vol l | lssue ll | 16-31 AugusL, 2013

National 01
International 10
Economic 13
Appointments 18
Obituary 21
Awards 23
Sports 26
Miscellaneous 28
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Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
1
Kourou spaceport in French Guiana,
giving a major push to the countrys
maritime security. Indian Navy would
be the user of the multi-band home-
built communication spacecraf. Afer
a fight of almost 34 minutes, the Rs
185-crore satellite was injected into a
geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) of
249 km perigee (nearest point to earth),
35,929 km apogee (farthest point to earth)
and an inclination of 3.5 degree with
respect to the equator. Te frequency
bands of GSAT-7 will help space-
based marine communications. It has
coverage over Indian landmass as well as
surrounding seas.
GDP growth slips to 4.4%
I
n a clear refection of the ongoing
economic downturn, Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) growth decelerated
further to 4.4 per cent, the slowest pace of
expansion since the 2008 meltdown in the
frst quarter (April-June) of the current
fscal. Te pull-down, as has been the case in
recent years, was mainly due to the dismal
performance of mining and manufacturing
sectors. Although the expectation in both
of cial quarters and market participants
was for a fattish growth during the frst
quarter of 2013-14, the actual performance
turned out to be lower than anticipated,
especially as seven out of the eight sectors
either posted contraction in growth or a
lower rate of expansion.
NATIONAL
Lok Sabha passes Food Security
Bill
T
he Lok
Sabha
has
passed the
ambitious
National
Food Security
Bill, 2013 that seeks to provide highly
subsidised food grains to nearly 70 per
cent of the population of the country.
Tis will legally entitle 67 per cent of the
population (including 75 per cent rural
and 50 per cent urban) to get subsidised
grains under the Targeted Public
Distribution System (TPDS). A benefciary
will be entitled to 5 kg of rice, wheat or
coarse cereals at Rs. 3, Rs. 2 and Re. 1 per
kg a month, respectively. Te benefciaries
will be identifed by the States based
on parameters prescribed by the Union
government. Te cost of the scheme is
approx. 1.3 lakh crores.
Indias frst defence satellite
GSAT-7 launched successfully
I
ndias frst exclusive defence satellite,
GSAT-
7 was
successfully
launched by
European
space
consortium
Arianespaces Ariane 5 rocket from
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
2
Lok Sabha passes Land
Acquisition bill
T
he
path-
breaking
Land
Acquisition
Bill, which
seeks to
provide just and fair compensation to
farmers while ensuring that no land can
be aquired forcibly, was passed by the
Lok Sabha with overwhelming majority.
Te Right to Fair Compensation and
Transparency in Land Acquisition,
Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2012
stipulates mandatory consent of at least
70 per cent for acquiring land for Public
Private Partnership (PPP) projects and
80 per cent for acquiring land for private
companies.
Te bill, which will replace over a
century-old law, proposes compensation
that is up to four times the market value in
rural areas and two times the market value
in urban areas.Te bill was passed with
216 votes in favour and 19 against. Tis
legislation will provide lawful right of the
farmers over their land and no right of
forceful acquisition to government, Rural
Development Minister Jairam Ramesh
said.
Manmohan Singh frst PM
outside Nehru-Gandhi clan to
hoist fag for 10th time
M
anmohan Singh became the
frst Prime Minister outside the
Gandhi-Nehru family to unfurl
the national tricolour from the ramparts
of the Red Fort for the 10th time. Only
Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira
Gandhi have hoisted the fag more than 10
times at the Red Fort. Nehru had hoisted
the national fag 17 consecutive times while
Indira Gandhi got the honour 16 times.
PM sets up Committee to assess
status of tribals
O
n the pattern of Sachar Committee for
Muslims, Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh has set up a panel to assess
the status of Scheduled Tribes (STs) with an
aim to ensure their uplifment, particularly
in socio-economic, health and education
felds. Te seven-member committee, to
be headed by National Advisory Council
(NAC) member Virginius Xaxa, has been
asked to submit its report in nine months.
