne in Northern Ireland on 18 June 2013 backed calls for Syrian peace talks that will be held in Geneva. At the end of the two day summit, the leaders of G8 nations agreed on the seven point document and released a joint statement on Syria. The document states that the transition Government will be formed with mutual consent and it stresses on the negotiated and peaceful end of the conflict that will produce a government under the top leadership inspired by public confidence. The G8 leaders also agreed on providing new fund of nearly 1.5 billion US dollar to help the people affected by the raging conflict. Future of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was not made clear in the released statement.
INDIA AND IRAQ AGREED TO ENHANCE COOPERATION IN OIL SECTOR

Salman Khurshid, the Union External Affairs Minister was on a two-day visit to Iraq from 19 to 20 June 2013. The aim of this visit of Khurshid to Iraq was to enhance cooperation in oil and hydrocarbon sector. During this visit Khurshid held talks on issues of bilateral and mutual interests including import of oil for energy security along with the avenues of partnership, with the top Iraqi leaders. A decision to take the relationship to a higher level between the two countries by enhancing cooperation in hydro carbon sector was also made. The two countries agreed on holding a meet of Joint Commission in Baghdad before Ramadan that will begin in second week of July 2013. The joint commission meet will look forward for the revival of the ties between the two nations and will be attended by the Union Oil Minister www.jagranjosh.com
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Veerappa Moily.
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Government of Iraq assured Khurshid that supply of oil to India to fulfill its future requirements will be continued. At present, Iraq is the second largest supplier of crude oil to India despite of the sanctions on it. Iraq supplies about 12 percent of crude oil to India and stands next to Saudi Arabia. Iraq is looking forward to increase its overall production capacity to 9 million barrels per day by 2017 from 2.6 million barrels per day, which it exports at present. During his visit to Iraq, Khurshid met with the Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki and handed him over the letter of invitation to visit India by Prime Minsiter of India Union, Dr. Manmohan Singh. He also met with his counterpart Hoshyar Zebari and Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister of Iraq Hussein al-Shahristani This is the first visit of any Minister from Indian Union to Iraq after 23 years in the war-raved country. Before Salman Khurshid, Former Prime Minister of India, Inder Kumar Gujral visited Iraq in 1990 during his tenure as an External Affairs Minister of Indian Union. He visited Iraq to check the procedures of evacuation of Indians in the wake of Gulf war.
ARTICLE 21 IS ALSO VALID FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS

The Supreme Court of India on 19 June 2013 in its decision established that right to life and liberty, enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, is available to foreign nationals also. The Supreme Court quashed the FIR registered by the Government of Maharashtra against three citizens of Uganda including an Advisor to the President of Uganda, based on the complaint given by Videocon. The state government of Maharashtra filed a criminal case of cheating against the three Ugandan citizens based on the complaint by Videocon. The Vacation Bench of Justice A.K. Patnaik and Justice Ranjan Gogoi slammed the State government ordered Mumbai Police to release the passports of the trio with immediate effect. The bench in its direction stated that the police action of registering the FIR bought a bad name for India. Supreme Court Verdict in Videocon case against three Ugandan citizens: A rticle 21 of the Constitution [right to life and liberty] applies to all citizens, whether Indian or foreign nationals. Their right to liberty could not be restrained by the police due to a business dispute. Our country gets a bad name because of acts of a few police officers and it is unfortunate that the Mumbai police, instead of protecting the rights of these foreign nationals, filed an FIR against them and the charges are baseless. About the Case: Mumbai Police registered a case of extortion against Isacc Isanga Musumba, lawyer and senior Advisor to the President of Uganda (equivalent to the post of a Minister), Mawanda Michael Maranga, Member of Parliament and Magoola Mathias, a businessman from Uganda on the complaint received by Videocon officials. Following the complaint, police seized www.jagranjosh.com
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the passports of the three Ugandans. The Counsel of the Ugandans informed the Supreme Court that the petitioners came to India to settle the business dispute with Videocon in April 2013.
Content of Submitted Petition: The Ugandan nationals in their petition submitted that the police barred them from leaving the country without any formal order of arrest on 19 April 2013. Article 21 of Constitution of India: As per Constitution of India Article 21 mentions Right to Protection of life and personal liberty. No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. Procedure established by Law in Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty) has been judicially constructed as meaning a procedure which is reasonable, fair and just. Article 21, when supported by Article 39A (Directive Principles of State Policy) implies legal aid to be made available to the indigent accused and a prisoner. Article 39A mentions Equal Justice and Free Legal Aid: The State shall secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice, on a basis of equal opportunity, and shall, in particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.
TELEGRAPH SERVICES CAME TO AN END IN INDIA

Union Government on 12 June 2013 decided to discontinue the Telegraph Services in India from 15 July 2013. Telegram in India was also known as Taar. The decision of ceasing the services of Telegraph came up after more than 160 years of its being into operations. The last time Telegraph would be used to send a telegram on 14 July 2013. A circular was issued by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) Corporate office on 12 June 2013 and sent to different telegraph circle and district offices with an order to discontinue the telegraph services from 15 July 2013 onwards. As per the issued circular, the telegraph offices under BSNL www.jagranjosh.com
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have been directed to stop booking telegrams from 15 July 2013 onwards.
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The decision came up in consultation with the Department of Posts because the service was not commercially viable. To maintain the losses and declining revenue, the telegram charges for inland services were hiked in May 2011. BSNL has suffered an annual loss of 300 - 400 crore rupees from telegraph service alone. Before this, the telegram services for overseas communication were withdrawn by BSNL in April 2013. The telecom offices has been directed to maintain log books, service messages, delivery slips for six months from the date of booking. The telecom offices will also have to maintain the press reports, complaints and other messages from different consumer forums of one year. The telegraph staff members will be deployed to mobile services, broadband services, landline telephony.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TELEGRAPH AND TELEGRAM

Telegraph is the means via which a telegram is sent, whereas, telegram is the message itself. Telegraph is a communication System that is used to transmit and receive the unmodulated electric impulses via radio or wire. The telegraphs are the messages send by the telegram and are transmitted as a series of short and long electric impulses. Whereas, telegram can be defined as the message that is encoded, decoded or telegraphed in form of the original message.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF TELEGRAPHY TECHNOLOGY IN SERIES OF DEVELOPMENT

Optical Telegraph: for the first time, telegraph came in form of optical telegraph Electrical Telegraphs: One of the earliest electromagnetic telegraph designs was created by Pavel Schilling in 1832. Morse Telegraph: An electrical telegraph was independently developed and patented in the United States in 1837 by Samuel Morse. His assistant, Alfred Vail, developed the Morse code signalling alphabet with Morse. The first telegram in the United States was sent by Morse on 11 January 1838, across two miles (3 km) of wire at Speedwell Ironworks near Morristown, New Jersey. Oceanic Telegraph Cables: The first commercially successful transatlantic telegraph cable was successfully completed on 18 July 1866. The lasting connections were achieved by the ship SS Great Eastern, captained by Sir James Anderson. The telegraph across the Pacific was completed in 1902, finally encircling the world. Wireless telegraphy: Nikola Tesla and other scientists and inventors showed the usefulness of www.jagranjosh.com
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wireless telegraphy, radiotelegraphy, or radio, beginning in the 1890s. Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrated to the public his wireless radio receiver, which was also used as a lightning detector, on 7 May 1895. Telex: In 1935, message routing was the last great barrier to full automation. Systems that used telephone-like rotary dialing to connect teletypewriters were developed by many service providers of telegraphy. These systems (machines) were called "Telex" (TELegraph EXchange). Telex machines first performed rotary-telephone-style pulse dialing for circuit switching, and then sent data by Baudot code.
HISTORY OF TELEGRAPH SERVICES IN INDIA

Telegraph services was introduced in India by William O Shaughnessy, a British doctor and inventor, who for the first time used different codes to send a message on 1850. The first experimental electric telegraph line was started between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour in 1950. In 1851 the services were opened for the use of British East India Company and it was opened to the public in 1854. Since then the service was prevalent across India although it faced threats on many occasions like, after invention of Radio Transmission by Guglielmo Marconi, the Italian inventor, than with the advent of the digital computers in the 1960s, followed by Fax, email and SMSs. BSNL (the Indian telecommunication company), took over the char ge of countrys telegraph system from the Indian Postal Services. Telegraph that faced threats from the new technology prevalent in the market suffered financial losses and thus the charges of telegram saw its first price rise in 60 years from four rupees for 50 words to 27 rupees for 50 words.
TELEGRAPH AND THE WORLD

Telegraphs have been into existence in Europe, since 1792. Initially it was available in form of semaphore lines also called optical telegraphs. In this process of telegraphy, line of sight signals were sent in form of messages to a distant observer. The first successful experiment with electrical recording of telegraph was done by Samuel F. B. Morse in 1837. Terms used in Telegraphy Telegraph coined by Claude Chappe the French inventor of the Semaphore line, who also coined the word semaphore. Wireless Telegraphy is also known as CW (continuous wave) First electric telegraph was invented by Schilling A telegraph message is sent by using Morse code
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Cablegram was a message sent by a Submarine Telegraph Cable Telex means a message sent by a Telex network
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NATIONS THAT HAVE CLOSED TELEGRAPH SERVICES
COMMENT
In the world of Smart Phones, emails, SMSs and many more digital communication facilities, telegraph faced too many threats. As the result of the threats posed by the new technology, operation of the same was hard for the department of Telecommunications, BSNL on financial ends. Hence, the department in consultation with the department of posts came to a www.jagranjosh.com
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conclusion of ceasing the telegraph services in the nation from 15 July 2013.
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EU LEADERS REACHED AN AGREEMENT ON 1.3 TRILLION $ BUDGET

European Union leaders on 28 June 2013 have signed a deal of a 1.3 trillion dollar for sevenyear budget from 2014-2020. All 27 member states of European Union collectively approved the deal in Brussels after providing a solution to British concerns about a rebate that remains intact. It is expected that the plan for 2014-2020 period is going to be approved by the European Parliament in July 2013. EU leaders also resolved to spend 8 billion dollar over the next two years to support job creation, training and apprenticeships for young people. The EU budget deal came in line with the landmark bank rescue agreement. It is worth mentioning here that the European Union has sent hundreds of billions of dollars in bailouts to debt-ridden countries over the last three years.
INDIA SIGNED LOAN AGREEMENT WITH WB FOR NACP-IV

India signed an agreement for loan of 255 million US dollars with World Bank for the National AIDS Control Project (NACP-IV) in New Delhi on 18 June 2013. The Objective of the project is to increase safe behaviors among high risk groups in order to contribute to Indias national goal of reversal of the HIV epidemic by 2017. Project Component: The Project has three components that include implementation at the national, State and district levels. Scaling-up Targeted Prevention Interventions Behavior Change Communications Institutional Strengthening
The closing date of NACP IV is 30 September 2017.
GOVT. TO SET-UP INDEPENDENT REGULATORY BODY FOR COAL SECTOR

The Union Cabinet on 28 June 2013 has approved the setting up of a Coal Regulatory Authority meant to address controversial issues like supply and quality. The coal authority would be empowered to specify methodology for determining coal prices.
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FUNCTION OF THE COAL REGULATORY BODY

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The Coal Regulatory Body will help in regulation and conservation of the coal resources. It is going to benefits all stakeholders, including coal companies, coal consuming industries and coal barring states as well as people directly or indirectly associated with coal industries.
It is worth mentioning here that the draft bill on Coal Regulatory Authority Bill, 2013 was submitted to the Cabinet for consideration on 10 May 2012. There after the panel decided to refer it to a Group of Ministers to sort out issues related to the powers of the proposed regulator.
SEBI NOTIFIED NORMS FOR LISTING OF PREFERENCE SHARES

Market regulator Sebi in Month of June 2013 notified a new set of regulations to regulate issuing and listing of non-convertible preference. The listing of preference shares is basically meant to bring more transparency in raising of funds through such securities. The listing of privately placed non-convertible redeemable preference shares would require a minimum application size of 10 lakh Rupees for each investor which will safeguard the interest of small investors from high risk securities. The definite structure for issuance and listing of such shares is supposed to make it easier for banks and infrastructure companies to gain funds through this route. There is also a requirement of minimum three year term for the instruments of share besides public issuance of it and also a rating of AA- or equivalent investment grade. The new regulations is applicable to issuing by banks of non-equity instruments such as 'Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preference Shares' and 'Innovative Perpetual Debt Instruments', which are in according with the specified criteria for inclusion in Additional Tier I Capital.
WHAT IS PREFERENCE SHARES?

Preference share is an equity security which has the properties of both equity and a debt instrument. Preference share usually carries no voting rights but sometimes it may carry a dividend. There would be a comprehensive regulatory framework as per the new norm for the public issuance of non-convertible redeemable shares also for listing of privately placed redeemable preference shares. It is important here to note that in the last three years, Indian companies have raised over www.jagranjosh.com
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25000 crore rupees through preference share issuance.
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INDIAN MONEY IN SWISS BANKS DROPPED TO RECORD LOW

The official figures by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) in Zurich on 20 June 2013 unveiled that the Indian money found in Swiss banks dropped down to record lowest level at 9000 crore Rupees or 1.42 billion Swiss francs. The official data released by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) is a part of annual report of Swiss Banks released by SNB. The overall funds held by Indian entities as well as individuals included 1.34 billion Swiss francs being held by entities and individuals directly while another 77 million Swiss francs held through wealth managers or fiduciaries at 2012 end. The data indicated that Indians money in Swiss banks dipped down around 35 percent or 4900 crore Rupees in 2012. Fiduciaries are the wealth fund managers that hold wealth of Indian private families or holders in numbered accounts. It is also important to note that this was steeper than the 9.1 percent dip in funds held by entities from all over the world in Swiss Banks. The overall funds held by the entities from across the world also hit all-time low of 1.4 trillion Swiss francs at 2012 end. In the beginning of 2012, the overall funds of Indians in Swiss banks was almost 14000 crore Rupees or 2.18 billion Swiss francs. In the meanwhile, the funds from across the world in Swiss Banks in the beginning of 2012 were 1.5 trillion Swiss francs or 1.65 trillion US dollar. These funds from India in the Swiss banks are described by the SNB as liabilities of the banks towards Indian clients. It is also important to note that these figures are the official ones released from Swiss authorities and they are not the indicator of the black money of Indians held in Swiss banks. The funds held by the Indians in Swiss banks at the end of 2006 was at a record height of 6.5 billion Swiss francs or more than 41000 crore Rupees, but it declined by more than 5 billion Swiss francs or 32000 crore Rupees since then. For the clients from all over the world, the total funds in the Swiss banks was at record height of 2.6 trillion US dollar by the end of 2007 but since then it has dipped down by more than one trillion dollars. According to the SNB data, the funds of Indians held directly in the Swiss banks decreased steeply by around 700 million Swiss francs in 2012 to 1.34 billion Swiss francs in 2012. In the meanwhile, the funds held by Indians through fiduciaries halved to 77.4 million Swiss francs in the year 2011, which marked the sixth year of decline in a row. The direct liabilities of Swiss banks towards the Indian clients include funds which are held in the deposit accounts as well as savings accounts by the Indian corporate houses, financial www.jagranjosh.com
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institutions as well as individuals.
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TIANHE-2: FASTEST COMPUTER OF THE WORLD

A survey conducted by Top 500, revealed on 17 June 2013 that the Chinese supercomputer is the fastest computer of the world. This Chinese supercomputer is called Tianhe-2 and it replaced US machine called Titan, which was earlier said to be the fastest computer of the world.
ABOUT THE FASTEST COMPUTER OF THE WORLD, TIANHE-2

Tianhe-2 means Milky Way-2. Tianhe-2 is a supercomputer developed by China's National University of Defense Technology. It achieved the processing speeds of 33.86 petaflops (1000 trillion calculations) per second on a benchmarking test conducted by Top 500 survey of supercomputers. It surpassed the rival, Titan (the US computer) which achieved the processing speed of 17.59 petaflops per second. In November 2010, Tianhe-2s predecessor- Tianhe-1 was said to be the fastest computer of the world. Almost all the parts of Tianhe-2 are developed in China, apart from the main processors which are designed by Intel, the US firm. The primary features of Tianhe-2 are also developed in China and these include the Operating System, interconnect, software as well as the front-end processors. The cost of this supercomputer is 100 million US dollar. The peak performance speed of this computer, according to National University of Defence Technology, is 54.9 quadrillion operations per second. It encompasses 16000 nodes, each with three Xeon Phi processors and two Intel Xeon Ivy Bridge processors, which gives it a combined total of 3120000 computing cores.
However, it is important to note that US is still leading in overall supercomputer rankings. 252 systems of US make it to the list of top 500 supercomputers of the world. The overall number of European machines is 112, while that of Asian machines is 119. The Top 500 list is produced two times in a year. The supercomputers in this list are rated on the basis of their speed of performance in a benchmark test which is conducted by experts
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from US as well as Germany.
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15 NEW DARK GALAXIES DISCOVERED

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) on 29 May 2013 announced that astronomers in Chile discovered 15 new dark galaxies. The dark galaxies were discovered by making use of the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) telescope. There were 15 unknown dark galaxies that were buried in the cosmic dust. The astronomers observed a field named Subaru/XMM-Newtown Deep Survey Field in direction of the Cetus constellation. Dark galaxies are gas-rich, small galaxies which are said to be from the times of early universe. Dark galaxies are also said to be the early phase of galaxy formation. The observations from ALMA disclosed that around 80 percent of unidentifiable millimeter wave signals from universe are emitted from these galaxies. The team of researchers led by Bunyo Hatsukade and Kouji Ohta from Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University made use of the sensitivity as well as high resolving power of ALMA in order to precisely find out the location of these galaxies which are rich in fine solid particles. The team measured the number of density of these galaxies. The research showed that the discovered galaxies are faint but are rich in dust. Professor Kouji Ota explained that the research was a big step in disclosing the big picture of evolution of the galaxy. The European Southern Observatory is supported by various countries which include Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Finland, Britain and Brazil.
INDIA WON ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2013

India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 on 23 June 2013 against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham with a five-run victory. Mahendra Singh Dhoni captained the Indian Side in the tournament, whereas, Alastair Cook captained the English team. India made a total of 129 runs in 20 overs for seven wickets. It then restricted England to 124 for eight. Ravindra Jadeja was declared as the Man of the Match after he took two wickets and scored an unbeaten 33 runs. He was also awarded with the Golden Ball for grabbing 12 wickets (maximum) in the series. Sikhar Dhawan was declared as the Man of the Series award for being the highest run-scorer (363 runs) of the tournament. He also received a Golden Bat for being the highest scorer. This was the first Champions Trophy title for India. Earlier, in 2002 India shared the title jointly with Sri Lanka. www.jagranjosh.com
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ABOUT THE ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY
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The ICC Champions Trophy is the One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament which is organised by International Cricket Council (ICC). It is considered important event in cricket, only after the Cricket World Cup and is also known as Mini World Cup. The ICC Champions Trophy was inaugurated in the year 1998 as ICC Knock out Tournament. It was later named as Champions Trophy in 2002. Since the year 2009, the number of teams participating in the ICC Champions Trophy has remained eight. These are the eight highestranked ODI teams.
ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2013

The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 was held in England and Wales between 6 June 2013 and 23 June 2013. Three cities in all hosted the matches, which were London (at The Oval), Birmingham (at Edgbaston) and Cardiff (at the SWALEC Stadium). The winners of the tournament earned 2 million US dollar as the prize money. This is the largest amount since the beginning of the tournament. The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 was the seventh and final ICC Champions Trophy. This will be replaced by ICC World Test Championship in 2017. Eight teams participated in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 and these were- England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia, India, South Africa, West Indies and Pakistan. In the seventh edition of the tournament, Sri Lanka, India, England and South Africa were the four teams to make into the semi-finals.
WINNERS OF THE ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY SINCE 1998

Year of the Tournament 1998 ICC Knock Out tournament 2000 ICC Knock Out tournament Winner South Africa New Zealand
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2002 ICC Champions Trophy 2004 ICC Champions Trophy 2006 ICC Champions Trophy 2008 ICC Champions Trophy 2013 ICC Champions Trophy India and Sri Lanka jointly West Indies Australia Australia India
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ROGER FEDERER WON HALLE ATP TITLE

The Grass Court King, Roger Federer on 16 June 2013 won Gerry Weber Open Halle ATP final after defeating Mikhail Youzhny of Russia by 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 at the Gerry Weber Stadium in Halle, Germany. This is the first title won by Federer in the year 2013 and sixth Halle Title and 77th title of the career. The 31 year old Swiss star, broke away the 10 months and 11 tournament drought without a title. Youzhny, lost for the 15th time in a row against Federer.
HALLE OPENS GRASS COURT SWING

The Gerry Weber Open is one of five grass court events on the ATP World Tour calendar. The tournament gives players their first chance to play on the surface in the lead-up to Wimbledon. The Gerry Weber Open has crowned five German winners, since the inaugural event in 1993: Michael Stich (1994), Nicolas Kiefer (1999), David Prinosil (2000), Tommy Haas (2009 & 2012) and Philipp Kohlschreiber (2011). Roger Federer won his sixth title in 2013.
INTERNATIONAL
MARRAKESH TREATY FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED SIGNED
The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or otherwise Print Disabled was adopted by more than 150 countries at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Diplomatic Conference hosted by Morocco in Marrakesh, Morocco on 28 June 2013. The treaty will provide access to various books for the print disabled, visually impaired as well as blind.
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Marrakesh, Morocco is an important place because at this place itself, the World Trade Organization was established after signing of the treaty on 15 April 1994.
SALIENT FEATURES OF THE MARRAKESH TREATY

The treaty will address the needs of the books for visually impaired. This will be done after the contracting parties will adopt the national law provisions which will allow distribution, reproduction as well as making accessible the published works in easy formats through exceptions and limitations to copyrights. The primary aim of the treaty is to bring down the rate of book famine which is faced by the blind i.e., lack of the accessible books format for people who have print disabilities, while at the same time considering international copyright framework. The treaty will also facilitate assurance to various publishers as well as authors that the system of this treaty would not lead to misuse or improper distribution of their copyrighted works. The treaty is described as Miracle in Marrakesh by the Moroccan Minister of Communications Mustapha Khalfi. The treaty also provides for exchanging the accessible format works through the borders by those organisations which serve blind, visually impaired, and print disabled people. Sharing of the works will facilitate increasing the number of works which are available because this would eliminate plagiarism. In all, there are 285 million visually blind as well as partially-sighted people in world. Maximum percentage of these people lives in India. It is important to note that merely 1 to 7 percent of overall published books are available in the formats which are accessible to them.
ABOUT THE WIPO DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE

The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Diplomatic Conference was scheduled from 17 June 2013 to 28 June 2013. The conference brought over 600 negotiators from WIPOs 186 member states together. The Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities was convened by WIPO on 18 June 2013.
INDIA & OMAN BILATERAL TRADE REGISTERED A 129% GROWTH

During the five-year period from 2008-09 to 2012-13, India-Oman bilateral trade increased by www.jagranjosh.com
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129 percent as per the data released by Union Ministry of External Affairs. India has been a major exporter to Oman and emerged as the fourth largest source of imports into Oman after Japan, USA and Saudi Arabia in 2012. The balance of trade is in Indias favour due to increase in export of mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation. Besides traditional items from India like tea, coffee, spices, rice and meat products and seafood are among other commodities in great demand in Oman. India imports urea, Liquefied Natural Gas through spot purchase, polypropylene, lubricating oil, dates and chromites ore from Oman. In terms of FDI inflows from the GCC Countries, Oman is the second biggest investor in India having put in investments worth 340 million US dollars in the country. More than 7.18 lakh expatriate Indians are living in Oman in various sectors contributing a lot towards strong IndiaOman ties.
WHO ISSUED NEW HIV TREATMENT GUIDELINES

The World Health Organization on 30 June 2013 introduced new guidelines for the treatment of HIV could help prevent millions of people dying of AIDS. The WHO says these guidelines represent a major shift in treatment policy. The idea is to give a single pill combining three drugs to people who are HIV positive much earlier while their immune systems are still strong. Algeria, Argentina and Brazil are already doing this. Ultimately, it means the number of people in developing countries, who are deemed eligible for drug treatment, will rise from 16 to 26 million. The World Health Organization estimates the guidelines will add 10 per cent to the overall cost of treating HIV and AIDS.
INDIA AND SRI LANKA HELD TALKS ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Sri Lanka and India on 24-25 June 2013 held discussion in Colombo on trade, investment and economic cooperation. It is aimed at doubling the bilateral trade volume to the tune of 10 billion US dollars in the next three years. India is Sri Lankas leading trade partner and that bilateral trade between the two countries has now reached 5 billion US dollars. During the talks, India and Sri Lanka decided to expand the bilateral trade in a balanced way by utilising the opportunities available between the two neighboring nations. The talks included economic, trade and development related issues between the two countries. The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and Sri Lanka was the first ever bilateral trade agreement for both nations. It was signed in 1998 and enforced since 2000. India is considered as Sri Lankas foremost development partner in public investment strategy. India has provided www.jagranjosh.com
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the assistance and credit totaling 1.75 billion US dollars to Sri Lanka. India is responsible for construction of 50000 houses in the north-east area of Sri Lanka. India is also assisting in public transport network infrastructure rebuilding.
US SENATE PASSED LANDMARK IMMIGRATION BILL

The United States Senate on 27 June 2013 passed a landmark comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill to provide a pathway to citizenship to some 11 million illegal immigrants in the country. There are over 240000 illegal Indian migrants in the US. The immigration reform received a bipartisan support in the US Senate; the bill received 88 votes in favour and 32 votes in against. The supporters included 52 members from the Democratic Party, 14 Republican members of the senate and two independent members. For further approval, the Bill has been sent to House of Representatives and after being approved in the house it will be sent to US President, Barack Obama to be signed into a law.
PROVISIONS OF THE NEW LEGISLATION

Steps to prevent illegal migration in future and checking the legal status of Job applicants living in US It offers 13 year path to citizenship to 11 million illegal migrants living in the country Completion of 1226 kilometer fencing and deployment of high-tech devices along the US-Mexico border and to guard it will require 20000 new Border Patrol Agents Expansion of number of Visa available to highly skilled workers relying upon the technology industry Temporary program for farm workers and low-skilled persons
KEVIN RUDD SWORN IN AS NEW AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER

Kevin Rudd on 27 June 2013 was sworn in as Australias new prime minister ousting Julia Gillard as Labor chief in a ballot. He was sworn in at Government House in Canberra by Governor General Quentin Bryce. Kevin Rudd conserved his dramatic return after a leadership ballot on 26 June 2013 in which Gillard, the countrys first female premier, was forced to leave in a party -room vote and announced her retirement from politics. 55 years old Kevin Rudd won the vote of Labor lawmakers 57 to 45 amid mounting unease in the party over an expected rout by Tony Abbott's conservative opposition at the national polls
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in September 2013.
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A BRIEF INSIGHT INTO KEVIN RUDDS POLITIC AL CAREER

Kevin Michael Rudd is the 27th Prime Minister of Australia, as well as Leader of the Labor Party. Earlier he held the position of Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, and Labor Leader from 2006 to 2010; he is the first former Prime Minister to return to the office since Robert Menzies in 1949. He worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs from 1981 to 1988, where he became Chief of Staff to the Labor Premier of Queensland, Wayne Goss. Kevin Rudd was first elected to the House of Representatives for Griffith at the 1998 federal election, joining the Shadow Cabinet in 2001 as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. In year 2006, he become the Leader of the Labor Party by successfully challenging Kim Beazley and subsequently become the Leader of the Opposition. In year 2007 Kevin Rudds Labor Party won the federal election with a 23 -seat swing, and Rudd was sworn in as the 26th Prime Minister of Australia on 3 December.
SOME IMPORTANT POINTS TO BE REMEMBERED ABOUT AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTERS

There have been 27 Prime Ministers and 43 elections up to 2012. The 27 Prime Ministers have served 32 separate terms of office. 10 Prime Ministers have been defeated at a general election, they are: Deakin, Fisher, Cook, Bruce, Scullin, Chifley, McMahon, Fraser, Keating and Howard. There have been 7 Prime Ministers who never won an election, they are: Watson, Reid, Page. There have been 10 Opposition Leaders who contested elections but never became Prime Minister, they are: Tudor, Charlton, Evatt, Calwell, Snedden, Hayden, Peacock, Hewson, Beazley & Latham.
PRISM PROGRAMME: US SURVEILLANCE ON TOP INTERNET SERVERS

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(NSA) has obtained direct access to the systems of Facebook, Google, Apple and other US internet giants. All this was done under the secret program of US to search the data potentially linked with terrorism, espionage or nuclear proliferation. The US agency tapped into the central servers of different internet giants under the six-year old programme, code-named PRISM. Under this program, the FBI and NSA searched for the emails, videos, photographs, search history, the content of emails, file transfers, live chats and other documents. Existence of the program PRISM was confirmed by James Clapper, US Director of National Intelligence. As per Clapper, the information accessed under the programme is among the most valuable intelligence information collected by the agency and has been helpful in protecting US from a wide range of threats. The IT companies which were directly into surveillance of the US Agency were Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube and Apple and all these companies denied the knowledge of surveillance despite the of the claims that the programme was assisted by them. Year Organisation Programme Microsoft Yahoo Google Facebook Paltalk Skype You Tube AOL that Joined Prism
11 September 2007 12 March 2008 14 January 2009 3 June 2009 7 December 2009 3 June 2009 24 September 2010 31 March 2011
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2012 Apple
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The program was started in the George Bush Era in the year 2007, with Microsoft as the first company to be involved in the Programme. President Barack Obama renewed the changes in surveillance laws in the year 2012, which were made under Bush making information accessible by NSA. US spent 20 million dollar annually on PRISM and its operations; this is a small percentage of 8 Billion Dollar annual budgets for NSA. Since its beginning, the number of intelligence reports cited by PRISM is 77000. As per the latest data, the NSA issued about 2000 PRISM-based reports every month. In the year 2012, NSA issued a total of 24005 reports.
INDIA AND GERMANY INKED PACT ON CO-OPERATION

India and Germany on 6 June 2013 signed an umbrella agreement on financial and technical cooperation in fields of energy, environment and management of natural resources. This agreement displays the commitment of both nations towards strengthening the longstanding partnership between the two in field of development co-operation. Earlier, India and Germany had negotiated about 723 million Euros worth projects in 2012 as part of a pact on development cooperation between them. The umbrella agreement was signed by German Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission Cord MeierKlodt and Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs Rajesh Khullar. Germany also made a commitment to support the expansion plans of renewable energy in India with one billion Euros. The Agreement on Financial and Technical Cooperation generally contains priority areas such as energy, environmental issues and management of natural resources.
UK AND CHINA SIGNED CURRENCY SWAP DEAL WORTH 200BN YUAN

UK and China in month of June 2013 signed a three-year deal to swap their currencies when needed in order to boost the Chinese Yuan outside Asia. UK wishes to become a centre for the Chinese currency which known by Renminbi. It is important here to note that the British banks hold 35bn yuan worth of deposits in the Chinese currency. With the signing of agreement Bank of England could draw on the line with the PBOC when there is a sudden shortage of yuan funds in the U.K. marketand make the yuan. Currency-swap agreements basically allow central banks to swap currencies which can be used by firms to settle trade in local currencies rather than in US dollars.The deal was signed in its www.jagranjosh.com
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effort to promote the yuan in global trade and finance. The Prospective deal was first signed in February 2013. In year 2012 the UK Treasury had announced plans to make London - the world's largest currency trading hub and the leading international centre for trading the yuan outside mainland China and Hong Kong. China also has a swap agreement with Brazil worth 30bn dollars and has also signed similar agreements with other trading partners such as Japan, Australia and Hong Kong.
SUPREME COURT OF EGYPT INVALIDATED COUNTRY'S SHURA COUNCIL

Egypts Supreme Court on 2 June 2013 invalidated the Countrys Shura Council and a panel that drafted the countrys constitution. However the court stated that the Shura would only be dissolved after new elections. Shura Council is the upper house of Parliament which was given legislative powers last year after Parliament was dissolved. The Supreme Constitutional Court stated that the Shura Council is legally invalid since one third of its elected members should have been independents; but the parties fielded their candidates in this category in a clear violation of the electoral law. The apex court ruling however made it clear that the upper house of the parliament wont be dissolved till the parliament's lower chamber is elected later this year or early next year. The Islamist dominated Shura Council was given legislative powers in 2012 after the dissolution of the National Assembly. The court ruling is a major setback for the Islamist parties hold on the power in Egypt.
INDIA AND SINGAPORE REAFFIRMED THEIR STRONG DEFENCE TIES

India and Singapore on 3 June 2013 reaffirmed their strong and long-standing defence ties as they renewed a bilateral agreement for the conduct of joint army training and exercises. The agreement was signed after visiting Defence Minister A K Antony held bilateral talks with his Singapore counterpart Ng Eng Hen. The Agreement for the Conduct of Joint Army Training and Exercises was first established on 12 August 2008. Its renewal allows the Singapore Army to train and exercise with the Indian Army in India for another five years. The armies of India and Singapore jointly conducted bilateral armour and artillery exercises, codenamed Ex Bold Kurukshetra and Ex Agni Warrior respectively. The bilateral exercise was successfully conducted in March 2013 and a combined artillery live-firing was carried out in December 2012.
BANGLADESH: LAW FOR PROTECTION OF HINDU RELIGIOUS PROPERTY

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The Government of Bangladesh on 3 June 2013 approved the draft law meant for the development of Hindu religious properties as well as for protection of these properties from land grab and encroachment. The Cabinet gave its final approval to the draft law. The Government of Bangladesh decided to prepare a list of the Hindu charitable endowments also known as Devottar property. A management board will also be constituted once this law will be passed by the Parliament of Bangladesh. A Hindu law expert Advocate Rana Dashgupta explained that since the British era, there is a law meant for protection as well as management of the Muslim Wakf sites. But no such laws have been designed for the Hindu sites. Over the past 10 years, thousands of land pieces of Hindu religious properties were encroached. Therefore, there have been increasing demands of the Hindus for curtailing the incidents of grabbing or encroachment of Devottar property. The draft law has provisions for making sure that the proper management and development of these Devottar properties is done. It also has the provisions for making transfer of the property illegal in case that property has been donated to Hindu Ashrams, monasteries or temples. The draft law additionally has provisions for punishment for the irregularities in management of these properties. Punishments will include jail and heavy fines in case someone is found misleading the board with wrongful information of these properties. Cabinet Secretary Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan explained that in order to regulate the management and development of these properties, a central board would also be constituted.
JAPAN SUCCESSFULLY TESTED THE L0 SERIES MAGLEV BULLET TRAIN

Japan on 5 June 2013 conducted the first successful test of new generation L0 Series Trains (maglev bullet trains) designed to travel at speeds of 311 mph. These trains are lashed with latest magnetic levitation technology (maglev) instead of the conventional wheels. The commercial services of this series of trains will start in 2027. First five cars of the L0 series train with a distinct aerodynamic Nose at the front side was displayed in Yamanashi Prefecture on a test track. The lack of friction due to the new maglev technology in these trains means acceleration and deceleration are faster and they are unaffected by weather conditions. The LO Series Trains are designed by Central Japan Railway Co (JR Tokai), and in its first phase will link central Tokyo with Nagoya station and cut the current time of journey by bullet train by more than half, from 90 to 40 minutes. The lines will be extended up to Osaka by 2045 as Japan is into the plan of creating a high-speed mass transit maglev network across the country. The train will have 16 carriages and will carry up to 1000 passengers at a time. In 1964, Japan unveiled its first bullet train named Shinkansen to coincide with its hosting of the Olympic Games. At present, Japan is the home of Worlds most sophisticated rail network. The central line in Japan, Tokaido Shinkansen is the worlds busiest high-speed rail and it carries about 151 www.jagranjosh.com
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million passengers each year.
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WORLD LEADERS SIGNED AGREEMENT TO TACKLE MALNUTRITION

World leaders on 8 June 2013 signed a global agreement to fight malnutrition in children and made commitments of up to 4.15 billion dollars to tackle under nutrition up to 2020. The agreement, called Global Nutrition for Growth was signed during the central London summit. The summit was participated by two Presidents and four Prime Ministers from Africa, philanthropist Bill Gates, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Unilever chief executive Paul Polman. The agreement also aims to improve saving the lives of at least 1.7 million children by increasing breastfeeding and better treatment of severe and acute malnutrition. The UK committed an additional 375 million pounds of funding from 2013 to 2020. Countries which have previously increased nutrition funding, like the US and Canada, committed themselves to continuing those high levels of funding while others, like the European Union, the World Bank and Ireland, increased their support substantially. Stunting affects around 165 million children across the globe and almost 50 per cent of children in India. The World Health Assembly agreed a new global target of a 40 per cent reduction in the number of stunted children by 2025.
INDIA OFFERED 150 MILLION DOLLARS CREDIT TO MYANMAR

India on 8 June 2013 offered 150 million Dollars credit to Myanmar for establishing a Special Economic Zone at Sittwe in Myanmar's Buyer's Credit Scheme under National Export Insurance Account. The offer was made at a meeting the Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand Sharma had with the Myanmar President U Thein Sein recently in Nay Pyi Taw. Cooperation in Energy sector also came up for discussion during the meeting. India appreciated the Myanmar Governments decision to allow United Bank of India t o set up a representative office in Myanmar. Bank of India and State Bank of India would also be permitted to operate in that Country. India has made significant progress in improving road connectivity with Myanmar which will create new opportunities for India's north eastern region. India also offered to help in revival of 300 apparel factories in Myanmar. It also offered 5 million US dollars Line of Credit for revival of these factories. The South India Textile Research Association (SITRA) will provide technical assistance in formulation of revival plans for these factories. India will be setting up India-Myanmar Apparel Sector JVs in Thilawa SEZ in collaboration with other international brands. India will also set up a textiles trade show - Textiles Expo in Yangon www.jagranjosh.com
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for traditional textiles with Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC) as Lead Council.
SOUTH KOREA CALLED OFF HIGH LEVEL TALKS WITH NORTH KOREA
South Korea on 11 June 2013 called off the high-level talks with North Korea, as scheduled to begin in Seoul on 12 June 2013. The two sides had agreed to the two-day talks, expected to focus primarily on joint economic projects. On the eve of the meeting, the two remained unable to agree on the composition of their delegations. The two Koreas had exchanged undisclosed lists of five representatives, but could not reach a consensus. It was not immediately clear whether the talks, scheduled to take place at a hotel in Seoul, had been postponed or cancelled. The scheduled talks were an opportunity to improve relations after months of military tensions between the two nations. North Korea threatened nuclear war while South Korea issued stern warning in response.
DEFENCE BUDGET OF PAKISTAN RAISED BY 15 PERCENT

The cash strapped new Government of Pakistan on 12 June 2013 announced hike of 15 percent in its defence budget to 627 billion rupees for the fiscal 2013-14. The Government of Pakistan made an allocation of 15.7 percent of the federal budget of 3.985 trillion rupees for fiscal year 2013-14 for all the three defence services of the nation. The army got the lion's share of the outlay with 301.54 billion rupees and the Air Force was allocated 131.18 billion rupees and the Navy got 62.80 billion rupees. The Nawaz-Sharif led Government of Pakistan has made an allocation of 2300 million rupees for defence production division in Public Sector Development Programme for the fiscal year of which 2246.30 million rupees will be invested on installation of the ship lifts, machinery and equipment for docking, transfer system, repair units for all types of commercial vessels, ships, submarines at Karachi Port.
WORLD BANK SLASHED GROWTH FORECAST FOR CHINA TO 7.7 PERCENT

The World Bank on 14 June 2013 slashed its growth forecast for China's economy for 2013 to 7.7 percent from 8.4 percent. In its report, the World Bank stated that the main risk related to China remains the possibility that high investment rates prove unsustainable, provoking a disorderly unwinding and sharp economic slowdown. The projection is lower than the 7.8 percent expansion the country recorded in 2012, which was its weakest in 13 years. The report also stated that the Chinese household debt is around two to three times higher than the level before 1997, when the Asian Financial Crisis hit. It added that, while the headline inflation rate is mild, price pressures remain in certain rapidly growing segments of the www.jagranjosh.com
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economy, including real estate. In April 2013, China announced unexpectedly weak growth of 7.7 per cent for the first quarter, surprising analysts who had expected expansion to accelerate in 2013, after showing strength at the end of 2012. Other recent indicators have raised alarm bells, with exports showing almost no growth in May 2013, while industrial output expanded at a slightly slower pace than April 2013 and big ticket investment growth also eased. The World Bank's forecast cuts followed a recent lowering by the International Monetary Fund to 7.75 per cent from the previous 8.0 per cent.
PAKISTAN DECIDED TO DECLARE PANJA SAHIB AS A HOLY CITY

The Government of Pakistan on 14 June 2013 decided to declare Panja Sahib as a holy city. The government will initiate steps for sorting out the issues related to the welfare of the Sikhs, who live at the pilgrimage site. The decision of Pakistan Government was disclosed by Arif Chaudhry, Legal Counsel to Pakistan's Interior Ministry during his meeting with the Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal at Chandigarh.
ABOUT PANJA SAHIB

It is believed that Panja Sahib is the house of a rock that has the hand print of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikh religion. This is a popular Sikh pilgrimage across the world. Panja Sahib is located near Rawalpindi in Pakistan.
TRAIL OF 26/11 MUMBAI ATTACKS SHIFTED TO ISLAMABAD COURT

Trial of the seven Pakistanis including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi LeT Commander, who are the prime accused of the 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks on 15 June 2013 was shifted to a new antiterrorism court in Islamabad from the antiterrorism court in Rawalpindi. The Judge of the Rawalpindi based antiterrorism Court Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman took the decision of shifting the case to antiterrorism court of Judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi in Islamabad following the application of the prosecution. The new court of Islamabad was set-up recently to hear cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act against former President Pervez Musharraf. Appointment of the Chief Prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency by the Government of Pakistan is still pending, since the assassination of Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali by militants on 3 May 2013. Zulfiqar Ali was handing the two major cases and they were 26/11 Mumbai Attack Case and Benazir Bhutto assassination case. The antiterrorism court of Rawalpindi has been handling the 26/11 case since 2009 and since then five judges have been changed in the court. The seven accused in the Mumbai Terror Attacks have been charged with planning, executing and financing the attacks in which 166 www.jagranjosh.com
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people were killed on 26 November 2008 in Mumbai.
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USA & RUSSIA AGREED TO END SYRIA VIOLENCE

On sidelines of the 39th G-8 meeting in Northern Ireland, USA and Russia on 18 June 2013 agreed to end violence in Syria, though they have a different stance. Both nations are united by the common intention to end the violence, to stop the number of victims increasing in Syria and to resolve the problems by peaceful means. US and Russia agreed to push for a summit in Geneva and also agreed to meet in Moscow in September 2013.Both nations stated, they are optimistic on Iran, after its Presidential elections. Russia is considered Syria's closest ally and it has been providing weapons to the Assad regime while US and western countries want Bashar al-Assad to step down.
US TO OPEN DIRECT PEACE TALKS WITH TALIBAN

The United State of America on 18 June 2013 announced that it will held direct peace talks with Taliban. The announcement from US came after Taliban opened its first political office in Doha, Qatar. The office has been opened to help in ending the 12 years old conflict. To bring the talks in process, US agreed to drop the series of preconditions that have held back the negotiations, previously. US representatives will meet with the Taliban envoys for the first round of talks in Doha in third week of June 2013. The basic agenda between the two during first round of talks will be peace and reconciliation. After this the envoys of Taliban will also meet with the High Peace Council set up by President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai to conduct the negotiations. The negotiation between the Afghanistan and Taliban will seek renouncing violence, breaking ties with al-Qaeda and respect the Constitution of Afghanistan as well as the Rights of women and minorities. The move came on the day that Nato forces handed official control of nationwide security to Afghan troops.
HIGH PEACE COUNCIL

The Afghanistan High Peace Council is a body of the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program, appointed by Hamid Karzai to negotiate with elements of the Taliban. Salahuddin Rabbani, son of former President of Afghanistan Burhanuddin Rabbani is the Chairman of the Council
CHINESE FIRST PILOT CARBON EMISSION TRADING SCHEME

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The first of seven pilot carbon emission trading schemes for China was launched in the city of Shenzhen, China on 18 June 2013. It is worth noticing that China is the largest carbon gas emitter of the world. Shenzhen which is situated across border from Hong Kong is among the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) of China. It houses 11 million residents. China committed to bring down the carbon emission intensity by 21 percent by the year 2015. The power plant of the Shenzhen Energy Group sold the emission permit for 10000 tonnes to Guangdong arm of state oil group PetroChina for Rmb28 per tonne or 5 US dollar a tonne, and another 10000 tonnes to Hanergy, a privately owned power generator and solar-panel maker for a price of Rmb30 a tonne. This implies that China has established a carbon market. Carbon markets are the ones which enable the companies to buy permits for emitting carbon dioxide from those companies which burn less carbon. This mechanism is aimed at encouraging the companies for reducing pollution as well as invests their money in the cleaner technologies.
ABOUT THE CARBON EMISSION TRADING SCHEME

The Carbon Emission Trading Scheme of Shenzhen covers 635 companies in overall 26 sectors which also include water supply, natural gas, manufacturing, industrial and electricity. These companies have carbon emissions above 20000 tons of CO2 equivalent. These 635 companies in the year 2010 discharged a total of 31.7 million tons of greenhouse gases, which is equivalent to 38 percent of the Shenzhens total. Under this Carbon Emission Trading Scheme, emission permits will, at first, be allocated to the companies free of cost. The companies which pollute more than the permissible limit, will have to buy the credits from those companies which reduce the emissions below targets set by the Chinese Government. This means that under this scheme, all the companies will be assigned an emission quota. The companies can then benefit or make profits by selling excess permits to the other companies. China has six other pilot emissions trading schemes in the pipeline which will also begin in 2013 only. These trading schemes will begin in Tianjin, Shanghai, Hubei, Guangdong, Chongqing and Beijing. Together, all these schemes will regulate around 800 million to 1 billion tons of emissions by 2015. This would be the second biggest cap-and-trade program of the world, only after Europe which covers 2.1 billion tons of emissions among 31 countries and also accounts for over three-quarters of global carbon trading.
In the meanwhile, the carbon trading scheme of Australia covers 380 million tons and that of
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California covers 165 million tons.
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In case the pilot programs launched by China deliver reductions in the carbon emissions in a cost-effective manner and without any negative impact on the economy, they will indicate the future of Chinas approach towards climate change as well as attitude to international agreement in 2015. China also has the plan of launching nationwide carbon trading scheme by 2015. It is also important to note that China has emerged as the top producer of carbon emissions, which are strongly responsible for climate change. This is because of Chinas reliance on heavy industry as well as coal. China, in turn has emerged ahead of US, even though Chinas Per Capita Income is much lower than that of US. China had also declared that the carbon emissions from the country would rise until 2030. However, Beijing planned for a reduction of 40 percent by 2020.
INDIA AND NEPAL SIGNED AN MoU ON SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

India and Nepal signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) in the third week of June 2013 to provide assistance for construction of a three storied school building under IndiaNepal Economic Cooperation Programme. The MoU was signed between Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, District Development Committee, Kapilvastu and Shree Higher Secondary School. As per the MoU, India would grant 4.14 crore Nepali rupees for construction of School building in Kapilvastu District under India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme. The Indian grant will help in creation of better facilities in the new building of the Shree Higher Secondary School is situated at Barkalpur, Kapilvastu District that was established in 1979. This building will accommodate more than 1000 students with fifty percent population of girls.
INDIA-NEPAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION PROGRAMME

The programme of India-Nepal economic cooperation was launched in 1951. The objective of this programme was and remains to supplement the efforts of the Government of Nepal in the national development of the country. India's assistance programme in Nepal is guided by the vision that alongside progress in political process in Nepal, it is equally important to ensure that economic deliverables, particularly in the areas of education, health and infrastructure, must reach the people without any pre-conditions in a smooth, quick and unencumbered manner.
INDIAN EMBASSY IN RIYADH ASKED INDIANS TO AVAIL CONCESSIONS

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh on 21 June 2013 appealed the migrant Indian nationals in Saudi Arabia to avail concessions granted by the Saudi authorities and get the exit passes issued to www.jagranjosh.com
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return to India or to get their job or visa or residency status in the country corrected by the deadline of 3 July 2013. About 60000 Indian nationals approached the embassy to avail the concessions announced by the Saudi Authorities. About 30000 out passes were issued for the Indian nationals who wished to return back to India. More than 20000 migrated Indian Nationals have applied for visa or the legal resident status corrected. About 10000 persons are in a process of getting their job status corrected. About 200 companies have approached to the Embassy with job opportunities for eligible Indians in past two months. Earlier on 6 May 2013, Authorities of Saudi Arabia announced that there would be no extension over the three month grace for foreigners staying in the country illegally. The Interior Ministry has urged people to take advantage of the grace period provided to them for regularization of their situation.
11 COUNTRIES DECIDED TO GIVE MILITARY SUPPORT TO SYRIAN REBELS

The Friends of Syria on 22 June 2013 decided to give urgent military support to Syrian rebels. A decision to this effect was taken at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the 11 countries in Qatari capital Doha. Foreign ministers and senior officials of France, Germany, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Britain and the United States attended the meeting. However, a divided Syrian opposition was absent. The Friends of Syria is a core group of 11 foreign ministers from the western and the Arab nations. It is convened periodically on the topic of Syria outside the U.N. Security Council. The group was initiated by then French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and its first meeting took place on 24 February 2012 in Tunisia.
INDIA & RUSSIAN FEDERATION DISCUSSED CECA

Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce & Industry, led an official delegation on 19-22 June, 2013, to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2013. The fourth India-Russia Business Dialogue was organized in the framework of SPIEF 2013, which was co-chaired by Anand Sharma and Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry & Trade of the Russian Federation. The Business Dialogue was attended by many prominent Indian as well as Russian companies. Both India and Russia expressed satisfaction in the progress of our bilateral trade and economic relations. Presentation on Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor was also made, highlighting the opportunities available for Russian companies in the infrastructure sector and stress placed on Russian companies availing of the vast opportunities available in infrastructure as well as in other identified areas. www.jagranjosh.com
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On the sidelines of SPIEF 2013, Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) was discussed between India and the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. India mentioned that there is significant potential for cooperation in areas such as infrastructure development, aviation, power generation, energy, information technology, bio and nano technologies, fertilizer, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, etc.
INDIANS AND PAKISTANIS TO PAY 4600 US $ MORE FOR BRITISH VISA

The British government in the second week of June 2013 planned to introduce a new scheme requiring visitors from high risk countries in Africa and Asia, including India and Pakistan, to put up a 4600 US dollars cash bond before entering Britain. The countries have been picked for their high number of visa applications and what the government views as relatively high levels of immigration abuse and fraud. The pilot scheme will target hundreds of people coming to Britain on six-month visit visas from India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. And the money will be retained by the government if visitors do not return home by the time their visas expire. The bonds, to be introduced from November, will only apply to non-EU migrants; otherwise they would fall foul of European rights to free movement. The pilot scheme will later be extended to cover work permits and student visas. In 2012, 296000 people from India were granted six-month visas, as were 101000 from Nigeria, 53000 from Pakistan and 14000 from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka each.
SOUTH KOREAN WEBSITES HIT BY CYBER ATTACK