Te Prime Ministers decision came afer the
government found that the STs, who form
7.5 per cent of the countrys population, are
not getting enough dues despite the special
status in the Constitution. Te Committee
will prepare a report on the overall socio-
economic, health and educational status of
the tribal communities of the country and
suggest policy initiatives.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
3
Only one Indian institute in the
top 500 world universities
T
he Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bangalore is the only institution from
India to secure a place among the top
500 universities globally in the recently released
Academic Ranking of World Universities
(ARWU), 2013, commonly known as the
Shanghai Ranking. Te institute has been ranked
in the 301-400 category. Harvard University has
topped the global ranking, followed by Stanford
and University of California, Berkeley. Of the
500 universities ranked, American universities
captured a total of 182 slots including 17 of them
in top 20, while European universities occupied
200 positions.
Panel to study Pentavalent
vaccines safety
I
n the wake of 21 infants dying afer
receiving Pentavalent vaccine in
the country, the government will
conduct a study to ascertain its safety. Te
national-level Adverse Events Following
Immunisation (AEFI) Committee of the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is
in the process of holding a study on safety
of the vaccine, which was introduced in
India in 2011, as well as to ascertain the
background under which the deaths were
reported within 72 hours of vaccination.
90 lakh doses of Pentavalent have been
administered to children in eight States. Te
vaccine protects children against fve deadly
childhood diseases DPT (Diphtheria,
Pertussis and Tetanus), Hepatitis B and
Haemophilus infuenza type B (HiB).While
Kerala has reported the maximum of 15
such deaths, Tamil Nadu has reported a
few, while one death each has been reported
from Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and
Chandigarh.
Rajasthan ofers free tests at
primary health centres
A
fer successful implementation of a
scheme for free supply of medicines
in hospitals, the Rajasthan
Government started the free diagnostic
test facility at all primary health centres
(PHCs) situated across the State to mark
the Independence Day. Te scheme for
free tests for all patients was introduced at
all medical colleges, district hospitals and
satellite hospitals on the World Health Day
on April 7, 2013. Te schemes extension
to PHCs would beneft the patients in the
rural areas who fnd it dif cult to travel to
towns for diagnostic tests. Te tests of 15
types would be available free of cost to every
patient visiting these medical institutions.
Karnataka Chief Minister to
implement employment scheme
S
iddaramaiah said his government
would soon implement the Rajiv
Chaityanya scheme in the state to
ensure employment to over two lakh rural
NATIONAL
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
4
unemployed youth and planned to augment
power generation by adding 4,000 MW.
He said the scheme would cover 40 to 50
youths in each Gram Panchayat. Over 2,300
MW power in public sector and 1,700 MW
power in private sector would be generated
in the next three years under the Belakina
Bhagya scheme.
Only West Bengal,Tripura stay
out of NPS
W
est Bengal and Tripura are the
only States to remain out of the
National Pension Scheme (NPS),
Pension Fund Regulatory Development
Authority (PFRDA) Chairman Yogesh
Agarwal said. Te NPS is a defned
contribution based pension system which
was launched byGovernment of Indiawith
efect from January 1, 2004 for its new
recruits (except the Armed Forces). Te
scheme is intended to help government to
reduce its pension liabilities. Unlike the
earlier pension fund that ofered assured
benefts, NPS has defned contribution and
individuals can decide where to invest their
money.
Kanya Chhaya Sabki Bhagidari
scheme launched in Himachal
Pradesh
A
unique initiative, Kanya Chhaya
Sabki Bhagidari, aimed at increasing
the sex ratio of girl child while taking
care of the green cover was launched in
Nalagarh town of Solan district of Himachal
Pradesh. On the occasion, the society formed
for the purpose honoured 27 girls born this
year and also planted trees in their names at a
local park, called Kanya Chhaya Park.
Street named afer Gandhiji in
Canada
T
he street leading to the Canadian
Museum for Human Rights in
Canadas Winnipeg city will now
be known as Honorary Mahatma Gandhi
Way. Mayor of Winnipeg Sam Katz said it
was appropriate the roadway be associated
with an individual synonymous with the
struggle for human rights.
Alleged LeT ideologue Tunda
nabbed
A
lleged Lashkar-e-
Taiba ideologue
Abdul Karim
Tunda, whose name fgures
in Indias list of top-20
most wanted criminals
handed over to Pakistan
and who has been on the run for the
past two decades has fnally been caught.
Tunda, who allegedly has links with top
LeT operatives, was attempting to sneak
into Indian territory when the Delhi Police
Special Cell arrested him on the India-
Nepal border. Seventy-year-old Tunda, is
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
5
suspected to have masterminded over 40
blasts in and outside the National Capital
post Babri Masjid demolition in 1993.