South Korea, in the month of June 2013 issued a cyber alert after various government websites were hacked. Among various official as well as media sites which were hit by co-ordinated attack on 25 June 2013, was also the website of presidential office. The Science Ministry of South Korea announced that the Government confirmed about the cyber attack on various websites including Blue House, by the unidentified hackers. The cyber attack also affected the website for the office for Government Policy Co-ordination, along with the media servers. On all the hacked websites, the messages praising North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as well as claiming the hacking collective Anonymous was responsible for this, was left. Earlier, anonymous had claimed that it had vandalised and hacked the social networking profiles, which were linked to North Korea. This was a part of its Operation Free Korea. In the meanwhile, South Korea raised the cyber alert level, while also asking the citizens to check the cyber security. On 20 March 2013, cyber attacks were performed on six banks as well as broadcasters of South Korea which in turn had affected 32000 computers. It also disrupted www.jagranjosh.com
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the banking services.
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North Korea too had announced that it suffered cyber attacks in the year 2009 and 2011.
OPERATION FREE KOREA

A new initiative of hacking collective launched in Korea has been named Operation Free Korea and the participants of the initiative are demanding resignation of the North Korean Leader, Kim Jong-un and to install democracy in the country. The group has also demanded North Korea to abandon its Nuclear ambitions provide universal and uncensored access of Internet to its citizens. This group has also claimed that they have hacked the intranet, mail servers and web servers of North Korea and threatened to wage war in case the demands went unheard.
INDIA & HUNGARY SIGNED AGREEMENT ON GAS MONITORING SYSTEM

Gujarat Info Petro Ltd (GIPL), the subsidiary of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation signed an agreement with Cason Engineering Plc, Hungary, for gas monitoring system. This agreement was in accordance with the MoU signed during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit-2013. This agreement was signed between VK Sharma, CEO, Gujarat Info, and Ferenc Szakcs, Chairman and CEO of Cason. Gujarat Info Petro Ltd offers the IT services to government departments, corporate houses, corporations as well as boards. Cason Engineering Plc, on the other hand, is the Hungary-based technology company which offers services such as implementation, manufacturing as well as development of the systems which are responsible for gas distribution network monitoring. It also developed as well as installed new solutions that are equipped with leading technologies. These are meant for large oil pipeline operators in various countries as well as Europe. The aim of the agreement is providing automation services for oil as well as gas companies in India. This will provide joint technical solutions, which will generate fast accessibility as well as ease for development of city gas distributor industry. Primary advantages of these joint technical solutions are to provide the tool in order to control the sales procedures as well as procurement procedures of daily purchased gas volume. Also, these solutions will provide access for stakeholders to everyday business data along with the technology reports and alarms through the Web-based applications. Apart from this, the special pipeline monitoring system as well as leak detection for leading oil pipeline operators will also be offered. This would result in less number of accidents as well as incidences such as pilferages and thefts. This will also help in solutions for disaster management as well as security issues of cross-country pipelines. The Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban will visit India in October 2013 in order to launch
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the product.
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US ANNOUNCED 150000 US DOLLAR FINANCIAL AID TO UTTARAKHAND

US Ambassador to India Nancy J Powell on 23 June 2013 announced that US would provide 150000 US dollar through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to NGOs that are working for affected areas of Uttarakhand. The US embassy declared that the support would help in providing emergency relief to families of people living in the state. It is important to note that Government of India on 19 June 2013 announced a disaster relief fund of 1000 crore rupees to Uttarakhand. Uttrakhand in the third week of June 2013 was stuck by flash floods and landslides. During this natural disaster in the state, more than 100 people lost their life and thousands remained stranded. Rescue operations by Indian Army are still on their way.
NEW LABOUR LAW APPROVED BY AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT

Australian Parliament on 27 June 2013 approved a proposed law with new rules to clear out wrong use of the visa scheme for foreign workers by employers. As per the reports the law managed to get approval by only one vote, in a 73-72 vote result, with the support of crossbench MPs Tony Windsor, Craig Thomson, Bob Katter and Andrew Wilkie, in the lower house. The new rules will now move to Senate for clearance and as per which the employers now have to conduct labour market testing and prove they searched for Australian workers before hiring temporary workers from overseas on 457 visas. It was found that there was widespread recruiting at the expense of Australian jobs. The Australian government has agreed to some amendments making clear employers must advertise in a newspaper for local workers up to four months before applying to hire people under the 457 scheme. The changes also reduce exemptions to the new rule.
UN SECURITY COUNCIL EASED SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ

The UN Security Council eased sanctions against Iraq imposed after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Iraq welcomed the move as a landmark decision and promised to enhance cooperation with Kuwait for its support and assistance to get the sanctions lifted. The Security Council imposed sanctions on Iraq and asked it to pay compensation worth 52 billion US dollars and help in finding more than 600 Kuwaitis who went missing under chapter VII of UN Charter. Now it will come under Chapter VI of the UN Charter, which calls for a peaceful resolution of disputes. However, Iraq still has to pay 11 billion dollars as war www.jagranjosh.com
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compensation to Kuwait and help find more than 600 Kuwaitis missing since the invasion. It has also urged Iraq to return national treasures and archives.
JAPAN GOT ITS FIRST MOX NUCLEAR SHIPMENT SINCE FUKUSHIMA

Japanese got its First MOX Nuclear Shipment port since Fukushima on 28 June 2013 which was arrived from France loaded with reprocessed nuclear fuel. The Nuclear Shipment was arrived in order to restart their atomic reactors. MOX, (mixed oxide) is a blend of plutonium and uranium; it was arrived at the Takahama nuclear plant on the western coast of central Japan. Mixed oxide (MOX) fuel basically provides about 2% of the new nuclear fuel used today.MOX fuel is manufactured from plutonium recovered from used reactor fuel. It also provides a means of burning weapons-grade plutonium (from military sources) to produce electricity. Uranium reactors produce a mixture of depleted uranium and plutonium as a by-product of fission. These can be re-processed into MOX fuel, which can then be used in other reactors to generate more power. It is known fact that Japan has very less energy resources of its own and it relies on nuclear power for nearly one-third of its domestic electricity needs until the meltdowns at the tsunamicrippled plant. It has been seen that all but two of the countrys 50 nuclear reactors are offline, closed for routine safety checks in the consequences of the disaster and never restarted because of public resistance and new standards. Japan on the other hand has built its own nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, in northern Aomori prefecture, but its opening has been delayed by a series of minor accidents and technical problems. As per the Government report to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Japan has about 44.3 tonnes of plutonium, of which 35.0 tonnes are held and being processed in France and Britain, and the rest, 9.3 tonnes is stored in Japan.
ROTARY INDIA OFFERED HELP TO PAKISTAN FOR POLIO VACCINATION

Rotary International's India National Polio Plus Committee in the Month of May 2013 has offered to take Muslim Ulamas from Uttar Pradesh to Pakistan to persuade people and advocate polio vaccination. The decision to offer help was taken in light of the recent killing of a polio vaccinator in www.jagranjosh.com
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Pakistan's Peshawar city that enforced WHO to suspend the vaccination campaign in the city provisionally. It is important here to note that on 28 May 2013 a female polio vaccinator was killed and another was injured when two gunmen opened fire at the vaccinators on the suburbs of Peshawar the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The vaccinators were administering polio drops to children in the region. The former Director of Rotary International and chairperson of Rotary International's Muslim Ulama Committee, Ashok Mahajan, asked Pakistan's national polio committee chairperson if the country requires any assistance from the Ulama committee for advocacy of polio the Ulamas are ready to travel to Pakistan and stand for the cause of polio eradication in Pakistan.
UNSC IMPOSED SANCTIONS ON SYRIAN REBEL GROUP

The UN Security Council (UNSC) on 31 May 2013 imposed sanctions on the Syrian rebel group, Al-Nusra Front on account of its links with Al-Qaeda. The move comes after the UN sanctions committee, chaired by Australian Ambassador Gary Quinlan voted to blacklist the group due to its terror links with Al-Qaeda-related individuals and entities. The UN sanctions on the Syrian rebel ultra Islamist group, Al Nusra implies that the group cant get arms and ammunition from the member nations. Its bank accounts will be frozen and the members of organization will be banned from travelling. Al-Nusra has been listed as a terrorist organization by the United States since December due to its Al Qaeda links. Although it has been at the forefront in the fight against the Syrian regime; its ultra conservative views, insistence on Islamic state in Syria and allegiance to the terror outfit, Al Qaeda have raised concerns over its role in Syria. The sanctions by the Security Council are a reflection of these concerns.
INTERNATIONAL QUIZZES
1. World observed the World Refugee Day for the first time in the year? a) 2001 b) 1998 c) 1991 d) 2003 Answer. (a) 2001
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2. What is the meaning of the word, Fte de la Musique? a) Music is everywhere b) World Music Day c) Music is life d) Life without Music Answer. (b) World Music Day
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3. The World Bank in June 2013 slashed its growth forecast for China's economy for 2013 to _________percent from 8.4 percent. In its report, the World Bank stated that the main risk related to China remains the possibility that high investment rates prove unsustainable, provoking a disorderly unwinding and sharp economic slowdown. a) 7.7 percent b) 7.2 percent c) 8.1 percent d) 6.5 percent Answer. (a) 7.7 percent 4. The Government of Pakistan in June 2013 decided to declare a Sikh shrine ________ as a holy city. The government will initiate steps for sorting out the issues related to the welfare of the Sikhs, who live at the pilgrimage site. a) Bal Lilah Nankana Sahib b) Panja Sahib c) Patti Sahib d) Mall Ji Sahib Answer. (b) Panja Sahib 5. Trail of the seven Pakistanis including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi LeT Commander, who are the prime accused of the 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks in June 2013 was shifted to a new antiterrorism court in ___________from the antiterrorism court in Rawalpindi. www.jagranjosh.com
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a) Lahore b) Multan c) Baluchistan d) Islamabad Answer. (d) Islamabad
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6. India signed an agreement for loan of __________ million US dollars with World Bank for the National AIDS Control Project (NACP-IV) in New Delhi on 18 June 2013. The Objective of the project is to increase safe behaviors among high risk groups in order to contribute to Indias national goal of reversal of the HIV epidemic by 2017. a) 300 b) 255 c) 225 d) 150 Answer. (b) 255 7. When was the Nepal-India Economic Cooperation Programme launched? a) 1964 b) 2001 c) 2011 d) 1951 Answer.(d) 1951 8. Name the school with which Indian embassy signed an MoU to help in development of the school building in Nepal. a) Nepal Higher Secondary School b) Kapilvastu School for Secondary Education
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c) Shree Higher Secondary School d) Janak Higher Secondary School Answer. (c) Shree Higher Secondary School
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9. United State of America on 18 June 2013 announced that it will held direct peace talks with Taliban. The announcement from US came after Taliban opened its first political office at ______________. The office has been opened to help in ending the 12 years old conflict. To bring the talks in process, US agreed to drop the series of preconditions that have held back the negotiations, previously. a) Dubai b) Doha, Qatar c) Yemen d) Oman Answer. (b) Doha, Qatar 10. Name the body of Afghanistan appointed by Hamid Karzai to negotiate with elements of the Taliban for Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program. a) High Peace Council b) Peace Council of Afghanistan c) Afghanistan peace Council d) The Peace Council for Afghan negotiation Answer. (a) High Peace Council
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WORLD DAIRY
1 June 2013 Rotary India offered help to Pakistan for polio vaccination. Japan and South Korea suspended US wheat imports.
2 June 2013 UN Security Council imposed sanctions on the Syrian rebel group. India and Nepal agreed to address each other's security concerns.
3 June 2013 Supreme Court of Egypt invalidated the country's Shura Council. China and the US agreed to hold high level talks on cybersecurity and commercial spying. Nigeria's Parliament passed a bill criminalising gay marriage.
4 June 2013 India and Singapore reaffirmed their strong defence ties. More than 65 countries across the world signed the Arms Trade Treaty. US slapped sanction on Iran's currency for the first time. India banned trade of nuke items, wagons with N Korea.
5 June 2013 The Government of Bangladesh approved the draft law for Protection of Hindu Religious Property. Japan unveiled new levitating 500 kmph Maglev Bullet Train.
6 June 2013 India-Myanmar set three billion dollar trade target by 2015. US exempted India and eight other countries for importing oil from Iran.
7 June 2013
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India and Germany inked pact on co-operation in fields of energy and natural resources. North Korea proposed talks with South Korea on different issues.
8 June 2013 US Surveillance on top Internet servers via PRISM Programme.
9 June 2013 World Leaders signed agreement to tackle malnutrition. North and South Korea held their first official talks after years. USA and China discussed cyber security and climate change.
10 June 2013 India offered 150 million dollars credit to Myanmar.
11 June 2013 Microsoft India and JIS Group joined hands to set up innovation center. Apple unveiled new software called iOS7.
12 June 2013 Indo-Russian INDRA 2013 military exercise will take place in October 2013. South Korea called off high level talks with North Korea. State Duma of Russian Parliament passed Anti-Gay Bill.
13 June 2013 Duas Layer: new cornea layer named after Indian researcher Harminder Dua. Defence budget of Pakistan raised by 15 percent by the new government. Petronas announced project for exporting LNG to Asia. Ban Ki Moon asked UNSC to enhance UNDOF strength in Golan. French nuclear reactors will be first tested in China, and then supplied to Maharashtra.
14 June 2013 Indian-American girl appointed to United States Military Academy at West Point. Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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Dubai inaugurated tallest twisted tower of the world called Cayan Tower. World Bank slashed its growth forecast for China's economy to 7.7 Percent.
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15 June 2013 US Supreme Court: human DNA cannot be patented. World population prospects report projected India to be most populous country by 2028. Anish Kapoor became first living indian-origin sculptor to be honoured with Knighthood. Kanji Ram became the second Hindu to enter Pakistan's Punjab province. John Ashe elected as the President of UN General Assembly for its 68th session. Pakistan Government planned to declare Panja Sahib as a Holy City. US announced supply of direct military aid to rebels in Syria. Norway became first NATO and European Country to draft women in military service.
16 June 2013 Robert Pattinson became brand ambassador of Dior Homme Perfume. Samsung launched new handset model Samsung Galaxy Mega. Maersk Line unveiled the world's biggest container ship.
17 June 2013 Trail of 26/11 Mumbai attacks shifted from Rawalpindi to Islamabad antiterrorism Court. Kuwait: Supreme Constitutional Court dissolved Parliament, ordered fresh elections.
18 June 2013 USA and Russia agreed to end Syria violence in talks on sidelines of G-8 Summit. India signed loan agreement with World Bank for National AIDS Control Project-IV.
19 June 2013 US to open direct peace talks with Taliban.
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China launched its First Pilot Carbon Emission Trading Scheme in Shenzhen.
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Kapilavastu to get school under Nepal-India Economic Co-operation Programme. G-8 leaders call for Syria Peace Talks in Geneva.
20 June 2013 Scientists discovered a new language called Light Warlpiri in Northern Australia. Indian Money in Swiss Banks Dropped to Record Low: Swiss National Bank
21 June 2013 Union External Affairs Minister of India Salman Khurshid visited Iraq. Six Syrian heritage sites placed on the List of World Heritage in danger by UN. World Music Day observed on 21 June.
22 June 2013 India and Iraq agreed to enhance cooperation in oil and hydrocarbon sector. Indian Embassy in Riyadh appealed to migrant Indians to avail concessions. James Comey nominated as next FBI director by Barack Obama.
23 June 2013 The Friends of Syria decided to give military support to Syrian rebels. Japan's Mount Fuji was given World Heritage Status by the UNESCO.
24 June 2013 UK and China signed Currency Swap Deal worth 200bn Yuan India, Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation discussed CECA Indians and Pakistanis to pay 4600 US Dollars more for British Visa
25 June 2013 South Korean Websites Hit by Cyber Attack; Various Official Websites Attacked G-8 Summit concluded in Lough Erne in Northern Ireland
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India and Hungary Signed Agreement for Gas Monitoring System
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27 June 2013 US Announced 150000 US Dollar Financial Aid for Uttarakhand Kevin Rudd sworn in as new Australian Prime Minister Australian Parliament approved New Labour Law regulating Foreign Workers
28 June 2013 US Senate passed landmark Immigration Bill UN Security Council eased Sanctions against Iraq Japan got its First MOX Nuclear Shipment since Fukushima
29 June 2013 European Union leaders reached an Agreement on 1.3 trillion Dollar Budget for 2014 to 2020
30 June 2013 India to host T20 World Cup 2016, World Test Championship 2021 and 50 Over World Cup 2023 The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Visually Impaired Signed World Health Organisation Issued New HIV Treatment Guidelines India and Sri Lanka held talks on Trade and Investment
NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT BANNED TESTING OF COSMETIC PRODUCTS ON ANIMALS
Indian Government in the Month of June 2013 has banned the testing of Cosmetic product on animals and thus became the first country in South Asia to end such tests. Now, with the ban on testing and as per the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) any cosmetic product made in India will be free of animal testing. The decision of banning the testing was taken in order to prevent cruelty to animals, especially after seeing the available
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simulation alternatives.
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The Final norms on the decision will be coming out shortly which is being chaired Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) sectoral-committee. It has been decided that the last two animal-related tests will be dropped from the regulatory standards and any new cosmetic ingredient or product will have to comply with the non-animal Standards of BIS. It is worth mentioning here that Israel and the 27 countries of the European Union have implemented both testing and sales ban to bring an end to cosmetics animal suffering in their respective jurisdictions. Now the government will examine the Import of animal-testing free products and labelling of local products to indicate that they are free of these tests.
GOVT AND NALANDA UNIVERSITY SIGNED HEADQUARTERS AGREEMENT

The Union Cabinet of India on 28 June 2013 gave its approval to the proposal of signing of a headquarters agreement between the Ministry of External Affairs and Nalanda University. This agreement would confer on the University and members of its academic staff privileges and immunities considered necessary to provide an overall framework for the efficient functioning and operation of the University, and allow it to obtain talent from across the globe. The Agreement will come into force immediately upon signing and notification. The signing of the headquarters agreement will facilitate hiring of the best academicians from across the world, well before the commencement of the first academic session. Recruitment of the Universitys faculty cannot take place without fixing their terms and conditions, for which the conclusion of the headquarters agreement is essential. The University will serve as an international centre of excellence in higher learning. It would integrate modern, scientific and technological knowledge and skills with basic human values and promote universal friendship, peace and prosperity through the spiritual awakening of the individual and society. The detailed Project Report prepared by EdCIL in July, 2012 has estimated funding requirements of approximately 3532.62 crore rupees between 2010-11 and 2021-22. The Government of India will meet the Universitys expenditure to the extent required. Signing of the headquarters agreement does not involve any additional expenditure.
MAJOR FEATURES OF THE AGREEMENT

The host country shall take necessary steps to protect the University premises against any intrusion or damage and facilitate the work of the University. The University, its assets, its income and other property shall be exempt from all direct taxes, customs duties and prohibitions and restrictions on imports and exports for
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articles imported/exported for its official use.
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The Vice-Chancellor and academic staff of the University, who are not from the host country shall be granted exemption from taxation in respect of their salaries, honoraria, allowances and other emoluments; the right to get the appropriate visa; the freedom to maintain moveable and immoveable property while in the employment of the University in the host country, and the right to import free of customs duties, taxes and other levies. The Vice-Chancellor and academic staff of the host country that is India shall be granted exemption from taxation in respect of salaries, honoraria, allowances and other emoluments in connection with the services provided to the University.
At the 4th East Asia Summit (EAS) held in Thailand in October, 2009, member States issued a Joint Press Statement which supported the establishment of Nalanda University as a non-State, non-profit, secular and self-governing international institution with a continental focus, that would bring together the brightest and most dedicated students from all countries of Asia.
PROPOSAL TO SET-UP LABORATORIES TO MANAGE EPIDEMICS CLEARED

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 28 June 2013 cleared the proposal of Department of Health Research under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for the setting up of 10 Regional Labs, 30 State Level Labs and 120 Medical College Level Labs under the scheme of Establishment of a network of Laboratories for Managing Epidemics and Natural Calamities. The scheme is estimated to cost 646.83 crore rupees during the 12th Five Year Plan. Currently only the national apex institutes like that NCDC, New Delhi and NIV, Pune are mandated to undertake the investigations that results in heavy burden affecting their real referral role. The resultant delay in diagnosis/detection and inadequate/incomplete data during the outbreaks significantly impact the response time for interventions. The major initiative taken by the Government for establishment of 3-tier network of laboratories across the country will greatly help in building capacity for handling viral diseases in the country in terms of early and timely diagnosis, development of tools to predict viral disease outbreaks beforehand, continuous monitoring and surveillance of existing as well as new viral strains and handling viruses with a potential to be used as agents of bio-terrorism. This would also help in smooth data flow from across the sites of epidemics, creation of efficient knowledge management network for policy interventions like quick deployment of resources and measures like introduction of preventive strategies, new vaccines, etc. The Regional Labs will be equipped with state of the art BSL-3 facilities and the State level Labs will have BSL-2 facilities. The lowest tier labs at the Medical Colleges will be equipped with the appropriate infrastructure to carry out serology for viruses (ELISA based diagnosis).
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In case of any outbreak/epidemic, these medical college level labs will carry out the initial diagnosis/screening at the most peripheral areas & nearest to the site of outbreak. Each medical college lab will cover a cluster of 3-4 districts. While the medical college labs will be expected to identify all listed common viruses, the viruses/agents which cannot be identified by these labs will be referred to the State/Regional Labs for identification and/ or characterization. All the laboratories will work under the overall guidance of apex institutions like NIV, NCDC through appropriate linkages and networking. The Sates/UTs which do not presently have any Government Medical College will be linked with the nearby States Laboratories.
UNION GOVT BANNED ANTI-DIABETES DRUG PIOGLITAZONE

The Union government on 26 June 2013 has banned three major medicinesthe widely prescribed anti-diabetes drug pioglitazone, painkiller analgin and anti-depressant deanxit. The decision to ban the drug was taken in wake of health risks associated with them. It was taken after strong stand by the government on suspending marketing of all drugs prohibited for sale in other countries like the US, the UK, EU and Australia.
ILL-EFFECTS OF THE DRUG BANNED

Pioglitazone- It is widely believed that pioglitazone can cause heart failure and increases the risk of bladder cancer, analgin has been discarded the world over on grounds of patient safety. Deanxit- This Drug is made up of harmful combination, which has been long banned even in Denmark, its country of origin. Analgin- It is known to cause a steep decrease in the count of white blood cells, which can lead to a potentially fatal state. The drug was thus taken off the shelves in many countries including Sweden, Japan, France, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Earlier in year 2010-11 Drug Controller General had banned various drugs which include painkiller Nimesulide, anti-diabetes medicine Rosiglitazone and antibiotic Gaifloxacin. As per the Drugs and Cosmetic Rule 30-B, a drug cannot be marketed in India unless it is approved in its country of origin. The drug is banned in other countries as well as its user experienced cardiovascular effects, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia and vomiting.
EIGHT NEW MINISTERS INDUCTED INTO UNION COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

The Union Council of Ministers on 17 June 2013 was expanded with the induction of four new Cabinet Ministers and four Ministers of State. Mallikarjun Kharge was given the charge of Railways Ministry.
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The newly appointed ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee at Rastrapati Bhawan on 17 June 2013.
LIST OF NEWLY APPOINTED CABINET MINISTERS AND THEIR DEPARTMENTS

Sisram Ola Oscar Fernandes Girija Vyas Dr K S Rao - Labour and Employment Ministry - Road Transport and Highways Ministry - Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation - Textiles Ministry
LIST OF NEWLY APPOINTED STATE MINISTERS AND THEIR DEPARTMENTS

Manikrao Gavit Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment
Santosh Chowdhury - Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Jesudasu Seelam E M S Natchiappan - Minister of State for Finance and - Minister of State for Commerce and Industry
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
In the Article 74 of the Constitution of India it is mentioned that their shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as its head to aid and advise the President for exercising his functions. It is mentioned under Article 75 of the Constitution of India that the President is the person who can appoint, the Prime Minister and the other ministers shall be appointed by the President following the advice the Prime Minister. In the 91st Amendment of Constitution of India, insertion of Article 75 (1 A) took place and it states that total number of Ministers in the list of council of ministers including the Prime Minister shall not exceed 15 percent of the total strength of the members of Lok Sabha (House of People).
COMMENT
The induction of the Council of Ministers took place due to the exit of DMK Ministers from the UPA Government followed by the resignation of Pawan Kumar Bansal, Ashwani Kumar, Ajay Maken and Dr. C P Joshi.
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PRESIDENT INAUGURATED GAS-BASED POWER PLANT AT PALATANA

First gas based Power Plant was commissioned by Pranab Mukherjee, the President of Indian Union on 21 June 2013 at Palatana in Tripura. The Palatana Gas Based Power Project is developed by ONGC and is the first such Power Company in India to be awarded with the Clean Development Mechanism by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The electricity generation from the first unit of the 726.6MW Palatana power plant has already started and has a capacity of 363 MW. The Palatana Gas Based Power Project will help in generation of Pollution Free Electricity due to the Clean Development Mechanism used in it. It is also the biggest gas-based combined cycle power project in the northeast and largest clean energy plants of the world. The project was registered on 15 May 2013 with the United Nations as the Worlds biggest Project that used Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) following the guidelines of Kyoto Protocol. The electricity generated from the power plant will be distributed among the seven sisters (northeastern States of India).
CRITERIA OF DISTRIBUTION OF THE ELECTRICITY PRODUCED BY POWER PLANT

States/Beneficiaries of Generated Electricity Share
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240 MW 196 MW 79 MW 42 MW 27 MW 22 MW 22 MW Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook

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Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL 98 MW & FS) and ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC)
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KYOTO PROTOCOL
The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The major feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These reductions amount to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012.
E-PASSBOOK SERVICE FOR PROVIDENT FUND SUBSCRIBERS LAUNCHED

The Retirement fund body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launched its ePassbook service on 21 June 2013. It will help PF subscribers to access their accounts online. Active subscribers, whose electronic challan-cum-return is already uploaded, can download their e-Passbook every month. The facility shall be available on www.epfindia.gov.in. In the case of members who are not active (left service) and have not settled their account or have not become inoperative, the facility to download the passbook on request basis shall be available. Any member of EPFO can register on the member portal by using his or her photo identification number, such as PAN, Aadhaar, National Population Registry, driving licence, passport, voter ID, ration card and use the mobile number as password.
MAJOR FEATURES OF E-PASSBOOK

Provident fund details can be checked on the website- www.epfindia.gov.in Any individual can register himself/herself on the portal by using ID card PAN, Aadhaar, driving license, passport, voter ID and ration cards can be used for registration e-Passbook contains transaction details of an individuals account EPFO has announced to pay 8.5 percent interest on Provident Fund deposits for 2012-13
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The facility, however, will not be available for members under exempted establishments under the EPF Scheme 1952 (as the fund details are maintained by the Trust) and inoperative members (i.e. in accounts where no contribution has been received in the preceding 36 months). Under the e-Passbook service, only one registration will be allowed against one mobile number, and a member can download the passbook for only one account number under one establishment. A senior EPFO official told that the exempted PF trust regulated by the body would also be asked to provide this service to their members.
DBTL SCHEME LAUNCHED IN 18 DISTRICTS OF INDIA

The Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, M. Veerappa Moily launched the Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG (DBTL) Scheme in 18 districts on 1 June 2013 at Tumkur near Bangalore. The scheme was also flagged off by Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Kiran Kumar Reddy. DBTL Scheme became operational in 18 districts of India. Now, the subsidy on LPG cylinders in the districts would be provided directly to consumers in their Aadhar linked bank accounts. More than 67 lakh LPG consumers in 18 districts of India will enjoy the benefits of DBTL Scheme. The LPG consumers, who have not linked their Aadhaar number to LPG consumer number, will get a grace period of three month from the date of launch of this scheme. During the tenure, these consumers will get the LPG cylinders at subsidized rate, up to the cap of 9 cylinders. After end of the grace period (1 September 2013), LPG cylinders will be sold to all domestic LPG consumers at market price. However, the subsidy will be transferred to only those who have linked Aadhaar number to LPG consumer number and Bank account. The 18 districts covered under the Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG (DBTL) Scheme are: Anantpur, Chittoor, East Godavari, Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Diu, North Goa, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Una, Tumkur, Pathanamthitta, Wayanad, Wardha, Pondicherry, SBS Nagar/ Nawanshahar, East Nimar (Khandwa) and Harda.
GOVERNMENT PROPOSED STIFF PENALTY FOR OVERLOADED VEHICLES

Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways in Month of June 2013 has proposed a variety of changes in the toll rules so as to make highways safe and to protect the interest of commuters. The government in a move to discourage running of overloaded vehicles on highways, has come up with at least 3-4 fold increase in penalty besides unloading of extra weight once such violations are caught. A proposal has came from the government according to which tolling should not be allowed until work is 100% complete on roads which are being widened to 4lanes. As per the senior ministry official, now it has been made mandatory that that all www.jagranjosh.com
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concessionaires building roads on PPP must have weight-in-motion bridges to detect such violations. The tolling on roads has been widened to 4-lane which has come as a huge relief. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) issues provisional completion certificate to allow developers to collect toll even when 70% of a project is completed.
EAST COAST RAILWAY SUSPENDED NIGHT TRAINS ON K-K LINE

East Coast Railway (ECoR) on 4 June 2013 decided to suspend the night movement of trains (mainly the freight trains) from 8 pm to 6 am on the 450 kilometer long Kottavalasa-Kirandul line (K-K line). The imposed restriction will come into effect from 5 June 2013 and continue till 12 June 2013. The decision of the Eastern Coast Railway Authorities came up in form of precautionary measures following the intelligence reports that Maoists in Dandakaranya and Bastar region of Chhattisgarh will observe a Janapituri Week from 5 June to 11 June 2013.
BY-ELECTION RESULTS FOR TEN SEATS OF FIVE STATES DECLARED

By-election results of five states of India namely Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal were announced on 5 June 2013. The by-elections were held on ten seats of the five states, of which six were from Gujarat and one was from Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal each.
BY POLL RESULTS
Gujarat: By-elections were held on 2 seats of Lok Sabha namely Porbandar and Banaskantha and 4 Seats were of Vidhan Sabha namely Jetpur, Limbadi, Morva Hadaf and Doraji. BJP won over all the six seats and sweeped out Congress from all the six seats. Bihar: By- election was held for Maharajganj seat of Lok Sabha and RJD managed to win the seat in the state. West Bengal: By-election was held for Howrah seat of Lok Sabha and Trinamool Congress managed to secure its seat in the state. Maharashtra: By-election was held for one Yavatmal seat of Vidhan Sabha and Congress turned out to be the winner in the state. Uttar Pradesh: By-election was held for Handia seat of Vidhan Sabha and SP (Samajwadi Party) managed to secure its seat in the state by defeating BSP (Bahujan Samajwadi Party). In the by-election results ruling party won all the seats except in Bihar, where the Nitish Kumar www.jagranjosh.com
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led JD-U Government failed to secure its seat in the state.
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GOVERNMENT RE-CONSTITUTED NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Union government in Month of June 2013 has reconstituted the National Advisory Council by including prominent sociologist Virginius Xaxa into the 12-member panel chaired by Sonia Gandhi. Virginius Xaxa was inducted with the exit of Aruna Roy from the panel, who had criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for refusing to pay the beneficiaries of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in line with the Minimum Wages Act. Earlier in first week of June 2013 Roy had written to Sonia Gandhi requesting not to consider her for another term of the Council and result was that her request got accepted. It is important here to note that the term of panel has been made co-terminus with the term of the present government. The work of panel is to give legislative and policy inputs to the government which ranges from the seminal rural jobs scheme to the latest food security bill. Virginius Xaxa is a Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati and has worked extensively on tribal communities of the country. In addition to chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the Council includes Xaxa, Narendra Jadhav, Pramod Tandon, N C Saxena, A K Shiv Kumar, Deep Joshi, Anu Aga, Farah Naqvi, Mirai Chatterjee, Mihir Shah and Ashis Mondal as members.
ABOUT NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

The NAC comprises distinguished professionals drawn from diverse fields of development activity who serve in their individual capacities. The task of the National Advisory Council (NAC) is to provide inputs in the formulation of policy by the Government and to provide support to the Government in its legislative business. In the discharge of its functions, the NAC will have a special focus on social policy and the rights of the disadvantaged groups.
GOVERNMENT CONSTITUTED STANDING COUNCIL OF EXPERTS

The Union Government of India on 7 June 2013 constituted a Standing Council of Experts (SCE) to access global competitiveness of Indian Financial Sector in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.
TERMS OF REFERENCES THAT WILL GOVERN THE COUNCIL

The constituted council will be responsible to analyze the international competitiveness Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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It will be responsible to examine comprehensively various pecuniary and non-pecuniary costs of doing business through Indian capital/financial markets, like transactions costs including applicable tax rates, documentation requirements brokerage fee and others vis-a-vis other competing destinations, and make recommendations aimed at achieving competitiveness To examine related policy/operating frameworks and the performance of various segments of Indian capital/financial markets and make recommendations aimed at improving their competitiveness and efficiency, as also the completeness of these markets in terms of fully meeting client needs as per global standards through provision of requisite services and financial instruments To examine possibilities for and suggest reform measures aimed at enhancing transparency, promoting development of and strengthening governance in the Indian capital markets/financial sector while ensuring that risks are contained and investor interests are protected To deliberate and advise on any other matter related to the above objectives that may be referred to it with the approval of the Chairperson Financial experts from Government as well as private sectors will be the member of the panel being constituted.
COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL

Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs-Chairperson Chief Economic Adviser (CEA)- Member and Alternate Chair Joint Secretary (Capital Markets), DEA: Convener Member Secretary to the Council
The Chairperson of the council will reserve the power of inviting any person of importance (whose presence is deemed necessary for achieving the objectives of the Council) for any of the meetings of the council. The meetings of the council will take place at a frequency required for fulfilling its objectives following the approval of its Chairperson. The Union Government will reserve the right of reconstituting or discontinuing the Council at any point of time, without any notice or attribution of any of the reasons for its decision.
GOVERNMENT TO LAUNCH RASHTRIYA UCHHTAR SHIKSHA ABHIYAN

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Campaign, Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, to focus on equity based development, improvement in teaching-learning quality and research. Under it, funds will be provided to public Universities and Colleges so that higher educational institutes do not rely heavily on the affiliation fees. With the implementation of the scheme, the Universities can give more emphasize on life-skill development activities which would ultimately help in employment generation.
SCHEME ROSHNI TO TRAIN YOUTH IN NAXAL-HIT AREAS LAUNCHED

The Ministry of Rural Development on 7 June 2013 launched a new skill development scheme designed to offer employment to tribal youth in 24 Naxal -affected districts. The scheme, which is named Roshni is supposed to provide training and employment to an anticipated 50000 youth in the 10-35 years age group, for a period of three years. As per the Ministry 50 per cent of the beneficiaries of the scheme will be women only. The scheme is designed in light of the Himayat project model, which was launched in Jammu and Kashmir has been implemented in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, and West Singhbhum, Jharkand, on a pilot basis over the last 18 months.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SCHEME ROSHNI

The Scheme Roshni which is a 100-crore Rupees project that will be mutually funded by the Union and State Governments, with the Centre providing 75 per cent of the funding. The scheme will be implemented on a public-private basis, with private agencies providing job training and employment. It is worth mentioning here that the scheme has achieved success in the two districts where it was implemented on a pilot basis.
UNANIMOUS RESOLUTION PASSED ON NAXAL VIOLENCE

The meeting of all political parties on Naxal violence unanimously passed a resolution on 10 June 2013 in New Delhi. It strongly condemned the brutal killing of political leaders and workers by the CPI (Maoist) on 25 May 2013 at Jiram Ghati, District Bastar in Chhattisgarh. Twenty six persons, mostly members of the Congress party, some security persons and innocent villagers, lost their lives in this dastardly attack on a peaceful convoy returning from a political event. As per the resolution, the CPI (Maoist) is an unlawful organisation. It has indulged in senseless acts of violence targeting security persons, alleged police informers, small business persons and government servants. The attack on 25 May 2013 was a pre-meditated attack on political workers with the intent to intimidate and overawe all political workers in that region and to www.jagranjosh.com
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thwart the political mobilisation of the people. It was an attack on democracy, freedom, and free speech and expression. Nothing can be more dangerous than the insurgency of the CPI (Maoist) in the pursuit of its misguided goal of overthrowing Parliamentary democracy and the Constitution of India through violent means. The Indian State cannot, and will not, accept the pernicious Maoist doctrine. The CPI (Maoist) must give up the path of violence and destruction. On this, there can be no compromise. All Parties resolution stated that there is enough room in Parliamentary democracy for dissent and differences of opinion, for redressal of grievances, and for advocacy of the cause of the poor and the downtrodden. We appeal to the youth of the affected States to abjure violence and pursue their goals through legitimate and democratic means. We assure them that the Governments will be sensitive to their concerns and redress any sense of alienation and the injustices of the past. We will make every effort to accelerate development, social inclusion and economic empowerment. The resolution urged that the State Governments as well as the Central Government should adopt the two-pronged strategy of sustained operations to clear the areas of Maoist influence and pursue the objectives of effective governance and rapid development. We urge them to use all legitimate means to defend the security of the country and its institutions and quell armed insurgency and violence. We also urge the State Governments to draw upon their own resources as well as the resources provided by the Central Government to re-establish the rule of law and accelerate development activities in the affected States.
NAVEEN JINDAL AND DASARI NARAYANA RAO NAMED IN COALGATE FIR

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 11 June 2013 registered an FIR against the Congress MP and Director of Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) Naveen Jindal and former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao (congress leader from Andhra Pradesh) on charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy and misconduct in getting the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand. CBI also registered the FIR against five private companies. For the first time, CBI has named a Government functionary for his alleged involvement in the allocation. As per the investigations of CBI, the Jindal Steel and Power Limited and Gagan Sponge Iron misrepresented facts and provided wrong information about the land of the company, its water supply and the previous allocations made to them to get the coal blocks, in January 2008. The FIR has also noted that Naveen Jindal signed the documents, which were submitted to the Coal Ministry. Naveen Jindal is also a stake holder in the Sponge firm. www.jagranjosh.com
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The allocations were made at the recommendation of the screening committee. Narayan Rao as the Minister of State for Coal was in the situation to influence the decision of the screening committee. CBI has also discovered that the Jindal Group bought shares of Saubhagya Media at an inflated rate of 100 rupees per piece at the time, when the quoted price of the shares was 28 rupees per piece. The Saubhagya Media is a company owned by Narayan Rao. The agency also discovered money trail of 2.25 crore rupees received by Saubhagya Media from Firms of Jindal group namely - JSPL, Gagan Sponge, Jindal Realty and New Delhi Exim in the same year, when the coal block allocations were made to JSPL and Gagan Sponge Iron. CBI is now seeking the permission from the Government to name members of screening committee for coal block allocations in its FIR. Such permission was required from the Government as the officials of the screening committee are of secretary rank and above. CBI has also written a letter to the corporate affairs ministry for reconsidering its decision and to permit the prosecution of HC Gupta, who was the coal secretary and currently a member of the Competition Commission of India.
CSC REJECTED TAMIL NADU S DEMAND FOR ITS SHARE OF WATER

The Cauvery Supervisory Committee (CSC) on 12 June 2013 rejected the demand for its share of water by Tamil Nadu stating deficit inflows and low storage level in the reservoirs in Karnataka. The supervisory committee met in the chairmanship of the Union Water Resources Secretary SK Das and representatives from both states, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were also present in the meet. The committee noted that the water available was comparatively lesser than the average water.
GOVT. TARGET TO ACHIEVE 80% LITERACY RATE BY 2017

The Union Government of India on 12 June 2013 announced that it has set a target to achieve 80 percent literacy rate in the country by 2017. The literacy rate of the country at present is 74 percent. The government is aimed to strengthen the Panchayati Raj Institutions as it serves as a vital leverage to promote education in general and literacy in particular. Government of Indias Saakshar Bharat Programme that is operational in 372 districts covering nearly 1.5 lakh gram panchayats spread over 25 states will work as an instrument of literacy and empowerment as well as the agent of change to create equal and inclusive India. The Government has also stressed on the need to bridge the gender gap in rural and urban areas to attain the target.
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SAAKSHAR BHARAT PROGRAMME
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The Prime Minister launched Saakshar Bharat, a centrally sponsored scheme of Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL), Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India (GOI), on the International Literacy Day, 8 September 2009. It aims to further promote and strengthen adult education, specially of women, by extending educational options to those adults who having lost the opportunity of access to formal education and crossed the standard age for receiving such education, now feel a need for learning of any type, including, literacy, basic education (equivalency to formal education), vocational education (skill development), physical and emotional development, practical arts, applied science, sports, and recreation.
GOVT EXTENDED ONLINE RTI FACILITY TO PRESIDENT SECRETARIAT

The Union Government of India on 17 June 2013 extended the facility of e-filing the RTI application to President and Vice-Presidents secretariat as well as Foreign Ministry. This move came up to ensure better transparency in governance. To facilitate the e-filing of applications and payment of fees, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the nodal Ministry for implementation of Right to Information Act launched a new website www.rtionline.gov.in. The new facility will help citizens to seek information online from different Ministries of Union Government like Food Processing Industries, Health & Family Welfare, Home Affairs, Information & Broadcasting and Road Transport & Highways by exercising their Right to Information.
RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT 2005

Right to Information Act 2005 mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information. It is an initiative taken by Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions to provide a RTI Portal Gateway to the citizens for quick search of information on the details of first Appellate Authorities, PIOs and more amongst others, besides access to RTI related information / disclosures published on the web by various Public Authorities under the government of India as well as the State Governments.
GOVERNMENT PROPOSED BILL TO PREVENT FLOODS

Union Government on 25 June 2013 proposed a draft Bill demanding setting up of 12 river basin authorities in the country to settle discordances and prevent deluge and pollution in inter-state rivers. The bill named as Draft River Basin Management Bill, basically demands to amend the River www.jagranjosh.com
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Boards Act, 1956. It was put in public domain by the Water Resources Ministry.
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A mechanism for integrated planning, development and management of water resources of a river basin is planned to be created under the ambit of the bill as the River Boards do not have such a provision. It has been found that there is not any single River Board which has been constituted under the present Act as not any request was made by any of the state of the country under the provisions of the legislation.
SOME PROVISIONS LAID UNDER THE BILL

The Bill proposes a two-tier structure for each of the 12 river basin authorities. Every river basin authority is supposed to be consisting of an upper layer called the governing council and a lower layer described as the executive board charged with the technical and implementation powers for the council decisions. The governing council has extensive membership and representation including chief ministers of the co-basin states, ministers in charge of water resources, one Lok Sabha member, one MLA among others. The executive board will also be given a broad base membership under the Bill. The governing council will approve the river basin master plan to ensure sustainable river basin development, management and regulation. It will also take steps to enable the basin states to come to an agreement for implementation of river basin master plan. The council will also settle inter-state water disputes. The executive board will prepare schemes for irrigation, water supply, hydropower, flood control, pollution control and soil erosion.
GOVERNMENT APPROVED NEAR DOUBLING OF NATURAL GAS PRICE

The Union government on 27 June 2013 almost doubled the price at which natural gas is supposed to be sold to producers of power, fertilizer, minerals and steel. The increase, in natural gas price was decided at a meeting of the Union cabinet, which is in line with the recommendations of a committee headed by C. Rangarajan, chairman of the Prime Ministers economic advisory council, which had suggested a system that would price the fuel at 8-8.5 dollars per mmBtu. This will be the first revision in gas prices in three years. C. Rangarajan, formula uses long-term and spot liquid gas (LNG) import contracts as well as international trading benchmarks to arrive at a competitive price for India.
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Now with the approval, the price of gas could go up to 8.4 dollars per million metric British thermal units (mmBtu), which would be effective from 1 April 2013 from the current domestic prices that range between 3.5 dollars and 5.73 dollars per mmBtu. The new price will be valid for 5 years at least. The important thing is that the price will still be lower than that of imported natural gas, which costs around 14.17 dollars per mmBtu.
EFFECTS OF THE INCREASE IN GAS PRICE

The increase in gas prices will directly benefit local producers such as RIL, ONGC and Oil India Ltd. It would likely result in a rise in power tariffs, the cost of ureaa key farm nutrient and the price of compressed natural gas. The increase in gas price will encourage more investments in exploration and make smaller pools of gas economically viable to produce. Higher gas price will also increase cost of power generation and fertilizer production and the government will have to take care of that. As per the report by India Ratings and Research it is observed that increase to 6.775 dollars per mmBtu would mean an increase of 9 paisa/kwh (kilowatt-hour) on the total Indian power generation of 912 billion kwh, which would lead to an additional burden of 78 billion Rupees towards gas costs on gas-based power generation of 65 billion kwh.
I&B MINISTRY CANCELLED LICENSES OF 15 CHANNELS

The I&B (Information and Broadcasting) Ministry in Month of June 2013 cancelled the licenses of 15 channels and suspended the license of seven others for 30 days as they fail to abide by with licensing conditions. Most of channel whose license are cancelled are regional. The ministry has also issued notices to 38 channels for making changes in their board of directors and shareholding patterns without government permission. The move to cancelled license of Channels came in the light of West Bengal-based Saradha group companies which acquired TV channels without prior information of the I&B ministry and had violated the uplinking and downlinking guidelines. It is important here to note that there are 877 general entertainment and news channels that have been given permission to operate by the ministry in last few years. After the Saradha group scam, the government had issued notices to the 368 companies www.jagranjosh.com
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running these channels to provide information on their ownership and management control and if there were any changes in that. About 22 channels have not replied to notices of which 15 are not operational. The ministry has decided to cancel their licenses while suspending the license of 7 channels that are operational but have chosen to ignore the government's communication.
NATIONAL QUIZZES
1. Name the person who headed the committee constituted by the Union Government of India to give clear definitions to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) with an aim of removing the ambiguity from both types of foreign investments. a) Dr. K.C. Chakrabarty b) Arvind Mayaram c) Dr. Urjit R. Patel d) Y.H. Malegam Answer. (b) Arvind Mayaram 2. What is the amount allotted to Gujarat from the Planning Commission of India under its annual plan 2013-14? a) 63000 crore rupees b) 54000 crore rupees c) 59000 crore rupees d) 45000 crore rupees Answer. (c) 59000 crore rupees 3. Name the latest case in which Supreme Court of India practiced the Scope of Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty)? a) Videocon case against three Ugandan citizens b) Maneka Gandhi vs. Union of India Case c) Gopalanachari vs. Administrator, State of Kerala d) Francis Coralie Mullin vs. Union Territory of Delhi
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Answer. (a) Videocon case against three Ugandan citizens
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4. Name the person who has been appointed the head of the committee to Examine Indecent Representation of Women in Media Constituted? a) Bimal Jalan b) K Ratnaprabha c) JS Verma d) Acharya Kripalani Answer. (b) K Ratnaprabha 5. Government of India on 19 June 2013 announced a disaster relief fund of ___________ crore rupees to Uttarakhand. a) 1100 b) 1000 c) 700 d) 1500 Answer. (b) 1000 6. Indian Air Force (IAF) received its first of the ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III Aircraft from United States on 18 June 2013. The first C-17 Globemaster landed at ____________ Airbase in India? a) Hindan Air Force Station Airbase b) Farkhor Air Force Station Airbase c) Palam Air Force Station Airbase d) Ambala Air Force Station Airbase Answer. (a) Hindan Air Force Station Airbase 7. Name the state that made it mandatory to have an Aadhaar Card to withdraw salary from August for teaching and non-teaching staffs? a) Gujarat b) Uttar Pradesh
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c) Himachal Pradesh d) Maharashtra Answer. (d) Maharashtra 8. Name the writer of the book Ambedkar Speaks (Trilogy)? a) Dr. Rajendra Jadhav b) Dr. Narendra Jadhav c) Dr. Surendra Jadhav d) Dr. Vijendra Jadhav Answer. (b) Dr. Narendra Jadhav 9. Name the publisher of the book Ambedkar Speaks (Trilogy)? a) Shriti Publishers b) Konark Publishers c) Rupa Publishers d) Mills and Boons Answer. (b) Konark Publishers
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10. SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India), the market regulator of India on 20 June 2013 notified guidelines for investment advisers and their associated person and made it compulsory for them to get the requisite certifications for them to operate in stock market. Name the body that will offer certifications for being an investment adviser? a) Institute of Securities Markets b) National Institute of Securities Markets c) National Institute of Securities d) National Securities Market Institute Answer. (b) National Institute of Securities Markets
INDIA DAIRY
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Avinash Chander appointed as the New Chief of Defence Research Development Organiastion Unemployment Rate hit Record High in Eurozone
2 June 2013 Infosys appointed Narayan Murthy as Executive Chairman of the Board Rajeev Shukla resigned as Chairman of IPL in the Wake of Spot-Fixing Scandal Glide bombs for Fighters Planes being developed by India
3 June 2013 Union government approved the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) in order to lessen the effect of oil spills on land and in marine areas. The Ministry of Human Resource Development on 2 June 2013 launched a Special Scholarship Scheme for J&K students. Ministry of Transport and Highways has proposed a variety of changes in the toll rules so as to make highways safe and to protect the interest of commuters. The Union government issued guidelines defining clearly the concept of Group Company in the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy.
4 June 2013 CIC held that political parties are answerable to citizens under the Right to Information Act (RTI Act). ECoR suspended the night movement of trains in the 450 kilometer long K-K line in wake up of intelligence report about Janapituri Week of Maoists. Union Cabinet approved the finance ministry's proposal of a non-binding conciliation in 14000-crore Rupees Vodafone's tax dispute case.
5 June 2013 The Union Cabinet of India approved the extension of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) to others. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved allowing 260 CPSE to start wage negotiation with the employees. By-election results of ten states were declared; BJP won all the six seats in Gujarat, Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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whereas JD-U lost the Maharajganj seat to RJD in Bihar. 6 June 2013
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Union government reconstituted the National Advisory Council by including prominent sociologist Virginius Xaxa into the 12-member panel chaired by Sonia Gandhi. Indian Banks' Association (IBA) announced that K R Kamath was re-elected as the Chairman of IBA for 2013-14 tenure.
7 June 2013 Standing Council of Experts to access global competitiveness of Indian Financial Sector Constituted by the Union Government of India. Import duty on gold was hiked from 6 percent to 8 percent by the Government of India with an aim of curbing the import of gold in the country.
8 June 2013 Union Government decided to launch National Higher education Campaign, Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan. The Ministry of Finance has introduced new rules for sending Income Tax officers to newly created overseas units similar to in the US and the UK.
9 June 2013 Union government of India set up a National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) to meet the growing need for skilled work force. The rupee fell by a whopping 71 paise to hit a new life-time low of 57 rupees 77 paise against Dollar.
10 June 2013 The meeting of all political parties on Naxal violence unanimously passed a resolution in New Delhi. CBI registered an FIR against Naveen Jindal, Dasari Narayana Rao and five private companies in context of getting coal block in Jharkhand. The first meeting of the Cauvery Supervisory Committee was held which decided to review the position of storage levels.
11 June 2013 Indian railway decided to start the services of booking travel tickets through SMS. The Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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services will start from July 2013.
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The demand for its share of water by Tamil Nadu from the Cauvery Basin was rejected by the Cauvery Supervisory committee citing low storage level a reason. Union Government decided to discontinue the Telegraph Services in India from 15 July 2013
12 June 2013 Rajasthan government signed MoU with the (IRCTC) Ltd for a scheme as per which it will bear all the expenses for senior citizens to go on select pilgrimages. Government has set a target of achieving 80 percent literacy rate by 2017 at present the literacy rate of India is 74 percent. Market regulator Sebi notified a new set of regulations to regulate issuing and listing of non-convertible preference.
13 June 2013 The (I-T) department has notified a revised form to check for transfer pricing infractions, something that could intensify the scrutiny on their books. Union government of India doubled the special monetary allowance given to gallantry award recipients. Maharashtra confirmed that the Asian Athletic Championship will be held in Pune from 3 to 7 July 2013.
14 June 2013 Indian archers, Rajat Chouhan and Manjudha Soy won silver medal at the World Cup (Stage-II) Archery competition in Turkey. Maharashtra government decided setting up separate education commisionerates in order to provide education to students of the tribal community. The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP extended special package for Industrial Development of J&K for a period of 5 years.
15 June 2013 Tamil Nadu government decided to set up 30 marine police stations to guard the coastal districts of the state. The Punjab Cabinet in Month has approved the policy for regularisation of about 5000 Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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unauthorised colonies in the State. 16 June 2013
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Telecom regulator TRAI announced reduction in the national mobile phone roaming charges which will come into effect 1 July 2013. RBI in its June mid-quarter monetary policy left its key policy ( repo rate) unchanged at 7.25 percent
17 June 2013 Government proposed sweeping changes in FDI regime to attract foreign investors based on the recommendations made by Arvind Mayaram Committee Four new Cabinet Ministers have been inducted in the Union Council of Ministers. Mallikarjun Kharge is the new Union Minister for Railways.
18 June 2013 CBDT on 19 June 2013 announced that the Commodities Transaction Tax shall be levied on the non-farm products from 1 July 2013. The e-filing facility for RTI application has been extended to President and VicePresidents secretariat as well as Foreign Ministry by Government.
19 June 2013 SC quashed Videocon case against three Ugandan citizens and established that Rights mentioned in Article 21 is valid for foreign nationals also. Palatana Gas Based Power Project inaugurated by Pranab Mukherjee. Developed by ONGC this is the largest clean energy plants of the world.
20 June 2013 Manjeet Singh bagged a Silver medal for India at the 3rd China Open boxing tournament. Bharti Airtel slashed the charges of data usage by 90 percent for the pre-paid subscribers in Punjab and Haryana.
21 June 2013 The Retirement fund body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launched its e-Passbook service on 21 June 2013. Duty Drawback Rate of gold ornaments increased by 73 rupees per gram to 173.70 Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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rupees per gram to boost jewellery exports. 22 June 2013
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SEBI notified guidelines for investment advisers as per which It is made compulsory to get requisite certifications for them to operate in stock market for them. The Union Government of India planned to introduce Visa-on-Arrival facilities for the Chinese nationals.
23 June 2013 CCEA decided to extend the R-APDR for the 12th Five-Year Plan period in order to strengthen the distribution sector. Legal Activist Amrit Singh received the India abroad publishers special award for excellence 2012.
24 June 2013 The Union Health Ministry launched the ambitious schemes called Free Drug Service and Free Diagnostics Service. The Retirement fund body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launched its e-Passbook service. India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham with a five-run victory.
25 June 2013 The government on 25 June 2013 floated a draft Bill demanding setting up of 12 river basin authorities in the country. After victory in ICC Champions Trophy 2013, India maintained the top most position in ICC ODI rankings with 123 points.
26 June 2013 The Union government banned three major medicines anti-diabetes drug pioglitazone, painkiller analgin and anti-depressant deanxit. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi flagged off first train which connects Banihal in Jammu with Qazigund in Kashmir.
27 June 2013 The Union government almost doubled the price at which natural gas is supposed to be Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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sold to producers of power, fertilizer, minerals and steel.
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Rajasthan launched a unique scheme called Mukhyamantri Bijli Bachat Lamp Yojna for energy conservation.
28 June 2013 CCEA cleared the scheme to establish Laboratories for Managing Epidemics and Natural Calamities. The I&B ministry has cancelled licence of 15 channels and suspended the license of 7 others for 30 days as they fail to abide by with licensing conditions.
29 June 2013 The Ministry of External Affairs and Nalanda University signed a headquarter agreement. The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of a Coal Regulatory Authority meant to address controversial issues like supply and quality.
30 June 2013 Actor and DMDK chief Vijayakanth suspended seven of his party MLAs for voting for AIADMK nominees in the June 27 Rajya Sabha elections. AP announced 50 cr Rupees for Uttarakhand relief works and infrastructure.
ECONOMY
CCEA APPROVED CONTINUATION OF NMFP
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 28 June 2013 approved the continuation of the National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) for the remainder of 12th Five Year Plan (2013-17) based on detailed proposals submitted by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI). The NMFP outlay for 2012-17 has been kept at 1600 crore rupees consisting of 1250 crore rupees provided by the Government of India (GOI) and corresponding State share of 350 crore rupees. This includes 320 crore rupees already approved for 2012-13, of which 250 crore rupees was the GOI share and 70 crore rupees was the State share. The following schemes under the NMFP will be implemented by State Governments for the remainder of 12th Five Year Plan in pursuance of today`s approval: Scheme for technology up-gradation / establishment / modernisation of food processing Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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industries
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Scheme for cold chain, value addition and preservation infrastructure for nonhorticulture products Setting up/ modernization/ expansion of abattoirs Scheme for Human Resource Development (HRD) Scheme for promotional activities Creating primary processing centres / collection centres in rural areas Modernization of meat shops Reefer vehicles Old Food Parks
Continuation of NMFP shall help in the decentralization of the implementation of the Ministry`s schemes, which will lead to substantial participation of State Governments / Union Territories (UTs). Beneficiaries of MOFPI schemes will also find it easier to deal with State Governments. The continuation of NMFP will also help States/UTs in maintaining requisite synergy between agriculture plans of States and the development of the food processing sector. This in turn would help in the increase in farm productivity, thereby leading to an increase in farmers` incomes. It would also help in ensuring an efficient supply chain by bridging Infrastructural/Institutional Gaps. A National Food Processing Development Council (NFPDC) has been provided for under the chairmanship of the Minister for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries. The NFPDC will have representatives of State Governments, industry associations and related GOI departments. The council will provide guidance to MOFPI relating to the food processing sector, including the NMFP.
MECHANISM FOR COAL SUPPLY TO POWER PRODUCERS APPROVED

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 21 June 2013 approved the following mechanism for supply of coal to power producers. Approved mechanism: Coal India Ltd. (CIL) to sign Fuel Supply Agreements (FSA) for a total capacity of 78000 MW including cases of tapering linkage, which are likely to be commissioned by 31 March 2015. Actual coal supplies would however commence when long term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) is tied up. Taking into account the overall domestic availability and actual requirements, FSAs to be Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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signed for domestic coal quantity of 65 percent, 65 percent, 67 percent and 75 percent of Annual Contracted Quantity (ACQ) for the remaining four years of the 12th Five Year Plan. To meet its balance FSA obligations, CIL may import coal and supply the same to the willing Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) on cost plus basis. TPPs may also import coal themselves. MoC to issue suitable instructions. Higher cost of imported coal to be considered for passes through as per modalities suggested by CERC. MoC to issue suitable orders supplementing the New Coal Distribution Policy (NCDP). MoP to issue appropriate advisory to CERC/SERCs including modifications if any in the bidding guidelines to enable the appropriate Commissions to decide the pass through of higher cost of imported coal on case to case basis. Mechanism will be explored to supply coal subject to its availability to the TPPs with 4660 MW capacity and other similar cases which are not having any coal linkage but are likely to be commissioned by 31 March 2015, having long term PPAs and a high Bank exposure and without affecting the above decisions.
Background: A proposal had earlier been moved for approval of CCEA for import of coal by CIL in order to meet the shortfall in the domestic coal requirement of the thermal power plants (TPPs) from time to time. In the meeting held on 5 February 2013, the CCEA had laid down certain guidelines for import of coal on cost plus basis/pooling of prices and also directed formation of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to consider the cases of power plants with aggregate capacity of about 16000 MW which would be commissioned by 31 March 2015 but are not having any linkage for supply of coal. On the basis of the recommendations of IMC, the matter was further considered by CCEA in the meeting held on 22 April 2013. The CCEA inter-alia directed to consider the feasibility of higher cost of imported coal being allowed as a pass through in case of PPAs signed on competitive bid basis. The revised proposals submitted by Ministry of Coal (MoC) in pursuance of the above directions and in consultation with Ministry of Power and other Ministries were considered by the CCEA.
CCEA APPROVED DISINVESTMENT OF 5% PAID UP EQUITY IN NLC

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 21 June 2013 approved disinvestment of 5 percent equity of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC). This 5 percent equity was approved out of its holding of 93.56 percent through an Offer for Sale (OFS) in the domestic market according to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) rules and regulations. NLC is authorised the capital of 2000 crore Rupees, out of which the subscribed as well as issued equity capital was 1677.71 crore Rupees as on 31 March 2013. This comprised of www.jagranjosh.com
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167.771 crore equity shares of face value of 10 Rupees each. After this disinvestment, the holding of the Government of India in NLC would drop down to 88.56 percent.
ABOUT NEYVELI LIGNITE CORPORATION (NLC)

Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) is the Central Public Sector Enterprise. It has Navratna status under the administrative control of the Ministry of Coal. It was incorporated in the year 1956 under the Companies Act, 1956. The objective of the company is meeting the electricity demand of the southern states of India by excavating lignite for generation of power. At present, NLC has the lignite mines and power stations in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.
GOVT TO SET-UP 51 NEW LOW-COST AIRPORTS ACROSS INDIA

The Union Government of India on 28 June 2013 decided to set up 51 new low-cost airports in Tier-II and Tier-III cities of the nation. The decision was taken with an aim to the give a boost to civil aviation sector and increase air connectivity to Tier-II and Tier-III cities. Airport Authority of India (AAI) will be responsible for setting-up the airports in 51 different cities across different states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. The Union Government also made a decision to grant international airport status to the airports of Imphal and Bhubaneswar at a cost of 20000 crore rupees. The decisions were taken at a meeting that was headed by the Prime Minister to finalise infrastructure projects for 2013-14. During the same meet, the Union Government also decided to award construction of eight Greenfield Airports in 2013 under public-private-participation (PPP) mode that includes Navi Mumbai, Juhu in Mumbai, Goa, Kannur, Rajguru Nagar Chakan at Pune, Sriperumbudur, Bellary and Raigarh. To encourage investors, the Union Government declared an investment target of 1.15 lakh crore rupees under the PPP project in different sectors of infrastructure like civil aviation, rail, port and power in the next six months.
INDIA 3 RD MOST ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION FOR INVESTMENT: UNCTAD

A survey conducted by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) revealed on 26 June 2013 that India was the third most attractive destination for investment in www.jagranjosh.com
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the world. The survey by UNCTAD included Transnational Corporations (TNCs) as the respondents. India was ranked at the third position after china and the United States. The survey was based on the responses given by 159 top global companies of the world. The World Investment Report 2013 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) revealed that the ranking of top five host economies of the world remained unaltered since 2012. China was still leading the list of top most destinations for investment with 46 percent respondents agreeing on it. This was followed by US, which got 45 percent agreeing votes. Among other top five investment destinations as responded by TNCs, were Indonesia and Brazil. An interesting fact about the survey was that, among top five most attractive destinations for investment in the world, four were the developing countries. Apart from this, six out of top 10 prospective host countries were also from the developing world. Thailand and Mexico appeared in this list for the very first time. As far as the developed countries were concerned, Japan climbed up three positions because of its reconstruction efforts after 2011 tsunami as well as expansionary monetary policies, which led to increased attractiveness of the country for foreign investment in the medium term. In the meanwhile, Australia, Russia and United Kingdom came down the rankings in comparison to 2012 survey, while Germany gained two positions.
RBI PENALISED AXIS, HDFC AND ICICI BANKS FOR RULE VIOLATIONS
The Reserve Bank on 10 June 2013 imposed a fine of 5 crore Rupees on Axis Bank, 4.5 crore Rupees on HDFC Bank and 1 crore Rupees on ICICI Bank for violation of KYC norms and antimoney laundering guidelines. The fine was imposed after inquiring into charges pointed by an online portal Cobrapost.
THE VIOLATIONS WERE RELATED TO

Non-observance of certain safeguards in respect of arrangement of at par payment of cheques drawn by cooperative banks Non-adherence to certain aspects of knowing your customer (KYC) norms Anti -money laundering (AML) guidelines like risk categorization and periodical review of risk profiling of account holders
The penalty accompanies inspection carried out by RBI of books of accounts, internal control, compliance systems and processes of these three banks at their corporate offices and branches during March/April 2013.The scrutiny was carried on to investigate into the allegations of www.jagranjosh.com
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contravention of Know Your Customer (KYC)/anti-money laundering guidelines against them following expose by online portal Cobrapost. RBI will be conducting an end-to-end investigation of the transactions by tax and enforcement agencies. A similar scrutiny is also being conducted at corporate offices of 36 other banks. It is worth mentioning here that, in certain cases, the banks failed to obtain permanent account number (PAN) card details or form 60/61 and verify the source of funds credited to a few nonresident ordinary (NRO) accounts.
SEBI ISSUED GUIDELINES FOR INVESTMENT ADVISERS

SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India), the market regulator of India on 20 June 2013 notified guidelines for investment advisers and their associated person and made it compulsory for them to get the requisite certifications for them to operate in stock market. The notification released by SEBI ordered the investment advisers and their associates which includes representatives and partners offering investment advice to get a certification from the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) after passing the relevant examinations. The notification also mentioned that the associated person, who has received certification by passing the NISM Certified Personal Finance Advisor (CPFA) examination before or on the day of the notification, need not apply for any such certification.
NISM (NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SECURITIES MARKETS)

National Institute of Securities Markets is a public trust, established by the SEBI, the regulator for securities markets in India. It is located in Navi Mumbai, India. NISM seeks to add to market quality through educational initiatives. It is an autonomous body governed by its Board of Governors. In pursuance of the announcement made by the Finance Minister in his Budget Speech in February 2005, SEBI established the NISM in Mumbai.
INDIA WITNESSED A FIVE-FOLD INCREASE IN POWER GENERATION

India witnessed a five-fold increase in the additional power generation capacity during the last nine years as per the official data released by the union government on 2 June 2013. It has gone up from over 3900 MW in 2004-05 to 20660 MW in 2012-13. Over 9 lakh million units of power were generated in 2012-13 as against 5.8 lakh Million Units in 2004-05. The total installed capacity of electricity generation was more than two lakh 23 thousand MW as on 31 March 2013 while the demand was one lakh 35 thousand MW. Power sector has grown positively over the 11th Plan Period registering a growth rate of nearly 4 percent in 2012-
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RBI EXTENDED TIME FOR OPENING UP OF NEW BANKS BY SIX MONTHS

The RBI (Reserve Bank of India) on 3 June 2013 released certain clarifications on the guidelines issued for licensing of new banks. Based on the feedback received from the interested entities, the RBI increased the validity period of the in-principle approval of setting up of banks from one year to 18 months. RBI stated that intending applicants have brought out several complex issues pertaining to reorganization of the existing corporate structure, restructuring of businesses and meeting the regulatory requirements. Once the in-principle approval is given by the RBI for setting up of a bank, the promoter group has to set up a non-operative financial holding company (NOFHC) and the bank within 18 months from the date of in-principle approval. The bank has to start banking business within this period after getting the banking licence. The RBI had released the Guidelines for Licensing of New Banks in the Private Sector in February 2013. Accordingly, the RBI had stated that corporates and public sector entities with sound credentials, 500 crore rupees capital and a minimum track record of 10 years would be allowed to enter the banking business. The last date to submit applications is the 1 July 2013. The RBI had also invited queries from intending applicants seeking clarifications on guidelines.
UNION CABINET APPROVED THE REAL ESTATE BILL 2013

The Union Cabinet of India on 4 June 2013 approved the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill 2013 to set up a regulator for the real estate sector in the country. This was done with the objective of protecting home buyers from dishonest builders. The bill seeks to make it mandatory for developers to launch projects only after acquiring all the statutory clearances from relevant authorities. It also has provisions under which all relevant clearances for real estate projects would have to be submitted to the regulator and also displayed on a website before starting construction work. A real estate regulator will be set up in every state. It will ensure that private developers get all their projects registered with it before sale and only after obtaining all necessary clearances. The commercial real estate is not covered under the purview of the proposed bill. However, it will apply to residential buildings. The bill has a provision for mandatory public disclosure of all project details such as lay out plan, land status and credentials of promoters etc. An adjudicating officer in the state will be appointed by the authority for fast tracking settlement of disputes. There will be Real Estate Appellate Tribunal as per the bill. It will hear appeals from orders, decisions or directions of regulator and adjudicating officer. www.jagranjosh.com
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GOVERNMENT HIKED THE IMPORT DUTY ON GOLD AND PLATINUM

The Union Government of India on 5 June 2013 hiked the import duty on gold from 6 percent to 8 percent. The hike is aimed towards curbing the import of gold. Import of gold is mainly responsible for the rise in Current Account Deficit (CAD) and impacts the foreign exchange reserves of the country as well as the value of rupee. The import duty on platinum was also increased from 6 percent to 8 percent, following the Customs notification. Before the hike in import duty, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) took several steps to limit the imports to meet genuine domestic demands for jewellery and export purposes. The excise duty on gold ore was also raised from 5 percent to 7 percent through another notification issued by Central Board of Excise and Customs. This is the second hike on the duty of gold imports in six months and the decision of government came up after witnessing the alarming 162 tonnes import of gold in May 2013. In April and May 2013, import touched new figures of 15 billion US dollars. The CAD touched a historic high of 6.7 percent of GDP in the quarter ending December 2012. CAD is a difference between inflow and outflow of foreign currency. Earlier the import duty on gold was hiked from 4 percent to 6 percent in January 2013.
DoT ASKED TRAI TO AUDIT SPECTRUM USE

DoT (Department of Telecommunication) in month of June 2013 has asked TRAI to carry out regular spectrum utilization audit of all service providers in order to ensure efficient utilization of spectrum. As per the Dot Report, an unproductive utilization of spectrum should be discouraged and a proper mechanism is put in place to make certain that if spectrum remains unu or underutilized, it is returned to the government as inefficient usage has great impact on opportunity cost. Earlier as per the report by Trai in 2010 it was recommended that Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring units, which come under Trai, will be alloted with the responsibility of spectrum audit. While carrying out regular spectrum utilization audit is supposed to give an extension to the telecom regulator's reach, it would provide valuable monitoring and controlling mechanism to Trai at the operational level. DoT in its recent action has taken the report to Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing, asserting that the details of spectrum allocated to various operators should be made www.jagranjosh.com
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public along with information on quantum, geographical allocation and technology employed by the operator. Dot has underlined the necessity for a policy that provides incentives for vacating the unutilized spectrum and penalty for hoarding. It is also directed by DoT that the government should agree with comprehensive spectrum reforms that would make public as well as private agencies holding spectrum accountable.
PERIODIC AUDIT OF CREDITS OF 5 CRORE DIRECTED TO BANKS

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 7 June 2013 directed the banks to periodically audit and re-verify the documents of all credits of and above 5 crore rupees, till the loan is completely repaid. The directions came in order to control frauds. RBI issued this notification in Mumbai and said that the banks should provide quarterly review notes of such audits that include information like number of accounts where rectification is required, list of deficiencies observed by auditors and steps taken to rectify the deficiencies. It also asked about the action taken on issues of pending accounts from earlier quarters. The direction came up after RBI studied a large value of frauds at the time when the branches of banks were under concurrent audit. As it identified that number of frauds were perpetrated on account of the submission of forged documents of the borrower, which were certified by advocates/chartered accountants/valuers.
CBDT REVISED SELECTION CRITERIA FOR INCOME TAX OFFICIALS

The Ministry of Finance in month of June 2013 has introduced new rules for sending Income Tax officers to newly created overseas units similar to in the US and the UK. As per the new selection criteria it is now mandatory for aspirants to get testimonials from bosses and write a note on how they can help maximise revenue from this front. Earlier in Year 2011 ministry had announced creation of eight new Income Tax Overseas Units (ITOUs) as part of its multi-pronged strategy to tackle the nuisance of blackmoney. While two ITOUs are already there in Mauritius and Singapore, the eight new are all set to be fully operational at Indian missions in Cyprus, France, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, UAE, UK and USA. The new rules designed will be applicable for postings of officials to all the ten ITOUs.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE NEW RULES DESIGNED BY CBDT

It had designated I-T officers to go as First Secretaries in these countries to maintain effective coordination and liaison between Indian tax authorities and the tax authorities of countries concerned.
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As per the revised selection criteria, the aspiring candidate, with a mandatory 15 years of service in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), will be evaluated for ten marks each in getting recommendations from two serving officers who were immediate supervisory authority anytime during their service. The aspiring candidate should also have to write a 1000 word statement of purpose describing how his knowledge, experience and commitment will help in bolstering tax administration in the international context. The applicant, who will have to go through a final interview by a panel headed by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chairperson, will be judged for a maximum of 40 marks for providing a brief bio-data of five of their outstanding work in the field of revenue administration. The aspiring I-T officials will also be rated on their investigation skills and expertise to handle international financial transactions, overall awareness in respect of financial scenario and methods used for tax avoidance. The other areas on which these senior officers will be rated include awareness of international financial protocols, issues pertaining to transfer pricing, working knowledge of tax treaties like the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) and Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs) and other tax dispute resolution mechanisms like Advance Pricing Agreement (APAs) and Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP). The posting of an officer in these ITOUs is for a period of three years.
ABOUT CENTRAL BOARD OF DIRECT TAXES (CBDT)

The CBDT is a part of Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance which basically provides essential inputs for policy and planning of direct taxes in India, at the same time it is also responsible for administration of direct tax laws through the Income Tax Department.
RBI HIKED THE CAP FOR ONLINE REPATRIATION OF EXPORT PROCEEDS

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 11 June 2013 raised the limit for online repatriation of export proceeds by over three-folds to 10000 US dollars. RBI also made it mandatory to repatriate full value of exports within 12 months for units in Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The decision from RBI came up with an aim of arresting the rupees slide by boosting Forex inflows. At present the rupee has touched its life time low of 58.98 against the US dollar and in last two days it has gone down by 3.5 percent against dollar. Since April 2013, it has gone down by 8 percent. At present, banks can offer the facility to repatriate export related remittances via online www.jagranjosh.com
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payment gateway for export of goods and services up to 3000 US dollar per transaction. In case of SEZs also earlier there existed no time limit for realization of exports. The new instructions from RBI came into force with immediate effect.
FOREIGN INVESTMENT LIMIT HIKED BY 5 BILLION DOLLAR

The Union Government of India on 12 June 2013 enhanced the limit of Foreign Investments in Government Securities by 5 Billion US Dollar. This decision of the Government is an effort to increase the overseas capital inflows and strengthen the value of rupee. The enhancement has raised the total limit of investments from foreign entities to 30 billion US dollar from previous 25 billion US dollar. The notification released by the Union Government mentioned that the Foreign Institutional Investors registered to SEBI are only eligible for investment in the enhanced limit of 5 billion US Dollars. The investments can be made in categories named Sovereign Wealth Funds, Multilateral Agencies, Endowment Funds, Insurance Funds, Pension Funds and Foreign Central Banks.
MINERAL PRODUCTION APRIL 2013: PROVISIONAL DATA RELEASED

The index of mineral production of mining and quarrying sector in April 2013 was lower by 16.9 percent compared to March 2013 as per the data released by ministry of mines. The mineral sector has shown a negative growth of 3.1 percent during April 2013 as compared to that of the April 2012. The total value of mineral production (excluding atomic & minor minerals) in India during April 2013 was 17772 crore rupees. The contribution of coal was the highest at 5673 crore rupees (32 percent). Next in the order of importance were: petroleum (crude) 5671 crore rupees, iron ore 2712 crore rupees, natural gas (utilized) 1883 crore rupees, lignite 490 crore rupees and limestone 382 crore rupees. These six minerals together contributed about 95 percent of the total value of mineral production in April 2013. Production level of important minerals in April 2013 were: coal 435 lakh tonnes, lignite 39 lakh tonnes, natural gas (utilized) 2942 million cu. m., petroleum (crude) 31 lakh tonnes, bauxite 2035 thousand tonnes, chromite 242 thousand tonnes, copper conc. 10 thousand tonnes, gold 120 kg., iron ore 119 lakh tonnes, lead conc. 16 thousand tonnes, manganese ore 194 thousand tonnes, zinc conc. 124 thousand tonnes, apatite & phosphorite 198 thousand tonnes, dolomite 520 thousand tonnes, limestone 242 lakh tonnes, magnesite 16 thousand tonnes and diamond 2928 carat. In April 2013, the output of apatite & phosphorite increased by 33.6 percent, bauxite 14.7 percent and iron ore 1.3 percent. However the production of petroleum (crude) decreased by 3.7 percent, natural gas (utilized) 5.5 percent, limestone 5.9 percent, lead conc. 8.9 percent, gold 11.1 percent, dolomite 15.0 percent, manganese ore 18.1 percent, copper conc. 18.6 www.jagranjosh.com
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percent, magnesite 20.3 percent, zinc conc. 23.0 percent, lignite 27.9 percent, chromite 30.3 percent, coal 33.0 percent and diamond 33.6 percent.
PETROL PRICES HIKED BY 2 RUPEES PER LITER, EXCLUDING VAT

Petrol price was hiked by 2 rupees per liter, excluding VAT by the oil companies. This is the second increase in the price of petrol in June 2013 due to the devaluation of rupee against US dollar; due to the devaluation of rupee the import of crude oil has gone costlier. The petrol prices in different cities are as follows, in Delhi a consumer will have to pay 66.39 rupees per liter, in Mumbai 74.60 rupees per liter, in Chennai 69.39 rupees per liter and in Kolkata 73.79 rupees per liter. Earlier, on 1 June 2013 the price of petrol was hiked by 75 paise per liter by the oil Companies.
DEVALUATION OF CURRENCY
Devaluation of currency in the monetary policy means fall in the value of any currency with respect to goods, services or other monetary units with which that currency can be exchanged. The rate of a currency is devalued against the major currencies to encourage exports and improve the current trade deficit.
TRAI REDUCED ROAMING CHARGES FOR CALLS, SMSS

Telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 17 June 2013 announced reduction in the national mobile phone roaming charges which will come into effect 1 July 2013. TRAI has also come out with conditional a free national roaming plan that is aimed at bringing down cellphone roaming charges.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEW CHARGES AS LEVIED BY TRAI

TRAI has reduced ceilings for national roaming calls and SMS and instituted a new regime for providing flexibility to telecom service providers to customise tariffs for national roamers through STVs (Special Tariff Vouchers) and Combo Vouchers. It has also mandated two types of free national roaming plans to be Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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provided by all telecom service providers.
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The ceiling tariffs prescribed by TRAI in 2007 were 1.40 Rupees per minute for outgoing local calls and 2.40 Rupees per minute for outgoing STD calls while on national roaming. Ceilings have been reduced t 1 Rupee per minute and Re 1.50 per minute, respectively. Similarly, the ceiling tariffs for incoming calls while on national roaming have been reduced from 1.75 Rupees per minute to 75 paise per minute. Tariffs for outgoing SMS while on national roaming, which were earlier under forbearance, have now been capped: outgoing SMS (local) a 1 Rupee per SMS and outgoing SMS (STD) at 1.50 Rupees per SMS. Incoming SMS will remain free of charge. Tariffs for outgoing SMS while on national roaming, which were earlier under forbearance, have now been capped: outgoing SMS (local) at 1 Rupee per SMS and outgoing SMS (STD) at 1.50 Rupees per SMS. Incoming SMS will remain free of charge.
RBI LEFT ITS REPO RATE UNCHANGED AT 7.25 PERCENT

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in its June mid-quarter monetary policy on 17 June 2013, left its key policy, repo rate unchanged at 7.25 percent in line. Cash reserve ratio (CRR), remained at 4 percent. Repo is the rate at which banks borrow from the Central bank. CRR is the portion of deposits that banks is mandated to keep with RBI. Consequently, the reverse repo rate will remain unchanged at 6.25 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF), rate and the Bank Rate at 8.25 per cent. RBI kept the interest rate stable possibly because despite the fact that the inflation rate has been coming down and manufacturing growth has not been much to speak of, it realised that the interest rate difference between Indian markets and Western market has actually shrunk, which is why the Foreign Institutional Investors, who are playing in our debt market have pulled off about three billion dollars. They would not like to aggravate the situation by reducing interest rate at this point of time and encouraging FII to pull out more from the debt market.
GOVERNMENT PROPOSED PLAN TO RAISE FDI LIMIT IN KEY SECTORS

To promote India as an attractive destination for investment, the Union Finance Ministry on 18 June 2013 proposed sweeping changes in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regime. The committee that was headed by the Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram recommended raising the Foreign Direct Investment limit to 49 percent from 26 percent at present in almost all sectors like multi-brand retail, defence and telecom through automatic route.
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The committee also recommended the government to increase the cap of FDI to 74 percent in multi-brand retail trading and 49 percent in single-brand retail.
ABOUT ARVIND MAYARAM COMMITTEE

The Union Government in March 2013 constituted a four-member committee to give clear definitions to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) with an aim of removing the ambiguity from both types of foreign investments. The Committee was headed by the Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram and the high power committee constituted a DIPP Secretary, an RBI Deputy Governor and a SEBI Whole-time Member. The report pf the committee was submitted to the Union Ministry of Finance on 18 June 2013.
CTT APPLICABLE ON NON-FARM PRODUCTS FROM 1 JULY 2013

Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 19 June 2013 announced that the Commodities Transaction Tax (CTT) shall be levied on the derivative contracts of non-agricultural commodities which are transacted via recognised commodity bourses. This rule shall apply with effect from 1 July 2013. It is also important to note that 23 specified agricultural commodities are exempted from this tax. All the processed agricultural items such as guar gum, soya oil and sugar are subject to the CTT on future contracts. CTT will not be applicable to the agri-commodities but it will apply to energy complex as well as metals which are traded in the futures exchanges. Levying CTT at the rate of 0.01 percent on the contract price will have an impact on the commodity bourses. This will happen because the higher cost of transaction would grip the margins of the traders. In the meanwhile, the commodity markets have factored in CTT already, which means that the turnover would not be affected in a huge way. The agricultural commodities which are exempted from CTT include wheat, turmeric, soya bean, red chilli, mustard seed, potato, pepper, cotton, cotton seed, coriander, copra, channa, castor seed, cardamom, barley and almond. It is worth noticing that CTT was proposed for the first time in the 2008-2009 Union Budget. It was not implemented because of widespread opposition.
GLOBAL PRICES OF FISH INCREASED TO RECORD HIGH IN MAY 2013

UNs Food & Agriculture Organization announced that the global prices of fish reached record high in May 2013 because of rising demand of salmon fish and failing supply of the tuna fish.
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Prices for the farmed fish like salmon increased faster than the ones captured from the fisheries in 2012. It is predicted that the aquaculture production would elevate to 5.6 percent in 2013. In the meanwhile, the capture of wild fish would increase 0.9 percent. There is a structural shift in the consumer demand because of strong demand for salmon despite higher prices. This will have a positive impact on the salmon producers. Similarly, the demand for tuna fish remains strong despite rising prices. It is forecasted that the overall production of fish will climb 2.9 percent to 161.2 million metric tons in 2013 from 156.7 million tons. The aquaculture output is expected to climb to 70.2 million tons from 66.5 million tons. It is expected that the value of fish exports will climb 2 percent to 130.8 billion US dollar in 2013 after increasing 0.5 percent to 128.2 billion US dollar in 2012. Tuna supplies to Asian canners are not much in 2013, which led to rising prices of canned fish. Japans market for sashimi tuna was strong during beginning of 2013. In the meanwhile, the US market for uncanned tuna was stable. World production for the farmed salmon is forecasted to be changed just a little at 2.01 million tons, while the output will be down 2.3 percent to 1.05 million tons in Norway, which is the largest producer of salmon. It is forecasted that the global food consumption will increase to 19.7 kg per capita this year from 19.2 kilograms in 2012.
DUTY DRAWBACK RATE ON GOLD ORNAMENTS HIKED

Government of India on 21 June 2013 increased the duty drawback rate of gold ornaments by 73 rupees to 173.7 rupees per gram. The decision to increase the drawback rate was taken with an aim to increase jewellery exports.
Duty drawback is the refund of duties on imported inputs for export items.
Central Board of Excise and Customs released a notification in this respect in New Delhi. The notification claimed that the drawback or tax-refund rate for articles of jewellery and parts thereof made of gold is 173.70 per gram of net gold content (.995 or more purity) in the jewellery. Earlier, the drawback rate on gold jewellery was 100.70 rupees per gram. The drawback rate has been increased by the government at the time when access in imports of gold has shown an adverse impact on the Current Account Deficit (CAD) of the country. CAD
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is likely to be at a high level of around 5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
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Earlier, to curb the imports and manage CAD, the Government raised the import duty on Gold to 8 percent from previous six percent. Apart from this, restriction on import of gold was sanctioned on banks by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
CENTRAL BOARD OF EXCISE AND CUSTOMS

Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It deals with the tasks of formulation of policy concerning levy and collection of Customs & Central Excise duties and Service Tax, prevention of smuggling and administration of matters relating to Customs, Central Excise, Service Tax and Narcotics to the extent under CBEC's purview. The Board is the administrative authority for its subordinate organizations, including Custom Houses, Central Excise and Service Tax Commissionerates and the Central Revenues Control Laboratory.
PLAN FOR VISA-ON-ARRIVAL FACILITIES TO CHINESE

The Union Government of India on 22 June 2013 planned to introduce Visa-on-Arrival facilities for the Chinese nationals to give a boost to Indian tourism. China is among 30 countries for which his Ministry wants Visa-on- Arrival facility as Beijing has a huge potential for exchanges in the sector. The aim behind the plan is to ensure that India has at least one per cent share in the international tourist arrivals which is about 0.64 per cent. Under Visa-on-Arrival facility, a traveller can go straight to the intended country and get visa at the airport itself. At present, India has extended Visa on Arrival facilities to 11 countries including Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Vietnam and Philippines.
POWER DISTRIBUTION REFORM PACKAGE EXTENDED TO 12TH PLAN

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 21 June 2013 decided to extend the Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDR) for the 12th Five-Year Plan period in order to strengthen the distribution sector. The R-APDR programme was launched by the government in 11th Plan with a purpose of reducing distribution loss. The scheme is going to cost around 10830 crore rupees in the 12th Plan and 11897 crore rupees as spill over cost in the 13th Plan. The Union government is already planning to facilitate loans of 50000 crore rupees to the states in order to implement the programme. Out of the stated amount 31577 crore rupees is going to be converted into grant. www.jagranjosh.com
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It is worth mentioning here that, during the 11th Plan, projects worth 5242.64 crore rupees covering 1401 villages in 29 States and Union Territories have already been sanctioned.
ABOUT RESTRUCTURED ACCELERATED POWER DEVELOPMENT AND REFORMS (RAPDR) PROGRAMME

The focus of the R-APDR programme is on actual, demonstrable performance in terms of sustained loss reduction. Establishment of reliable and automated systems for sustained collection of accurate base line data, and the adoption of Information Technology in the areas of energy accounting will be essential before taking up the regular distribution strengthening projects. The R-APDRP programme is divided into two parts. The first part includes projects for establishment of baseline data and implementing IT applications, billing and customer care services, among others. The second part includes distribution strengthening projects. The Programme is proposed to cover urban areas - towns and cities with population of more than 30000 (10,000 in case of special category states). In addition, in certain high-load density rural areas with significant loads, works of separation of agricultural feeders from domestic and industrial ones, and of High Voltage Distribution System (11kV) will also be taken up.
3 IPC COMMON SALES CONTRACTS LAUNCHED

Three kinds of International Pepper Community (IPC) Common Sales Contracts were launched by International Pepper Conclave 2013 in order to standardise the contract terms for export of pepper from various origins. The International Pepper Conclave 2013 was organised with the assistance of Jakarta-based International Pepper Community (IPC), which is an inter-governmental organisation. All these contracts were earlier approved by member countries of International Pepper Community in 2013. IPC explained that the buyers as well as sellers would adopt the terms of these contracts in some time and trading on these terms would also begin. The prices of pepper, at present are a little more than 6 US dollar per kg or 6000 US dollar per tonne. There has been area expansion because of higher prices since the year 2010. Also, it has led to better yields through better agronomy and new origins. This would eventually lead to an increase in the production. It is important to note that the Emirate has become the hub for commodity trade because free trade policies exist there.
PIPAVAV PORT REGAINED TOP POSITION IN SEAFOOD EXPORTS
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Pipavav port, the first private sector port of India located in Saurashtra, Gujarat, remained at the top most position for second year in a row in FY13 on the basis of quantity. The Pipavav port registered a jump of 6 percent in comparison to 2012-13 financial year. The reason why Pipavav port remained a forerunner in terms of quantity was because it handled lot of preprocessed fish. The export figures by the Marine Products Export Development Authority revealed that Pipavav port handled 233738 tonnes of marine exports in 2013-14 in comparison to 219801 tonnes in 2012-13 fiscal year. In terms of value, nevertheless, Kochi as well as Vizag ports shared almost equal share of earning, i.e., 3344.97 crore and Rs 3265.64 crore respectively in 2013-14 financial year. Vizag registered 26.12 percent jump in terms of value, while Kochi registered 14.22 percent. Pipavav, on the other hand, registered 3 percent increase from 2710.34 crore to 2808.25 crore Rupees. South-east Asia was the largest buyer of marine products. This was followed by EU, US, Japan, China and Middle East.
ABOUT THE PIPAVAV PORT

Pipavav port is the first private sector port of India on West Coast. The lead promoter of this port is APM Terminals, which is among the largest container terminal operators in the world. This port is meant for the liquid cargo, bulk cargo as well as containers. The services offered by this port include logistics support, cargo handling as well as pilotage and towage. The port handles bulk, container as well as liquid cargo. Pipavav port is situated in Saurashtra, Gujarat, at a distance of 90 km South of Amreli. In the year 1998, the concession was given to Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited by Gujarat Maritime Board. Then in the year 2000, this port went into the Joint Venture with Indian Railways in order to initiate Pipavav Rail Corporation Limited. The commercial operations of the port kicked off in the year 2002. The Pipavav port is situated along the major trade routes and is also in proximity with major Indian Port of Nhava Sheva. The Pipavav port is the captive reefer port.
UNION GOVERNMENT RAISED RICE SUPPORT PRICE BY 4.8 PERCENT

Union Government on 27 June 2013 raised the base price it will pay farmers for common rice to www.jagranjosh.com
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1310 rupees per 100 kilograms from 1250 rupees as compared to year 2012.
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The government has set a minimum support price (MSP) for key crops to give farmers an incentive to produce supplies needed for welfare programmes that give cheap food to half a billion poor. The MSP help protecting the farmers from excessive price falls. India is one of the world's major producers and consumers of grains. It has built up massive stocks of rice and wheat because of abundant harvests encouraged by these assured prices. The government is already making a plan to expand its food subsidy programmes which will need some extra supplies, but the country is still able to export both wheat and rice and sell at preferential prices to domestic bulk buyers.
MSP FOR PADDY FIXED AT 1310 RUPEES PER QUINTAL

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 28 June 2013 approved the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for kharif crops of 2013-14 seasons. The MSP of Paddy (Common) has been fixed at 1310 rupees per quintal and of Paddy (Grade A) at 1345 rupees per quintal. This is an increase of 60 rupees per quintal and 65 rupees per quintal respectively over their MSPs of 2012. The MSPs of Jowar (Hybrid), Jowar (Maldandi) and Ragi have been retained at last year`s level of 1500 rupees per quintal, 1520 rupees per quintal and 1500 rupees per quintal respectively. The MSP of Bajra has been raised by 75 rupees per quintal and fixed at 1250 rupees per quintal. The MSP of Maize has been raised by 135 rupees per quintal over 2010`s MSP at 1310 rupees per quintal. The MSP of Arhar (Tur) was fixed at 4300 rupees per quintal and of Moong at 4500 rupees per quintal marking an increase of 450 rupees per quintal and 100 rupees per quintal respectively over their MSP of 2012. The MSP of Urad has been retained at 2012s level of 4300 r upees per quintal. The MSPs of Groundnut-in-shell, Soyabean (Black) and Sesamum have been increased by 300 rupees per quintal each and fixed at 4000 rupees per quintal, 2500 rupees per quintal and 4500 rupees per quintal respectively. MSP of Soyabean (Yellow) has been increased by 320 rupees per quintal over its MSP of last year and fixed at 2560 rupees per quintal. The MSPs of Sunflower Seed and Nigerseed have been retained at last year`s levels of 3700 rupees per quintal and 3500 rupees per quintal respectively. MSP of Cotton (Medium Staple) and Cotton (Long Staple) have been raised by 100 rupees per quintal each, over their MSP of 2012. They have been fixed at 3700 rupees per quintal and 4000 rupees per quintal respectively.
FIPB APPROVED EIGHT FDI PROPOSALS

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The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on 31 May 2013 approved eight FDI proposals, which include those of McKinsey & Company, ACME Solar Energy and GETIT Infoservices. These eight proposals are worth 696 crore Rupees. FIPB cleared ACME Solar Energys proposal to get 275 crore Rupees foreign investment. The foreign investment worth 216 crore Rupees was roped in by clearance to GETIT Infoservices. Apart from this, the FIPB approved France's GeoPost S.A.'s proposal for acquiring the shares of Indian company that is working on commercial express as well as parcel delivery business. This is worth 179 crore Rupees. McKinsey & Company Incs proposal for setting up LLP was also approved. At the meeting conducted on 12 April 2013, the FIPB, headed by Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram delayed eight FDI proposals and rejected three of them. Other proposals approved by FIPB included US-based AWS Truepowers proposal and DPD Continental Ltd, Pilot Ventures Media. The eight proposals that FIPB delayed included Norway-based Telenor Mobile Communications. The three FDI proposals rejected by FIPB were Triton Hotel, Karuturi Global and Sunil Hitch.
ECONOMY QUIZZES
1. What is the growth percentage of India's food grain production in last nine years as it went up to 259 million tonnes in 2012-13 from 198.36 million tonnes in 2004-05 which is a result of government initiatives like National Food Security Mission, NFSM, and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana? a) 30 Percent b) 45 Percent c) 33 Percent d) 36 Percent Answer (a) 30 Percent 2. The Union Cabinet of India on 4 June 2013 approved the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill 2013. What is the major objective behind the approval? a) To set up a regulator for the real estate sector in the country b) To protecting home buyers from dishonest builders c) To hear appeals from orders, decisions or directions of regulator and adjudicating officer
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by Real Estate Appellate Tribunal.
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d) To make all relevant clearances for real estate projects which have to be submitted to the regulator and also displayed on a website before starting construction work. e) All of these Answer. (e) All of these 3. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 4 June 2013 approved the revival of the Nagaland Pulp and Paper Company Limited (NPPC) with the infusion of Huge fund. What was the amount? a) 309.38 crore Rupees b) 369.32 Crore Rupees c) 321.56 Crore Rupees d) 256. 56 Crore Rupees Answer. (a) 309.38 crore Rupees 4. The Union Government of India on 5 June 2013 hiked the import duty on gold to what percent from the present 6 percent? a) 7 Percent b) 9.5 Percent c) 8 Percent d) 7.5 Percent Answer (c) 8 Percent 5. As per the World Bank report titled Capital for the Future: Saving and Investment in an Interdependent World released on 3 June 2013 which two countries was forecasted to become the largest investors among various developing nations of the world in the year 2030? a) India and China b) India and Brazil c) China and Brazil d) India and Japan
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Answer (a) India and China
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6. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), released its June mid-quarter monetary policy on 17 June 2013. Consider the following statements: I. II. III. RBI left its key policy, repo rate unchanged at 7.25 percent in line. Cash reserve ratio (CRR), remained at 4 percent. Repo is the rate at which banks borrow from the Central bank.
Choose the right option: a) All I, II and III are correct b) Only I and II are correct c) Only II and III are correct d) Only I and III are correct Answer. (a) All I, II and III are correct 7. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), released its June mid-quarter monetary policy on 17 June 2013. RBI is headquartered in____________________. a) New Delhi b) Patna c) Mumbai d) Lucknow Answer. (c) Mumbai 8. The British government in the second week of June 2013planned to introduce a new scheme requiring visitors from high risk countries in Africa and Asia, including India and Pakistan, to put up a 4600 US dollars cash bond before entering Britain. Consider the following statements: I. II. The bonds, to be introduced from November, will only apply to non-EU migrants. In 2012, 296000 people from India were granted six-month visas.
Choose the right option: a) Both I and II are correct.
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b) Only I is correct. c) Only II is correct. d) Neither I nor II is correct. Answer. (a) Both I and II are correct.
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9. SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India), the market regulator of India in June 2013 notified guidelines for investment advisers and their associated person and made it compulsory for them to get the requisite certifications for them to operate in stock market. Name the body that will offer certifications for being an investment adviser? a) Institute of Securities Markets b) National Institute of Securities Markets c) National Institute of Securities d) National Securities Market Institute Answer. (b) National Institute of Securities Markets 10. As per the official data released on 14 June 2013, the inflation in India that is based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) fell to what Percent in percent in May 2013, which itself is a result of decline in the prices of manufactured items and a slight rise in the prices of food items resulted in the measured fall of inflation? a) 4.5 Percent b) 4.7 Percent c) 4.4 Percent d) 4.6 Percent Answer (c) 4.7 Percent
CORPORATE
STRIDES PHARMA RECEIVED WHO PRE-QUALIFICATION
Strides Arcolab Pharma, the drug firm on 25 June 2013 announced that it was given World Health Organisation (WHO) pre- qualification for the anti-malarial tablets which will be launched immediately. These tablets are called Artemether and Lumifantrine (AL) tablets. The Artemether and Lumifantrine (AL) tablets consist of more than 80 percent artemesinin www.jagranjosh.com
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combination therapy (ACT), which is procured under Global Fund as well as similar programmes. This is said to be yet another initiative of Strides Arcolab Pharma for making affordable and high quality medicines which will be available in African sub-continent as well as other middle-income countries. World Health Organisation (WHO) pre- qualification of medicines is actually the service which is provided by the WHO in order to assess safety, quality as well as efficacy of the medicinal products. It is very important to note that in the year 2002, Artemether and Lumefantrine tablets were included to the WHOs list of Essential Medicines. Artemether and Lumifantrine (AL) tablets of Strides Arcolab Pharma will be produced at the US Food and Drug Administration approved and WHO pre-qualified facility in Bengaluru. There were more than 300 million new malaria cases detected in the year 2011 in Africa alone. With the approval of Artemether and Lumifantrine (AL) tablets, Strides Arcolab Pharma has become the only pharmaceutical company to offer complete treatment portfolio for diseases such as malaria, TB and HIV. These three are the major diseases which plague the middleincome as well as low income countries.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVED TAKEOVER OF NYSE-EURONEXT

The European Commission (EC) on 26 June 2013 approved Inter Continental Exchanges (ICE) proposed 8.2 billion dollars takeover of NYSE-Euronext. The European Commission stated that ICE and NYSE-Euronext are not direct competitors in most markets and will be facing strong competition from other exchanges. Inter Continental Exchange is based in Atlanta, Georgia and is popular as a commodities marketplace. It announced its stock-and-cash offer for NYSEEuronext, valued at 33.12 dollars per share, in December 2012. The deal is supposed to give ICE control of the New York Stock Exchange and London-based Liffe, Europes second-largest derivatives market. The combined ICENYSE Euronext will become the third-largest exchange group globally, behind Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing and CME Group. It is worth mentioning here that the Commission approval had been widely expected: after a joint bid for NYSEEuronext by ICE and Nasdaq failedin year 2012. The ICE had proactively asked the Commission to examine the new bid. The deal was approved by NYSE-Euronext shareholders earlier in June 2013 and is expected to close in the second half of 2013.
MUTHOOT FINANCE GOT APPROVAL TO ESTABLISH WHITE LABEL ATMS

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Muthoot Finance got in-principal approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for establishing as well as operating White Label ATMs (WLAs). The White Label ATMs (WLAs) are the ones which are not owned and operated by the bank but by another non-bank entity. By paying a stipulated fee, anyone can use it for the purpose of financial transaction with any other bank branch. As the part of RBIs Scheme A, Muthoot decided to establish 9000 ATMs. According to this scheme, Muthoot Finance will establish 1000 ATMs in first year, 2000 in second year and 6000 in third year. Muthoot Finance already began the process of identification of sponsor banks. Apart from this, the company has also decided to finalise the network of ATMs all over India. RBI decided to have more WLAs in tier-III to tier-VI centres of Muthoot Finance.
RBI GUIDELINES UNDER SCHEME A

Under this scheme, RBI gives the approval in case a company establishes a minimum of 1000 ATMs in first year, twice the number of first year in second year as well as thrice the second years installation in third year. Under the Scheme A, for every 3 WLAs installed in tier-III to VI centres, one WLA is allowed to be installed in tier-I to II centres. Out of the total WLAs installed in tiers-III to VI centres, at least 10 percent should be installed in tier-V & VI centres. As of now, only the banks were allowed to establish the ATMs as the extended delivery channels. Then, RBI allowed even the non-banking entities to establish, own as well as operate the WLAs for expansion reach in tiers-III to VI.
APPLE SIGNED DEAL WITH WARNER FOR MUSIC STREAMING

Apple Inc in Month of June 2013 has signed an agreement with Warner Music for music licenses so as to create a streaming music service. The new service is going to be unveiled at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in the second week of June 2013. The deal was signed considering the fact that a musicstreaming service is necessary for apple to complement its iTunes, the largest repository of music for sale although the progress has been slow in discussing deals with music companies. www.jagranjosh.com
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The deal with warner was signed for both recorded music and publishing rights ascribing the information to people briefed on the talks. Apple also had signed another deal with the Universal Music for only its recorded music rights. Apple is also planning to take music rights with Sony Music Entertainment and Sony's separate publishing arm Sony/ATV.
WORLD GOLD COUNCIL ESTABLISHED LOCAL UNIT IN INDIA

The World Gold Council established its complete local unit in India with the full-fledged corporate structure. As of now, the World Gold Council was operating in India as the liaison office only. This corporate structure will help the World Gold Council in taking up the activities on much larger scale in Indian markets. This will help the World Gold Council in entering in the commercial arrangements with major gold industry players as well as the banks. As of now, as the liaison office, World Gold Council was able only to promote existence of its parent company. It was not able to promote the individual products of the Indian entity. At present, the Reserve Bank of India forbids any liaison office established in India to enter into commercial activity of any kind in India. In the year 2011, the World Gold Council had signed a memorandum of understanding with India Post in order to promote gold medallion in India through postal network. At that time, World Gold Council had also agreed to get involved in promotional as well as advertising activities for the sale of gold medallions through India Post. The World Gold Council is actually the non-profit organisation of leading gold mining companies of the world. It was established back in 1987 for promotion of use of gold. The aim of World Gold Council is to stimulate gold demand from investors, consumers and industry.
SBI CUT INTEREST RATE ON BULK FIXED DEPOSITS BY 0.25 PERCENT

State Bank of India (SBI) on 4 June 2013 announced reduction in interest rate on fixed deposits of maturity up to one year by 0.25 percent to 7.25 percent. It has been decided to revise downwards by 25 basis points the interest rate on bulk deposits above Rs 1 crore for the tenors 7 days to less than 1 year. Accordingly, the interest rate for bulk deposits for the above tenors will be 7.25 percent per annum with effect from 7 June 2013. RBI lowered the short-term lending (repo) rate to 7.25 percent from 7.50 percent, lowest since May 2011, while retaining the CRR for banks
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unchanged at 4 percent.
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Another public sector lender Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) in May had slashed fixed deposit rates by up to 1 percent on select maturities. The fixed deposit rate for maturities ranging from 31-45 days has been reduced to 6 percent from 7 percent. At the same time, term deposit of 180-269 days earns 0.5 percent lower interest rate at 8 percent from earlier rate of 8.50 percent, while interest rate on 91-179 days is down by 0.25 percent at 7.75 percent.
BBC & ZEEQ SIGNED AGREEMENT FOR BRING C BEEBIESS TO INDIA

BBC Worldwide and Edutainment Channel ZeeQ on 4 June 2013 announced that they signed a licensing agreement which would facilitate to bring time band of the CBeebiess programmes to the Indian audience. CBeebies is the BBCs pre-school channel. The agreement between BBC and ZeeQ will help the latter in airing the programme from CBeebies in India from Monday to Thursday for one hour. The CBeebies band will be launched on 10 June 2013. During the band, live action series of Teletubbies for pre-schoolers will also be aired. Apart from Teletubbies, other shows that will be aired include Charlie and Lola as well as 3rd & Bird. These shows will also be dubbed in Hindi language for dual language feed of the channel. At present, ZeeQ caters to the age segment of 4-14 years. The agreement between BBC and ZeeQ will help the latter in additionally catering to the age group of 0-3 years as well. ZeeQ has mix of animated shows as well as live action at present. The reach of this channel is around 20 million households. The prominent shows of this channel include MI Four- The Multiple Intelligence quiz, Sid the Science Kid, Teenovation, Amar Chitra Katha Heroes, Science with BrainCafe, Word Match and The Weekly Wrap. In the year 2012, BBC Worldwide had stopped its two entertainment channels in IndiaCBeebies and BBC Entertainment.
SUN PHARMA GOT APPROVAL FOR DEPO-TESTOSTERONE INJECTION

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, the drug company, on 4 June 2013 announced that got the final approval from US health regulator, US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for generic testosterone cypionate injection used for the treatment of testosterone hormone deficiency. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries got final approval from USFDA for abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for generic version of Depo-Testosterone Injection, Testosterone Cypionate Injection USP. The approval was www.jagranjosh.com
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given for the injection in 100 mg/ml and 200mg/ml strengths.
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The generic testosterone cypionate injection of Sun Pharma is rapeutically equivalent to the Depo Testosterone injection of Pfizer Inc. This injection is used for the purpose of replacement therapy in males under those conditions which are associated with the symptoms of deficiency or lack of endogenous testosterone.
AMAZON LAUNCHED INDIAN MARKETPLACE AT AMAZON.IN

Amazon.com, the world's largest online retailer in Month of June 2013 entered into Indian ecommerce market with the launch of its marketplace Amazon.in, offering books, movies and television shows for sale. The launch of online marketplace has helped Amazon overcome Indian regulatory obstacles that prevent foreign online retailers from having an entirely owned Indian arm selling directly in India. The model adopted by Amazon is fully compliant with all relevant Indian laws. The new marketplace is going to offer Indian customers with a shopping destination to purchase products from third-party sellers. It is important here to note that the India represents Amazons tenth marketplace launch. In its present model, Amazon.in does not own any of the commodities that are sold through the website but it just acts as a collector to all the retailers who desire to display their products on the website. It is worth mentioning here that in Amazon's US website there are both Amazonowned goods and third-party products being sold. Amazon.in will start with selling around 7 million book titles available for purchase and nearly 13000 movie titles and the with the simultaneous expansion into other categories such as cameras and phones in the near future. Amazon has been enthusiastically lobbying with the Indian Government in order to allow foreign direct investment in online retail and to relax the regulations against foreign ecommerce companies. Meanwhile, government had relaxed norms for offline multi-brand retail allowing 51 percent FDI deciding it against implementing similar provisions for the players on the web. Amazon India has also come up with an option called Fulfillment by Amazon in which it is supposed to provide end-to-end logistics solutions to retailers who wish to avail of this service.
COCA-COLA OPENED ITS BOTTLING PLANT IN MYANMAR

Coca-Cola, the largest soft-drink maker of the world, opened its bottling plant in Myanmar on 4 June 2013 as www.jagranjosh.com
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part of its planned five-year 200 million US dollar investment. The plant was opened in Myanmar after more than 6 decades. Coca-Cola announced that its bottling plant was inaugurated in Hmawbi Township, a suburb of Yangon, the biggest city of Myanmar, along with the local partner Pinya Manufacturing Co. The investment will enable Coca-Cola in creating over 22000 related jobs in the country over the time period of five years. The capital investment will help in increasing the production capacity as well as in growing the logistics such as distribution and sales operations apart from making improvement in marketing. Various companies of the US cut off the business connections from Myanmar in 1988 following the military brutality that put down the pro-democracy uprising. In the year 1996, PepsiCo announced about its plan to sell 40 percent stake in soft drink bottling venture in Myanmar. However, Coke as well as Pepsi was still available in Myanmar because they were imported from other countries. At present, Coca-Cola and Sprite are produced in 425 ml plastic bottles which have Myanmarlanguage labeling. Local production of classic 300 ml glass bottle as well as aluminum cans will begin by July 2013. Coca-Cola Zero, the diet drink will however be imported from other countries in cans. Coca-Cola has a target of opening over 100000 outlets across Myanmar for next six months. Now, the only countries which do not officially have Coca-Cola business are North Korea and Cuba.
ED SLAPPED 8600 CRORE SHOW-CAUSE NOTICE ON EMAAR MGF

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) slapped 8600 crore Rupees show-cause notice on Emaar MGF Land on the grounds that the joint venture between Dubai's Emaar Properties and India's MGF Development violated Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The investigation conducted under FEMA, it was found that the Emaar MGF Land as well as its four subsidiaries received the funds from Mauritius, Cyprus, Dubai and other countries since April 2005 under foreign direct investment scheme of the Reserve Bank of India. The foreign direct investment scheme of the Reserve Bank of India gives an advantage to the Indian companies under automatic route to receive funds from overseas for various business activities such as construction development projects. Under the facility, Emaar MGF Land Ltd as well as its subsidiaries needed to disclose the purpose of receiving this FDI. While disclosing the use of this FDI, Emaar MGF Land Ltd revealed that the funds were used for construction development projects, while in reality these funds were used for the purchase of agricultural land in India. The directorate of enforcement explained that the company has violated the FEMA because it www.jagranjosh.com
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used the overseas funds for the purpose which was neither disclosed to the Reserve Bank of India, nor permitted in FDI scheme of RBI. The company therefore violated the contravention of section 6(3) (b) of FEMA 99 for an overall amount of 8600 crore Rupees, due to which it was issued the show-cause notice.
MoU SIGNED BETWEEN CCI AND ACCC FOR COOPERATION

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Cooperation at Canberra, Australia on 3 June 2013. This MoU was signed by the Chairperson of CCI, Ashok Chawla and Chairman of ACCC, Rod Sims. The signing took place in the presence of State Minister of Corporate Affairs (Independent Charge), Sachin Pilot.
FEATURES OF THE MOU

The MoU provides for sharing information on significant developments in competition policy and enforcement developments in the respective jurisdictions. The MoU provides for common interest of CCI and ACCC to work together in technical cooperation activities as well as cooperate in appropriate cases, consistent with the respective enforcement interests, legal constraints, and available resources. It is planned to evaluate the effectiveness of the cooperation under the Memorandum on a regular basis to ensure that the expectations and needs are being met. It is also expected to further strengthen existing cooperation between CCI and ACCC.
RAILTEL & IIT ROORKEE SIGNED MoU TO ESTABLISH 8TH TCOE

RailTel Corrporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IIT Roorkee on 5 June 2013 establishment of RailTel IIT Roorkee Centre of Excellence in Telecom (RICET). With the signing of this MoU, India got its 8th Telecom Centre of Excellence (TCOE). The TCOE will be funded by RailTel through 100% budgetary support over 5 year period for doing Research & Development in the field of ICT & Broadband Applications. RailTel Corporation is the Mini Ratna (Category I) PSU of the Ministry of Railways. It is one of the largest telecom infrastructure providers in India with the country wide optic fiber network along Railway right of way. Seven TCOEs are already established in India by the major Telecom operators in partnership with premier institutions like IITs & IIMs. The existing TCOEs have created more than 28 www.jagranjosh.com
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innovations and products in various fields of telecommunication. These products and innovations are also available for the commercial purposes. With the signing of current MoU, North India got its first TCOE. The area of R&D in the field of development of applications, services and technology in the domain of broadband & ICT will be in the hands of RICET. This will facilitate affordable services to all the citizens with the availability of high network. This will include in-house development of applications, customizing applications for specific use as per local requirements or through collaboration with national or international organisations for promotion of affordable broadband infrastructure in India. Some probable areas for Broadband Applications and Innovations shall be Development of Vernacular Language Tools to convert content into local language; Development of Cloud based e-gov, e-agri, and other e-services.
DGFT AND GOVERNMENT OF DELHI SIGNED MoU TO USE e-BRC

Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and Commissioner (Trade and Taxes), Government of NCT of Delhi signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 5 June 2013 for making use of electronic Bank Realization Certificate (e-BRC). The MoU was signed between Prashant Goyal, Commissioner (Trade & Taxes) and DK Singh, Additional DGFT. Transmission of Bank realization against shipping bills was made obligatory since 16 August 2012. Eighty-one banks have transmitted more than 38 lakhs e-BRC to DGFT. DGFT had asked the State Governments to make use of the e-BRC in their efforts to refund VAT and other related tax administration. The Government of Delhi became the second state to sign the MoU. The first state to sign this MoU was Maharashtra that signed it on 18 April 2013.
5 IT VENDORS ROPED IN BY UK-BASED NETWORK RAIL FOR IT INFRA

Five IT vendors which also include Accenture, Cognizant and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), were roped in by the UK-based Network Rail for building as well as management of IT infrastructure. The deal is worth 350 million pounds. Network Rail, on 5 June 2013 announced that it signed framework agreements with five main IT vendors. The agreements are called zero-sum IT solutions and system integrator framework agreements and the five IT vendors with whom these agreements were signed include Tata Consultancy Services, BAE Systems Detica, Accenture, CSC and Cognizant. Network Rail owns as well as operates the railway infrastructure of Britain, which includes stations, tunnels, signals, tracks, bridges as well as level crossings. www.jagranjosh.com
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These agreements are formulated in order to enable the suppliers to take extra ownership of building, designing and implementing the IT solutions in order to facilitate the Network Rail. The deal is said to be very significant because it will considerably increase the IT services in particularly European region where the demand is almost flat because of economic uncertainties. European region accounts for around 20-30 percent of the revenue of Indian IT sector. The major areas which are covered in this agreement include business management, logistics, business information, property, stakeholder relationship, infrastructure lifecycle, service as well as service operations. The agreement also includes other facilities such as citizenships, corporate compliance, access planning as well as business administration.
GVK HANCOCK COAL SIGNED AGREEMENT WITH THIESS

GVK Hancock Coal signed a preferred mine operations contractor with Thiess in the first week of June 2013. The contract is worth 10 billion US dollar. The contract was signed for Alpha thermal coal project in the Galilee basin in Australia. The agreement will facilitate GVK Hancock to work only with Thiess in order to develop 10-year mine plan and budget. The plant, engineering and technical expertise of Thiess shall be used for development of the operational strategy as well as management plan of the Alpha thermal coal mine project. The Alpha thermal coal project was declared as project of State significance by the Queensland Government. The mines of this project have a thickness of 3-8 metres, which make it suitable for high-production open-cut mining. GVK Hancock Coal declared that the first coal will be extracted from Alpha thermal coal mine by 2016. The mine, after being completed, shall produce 32 million tonnes of coal per annum, which will be used for the export in Asia. GVK Hancock Coal through subsidiary, acquired 79 percent stake each in Alpha West coal and Alpha Coal mines. It also acquired 100 percent equity stake in Kevins Corner located in Queensland. This acquisition was done in September 2011 at a price of 1.26 billion US dollar. GVK Hancock Coal is also in the process of development of 500 km rail link as well as 60 million tonne per annum port project.
MEDIA GENERAL AND NEW YOUNG BROADCASTING DECIDED TO MERGE

Media General, the owner of 18 network-affiliated TV stations announced on 6 June 2013 that it will merge with New Young Broadcasting, which is a privately held company and operated 12 stations in all. www.jagranjosh.com
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Media General that trades on New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MEG will make use of the stocks in order to purchase New Young Broadcasting. Combined company will retain the name of Media General. Combined Media General will operate in 27 markets in all and will reach 16.5 million households, or around 14 percent of US television households. After this merger, Media General will have 11 stations affiliated with CBS, seven with ABC, nine with NBC, one with MyNetworkTV, one with CW and one with Fox 1. According to the terms of the deal, New Young shareholders will get majority ownership. However, the Media General will have its majority on the board seats as well as its own CEO. This means that new company will have 67.5 percent by New Young shareholders as well as 32.5 percent by Media General shareholders. The present CEO of Media General, George Mahoney will also be the CEO of the combined company. The new combined company will have its headquarters at Richmond, Virginia.
RIL ANNOUNCED TO INVEST 1.5 LAKH CRORE OVER NEXT THREE YEARS
Reliance Industries (RIL) announced that it was planning to invest a whooping amount of 1.5 lakh crore Rupees or 26 billion US dollar by 2016. The RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani, at the Annual General Meeting held on 6 June 2013 announced that this investment will be embarked and that it would be the largest ever investment undertaken by the company. Pointing out about the commencement of Silvassa Petchem plant in 2013, Mukesh Ambani declared that RIL will become one of the top 5 Petchem producers of the world as RIL will expand its petchem capacity from 15 mtpa to 25 mtpa. The resource base of the RIL will also add significantly to the company because of recent gas discovery 2 km below the currently producing gas field at the KG-D6 block. The retail business of the company has also crossed the revenue of 10000 crore Rupees. It also received an EBITDA of 78 crore Rupees and also plans to achieve 40000 to 50000 crore Rupees in the near future. RIL is the largest private sector company of India that has business in various sectors such as telecom, retail, span energy and petrochemicals.
APPLE UNVEILED NEW SOFTWARE CALLED IOS7

Apple unveiled new software for its computers, smartphones and tablets on 9 June 2013 called iOS7 at its annual World Wide Conference in San Francisco. The new software has a flat, translucent and colourful design. It replaced a 3D opaque pallet that featured lots of greys and blues. Apple also announced new features for iCloud, the companys remote backup service. It will now feature a new version of iWork to compete with Googles online productivity suite Google Docs. www.jagranjosh.com
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Users could access iCloud from Windows PCs and using Internet Explorer and Chrome browsers.
MICROSOFT INDIA AND JIS GROUP TO SET UP INNOVATION CENTER

Microsoft India on 11 June 2013 announced its partnership with the Kolkata-based JIS Group for setting up its innovation centre. The new innovation will be set up in Kolkata, the eastern region of the country which will allow students access to Microsoft's laboratory facilities. The name of the programme, sponsored by Microsoft, is Ed-Vantage and will equip students to get directly absorbed in industry. The benefit of the innovation centre is that students can get access to Microsoft products ahead of their market launch through the laboratory. This is counted to be Microsoft's first and only tie-up in the eastern region. Overall Microsoft has tie-ups with 10 other educational institutions around the nation catering the needs of approximately 8000 students that are enrolled into the programme. Through the Programme at innovation centre employment facilitation will be provided to 100 odds students and around 250 students of JIS will be selected for internship across industry.
CCI APPROVED MYLAN-UNICHEM DEAL

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 10 June 2013 has approved acquisition of a manufacturing facility of Unichem Laboratories by pharma firm Mylan Laboratories. As per the deal Mylan will acquire the newly established manufacturing facility pharma company, Unichem located in a Special Economic Zone in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, from. It makes 'Finished Dosage Forms (FDFs). It was after carrying out of the agreement between Mylan and Unichem on 11 March 2013; Mylan had approached CCI for its approval in April 2013. Earlier it was observed that the planned acquisition by Mylan was with the objective to export products to be manufactured at the company facility. But, it was noted by the regulator that the deal is not going to affect any market in India as Mylan is neither acquiring any shares, voting rights or control in Unichem nor any brands or intellectual property rights from Unichem. Mylan has 11 manufacturing facilities in India, of which 8 facilities are for manufacture of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and two are for making FDFs. Whereas Unichem have seven manufacturing facilities in India, of which 2 facilities are for manufacture of APIs and five are for FDFs which form the core of its business.
APOLLO TYRES ACQUIRED COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
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The completely-owned subsidiary of Apollo Mauritius Holdings decided to pay Cooper stockholders 35 dollar per share in the cash. The combination of the two companies will together create the seventh largest tyre company of the world. This is the third crucial foreign acquisition of Apollo Tyres. The first two were Dunlop South Africa for 290 crore Rupees which took place in 2006 and Netherlands-based Vredestein Banden BV in the year 2009. Consortium of four banks- Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and Standard Chartered will raise an amount of 2.5 billion US dollar of new debt for the Apollo to fund this acquisition. Apollo Tyres at present does not operate in US, and it gets two-third of the overall revenue from India. Acquiring Cooper Tire & Rubber Company will allow Apollo in getting access to US market also. Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is said to be the 11th largest tyre company of the world in terms of revenue. Acquisition will also facilitate Apollo brand to get access to market in China. The ongoing benefits of acquisition will be realised completely after 2016 and these will be realised from manufacturing improvements, operating scale, technology, sourcing benefits as well as product optimization.
DUPONT LAUNCHED SEED FACILITY IN UKRAINE TO INCREASE HARVESTS

DuPont on 11 June 2013 announced opening of a seed plant in Ukraine which is designed to support farmers in increasing their harvests using more productive seeds. The new seed facility cost around 40 Million dollars and is located in the central region of Poltava which is the prominent area for agriculture in the former Soviet Unions Bread Basket as the Productivity of Ukrainian grains is highly dependent on weather and analysts. The new seed facility installation will produce seeds of maize, sunflower and rape. It is worth mentioning here that Ukraine was the number-four maize exporter in 2011/12 in the world and is planning to harvest a record 27 to 28 million tons in 2013. In 2012, maize yields cut down to 4.79 tonne per hectare from a whopping statistics of 6.44 tonne in 2011. Ukraine is planning to increase its sunflower and rapeseed harvest due to better weather.
TV18 LAUNCHED 24 HOURS NEWS CHANNEL NEWS18 INDIA IN UK

Media firm TV18 Broadcast on 13 June 2013 launched a 24 hours news channel News18 India in UK which would be distributed through a joint venture formed with Viacom 18.
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It has been decided that after News18 Indias entry into the UK, it is going to be launched across the world including key markets of US, Canada, Middle East and Australia. News18 India would be produced by the same team which runs TV18s market news services. Indias appearance on the global level is evident from the almost unappeasable global interest in its present as well as its future. It is important here to note that Network18 Group is one the leading media firms in India and owns TV18. The main news channels of Network 18 are CNN-IBN, CNBC TV18 and CNBC Awaaz.
INDUSIND BANK AND WESTERN UNION BUSINESS SOLUTIONS TIE UP

IndusInd Bank, the private sector bank tied up with Western Union Business Solutions in order to provide effective foreign exchange payments for SMEs or small and medium enterprises in India. IndusInd Bank additionally signed two Western Unions licensed agents as their referral agents in order to help marketing of these services in India. This service will go live in 22 cities of India and its aim is to provide doorstep service to its clients. Small as well as mid-sized enterprises play a crucial role for the economy of India. There are around 30 million Indian SMEs which contribute significantly to the GDP of India. The tie up will help these SMEs in getting access to the foreign exchange products. Also, the tie up will allow the SMEs in increasing the efficiency as well as ease with which these companies trade with the global partners.
INFOSYS AND WIPRO ANNOUNCED SINGLE DIGIT HIKE FOR EMPLOYEES

Infosys, the IT giant, on 13 June 2013 announced a hike in the wages for 2013-14 financial year for employees in India as well as abroad with effect from 1 July 2013. In the meanwhile, Wipro, the rival company of Infosys, also announced a hike in the wages for its employees with effect from June 2013. The hike being introduced by Infosys and Wipro is a single digit hike. Infosys announced that average increase in the wage for its employees who are based in India will be 8 percent. On the other hand, for the employees placed abroad, the average hike would be that of 3 percent. Global sales team will get a hike of 8 percent. The third-largest IT services exporter of India, Wipro announced the wage hike too. The average hike announced by Wipro was of 6-8 percent for its overseas employees. On the other hand, for the onsite employees, the average hike would be 2-3 percent which will be effective from June 2013. The IT industry of India is worth 108 billion US dollar, but since a long time, it has enjoyed double digit hike. However, after the economic meltdown of 2008, there has been a single digit www.jagranjosh.com
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TWENTY-NINE AXIS BANK ACCOUNTS HACKED

Twenty-nine accounts of Axis Bank were hacked during April 2013 and May 2013. Out of these, 12 accounts were those of Mumbai policemen. A sum of 13 lakh Rupees has been withdrawn from the ATMs in Greece. The Mumbai policemen received SMSs about withdrawal of cash from the Axis bank accounts in the Euro currency. The money was withdrawn in Greece by making use of duplicate debit cards. This is called ATM skimming. ATM skimming implies that the criminals make use of hidden electronic items in order to steal information of the card which is inserted in ATM machine.
MAERSK LINE UNVEILED WORLD'S BIGGEST CONTAINER SHIP

Maersk Line on 14 June 2013 unveiled the Worlds Largest Container ship. With the launch of the new fleet of super-size vessels, Denmarks Maresk Line hope to deliver better saving and returns in form of profits in the industry that is suffering due to overcapacity, cut-throat competition and weak economies. The 55000 tonne ship has been named as Maersk McKinney Moller (on the name of son of Maersk group founder). The ship was unveiled in the South Korean Shipyard, where it was built. Maersk Line is a unit of the oil and shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk. These are also called Triple E vessel because of its design standards, which is based on Economies of Scale, Energy Efficiency and Environmental Improvements. The length of the newly launched vessel is equivalent to four football pitches and it has been developed at an expense of 185-million US dollars and is the first of the twenty ships that is to be delivered to Maersk Line. The Maersk McKinney Moller vessel is 400 meter long and 59 meter wide and has a capacity of transport 18270 containers of size 20 foot.
ABOUT MAERSK LINE

Maersk Line is the global containerized division of the A.P. Moller Maersk Group. The first Maersk Line vessel sailed in 1904.
MUTHOOT FINANCE LAUNCHED NEW AD CAMPAIGN

Muthoot Finance, said to be the largest gold loan company with approximately 4000 branches, launched its new ad campaign with a tagline- sapne aapka, prarthana hamari (your dreams, our prayers). This is the high-intensity ad campaign launched in June 2013 and meant to run till three weeks. www.jagranjosh.com
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The campaign chose all media of mass communication, i.e., radio, visual, print, online and outdoor media. Approximately 72 television channels in India will broadcast this 45-second commercial in various languages such as Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and English, apart from others.
THEME FOR THE Ad CAMPAIGN

The theme of the campaign is said to portray the essence of Muthoot Finance, i.e., care and trust. The campaign explains how the company cares about dreams of its customers. Muthoot Finance is a flagship company of Muthoot Group. It is non-deposit-taking non-banking financial company (NBFC).
SAMSUNG LAUNCHED NEW HANDSET MODEL SAMSUNG GALAXY MEGA

Korean electronic major Samsung on 12 June 2013 launched another handset model called Samsung GALAXY Mega. To be available in two variants, the GALAXY Mega comes with a 5.8 and 6.3 inch display. The phones are priced at 25100 rupees and 31490 rupees, respectively. Powered by Android Jelly bean 4.1 operating system with a dual core processor, GALAXY Mega has an 8 mega-pixel rear camera and a 1.9 megapixel front camera and comes with up to 64 GB expandable memory. Samsung India currently holds 47.4 percent market share in smartphone market while it is 47.3 percent in overall mobile phone market.
ROBERT PATTINSON BECAME BRAND AMBASSADOR OF DIOR HOMME

Dior Homme announced on 12 June 2013 that Robbert Pattinson would be the new face of the mens perfume. Robert Pattinson, the Twilight-famed actor became the new brand ambassador of Dior Homme fragrance. Robert Pattinson replaced the actor Jude Law whom Dior signed in 2010. The ad campaign of this mens perfume will be featured in Asia and Europe. Earlier, the faces of Dior included Alain Delon, Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron and Jude Law. Recently, Robert Pattinson completed filming The Rover. In the pipeline, he has Maps to the Stars of David Cronenberg.
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Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook RATAN TATA APPOINTED AS CHIEF ADVISOR OF AIRASIA INDIA
AirAsia on 17 June 2013 appointed Ratan Tata, the exchairman of the Tata Group as the Chief Advisor of AirAsias India board. Ratan Tata paved the way for creating joint venture between AirAsia, Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace and the Tata Group. In the joint venture, AirAsia has 49 percent share, while Tata has 30 percent share. Remaining 21 percent share is held by Arun Bhatia. It is expected that AirAsia will bring competitive pricing in aviation market of India. AirAsia will start its operations by 2013 end.
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SUBRAMANIAN RAMADORAI APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF AIRASIA INDIA

Subramanian Ramadorai, former head of the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), was appointed as the Chairman of AirAsia India on 18 June 2013.
ABOUT SUBRAMANIAN RAMADORAI

Subramanian Ramadorai, at present is the Advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the national council on skill development. He also holds the rank of cabinet minister in the Government of India. He is the Vice-Chairman of TCS. He received various awards which also include Padma Bhushan and Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
With the appointment of S. Ramadorai, majority of AirAsia board now consists of Tata Group representatives. AirAsia is a joint venture company along with Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace and the Tata Group. Mittu Chandilya is the head of operations of AirAsia India. Earlier in April 2013, The Government of India cleared proposal of AirAsia to invest 80.98 crore Rupees in Indian subsidiary.
VENUS REMEDIES LTD RECEIVED PATENT FOR POTENTOX FROM MEXICO

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Venus Remedies Limited, the global pharmaceutical company received novel antibiotic product Potentox patented from Mexico. The patent was granted to it by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI). The patent will provide it protection of composition of Potentox. The patent will facilitate the company with an exclusivity period for Potentox up to 2025. Potentox is also patented from other countries such as Ukraine, Canada, South Africa, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, USA and India. Potentox is the Antibiotic Adjuvant Entity (AAE). It is the drug used for treatment of hospitalacquired pneumonia as well as febrile neutropenia infections which are caused by quinolones or aminoglycoside-resistant microbes. This drug is growing at the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50 percent since 2010. The overall international market for the treatment of hospital-acquired bacterial infections was found out to be 9 billion US dollar in 2010. Potentox is composed for addressal of demands of around 50 percent of this market.
ICSI AND NISM SIGNED AN MoU

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) and National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purpose of joint promotion of corporate as well as securities market governance. Major points of the MoU: Under the MoU, the professionals of securities market will get training in the corporate governance matters. Also, the company secretaries will get training on the issues of securities market, under the signed MoU. Both ICSI and NISM will together take up the research projects as well as publish the papers on various subjects such as sustainability reporting, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and financial markets. Apart from this, ICSI and NISM, under the signed MoU will jointly conduct the development programmes for top managements or the directors in various areas such as finance and management, accounting, corporate laws and corporate governance
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TATA COFFEE INAUGURATED PREMIUM EXTRACTION PLANT AT TN

Tata Coffee, the largest plantation company of Asia on 19 June 2013 inaugurated the premium extraction plant at Theni near Madurai in Tamil Nadu. This plant is opened for the processing of coffee beans into freeze dried powder, which in turn can be used for export purpose to the international markets.
IMPORTANT POINTS RELATED TO THE EXTRACTION PLANT

The extraction plant is established at a cost of 80 crore Rupees. The plant has an installed capacity of 2000 tonnes per annum. This is a hi-tech plant which is inaugurated with a purpose of producing freeze dried; spray dried and agglomerated instant coffee, while at the same time keeping its aroma intact. The freeze dried coffee has an advantage of retaining the aroma in a better way, while at the same time giving rich colour, flavour as well as appearance to this beverage. This extraction plant is situated at the instant coffee manufacturing facility of Tata, which is around 170 km away from Tuticorin port in the southern part of the state. The instant coffee facility of Tata is the 100 percent export-oriented unit which has the installed capacity of 4000 tonnes per annum.
It is important to note that the Theni plant had become top most exporter of the soluble coffee to Russia as well as CIS countries in the 2012-13 fiscal year.
ABOUT TATA COFFEE

Tata Coffee is the subsidiary of Tata Global Beverages Ltd. It produces a total of 10000 tonnes of shade grown Arabica and Robusta beans in 19 estates all over South India. Also, it exports green coffee to Gulf countries, Asia, Europe and North America regions. It is the largest integrated coffee plantation company of the world.
EXIM BANK GRANTED LICENSE TO OPEN REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE

The Export Import (EXIM) Bank of India announced on 19 June 2013 that it received a license for opening the representative office in Yangon, Myanmar. The license was granted to the EXIM Bank by U Thein Zaw, Deputy Director General, Financial Institutions Supervision Department, www.jagranjosh.com
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EXIM Bank extended seven lines of credit (LOC) worth a total of 247.43 million US dollar to Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB). Through these LOCs, a range of projects such as setting up Moreh-Tamu OFC link, manufacturing of Tata vehicles, upgradation of the Yangon Mandalay railway system, upgradation of Thanbayakan Petrochemical Complex, Thanlyin refinery projects, setting up of three transmission lines and assembly and manufacturing plant for assembly are being carried out. Apart from all these projects, during PM Manmohan Singhs visit to Myanmar in May 2012, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between EXIM Bank and MFTB for LOCs aggregating to 500 million US dollar. Under this MoU, 16 ongoing irrigation schemes, projects for the purpose of procurement of rolling stock, two irrigation projects as well as upgradation of 3 main railway workshops in Myanmar need to be covered. The overall trade of India with Myanmar increased 4.1 percent and touched 1.9 billion US dollar in 2013-14 financial year.
AIRTEL SLASHED CHARGES OF DATA USAGE BY 90 PERCENT

Bharti Airtel on 19 June 2013 slashed the charges of data usage by 90 percent for the pre-paid subscribers in Punjab and Haryana. This was done in view of competition. The slashing of the rates came a day after the competitor Vodafone diminished its charges by 80 percent for both pre-paid as well as post-paid customers in three circles, i.e., Karnataka, UP West and Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh circles. Airtel announced that Volume Based Charges (VBC) on the recharge vouchers of 2G data usage of three denominations were brought down to 1 paisa per 10 KB from 10 paisa per 10 KB, which would make the Internet even more affordable for the subscribers. The recharge vouchers of 22 Rupees, 25 Rupees as well as 125 Rupees carry the free download limit of 125 MB for five days, 150 MB for seven days and 1 GB for 28 days. In the meanwhile, the validity of 22 Rupees as well as 25 Rupees recharge vouchers was increased to 30 days and of 125 Rupees was increased to 90 days. Bringing down the rates of data usage will further boost up the number of mobile internet users in not just urban areas, but also in the rural areas.
TATA COMMISSIONED A 1MW GEOTHERMAL PLANT IN AUSTRALIA

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Tata Power with Geodynamics commissioned a 1 MW geothermal plant in Australia, thereby strengthening the footprint in overseas market. Tata Power already has a minority stake in Geodynamics, which is an Australiabased leading player in Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) technology.
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Tata Power has an objective of 20-25 percent generation portfolio from clean energy. Geodynamics, in the meanwhile, already has its geothermal exploration interests in three Australian states. It also includes the license for exploration of 2000 square kilometres of the area in Cooper Basin. The housing of Geodynamics in the Cooper Basin contains the hottest granites on earth. It is estimated that this housing of Geodynamics in the Cooper Basin can facilitate the thermal resource equivalent of 50 billion barrels of oil. Apart from a geothermal plant in Australia, Tata power is also implementing the 250 MW geothermal projects, in Indonesia. This will be in partnership with the Origin energy and PT Supraco. The geothermal energy is a form of natural heat which is found in the Earth as well as in Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) technology. The extraction of heat takes place from within the granites which are found at a depth of over 4000 metres.
TRIPADVISOR ACQUIRED GATEGURU

TripAdvisor announced in June 2013 that it acquired GateGuru, the mobile resource for airport as well as flight information across the globe. GateGuru is built on the combination of user-generated content as well as information from airports. The flyers can easily view the detailed maps as well as insights into gate locations, amenities, stores and restaurants on the airports. It also gives weather forecasts, real-time flight status as well as estimated security-wait time. GateGuru will complement the alreadyexisting flight products of TripAdvisor. Post-acquisition, GateGuru team will operate outside the New York City only and will report to the Bryan Saltzburg, General Manager-New Initiatives, and leader of the TripAdvisor flights products and SeatGuru brand. It is important to note that in March 2013, Trip Advisor Inc had also bought Beeem Inc, which is responsible for development of Tiny Post, a photo captioning Application. In the year April 2013, it acquired New York based Jetsetter.com, which is the only private sale site for the hotel bookings. www.jagranjosh.com
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TripAdvisor offers advice from the travellers apart from offering the travel choices and planning features along with the links that indicate towards booking tools. TripAdvisor is said to be the largest travel community in the world that has over 200 million unique monthly visitors and more than 100 million reviews as well as opinions that cover more than 2.5 million accommodations, tourist attractions as well as restaurants.
BIRLA CHEMICALS ACQUIRED CA&P DIV OF SOLARIS CHEMTECH

Aditya Birla Chemicals (India) on 31 May 2013 declared that the Board of Directors approved to acquire Chlor-Alkali & Phosphoric Acid Division (CA&P Division) of Solaris Chemtech Industries for a total of 153 crore Rupees. The acquisition will help the Aditya Birla Chemicals in getting entry into Southern Indian market, while also adding phosphoric acid to the present product portfolio. The acquisition strengthens the position of in business of Chlor-Alkali. The acquisition will also encourage the supply of caustic soda, which is very crucial input for Aluminium and VSF businesses. The cost of expenditure as well as the proposed capital expenditure will be financed through internal accruals and debt collectively. Chlor-Alkali & Phosphoric Acid Division (CA&P Division) of Solaris Chemtech Industries has manufacturing facility of caustic soda with the installed capacity of 60000 tpa as well as phosphoric acid plant with the installed capacity of 24000 tpa. Both these manufacturing facilities are situated at Karwar in Karnataka. Another manufacturing facility is that of 3000 acres of salt which is situated in Gujarat. Caustic soda plant has remained un-operational since 31 December 2012. This is because of the statutory requirement that compelled the company to shut down mercury based technology. Aditya Birla Chemicals (India) now has plans to convert mercury plant into the membranebased cell technology. CA&P Division of Solaris Chemtech Industries produced a total of 33747 TPA of Caustic along with 21379 TPA of phosphoric acid in 2012-13 financial year. It had a gross turnover of 244 crore Rupees.
NGT GAVE APPROVAL TO STERLITE TO OPERATE COPPER PLANT IN TN

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 31 May 2013 gave approval to Sterlite Industries Ltd, the UK-based Vedanta Group company so that it can start operations of copper plant in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu. A bench of Justices headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar cleared it that the copper plant unit of Sterlite Industries Ltd will start its operation in presence of the committee which was established by the National Green Tribunal.
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The panel of the committee will have four members which will be one member of engineer from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), Member Secretary of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) as well as two members of IIT, Madras. The CEO of Sterlite Industries Ltd, P. Ramnath explained that Sterlite Copper, which is a fourlakh-tonne-a-year smelter, will begin to operate with full capacity just after a week of its production.
BACKGROUND OF THE CASE

The Sterlite Copper unit was shut down following an order of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on 29 March 2013. There were complaints of throat irritation as well as eye irritation from public, due to which the unit was closed. Sterlite Industries Ltd, in turn appealed to Southern Bench of the Tribunal. The Southern Bench of the Tribunal in response, constituted the two-member expert committee in April 2013 in order to assess the emission safety systems of the factory. The expert committee panel then submitted the report on 29 April 2013 after which the case was given to Principal Bench in New Delhi.
MCX-SX GOT APPROVAL FOR SEPARATE SME TRADING PLATFORM

MCX-SX, the third bourse on the equities and equity derivatives trading block declared on 31 May 2013 declared that it received approval from SEBI for operating separate debt as well as SME trading platforms. Trading in these segments on MCX-SX would begin in coming weeks. SEBI, the market regulator gave final approval to MCX Stock Exchange (MCX-SX) for trading in the debt segment. In-principle approval was granted for Small Medium Enterprises (SME) platform. In MCX-SX debt segment, trading could be done by retail investors, pension funds, provident funds, banks as well as the insurance companies. Separate order books will be there for institutional as well as retail investors. Trading in this segment will commence from July 2013. SME segment of MCX-SX would commence after the final approval of SEBI. It is important to note that National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) are running the SME platforms already. Recently, NSE also launched separate unified debt segment, while the BSE is awaiting approval from SEBI for the debt platform.
CORPORATE CURRENT AFFAIR QUIZZES

1. Which Hollywood actor became the new face of the mens perfume, Dior Homme on 12
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June 2013? a) Robert Pattinson b) Henry Cavill c) Paul Walker d) Will Smith Answer. (a) Robert Pattinson 2. Which company on 14 June 2013 unveiled the Worlds Largest Container ship? a) Hong Kong Ferry Company b) Century Shipyard Pvt. Ltd. c) Maersk Line d) IAI Ramta Answer. (c) Maersk Line
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3. Who was appointed as the new Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) by the Government of India? a) Thomas Mathew T b) SK Roy c) S B Mainak d) Usha Sangwan Answer. (b) SK Roy 4. Name the 24 hours news channel which was launched by Media firm TV18 Broadcast on 13 June 2013 in UK? a) CNBC Awaaz b) CNN-IBN c) CNBC TV18 d) News18 India Answer. (d) News18 India
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5. Which new feature was introduced by Facebook Inc. on 12 June 2013 for identification of topics for discussions? This feature is already being used by Instagram and Twitter. a) @ sign (at the rate tags) b) # sign (Hash tags) c) * sign (asterisk tags) d) ! sign (exclamation tags) Answer. (b) # sign (Hash tags) 6. Who was appointed as the Chief Advisor of AirAsias India board on 17 June 2013? a) Cyrus Mistry b) Ratan Tata c) Subramanian Ramadorai d) Mukund Govind Rajan Answer. (b) Ratan Tata 7. Which global pharmaceutical company received novel antibiotic product Potentox patented from Mexico in June 2013? a) Venus Remedies Limited b) Ranbaxy Laboratories c) Cadila Pharmaceuticals d) Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd Answer. (a) Venus Remedies Limited 8. National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purpose of joint promotion of corporate as well as securities market governance with which institute? a) Institute for Banking b) The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India c) The Institute of Company Secretaries of India d) None of These www.jagranjosh.com
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Answer. (c) The Institute of Company Secretaries of India
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9. Which bank announced on 19 June 2013 that it received a license for opening the representative office in Yangon, Myanmar? a) The Bank of India b) The Reserve Bank of India c) The State Bank of India d) The Export Import (EXIM) Bank of India Answer. (d) The Export Import (EXIM) Bank of India 10. Where did Tata Coffee, the largest plantation company of Asia on 19 June 2013 inaugurate the premium extraction plant? a) Kerala b) Chennai c) Assam d) Tamil Nadu Answer. (d) Tamil Nadu
ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

CAMBODIAN TAILORBIRD: NEW SPECIES OF BIRD DISCOVERED
Scientist in month of June 2013 discovered a complete new species of bird hiding in plain sight in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh. The bird has been named the Cambodian tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk) and was first spotted in 2009 during routine checks for avian flu. The detailed outline of the discovery has been mentioned in the Oriental Bird Club journal, Forktail. Tailorbirds are in the family of warbler and got their name of their careful preparation of their nests, weaving leaves together. It is extremely unusual for undiscovered bird species to be found in urban contexts. The modern discovery of an un-described bird species within the limits of a large populous city is very much uncommon. The discovery indicates that new species of birds may still be found in familiar and unexpected locations. www.jagranjosh.com
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UNESCO INCREASED PRESSURE TO CONSERVE GREAT BARRIER REEF

UNESCOs World Heritage Committee on 18 June 2013 increased pressure on the Australian government so as to conserve the Great Barrier Reef. The World Heritage Committee gave Canberra one year time to present a plan on how to protect the reef, listed as a World Heritage site since 1981, from increasing coal and gas extraction and shipping. As per the discussion in the 37th session in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, If Australia fails to come up with a satisfactory plan then World Heritage Committee will place it on the in danger list. It was also stressed that by 2014, Australia has to improve water quality monitoring and limit port development to existing port areas. It is worth mentioning here that among the 38 World Heritage sites currently listed as in danger is the Everglades National park in Florida and the Old City of Jerusalem.
INDIAN MONSOON TO GET WORSE AND UNPREDICTABLE

Scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in the month of June 2013 have found that the pattern of the Indian monsoon is supposed to change under global warming in the future. Research supported with Computer simulations and a comprehensive set of 20 state-of-the-art climate models shows that Indian monsoon daily variability might increase. The ongoing upsand-downs of Indian monsoon rainfall are likely to increase under warming. It is found by the Scientist that a 4% to 12% variability change of daily monsoon rainfall in India is to be expected with 1 degree Celsius of warming. There is also a chance of 13% to 50% change in variability will take place if greenhouse gases continue to be emitted unabated. As per the analysis if global warming would be limited to the internationally acknowledged threshold of 2 degrees Celsius of global warming, this would bear the risk of additional day-today variability between 8% to 24%. It is important here to note that about 80% of annual rainfall in India occurs during the monsoon season from June through September. Factors that could disturb rainfall regularity include the higher holding capacity of moisture of the warmer air, but also more complex phenomena like cooling in the higher atmosphere which changes current pressure and thereby rainfall patterns. The researchers focused on the 10 models with the most realistic monsoon pattern - a conservative approach, as these 10 models yield generally lower rates of change. The other 10 models showed higher rates of change.
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Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook GENES OF SNAIL REVEAL MIGRATION PATTERNS OF HUMANS
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Researchers from the University of Nottingham explained that the genetic similarity between the snail fossils which were found in the Eastern Pyrenees as well as Ireland suggested that human beings migrated from Southern Europe to Ireland 8000 years ago. The fact is that the slippery creatures found in Ireland at present are more or less similar to the snails found in Northern Spain and Southern France. It is believed that Britain was formed at the end of the last Ice Age around 10000 years ago. At that time, the sea levels increased and the landslides caused tsunami. Britain was then transformed into island which segregated mainland Europe from Ireland. This implied that landdwelling animals could not migrate from Europe over the seas. Scientists and researchers, over a long period of time, have remained confused that Ireland is a home to various plants as well as animals which are genetically very different and unique in comparison to the ones found in Britain. Now, the researchers found that the common garden snail known as Cepaea nemoralis is genetically identical to those which are found in Eastern Pyrenees. Nevertheless, it missed Britain during the course of its journey. Analysis of the fossil unveiled that there was a continuous record of the snails in Ireland for 8000 years. Co-author of the study Angus Davison from the University of Nottingham explained that there were evidences of Mesolithic or Stone Age humans that ate snails in Pyrenees. The route in the past was actually ocean and rivers. The river flanking the Pyrenees was the ancient trade route to Atlantic. The study could actually explain the legacy of snails which reflected the ride that was same as humans who traveled from South of France to Ireland 8000 years ago. The implication of this study is that genetics of the snails can depict about the very old human migration event. Population geneticist Dan Bradley from Trinity College, Dublin explained that this study was evident of repeating theme that certain species in Ireland had the same genetic types like that of southern Europe. Earlier, the genetic studies conducted on the humans showcased that there were links between the populations of Southern Europe and Ireland. However, there is a need to understand the ancient DNA for understanding migration patterns of humans.
UTTARAKHAND LANDSLIDES AND FLOOD: A MAN MADE CRISIS

The Himalayan States of India, Uttarakhand in the third week of June 2013 faced one of the toughest situations of the century in form of a natural disaster with landslides and flash floods. Landslides are one of the major forms of natural disaster in the Himalayan ecosystem as it lies www.jagranjosh.com
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in the Active Seismic Zone (the area that is most prone to Earthquake in India). This landslide and flashflood in the state have been termed as a manmade disaster by several environmentalists and the region behind the blame is speed of mining activity and construction of roads and hydropower projects in the area, which is not supported by the kind of biodiversity of the region. The recent natural calamity in Uttarakhand took lives of thousands as per official and recorded data, but as per the survivors of the crisis, the story is completely different with more than ten thousands dead.
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Rescue operations (Operation Surya Hope) is in process to save the survivors of the disaster. The Indian Air Force, Army, ITBP personnel are engaged day and night to help the people struck in the Himalayan state. Whereas, when seen from the perspective of geologists, if stricter regulations would have existed then the losses from the destructions would have been lesser. Every section of the society is having a different story to say following their scientific knowledge, belief in God and nature and many more things. Few are blaming the central and the state government for turning their blind eye, towards plundering the hills. The heavy rainfall created havoc by affecting the fragile nature of the Himalayan range that is known for its poor soil stability in its steep slopes. Apart from the stability of soil in the peaks of the youngest mountains of the world, the other reasons for the disaster as per the expert are: the blind expansion of the hydro-power projects and unplanned construction of roads in the Himalayan region, to match up with the demands of ever increasing traffic in the area. Geologists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and Civil Engineering Department (Hill Area Development) Bureau of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in their report to the Uttarakhand Government have blamed the Unplanned Construction of roads for the disaster faced by the state. The entire watershed across the 135-km stretch between Gaumukh and Uttarakashi along the Bhagirathi River in December 2012 was declared, as an eco-sensitive zone under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. As per the act, all sorts of construction activity in the region required a complete ban and if it would have been implemented than it would have resulted in the closure of the Hydropower project along Bhagirathi River. As per the provisions of the act, ban on mining and all other types of construction activity in the area needed a complete ban, but the decision has always been opposed by the state government with a claim of barring the development activity in the Himalayan state. Hence as per the experts, mining and construction of big hydropower projects www.jagranjosh.com
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are one of the big reasons behind the disaster that killed thousands in Uttarakhand.
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LANDSLIDE
A landslide is the gravitational movement of a mass of rock, earth or debris down a slope. Landslides are usually classified on the basis of the material involved (rock, debris, earth, mud) and the type of movement (fall, topple, avalanche, slide, flow, spread).
IMPACTS OF LANDSLIDES
Landslides are one of the most hazardous forms of destruction in mountain regions across the world. Its impact depends upon the type of materials that comes in its way and the weakness of these materials. The landslides in the mountainous and hilly region is a result of dam construction on the hills that blocks the way of the river, bringing up the valley inundation creating pressure on the lake water, resulting in flash floods (floods in which debris flow downwards).
STATE OF ENVIRONMENT IN SIX METROS OF INDIA INDICATED

The 2013 TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) environmental survey published on 3 June 2013 indicated that the air as well as water quality in six metros of India- Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi-NCR worsened by the year. The survey which was conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute evaluated peoples behaviour, opinion, perception and awareness towards the environment. The aim of the survey was to help in formulation of policies as well as implementation of the measures in order to make these major metros sustainable.
RESPONDENTS TAKE ON AIR QUALITY AND WATER AVAILABILITY

In the TERI survey, it was found that for the respondents, the air quality became worse or remained unaltered in six cities. The availability of the ground water on the other hand diminished except in the Chennai because it has more forest cover. The quality of surface water, in the meanwhile, became worse in five cities except in Mumbai. All these six metros witnessed a decline in number of species of animals and birds. The respondents saw deteriorating waste management in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, but in Mumbai and Kolkata, improvement was observed. Availability as well as quality of the drinking water improved in these six cities, except in the city of Hyderabad. On the grounds of public awareness regarding environmental policies, it was observed by the TERI survey that respondents in Delhi had significantly low level of awareness Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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while in Chennai, respondents were not adequately aware of various policies on climate change as well as air pollution. Most of the respondents in other cities knew about these policies on climate change and forest conservation but they felt that these policies were not implemented properly or were not up to the mark.
MAJOR POINTS OF THE TERI SURVEY

The TERI survey indicated that worsening of the air quality in the six major cities of India was because of economic development of the country. The contributors of rising air pollution were transport sector followed by the factories in as well as around the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata. In Bangalore, factories were rated as the major contributors of the air pollution, followed by transport. In Hyderabad, construction activities were considered as the worst offenders, followed by transport sector. Apart from this, rapid urbanization was the major cause of worsening environmental conditions, which led to pressure on limited availability of the land.
ABOUT THE TERI SURVEY 2013

The TERI Survey 2013 was conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The survey was conducted in six major cities of India- Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi-NCR. The TERI Environmental Survey 2013 made use of the sample size of 4039 respondents. There were six main themes selected for this survey. These were waste management, water management, overall environment, climate change, forest/green cover, water quality and air quality.
GEAC GAVE APPROVAL FOR FIELD TRIALS OF 5 GM CROPS

The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) permitted certain companies as well as the research institutes for conducting the field trials of 5 GM (genetically modified) crops. The trials for development of genetically modified cotton, maize, castor, wheat and rice were permitted. The specialty of GM crops is that they are formulated for getting protection against the insects. Also, these crops are resistant to salinity and water. Also, they are more resistance to the use of www.jagranjosh.com
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nitrogen which is required by them for growing efficiently.
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The decision by Genetic Engineering Approval Committee to allow field trials came after the concerns of industry that without the permission of trials, another trial season would be missed, thereby stopping the research activities for third year in a row. A meeting was conducted in New Delhi and in the meeting, GEAC, which is constituted under Union Ministry of Environment, allowed Bayer Bioscience for conducting the event selection trials on 45 transgenic rice events, which also include six genes. There would be a test of insecticidal proteins like Cry1Ab and Cry1Ca, which provide resistance to the crops from insects like stem borer. The field trials of these 5 GM crops would be conducted in various states of India and these include Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Bayer Biosciences proposal for conducting the pollen flow study in cotton was also given clearance by GEAC. The pollen flow study in cotton is meant to measure distance pollen containing herbicide tolerant gene flows. Apart from this, Mahycos proposal for conducting the even selection trials was also accepted by the committee. Mahycos proposal includes selection trials at a lot of locations for the experiments in the nitrogen use efficiency in cotton. The validity of trials in castor which is conducted by the Directorate of Oilseeds Research in Hyderabad was also extended by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee. Directorate of Oilseeds Research had proposed to conduct tests in GM castor by adding Cry1Ec and Cry1Aa genes. This gives resistance to castor against stress and insects.
STRANDED UNUSUAL BLUE JELLYFISH DISCOVERED NEAR NEWQUAY

The Jellyfish which usually has its habitat in the colder waters was discovered stranded near the Newquay, Cornwall. A group of from the Manor House Activity Centre in St Issey discovered a usual blue jellyfish. This blue jellyfish, which was found at the Trevone Bay near Newquay, Cornwall was given to Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay. The authorities from the Blue Reef Aquarium explained that in the month of May and June 2013, several washing up took place, but discovery of the blue jellyfish is the first live specimen. Fully grown specimen of this can reach up to 15 centimetres in diameter. This blue jellyfish has one metre long stinging tentacles which are used by it for catching the prey. It is important to note that there are over 200 known species of the jellyfish. Blue jellyfish can www.jagranjosh.com
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be found mainly in western Pacific around Japan as well as off the west coast of Scotland.
ABOUT THE BLUE JELLYFISH

Blue jellyfish is also called Cyanea lamarckii or Bluefire jellyfish. It is the species of jellyfish and belongs to the family of Cyaneidae. Populations of blue jellyfish in western Pacific around Japan are at times also referred to as Cyanea nozakii or Cyanea capillata nozakii. Cyanea lamarckii has features such as yellow or blue tone. It can grow to around 10 to 20 cm, but its specimen can grow to 30 cm. In the Scandinavian seas, the blue jellyfish can rarely grow larger than 15 cm. This species has a lot of stinging tentacles.
TOXIC RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPE FOUND IN FUKUSHIMA GROUNDWATER

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan unveiled that high levels of toxic radioactive isotope were found in the groundwater at the plant. The tests indicated that in the groundwater at the Fukushima nuclear plant, Strontium-90 was found at 30 times more than the legal rate. The radioactive isotope tritium was also found at the elevated levels. The tsunami and earthquake in the year 2011 in Japan crippled the Fukushima nuclear plant and led to power failures as well as water leaks. Tsunami had crippled the cooling systems of the nuclear reactor, which were melted down. Water was pumped in the reactors to cool it but then Tepco faced the problem of dealing with the safety of storing the contaminated water. Strontium-90 is formed in the form of by-product of the nuclear fission. The tests conducted by Tepco unveiled that levels of Strontium-90 at Fukushima plant increased 100 times since end of 2012. Tepco believed that the increased levels of Strontium-90 were a result of leak of contaminated water in April 2011 from one of the reactors of this nuclear plant. On the other hand, Tritium was present at eight times more than the allowed level. Tritium is used in the glow watches. Toxic radioactive in the groundwater leads to ill effects on health as well as environment.
WHAT ARE RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES?
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Radioactive isotopes are also known as radioisotope.
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These are the any form of various species of same chemical element with different masses where the nuclei are not stable and dissipate excess energy. This excess energy is dissipated by emission of the radiation in form of beta, alpha or gamma rays. Every chemical can have one or more radioactive isotope.
HAZARDS OF TOXIC RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES

The air is contaminated by the radioactive isotopes in particulate form. This can cause inhalation hazard to humans.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO SET TO ESTABLISH NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM
Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO) scientists will established navigation satellite system for India like that of Americas Global Positioning System (GPS). Very much similar to the GPS, the Indian satellite is supposed to transmit data continuously that will allow correctly equipped receivers to establish their location with considerable precision. The project is set to establish the IRNSS at a cost about 1420 crores rupees and was approved by the Union Government in June 2006. The first of the IRNSS satellites is scheduled go into space aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on 1 July 2013. The GPS requires a constellation of 24 orbiting satellites, which will be supported by a global network of ground stations, so that every part of the world is covered. ISRO will create a system wholly in India's control for providing navigation signals over this country and surrounding areas. After seeing many configurations, the finally chosen configuration was the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) which required just seven satellites. All seven IRNSS satellites will be at a height of about 36000 km, which will take a whole day to circle the Earth. Three of the satellites will be placed over the equator, in what is known as the geostationary orbit, where they match the Earth's rotation and therefore appear from the ground to remain at a fixed position in the sky. www.jagranjosh.com
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The remaining four satellites will be in pairs in two inclined geosynchronous orbits. From the ground, these satellites will appear to travel in figures of 8 during the course of a day.
SATELLITES LAUNCHED TO BRING RURAL AREAS ONLINE

O3b Networks, whose name represents the other 3 billion in month of June 2013, launched a series of satellites which is supposed to provide fast, cheap Internet and phone service to remote areas in 180 countries. The idea behind launching such satellite is to bring people from remote area online by the end of the year 2013. Google have already committed to invest about 1.2 billion dollars in support. O3b Networks is planning to supply the bandwidth for voice and data traffic to mobile phone operators instead of being sold directly to customers and internet service providers who will be able to track the satellites with ground stations. A group of four satellites was launched on 25 June 2013 in a Soyuz rocket from French Guiana and it is going to be followed with similar satellite launch of four more in September 2013 and another four next year. The Outstanding property of the satellite is that is every satellite will be able to transfer data at a rate of 12 gigabits per second. Other satellites may eventually be launched to increase the data capacity of the cohort.
ADVANTAGE OF THE SATELLITE LAUNCHED

The launch of satellite will provide cheap, fast data transfer to remote areas without Internet access or phone service. The satellite service accessible and affordable, even in poorer regions.
DRAYSON RACING ELECTRIC CAR ESTABLISHED NEW WORLD RECORD

Drayson Racing Technologies established the new world record on Federation Internationale de l'Automobile's (FIA) world electric land speed record when the lightweight electric powered car reached the top speed of 328.6 km per hour. The British team broke all the world land speed records for the lightweight electric car after the car named Lola B12 69/EV crossed the previous top speed record of 281.6kph at a Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire.f The Chief Executive of Drayson Racing Technologies, Lord Drayson, who drove the car, explained that the car was designed to highlight about the technology potential of electronic vehicle. The previous record of top speed was 281.6kph, which was set up by Battery Box General electric in 1974. www.jagranjosh.com
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In order to be eligible for an attempt on Federation Internationale de l'Automobile's (FIA) world electric land speed record, Drayson Racing Technologies team needed to make the vehicle less than 1000 kg of weight without the driver. In order to achieve this eligibility, the team adapted Le Mans Series car which was designed by it earlier and had bio-ethanol fuel engine originally fitted into it. This engine was replaced by lightweight 20 kilowatt hour battery which offered 850 horsepower. Apart from this, the chassis of the vehicle was also adapted. The chassis was made from recycled carbon fibre, which enabled the car to minimise air friction.
WORLD'S 1 ST ULTRA-HIGH RESOLUTION 3D MODEL OF A HUMAN BRAIN

Scientists in the Month of June 2013 have created the world's first high-definition 3D model of a complete human brain which is named by Big Brain. The 3D model of a HUMAN BRAIN was prepared by mounting thin sliced sections of the wholebrain on slides. The stained sections were then scanned and reconstituted by supercomputers into a 3D model of an entire brain. The Scientist used a tool called a microtome by which they have sliced the postmoterm brain of a 65 year old woman preserved in paraffin wax into about 7400 sections each 20 microns thick and used it to create the most detailed map yet of a human brain. It has taken several years for supercomputers in Germany and Canada to reconstruct images of the slide-mounted thin sections into a 3D volume image of the brain, taking into account tears and wrinkles in individual slices of thin and thus fragile tissue. During the formation of Brain around 80 billions neurons were captured. It is conceived that Scientists from Canada and Germany spent 1000 years collecting the data and the total brain reconstruction has taken 10 years to complete.
SOME FACTS ABOUT BIG BRAIN

The BigBrain is 250000 times more detailed than a regular brain scan. The Big Brain was created using 7400 individual slices from the brain of a deceased 65year-old woman. Each individual slice is half the width of a human hair. The brain can be seen in microscopic detail at a spatial resolution of 20 microns. The Brain shows the anatomy of a brain in microscopic detail for the first time ever - at a spatial resolution of 20 microns which is smaller than the size of one fine strand of hair
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and 250000 times more detailed than current MRI brain scans.
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The Big Brain presents the analytic details of organization of cerebral neurons at an unprecedented resolution of 20 micrometers, about 50 times higher than the resolution of previous atlases of the brain constructed from whole brain scans.
CHINA ORGANISED FIRST CLASSROOM LECTURE FROM SPACE

China, on 20 June 2013 conducted the first classroom lecture from space which was given by female Chinese astronaut Wang Yaping. Wang Yaping, 33, addressed around 330 primary as well as middle school students at the High School Affiliated to Renmin University in Beijing through live video feed from space module Tiangong-1. Wang Yaping lectured the students while orbiting at 340 km above Earth at zero gravity in space. The lectured students included those from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, migrant workers families as well as of ethnic minorities. The CCTV network live broadcast was showcased to over 60 million students as well as the teachers at 80000 middle schools in China. Wang Yaping demonstrated the calculation of weight by the astronauts in space. In the meanwhile, she also answered the questions related to recycling of water in the orbiter, view from the orbiter as well as the space debris. Wang Yaping along with her crew commander Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang left for the space on 11 June 2013 aboard Shenzhou-10 spacecraft. This spacecraft then docked with Tiangong space module on 13 June 2013. Wang Yaping is second Chinese female astronaut after Liu Yang.
CAMERA SENSOR DEVELOPED THAT WOULD NOT NEED FLASH

Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore developed an all-new as well as less-expensive camera sensor which is 1000 times more sensitive to the light. The recent development would help in clicking the photographs clearly even in the dim lights. The newly developed sensor is very sensitive to the infrared as well as visible light and it could easily be used for various applications, such as for clicking every-day pictures as well as for surveillance and satellites. The 1000 times more sensitive camera got high photoresponse from the very innovative structure. The sensor is composed of graphene. Graphene is the very strong carbon compound which has honeycomb structure. This honeycomb structure is flexible just like rubber and is also more conductive than the silicon. It also has the ability to resist the heat better than diamond. The inventor of this sensor, Wang Qijie explained that this was the very first time that high photosensitive and broad-spectrum sensor was made by making use of pure grapheme. www.jagranjosh.com
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Wang Qijie also explained that the innovation would provide help not just to the consumer imaging industry but also to the communication industries, mid-infrared application as well as satellite imaging. The principle behind this new and cheap sensor is use of the light-trapping nanostructures. These nanostructures make use of the graphene as its base. Unlike the conventional sensors, these nanostructures hold the light-generated electron particles for a very long time. Therefore, this helps in stronger electric signal which can then be processed in the image, just like the photograph captured by the digital camera. It is important to note that almost all the camera sensors used today make use of the metaloxide semiconductor as a base. The graphene base therefore is very effective for producing sharper and clearer images.
SCIENTIST DISCOVERED NEW THREE-HORNED DINOSAUR

Scientists while analysing fossil records in the Month of May 2013 have discovered a new threehorned dinosaur, which is dated back 66 to 80 million years. The distinctive feature of the Three Horned Dinosaur is that it sported a hoodie-like growth on the back of its head. It differs from all other horned dinosaurs in the shape and arrangement of the scallops on the edge of the frill, which are large and triangular toward the front, and low and blunt toward the back. As per the researchers it may be the oldest known link of Triceratops and Torosaurus -- the best-known horned dinosaurs. As of today, fossil remains of at least 18 closely related dinosaurs from the region have been identified as distinct species. These species show up for just a couple million years, or even a far shorter time, before another species replaces it. The Fossil is linked to be with Judiceratops which is the earliest known member of the chasmosaurines, a group of horned dinosaurs characterised by an enlarged frill on the back of the skull. It does not appear to be a direct ancestor of Triceratops and Torosaurus. Judiceratops was basically a large plant-eating dinosaur which fed on low-growing vegetation, such as ferns, like other members of its family. It had two large horns over the brow and a smaller horn on its nose.
MOLECULE DESIGNED BY SCIENTISTS TO FIGHT PROSTRATE CANCER

Scientists at the University of Texas in Dallas on 28 May 2013 designed a novel, small molecule that could help in the treatment of prostate cancer. The molecules effectiveness lies in blocking the cancer-promoting function of proteins called androgen receptors. www.jagranjosh.com
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Androgen receptors are located inside cells. They have complex surfaces with several docking points where various proteins can bind to the receptor. Each docking point has got unique shape, so a molecule of correct shape will fit. Androgen hormones, such as testosterone are described as the primary molecules that bind to androgen receptors. Such binding triggers a series of events that activates various processes in the human body. It also stimulates the development and maintenance of male characteristics.
MICROSOFT UNVEILS WINDOWS 8.1

Microsoft released its updated version of its Windows 8 operating system known as Windows 8.1 at Taipei in Computex show, the second largest computer show of the world on 5 June 2013. Windows 8.1 will be made available on PCs as well as tablet computers in 2013. Windows 8.1 depicts bold vision of Windows 8 operating system because it also responds to the customer feedback and has various new features and functionality. Some of these features include the touch experience as well as mobile computing. The new operating system Windows 8.1 also features platform personalisation and search. It also restores the function of start button which was earlier removed from the Windows 8.
NE-RIST STUDENTS DESIGNED NEW SOLAR WATER HEATER

A new type of Solar Heater was designed by three young techies from the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NE-RIST). These new heaters contain a parabolic reflector that works in conjunction with the drum that contains water. Mechanism of the Solar Heater: Sun radiant energy is reflected by the aluminum dish of the solar heater into the drum with a lid at top. The radiant energy of the sun continuously falls on the earth and on a normal sunny day, about 1000 watt of energy per second is received by every square meter by the earth. The radiant energy from sun works on the principle on which the microwave and the electric oven functions, i.e. the energy doesnt rapidly heat the things but spreads, thus can be used for cooking, grilling, roasting and other purposes. The parabolic reflector has the capacity to raise the temperature of the water up to 139 degree C the temperature that is sufficient enough to cook cereals and vegetables. The three techies are the students of mechanical engineering from the institute namely Vikas Gautam, Suman Pao and Juwel Tripura. The newly designed solar heater can be used both for industrial and domestic purposes.
TINY ARCHICEBUS FOSSIL OF OLDEST PRIMATE DISCOVERED IN CHINA

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Scientists, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China discovered a mouse-sized fossil, which provided new insights into the origin of Primates. The discovered fossil is 55 million years old and represents the earliest known member of the group of animals that includes humans. Scientists have named this creature Archicebus, which means ancient monkey. This specimen was discovered some ten years ago in the Jingzhou area of Hubei Province in China, by a local farmer but the researchers took time to describe the creature and its importance. The fossil of the Archicebus was discovered from two slate slabs and the scientists have discovered most of the key bones of the animal, which includes impression of its feet and rear limbs. The skeleton of the discovered fossil explains the branch that occurred at the very base of the primitive evolutionary tree. Archicebus has been put on the line that leads to tarsiers. Tarsiers are the collection of small arboreal animals that are found in south-east Asia. Archicebus will also help in understanding the emergence of tarsiers sister grouping the anthropoids (primates that include monkey, ape and human). The fossil suggests that these small creatures grew to cover the earth soon after the extinction of dinosaurs. It also suggests that the human ancestors were small animals, who were quite active and nimble and lived on trees. To study the fossil, the delicate slate pieces were sent to Grenoble, France for being imaged at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). This giant machine uses brilliant X-rays to try to discern details of the skeleton that remain hidden inside the rock. The detailed study allowed the scientists to come up with the picture of the type of which Archicebus looked like. Thus it helped them to weigh its relationship with the primates and an idea about the first primates of earth a period when the earth was gripped in a period of outstanding global warming. Skeleton of Archicebus suggests that it used leap and grasp motion to move in the forests that covered the earth at that time. The pointed teeth indicate that it survived on insects and had high metabolic rate. Large eye sockets hint that they had good vision and were day time operators not a nocturnal animal. The finding of the report was published in Nature Magazine.
SCIENTISTS DEVELOPED NEW PROSPECTIVE BIOMATERIAL FOR BONE FORMATION

Scientists at Jadavpur University in the month of June 2013 discovered that zinc-doped hydroxyapatite (HAP) which is a calcium phosphate-based bio-ceramic material has a
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stimulatory effect on bone formation.
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Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is actually one of calcium phosphate-based bio-ceramic materials which form most of the inorganic components of human bones and teeth. It was also found that the bonding with bone was better for zinc-doped bicalcium phosphate than conventional ceramics. The benefit of Zinc is that it act to improve biological properties of synthetic HAP thus decreasing the inflammatory response and has an antibacterial effect. The scientists while synthesizing zinc doped Hap powder at Jadavpur University have also observed that it exhibits high compressive strength and hardness than the conventional HAP. The scientists have witnessed the pronounced new bone formation in doped HAP with the implantation on the tibia of an adult New Zealand rabbit for two months. The formation of osteons around zinc-doped HAP was also confirmed by the Histopathology. The scientists at Jadavpur University are also developing materials (composition of HAP and beta Tricalcium phosphate) doped with zinc which can be used for bone grafting.
INDIA-US SCIENCE BODY LAUNCHED SPACE SOLAR POWER INITIATIVE

India and a top US science body in Month of June 2013 have forged an international organisation to develop space solar power. The new solar power developed is an initiative that has that possibly can solve the humanitys energy needs and greatly extenuating climate change. Both the Country will give a direction and impetus to this movement to realise space solar power and its enabling technologies through international collaboration that can help rebuild our environmentally vulnerable planet. The eminent scientist of India Abdul Kalam and Executive Committee Chairman of the National Space Society of US, Mark Hopkins announced to have a clear plan of action to market the idea of a livable planet Earth through space solar power to G8 or G20 nations within a year. Both the countries are set to start team building and mission structuring phase with core members from nations who are contributing to the dream of harvesting energy from space, including the US, India, Japan, and UK. In his address to the 2013 National Space Societys International Space Development Conference (ISDC 2013) Mark Hopkins asserted to include specific mechanisms such as the Global Space Knowledge Platform, the International Virtual Laboratory, and the International Advisory Committee that Abdul Kalam has elaborated through discussion papers.
EARLY TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM INSTALLED IN RANGACHANG

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Chief Scientist of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Vinith Kumar on 11 June 2013 announced that the Early Tsunami Warning System (ETWS) installed at Rangachang in Andaman and Nicobar Islands can predict a tsunami immediately after an earthquake. Vinith Kumar claimed that the new technology installed can predict the Tsunami within 3 minutes after the initial tremors are felt and can send alerts. Following the alerts sent from the Tsunami Warning System, the tsunami alerts can be issued to the risk zones via Centre in consultation with Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, INCOIS at Hyderabad. To benefit the fishermen, the National Institute of Ocean Technology has also installed 10 Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD) at ten locations in different islands namely Mayabandar, Dilgipur, Chidiayatapu, Hut Bay, Car Nicobar and Campbell Bay for the benefit of fishermen. The devices costs 10 lakh rupees each and has been designed and installed to improve the abilities of fish catching. The center has also developed an Islands Resource Information System (IRIS) for better exploitation of the resources. NIOT is also planning a solar desalination project in the islands.
DEVAP AIR-COOLING SYSTEM TO BE USED IN NALANDA UNIVERSITY

Architects building Nalanda International University at Bihar decided to make use of the Desiccant Enhanced Evaporative or the Devap air-cooling system. It is the first time that this kind of system will be used in India. The Devap system functions by making use of dessicant material which gets rid of the moisture from using by making use of heat. The system also makes use of the evaporative technologies which bring cooling by making use of up to 90 percent less energy in comparison to the older methods. Rajeev Kathpalia, principal architect of the Ahmedabad-based company Vastu Shilpa Consultants explained that using the Devap system in Nalanda International University is very useful because this system easily gels up with the method of the ancient seat of learning. Using Devap in Nalanda will be an experiment because this system has never been used in India. Nalanda University will be constructed at Rajgir, which is situated around 100 km away from Patna. The construction of the University will take place on 446-acre plot, which is situated 12 km away from the ruins of ancient seat of learning. Construction would start in December 2013. The academic session of this university will begin in 2014. The buildings of Nalanda University would be designed on net zero energy consumption concept. Nalanda University would produce its energy by making use of the photo voltaics. The University additionally would collect biomass of neighbouring villages in order to generate electricity as well as harvest rainwater. www.jagranjosh.com
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The initiative of Nalanda University was taken up by former President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in the year 2006.
WHAT IS DEVAP AIR-COOLING SYSTEM?

The Devap air-cooling system provides solution to AC necessity. This system provides dehumidified, cold and clean air, but with an added advantage of less electricity and less energy-usage. It makes use of the chemical capabilities of desiccants. A desiccant is basically the hygroscopic substance which sustains or induces the dryness state in local vicinity in well-sealed container. The Devap air-cooling system was designed in order to replace the standard units of AC so that there was less difficulty regarding installation. It has been estimated that by making use of the Devap air-cooling system, the total energy savings are simulated to be somewhere between 40-80 percent. But the energy savings depend upon humidity level as well as geographical location. Devap air-cooling system is a good solution for curbing the greenhouse effect because of its energy efficiency as well as environmentally respectful chemicals. Though, this system has higher costs for commercial and residential units, but if operational costs are included, it becomes financially advantageous in the time span of just 30 years.
RESEARCHERS DEVELOPED AN ECO-FRIENDLY BATTERY USING WOOD

Researchers from University of Maryland in third week of June 2013 developed an eco-friendly battery using wood, tin and sodium as raw materials. This battery is thousand times thinner than a paper and can store large amount of energy to last longer than a commercial battery. Use of sodium instead of lithium makes these batteries eco-friendly. Limitation of this battery is that it cant store energy as efficiently as the lithium battery and thus can be used at a power plant or to store solar energy, but not in the cell phones. Present day batteries are developed on the stiff surfaces to withstand the changing shape of the battery. Actually, the swell or shrink of the battery depends on the movement of the electrons but the wood fiber has the capability of supporting the changes due to the electron movement in context of the sodium ion battery. As per the study of the researchers, the woodbased batteries can last over 400 charging cycles. Researchers drew the inspiration of using the wood fiber from the trees, as wood fibers that make up a tree once held mineral-rich water, and so are ideal for storing liquid electrolytes, www.jagranjosh.com
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making them not only the base but an active part of the battery.
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As per the studies, the charging and discharging of these batteries several times brought wrinkles on the wood but it remained intact. The wrinkles on the wood supported the battery to survive for several cycles as it allowed the battery to relax the stress exerted during regular charging and discharging activity. Tins connection with its base also weakens, while pushing the Sodium ion tin anodes, but softness of the wood fiber serves as a mechanical buffer and accommodates following the changes of the tin. This phenomenon, acts a key of behind the longevity of the sodium-ion batteries. Liangbing Hu and Teng Li were the head of the team that worked on the project. This research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the University of Maryland. The study details were published in the American Chemical Society Publications.
SUPERMOON, LARGEST & BRIGHTEST MOON OF 2013 OBSERVED

The largest as well as the brightest moon of the year 2013, called the Supermoon was observed on 23 June 2013 as it passed the closest point to Earth. Supermoon is said to be that situation when the natural satellite of the Earth is closer to Earth in the orbit than every day. This effect can be noticed when it happens at same time like the full moon. Therefore the Supermoon seems very big, even though the only difference is in the distance from Earth. This kind of a moon is called Supermoon because of its very noticeable alignment. The distance of moon varies from Earth because it follows the elliptical orbit than the circular one.
CONCEPT OF PERIGEE AND APOGEE

NASA explained that in 2013, the Supermoon is around 14 percent larger as well as 30 percent brighter than the typical Full Moon. This happens when the moon reaches perigee, which is the closest distance that moon, can reach to Earth during course of its orbit. Perigee is a situation when the moon is around 356992 km away in comparison to 405696 km away, which is the farthest distance from the Earth (apogee).
EFFECTS OF SUPERMOON ON EARTH

The effects of Supermoon on Earth are very minor. It does not affect the Earths internal energy balance. Scientists explained that this will not cause any natural disasters. The only significant impact of Supermoon is on the tides. Next Supermoon would appear in August 2014.
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Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook ESO DISCOVERED DUSTY SURPRISE AROUND GIANT BLACK HOLE
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European Southern Observatory (ESO) in the Month of June 2013 gathered the most detailed observations ever of the dust around a huge black hole at the centre of an active galaxy with the help of Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). The astronomers found that the glowing dust is located above and below the torus rather than being located in a dough nut shaped torus around the black hole. As per the observations it was found that dust is being pushed away from the black hole as a cool wind disrupting the current theories and revealing, evolving supermassive black hole and its interacting with surroundings. Summing up all the last twenty years study by astronomers it was found that almost all galaxies have a huge black hole at their centre. Few of these black holes are growing by drawing in matter from their surroundings, which in turn is creating the process of formation of most energetic objects in the Universe: active galactic nuclei (AGN). According to the new observations of a nearby active galaxy called NGC 3783, harnessing the power of the VLTI at ESOs Paranal Observatory in Chile, have given a team of astronomers a surprise. The newly-discovered dust forms a cool wind which stream outside from the black hole. This wind must play an important role in the complex relationship between the black hole and its environment. The new observation made is going to lead a paradigm shift in the understanding of AGN. They are direct evidence that dust is being pushed out by the intense radiation.
SENSOR CHIP TO DETECT DISEASE FROM BLOOD DROP DESIGNED

Scientists at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) engineered a cutting-edge sensor chip which is capable of detecting the diseases just from the drop of blood. The study describes how the researchers- Reginald Farrow and Alokik Kanwal along with their team created a carbon nanotube-based device in order to rapidly and noninvasively detect the mobile single cells with potential of maintaining high degree of spatial resolution. Reginald Farrow, the research explained that with the help of sensors, the device was created which will enable the medical personnel to measure the electrical properties of the cells by simply putting s tiny drop of liquid on active area of the device. The researcher, in the meanwhile also explained that this was not the first time that such kind of work was brought out, but the unique property of this device is the technique with which the electrical properties or patterns of cells are measured. Also, the device can explain how electrical properties differentiate between the cell types. www.jagranjosh.com
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Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY QUIZZES
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1. Which marine animal which usually has its habitat in the colder waters was discovered stranded near the Newquay, Cornwall? a) Octopus b) Sea Horse c) Crab d) Blue Jellyfish Answer. (d) Blue Jellyfish 2. High levels of toxic radioactive isotope were found in the groundwater at which nuclear plant of Japan in June 2013? a) Fukushima Nuclear Plant b) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant c) Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant d) i Nuclear Power Plant Answer. (a) Fukushima Nuclear Plant 3. Name the fastest supercomputer of the world developed by China. a) Milky Way-2 b) Tianhe-2 c) Tianhe-1 d) Titan Answer. (b) Tianhe-2 4. Where will the Desiccant Enhanced Evaporative or the Devap air-cooling system be first used in India? a) ITM University b) Manav Rachna International University c) Nalanda International University
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d) Indian Institute of Planning and Management Gurgaon Answer. (c) Nalanda International University
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5. Researchers from University of Maryland in third week of June 2013 developed an ecofriendly battery using wood, tin and _________. Fill in the blank with an appropriate option. a) Sodium b) Hilium c) Nitrogen d) Carbon Answer. (a) Sodium 6. Scientists, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China discovered a mousesized fossil, which provided new insights into the origin of Primates. What is the name of this creature? a) Archicebus b) Tarsiers c) Archiceape d) Anthropoids Answer: (a) Archicebus 7. A new type of which device was designed by three young techies from the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology? This device contains a parabolic reflector that works in conjunction with the drum that contains water. a) Sun Radiator b) Solar Heater c) Parabolic Reflector d) Electric Oven Answer: (b) Solar Heater 8. Scientists at the University of Texas in Dallas designed a novel, small molecule that could help in the treatment of which disease? The molecules effectiveness lies in blocking the
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cancer-promoting function of proteins called androgen receptors. a) Breast Cancer b) Brain Cancer c) Lung Cancer d) Prostate Cancer Answer: (d) Prostate Cancer
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9. Scientists while analysing fossil records in the Month of May 2013 have discovered a new _________, which is dated back 66 to 80 million years. Fill in the blank with an appropriate option. a) Triceratops b) Torosaurus c) Three Horned Dinosaur d) Chasmosaurines Answer: (c) Three Horned Dinosaur 10. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) on 29 May 2013 announced that astronomers in Chile discovered 15 new dark galaxies. Near which constellation were these dark galaxies discovered? a) Andromeda b) Cetus c) Delphinus d) Lupus Answer: (b) Cetus
SPORTS
INDIA TO HOST 2016 WORLD TWENTY20 AND 2023 WORLD CUP
BCCI (Board of Control of Cricket in India) on 29 June 2013 was awarded a chance to host two major events of International Cricket namely World Twenty20 for the first time in 2016 and its
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fourth 50-over World Cup in 2023 by ICC (International Cricket Council).
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BCCI also got the chance to host the second edition of ICC World Test Championship scheduled in February-March 2021. The inaugural edition of the Test Championship will be hosted by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) June-July 2017. Apart from this, the ECB was awarded a chance to host the 2019 World Cup and Cricket Australia (CA) got the hosting rights of the 2020 World Twenty20. All the three events were awarded to India during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Annual Conference. Jagmohan Dalmiya the interim Chief of BCCI and a former ICC president represented India in the event. During the International Cricket Council Annual Conference, ICC finalized its global events to be held from 2015 to 2023. In its decision, ICC decided that full members of International cricket will have to play a minimum of 16 tests over a period of four years to retain its test status. During the same conference, Afghanistan was confirmed as the 37 th Associate Member of the ICC and Romania was accepted as an Affiliate Member.
ICC GRANTED ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP TO AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan was granted the Associate membership of the ICC, making it the eighth Asian nation and the 38th overall to get the status. Looking at the immense progress shown by Afghanistan, the ACC (Asian Cricket Council) had last year sent the nomination request in 2012 and the decision to grant Afghanistan the status was taken by the ICC at its ongoing annual conference, which concluded in London on 29 June 2013. Afghanistan now join Hong Kong (1969), Kuwait (2005), Malaysia (1967), Nepal (1996), Singapore (1974), Thailand (2005) and UAE (1990) as ICC Associates from the Asian region. The new Associate membership will help Afghanistan get more funds from the ICC and also give much-needed exposure to the team. The ICC is now likely to pay Afghanistan 850000 US dollars based on the Associate status, instead of 700000 US dollars as the annual fund. From a country torn by war to a rising cricket playing nation, it has been a remarkable journey for Afghanistan, who became an Affiliate member of the ICC in 2001 when they travelled to Pakistan for their first tour.
INDIA CONSOLIDATED TOP POSITION IN ICC ODI RANKINGS

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India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 on 23 June 2013 against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham with a five-run victory. After this victory, India not just maintained the top most position in ICC ODI rankings, but also widened the gap with its nearest rivals, England. India has the rating points of 123 now and its nearest rivals, England as well as Australia have the ranking of 113 points. South Africa, on the other hand has rating of 111.
PLAYERS WHO JUMPED IN ICC ODI RANKINGS

Significant gains were made by Ravindra Jadeja and Shikhar Dhawan. It is important to note that Shikhar Dhawan was also declared as the Man of the Tournament during the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. Ravindra Jadeja climbed to his career best third ranking among all the bowlers and All-rounders category. R.Ashwin is placed at ninth position among the bowlers. Among the batsmen, Shikhar Dhawan jumped 21 positions and reached 29th position with his performance in Champions trophy. Shikhar Dhawan was also given the Golden Bat trophy for scoring maximum number of runs in the tournament. Protean Skipper AB Devilliers is at the top most position of batsmen, followed by Hashim Amla. At the third position is Indias Virat Kohli.
ICC ODI RANKINGS OF THE TEAMS

Name of the Team India England Australia South Africa Sri Lanka Pakistan ICC ODI Ranking 123 113 113 111 108 102
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New Zealand West Indies Bangladesh Zimbabwe Ireland Netherlands Kenya 88 88 75 55 39 14 11
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INDIA TOPPED IN MEDAL TALLY IN Jr.ASIAN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

India topped in the medal tally in the Junior Asian Wrestling Championship by winning 17 medals in the tournament on 16 June 2013. India secured three gold, five silver and nine bronze medals in the championship. The tournament was held from 13 June to 16 June 2013 in Phuket, Thailand. On 16 June 2013 the final day of the tournament, Indian Grapllers, Pradeep Kumar (60 kilogram) and Sumit (96 kilograms), won Gold in the Junior Asian Wrestling Championship in Phuket, Thailand. Vikas (66kilogram) and Pradeep Kumar (74kilogram) captured silver medals after they lost the final bouts at the Saphan Hin Indoor Sports Complex. Mandeep (55 kilogram) secured bronze medal in the championship. With two silvers and one bronze won on the final day of the tournament, India finished at the top of the freestyle team rankings of the championship. The championship was held under new FILA (Federation Internationale Desn Luttes Associees) rules. It is also known as International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles.
FILA WRESTLING RULES

The new Wrestling Rules were approved by the FILA Bureau and presented at the FILA Extraordinary Congress in Moscow on 18 May 2013. The new rules are mentioned below:
THE MODIFICATIONS CONCERN MAINLY

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1. The time and periods of the bout (2x3 minutes) 2. Cumulative score instead of the best-of-three-format 3. Procedure for passivity (the rules governing Greco-Roman and Freestyle are distinctly different) 4. Points for take down As per decision by the FILA Bureau and the Extraordinary Congress, these modifications are enforced immediately in all competitions. Team Ranking Team India Iran R.I. Kazakhstan Japan Uzbekistan Points 68 63 55 41 41
IBL LAUNCHED SCHOOL PROGRAMME FOR BADMINTON TALENT HUNT

Indian Badminton League (IBL), which was formed recently along with the commercial partner Sporty Solutionz launched new programme called Indian Badminton League School Programme (IBLSP) for promotion of badminton all over India.
KEY FEATURES OF INDIAN BADMINTON LEAGUE SCHOOL PROGRAMME (IBLSP)

Under Indian Badminton League School Programme (IBLSP), badminton players such as PV Sindhu, Parupalli Kashyap, Ashwini Ponnappa, Jwala Gutta, Pullela Gopichand and Saina Nehwal will visit 120 schools in six cities of India. The programme is also known as Shuttle Express. The programme will offer a cash prize of 10 lakh Rupees to winners in girls as well as boys single events. These events will be held in six cities of India- Pune, Lucknow, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai. The finalists of the event will be given an opportunity to become trainers a Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad. Indian Badminton League School Programme (IBLSP) said that this programme will be initiated in three phases in order to find out new badminton players through intraschool competition that will be held in July 2013. The national level finals will take place in August 2013 in Mumbai.
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THE INDIAN BADMINTON LEAGUE
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The Indian Badminton League partners include Jain International School (Bangalore), Genesis Global School, Expressway (Delhi NCR), Jamnabai Narsee, Juhu Parle (Mumbai), La Martiniere Boys (Lucknow), Indus World School (Hyderabad) and Symbiosis Primary & Secondary School (Pune). The Indian Badminton League will take place from 14 August 2013 to 31 August 2013. It will feature some of the top most badminton players of the world. The Indian Badminton League will be shown in more than 100 countries of the world through live telecast.
INDIAN GIRL'S TEAM WON GOLD MEDAL IN TABLE TENNIS

Indian Girl's team won the Gold medal while the Boy's team won the silver medal in the Slovak Junior ITTF Open Table Tennis tournament held in Senec, Slovakia on 31 May 2013. In the title clash, the Indian Girls, led by Sutirtha Mukherjee beat Serbia-A, 3-2. The other members of the team were Monika Batra and Reath Tennison. In the boy's section, the Czeck Republic-A beat India 3-1 to win the gold. The Indian team, consisting of Shudanshu Grover, Abhishek Yadav and Rohit Rajshekhar, had to settle for silver. Fifteen-year-old Sutirtha Mukherjee played an important role in the final match, winning two crucial matches. India defeated Turkey 3-0 in the semifinal while Serbia overcame Italy 3-1.
BAYERN MUNICH WON GERMAN CUP 2013; DEFEATED STUTTGART

Bayern Munich defeated Stuttgart in the German cup final in Berlin on 1 June 2013 to win the tournament. The final score was 3-2. It became the first German team to win the Bundesliga, the European cup and the German cup in the same season. Only Celtic in the year 1967, Ajax in 1972, PSV Eindhoven in 1988, Manchester United in 1999, Guardiola's Barcelona in 2009, and Inter Milan in 2010 had won the treble. Thomas Mueller scored one goal for Bayern Munich while Gomez scored twice in the second half to put Bayern three ahead. Martin Harnick on behalf of Stuttgart scored twice. Bayern Munich finished the season with 15 wins from their final 16 matches and they have only suffered one defeat since October 2012.
MS DHONI RECEIVED ICC ODI CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD

Indian Skipper MS Dhoni received the ICC ODI Championship Shield and a cheque of 175000 US dollars for leading the number One ODI team on the annual 1 April cut-off date. Indian team www.jagranjosh.com
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claimed the number-one spot from England after winning the series 3-2 in January 2013. India won eight out of 13 ODIs while losing five in the 12-month period between 1 April 2012 and 1 April 2013. This is the first time since the current ranking system was introduced in 2002 that India finished as the No1 ranked One-Day International (ODI) side. David Morgan, former President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), presented the Shield to Dhoni.
DELHI POLICE INVOKED MCOCA AGAINST SREESANTH AND 25 OTHERS

Delhi Police on 4 June 2013 invoked stringent provisions of MCOCA against cricketer Sreesanth and 25 others arrested in connection with IPL spot-fixing scandal. The stringent provisions of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) were invoked to strengthen the case against those involved in the spot- fixing scandal. According to the provisions of the Act, confessions made before an officer of rank above Deputy Commissioner of Police are admissible as evidence in a court of law. MCOCA was formulated in 1994 to tackle organized crime which abetted narco-terrorism and raised huge amount of illegal money.
IPL SPOT FIXING PROBE REPORT SUBMITTED TO BCCI

RN Sawani, the former police officer appointed to probe spot-fixing case in IPL on 5 June 2013 submitted his report to BCCI, without getting access to the accused cricketers namely S Sreesanth, Ajit Chadila and Ankeet Chavan. Earlier BCCI, appointed RN Sawani, a former IPS officer to probe into the spot-fixing issue. RN Sawani is the same officer, who probed into the 2000 match-fixing case. Sawani was given the task of examining in detail the charges levelled by Delhi Police against the three cricketers and the three IPL matches figured out by the police. The one-man probe team led by RN Sawani was not able to question the three players as Sreesanth and Ajay Chandila were on judicial custody and the Ankeet Chavan was out on bail for his marriage.
ESPN TO PROVIDE LIVE SIGNAL OF ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY TO DD

The ESPN channel on 7 June 2013 was directed by the High Court of Delhi to provide live signals of ICC Champions Trophy 2013 in England to Doordarshan (DD) without any commercials till its further orders. A vacation bench that comprised Justices Manmohan Singh and R.V. Easwar in their interim order ordered the petitioner (ESPN) to provide live signals without any commercials of the www.jagranjosh.com
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ongoing Champions Trophy to Doordarshan, so that Doordarshan would be able to telecast the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 as per commitment and object of the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act. The bench was hearing a petition filed by the ESPN that sought a direction to Prasar Bharati not to insist on the live signal of the ICC Champions Trophy without any commercial. The one-day international tournament started in England on 6 June 2013 and will continue till 23 June 2013.
BOB AND MIKE BRYAN WON DOUBLES TITLE AT FRENCH OPEN 2013
Top-ranked American twins Bob and Mike Bryan on 8 June 2013 won their record 14th major doubles title by defeating Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut of France 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 in the French Open men's doubles final. In the tiebreaker, the Bryan brothers rallied from 4-2 down to clinch the victory. The Bryans had won their only other French Open in 2003. They lost in the final in 2005, 2006 and 2012. Llodra and Mahut were hoping to become the first Frenchmen to win the doubles since Yannick Noah and Henri Leconte in 1984.
RAFAEL NADAL WON MEN'S SINGLES TITLE OF THE FRENCH OPEN 2013
Rafael Nadal on 9 June 2013 won his 8th Men's Singles Tittle of the French Open Tennis Tournament. In the final at Paris, Nadal beat Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. With this, he became the first player to win 8 Singles Titles at the same Grand Slam Tournament. It was his 12th Grand Slam title overall. It also gave Nadal his 59th win out of 60 matches played in Paris. Last year, he passed six-time Roland winner Bjorn Borg with his seventh title. Only one player of his generation, Robin Soderling in 2009, has been able to register a victory over him at Roland Garros.
MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS OF FRENCH OPEN 2013

The Russian duo of Elina Vesnina and caterina Makarova lifted the Women's Doubles title. They defeated top seeded Italian's Sara Irrani and Roberta Vinchi by 7-5, 7-2. Serena Williams won the Women's Singles title of French Open Tennis tournament. She defated Maria Sharapova by 6-4, 6-4. Bob and Mike Bryan won their record 14th major doubles title by defeating Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut of France 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 in the French Open men's doubles final. Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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Stphane Houdet won mens wheelchair final after defeating Shingo Kunieda.
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Frantisek Cermak and Lucie Hradecka won mixed doubles title at the French Open. They defeated Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic 1-6, 6-4, 10-6. Christian Garin won boys singles title after defeating Alexander Zverev. Kyle Edmund and Frederico Ferreira Silva won boys doubles title after defeating Christian Garin and Nicolas Jarry.
IPL SPOT-FIXING CASE: SREESANTH AND 18 OTHERS GRANTED BAIL

The Delhi Court has granted bail to cricketer S Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan along with 17 others accused in the IPL Spot-Fixing case on 10 June 2013. The 17 other accused includes 14 bookies who were granted bail by the Delhi Court. The Court in its judgment stated that the accused were supposed to surrender their passports and cannot travel abroad but were free to travel within the country. The Court also observed that the police failed to produce enough evidences to justify charging the accused cricketers and others under the stringent Act MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act).MCOCA is invoked against people associated with organised crime syndicates (a connection that needs to be proved to invoke MCOCA).
GOVERNMENT APPROVED SEVERAL SPORTS RELATED PROJECTS

Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India is in the process of implementing Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS) to develop sports infrastructure in the country. Under this scheme, sanction is accorded for laying of synthetic playing surface (for football, hockey and athletics) and for construction of Multipurpose indoor hall.
MINISTRY HAS APPROVED THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS UNDER THIS SCHEME

Construction of Multi-purpose Indoor Hall at Sports Complex, Chaudi, Canacona South, Goa at an estimated cost of 6.25 crore rupees subject to the ceiling of 6 crore rupees. Construction of Multi-purpose indoor hall at Leh, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir at an estimated cost of 7.98 crore rupees subject to the ceiling of 6 crore rupees. Synthetic Athletic track at University of Calicut, Malapuram, Kerala at an estimated cost of 7.2 crore rupees subject to the ceiling of 5.50 crore rupees. Construction of Multi-purpose Indoor Hall at Sazaikawn, Lunglei District, Mizoram at an estimated cost of 6 crore rupees.
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Laying of synthetic football turf at Chhangphut Playground at Champhai, Mizoram at an estimated cost of 4.9685 crore rupees subject to the ceiling of 4.50 crore rupees. Laying of synthetic football turf at CYLA Ground at Lawngtlai, Mizoram at an estimated cost of 4.931 crore rupees subject to the ceiling of 4.50 crore rupees. Construction of Multi-purpose indoor hall at Sports Stadium, Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand at an estimated cost of 13.45 crore rupees subject to the ceiling of 6 crore rupees.
ASIAN ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 TO BE HELD IN PUNE

The Maharashtra government on 13 June 2013 confirmed that the Asian Athletic Championship will be held in Pune from 3 to 7 July 2013.The decision was finalised at the States Cabinet meet held in Mumbai. The State government has said that it would incur an expenditure of 18 crore rupees for this tournament. To ensure that the Asian Athletic Championship goes off smoothly, the State government has already formed a few committees to look into the various aspects of the tournament. Maharashtra agreed to host the event after Tamil Nadu and later Delhi backed out of hosting it. Meanwhile, Maharashtra government felicitated pistol shooter Rahi Sarnobat. The 22-year-old from Kolhapur was presented a cheque of one crore rupees and offered a Grade-I job in the State government. Sarnobat had won a gold medal in the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup recently.
NATIONAL CYCLING COACH KILLED IN ROAD ACCIDENT IN NOIDA

Ruma Chatterjee, the Cycling Coach of Indian national team on 18 June 2013 died in a road accident near Nalgadha village on Noida Expressway in Uttar Pradesh. She is now survived by her mother and five sisters. Ruma Chatterjee died while training 20 junior team members on the expressway when she was hit by a speeding car from behind. She was attending the national camp ahead of the Indian team's visit to International Cycling Union (UCI) Academy, Switzerland for training. The fourmember squad will participate in the World Championships in Scotland in August 2013.
ABOUT RUMA CHATTERJEE

Ruma was a former International Cyclist from India She represented India three times in international competitions She has served as coach of the national team in Asian Games, Asian Championships and Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi
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MANJEET BAGGED SILVER AT 3RD CHINA OPEN BOXING TOURNAMENT

Manjeet Singh bagged a Silver medal for India at the 3rd China Open boxing tournament on 22 June 2013. In the final of the super heavy weight category (+91kg), the 21-year-old Indian went down to local lad Akepeer Yusuf. Although Manjeet lost in the final, he became the only Indian boxer to reach the final of the third China Open boxing tournament. It was his first international tournament.The boxing tournament was held in Guiyang, China. The Indian men's team returns from the event with one silver and three bronze medals won by Sunil Kumar (52kg), Ajay Kumar (56kg) and Jaideep (75kg). The bronze medal winners had lost in the round of four.
SPORTS QUIZZES
1. Name the Cycling Coach of Indian national team, who died in a road accident near
Nalgadha village on Noida Expressway in Uttar Pradesh. a) Ruma Chatterjee b) Ruma Mukherjee c) Ruma Banerjee d) Ruma Chakrobarty Answer (a) Ruma Chatterjee
2. Name the football club which had won German Cup 2013 after defeating Stuttgart.
a) Bayern Munich b) PSV Eindhoven c) Manchester United
d) Guardiola's Barcelona e) Inter Milan Answer (a) Bayern Munich

3. Name the top Top-ranked American tennis player who on 8 June 2013 won their record
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French Open men's doubles final. a) Bob and Mike Bryan b) Serena and Venus Williams c) Novak Djokovic and Kei Nishikori d) Serena Williams & Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Answer (a) Bob and Mike Bryan
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4. Name the 13th seeded Indian Badminton player who on 9 June 2013 clinched the
Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton trophy by defeating top seed and local favourite Boonsak Ponsana. a) Srikanth K b) Ashwini Ponappa c) P Kashyap d) Anup Shridhar Answer (a) Srikanth K
5. Name the Top Seeded Tennis player won the Women's Singles title of French Open
Tennis tournament. a) Serena Williams b) Venus Williams c) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova d) Anna kournikova Answer (a) Serena Williams
6. Name the International tennis player who on 9 June 2013 won his 8th Men's Singles
Tittle of the French Open Tennis Tournament at Paris beating Spanish compatriot David Ferrer. a) Andy Muray
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b) Novak Djokovic c) Rafael Nadal d) Roger Federer Answer (c) Rafael Nadal
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7. Name the formula one player who on 10 June 2013 won the Canadian Grand Prix at the
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. a) Sebastian Vettel b) Lewis Hamilton c) Michael Schumcaher d) Fernanado Alonso Answer (a) Sebastian Vettel
8. In which city the Asian Athletic Championship is going to held from 3 to 7 July 2013 as
declared by Maharashtra on 13 June 2013. a) Pune b) Kolhapur c) Thane d) Nasik Answer (a) Pune
9. Which top seeded Tennis player on 16 June 2013 won Gerry Weber Open Halle ATP final
after defeating Mikhail Youzhny of Russia by 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 at the Gerry Weber Stadium in Halle, Germany. a) Rafael Nadal b) Roger Federer c) Andy Muray d) Novak Djokovic
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Answer (b) Roger Federer
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10. Which country won silver medal at the World Cup (Stage-II) Archery competition in
Turkey on 16 June 2013. a) Turkey b) Jordan c) India d) Pakistan Answer (c) India
STATE
PRIME MINISTER FLAGGED OFF BANIHAL-QAZIGUND RAIL LINK IN J&K
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on 26 June 2013 flagged off first train which connects Banihal in Jammu with Qazigund in Kashmir. This train started off from Banihal Railway Station to Qazigund through the Pir Panchal mountain range. The train, in the meanwhile, also chugged through the 11-kilometer Pir Panchal railway tunnel, which is the longest tunnel of India and is a part of 17.7 kilometer Qazigund-Banihal railway track.
PRIME MINISTERS REC ONSTRUCTION PROGRAM (PMRP)

In the year 2005, Manmohan Singh had inaugurated the Jammu-Udhampur section of the rail link. In 2008 as well as 2009, the 119 kilometer Qazigund-Baramulla rail link was inaugurated. All these projects were a part of the Prime Ministers Reconstruction Program (PMRP), which was announced in 2004. Out of 67 projects under PMRP, 37 have been completed Apart from these projects, widening of the Khannabal-Pahalgam and Narbal-Tangmarg roads, upgradation of Srinagar airport to international standards, establishment of 14 new degree colleges, creation of 12 new Tourist Development Authorities in the State, modernisation of J&K police as well as establishment of 9 it is were also a part of PMRP. In order to address special needs of the state, projects worth 1000 crore Rupees were also undertaken
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SPECIAL FEATURES OF BANIHAL- QAZIGUND RAIL LINK
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Banihal - Qazigund rail link is the 18 km long rail link, which also includes the 11km long tunnel across Pir Panchal range. This is the longest tunnel of India and second longest tunnel of Asia Banihal - Qazigund rail link will also link the already-operational 118-km-long route between Qazigund and Baramulla to rest of the parts in India Inside the 11-km long tunnel, 3-metre wide road has been provided for maintenance as well as relief and rescue operations in case of emergency The specialty of tunnel is that it is water-proof and equipped with latest air quality monitoring system, fire-fighting, communication as well as emergency rescue systems With effect from 27 June 2013, eight coaches of the train will run between Banihal and Baramulla. There will be five trips on daily basis of Banihal-Baramulla-Banihal train This rail link will bring down the distance from 35 km by road to 18 km The cost of this rail link is 1691 crore Rupees
INDIAS LONGEST RAIL WAY TUNNEL THROUGH PIR PANCHAL MOUNTAIN RANGE
The 11 km long railway tunnel through Pir Panchal mountain range is the longest railway tunnel (transportation passage of this kind) of India Around 1300 workers as well as 150 engineers worked on the tunnel. The work on this tunnel started in November 2005. The tunnel was constructed by making use of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). It is for the first time that the method of this kind was used on a large scale in India. The project was implemented by Hindustan Construction Company This is also the second longest tunnel of Asia. The longest tunnel of Asia is in China The tunnel is absolutely water proof. It is also equipped with latest fire fighting system throughout the tunnel This tunnel passes around 440 metres below the already-existing Jawahar Road Tunnel The provision of 3 metres wide concrete road has also been given inside the tunnel throughout its length. This road has been constructed for emergency relief purposes as well as maintenance of the tunnel. The road is just adjacent to the railway track
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Longest tunnel in Asia is Wushaoling tunnel (20 km) in Gansu, China
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RAJASTHAN LAUNCHED A SCHEME FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION

The Rajasthan government on 27 June 2013 launched a unique scheme called Mukhyamantri Bijli Bachat Lamp Yojna for energy conservation. The State government will provide 2 CFL bulb free of cost to all electricity consumers of villages and BPL consumers in urban areas. This unique scheme will continue till August 2013. 53 lakh families in the state will be benefited with this scheme. Special camps are being organised for distribution of CFLs in the state. The state Government will spent 100 crore rupees on this scheme. The purpose of this scheme is to save energy and conservation of environment. With the use of these one crore six lakh CFLs 93 crore rupees electricity will be saved and consumers will save 278 crore rupees per year in the state. Energy conservation refers to reducing energy through using less of an energy service. Energy conservation differs from efficient energy use, which refers to using less energy for a constant service.
JD(U) PARTED AWAY FROM NDA AFTER BREAKING ITS ALLIANCE

Janta Dal United (JD(U)) on 16 June 2013 broke away its 17 year old alliance with National Democratic Allaince (NDA) in Bihar. The announcement of breakup of the alliance was made at Patna by the JD(U) President Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar. Before the break-up of BJP-JD(U) alliance in Bihar, the Nitish Kumar led State Government was in power in the state for past eight years, since November 2005. After the split, Nitish Kumar asked the Governor of Bihar, DY Patil to call the special session and recommended him to remove the 11 BJP Ministers from his Cabinet. The Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar will seek a vote of confidence in the state at a special session of the State Assembly on 19 June 2013. In the 243-member assembly of Bihar, the JD(U) have 118 MLAs and BJP have 91 MLAs. JD (U) just needs four MLAs to form a majority. Independents and others account for 6 MLAs. The main Opposition RJD has 22 MLAs and Congress have four.
COMMENT
The decision of JD(U) came up after BJP failed to assure the party that Narendra Modi will not be promoted as the Prime Ministerial candidate of NDA in future.
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Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook PCI FINALIZED 59000 CRORE GUJARAT PLAN FOR 2013-14
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The annual plan of 59000 crore rupees for Gujarat was finalized by the Planning Commission of India (PCI) for the financial year 2013-14 on 18 June 2013. Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi together finalized the plan. The agreed plan size also includes 3979 crore rupees in form of the central assistance to the State Plan. Along with this about 6000 crore rupees will be offered to Gujarat from the centre via different Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
STATE PERFORMANCE DURING 11TH PLAN PERIOD

The state recorded its name amongst the fastest growing states in the country The average growth performance of the state during the 11th Plan Period was higher than the average achieved by the country itself The state witnessed a drop in agricultural sector from the one achieved during the 10th Plan Period The State government indicated that it has planned out a second phase for their growth initiative in the farm sector including establishment of front-end facilities and a further thrust in animal husbandry As per planning commission noted that Gujarats performance in the social sector lags behind what is expected from a high growth State
FIELD OF CONCERN IN THE STATE

Level of the Child Sex Ratio (CSR), IMR, MMR and malnutrition the planning commission recorded that the state has seen improvement at the State level for the child sex ratio, but about half of the districts, offset by gains in the others between 2001 to 2011 In the area of malnutrition, evidence suggests that malnutrition levels were higher than what the advanced economic level of the State should have warranted The Kaushalya Vardhan Kendra (KVK) was recognised for its innovation and success
PERMANENT BENCHES TO BE ESTABLISHED IN KARNATAKA HC

The Union Cabinet of India on 4 June 2013 gave its approval for establishment of permanent
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benches of the Karnataka High Court at Dharwad and Gulbarga Districts in Karnataka.
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Establishment of these permanent benches will help in better access for justice to litigants of the Districts, which are covered under the Dharwad and Gulbarga Benches. These benches will also facilitate speedy disposal of cases with the reduction in pendency in High Court. The Requisite infrastructure facilities have been created by the State Government for establishment of the permanent benches. At present, the judges of these benches are sitting at the Circuit Benches on a rotational basis for one month. In Karnataka, the Principal Bench is situated at Bangalore. Two circuit Benches were notified at Dharwad and Gulbarga. These Circuit Benches have been functional since 7 July 2008. Karnataka sanctioned strength of 41 Judges in 2008. This strength increased to 50 judges with effect from 30 November 2009. For proper functioning of Circuit Benches, the Government of Karnataka constructed new buildings by providing 108.24 crore Rupees as well as 79.65 crore Rupees for construction at Dharwad and Gulbarga respectively. Proposal for making the Circuit Benches permanent received approval from both the State Government and Chief Justice of the High Court.
PLANNING COMMISSION FINALIZED 21500 CRORE ODISHA PLAN

The Annual Plan of 21500 crore rupees for the year 2013-14 for Odisha was finalised at New Delhi on 4 June 2013 by the Planning commission of India. The plan size was agreed upon during the meeting of the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik. During the 12th Plan period, the state will have to make its efforts towards improving the basic amenities and address the problem of adverse child sex ratio. To improve on the infrastructure part both physical and social, the state will look forward towards the public private partnership.
MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS OF ODI SHAS AIM DURING 12T H PLAN PERIOD

a) The state aims to give prominence to Social Inclusion through Empowerment of Minorities. To make this happen the steps to be undertaken by the state are b) Increased allocation and optimum utilization of funds c) Directly target minorities by revamp of the design, expansion of the scope and strengthening of implementation structures of key initiatives
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d) Institutionalize robust monitoring
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e) Each State Government needs to have a separate well-endowed Department for Minorities The state will look forward to improve quality of education, healthcare, and food security The state will create livelihood and employment opportunities and will look forward towards policy frame work to further strengthened investment climate to harness growth potential of the economy.
During the 11th Plan period Odisha improved largely on aspects of human development indicators and displayed satisfactory performance in sectors like agriculture. The overall literacy rate for Odisha is 73.45 percent against the national average of 74.04 percent in 2011. Over a period of 10 years from 2001 to 2011, the gender gap in literacy has come down from 24.84 percentage points to 18.04 percentage points. Whereas, the state has also witnessed a fall in Infant Mortality Rate from 73 in 2006 to 57 in 2011 and maternal mortality rate from 303 during 2004-06 to 258 during 2007-09.
SOME IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT ODISHA DURING 11 th PLAN PERIOD

Poverty has gone down to 57.2 percent in 2004-05 to 37 percent in 2009-10 (this is the highest reduction percentage among all States during the reference period) During 11th Plan period, the Primary and Revenue Deficits of the state also went down significantly with interest payments of revenue receipts ratio of 6.40 in 2011-12 from 14.43 in 2007-08 The state faces a gender gap in literacy of over 18% The state displayed an economic growth with a real annual average rate of 7.13 percent at 2004-05 prices during the 11th Plan period against the target of 9 percent
ODISHA REOPENED WHITE TIGER SAFARI AT NANDANKANAN

The White Tiger Safari at the Nandankanan Zoological Park, Odisha was reopened on 4 June 2013. The safari was shut down for over a period of one month due to safety reasons. The park officials closed the safari after a seven year old tiger walked into it on 29 April 2013 and the decision of reopening the safari came up after the return of the tiger. Nandankanan is provides first-of-its-kind white www.jagranjosh.com
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tiger safari in the country. The safari is the home of about 24 tigers of which eight are white.
ABOUT NANDANKANAN
Nandankanan Zoological Park lies in the vicinity of Kanija Lake amidst the natural beauty of natural forests adjacent to Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctury. This site covers a portion of Krishnanagar and Jujhagarh Demarcated Protected Forests (DPF). Nandankanan, in mythology, define the ecstatic but imaginary beauty of the celestial garden. This park is a house of 126 species of animals that include 40 mammals, 56 birds and 24 reptiles. Nandankanan is the only zoo in India with the credit of having Patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas), Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximus) and Open-billed Stork (Anastomus oscitans).
FIRST ALL-WOMEN POLICE STATION BECAME FUNCTIONAL IN ITANAGAR

To deal with the Crimes against the women, the first all-women police station started functioning in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh on 4 June 2013. With the opening of the first allwomen police station, the state Government has tried to showcase its concern towards the protection of women in the state. The proposal of setting up of the all-women police station was passed by the state cabinet on 6 February 2013. To tackle crime against women, the state cabinet has also approved the creation of separate cells in all the seventeen district headquarters and the Police headquarters of the state. To run these cells the state is also running a special recruitment drive for recruiting women police personnel.
SUSTAINABLE SUGARCANE INITIATIVE BY TN AGRI. UNIVERSITY

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Month of June 2013 launched a Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) to improve productivity of water, land and labour. The decision to launch Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) was taken in light of successful implementation System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in various parts of the country. Tamil Nadu Government, with 42 sugar mills in the State, has targeted to add 50000 acre annually in the 12th plan under SSI.
BENEFITS OF THE SUSTAINABLE SUGARCANE INITIATIVE (SSI)

The SSI is supposed to improve the productivity of water, land and labour, all at the same time, while reducing the overall pressure on water resources The SSI method involves use of less seeds, less water and optimum utilisation of
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fertilisers and land which directly aims at achieving more yield
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Now the farmer will be able to take a production of 90 tonnes of millable canes by adopting SSI method using 12500 single budded chips as against the 40 tonnes of sugarcane production from one acre land using 75000 two budded sets in conventional method SSI is an appropriate option to solve the present problems of increasing seed cost, labour cost and other soil fertility and productivity related issues and there will be 0.2 per cent increase in the recovery from the cane, from the present 8.5 to 11 percent SSI is an advantage to farmers and to sugar industry, since the area was expected to shrink and availability of water would be less in the long run and moreover, the system was suitable for inter-crops like blackgram, greengram and also chilli
It is important here to note that, India ranks second in the World after Brazil in terms of area of 4.1 million hectare and 355 million tonnes of sugarcane production. To its astonishment Tamil Nadu produced 357 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and 25.40 lakh tonnes of sugar from an area of 3.05 lakh hectares.
POWER TARIFF HIKE CAME INTO EFFECT IN UTTAR PRADESH

The power tariff hike announced on 31 May 2013 came into effect in Uttar Pradesh on 10 June 2013. Domestic users would now pay 35 percent more for power, while the rural sector would have to pay 45 percent more. Director (Commercial) of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) confirmed the hike. For bills till 9 June 2013, the old power tariff structure would be used.
TAMIL NADU PLAN FOR 2013-14 FINALIZED AT 37128 CRORE RUPEES

The Annual Plan for 2013-14 for the State of Tamil Nadu was finalised on 10 June 2013 at a meeting between Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission and J. Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The Plan size has been agreed at 37128 crore rupees which includes the central assistance to the State Plan of about 3165 crore rupees. In addition, an amount of 9000 crore rupees is likely to flow from the Union government to Tamil Nadu through various Centrally Sponsored Schemes. Thus, taking all resources, Plan assistance from the Central Government to the State of Tamil Nadu is expected to be over 12000 crore rupees during 2013-14. Planning Commission complimented the State Government for its sound fiscal position arising from the significant increase in mobilisation of resources, especially States own tax revenue for the State Plan. The States Tax-GSDP ratio is likely to cross 10 percent during 2013-14 making it www.jagranjosh.com
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as one of the leading States in the country in terms of tax mobilisation. The outstanding liabilities as a percentage of GSDP are well within the fiscal consolidation requirements as per the 13th Finance Commission. It was noted that the State continues to maintain favourable social indicators, especially health indicators such as birth rate, Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Total Fertility Rate (TFR), Neo-natal Mortality Rate (NMR). The State also ranks better than the national average in most of education indicators. However, there was need to focus on issues of quality of education and reducing the gender gap. Planning Commission of India noted that as has happened in the country as a whole, the growth rate of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for Tamil Nadu in 2012-13 decelerated from 7.3 percent in 2011-12 to 4.6 percent which was slightly lower than the national average of 5 percent.
KARNATAKA GOVERNMENT AMENDED KARNATAKA POLICE ACT, 1963

The Karnataka state government on 11 June 2013 amended the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, to restore final powers over police transfers with the government. Earlier, it was vested with the Police Establishment Board (PEB). As per the latest amendment, the government will nominate members to the PEB. Earlier, three officers not below ADGP rank would automatically qualify to be on the PEB alongside the state police chief. The amendment takes away the PEB's powers to recommend transfers above Additional SP and gives power to government to modify the PEB decision. It prescribes a minimum tenure of a year only for officers in operational duties. However, it does not apply to officers heading police stations or divisions. PEB was set up following an SC order to reduce political interference. In the last six months, the police department was facing controversies with officers competing for top posts. Many officers approached courts against transfers by the PEB.
ASSAM VIOLENCE: HC ORDERED TO PROBE ROLE OF BADRUDDIN AJMAL

The Gauhati High Court on 10 June 2013 ordered the Assam Government and State Police to enquire the role of Badruddin Ajmal, the AIUDF Lok Sabha member into the 2012 Kokrajhar Violence and its aftermath situation. The division bench of Gauhati High Court led by A K Goel and Justice A Goswami in its judgment after hearing a PIL instructed the state government and the police to enquire the role of Ajmal and submit a report on the basis on the information provided by the petitioner and investigating agencies.
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HARYANA GOVT ROLLED OUT NEW COMMUNICATION INFRA POLICY

The Haryana government in Month of June 2013 has notified a new Communication and Connectivity which is intended at encouraging use of latest technology advancements in the telecom and communication sector.
BENEFITS OF THE NEW COMMUNICATION INFRA POLICY

The policy is designed to encourage the use of latest technology advancements in the telecom sector such as Fibre to the Home (FTTH) and innovative business models such as the Open Access Network (OAN) where physical access to the network is separated from the delivery of services. The New Communication Infra Policy is directed towards bringing uniformity in guidelines and parameters for laying telecom and communication infrastructure in the state. Policy is meant to bring uniformity in rules, guidelines and parameters for laying communication infrastructure. The policy will also ensure communication infrastructure providers adhere to various safety standards or norms like radiation norms as envisaged by the Centre. Under this policy, it will also be encouraged to set up telecom and communication infrastructure in non-congested areas. Any telecom infrastructure provider registered with the Department of Telecommunications or an infrastructure provider duly authorised by a licensee to lay communication and connectivity infrastructure is eligible to seek permission under this policy.
COFFEE BOARD ANNOUNCED SETTING UP CEC IN BANGALORE

The Coffee Board announced establishing the Coffee Entrepreneurship Centre (CEC) in Bangalore in order to sustain the coffee cafe culture in India. The Chairman of Coffee Board, Jawaid Akhtar explained that the idea came up because of rapid growth of coffee cafes as well as parlours in India, especially in the non-traditional (non-coffee growing States) areas. However, there is a dearth of manpower in these areas. The primary objective of the Coffee Entrepreneurship Centre is to create the manpower base. This base would be created by facilitating training to people scientifically and providing them the knowledge about specialty coffees. Also the objective is creation of the manpower in various levels of coffee business such as www.jagranjosh.com
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setting of roast and ground (R&G) outlets as well as coffee retailing. This will also assist the entrepreneurs in establishing as well as operating the cafes with the formal training. In order to facilitate the educational support, the Coffee Board also roped in Indian Institute of Plantation Management (IIPM). The Coffee Entrepreneurship Centre is in fact housed in the IIPM campus of Bangalore. The Centre will provide lab-scale experience to people in making espresso coffee, traditional brewing, grinding coffee as well as roasting. The Board will make use of the faculty at IIPM in order to run the courses. At present, there are approximately 2200 coffee cafes in India which are operated by the big companies like Barista, Costa and Caf Coffee Day. The Coffee Entrepreneurship Centre will have one-month courses on How to start coffee businesses as well as How to make different coffees. Coffee Board gave grant of 30 lakh Rupees in order to set up this centre.
MAHARASHTRA TO SET EDUCATION COMMISSIONERATES FOR TRIBALS

Maharashtra government in Month of June 2013 decided setting up separate education commisionerates in order to provide education to students of the tribal community. The Commissionerates for tribals will be named by Adivasi Shikshan Ayuktalay and will first come up in four divisions of the state and the head office will be in Nashik. The emphasis of Education Commissionerates is to provide quality education to tribal students. The government will also work towards improving ashram shalas that is the tribal residential school, seeing its poor condition. Around 80 per cent of ashram shalas are already undertaken by government. It has been found that tribal students were suffering due to poor infrastructure and academic facilities at ashram shalas and the supply of low-quality nutritional supplements. The government will soon acquire 20 per cent of these ashram shalas as the most of the tribal residential schools were constructed in 1972 and are in shambles. There are about 552 ashram shalas in Maharashtra and if it will go under upgradation the cost will come around 650 crore rupees. As per the government there is no shortage of fund in this regard.
NORTHERN RAILWAY TO DEPLOY ELECTRIC GOLF CARTS FOR ELDERLY

The Northern Railway decided in June 2013 to install the golf carts for physically challenged as well as senior citizens at all the railway stations in Delhi. As of now, the New Delhi railway station has deployed three carts like these and furthermore, two will be deployed. In the meanwhile, Old Delhi Railway Station has one cart and two more carts will be introduced. Two carts will be introduced at Sarai Rohilla, Anand Vihar and www.jagranjosh.com
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Nizamuddin stations.
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All these carts will be made available by June 2013 end. The golf carts will have their parking at end of platform. The decision to introduce the carts was made because the physically challenged as well as the elderly found difficult to walk on platforms. This service has been planned to minimize inconvenience.
GOVT EXTENDED SPECIAL PACKAGE FOR IND. DEVELOPMENT OF J&K

The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Government of India extended special package for Industrial Development of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) for a period of 5 years, i.e., up to 14 June 2017. Earlier, this package of Industrial Incentive for the State of J&K was announced on 14 June 2002 for a term of 10 years up to 14 June 2012. The incentives under the special package for Industrial Development were extended for providing continuity as well as maintenance of ongoing industrial development of the state of J&K.
PRIMARY FEATURES OF THE SPECIAL PACKAGE FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

Capital Investment Subsidy at 15 percent of investment in plant and machinery is subject to ceiling of 30 lakh Rupees. Nevertheless, the MSMEs would be able to get a Capital Investment Subsidy at the rate of 30 percent of the investment of plant and machinery subject to ceiling of 3 crore Rupees and 1.50 crore Rupees for manufacturing and service sector respectively. Apart from this, there will be an availability of 3 percent Interest subsidy on the average of daily working capital loan to all new units for a period of 5 years from the date of commencement of commercial production. Central Comprehensive Insurance Subsidy Scheme with 100 percent reimbursement of premium to all new and existing units on their substantial expansion for a period of 5 years from the date of commencement of commercial production will also be available under the package.
OTHER FACTS RELATED TO THE SPECIAL PACKAGE

The benefits of the scheme can be availed by industries set up in notified Industrial Parks & Estates. After consultation with the State Government, the list of notified areas was also extended. Apart from this, the list of Thrust Industries which can be set up anywhere in the state, Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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to be eligible for subsidy under the Package, was also expanded and now include wood based industry, stationery items, bottling of Mineral Water, dairy farming packaging industry, compost making, mushroom culture, Pasteurization/Processing of milk and other dairy product, Spice Grinding as well as Flour Mills and Rice Mills. This special package for industrial development scheme will be implemented through the J&K State Government and all the funds will be disbursed through the nodal agency called JKDFC. Overall, a sum of 295 crore Rupees has been outlaid for a total period.
30 MARINE STATIONS TO BE SET-UP IN TAMIL NADU

Coastal Security Group Additional Director General of Police Sylendra Babu on 16 June 2013 announced that 30 marine police stations will be set up in Tamil Nadu. To support the coastal security group and enhance security of the coastal areas, 24 fast-interceptor boats and 14 small boats will be produced. Marine Police patrols up to 12 nautical miles from the coast after that the control shifts in the hand of Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy.
PUNJAB APPROVED REGULARISATION OF UNAUTHORISED COLONIES

The Punjab Cabinet in Month of June 2013 has approved the policy for regularisation of about 5000 unauthorised colonies in the State. The policy was approved under the Punjab Laws (Special Provisions) Act-2013 and is supposed to provide relief to about 5000 colonies covering two lakh individual plot holders or building owners across the State. The policy for regularisation of unauthorised colonies is meant to bring all the unauthorised colonies into the planning framework for regularisation.
PROVISIONS UNDER POLICY OF REGULARISATION OF UNAUTHORISED COLONIES

The approved regularization policy will ensure basic civic amenities to the residents of unauthorised colonies or areas. The policy is a one-time opportunity and is applicable for a period of one year starting from 1 April 2013. The plot holders or colonisers will have to get their offence compounded for regularisation. The colonisers are required to pay composition fee for compounding their offences and
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the fee will vary from area to area for the colonies.
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The approximate rates of composition fee vary from 2.5 lakh Rupees to 15 lakh Rupees for an acre. Also, the individual plot or building owners could come forward for regularisation by paying charges from 50 Rupees to 500 Rupees a square yard. The policy does not cover colonies which are set up over land belonging to the State, Central Governments, public undertakings, Panchayat lands, Waqf Board, Land under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA). All educational institutions, which were not covered under charitable institutions, will be provided 50 per cent rebate on property tax.
ANOTHER MAJOR APPROVAL BY GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB

The Cabinet also gave nod to the amendment in the Land Pooling Policy to enable the land owners to become partners in the development process. As per the amendment, a fixed sum of the value of land would be ensured to the land owner. The Council of Ministers also gave its approval to the Punjab Compulsory Registration Marriage Rules, 2013 for registering marriages of residents of Punjab. As per the approval all marriages were required to be registered within 90 days of the solemnisation of the marriages. The Cabinet also decided to amend the Punjab Ministers Travelling Allowance Rules, 1953 and the Chief Parliamentary Secretary/Parliamentary Secretary Travelling Allowance Rules, 2006 to enhance mileage from 12 Rupees to 15 Rupees /km on the usage of their private vehicles in lieu of official cars. Also, In another major decision, the Punjab Cabinet announced to charge property tax by amending the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911 and the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, in accordance with the recommendations of Cabinet Sub-committee regarding property tax.
GOA CELEBRATED REVOLUTION DAY ON 18 JUNE 2013

18 June: Goa Revolution Day Goa celebrated its revolution day on 18 June 2013. On this occasion, the Governor of the state Bharat Vir Wanchoo led the people of state to Azad Maidan in Panaji to pay homage to the sacred memory of revered martyrs who laid down their life for the liberation of Goa from Portuguese Colonial Rule. www.jagranjosh.com
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ABOUT GOA REVOLUTION DAY
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On 18 June 1946, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Dr. Juliao Menezes asked of the Goans (people of Goa) to stand against the oppression from the Portuguese and to fight for their freedom. They sought to unite the Goans for a common cause and those were for a better life and better future and freedom from oppression. Since then, this day was remembered as the Goa Revolution Day. So 18 June is celebrated as Revolution Day (Kranti Din) to commemorate the saga of the struggle of the people of Goa for freedom.
ANDHRA ASSEMBLY PASSED BILL TO RESTORE GENDER BALANCE

Andhra Pradesh state Assembly on 19 June 2013 passed the bill called the Andhra Pradesh Bangaru Talli Girl Child Promotion and Empowerment Bill 2013 which provides, among other benefits, financial assistance of 2500 rupees to a family on birth of a girl child. Each such family would get a total of 55000 rupees till the girl's 21st birthday and upon completion of intermediate (Plus-2) or graduation, an additional 50000 rupees or one lakh rupees respectively would be given as incentive. The bill is aimed at the restoring the gender balance and channeling the capabilities of women for nation building. The Opposition benches remained empty in the House following the suspension of TRS and YSR Congress members and walkout staged by TDP, BJP, CPI and CPM MLAs. Women Development and Child Welfare Minister of Andhra Pradesh V Sunita Laxma Reddy had introduced the Bill. Child sex ratio in AP declined from 975 in 1991 to 961 in 2001 and further to 943 in 2011, signaling a grave danger for the demographic composition.
NITISH KUMAR WON VOTE OF CONFIDENCE

Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar on 19 June 2013 won the Vote of Confidence in the State Assembly with the support of 126 MLAs after parting away with BJP. The trust motion was opposed by 24 MLAs. Four members of congress and one of CPI voted in favour of the trust motion. Four independent MLAs also supported the motion. In the 243 member assembly, the ruling party JD(U) has 118 MLAs and it needed just four MLAs to prove its majority.
1000 CRORE AS DISASTER RELIEF FUND FOR UTTARAKHAND

Government of India on 19 June 2013 announced a disaster relief fund of 1000 crore rupees to Uttarakhand. Of the total fund announced, 145 crore rupees will be released by the Government immediately.
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The decision of the disaster relief package was decided by the Prime Minister of India after taking an aerial survey of disaster affected areas of Uttrakhand.
RELIEF AIDS ANNOUNCED FROM OTHER STATES

Government of Maharashtra has announced an aid of 10 crore rupees to Uttrakhand Government of Rajasthan has announced a financial help of 2 crore rupees
Apart from the relief fund announced for the state, an ex-gratia assistance of 2 lakh rupees each to the families of those who have lost their lives and 50000 rupees to those who have been injured during the landslides and flood in the state will be provided from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund (PMNRF). For those, who have completely lost their houses the PMNRF ex-gratia assistance of Rs.1 lakh each will be provided, whereas 50000 rupees each will be given to those whose houses have been damaged. Uttrakhand in the third week of June 2013 was stuck by flash floods and landslides. During this natural disaster in the state, more than 100 people lost their life.
AADHAAR CARD MANDATORY FOR TEACHING STAFFS IN MAHARASHTRA

The State Government of Maharashtra on 20 June 2013 made possession of Aadhaar Card mandatory for teaching and non-teaching employees to draw salaries from August. The Chief Minister of the Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan quoted UID number is mandatory for teaching and non-teaching employees to draw their monthly salaries". The decision of the state government came after a review meet held on Aadhaar Card Registration between the Chief Minister with the UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani, Chief Secretary of Maharashtra JK Banthia and other senior officials of the state government.
PCI FINALIZED ANNUAL PLAN FOR 2013-14 FOR GOA

The Annual Plan of 4715 crore rupees for Goa for the financial year 2013-14 was finalized on 21 June 2013 by the Planning Commission of India at New Delhi. Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar together finalized the plan. The agreed plan size includes the central assistance to the State Plan of 225 crore rupees. In addition, an amount of over 100 crore rupees is likely to flow from the Centre to Goa through www.jagranjosh.com
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various Centrally Sponsored Schemes. These allocations will take all the resources, Plan assistance from the Central Government to the State of Goa over 400 crore rupees during 201314.
PLAN PERFORMANCE OF GOA

On economic fronts, achievements of Goa in all sectors Goa was satisfactory In terms of various socio-economic indicators, the states performance was better The State Government was complemented for improvement in the Child-Sex ratio (0-6 years) and it was pointed out that improving Child-Sex ratio has been put as one of the monitor able indicators in the 12th Five Year Plan
FUTURE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE STATE FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION

The State needs to further encourage private participation in the development of both social and physical infrastructure The state needs to thrust renewed plans in the sectors of health and education Continuous evaluation of major social sector programs should be started to get a realistic assessment and opportunity for timely intervention
CHALLENGES TO BE TACKLED DURING 12TH PLAN PERIOD

State needs o bring improvement in agriculture and allied sector, as growth rate of agriculture in the state has declined continuously when compared to the per-capita income in other sectors. The declining interest towards agriculture may be attributed to small land holdings, high cost of wages and non-availability of agriculture labourers there is a need to have a long term strategy for agriculture sector to achieve selfsufficiency in perishable & high value agriculture products Efforts needs to be brought in process to cover all the urban areas with sewerage network using latest technology to achieve the goal of total sanitation and clean environment in the State Planning Commission offered full support to the State in Solid Waste Management and efforts to make Goa plastic free Besides social services focus the state would continue with its focus on tourism and related activities The new initiatives for 12th plan period would include encouragement for local Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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Mid-day meal scheme for class IX and X students and underground cabling of major towns will be taken up during the year
Goa has demanded a onetime grant of 3000 crore rupees because of the losses suffered by the state due to ban on mining to compensate those affected by the closure of mining.
PCI APPROVED 8000-CR RUPEES PROJECT ANANTA FOR ANDHRA

Planning Commission of India (PCI) in the Month of May 2013 approved Project Ananta, a programme that looks for pulling Anantapur district out of the control of the perennial drought. The Planning Commission has approved a 53000 crore Rupees Plan for the State, up by 8.2 per cent, compared to 48935 crore Rupees in year 2012.
EXECUTION OF PROJECT ANANTA

The 8000-crore project will take a complete approach to achieve the target. The Commission is supposed to send its team to study the feasibility of the scheme. The Project would be funded both by the State and the Centre. After getting the Planning Commission nod, the State would consider starting similar programmes for other backward districts such as Medak, Adilabad and Srikakulam. A high-level team of scientists suggested that the district required a five year plan to take stock of the situation and prepare a plan to address issues such as natural resource management, crops and livestock.
The Planning Commission also agreed to organize a meeting in the first week of June to discuss the issue of allocation of gas to the State. The State Government has asked the Commission to allocate gas to tide over the power crisis.
WHAT IS PROJECT ANANTA?

Project Ananta is a mega plan of Andhra Pradesh to prevent desertification of Anantapur district and increase farm output through innovative technological interventions including satellite imagery to revive the lost rivers. As per the Project plan, a group of scientists will find out the original course of rivers, streams and other water bodies in Anantapur. Once their course is identified, obstacles will be removed to ensure that rain water flows into them. This will help not only in reviving the dead water
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bodies, but also in the recharge of the ground water.
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DELHI STATE ANNUAL PLAN FOR 2013-14 FINALIZED AT 16626 CRORE

The Annual Plan for the year 2013-14 for the state of Delhi was finalised during a meeting between Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit. The plan size has been agreed at 16626crore rupees. Government of NCT of Delhi has taken number of initiatives for the improvement of health services. A central procurement agency has been set-up which is ensuring access to high quality and low cost drugs in all public facilities. Around 60percent of population including slums and unauthorized colonies has been covered through network of ASHAs for immunization, safe delivery, new born care, improved nutrition and health education. The major initiative launched to support vulnerable household not covered under other welfare schemes is Dilli Annashree scheme under which Aadhar linked food subsidy of 600 rupees per month is being given. Around 1.30 lakh household would benefit under kerosene free city programme launched in august 2012. She said monthly pension for women in distress, disabled persons, SC/ST/ Minorities has been increased to Rs 1500. More than 80 per cent population has been enrolled for Aadhar cards. A world class skill development centre is being set up at Jonapur under PPP in collaboration with ITE Singapore. Around 15000 youth will benefit annually from the facility. 116 services have already been brought within the ambit of Delhi (Right of citizen to time bound delivery of services) act. The decline in ground water levels due to rapid pace of urbanization resulting in reduced natural recharge to aquifers in NCT of Delhi is a major concern. On an average the ground water withdrawn in Delhi is 138 percent. In south Delhi it is 201percent and in East Delhi 180 percent which is unsustainable. Though the number of initiatives has been taken for restoring the existing water bodies in Delhi but only 121 water bodies has been restored.
ONE LINERS
The principal architect of Indias missile programmes who on 31 May 2013was appointed DRDO chief and scientific advisor to defence minister - Avinash Chander The person who resigned as Chairman of IPL on 1 June 2013 in the wake of the raging spot-fixing scandal - Rajiv Shukla The name of bombs which is being developed by India for its fighter jets, which are expected to be geared up for deployment by the end of year 2014 - Glide Bombs The Person who was appointed new Prime Minister of Palestine, by Mahmoud Abbas on Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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2 June 2013 - Rami Hamdallah
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The 25-year old Bollywood actress who allegedly committed suicide on 3 June 2013 at her Juhu residence in Mumbai Jiah Khan The Person who became the youngest Indian to scale the Mount Everest on 21 May 2013 with his five schoolmates - Raghav Joneja The Leader of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), who on 3 June 2013 elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan - Ayaz Sadiq The Person who became the first woman to be elected to the FIFA Executive Committee (ExCo) for a full term of four years - Lydia Nsekera The theme of World Environment Day which was observed on 5 June 2013 - Think, Eat, Save Reduce Your Foodprint The Person who was appointed as the National Security Adviser of US President Barack Obama on 5 June 2013 - Susan Elizabeth Rice The Australian radio presenters who responsible for Royal prank and was awarded with Jock by the employer - Michael Christian The Person who on 6 June 2013 was reelected as the chairman of Association (IBA) for 2013-14 tenure - KR Kamath India Bank
The Irish writer who won the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for his debut novel City of Bohane which is the portrayal of Ireland of 2053 - Kevin Barry The Uttarakhand NGO which on 6 June 2013 bagged a French award for its contribution to protection of human rights - Central Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA) Name the Scottish author, who is best known for his novels The Wasp Factory and The Crow Road, died of Cancer on 9 June 2013 - Iain Banks The BJP leader who resigned from all top positions of BJP on 10 June 2013 a day after Narendra Modi was selected as the chairman partys election campaign - LK Advani A former Union Minister and Congress veteran from Chhattisgarh, died on 11 June 2013 of multiple organ failure - Vidya Charan Shukla The theme of World Day against Child Labour which was celebrated on 12 June 2013-No to Child Labour in Domestic Work The first Indian-American girl from Avon School to get admission in United States Military Academy at West Point - Sneha Singh Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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The First NATO and European Country to Draft Women in Military Service - Norway The Indian-origin sculptor who was honoured with Knighthood, the highest honour of Britain by Queen Elizabeth II - Anish Kapoor The Person who became only the second Hindu to be part of the Pakistans Punjab assembly after Seth Bharta Ram - Kanji Ram The ambassador to the United Nations for Antigua and Barbuda who was selected as the President of UN General Assembly for its 68th session - John William Ashe One of the founders of RAW, who passed away on 16 June 2013 in Chennai after a long fight with cancer - Bahukutumbi Raman The ex-chairman of the Tata Group who was appointed as the Chief Advisor of AirAsias India board - Ratan Tata The moderate cleric of Combatant Clergy Association party won the presidential election in Iran on 15 June 2013 - Hassan Rohani The Malaysian author who was declared as the winner of Walter Scott Prize for his English fiction novel The Garden of Evening Mists - Tan Twan Eng The 29-year-year-old Indian origin journalist became the Editor of UK national paper, The Independent, on 17 June 2013 - Amol Rajan The former head of the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), was appointed as the Chairman of AirAsia India on 18 June 2013 - Subramanian Ramadorai The Chinese supercomputer which is declared is the fastest computer of the world Tianhe-2
NEWS CAPSULE
APPOINTMENTS OF THE MONTH
ANIL GOSWAMI TOOK OVER AS THE UNION HOME SECRETARY
Anil Goswami, a Jammu and Kashmir cadre IAS officer took over as the Union Home Secretary on 30 June 2013. He succeeded Raj Kumar Singh who retired from Government service. Before being the Union Home Secretary, Anil Goswami was the Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. Anil Goswami will have tenure of two years till June 2015.
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ABOUT ANIL GOSWAMI
Anil Goswami (58) is an IAS officer of 1978 batch, Jammu and Kashmir cadre.
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He is the first bureaucrat from Jammu and Kashmir to be appointed as Home Secretary. As of now, he was the Secretary in Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. He has served the J&K and Central Government in different capacities which include Special Secretary in the Home Ministry. He served as the divisional commissioner of Jammu.
ABOUT THE DESIGNATION OF UNION HOME SECRETARY

The ministerial team of Ministry of Home Affairs is headed by the Union Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs. The Union Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs is in turn supported by two Ministers of State as well as civil servants. The Union Home Secretary is the senior civil servant in the Ministry of Home Affairs. His role is ensuring the effective working and functioning of Ministry of Home Affairs.
P. SATHASIVAM APPOINTED BE THE NEXT CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA

P. Sathasivam on 29 June 2013 was appointed as the next Chief Justice of India after he justified the Collegiums System of appointment of Judges. The 64 year old Sathasivam will succeed the incumbent Chief Justice of India, Altamas Kabir, who will superannuate on 18 July 2013 from his office. Sathasivam will be the 40th Chief Justice of India (CJI) and his appointment to the post has been approved by Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India.
ABOUT P. SATHASIVAM
He was appointed as a Supreme Court judge on August 21, 2007 As the 40th CJI, he will serve the nation till his 26 April 2014 In January 1996, he joined Madras high court as a permanent judge In April 2007, he was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana high court
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He was born on 27 April 1949 P. Sathasivam is a B.A., B.L. He was enrolled as an advocate on July 25, 1973 at Madras
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He has practiced in all types of Writ, Civil and Criminal matters, Company Petition, Insolvency Petitions, Habeas Corpus Petitions both on Original and Appellate sides of the Madras High Court He has served as Government Advocate, Additional Government Pleader, Special Government Pleader in the Madras High Court He has also worked as Legal Adviser for several State owned Transport Corporations, Municipalities, Nationalized Banks and more
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

The Supreme Court is the highest court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Indian Constitution and Article 124 to 147 states about the composition of Supreme Court of India. Supreme Court of India consists of one Chief Justice and 31 judges. The bench that comprises 2 or 3 judges is termed as a Division Bench and the one that bench that consists of five or more judges is termed to be a Constitutional Bench.
TENURE AND QUALIFICATION OF JUDGES IN SUPREME COURT

President appoints the judges of the Supreme Court and the retirement age of these judges is 65. For being a judge or chief justice of a Supreme Court one must fulfill the following qualifications: 1. He must be an Indian Citizen 2. Should have served the High Court as its Judge for at least 5 years 3. He should have served the high court as its advocate for a period of 10 years In case their occurs a vacancy in the CJI office due to any reason, the president appoints the acting Chief Justice as the Chief Justice of India from amongst the judges of the Supreme Court. The salaries and other allowances of the Judges in India are charged from the Consolidated Fund of India.
PRESENT SALARY STRUCTURE

1. Chief Justice of Supreme Court - 1 Lakh Rupees
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2. Other Judges of SC: 90000 Rupees
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REMOVAL OF JUDGES
The Judge can be removed from India on certain ground that includes incapacity to hold the office or proven misbehavior. They can be removed only after the resolution of both the houses of Indian Parliament that is supported by the majority of two-third of the members voting and present.
THE TWO JUDGES AGAINST WHOM THE PROCEEDING WAS INITIATED

1. V Ramaswami in 1993 was the first judge against whom the proceedings were initiated 2. Soumitra Sen in 2011 was the second judge against whom these proceedings were initiated
BIMAL JULKA APPOINTED AS THE SECRETARY OF I&B MINISTRY

Appointment of Bimal Julka as Secretary of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on 28 June 2013. Julka will succeed Uday Kumar Varma, who will retire from his office on 30 June 2013. Varma is an IAS officer of 1976 batch of Madhya Pradesh Cadre.
ABOUT BIMAL JULKA

Earlier he was serving as the Special Secretary and Financial Advisor to Ministry of External Affairs since January 2013 Bimal Julka is an IAS officer of 1979 batch of Madhya Pradesh cadre, with Identity No. 01MP031301 Julka has earlier served ministries like Civil Aviation, Defence, Finance and Human Resource Development He also served at different positions in Madhya Pradesh Government Bimal Julka was born on 27 August 1955
SK ROY APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION

The Government of India decided to appoint SK Roy as the new Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). SK Roy, on 31 May 2013 was appointed as the Managing Director of LIC after retirement of the then MD, D K Mehrotra. On 31 May 2013, Thomas Mathew T was www.jagranjosh.com
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appointed as the interim chairman.
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Five candidates were interviewed by the Government of India for the designation of Chairman of LIC, who included managing director Sushobhan Sarkar, LIC Housing Finance MD & CEO V K Sharma as well as three executive directors, S B Mainak, Roy and Usha Sangwan.
ABOUT SK ROY
SK Roy joined LIC in the year 1981 as the direct recruit officer of eleventh batch He maintained crucial positions in LIC and these included area manager, LIC HFL, secretary (legal), chief (SBU-estate), regional manager (P&IR) and executive director (marketing /bancassurance & alternate channels) He remained the Zonal Manager of North Central Zone from 2009 to 2011. He remained the in-charge of Eastern Zone from 2011 to 2013
It is worth noticing that LIC is the largest life insurer of India. In terms of the policies, it has 83 percent market share as well as 71 percent regarding premiums. For 2012-13 financial year, LIC accumulated a total business premium of 76246 crore Rupees.
AVINASH CHANDER APPOINTED CHIEF OF DRDO

Avinash Chander, the principal architect of Indias long-range missile programmes on 31 May 2013 appointed Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief and scientific advisor to defence minister. Avinash Chander, will succeed V.K. Saraswat. He is an eminent missile scientist, who is considered the chief architect of the long-range Agni ballistic missile programme. As the Director-General of DRDO, Chander is supposed to hold the posts of Scientific Advisor to the Raksha Mantri (SA to RM); and Secretary, Defence R&D. He was also awarded with Padma Shri in 2013. Avinash Chander is a graduate of IIT-Delhi, who joined DRDO in 1972 and obtained MS in Spatial Information Technology from JNTU, Hyderabad.
SOME IMPORTANT WORK BY AVINASH CHANDER

He was visionary behind evolving the strategies for long-range missiles and had led the design and development of Agni-1, Agni-2, Agni-3 and Agni-4 He led to development of the of 5000 km range Agni-V missile propelling India to join the privileged club of five advanced nations
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Avinash Chander created the infrastructure, industry base, production lines and integration facilities to produce different classes of Agni missile systems Under him, DRDO laboratories have carried out extensive research and indigenously developed the critical technologies such as composite rocket motors and re-entry carbon composite heat shield He has provided expertise thrust for programmes of national importance such as underwater missiles, BrahMos cruise missiles, Nag and the Air Defence Systems.
INFOSYS APPOINTED N MURTHY AS BOARD s EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

In a major top management re-shuffle, Infosys on 1 June 2013 appointed N R Narayana Murthy as executive chairman of the Board. He would serve as board chairman for 5 years. K V Kamath stepped down from his position as Chairman of the Board and took up the position of Lead Independent Director. In fact, Narayan Murthy was appointed as the chairman for the second time. Prior to this, he was the chairman from 2002 to 2011. The Board has taken this step keeping in mind the challenges that the technology industry and the company faces in the present day. Infosys increased the age limit for holding Chairman's post to 75 years to facilitate the reappointment of N R Narayana Murthy at the top position. Earlier the retirement age for Executive Chairman- which also included board members was 60 years. Infosys is India's second largest software services.
RAMI HAMDALLAH APPOINTED AS PRIME MINISTER OF PALESTINE

The President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas on 2 June 2013 named Rami Hamdallah as his new Prime Minister. Rami Hamdallah replaced Western-favoured economist Salam Fayyad who had left the office of Prime Minister in April 2013 and formally quit now.
ABOUT RAMI HAMDALLAH

Rami Hamdallah is 54 years of age He is a member of Fatah Palestinian National Authority which is headed by Mahmoud Abbas He has doctorate in applied linguistics from the British university of Lancaster He was a professor of linguistics and has also remained president of An Najah National University in West Bank since 1998
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He also served as secretary general of the Palestinian central elections commission
Background: On 27 April 2013, Mahmoud Abbas, the President had announced about the commencement of consultations for forming the unity government under his leadership. This had to be done in line with the reconciliation deal between rival Islamist movement Hamas and Fatah. Hamas, the controller of the Gaza strip, however termed Rami Hamdal lahs appointment as the PM, illegal.
AYAZ SADIQ ELECTED A SPEAKER OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF PAKISTAN

Leader of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), Ayaz Sadiq was on 3 June 2013 elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. He won with 258 votes out of 313 votes which were cast in the election of a Speaker in lower house of the Parliament of Pakistan. The strength of National Assembly of Pakistan is 342. His opponents, Shaheryar Afridi of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf and SA Iqbal Qadri of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement got just 31 and 23 votes respectively. The outgoing Speaker Fehmida Mirza administered the oath of Speakers office to Ayaz Sadiq. He became the 19th Speaker of the lower house of the Parliament of Pakistan. PML-N nominee Murtaza Javed Abbasi was elected as deputy speaker of the National Assembly. He got a total of 258 votes.
ABOUT AYAZ SADIQ

Ayaz Sadiq was born in Lahore, Pakistan in 1954 He has been elected to the Parliament of Pakistan three times since 2002. He remained the Member of National Assembly (MNA) for three consecutive terms, i.e., from 20022008, 2008-2013 and now, from 2013-2018 He started the political career in 1990s from Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) He left PTI in the year 1998 and joined Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) In the 2002 general election in Pakistan, he successfully contested against Imran Khan from NA-122 Lahore-V
ARTICLE 53 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF PAKISTAN: ELECTION OF THE SPEAKER AND DEPUTY SPEAKER TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
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other business, elect from amongst its members a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker. Before entering upon office, a member elected as Speaker or Deputy Speaker should take the oath in the form set out in the Third Schedule. It is important to note that the Election Commission of Pakistan on 14 May 2013 announced results of 272 National Assembly seats, with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz heading the count with 126 seats, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party with 31 seats.
NAWAZ SHARIF SWORN IN AS THE PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN

Nawaz Sharif on 5 June 2013 took oath to the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan for his third term after formally being elected as the Prime Minister by the National Assembly. Sharif returned back to power almost after 14 years after he was forced to leave the office in a military coup and went into exile. He was sworn-in by the President Asif Ali Zardari at a function in an ornate hall at the Presidency. During his oath ceremony, he pointed to work towards improvement of the falling economy, electricity blackouts and an end to American drone Strikes in the tribal areas. Nawaz Sharif party PML-N made a landslide victory in the General Elections conducted in May 2013 by receiving 244 votes in favour of the 342 seat Parliament.
ABOUT NAWAZ SHARIF

He took oath to the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan on 5 june 2013 (the country that has witnessed three military coups in 66 year long history) Sharif is the first Prime Minister of Pakistan to serve three terms in the office his first two terms were from 1990 to 1993 and 1997 to 1999. In 1993, he failed to complete the term due to corruption charges and during his second term he met with a military coup He is a leading industrialist of Pakistan and the owner of Ittefaq Group, a leading business conglomerate of Pakistan In 1985, he was appointed as the Chief Minister of Punjab by Zia-ul-Haq He was born on 25 December 1949 at Lahore, Pakistan
S.E. RICE APPOINTED AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER TO OBAMA

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Susan Elizabeth Rice, the American ambassador to the United Nations was appointed as the National Security Adviser of US President Barack Obama on 5 June 2013. She replaced Tom Donilon. The announcement of her appointment was made by Obama in a ceremony at Rose Garden.
ABOUT SUSAN ELIZABETH RICE

Susan Elizabeth Rice was born on 17 November 1964 in Washington D.C. She is an American diplomat and was as of now, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations She is the second youngest person to represent US at United Nations She served as staff of National Security Council and as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during the second term of President Bill Clinton She is said to be the first Jamaican-American woman to hold the office of UN ambassador She was the principal and Managing Director at Intellibridge from 2001 to 2002 In the year 2002, she joined Brookings Institution as the senior fellow in the foreign policy program She remained the foreign policy adviser to John Kerry during 2004 presidential campaign She left Brookings Institution in the year 2008 to serve as senior foreign policy adviser to Senator Barack Obama in the presidential campaign She is said to be the first high-profile foreign policy staffers that signed onto Obama's campaign She was named in the advisory board of the ObamaBiden Transition Project on 5 November 2008 Susan Elizabeth Rice received one of the Glamour Magazine Women of the Year Awards in the year 2009 In the year 2002, she was also indicted into Stanford's Black Alumni Hall of Fame
K R KAMATH RE-ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF IBA

The Indian Banks' Association (IBA) announced on 6 June 2013 that K R Kamath, the chairman and managing director of Punjab National Bank (PNB) was re-elected as the Chairman of IBA for www.jagranjosh.com
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2013-14 tenure.
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At the 66th annual general meeting, IBA also elected Aditya Puri, managing director and CEO of HDFC Bank, as its Deputy Chairman. Along with this, the Chairman of State Bank of India (SBI), Pratip Chaudhuri was elected as the Honorary Secretary.
INDIAN BANKS' ASSOCIATION (IBA)

Indian Banks' Association (IBA) was formed on 26 September 1946. It is an association of Indian banks and financial institutions. It is based in Mumbai. IBA at present represents a total of 173 banking companies which are operating in India. The objective of the association is strengthening, development and coordination of the Indian banking. It also facilitates various member banks. Indian Banks' Association is managed by the managing committee. The current managing committee of the IBA consists of a chairman, three deputy chairmen, one honorary secretary as well as 26 members.
VK DUGGAL APPOINTED NODAL OFFICER IN UTTRAKHAND

VK Duggal, the former Union Home Secretary on 21 June 2013 was appointed as the nodal officer for relief and rescue operations in the rain-ravaged Uttrakhand by the Union Government of India. Duggal will operate from Dehradun. Duggal will help in establishing coordination between different agencies involved in relief and rescue operations and the centre, as lack of coordination between the agencies was hampering the mitigation efforts. The decision of VK Duggals appointment as nodal officer was taken after a review meet conducted by the Union Home Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde at New Delhi. The review meet was attended by the representatives of the Ministries of Home, Defence, Food, Surface Transport and National Disaster Management Authority.
ABOUT VK DUGGAL
VK Duggal was a former Water Resource Secretary of Indian Union
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He served as Indian Union Home Secretary from March 2005 to April 2007. He preceded Dhirendra Singh in the office and was succeeded by Madhukar Gupta. He served the Municipal Corporation of Delhi as its commissioner between 1996 to 2000 He was born on 26 November 1944
DARREN LEHMANN APPOINTED COACH OF AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM

43 years old Darren Lehmann in the Month of June 2013 has been appointed coach of Australian Cricket team. He was appointed replacing Mickey Arthur who was sacked two weeks before the Australia Ashes Tour which was set to start on 10 July 2013. South African Mickey Arthur, faced criticism following poor performances and disciplinary issues within the camp. He had coached Australia to 10 wins and six defeats in 19 Test matches.
ABOUT DARREN LEHMANN

He had played 27 Tests and 117 one-day internationals for Australia between 1996 and 2005. He retired from playing for South Australia in 2007, and was appointed as coach of Queensland in May 2011. He had also coached Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League 6. Lehmann played for Yorkshire in between 1997 to 2006 and was part of the side that won the County Championship in 2001, and captained the county the following season. Queensland won the Sheffield Shield as well as two domestic one-day trophies in Lehmann's two years coaching the state.
AWARDS IN THE MONTH OF APRIL

M. HARIAWALA WON HEALTHCARE VISIONARY OF DECADE THE AWARD
Harvard trained and internationally acclaimed Indian American Cardiac Surgeon and Healthcare Economist Dr Mukesh Hariawala on 28 June 2013 was recently conferred the prestigious Indian Healthcare Visionary of the Decade award at a glittering ceremony of the 4th Annual Business www.jagranjosh.com
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Leadership Conclave at Hotel Leela in Mumbai.
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Also felicitated with other prestigious awards were industrialists Ratan Tata , Transformational Leader of the Decade and Mukesh Ambani who is the Millennium Business Leader of the Decade. After the award ceremony, Mukesh convincingly laid out a 100 Billion Dollar Medical Tourism opportunity for India as a byproduct of US President Barack Obamas new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which unofficially is also termed Obamacare.
OOMAN CHANDY RECEIVED THE UN PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on 28 June 2013 received the prestigious United Nations Public Service Award for his Mass Contact Programme Initiative. The award was presented at a function held in Bahrain by United Nations under Secretary General Wu Hongbo. Chandy bagged the first place in the category Preventing and Combating Corruption in the public. He received the award for the mass contact programme conducted by him in 2011 after becoming the Chief Minister for the second time. A total of 5.5 lakh petitions were received in 2011, of which three lakh were resolved. Financial assistance of 22.68 crore rupees was given to the people during the programme. The highlight of his mass contact programme was that the problems of the people could be directly communicated to the Chief Minister without any intermediary.
AMRIT SINGH RECEIVED INDIA ABROAD PUBLISHER'S SPECIAL AWARD

Legal Activist and the youngest daughter of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Amrit Singh on 21 June 2013 received the India abroad publishers special award for excellence 2012. Amrit is senior legal officer for national security and counterterrorism at the Open Society Justice Initiative based at the New York. Amrit Singh was given the award at the event organized by India Abroad on 21 June 2013 for her report Globalizing Torture: CIA Secret Torture and Extraordinary Rendition released in February 2013. The report stated that 54 nations comprising Pakistan helped the US in its war against al-Qaida by hosting CIA prisons on their territories and detaining, interrogating and torturing terror suspects.
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Congressman Bera was honoured as the India Abroad Person of the Year for Political Achievement 2012. He is only the third Indian-American to be elected to the US congress.
RUSSIAN FILM WON GOLDEN GOBLET AT SHANGHAI FILM FESTIVAL

Russian film, The Major won Golden Goblet on 23 June 2013 for best feature film at the 16th Shanghai International Film Festival. The film talks about how things go out of control when corrupt police officers try to cover up a hit-and-run case for their colleague. The jury headed by Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper opined that the film revealed a complicated Russian society, as well as Great Russian art and storytelling tradition. Its director, Yuri Bykov won awards for best director and outstanding artistic achievement. The Jury Grand Prix went to Sweden film Reliance directed by William Olsson. The film also won awards for best screenplay and best cinematography. Hong Kong actor Nick Cheung won the Golden Goblet for best actor for the film Unbeatable. Ten-year-old Malaysian child star Crystal Lee became the youngest actress to win the award for best actress in the festival's history. Some 1665 films produced in 112 countries were screened during the nine-day festival that ran from 15 June to 23 June 2013.
MICHAEL CHRISTIAN AWARDED WITH TOP JOCK

Michael Christian, one of the Australian radio presenters working at 2 Day-FM, who hoaxed a call to the Cambridges hospital about Kate Middleton, was awarded with the title of Top Jock as well as a trip to Los Angeles by the employer, radio network Southern Cross Austereo. MP Keith Vaz criticised the award.
BACKGROUND
Michael Christian, 31, is one of the two RJs who made a prank call to the hospital to know about the details of pregnant Kate Middleton and eventually attracted controversy because of suicide of the nurse. The two RJs in December 2012 called Edward VIIs Hospital in Marylebone claiming to be Queen and Prince Charles. The RJs asked about the morning sickness of the Duchess of Cambridge. The nurse Jacintha Saldanha, 46, passed the call to another nurse. A few days later, she committed suicide that fetched global controversy.
IRISH AUTHOR KEVIN BARRY WON IMPAC DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD

Kevin Barry, the Irish author won 100000 Euro International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award f or his debut novel, City of Bohane. The book has described, the Ireland of 2053 a place where one would not want to be alive. This is not a future of shiny technology but one in which history turns in circles and quirks an eyebrow at the idea of progress. www.jagranjosh.com
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To win the award, Kevin Barry managed to beat 153 titles nominated from 160 libraries of 44 countries. City of Bohane was nominated by Cork, Dublin and Limerick City Libraries. Barry is the third Irish author to win this award.
ABOUT THE AWARD

The prize is open for novels in any language that has been published in or translated into English and is organised by Dublin City Libraries on behalf of Dublin City Council. The award is sponsored by IMPAC, an international management productivity company. Previous winners of the award include to Colm Toibin in 2006 for The Master, Gerbrand Bakker in 2010 for The Twin, Colum McCann in 2011 for Let the Great World Spin, Jon McGregor in 2012 for Even the Dogs.
ABOUT KEVIN BARRY

Kevin Barry is an Irish writer, who originally belongs from Limerick and at present he lives in Sligo. City of Bohane is his debut novel. He has also published two award winning story collections: There are Little Kingdoms in 2007 Dark Lies the Island in 2012
UTTARAKHAND NGO BAGGED FRENCH AWARD

Central Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA), an NGO in Uttarakhand on 6 June 2013 bagged a French award for its contribution to protection of human rights. The Central Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA) is a voluntary organisation based in Nainital. It was honoured with Special Mention of the 2012 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic in appreciation of its work in the field of defence of socio-economic rights and sustainable development of people. CHEA was involved in strengthening community forestry institution (Van Panchayats) for womens empowerment and affirmation of economic and social rights of rural communities in the Indian Central Himalayan region. The award basically consists of a medal and a diploma and it was presented to director of Central Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA) by the Ambassador of France Frans Richier at a function in Delhi.
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ASHOK SHAH WON AWARD AT THE WORLD STREET FOOD CONGRESS

Indian street food vendors Ashok Sah and Vijay Chaudhary won the critics award at the World Street Food Congress in Singapore. The Congress was held from 31 May 2013 to 9 June 2013. They had gone there as a part of a team of Indian street food vendors. Alongside the World Street Food Congress, a World Street Food Dialogue was also held. It discussed the responses of the national and provincial governments in India towards promoting street food vending as well as social-economic dynamics of street food vending.
A KAPOOR 1 ST LIVING INDIAN-ORIGIN SCULPTOR TO WIN KNIGHTHOOD

Anish Kapoor, the Indian-origin sculptor was honoured with Knighthood, which is the highest honour of Britain. He was conferred the award by the Queen Elizabeth II in her birthday honours list 2013 for Visual Arts services.
ABOUT ANISH KAPOOR

Anish Kapoor, 59, is said to be the pioneering sculptors of his generation and is known for enigmatic sculptural forms as well as monumental public sculptures. He became first living Indian-origin British artist to take over Royal Academy in 2009. He also won the Turner Prize and twice received the Premio Duemilia at the Venice Biennale. A lot of other international honours have also been conferred upon him.
ABOUT THE KNIGHTHOOD HONOUR

Knight, in general, is the person who is granted the honourary title of knighthood by political leader or a monarch. In early days, Knighthood was conferred on the mounted warriors in Europe. However, since Early Modern period, this title is considered as absolutely honorific.
TAN TWAN ENG DECLARED WINNER OF WALTER SCOTT PRIZE 2013

Tan Twan Eng, the Malaysian author was declared as the winner of Walter Scott Prize for his English fiction novel The Garden of Evening Mists. He got 25000 pounds for the prize. The ceremony was held in Melrose, situated at the Scottish borders. He won the award during Borders Book Festival which was held from 13 June 2013 to 16 June 2013. The prize was given to him by Duke of Buccleuch. The Garden of Evening Mists is first novel by any overseas writer that has won 4-year-old Walter Scott Prize. According to the new rule introduced in 2012, authors from Commonwealth
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were made eligible for the entry into the competition for this prize.
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The Garden of Evening Mists won over the strong shortlist which included Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. There were also other novels by English writers such as Anthony Quinn, Rose Tremain and Pat Barker as well as Australian author Thomas Keneally. Tan Twan Eng on 14 March 2013 was also announced as a winner of the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize. He became the first Malaysian author to win the most prestigious literary prize of Asia for the same novel The Garden of Evening Mists.
ABOUT THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE

The Walter Scott Prize for the historical fiction was founded in the year 2010. It is a British literary award. With the prize money of 25000 pounds, Walter Scott Prize is one among the largest literary awards in the UK. Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch were the creators of this award. The winner of the prize is announced every year in June in Melrose at Borders Book Festival.
ELIGIBILITY FOR A BOOK TO ENTER INTO COMPETITION FOR WALTER SCOTT PRIZE
It is important for a book to be published first in Ireland, UK or Commonwealth in order to be eligible for this prize. Because the award is given for historical fiction, therefore a historical fiction is defined as the one where the primary events of the book take place more than 60 years ago.
PROF MICHAEL STRATTON KNIGHTED FOR SERVICES IN HEALTH SECTOR

Prof Michael Stratton, the scientist who made identification of the genes causing breast cancer, was awarded prestigious knighthood in the Queen Elizabeth II Birthday Honours. The research conducted by the Prof Michael Stratton on Cancer Genome Project at the Sanger Institute helped considerably in diagnosis as well as treatment of cancer. Apart from Michael Stratton, three more knighthoods were awarded in healthcare sector. These included Professor Andrew Hall for services to public health, Professor Peng Tee Khaw for research in glaucoma as well as Stephen O'Rahilly for research on the causes of human obesity.
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ABOUT MICHAEL STRATTON

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Michael Stratton is the Director of Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridgeshire. He was the founder of Cancer Genome Project, which was directed towards hunt for the genes which cause different kinds of cancers. The breast cancer gene called BRCA2 was identified by him as well as his team in 1994.
ABOUT THE KNIGHTHOOD HONOUR

Knight, in general, is the person who is granted the honorary title of knighthood by political leader or a monarch. In early days, Knighthood was conferred on the mounted warriors in Europe. However, since Early Modern period, this title is considered as absolutely honorific.
AD AGENCY WON GOLD LION AT CANNES ADVERTISING FESTIVAL 2013

At the ongoing Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Indian advertising agencies grabbed a range of awards. While the Taproot India won two Gold Lions, Grey Worldwide India on the other hand won two bronze lions. Also, the O&M India won two bronze lions. The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity started off on 16 June 2013 and will end on 22 June 2013 in Canes, France. The Farmers Suicide campaign of Taproot India helped it win two gold, but in different categories. Grey Worldwide India, in the meanwhile, grabbed the bronze lion for the Divorce creative for DHL Express Courier. The second bronze lion won by Grey Worldwide India was for Procter & Gambles (P&G) Duracell Batteries Positive & Negative campaign. The specialty of ad campaign of Grey Worldwide India for Duracell Batteries was that it was created without the logo for the first time. The brand positioning got it advert clicks. O&M India won the bronze lion for the Philips Electronics Indias LED torchs campaign. It won another bronze for Roti Reminder campaign of Hindustan Unilever's Lifebuoy, which helped it win under Charity and Not for Profit category. It is important to note that O&M India also won the medal at the Clio Awards 2013 in New York for Innovative use of Media. No medals were however grabbed in the media category by any Indian advertising agency. Nevertheless, Leo Burnett had sent Coke Studio entry in this and O&M India sent Super Dog www.jagranjosh.com
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Chewy entry.
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ABOUT THE CANNES LIONS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity was formerly known as the International Advertising Festival. It is the international level festival for the professionals working in advertising as well as related fields. Every year, 11000 members of global creative communications industries join the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival. The Cannes Lions Awards set up the benchmark for excellence in creative communications since the year 1954. The festival is held every year at Palais des Festivals et des Congrs in Cannes, France.
UIDAI WON 21ST CENTURY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2013

The jury of International Data Group (IDG) Computerworld Honours Program, Computerworld Honors Laureate selected UIDAI for 21st Century Achievement Award 2013 under the category Economic Development for the pivotal role played by UIDAI in leveraging technology to change people lives, streamline delivery of welfare services and provide opportunity to people to participate more fully in society. The Computerworld Honors Program awards were presented at the Gala Evening and Awards Ceremony at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington in the second week of June 2013. The Computerworld Honors Programme, recognizes and honours visionary application of Information Technology promoting positive social, economic and social change. There were 24 nominees under this category from different parts of the World. The initiative of Government of India was widely appreciated by the participants at the function.
PERSONALITY IN NEWS
SILVIO BERLUSCONI SENTENCED TO 7 YEARS JAIL IN SEX TRIAL
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was sentenced to seven years in prisons and a lifetime ban on holding public office by a lower court of Milan as he was found guilty of soliciting sex from a minor and abusing his powers to cover up his actions. Silvio Berlusconi was accused of paying for sex on several occasions with Moroccan-born Karima El-Mahroug, a then 17-year-old dancer and glamour girl nicknamed Ruby the Heart www.jagranjosh.com
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Stealer. The sentence will be suspended until all appeals process is going to be exhausted, which itself is likely to take several years. The three presiding judges, all women, handed 76 years old Berlusconi a seven-year sentence, tougher than the six years that prosecutors were demanding. There is a lenient guideline in Italy for people over the age of 70 so it is quite evident that Berlusconi will get some leniency in his jail term.
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The trial of Berlusconi relates to crimes committed in 2010 when Berlusconi was prime minister, and revolves around what prosecutors have described as erotic parties held at his luxury residence outside Milan.
OPRAH WINFREY NAMED MOST POWERFUL CELEBRITY BY FORBES

Oprah Winfrey was named the most powerful celebrity on 26 June 2013 by Forbes, among the six women and four men who made up to the top 10. Singer Lady Gaga came in second, followed by director/producer Steven Spielberg and singers Beyonce and Madonna. 59 Years old Oprah Winfrey is said to have made 77 million earnings between June 2012 and June 2013. She was also credited for her prominence on TV, on social media and in the press. It is important here to note that Oprah Winfrey has topped the list on four previous occasions, and she is one of three celebrities who featured on the prestigious list every year since its inception in 1999, along with radio DJ Howard Stern and director Steven Spielberg. In year 2012 Jennifer Lopez, topped the list because of her public profile and earnings of 52 million dollars. Lincoln director Spielberg, Grown Woman singer Beyonce and Madonna round out the top five, and Taylor Swift makes her debut on the annual list at number six.
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WHO IS OPRAH WINFREY?
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Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. She is best known for her multi-award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. She has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century and the greatest black philanthropist in American history. She was also considered for a time the world's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world.
ENDOWED FELLOWSHIP AT CALTECH TO HONOUR OF SATISH DHAWAN

Department of Space in Month of June 2013 has established an endowed fellowship in honour of Prof. Satish Dhawan at the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the US. It is worth mentioning here that Satish Dhawan was the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation during its formative period 1972-1984.
ABOUT SATISH DHAWAN

Satish Dhawan was an alumnus of the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories at Caltech who received his PhD in aerospace in 1951. He served as an eminent visiting Professor during 1971-72 at Caltech, immediately preceding his assumption of the Chairmanship of ISRO in 1972. He was a visionary leader of ISRO and an internationally recognised researcher and a legendary teacher. He was bestowed with the Distinguished Alumni Award by Caltech in 1969, which is considered to be the highest alumnus honour. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan by Government of India in year 1981.
ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP

The fellowship starts from the winter session of the academic year 2013-14 and gives an excellent opportunity every year to one commendable graduating student from the Aerospace Department of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram to be sponsored by the Department of Space, to pursue Masters in Aerospace Engineering at www.jagranjosh.com
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California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the US.
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RAGHAV JONEJA IS THE YOUNGEST INDIAN TO CLIMB EVEREST

Raghav Joneja became the youngest Indian to scale the Mount Everest on 21 May 2013 when he along with his five schoolmates climbed the fifth highest peak in the world. Climbing at the age of 15 years and seven months Raghav Joneja broke the record set by Nameirakpam Chingkheinganba of Manipur's, who climed the everest at the age 16 years seven months and 11 days. The group of boys who climbed with Raghav Joneja is all from Lawrence School, Sanawar. With this Lawrence became the first school in the world to send a team to the highest peak who joined the group from here to the base camp for 21 days to give them moral support. Apart from Raghav, Ajay Sohal (17) Prithvi Chahal (17) Shubham Kaushik (16), Fateh Brar (16) Guribadat Singh (17) climbed the peak while one of their teammate Hakikat Grewal had to draw back from 27600 ft as he faced some problems with his oxygen mask. All through the process, the team from one of Asia's extant boarding schools, in Kasuali, became the youngest group and the first school team in the world to reach the top of the 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) mountain range. The team now is sheltering its aspirations to scale Seven Summits, which is the highest mountains of each of the seven continents, regarded as mountaineering challenge.
LYDIA NSEKRA IS THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE ELECTED TO FIFA

Burundi's Lydia Nsekera became the first woman to be elected to the FIFA Executive Committee (ExCo) for a full term of four years at the FIFA Congress in Mauritius held on 30 May 2013. The two other women Moya Dodd of Australia and Sonia Bien-Aime of the Turks and Caicos Islands were co-opted on for one year. Nsekera was also the first woman to be co-opted on for one year at last year's congress in Budapest. Lydia Nsekera is President of the Fdration de Football du Burundi since 2004 and has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2009. The ExCo comprises a total of 24 members.
ABOUT FIFA
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law founded in 1904 and based in Zurich. It has 208 member associations and its goal, enshrined in its Statutes, is the constant improvement of football. FIFA employs some 310 people from over 35 nations and is composed of a Congress (legislative body), Executive Committee (executive body), General Secretariat (administrative body) and committees (assisting the Executive Committee).
ANCIENT ASIAN GIANT LIZARD NAMED AFTER JIM MORRISON

Paleontologists named an ancient Southeast Asian Giant Lizard that lived on the earth some 40 million years ago in the hot tropical forests of Southeast Asia was named after the Lizard King, the Doors Frontman, Jim Morrison. The extinct lizard of about six feet in size was the one of the biggest herbivorous lizard on earth and was named as Barbaturex Morrisoni. It weighed about 60 pounds. The giant lizard's genus name Barbaturex means bearded king. The researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln took inspiration from the lyrics in the musical piece of the band The Doors, as the nickname of the Morrison was the Lizard King.
DUAS LAYER: NEW CORNEA LAYER NAMED AFTER HARMINDER DUA

The Scientists from University of Nottingham in UK, in the second week of June 2013 discovered a new layer in the Cornea and named it Duas Layer after the name of an Indian Researcher, the person responsible for the discovery. The new layer has been named after the name of the professor Harminder Dua. This discovery can help the surgeons to improve the results of treatment of patients who undergo corneal grafts and transplants. Earlier scientists believed that the cornea consists of five layers namely Descemet's Membrane Corneal Epithelium, Corneal Stroma, Bowman's Layer and Corneal Endothelium. The newsly discovered layer is located between the Corneal Stroma and Descemet's membrane. Cornea is a protective lens in the eyes that allows light to enter into the eyes.
INDIAN-AMERICAN GIRL APPOINTED TO US MILITARY ACADEMY

Sneha Singh a girl of Indian origin and Graduate from Avon High School, Connecticut got admission in the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point. Sneha became the first Indian woman cadet to get entry to the United States Military Academy, in the Academy's
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prestigious 211-year history.
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She will join the academy on 1 July 2013 to begin her 47 months journey that will help her to gain the Bachelor of Science degree and will be commissioned as the second lieutenant in the United States Army. A one week, summer programme offered by West Point to the top high school juniors of the country was a turning point for Sneha Singh. During this one weeks training camp, she got her first hand experience of Army Life. Sneha is a naturalized American Citizen born from parents of Indian-origin who migrated to United States of America.
EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS OF US MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT

Whole Person Concept is used for evaluating a candidate at West Point. To avail admissions in the west point, each candidate need to receive a nomination from his/her member of Congress or a Presidential nomination (for service related candidates). The process of nomination involves submissions of an extensive application package and a formal panel interview. Even after gaining the nominations, the candidate need to qualify academically, medically and a rigorous fitness assessment and demonstrate leadership skills. At the end they need to pass the background investigation through law enforcement. Sneha Singh received her nomination from United States Senator Joseph Lieberman and Connecticut 5th District Congressman Christopher Murphy.
KANJI RAM IS 2 ND HINDU TO ENTER PAKISTAN'S PUNJAB PROVINCE

Kanji Ram became only the second Hindu to be part of the Pakistans Punjab assembly after Seth Bharta Ram who was elected a lawmaker in 1997. Kanji Ram is scheduled to take oath on 17 June 2013. Moreover, Saradar Ramesh Singh Arora on 1 June 2013 became the first ever Sikh to be elected as the member of the House since Pakistans creation in 1947. Ram and Sikh representative Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora were both nominated by the PML-N to seats in the Punjab Assembly reserved for non-Muslims. Ram hails from Sadiqabad in Rahim Yar Khan District, located 450 km away from Lahore, while Arora belongs to Narowal, a border district located 80 km from Lahore. Arora took oath during the first session of the assembly on 1 June 2013. A sizeable number of Hindus reside in Rahim Yar Khan and Ram believes his elevation as a legislator will help in addressing the problems faced by his community.
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Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook JOHN ASHE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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John William Ashe, the ambassador to the United Nations for Antigua and Barbuda in the month of June 2013 selected as the President of UN General Assembly for its 68th session. John William Ashe was chosen as the consensus candidate by all 33 GRULAC member states to be the president of the United Nations General Assembly thus not necessitating an election. As per John William Ashe the UN will soon launch an agenda for sustainable development for all, which may very well be the Strongest and most ambitious project that the United Nations has ever had to accomplish. With his appointment John Ashe stressed the importance of reflecting on new and emerging development challenges, with attention to two main goals: overcoming poverty and ensuring sustainable development. Also the New and revised partnerships are of vital importance in integrating economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability.
ABOUT JOHN WILLIAM ASHE

He was appointed the ambassador to the United Nations for Antigua and Barbuda on 3 May 2004. He is the countrys Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and has ministerial responsibility for WTO and sustainable development matters. He worked for his countrys Permanent Mission to the United Nations as Scientific Attach, Counsellor and Minister Counsellor from 1989 to 1995. He was also Antigua and Barbuda's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 1995 and 2004. He served as Chairman of the thirteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which met at United Nations Headquarters on 11 22 April 2005. He also led negotiations on budgetary and administrative matters within the Conventions on biological diversity and desertification, the Basel Convention, and the Montreal Protocol, and served on the Executive Boards of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
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ABOUT 68TH UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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The sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly is going to open in September 2013.
HASSAN ROHANI WON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS OF IRAN

Hassan Rohani, the moderate cleric of Combatant Clergy Association party won the presidential election in Iran on 15 June 2013. He secured a little over 50 percent votes to win the election. He would succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He defeated Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf of Islamic Society of Engineers party. The presidential elections in Iran took place on 14 June 2013. Hassan Rohani had registered for the prestigious designation of the country on 7 May 2013. He would take the office on 3 August 2013. He would become the seventh different President of Iran.
ABOUT HASSAN ROHANI

Hassan Rohani was born on 12 November 1948. He started his political activities when he followed Ayatollah Khomeini during beginning of Iranian Islamic movement. He has remained a member of Assembly of Experts since 1999. Assembly of Experts of Iran is also known as Council of Experts. It is the deliberative body of Islamic theologians, also called Mujtahids. The Assembly of Experts is the body that has charge of electing as well as removing Supreme Leader of Iran as well as supervising his activities. He also remained a member of Expediency Council since 1991. Expediency Council or Expediency Discernment Council of the System is the administrative assembly which is appointed by Supreme Leader of Iran. Originally, Expediency Council was established to resolve differences between Council of Guardians and the Majlis. Apart from this, he was the member of the Supreme National Security Council since 1989. He was the head of the Center for Strategic Research since 1992. Hassan Rohani has remained the deputy speaker of the 4th and 5th terms of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) and secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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from 1989 to 2005.
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He also remained the head of former nuclear negotiating team of Iran. He was also the top negotiator of Iran with the EU three namely, Germany, UK and France, on the nuclear program of Iran. In the book titled, National Security and Nuclear Diplomacy, there is an autobiography of Hassan Rohani which describes about his experience as in-charge of Iran's nuclear case as well as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT OF IRAN, AS PER THE CONSTITUTION OF IRAN
According to Article 117 of the Constitution of Iran, the President is elected by an absolute majority of votes polled by the voters. According to Article 115 of the Constitution of Iran, the President must be elected from among religious and political personalities. According to Article 114 of the Constitution of Iran, the President is elected for a fouryear term by the direct vote of the people. His re-election for a successive term is permissible only once.
PM TOOK OATH AS RAYJA SABHA MEMBER FROM ASSAM

Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India on 17 June 2013 took oath as the member of Rajya Sabha. He was elected to Rajya Sabha for the fifth consecutive term from Assam. In the election, he was the only contestant for the first preference vote seat. Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Mohammad Hamid Ansari administered the oath to Manmohan Singh in his chamber in the Parliament House. PART V, of the Constitution of India under Article 99 provides power of Oath or affirmation by members. The Article mentions: Every member of either House of Parliament shall, before taking his seat, make and subscribe before the President, or some person appointed in that behalf by him, an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule. Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 30 May 2013 was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the fifth time from Assam.
AMOL RAJAN BECAME FIRST NON-WHITE EDITOR OF THE INDEPENDENT
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Amol Rajan, the 29-year-year-old Indian origin journalist became the Editor of UK national paper, The Independent, on 17 June 2013. He became the first non-white editor of The Independent. Amol Rajan replaced Chris Blackhurst. Earlier, Amol Rajan was the comment editor of the newspaper.
ABOUT AMOL RAJAN

Amol Rajan was born on 4 July 1983 in Kolkata, West Bengal in India. He moved to London in 1986 and grew in Tooting, south London. He studied English literature at Cambridge University. After graduation, Amol Rajan briefly worked with Channel 5 and Evening Standard. Later, he worked at The Independent and rose to higher ranks from news reporter. He joined The Independent in the year 2007. He also authored a book titled Twirlymen, the Unlikely History of Cricket's Greatest Spin Bowlers. The book describes about the history of spin-bowlers in the game of cricket. This book was published in 2011 by the Random House. The owner of The Independent is Evgeny Lebedev. He is also the owner of The London Evening Standard and The Independent on Sunday.
JAMES COMEY NOMINATED AS NEXT FBI DIRECTOR BY BARACK OBAMA

Barack Obama, the US President on 21 June 2013 nominated James Comey as the next FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) Director. James Comey is a registered Republican and former Justice Department official under President George W. Bush. His nomination awaits confirmation from the US Senate. On getting this confirmation for the post, the 52 year old Comey would succeed Robert Mueller. Robert Mueller held the post of FBI Director since 2001 and will retire after completing 12 years of his service to FBI as its Director. Comey is best known for his actions against White House officials over the legality of the warrantless-wiretapping program of the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2004.
ABOUT COMEY
He was the United States Deputy Attorney General, serving in President George W. Bush's administration from December 2003 to August 2005 After of Law School, Comey served as a law clerk for then-United States District Judge Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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John M. Walker, Jr. in Manhattan
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Comey is credited as the main protagonist in Martha Stewart's 2004 conviction for obstruction of justice, stating "This criminal case is about lying - lying to the FBI, lying to the SEC, lying to investors. Comey served as a nonexecutive director of British bank HSBC
WALLENDA 1 st MAN TO WALK ACROSS GRAND CANYON ON TIGHTROPE

Nik Wallenda, said to be the 7th generation high-wire artist on 23 June 2013 successfully completed walking the 2-inch thick cable across Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon. He finished this walk in merely 23 minutes. With this, he became the first man to cross Grand Canyon on the tightrope. The tightrope was stretched 1500 feet above the gorge floor. He completed the 1400 foot long televised walk without any safety harness or net. Nik Wallenda, in the meanwhile, also declared that his next tightrope walk would be between the Empire State building and the Chrysler building in New York. The location of his attempt was a site in the Navajo Nation, which is 10 miles southeast of the Grand Canyon in northwest Arizona. Discovery channel telecasted his gorge walk. In the year 2012, he made this kind of walk across the Niagara Falls as well.
ABOUT NIK WALLENDA

Nikolas Wallenda, also popularly known as Nik Wallenda was born on 24 January 1979. He is an American daredevil, acrobat, aerialist as well as high wire artist. He is self-described as the King of Wire. He is renowned for high-wire performances without making use of the safety net. He has seven Guinness World Records for different acrobatic performances. He is also the first person to walk the tightrope which was stretched over Niagara Falls on 15 June 2012. He is the 7th generation member of The Flying Wallendas family. In the year 2008, Nik Wallenda set the Guinness World Records for longest and highest bicycle ride when he crossed 250 foot long ride at the 135 feet above the ground in New Jersey.
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PERSON DIED
JIAH KHAN, THE 25-YEAR OLD BOLLYWOOD ACTRESS DIED
Jiah Khan, the 25-year old Bollywood actress died on 3 June 2013 at her Juhu residence in Mumbai. She allegedly committed suicide.
ABOUT JIAH KHAN

Jiah Khans real name was Nafisa Khan. She was born on 20 February 1988 in Chelsea, London. She debuted in Ram Gopal Varma's Nishabd, opposite veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan in the year 2007. She also got the Filmfare Best Debutant Nomination for Nishabd. Jiah Khan also appeared with Aamir Khan in A R Murugadoss's Ghajini. She also starred in Sajid Khan's comedy film Housefull in 2010. Housefull was her last film. Jiah was raised in England and later moved to Mumbai to make a mark in Bollywood industry.
ACTRESS ESTHER WILLIAMS AND COMPETITIVE SWIMMER DIED AT 91

Esther Williams, the competitive swimmer as well as MGM movie actress during 1940s and 50s died on 6 June 2013 in California. She was 91 years of age.
ABOUT ESTHER WILLIAMS

Esther Williams was born on 8 August 1921. She set various national and regional swimming records being a part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. She was a swimming champion in freestyle and the breaststroke styles.
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She made various films during 1940s and 50s, which were known as aquamusicals. In the year 1962, she retired from her films career. Some of her films included Andy Hardy's Double Life, Bathing Beauty, Neptune's Daughter and Million Dollar Mermaid. She was honoured at the Florida-based International Swimming Hall of Fame in the year 1966.
SCOTTISH FICTION WRITER IAIN BANKS DIED AT THE AGE OF 59

Scottish author Iain Banks, who is best known for his novels The Wasp Factory and The Crow Road, died of Cancer on 9 June 2013 at the age of 59. Iain Banks revealed he had a terminal cancer two months prior before his death. His final book The Quarry was scheduled to publish in less than 15 days. The book protagonist was Iain Banks himself and the story focuses on the final weeks in the life of its cancer-ridden protagonist.
ABOUT IAIN BANKS

He was born in Fife in Scotland in 1954, where he continued to live up until his death. Iain Banks was one of Britain's most creative writers and remarkable in his talent for both mainstream novels and science fiction. He used to write book under the name Iain M Banks. Iain Banks carried the ability to mingle the most fertile of imaginations with his own highly distinctive brand of gothic humour made him unique. He was regarded as one of the most innovative writers of his generation. He rose to eminence in 1984 with his first novel The Wasp Factory, the troubling tale of a Scottish teenager who had murdered three children in his family before he was ten. He was known for his frantic writing pace, he usually complete a novel in less than three months He has left behind a collection of more than two dozen novels.
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CARNATIC VOCALIST RANJANI HEBBER GURUPRASAD PASSED AWAY

Carnatic vocalist Ranjani Hebbar Guruprasad died on 9 June 2013 in her hometown Udupi. She was suffering from cancer. She was only 31 years old. She was the daughter of Vasanthalakshmi and Aravinda Hebbar. She performed at many leading sabhas which include prize-winning performances at the Music Academy. Ranjani was also the recipient of honours such as the Kalki Award and Isai Chudar. She is survived by her husband, Guruprasad who is a software engineer.
VC SHUKLA THE FORMER UNION MINISTER DIED

Vidya Charan Shukla, a former Union Minister and Congress veteran from Chhattisgarh, died on 11 June 2013 of multiple organ failure. 84 years old VC Shukla was battling with injuries in Gurgaon Hospital after a Maoist attack on group of Party leaders on 25 May 2013. He was shot three times during the Maoist trap of a convoy of cars carrying top Congress leaders of the state coming from a rally in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district. VC Shukla is survived by wife and three daughters.
A BRIEF INSIGHT INTO VC SHUKL AS CAREER

VC Shukla belonged to an old Congress family and was one of the famous Shukla brothers of undivided Madhya Pradesh. His father, Ravi Shankar Shukla, was the first Chief Minister of reorganised Madhya Pradesh. At 28 years of age he won his first Lok Sabha election. He was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times. He first became a minister in 1966, when he was 37 years old, in Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's cabinet. He held many important portfolios in his long career span which includes Communications, Home, Defence, Finance, Planning, Information & Broadcasting, Civil Supplies, External Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources.
BAHUKUTUMBI RAMAN, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF RAW, DIED AT 77

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Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), passed away on 16 June 2013 in Chennai after a long fight with cancer. He was 77 years of age.
ABOUT BAHUKUTUMBI RAMAN

Bahukutumbi Raman was a 1961 Madhya Pradesh cadre IPS officer. He was selected by Rameshwar Nath Kao for joining Research and Analysis wing (RAW) right from the time when it was separated from Intelligence Bureau in September 1968. He was one among the foremost security experts of India. He was the former additional secretary with the Cabinet Secretariat. He also remained director of the Institute for Topical Studies, Chennai. B. Raman remained a critic of the foreign policy of India. He has authored various books which covered subjects like military issues of South Asia and India, counter-terrorism as well as security. He also authored a journal called Kao-boys of Research and Analysis Wing: Down Memory Lane, in which he wrote about his working experience with RAW.
TAMIL ACTOR-DIRECTOR MANIVANNAN PASSED AWAY

Tamil actor-director Manivannan passed away on 15 June 2013 at his residence in Chennai after a cardiac arrest. 59 Years old Manivannan started his career as an assistant with well known director Bharathi Raja. In year 1982 he directed his first movie Gopurangal Saivathillai. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
A BRIEF INSIGHT INTO MANIVANNANS CAREER

He started his showbiz career as a writer. He penned dialogues for projects like Tick Tick Tick and Kathal Ovium, Nizhalagal, and Alaigai Oivathillai.
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He has acted as a villain in Kodi Parakkuthu directed by Bharathi Raja, which had superstar Rajnikant playing hero His 50th and last directorial venture was Nagaraja Cholan MA, MLA, released in May 2013. The audio launch of the movie was his last public appearance. He played major roles in Tamil films such as Mudhalvan, Sangamam and Ullathai Allitha. Some of the films directed by Manivannan include Pudhu Manithan, Chinna Thambi Periya Thambi and Jalli Kattu. He was a political satirist, both on and off the screen and was a member of Naam Tamizhar (We Tamil) group and fought for the betterment of Sri Lankan Tamils.
VETERAN CPI LEADER SATYA PAL DANG PASSED AWAY

92 years old Veteran CPI leader Satya Pal Dang passed away in Amritsar on 15 June 2013. Satya Pal Dang was Born in 1920 in Gujranwala in Pakistan and had married to Vimla, another CPI leader, in 1952. Vimla died in 2009. The couple was known for their courage in raising their voices against terrorism in Punjab.
A BRIEF INSIGHT INTO SATYA PAL DANGS POLITICAL CAREER

Satya Pal Dang had contested his first Vidhan Sabha election in 1966-67 from Amritsar west constituency. He won that election after defeating then CM Gurmukh Singh Musafir. With the win he became food and civil supply minister in the coalition government. During his term he took some tough decisions to ensure that food items reached the poor through PDS. He led several struggles of various sections of the people, including peasants and workers, and was elected four times to Punjab assembly from Amritsar. Satya Pal Dang won from the same constituency in 1969, 1972 and 1977. He remained an active trade union leader and fought for the cause of workers. Dang faced his first defeat in 1980. Later, his seat was given to his wife Vimla, who won Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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At the time of terrorism in Punjab in 1980s, Dang was vocal and active against the forces of secession. It was he who had then given the slogan 'Na Hindurashtra, na Khalistan, jug jug jiye Hindustan' (neither a Hindu state, nor a separate Khalistan, long live India).
PERSON RESIGNED
RAJEEV SHUKLA RESIGNED AS CHAIRMAN OF IPL
Rajeev Shukla resigned as Chairman of IPL on 1 June 2013 in the wake of the raging spot-fixing scandal. The resignation of Shukla came on the eve of the emergency meeting of the BCCI working committee scheduled to be held in Chennai. Rajeev Shukla was an Indian journalist, political commentator, television host and the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Planning, Government of India. He is a Member of Parliament since 2000. He serves as secretary of the All India Congress Committee. Rajiv Shukla was first appointed as the chief of IPL at the BCCI AGM held on 18 September 2011. Rajiv's appointment came after Chirayu Amin's decision to step down. He was reappointed as IPL chairman in 2012.
LAL KRISHNA ADVANI RESIGNED FROM TOP POSITIONS OF BJP

BJP veteran politician Lal Krishna Advani on 10 June 2013 resigned from all top positions of the party namely Parliamentary Board, National Executive and Election Committee. The decision of the party veteran came a day after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was selected to head partys election campaign at Goa on 9 June 2013 in the BJP national executive meet. Advani handed over his one page letter of resignation to the Party President, Rajnath Singh. In his letter of resignation, the 85 year old veteran leader of BJP, Advani wrote that for some time, he was unable to reconcile with the current functioning of the party as well as the direction in which the party was heading. He also wrote that most of the leaders of the party are just concerned with their personal agendas. In his letter he also wrote that BJP was no longer the same idealistic party created by Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya, Nanaji Deshmukh and Vajpayee. Earlier, Advani skipped the three-day national executive meet of the party at Goa citing health conditions. This was the first time, when Advani managed the stay away from the national www.jagranjosh.com
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executive meeting since the party came into existence.
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He will continue to be the chairman of the BJP parliamentary party as well as the working chairman of NDA.
ABOUT LK ADVANI
Born on 8 November 1927 at Karachi, LK Advani joined Rastriya Seayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1942 In 1947, he became the organizer of RSS in Karachi In 1951, he joined Jana Sangh as the State Secretary of Rajasthan Unit In 1975, he was elected as the President of Jana Sangh In 1977, he joined Janata Party after the dissolution of Jana Sangh to fight the Lok Sabha Elections. He served as the Information and Broadcasting Minister in Janata Party Government In 1980, Advani with the previous members of Jana Sangh formed Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), after the issue of dual membership rocked the Janata Party in 1979 From 1980 to 1986, he was the general secretary of BJP In 1986, he was appointed as the party President of BJP and was re-appointed to the same post in 1993 to 98 and 2004 to 2006 In 1990, he concluded the Rath Yatra with a demand of Ram Temple at the site of Babri Masjid and projected himself as the mass-based hard line leader In 1991-93, he was appointed as the leader of opposition In 1995, his name came up in Hawala Scandal and he took himself away from active politics and not to contest elections till his name was not cleared. He fought the parliamentary election in 1998 after Delhi High Court gave him the clean chit on the issue of the scandal In 1996, he became the Home Minister of India during the 13-day government of NDA In 1998, he became the Home Minister again and held the post of Deputy Prime Minister from 2002 to 04 In 2005: during his Pakistan visit, he declared Pakistan's founding father Mohammed Ali Jinnah as a secular leader and refused to pull back his statement as a result of which he was asked to quit Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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In 2009, he was the Prime Minister candidate in the Lok Sabha polls, but BJP suffered a loss and as a result he resigned from the post of leader of opposition From 2010-13, he has been serving the party as the Chairman of NDA and head of Parliamentary party of BJP
AJAY MAKEN AND C P JOSHI RESIGNED FROM THE UNION CABINET

CP Joshi and Ajay Maken on 15 June 2013 resigned from Union Cabinet of India. Before resignation, CP Joshi was handling the portfolio of Union Ministry of Railways as well as Transport and Highways Ministry and Ajay Maken was handling the portfolio of Union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry. Their resignation was accepted by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 16 June 2013.
ABOUT CP JOSHI
CP Joshi is the Member of Parliament of India from Bhilwara, Rajasthan in the 15th Lok Sabha For his first term in the Indian Parliament, in May 2009 he was appointed as the Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayti Raj In September 2012, for the first time Joshi took an additional charge of the Railway Ministry after the exit of Mukul Roy of Trinamool Congress. He was the first minister from Congress after 17 years to handle railway portfolio after C.K. Jaffer Sharief (1991-95). Elected MLA from Nathdwara Assembly (1980 and 1985, 1998 and 2003) He served as the cabinet minister of the state in 1998 and since then handled key portfolios like Panchayti Raj, Education, Rural Development, Public Health Engineering, Policy Planning, and Information Technology In 2003, he was appointed as the President of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee He is the second person in the history of India to lose an assembly election by one vote after A. R. Krishnamurthy in 2004 election in Karnataka from Santhemarahalli constituency He has been a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly for four terms and has Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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represented his native town Nathdwara Joshi is also the President of Rajasthan Cricket Association
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ABOUT AJAY MAKEN

Ajay Maken is the Member of Parliament of India from New Delhi constituency of Delhi In October 2012, Maken was alleviated as Union Cabinet Minister for Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation In 1985, he was elected as the President of Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) In January 2011, he was appointed as the Union Minister of State (independent Charge) Youth Affairs and Sports In May 2009, he was appointed as the Union Minister of State, Home Affairs In January 2006, Union Minister of State, Urban Development In 2003 he served as a Speaker to Delhi Legislative Assembly The duo was elevated as General Secretaries of the party along with Ambika Soni and Gurudas Kamat, while Ghulam Nabi Azad and Oscar Fernandes were dropped.
ADEL EL-KHAYAT RESIGNED AS GOVERNOR OF LUXOR

A member of an Egyptian Islamist group, Adel el-Khayat who was linked to the terrorist massacre of foreign holidaymakers in Luxor in 1997 had resigned his appointment on 22 June 2013 as governor of the city, subsequent to the outcry from locals and tourist chiefs. The decision of resignation was taken by Adel el-Khayat in order to stop protest and bloodshed following his appointment in third week of June 2013 which provoked violent clashes between his supporters and opponents outside his offices. It was Egypts new Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi who had selected Adel el-Khayat for the post of Governor and is now facing criticism of the public. The appointment attracted condemnation from secularists, and outraged businessmen in Luxor, who feared it is going to threaten the citys efforts to rebuild itself as a tourist centre, and lead to bans on selling alcohol. Adel el-Khayat Khayat belongs to the Construction and Development party, the political arm of Gamaa Islamiya which was blamed for a spate of attacks in the 1990s before it renounced violence which is considered as worst terrorist atrocities when its members opened fire on tourists at Luxors 3400-year-old Hatsheput Temple in November 1997. www.jagranjosh.com
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Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook WALMART INDIA HEAD RAJ JAIN RESIGNED
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US retail giant WalMart on 26 June 2013 announced that the India unit head Raj Jain resigned from the company. Ramnik Narsey was named as the interim head of India operations. Raj Jain served WalMart for six years. Ramnik Narsey, as of now, was the Senior Vice President for Walmart International. Raj Jain had joined WalMart in the year 2006. In 2007, he was made the India head of the company. It is important to note that his exit followed the investigations by WalMart over allegations of the corruption against the company in all foreign markets, which also include India. In March 2011, WalMart, the US-based company initiated the worldwide review of the policies, internal controls as well as practices for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance. In the meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been probing 455.8 crore Rupees investment by WalMart in the subsidiary of Bharti Ventures - Cedar Support Services Ltd on the grounds of illegal investments as well as infringement of the FDI rules under FEMA and Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
DEFENCE | SECURITY
STEALTH FRIGATE INS TRIKAND COMMISSIONED INTO THE INDIAN NAVY
INS Trikand, the last of the three Follow on Talwar Class frigates built in the Russian Federation, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 29 June 2013 at Kaliningrad, Russia by Vice Admiral R K Dhowan, the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy. The commissioning of INS Trikand marks the culmination of a three ship contract for Follow On Talwar Class ships built in Russia. Her sister ships INS Teg and INS Tarkash were commissioned in 2012. INS Trikand carries a state-of-the-art combat suite which includes the supersonic BRAHMOS missile system, advanced Surface to Air missiles Shtil, upgraded A190 medium range gun, Electro-optical 30 mm Close-in Weapon System, Anti-Submarine weapons such as torpedoes and rockets and an advanced Electronic Warfare system. The weapons and sensors are integrated through a Combat Management System Trebovanie-M, which enables the ship to simultaneously neutralise multiple surface, sub-surface and air threats. The ship also incorporates innovative features to reduce radar, magnetic and acoustic signatures, which have earned this class of ships the sobriquet of Stealth frigates. The ship is powered by four gas turbines and is capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots. The ship can carry an integrated Kamov 31 helicopter which is best suited for airborne early warning roles.
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INDIAN AIR FORCE RECEIVED ITS FIRST BOEING C-17 GLOBEMASTER

Indian Air Force received its first of the ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III Aircraft from United States on 18 June 2013. The first C-17 Globemaster landed at Hindan Airbase in India. The IAF signed a 4.1 billion US dollar deal with Boeing to get 10 C-17 Aircraft. The deal was signed after conducting a thorough study of its capabilities of being operational under all conditions and abilities to take-off from short runways with heavy loads The C-17 Globemaster will help in enhancing the operational potential of the Indian Air Force with its payload carriage and performance capabilities. It will also play a major role during the disaster relief and other missions. With the induction C-17 Globemaster, Indian Air Force has successfully met a major milestone in the modernization drive. Apart from enhancing the operational potential of the IAF with its payload carriage and performance capability it would augment the strategic reach across the nation during disaster relief and any similar missions. The induction of C 17 is a major milestone in the modernization drive of the IAF. Delivery of the C-17 aircraft was accepted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 11 June 2013 at Long Beach, California.
ABOUT BOEING C-17 GLOBEMASTER III AIRCRAFT

Boeing C-17 Globemaster III Aircraft is a 4-engine, high wing, T-tailed military transport aircraft and is capable of carrying large equipment, supplies and troops directly to small airfields, day and night, anywhere across the world. It has delivered cargo in during worldwide operations, since the 1990s.
CAPABILITIES AND FUNCTIONALITY

It is a premier transporter for the military during peacekeeping missions, humanitarian assistance at times of disasters and more because of its abilities of flying long distances across the remotest airfields as well as land-locked regions. It has the abilities of taking off from 1600 feet airfield and can carry a payload of 160000 pounds. It can fly 24000 nautical miles and can land in paved or unpaved airfield of 3000 feet.
GLIDE BOMBS FOR FIGHTERS PLANES BEING DEVELOPED BY INDIA

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geared up for deployment by the end of year 2014.
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The fighter planes are supposed to be equipped with indigenously-developed glide bombs, which will be guided to their targets for precision attacks. The outstanding feature of bomb is that it can be directed towards their intended targets using guidance mechanisms after being dropped from aircraft of the IAF which in turn will allow the IAF pilots to drop the bombs at their intended targets from stand-off distances as the glide capabilities will help in enhancing the range of the bombs.
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE GUIDED BOMBS

It is being developed by the DRDO, and will boost India's strike capabilities as targets can be hit even beyond the range of a fighter aircraft The bombs being developed are of various payloads including 100 kgs, 250 kgs and 500 kgs.
Two trials for such bombs already have been carried out by DRDO successfully and there are plans to hold more trials in 2013 for proving the capabilities of the ammunition. DRDO also aims to develop an anti-radiation missile, which will multiply the strike capabilities of the armed forces by destroying the enemy's advance warning system. The Missile can be mounted on Sukhoi fighter planes Su-30 MKI and can detect radar by tracking its electromagnetic radiation and pulses generated and these would be independent of the radar wavelength and be able to destroy it. India and Israel have formed a joint venture under which the IAF and the Navy would get these missile systems.
WHAT IS GLIDE BOMB?

A glide bomb is an aerial bomb with aerodynamic surfaces to give it a flatter, gliding, flight path than that of a conventional bomb without such surfaces. This allows the bomb to be released at a distance from the target rather than right over it, allowing a successful attack without the aircraft needing to survive intact until reaching the target.
THE MONETARY ALLOWANCE TO GALLANTRY AWARDEES DOUBLED

The Union government of India on 11 June 2013 doubled the special monetary allowance given to gallantry award recipients of police and paramilitary forces. The monetary allowances attached with the President's Police Medal for gallantry, has been enhanced from 1500 to 3000 rupees and for the Police Medal for gallantry, from 900 to 2000 rupees per month.
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This would be effective from 10 May 2013. The Government also decided to grant monetary allowance at enhance rate of 500 rupees per month to the Sena / Nao Sena / Vayu Sena Award Medal awardees, where the awards have been given for Gallantry. This will be payable to those who have been given these awards on 26 January 1999 or thereafter.
INDO-RUSSIAN INDRA 2013 MILITARY EXERCISE

Indo-Russian INDRA 2013 military exercise is scheduled to take place in October 2013 at Mahajan field firing range of Rajasthan in India. The joint Military exercise will involve over 250 servicemen from the Eastern Military District and the same number of troops will be involved from the Indian armed forces. Around 250 Russian servicemen from the Eastern Military District are already set to join Russo-Indian joint ground and naval drills at Indra-2013. There will be a practice of joint planning and execution of anti-terrorist missions and leading intelligence activities by the serviceman. In year 2012, The Indo-Russian Joint Military Exercise Indra 2012 was held from August 7-16, at Burduny training range in the Siberian republic of Buryatia in Russia and had involved over 500 servicemen and 50 Russian combat vehicles. Over 250 Indian Army personnel and a equal number of Russian Army personnel participated in the exercise, which involved joint battle reconnaissance and simulated destruction of an illegal armed force. It is worth mentioning here that that the two countries have already conducted six Indra-series joint drills since 2003.
BOOKS/AUTHOR
KING OF STYLE: DRESSING MICHAEL JACKSON BOOK WON GOLD MEDAL
The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson by Michael Bush The book called The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson by Michael Bush, the personal assistant and designer of Michael Jackson won the gold medal from the Independent Publisher Book Awards in Pop Culture/Lifestyle category. The book is about the fashion style of singer Michael Jackson.
ABOUT THE BOOK- THE KING OF STYLE: DRESSING MICHAEL JACKSON
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The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson is a description of dressing style of Michael Jackson. It describes about the military outfits as well as jewel-encrusted gloves of the singer. Also, the book offers unseen look of the signature style of the singer who died in the year 2009. The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson by Michael Bush is said to be the first artdriven book that focuses on accessories, shoes, apparel and costumes which were worn by Michael Jackson. The book also includes various photographs as well as behind-the-scenes look in the fashion style of legendary entertainer, Michael Jackson. Apart from this, the book includes the stories of authors who were friends of the singer.
ABOUT THE INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER BOOK AWARDS

The Independent Publisher Book Awards were launched back in 1996. The awards were given away to recognise the independent publishers as well as authors. This year, there were 3650 entries for the award in national categories. In 2013, 29 medalists were from the university presses and 9 were from the museums.
BOOK ENTITLED ZIAUDDIN BARNIS TAR IKH-I-FIROZ SHAHI RELEASED

Ziauddin Barnis Tarikh-I-Firoz Shahi by Rampur Raza Library, Rampur (UP) A book entitled Ziauddin Barnis Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi brought out by Rampur Raza Library; Rampur (UP) under Ministry of Culture was released on 28 June 2013 by the Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari. The book is a historical publication and would benefit the students and researchers. Ziauddin Barni belonged to the elite society of medieval India and was able to achieve the status of Secretary (Nadeem) to Sultan Mohammad Bin Tuglaq (1325-51 AD). There are two versions of Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi. The first version appeared in the fifth year of Firoz Shah Tuglaq, the second revised edition in the seventh year. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan edited and published the second version of it in 1866. Rampur Raza Library has published the first version of Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi in 2013.
CITY OF BOHANE WON IMPAC DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2013

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City of Bohane written by Kevin Barry City of Bohane, a novel written by Kevin Barry an Irish author won IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2013. In this novel Barry has portrayed Ireland of 2053 as a place, where one would not want to be alive. City of Bohane is the debut novel of Barry and has been successful in winning the award after beating 153 more nominations from 44 different countries. Barry has two short story collections by his name. The two short stories include There are Little Kingdoms published in 2007 and Dark Lies the Island published in 2012.
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ABOUT THE AWARD

The prize is open for novels in any language that has been published in or translated into English and is organised by Dublin City Libraries on behalf of Dublin City Council. The award is sponsored by IMPAC, an international management productivity company.
VICE PRESIDENT RELEASED DARD-E-DIL LIKHUN KAB TAK

Dard-E-Dil Likhun Kab Tak by Rukhsar Amrohvi The Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari on 6 June 2013 released a book entitled Dard-e-Dil Likhun Kab Tak (in Urdu and Hindi) authored by Rukhsar Amrohvi. The book, Dard-E-Dil Likhun Kab Tak is a compilation of poems composed by poetess Rukhsar Amrohvi and some rare pictures of the historic moments of Indian Cinema. This book is a valuable addition to the Urdu Literature. The author Rukhsar Amrohvi is the daughter of the legendary film director and writer Kamal Amrohvi.
THE GARDEN OF EVENING MISTS WON WALTER SCOTT PRIZE 2013

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng The Garden of Evening Mists by the Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng won the Walter Scott Prize 2013. This was Tan Twan Engs second novel.
ABOUT THE GARDEN OF EVENING MISTS

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng is a novel about traumatic aftermath of the Japanese occupation of Malaya. It also covers the post-war insurgency against British rule. The www.jagranjosh.com
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novel covers themes such as love and atonement, disturbing coexistence of cultural refinement, barbarism and personal and national honour. This novel had also won the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize on 14 March 2013.
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ABOUT TAN TWAN ENG

Tan Twan Eng is fiction author born in Penang in 1972. His first novel was The Gift of Rain which was published in 2007. It was long-listed for Man Booker Prize 2007. The Gift of Rain is translated into various languages such as French, Greek, Romanian, Italian, Czech and Serbian. His second novel was The Garden of Evening Mists which was published in 2012. This novel was not just shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2012, but also won Man Asian Literary Prize 2012 and Walter Scott Prize.
ABOUT THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE

The Walter Scott Prize for the historical fiction was founded in the year 2010. It is a British literary award. With the prize money of 25000 pounds, Walter Scott Prize is one among the largest literary awards in the UK.
AMBEDKAR SPEAKS (TRILOGY) BY DR. NARENDRA JADHAV RELEASED

Ambedkar Speaks (Trilogy) Authored by Dr. Narendra Jadhav Ambedkar Speaks (Trilogy) authored by Dr. Narendra Jadhav was released in (Vol. I, II and III). The book has been published by Konark Publishers. This trilogy is an attempt to develop a comprehensive bibliography of all the speeches delivered by Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar. The series is available in four languages Marathi, English, Hindi and Gujarati. The first series was first launched in Marathi.
SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE BOOK

This series is the first ever attempt to provide a systematic study of the speeches credited to Dr. Ambedkar Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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This is the first ever complete bibliography that constitutes the 537 identified speeches in Marathi and English 500 speeches reviewed and analysed to relate them with the developments in the country and also with the course of Ambedkars public life
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301 seminal speeches (translated to English where necessary) are presented in full, with succinct contextualization. The selected 301 speeches divided into seven categories: Autobiographical, Social, Economics, Politics, Religion, Law and Constitution and Guidance to Followers, presented with a brief introduction for each category.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (DR. NARENDRA JADHAV)

Dr. Narendra Jadhav is currently serving as a Member of the Planning Commission of India (in the rank and status of Union Minister of State). He took over this responsibility on 16 June 2009 and was sworn in by the Prime Minister on 27 July 2009. As member of Planning Commission, Dr. Jadhavs sectoral responsibilities include Education, Labour-Employment-Skill Development, Sports & Youth Affairs, and Social Justice and Empowerment. In addition, Dr. Jadhav looks after the States of Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Goa, besides the Union Territories of Diu-Daman and DadraNagar Haveli Dr. Narendra Jadhav is the Member of the National Advisory Council of Government of India Dr. Narendra Jadhav, born in 1953 is a renowned educationist, eminent economist and Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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policy maker He is also an acclaimed social scientist and best-selling author
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Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh has called Dr. Jadhav, a role-model for the disempowered millions in our country He is a prolific writer with 100 research papers and 14 books on economic and social issues including four in Marathi to his credit He has written two books in Marathi on Ravindranath Tagore one is an anthology of Gurudevs poems translated into Marathi and the other one (is under the process of being released) is on Tagore's life and times He has been featured in Time, International Herald Tribune and (on the cover page of) Readers Digest
HEALING MEMORIES: CIVILIZATIONS IN DIALOGUE RELEASED

Healing Memories: Civilizations in Dialogue by edited by Zeenat Shaukat Ali The Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari released a book entitled Healing Memories: Civilizations in Dialogue on 24 June 2013. The book is edited by Zeenat Shaukat Ali. Wisdom Foundation brought out the book.
ABOUT THE HEALING MEMORIES: CIVILIZATIONS IN DIALOGUE

The book is brought out by Wisdom Foundation, Mumbai. The book is an attempt to serious dialogue among cultures and civilizations expressing circumvention of conflict and seeking solutions to problems on the norms of civilized behaviour. The book is the result of efforts of distinguished, outstanding Contributors such as Dignitaries, Honourable Consul Generals of various countries based in Mumbai as well as scholars from across the world.
COFFEE TABLE BOOK ON FREEDOM FIGHTERS DESCENDANTS LAUNCH ED

1857-1947: Forgotten Heroes and Martyrs of Indias Freedom Movement, written by journalist Shivnath Jha A pictorial coffee table book, which depicts the misery and poverty of descendants as well as families of Indias freedom fighters, was launched on 24 June 2013 in Mumbai by former www.jagranjosh.com
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Bombay High Court Chief Justice C S Dharmadhikari.
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The book titled, 1857-1947: Forgotten Heroes and Martyrs of Indias Freedom Movement, is written by journalist Shivnath Jha and is fifth in the series of Andolan Ek Pustak Se. The book will act as a campaign to highlight the miserable conditions of descendants and families of freedom fighters as well as an attempt to bring about a change. The book basically talks about the families as well as descendants of martyrs like Rajguru, Sukhdev, Uddham Singh and Tatya Tope. The idea to come up with book was perceived by Shivnath Jha after seeing the miserable condition of descendents of the martyr of freedom movement. Vinayak Rao Tope (54), a third generation descendant of Tatya Tope, martyr of the 1857 uprisingwere living in penury in Uttar Pradeshs Bithoor village. Sultana Begum, the great grand daughter-in-law of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar is living in a Howrah slum and ran a tea stall to make ends meet. Jeet Singh, the grandson of Udham Singh, the freedom fighter who shot dead Michael ODwyer, the British Lieutenant Governor of colonial Punjab works as a labourer at a construction site in Punjab.
IMPORTANT DATES
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY WAS OBSERVED ON 5 JUNE 2013
5 June 2013: World Environment Day World Environment Day was observed on 5 June 2013. The theme for the year 2013 was Think, Eat, Save Reduce Your Foodprint. It aims at an anti-food wastage and loss campaign to encourage people to reduce their foodprint. It also calls for more awareness about the environmental impact of the food choices people make and empowers them to make informed decisions. The theme Think, Eat Save Reduce your Foodprint is aimed at encouraging everyone to reduce the wastage of food by becoming more aware of the environmental impacts of food waste. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. This enormous wastage of food results in devastating effects on natural resources and effects the environment adversely. World Environment Day is held each year on 5 June. Through this day, United Nations (UN) stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Another www.jagranjosh.com
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resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, resulted into the creation of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). It is hosted every year by a different city.
WORLD OCEANS DAY OBSERVED ACROSS THE WORLD

8 June: World Ocean Day World Ocean Day was celebrated across the world on 8 June 2013. Together, we have the Power to Protect the Oceans is the theme for 2013. For the first time, World Ocean day was introduced in 1992 at Rio de Janeiro with a motive of raising awareness of people towards the crucial role that sea plays in our lives. The official designation of World Oceans Day is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the current challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans. In the year 2008, United Nations General Assembly decided to designate 8 June as the World Oceans Day from 2009 onwards with its resolution number 63/111, Paragraph 171. Oceans are a critical part of our biosphere and are essential for food security, health and survival of all lives and are responsible to power the climate of the world. United Nations Has Issued World Oceans Day Stamps Whimsical Images Highlight Important Subject.
WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR CELEBRATED ON 12 JUNE

12 June 2013: World Day against Child Labour World Day against Child Labour was celebrated on 12 June 2013. The theme this year was, No to Child Labour in Domestic Work. According to International Labour Organisation, ILO, throughout the world, there are around 215 million children who work, many of them, full-time. In fact, the ILO is marking the day by calling for action to build a worldwide movement against www.jagranjosh.com
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child labour.
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The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates 10.5 million children around the world are working as domestic workers in hazardous, sometimes slave-like conditions. The ILO report finds 6.5 million of the 10.5 million child domestic laborers are aged between five and 14 years. More than 70 percent are girls. The United Nations action plan has proposed that the ILO and its member states continue to pursue the goal of effective abolition of child labour by committing themselves to eliminate all its worst forms by 2016. The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day against Child Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. Each year on 12 June, the World Day brings together governments, employers and workers organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child labourers and what can be done to help them.
WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY OBSERVED ON 14 JUNE

14 June: World Blood Donor Day World Blood Donor Day was observed on 14 June 2013 across the world. This day is observed every year on 14 June with an aim of creating a worldwide culture of voluntary blood donation. Theme selected for the year 2013 is Give the Gift of Life: Donate Blood. The main objective of the campaign is to thank donors and their life-saving blood gifts and to promote the voluntary unpaid blood donation. The 10th anniversary of World Blood Donor Day will focus on the value of donated blood to the patient, not only in saving life, but also in helping people live longer and more productive lives. The need for blood and blood products is increasing every year, and many patients requiring life-saving transfusion do not have timely access to safe blood and blood products. Regular voluntary unpaid blood donors are the safest source of blood as there are fewer bloodborne infections among these donors than among people who give blood in exchange for money or who donate for family members in emergencies. World Health Organization (WHO) has appealed all the nations of the world to obtain hundred percent blood supplies by voluntary unpaid donors by 2020. At present there are 60 countries that collect 100 percent of their blood supply from voluntary unpaid blood donors (35 are highincome countries, 18 middle-income countries and 7 low-income countries). Six of these countries have achieved this target from a percentage lower than 75 percent www.jagranjosh.com
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reported in 2004: Cook Islands (from 40 percent), Kenya (from 53 percent), Nicaragua (from 41percent), Turkey (from 40 percent), United Arab Emirates (from 59 percent) and Zambia (from 72 percent). In 2011, nearly 83 million blood donations were collected worldwide from voluntary unpaid blood donors, an increase of close to 8 million donations from 2004. However, more progress is needed, with 73 countries still collecting more than 50 percent of their blood supply from replacement or paid donors.
WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY CELEBRATED ON 15 JUNE 2013

15 June 2013: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was celebrated on 15 June 2013. The day aims to focus global attention on the problem of physical, emotional and financial abuse of elders. It seeks to understand the challenges and opportunities presented by an ageing population. The day also provides an opportunity to bring together senior citizens, national and local government and private sector to exchange ideas about how best to reduce incidents of violence towards elders and to develop elder friendly policies. The global population of people aged 60 years and older would be more than double, from 542 million in 1995 to about 1.2 billion in 2025. Around 4 to 6 percent of elderly people have experienced some form of maltreatment at home. Elder maltreatment can lead to serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences. The incidence of abuse towards older people is predicted to increase as many countries are experiencing rapidly ageing populations. Elder abuse is a global social issue which affects the health and human rights of millions of older persons around the world, and an issue which deserves the attention of the international community. The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 66/127, designated June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It represents the one day in the year when the whole world voices its opposition to the abuse and suffering inflicted to some of our older generations.
WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION OBSERVED ACROSS WORLD

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World Day to Combat Desertification was observed across the world on 17 June 2013. The theme of 2013 World Day to Combat Desertification was drought and water scarcity.
OBJECTIVE OF WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION

The objective of 2013 World Day to Combat Desertification is creation of awareness regarding risks of water scarcity as well as drought in drylands as well as beyond that. The objective of the day was to call attention of people towards importance of sustaining healthy soils as the part of Rio+20 agenda and post-2015 sustainable development agenda. Apart from this, the goal of this day was to attract attention of people to take actions towards promotion of preparedness as well as flexibility towards water scarcity, drought and desertification.
THEME AND SLOGAN OF 2013 WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION

The theme of 2013 World Day to Combat Desertification was drought and water scarcity. The slogan of 2013 World Day to Combat Desertification was Dont let our future dry up. The slogan was embodiment of message that people are responsible for land conservation as well as water conservation, apart from their sustainable use.
IMPORTANT FACTS RELATED TO WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION

Out of all the water available on Earth, merely 2.5 percent is fresh water. Out of this available freshwater, the overall usable supply of freshwater meant for humans and ecosystem is even less than 1 percent. With the increasing demand of water, the pressure on supply of freshwater increases which results in water scarcity. Water scarcity is particularly more in the drylands. Intensification of the scarcity of freshwater causes more pressure in the drylands. The need of every person for water for the purpose of well-being and sustainable development every year is at least 2000 cubic metres, on an average. However, in reality, people in the drylands get merely 1300 cubic metres out of this.
UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION (UNCCD)

Desertification, loss of the biodiversity as well as climate change was the major challenges that were identified during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. UNCCD was established in the year 1994. It is the only legally binding international agreement
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which links development as well as environment to the sustainable land management. UNCCD addresses the arid, semi-arid as well as the dry sub-humid areas (all of which are also called the drylands), are the vulnerable ecosystems.
WORLD REFUGEE DAY OBSERVED ACROSS THE WORLD ON 20 JUNE

20 June: World Refugee Day The World Refugee Day was observed on 20 June 2013 across the world. World Refugee Day is observed on 20 June every year to honour the courage, strength and determination of people who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. The focus of World Refugee Day 2013 is on the impact of war on families. The core message is 1 family torn apart by war is too many. The campaign call-to-action is to Take 1 minute to support a family forced to flee. In 1 minute, a family can be torn apart by war, a child can be separated from his or her parents, and a lifetime of work can be destroyed. Yet in 1 minute, we can also act - reuniting a family, protecting a child, providing shelter. Please donate now and help UNHCR assist refugees. Your 1 simple action will help thousands of uprooted people today. The resolution to celebrate the 20 June as World Refugee Day was passed by the UN General Assembly on 4 December 2000 and for the first time it was observed in 2001. The day was designated by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to bring attention to the plight of refugees around the world. There are over 43.7 million refugees and internally displaced people around the world and of those, UNHCR provides lifesaving assistance and protection to 34 million of them. As per report, in every one minute eight people flee because of war and persecution of which half of the population consists of children less than 18 years. About 55 percent of all refugees across the world belong to war affected nations like Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria and Sudan.
WORLD MUSIC DAY OBSERVED ON 21 JUNE

21 June: World Music Day World Music Day also called Fte de la Musique was observed on 21 June 2013 across the world. This day is celebrated to promote peace and spread goodwill through music. The main idea behind the day is to bring music out onto the streets.
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For the first time, this day was observed in 1982 in Paris as the Fte de la Musique and since then has become an international phenomenon holding the same set of principles for being celebrated. The day is held on mid-summer solstice and the best thing of this day is that, the musicians perform for free in parks, museums, stations and other places making music of all types accessible to public. The events and concerts marking the day are free with a non-profit making objective. This day is celebrated across 460 cities in 110 countries that include Germany, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Australia, Vietnam, Congo, Cameroon, Mauritius, Fiji, Colombia, Chile, Nepal, and Japan.
MEANING OF SOLSTICE
Solstice is an astronomical event that occurs twice each year as the Sun reaches its highest or lowest excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. This astronomical event occurs on 21 June and 21 December every year.
INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC DAY CELEBRATED ACROSS ON 23 JUNE

23 June: International Olympic Day International Olympic Day was celebrated across the world on 23 June 2013. The day is celebrated for promotion of participation of people in the sports all across the world, irrespective of athletic, gender or age ability.
SYMBOLIC ANNIVERSARY
The International Olympic Day was initiated in 1948 for commemorating the commencement of modern Olympic Games on 23 June 1894 at Sorbonne in Paris. The goal of this day was promotion of sports all across the world without any exception.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC DAY

Olympic Day has been associated with the Olympic Day Runs across the world over last 20 years. In the first edition of this day in 1987, the number of National Olympic Committees (NOCs) that participated in this was 45. Now, it has increased to 200.
PILLARS OF INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC DAY

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and move. These three pillars of the sports event are deployed by the National Olympic Committees into sports, educational and cultural activities.
CELEBRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC DAY

A lot of countries have also included the International Olympic Day event in their school curriculum. Various concerts as well as exhibitions are organised on this day as a part of the celebration. The first celebrations of International Olympic Day 2013 took place at Richmond Olympic Oval in BC on 17 June 2013.
UNITED NATIONS PUBLIC SERVICE DAY CELEBRATED ON 23 JUNE

23 June: UN Public Service Day The United Nations General Assembly designated 23 June as the UN Public Service Day in its resolution. This day is celebrated across the world to celebrate the virtue as well as value of public service to the community.
MAJOR POINTS OF UN PUBLIC SERVICE DAY

This day highlights contribution of service to the public in process of development. UN Public Service Day recognises work and duties of public servants, while at the same time encouraging young people to pursue careers in public sector. On this day, United Nations Public Service Awards are being given away. First Awards Ceremony was held in the year 2003. In the year 2013, United Nations Public Service Forum, Day and Awards Ceremony will be held in Manama, Bahrain from 24 June 2013 to 27 June 2013.
THEME OF UN PUBLIC SERVICE DAY 2013

The theme of UN Public Service Day 2013 was Transformative e-Government and Innovation: Creating a Better Future for All.
INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING

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26 June: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
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The United Nations General Assembly declared 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in the year 1987. The objective of observing this day is to strengthen the action as well as cooperation in order to achieve the aim of a society free of drug abuse. The General Assembly however found out that inspite of increasing efforts by the international community to curb this menace, the world problem of drug abuse increased. Drug abuse poses serious threat to safety as well as well being of humanity as well as to the public health. Eventually, the Commission and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was directed to continue its work towards international drug control.
OBJECTIVE OF INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING

The objective of observing this day by United Nations General Assembly is that the day serves as reminder of those goals which were agreed upon by the Member States for creation of drugfree international society.
THEME OF INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING 2013
The theme of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is decided upon by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The 2013 theme is Make health your new high in life, not drugs. The themes are decided with an objective to raise awareness regarding the drug problem.
WHAT IS DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING?

New kinds of drugs are also known as New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). Over the recent years, drugs have been sold openly and also through the Internet. NPS have not been recognised as safe for humans and they can be even more dangerous than the drugs which were found traditionally. They are also marketed as research chemicals, bath salts, plant food and legal highs. Illicit trafficking or illegal drug trade is the global level black market which is dedicated to manufacturing, cultivation, distribution as well as sale of the drugs that are prohibited by laws. According to the UN report, the global drug trade generated around Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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321.6 billion US dollar in the year 2003.
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By resolution 42/112 of 7 December 1987, the General Assembly decided to observe 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse. This resolution recommended further action with regard to the report and conclusions of the 1987 International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
REPORTS AND SURVEYS

WORLD POPULATION PROSPECTS REPORT
The UN report titled World Population Prospects was released on 13 June 2013, forecasted that India will be the most populous country of the world by 2028 leaving behind China. The report also claimed that by 2025 the world population will increase by one billion and reach to 8.1 billion from 7.2 billion at present. By 2050, the world population will be 9.6 billion as per the report. The report has also projected that maximum growth in population will take place in developing nations; population in these regions will increase from 5.9 billion in 2013 to 8.2 billion in 2050. The report also projected that the population of the developed countries will remain unchanged largely to 1.3 billion people. The forty nine least developed countries will see growth at a fast pace and will double in size from around 900 million inhabitants in 2013 to 1.8 billion by 2050 as per the projections of the report. The report has projected a decline of population in Europe by 14 percent, whereas the population of rest of the world will grow over 10 percent between 2013-2100. Thus, Europe will shrink beyond Africa. The report claims that Africa will grow more rapidly than half of global population growth from 2013 to 2050. The medium variant projection the African population will grow from 1.1 billion in 2013 to 2.4 billion in 2050 and 4.2 billion by 2100. As per the World Population Prospects Report, developing nations like China, India and Brazil has witnessed a rapid fall in the average number of children per women but nations like Nigeria, Ethiopia, Niger and Uganda have high fertility levels. Thus the report has made a projection that Nigerian population is expected to exceed the US by 2050 and may rival Chinese population by 2100. The World Population Prospects has claimed that the population growth of the world has www.jagranjosh.com
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slowed. The report filed on the assessment of past, current and future population trends is published by United Nation after every two years in a recurrent series that is called the World Population Prospects. For the 2013 report released on 13 June 2013, researchers used data of 233 countries and areas.
NUMBER OF INTERNET USERS IN INDIA TO REACH 330 MILLION BY 2016

As per the report entitled From Buzz to Bucks: Capitalizing on Indias Digitally Influenced Consumers, released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the number of Internet users in India is likely to triple from 125 million in 2011 to 330 million by 2016. The report states that 40 percent of Indias 90 million urban Internet users are influenced by online activities such as product research and price comparison while buying anything. BCG's Centre for Consumer and Customer Insight surveyed 25000 Indian consumers on their online activities during each step of the purchase cycle in different product categories so that how Internet use affects buying decisions could be determined. The report revealed that men are far more likely than women to be on the Internet and more than three times likely to be digitally influenced. The Internet has the highest penetration in the age-group of 18 to 24 and the lowest among those older than 54. The Internet is likely to reach small towns and it can bridge the geographic barriers.
SURVEY: 9 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE SUFFER FROM NOMOPHOBIA

As per the Survey conducted by Cisco in the first week of June 2013, nine out of ten people suffer from nomophobia. The survey also found that these people were addicted to their smartphones and became anxious when it went missing. For many under the age of 30, the smartphone is an extension of themselves, from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep. These people check for texts, emails and social media at least once every 10 minutes. Nomophobia is the fear of being out of mobile phone contact. The term is an abbreviation for no-mobile-phone phobia.
MEEKER REPORT 2013

A latest study called Meeker Report 2013, conducted by the Venture Capital firm of the US; Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) was held from 28 May 2013 to 30 May 2013. The D11 Conference was held in which highlights about the technology and media were made. The report revealed that the Internet users in India were the second largest online sharers. The report also highlighted that the Indian Internet users would share almost everything or most of the things on the Internet. By sharing online, it means that the Internet users will share status updates, videos, photos and feelings on the Internet. The first place of the online sharers is www.jagranjosh.com
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grabbed by Saudi Arabia.
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ABOUT THE MEEKER REPORT 2013

The Meeker Report 2013 was unveiled at the D11 Conference. The Wall Street Jour nals D: All Things Digital conference made its debut in 2003. The conference breaks the news about the technology and media, as well as brings out highlights of the innovations. The survey is the annual study which is conducted by the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), which studies about the internet penetration as well as smartphones. The firm also studies about the increasing demand of tablet computing as well as the effect of immigration in US on tech industry. Meeker Report is named after the analyst known as Mary Meeker. The entire tech community looks forward to the annual status reports of Mary Meeker. Mary Meeker, the Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner, actually highlights about the growth of Internet use as well as activities on the mobiles.
KEY POINTS OF THE MEEKER REPORT 2013

In the report, it was also found that India was at the fifth position in terms of smartphone subscriber base in 2013. It is important to note that India added a total of 88 million subscribers in the smartphone market in from the time period between 2008 and 2012. In the year 2012, there were 137 million internet users. India in these aspects remained second to China with a considerable difference. In China, these figures were 264 million and 564 million respectively. The Meeker Report 2013 also studied about the behavioural aspect of the reach of people to their smartphones. It was found in the report that users made use of their smartphones around 150 times in a day, out of which 18 times was to check time and 23 times was for messaging. Another trend showed that Facebook was at the top most position among growing social media services, followed by Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube (GOOG), LinkedIn (LNKD). It was also found that on daily basis; around 500 million photos are shared on the Internet. Between 2013 and 2014, this number is expected to double. In the Meeker Report 2013, it was found that mobile comprised of merely 15 percent of the Internet traffic. There are, at present, 1.5 billion mobile subscriptions across the world.
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Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook IATA RECORDED A SIGNIFICANT FALL IN AIR ACCIDENTS IN 2012
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on 4 June 2013 announced that it has recorded a major dip in air accidents with a huge decline in accident rate worldwide. IATA asked all the airlines across the world to become a part of the continuous safety monitoring system. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the three-day annual general meeting. As per the records in 2012, western-built jet hull loss rate was 0.20 per million sectors flown was recorded for the carriers on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry and IATA member airline accident rate was 0.00. This is 77% improvement in the accident rate over the last 10 years. As per the latest data, the total rate of accident of IOSA-registered airlines across the world was 4.3 times better than the rate of non-IOSA carriers. IATAs six point safety program encompasses safety data management and analysis, flying operations, maintenance operations, safety management systems, infrastructure safety and safety auditing (IOSA/ISAGO).
REGIONAL INDUSTRY ACCIDENT RATES WESTERN-BUILT JETS-IATA AND NON-IATA HULL LOSSES/MILLION SECTORS
Region Africa Asia Pacific Russia & CIS Europe Latin America MENA North America North Asia 2006 4.31 0.67 8.60 0.32 1.80 0.00 0.49 0.00 2007 4.09 2.76 0.00 0.29 1.61 1.08 0.09 0.88 2008 2.12 0.58 6.43 0.42 2.55 1.89 0.58 0.00 2009 9.94 0.86 0.00 0.45 0.00 3.32 0.41 0.00 2010 7.41 0.80 0.00 0.45 1.87 0.72 0.10 0.34 2011 3.27 0.25 1.06 0.00 1.28 2.02 0.10 0.00 2012 3.71 0.48 0.00 0.15 0.42 0.00 0.00 0.00
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Industry 0.65 0.75 0.81 0.71 0.61 0.37 0.20
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SUMMARY OF ACCIDENTS IATA AND NON-IATA AIRLINES

Accident 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Summary (IATA and non-IATA airlines) Fatal Accidents 20 20 23 18 23 22 15
Fatalities* 855
692
502
685
786
486
41
HULL LOSSES /MILLION SECTORS (WESTERN-BUILT JETS, IATA & NON-IATA)

Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Hull Loss Rate 0.87 0.80 0.77 0.65 0.75 0.81 0.71
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2010 2011 2012 0.61 0.37 0.20
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QATAR HAS THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF MILLIONAIRES: REPORT

According to 13th annual Global Wealth Management Report released by the Boston Consulting Groups, Qatar has the highest density of millionaires in the world, with 14.3 percent of the oil-rich Gulf nation's population holding private wealth of at least 1 million US dollars. The figure shows 143 out of every 1000 households in Qatar holding private wealth of at least USD 1 million which is much higher than the global average. Kuwait ranks third with 11.5 percent, while Bahrain (4.9 percent) and the UAE (4.0 percent) rank seventh and ninth, respectively. Wealth in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) saw near double-digit growth at 9.1 percent in 2012, the study says. The report asserts that private wealth in MEA will grow to an estimated 6.5 trillion US dollars by the end of 2017, with a projected CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth rate) of 6.2 percent. This increase will largely be driven by new wealth creation linked to strong GDP expansion in oil-rich countries. On a regional level, the report shows that private financial wealth in the Middle East and Africa grew to 4.8 trillion US dollars in 2012, an increase of 9.1 percent from 4.4 trillion US dollars in 2011. Wealth held in equities in the MEA region grew by 18.3 percent in 2012, as compared to increases of 9.2 percent in bonds and 5.2 percent in cash and deposits. Globally, private financial wealth grew by 7.8 percent in 2012 to a total of 135.5 trillion US dollars. The rise was stronger than in 2011 and 2010, when global wealth grew by 3.6 percent and 7.3 percent respectively. BCG is a global management consulting firm and a leading advisor on business strategy.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HIT RECORD HIGH IN EUROZONE

As per the latest figures from Eurostat, in the Month of May 2013, the Unemployment rate rose up to 12.2pc in April 2013 from 12.1pc in March. It was estimated as per the statistics office that 19.4m people in the eurozone were unemployed in April 2013. The highest increase in the Unemployment was registered in Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Portugal. The data showed that Italy's jobless rate reached a 36-year high in www.jagranjosh.com
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April of 11.9 percent.
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It is important here to note that almost two-thirds of youngsters are unemployed in Greece while more than half are jobless in Spain. Also, as per the Separate data from Eurostat the inflation in the euro zone rose to 1.4 percent from 1.2 percent, which could propel the central bank to wait for clearer signs that there is no risk of higher prices. The European Central Bank aspires for inflation of about 2 percent, and still has space for additional measures as without violating its mandate to maintain price stability.
PLACES IN NEWS
CP: FIFTH IN THE LIST OF WORLDS MOST EXPENSI VE OFFICE MARKET
Connaught Place (CP), the marketplace located in Delhi has been ranked fifth in the list of worlds most expensive office market due to its strong demand amid limited supply as per the CBRE report. The reason of Connaught place being one of the most expensive markets is the Strong demand coupled with Connaught Places central location, excellent access to key regional markets and limited availability of prime office space.
THE TOP THREE EXPENSIVE MARKETS ARE

1. Hong Kong (Central) with annual occupancy costs of 235.23 dollars per sq ft topped the most expensive list for the third consecutive time. 2. Londons West End, Beijings Finance Street 3. Beijings Jianguomen. Connaught Place the Central Business District (CBD) is placed at the 5th position with an overall occupancy cost of 178.96 dollars per sq ft per annum. Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Nariman Point of Mumbai are placed at 11th and 26th positions, respectively. CBRE came to this result wit tracking of the occupancy costs for prime office space in 127 markets around the globe in its semi-annual Prime Office Occupancy Costs survey. The most important thing that came into light is that despite a softening in the commercial office space segment in key cities in India, occupancy costs continue to remain high in prime locations. www.jagranjosh.com
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CBRE also concluded that gap in office occupancy cost between the Central Business District CBDs such as Connaught Place and a suburb such as Gurgaon is massive. The point is supported from the fact that while Delhi is placed at 5th place, Gurgaon is at the 72nd place in the same list.
OTHER ASIA-PACIFIC MARKETS IN THE TOP 10 INCLUDE

Hong Kong-West Kowloon (6th), Moscow (7th), Tokyo (Marunouchi/Otemachi) (8th) Londons City (9th). New Yorks Midtown Manhattan (10th) returned to the top ten markets for the first time since early 2012.
HIGHEST KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRA TO BE OPENED AT NYOMA, LEH

Nyoma, Leh: Highest Krishi Vigyan Kendra is to be set up in the region. The highest Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of India will be set-up at Nyoma, Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir at an altitude of about 14000 feet. The main aim of the KVK center in the location is to improve fodder production of the region and provide fine health care to roaming animals in the area. It also aims towards introducing vegetable production under protected environment and impart training to women on animal care. The Nyoma Krishi Vigyan Kendra is expected to bring up substantial change in the lives of the people of nearby areas. Most of the people living in the region are nomads and rear pashmina goats. Promoting stable agriculture in the region is a challenge because of the extreme cold and dry weather here.
INFINITY TOWER, THE TALLEST TWISTED TOWER LAUNCHED IN DUBAI

The worlds tallest twisted tower, the Infinity Tower was launched in Dubai Marina on 10 June 2013. The Infinity tower features, its unique ability of twisting to 90 degrees and the shape of the tower being aesthetically unique also allows reduction of the wind forces on the tower because of its twisted shape. Every floor of the tower is designed in the same way and is like a pile of books with each book twisted slightly to get the twist and the rectangular floors of the tower is surrounded by a
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cylindrical shaft that contains lifts.
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Built over a period of eight years, the Infinity tower has 570 residential units, which includes 495 apartments, with one to four bedrooms, and penthouses. It also has retail spaces and a spa. The 75 storey 307 meter tall Infinity Tower has been developed by the makers of the tallest tower of the world, Burj Khalifa.
KOCHI TO HOST 29TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WEF (INDIA CHAPTER)

Kochi, Kerala: 29th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (India chapter) to be held here in November 2013 The Chief Minister of Kerala along with officials of the World Economic Forum (WEF) announced on 18 June 2013 that the 29th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (India chapter) scheduled for 8 November 2013 and 9 November 2013 will be hosted by Kochi, Kerala. It is important to note that this is the second time that annual meeting of World Economic Forum (India chapter) was being hosted by a state other than Delhi. Earlier, 27 Meetings of World Economic Forum were held in New Delhi and once in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This is the first time that World Economic Forum (India chapter) event was being planned for South India. The World Economic Forum (India chapter) is an international event which will attract around 300 delegates. The annual meet would be attended by 96 Chief Executive Officers with various regional heads of MNCs. Apart from this; industry leaders, young global leaders as well as the heads of NGOs will also attend the meet. First World Economic Forum (India chapter) meeting was held in the year 1984.
KEDARNATH TEMPLE SHUT DOWN FOR ONE YEAR

Kedarnath Temple, Uttrakhand: The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Vijay Bahuguna announced on 19 June 2013 that the Kedarnath shrine situated in the Himalayan ranges will remain shut down for a minimum period of one year, following devastation because of early Monsoon rains. Though the shrine is safe, but it has suffered heavy slush. Debris in huge quantity is lying around the shrine which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The debris will take one year time period to be cleared up completely. Situated in the hills of Himalayas, the Kedarnath temple is one of the holiest shrines of the Hindus. It is one of the Char Dham of Hindus. It is situated at a height of 3584 meters near the Chorabari glacier. It is a popular destination for Hindu pilgrims from all across the world and www.jagranjosh.com
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attracts lakhs of tourists. In the year 2012, 548166 tourists visited Kedarnath Pilgrimage. In 2013, the number of tourists was expected to be somewhere around 6 lakh. Uttarakhand experienced heavy floods because of incessant rains in the second week of June 2013 which left more than 150 people dead, thousands missing and stranded.
SYRIAN HERITAGE SITES IN THE LIST OF WORLD HERITAGE IN DANGER

Syria: The United Nations committee, World Heritage Committee placed six world heritage sites of Syria on endangered list in light of ongoing conflicts in the country. These conflicts are posing threat to the cultural heritage of Syria.
NAME OF SIX WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN SYRIA

The Ancient City of Damascus Site of Palmyra Ancient City of Bosra Ancient City of Aleppo Crac des Chevaliers and Qalat Salah El-Din Ancient Villages of northern Syria
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in its news release explained that danger listing aims at mobilising the support in order to safeguard these properties which are of universal value to humanity and are recognised by international community. The Syrian conflicts began in March 2011 and since then various cultural sites in Syria have been destroyed. In these conflicts over 93000 people have been killed and 6.8 million people are left for humanitarian assistance. Apart from all this, around 1.5 million people fled to neighbouring countries for protection and safety.
JAPAN'S MOUNT FUJI GIVEN WORLD HERITAGE STATUS BY UNESCO

Mount Fuji: It was given world heritage status by the UNESCO World Heritage committee on 20 June 2013. Japan's highest Mountain and famous landmark Mount Fuji on 20 June 2013 was given world heritage status by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) World Heritage Committee. The decision was taken at the annual 10-day www.jagranjosh.com
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UNESCO conference held in Cambodia.
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At 3776 metres, Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan. Mount Fuji, which last erupted around 300 years ago, is the seventeenth site in Japan to be included on the list. Mount Fuji is located on Honshu Island. It lies about 100 kilometres south-west of Tokyo. It is one of Japan's Three Holy Mountains along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku.
MISCELLANEOUS
BANGALORE-MUMBAI ECONOMIC CORRIDOR PROJECT
India and United Kingdom in the third week of June 2013 decided to develop the BangaloreMumbai Economic Corridor project in close association with private companies from Britain. The decision on taking the project, which had been outlined both by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and British Prime Minister David Cameron in February this year, was taken at the meeting of Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma with UKs Secretary of State for Business, Oliver Letwin during his recent visit to London. The corridor project was outlined in February 2013 during the visit of British Prime Minister David Cameron to India. A Joint Study group would work out the details of execution of this prestigious project. Bangalore-Mumbai Economic Corridor project could be highly profitable given the importance of Mumbai as financial centre, Pune as automobile manufacturing centre and Bangalore as IT and Technology Hub. Moreover, UK India Business council and the Invest India signed a Memorandum of Understanding to increase investments in India as well as to collaborate for providing UK business information on investment opportunities. Invest India is a joint venture of the DIPP, State governments and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
NASA'S ROVER IDENTIFIED ROCK LADEN WITH MINERALS ON MARS

NASA's Opportunity rover on Mars identified rock laden with what scientists believe to be clay minerals. Their presence indicates that the rock called Esperance was altered at some point in the past through prolonged contact with water. NASA has been discovering evidence for water on Mars since it first landed back in 2004. Clay minerals only tend to form at a more neutral pH. This is water that was much more favourable for things like pre-biotic chemistry, the kind of chemistry that could lead to the origin of life.
NASA SELECTED EIGHT NEW ASTRONAUTS; FOUR OF THESE ARE WOMEN
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NASA, the US Space agency, announced on 17 June 2013 that it had selected eight new NASA astronaut candidates, out of which 4 are women. It is important to note that this is the highest percentage of female astronauts chosen by NASA for any class in its history. All these eight new astronauts were publically named, just a day before the 30th anniversary of Sally Ride's first flight aboard Challenger which had launched her as first American woman to fly in space.
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The eight astronauts were chosen from among a total of 6000 applications which were received by NASA in 2012. This was the second highest number of applications received by NASA. The new astronauts will report in August 2013 at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston for their duty. These eight new astronauts will join 49 other astronauts who are at present deployed at the agency. These eight new astronauts are: Josh Cassada, Victor Glover, Tyler Hague, Christina Hammock, Nicole Aunapu Mann, Anne McClain, Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan.
NASA AND ITALIAN SPACE AGENCY SIGNED AGREEMENT

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Italian Space Agency (ASI) President Enrico Saggese at a meeting in Rome on 20 June 2013 signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on the European Space Agency- (ESA) led BepiColombo mission to Mercury, strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation between NASA and ASI in planetary exploration. Bolden and Saggese also discussed NASA's plans for a new asteroid initiative, previously announced in President Obama's fiscal year 2014 budget proposal. Saggese expressed the strong interest of Italy for the initiative and welcomed the opportunity to discuss potential ASI participation in a long-term exploration strategy.
45TH SESSION OF INDIAN LABOUR CONFERENCE CONCLUDED

The 45th Session of the Indian Labour Conference concluded in New Delhi on 18 May 2013 with a resolve to provide universal social security coverage and assured pension to the entire working population. The conference was a two-day affair. During the course of Conference the Labour Ministers of State Governments, Central Trade Union Leaders, Employers representatives, and Officials of the central and state governments also deliberated on service conditions, wages and social security for various categories of www.jagranjosh.com
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workers employed in different Central and State Government schemes.
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CONFERENCE ON SPORTS & YOUTH AFFAIRS CONCLUDED IN NEW DELHI

The two day conference of Ministers of States/UTs in charge of Youth Affairs and Sports concluded in New Delhi on 25 may 2013.During the conference several new initiatives were discussed. The initiatives taken by Department of Youth Affairs were highlighted such as to reposition NSS as National Service and Skill Development Scheme (NSSDS) with a view to enable students to gain employable skills while undertaking community work that brings about social change. It was decided during the conference that Sports Authority of India (SAI) will set up 25 centres of excellence or COX across the country. Each COX will specialize in 3 to 4 sports disciplines. He requested the State Governments to provide free land and built up sports infrastructure for setting up of new centres of excellence in the states. He said the Government of India will set up two National Institutes - one for sports medicine and the other for sports coaching. A new programme of Sports Scholarships was declared under which up to 10 scholarships in different disciplines of sports science and sports medicine will be offered every year. Under the programme, the scholars can go to any reputed institute in the world and all their education and living expenses will be borne by Government of India. During the conference, a new initiative called Identification & Nurturing Sports Talent (INSTAL) was also discussed. Under the proposed Scheme, each district will have a special school meant for young sport persons in the age group of 6-10 years who have shown talent in sports. 100 talented young boys and girls in this age group will be selected through the PYKKA rural competitions. Such selected students will be admitted in the District Level Sports Schools with facilities of boarding, lodging, special diet, sports kit, school fees and other expenses being met by govt. through a stipend. There will be a guaranteed job under the sports quota to such selected students both in the Central Government or the State Government.
39TH G8 SUMMIT HELD AT LOUGH ERNE IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Thirty ninth G8 Summit was held at Lough Erne in Northern Ireland from 17 May - 18 June 2013. The two day summit was presided over by the David Cameron, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom. The two day summit was attended by the leaders from G8 Nations namely Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the USA and UK. Jose Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission, and Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council also were a part of the meet. The Lough Erne Declaration from the G8 Summit 2013 sets out agreed principles for the future. The declaration focused on private enterprise that would drive growth, help in reduction of www.jagranjosh.com
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poverty and creation of jobs and prosperity for people around the world. It also sets out that governments have a special responsibility to make proper rules and promote good governance. In addition, fair taxes, increased transparency and open trade are vital drivers of this. The G8 leaders will make a real difference by acting on the principles in the declaration. The UK assumed the one-year Presidency of the G8 in January 2013 and thus David Cameron, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom was the presiding leader of the 39th Summit.
MANMOHAN SINGH WAS ON FOUR DAYS VISIT TO JAPAN

The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, visited Japan on 27-30 May 2013 for the Annual Summit of the Prime Ministers. Both the Countries of India and Japan held extensive talks on bilateral, regional and global issues on 29 May 2013 in Tokyo. Highlights of Manmohan Singhs Visit to Japan Both the Countries welcomed the launch of the bilateral Maritime Affairs Dialogue, the first meeting of which was held on 29 January 2013 in Delhi. Both the countries expressed concern on the issue of import of Indian shrimp by Japan and hoped that this issue would be resolved soon. Both the countries confirmed the 6th EAS Declaration on ASEAN Connectivity that includes consideration be given to the Connectivity Master Plan Plus in the future anticipating the Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) to provide useful inputs towards this. Prime Minister of both the Countries re-affirmed their support for the East Asia Summit (EAS) as a forum for dialogue on broad strategic, political and economic issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in East Asia. They applauded the signing of the Memorandum between the Department of Atomic Energy of India and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan on cooperation in rare earths industry in India. Both the Countries were satisfied with the signing of the first tranche of the Main Loan Agreement for Phase-II totaling approximately 136 billion yen. The two countries expressed their satisfaction seeing the progress in implementation of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC). The two countries expressed satisfaction with the progress in cooperation of creative Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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industries and applauded the successful launch of the Indian Design Mark developed by the India Design Council and the Japan Institute of Design Promotion. The two Prime Ministers also applauded the signing of the Exchange of Notes for yen loan totaling 71 billion yen for the Mumbai Metro Line-III project, as well as the yen loan of the fiscal year 2012 totaling 353.106 billion yen for eight projects.
PANEL TO EXAMINE INDECENT REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN MEDIA

Union Ministry of Women and Child Development on 19 June 2013 constituted a panel to examine aspects related indecent portrayal of women in mass media. The Additional Secretary and Mission Director (National Mission for Empowerment of Women) K Ratnaprabha was appointed as the head of the constituted panel. The constituted panel will have a check on all types of indecent representation of women in Mass Media. The decision of constituting a panel was taken after the Ministry received complaints related to indecent portrayal of women in mass media. Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) ACT, 1986 (NO. 60 OF 1986) An Act to prohibit indecent representation of women through advertisements or in publications, writings, paintings, figures or in any other manner and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
BE IT ENACTED BY PARLIAMENT IN THE THIRTY-SEVEN YEAR OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA AS FOLLOWS:

1. Short title, extent and commencement This Act may be called the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. It extends to the whole of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
2. Definitions In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- advertisement includes any notice, circular, label, wrapper or other document and also includes any visible representation made by means of any light, sound, smoke or gas. Distribution includes distribution by way of samples whether free or otherwise. Indecent representation of women means the depiction in any manner of the figure of a www.jagranjosh.com
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woman; her form or body or any part thereof in such way as to have the effect of being indecent, or derogatory to, or denigrating women, or is likely to deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality or morals. Label means any written, marked, stamped, printed or graphic matter, affixed to, or appearing upon, any package; package" includes a box, a carton, tin or other container. Prescribed means prescribed by rules made under this Act.
COMMITTEE TO REVISE NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENT RATES

The Union ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 23 June 2013 constituted a committee headed by JS Mathur to review the rate revision of the newspaper advertisements. The committee will also look into different parameters on the basis of which advertisements are issued. JS Mathur is the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
UNION EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER SALMAN KHURSHID VISITED IRAQ

Salman Khurshid, the Union External Affairs Minister was on a two-day visit to Iraq from 19 to 20 June 2013. This is the first visit of any Minister from Indian Union to Iraq after 23 years in the war-raved country. The two nations discussed issues of bilateral and mutual interests including import of oil for energy security along with the avenues of partnership. During his visit, Khurshid met with the Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki and his counterpart Hoshyar Zebari. Former Prime Minister of India, Inder Kumar Gujral visited Iraq in 1990 during his tenure as an External Affairs Minister of Indian Union. He visited Iraq to check the procedures of evacuation of Indians in the wake of Gulf war.
SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE US, JOHN KERRY COMPLETED INDIA VISIT

The Secretary of State of the United States, John Kerry completed his India visit on 25 June 2013. He was on three-day visit to India from 23 June 2013 to 25 June 2013. He reached New Delhi along with his delegates on 23 June 2013. This was his first visit to India as a Secretary of www.jagranjosh.com
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State of the United States. During the visit, he had detailed discussions over topics such as strategic pillars of relationship between India and US, which included global issues, economics, security, technology and political issues. During his visit, various bilateral and multilateral documents were signed. Dialogues on higher education, space cooperation, health cooperation, international security as well as economic collaboration were held.
US SUPREME COURT: HUMAN DNA CANNOT BE PATENTED

The US Supreme Court on 14 June 2013 ruled that human genes cannot be patented. However, artificially copied DNA can be claimed as intellectual property. The court rejected patents held by a Utah-based firm on two genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer. The court opined that DNA came from nature and was not eligible for patenting. The US biotechnology industry had warned any blanket ban on such patents would jeopardise huge investment in gene research and therapies. The court added in the ruling that synthetic molecules known as complementary DNA can be patented because it is not occurring naturally.
BLA MILITANTS BLAST ED JINNAHS RESIDENC E IN BALOCHISTAN

The Residency, a National Monument that was used by Muhammad Ali Jinnah during his last days at Ziarat in Balochistan Province of Pakistan was blown up by the militants of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) on 15 June 2013. During the four hour gunfire and bomb blasts, the memorials as well as furniture of the residency was destroyed completely. The militants also replaced the Pakistani National Flag with the flag of their outfit in its place. The Residency the 121 year old building was built in 1982 as the summer residence of the Agent of the British Governor-General and was declared as the national monument after Jinnah, spent last days of his life there when he suffered from tuberculosis.
HARLEQUIN ENTERPRISES ENTERED HINDI AND TAMIL MARKET

Harlequin Enterprises, publishers of the Mills & Boon romance fiction series entered the market of language books. Harlequin Enterprises released its translations of two best-selling international books in Tamil as well as Hindi. The books will also be released in Malayalam and Marathi. The Hindi and Tamil books are available at all the news-stands and book stores. The Hindi titles are available at the price of 75 Rupees while the Tamil books are available at a price of 25 Rupees with an introductory price of 10 Rupees. These books will be available in bi-monthly www.jagranjosh.com
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magazine form which will also cover other items such as horoscopes and surveys.
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Mills & Boon books are available all across the world in 31 languages. Harlequin Enterprises is a Canada based company that started off the India operations in the year 2008. It has published six English books by Indian authors already, which will be translated in regional languages as well. Harlequin Enterprises also has the plan of exporting Tamil titles to Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia. Malayalam books might be exported to Dubai.
GOLD COINS DATING BACK TO THE GUPTA PERIOD UNEARTHED IN WB

Gold coins said to be from Gupta period were unearthed on 1 June 2013 at Ahiran in West Bengal Murshidabad district. These coins were found during the construction of National Highway 34. The coins date back to fourth century A.D. The gold coins from Gupta period are second discovery in West Bengal from the early colonial period. The first one was the discovery at Kalighat. Therefore, the discovery is considered as extremely important. Historians explained that the discovery will help in presenting the clues about the reach of Gupta Empire. This discovery will also facilitate new scope in the research of Gupta coinage system in India. The gold coins from that era were discovered from the place near Gonkar and Hatpara areas under Sagardighi police station. As of now, 11 coins have been unearthed and all these have been kept at the local police station. The discovery of the coins will help the historians in exploring Murshidabads history. Murshidabads history shows the evidences of settlements from 1st and 2nd century A.D. during Kushana period and then Sashanka period which dated back to 6th and 7th century A.D. These coins were those of the imperial series during regime of Gupta kings Chandragupta and Samudragupta. The coins had king with Garuda Stambha on his right and with a fire altar, on one side and image of goddess Lakshmi on the other side.
IAF LAUNCHED OPERATION RAHAT TO RESCUE PILGRIMS

Operation Rahat: Rescue operation launched by IAF in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh The Indian Air Force (IAF) on 18 June 2013 launched operation Rahat to rescue stranded pilgrims in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh after heavy rains wreaked havoc in northern India on June 16. Two additional helicopters were put into service today along with the National Disaster Response Force teams in Himachal Pradesh. Relief operations are in full swing providing aid to thousands of stranded pilgrims and tourists. On 16 Jun 2013 heavy rains wreaked havoc in the hill states of Uttrakhand and Himachal www.jagranjosh.com
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Pradesh leaving thousands stranded including pilgrims in transit in various valleys. IAF assistance was sought for rescue operations. HQ Western Air Command (WAC) promptly responded to the requests from various states for providing flood relief. IAF undertook the task simultaneously in the sectors of Yamunanagar, Kedarnath-Badrinath axis, Rudrapyag valley, Karcham- Puh axis. Airforce station Sarsawa was made the hub centre with helicopters converging from Bhatinda and Hindon. A number of Medium lift helicopters including the newly inducted MI -17 V5 were positioned on 17 Jun at Jollygrant helipad at Dehradun despite inclement weather. On 17 Jun a total of 36 pax were evacuated from general area Karnal by MI -17 V5. In addition 21 passengers including 15 children were rescued from Nakud by ALH operating Ex Sarsawa. On 18 June 2013, two additional MI -17 V5 helicopters were put into service along with the NDRF teams in the general area of Rampur- Rekongpeo in Himachal Pradesh. The relief operations are in full swing providing succor to thousand of standed pilgrims and tourists.
15TH INDIA REALTY EXPO 2012 CONCLUDED IN DUBAI

The Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry or MCHI organised the India Realty Expo 2012 Dubai from 20 June 2013 to 22 June 2013. This event was inaugurated by P. Rajgopalan, Head of Chancery of the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi. The event aimed at helping the non-resident Indians, or NRIs to invest in the property. This edition of the India Realty Expo 2012 Dubai was organised by MCHI, which is the representative body of builders as well as developers from Mumbai, suburbs as well as Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The show is aimed at providing the safe as well as secure platform to Indians for realty sector, primarily in MMR and Mumbai.
MAIN FEATURES OF INDIA REALTY EXPO 2012 DUBAI

This was the 15th India Realty Expo 2012. The India Realty Expo 2012 Dubai was scheduled from 20 June 2013 to 22 June 2013. The show features over 90 exhibitors who displayed properties which were worth billions of Rupees. During the event, legal investment as well as educative vaastu seminars were organised by the experts. The focus sessions based on the emerging hot spots of real estate provided opportunities to the investors for learning about key destinations of investment in India. Current Affairs - June 2013 Ebook
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Major cities included Gurgaon, Mumbai, Noida, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai.
EXHIBITION TITLED JAMINI ROY (1887 1972): JOURNEY TO THE ROOTS

Union Minister for Culture Chandresh Kumari Katoch inaugurated a special exhibition titled Jamini Roy (1887 1972): Journey to the Roots on 24 June 2013. The special exhibition is meant to celebrate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Jamini Roy who was an eminent artist. The exhibition would be open for public display at National Gallery of Modern Art till August 2013 everyday from Tuesday to Sunday except on Public Holidays from 10 am to 5 pm.
ABOUT JAMINI ROY (1887 1972): JOURNEY TO THE ROOTS EXHIBITION

The special exhibition showcases approximately 200 artworks of Jamini Roy. These artworks include sketches, drawings, paintings and sculptures from the distinguished collection of National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA). Collection of the artworks of Jamini Roy started in 1954 when NGMA was built and was eventually built up over the time duration of three decades. In order to enhance a few sections of this exhibition, NGMA also borrowed works from the personal collection of Abhishek Poddar, Bengaluru and A. Ramachandaran, New Delhi. The special exhibition mounts the paintings as well as drawings of Jamini Roy, apart from the explanatory wall texts as well as photographs of this artist. The display at the exhibition is organised thematically. The major themes include drawings and sketches, sculptures, epics, myths and folk cults, copies of European Masters, landscapes, portraits, Suite of paintings featuring Santals, calligraphic brush paintings, Krishna-leela, Life of Christ, birds and beasts, mother and child as well as village community.
WHO WAS JAMINI ROY?

Jamini Roy was an eminent artist whose primary appeal was in popular imagination because of simple, yet strong and vibrant colours. The paintings of the village folk, mythological heroes, birds, animals and primarily those of women were executed in order to make them appear lively. The paintings of Jamini Roy have simple forms and make use of swift and bold strokes of brush, along with the vivid and bright colours.
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He popularised simple folk idioms as well as themes in the paintings which were derived from his native village only, i.e., from Beliatore. In the year 1976, the Government of India had declared the artworks of Jamini Roy as National Treasure. Apart from this, works of seven other important artists were declared as the National Treasure.
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH

Q.1) Recently the surveillance programme of the United States of America named PRISM Surveillance Programme was in news. What do you understand by the PRISM programme? Discuss the role of the internet giants like google, facebook and others in the program? Discuss its impact on the World and US security? Q.2) What would be the impact of the Three Ts agenda discussed during the 39th G8 Summit held at Lough Erne in Northern Ireland from 17 June 18 June 2013? How will the seven point strategy made by the G8 Nations on Syria Issue change the situation there in the coming future? Q.3) The recent natural calamity due to landslides in the Char Dham Yatra area like Kedarnath in Uttarakhand in June 2013 that killed more than thousands, is a manmade disaster? Do you agree with the statement? Discuss its impact and reasons? Q.4) The United States Senate on 27 June 2013 passed a landmark comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill to provide a pathway to citizenship to some 11 million illegal immigrants in the country. Enlist the main features of the bill. How it will impact Indo-US relation? Discuss. Q.5) The government on 25 June 2013 floated a drafted the bill named as Draft River Basin Management Bill. Which ministry put forward this bill? What is the aim of the bill? Discuss the significance of the bill. Q.6) Write brief notes on the following: a) New guidelines issued by SEBI for Investment Advisers to Operate in Stock Markets b) New labour law that regulates foreign labour in Australia c) Cyber attacks and its impact d) Taliban proposal for peace talks with US and Afghanistan e) Increase of defence budget by 15 percent in Pakistan f) Agreement signed to tackle malnutrition www.jagranjosh.com
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g) Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Blind h) India and Hungary Signed Agreement for Gas Monitoring System i) India Iraq relations with the visit of Salman Khurshid to Iraq
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