Wall of 16th century Bahu Qilla
collapses
A
wall
of
the
historic
Bahu Qilla,
one of
the oldest
forts in
Jammu built in the 16th century, collapsed
due to incessant rains. Nobody was
injured. Afer the incident, the Bahu Fort
Development Committee protested against
the Archaeology Department and Jammu
Development Authority, alleging that
the wall collapsed due to lack of proper
maintenance and renovation.
U.S. to help India face new
security challenges
T
hree months afer the U.S.-India
Homeland Security Dialogue in
Washington, India is all set to send its
of cers to various agencies across American
federal organisations to sharpen their skills
and acquire new ones to fght terrorism.
Indian of cials and security of cers would
soon be visiting the U.S. for training in
an array of coursesfrom cyber security,
megacity policing and forensics, to critical
infrastructure protection, fnancial terrorism
and anti-terrorism intelligence. Te U.S.
government has agreed to give Indian of cers
access to its specialised agencies under
the Department of Homeland Security,
particularly the Georgia-headquartered
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centres
(FLETC), to help them deal with the changing
face of international terrorism.
Shortest woman releases biggest
book
T
he worlds shortest woman, Jyoti
Amge, whose height is a little below
25 inches, released the biggest
book measuring 30x24 feet, at a function
in Jaipur. Te religious book written by
Jain Muni Shri Tarun Sagar titled Kadve
Pravachan weighs 2,000 kg. About 1,500 kg
iron and 100 litres of colour were used by
10 workers, who came from Ahmedabad
and Nasik to make the book. It took them
four days to complete the work.
Central Zoo Authority
introduces grading system for
zoos
T
he Central Zoo Authority of India
(CZA) has introduced a grading
system to assess the performance of
zoos. A fve-member CZA team, comprising
a wildlife expert, a veterinary specialist and
other experts will examine the parameters.
Grading will be based on the evaluation
and assessment of facilities at the zoo and
its overall performance as a conservation
and education centre.
NATIONAL
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
6
Daily Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha
I
n a fresh attempt to minimise disruptions,
Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari
accepted a suggestion to have a Zero Hour
everyday to allow members to raise important
issues. Zero Hour had come into existence in
the Indian Parliament in the 1960s to allow
MPs to raise issues of public importance with
the permission of the chair when they have
given a prior notice and in some cases, even
without notice. Its duration is one hour. Till
now, it was allowed on all working days in the
Lok Sabha during the session but in the Rajya
Sabha, it was kept only on alternate days.
Over 8000 Indians sign up for
one-way trip to mars
O
ver
8,000
Indians have
signed up for
the one-way
trip to Mars
and settle down on the red planet. Te
one-way trip to Mars, under the Mars
One project plans to establish a colony
there in the next 10 years.August 31 was
the last date for registration. It has already
received interest from more than 1,65,000
people across the globe hoping to be the
frst humans on Mars. India stands fourth
among other countries of the world with
8,107 applicants. Te top few countries to
enroll are the US, China and Brazil.
Air Force lands heavy-lif
aircraf near LAC
T
he Indian
Air Force
landed
its C-130J
Super Hercules
transport plane
at the worlds
highest and recently-activated airstrip
at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in Ladakh,
close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
where Indian and Chinese troops had
witnessed a three-week long stand-of in
April. A C-130J Super Hercules landed at
DBO is the highest airstrip in the world.
With this enhanced airlif capability, the
IAF will now be in a better position to
meet the requirements of our land forces
who are heavily dependent on the air
bridge for sustenance in these higher and
inhospitable areas, the IAF said.
Allowance for orphan, wards of
HIV parents
T
he Bihar Cabinet approved a scheme
aimed at providing allowance to
orphaned children and wards of
HIV positive and leprosy parents. As per the
programme of Social Welfare department,
orphaned children up to six years of age
and those whose parents are sufering from
leprosy and HIV-AIDS would be given a
monthly allowance of Rs. 900 each.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
7
Anti-superstition ordinance
promulgated in Maharashtra
T
he anti black magic and superstition
ordinance has been promulgated
in Maharashtra afer the murder of
rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in Pune.
Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan
has given his assent to the anti black magic
and superstition ordinance. Te angry protests
sparked by Dabholkars killing prompted
the Maharashtra government to clear an
ordinance to enforce the anti-superstition bill
he had championed for years. Te Bill had
proposed that those indulging in black magic
or preying on peoples superstitions be jailed for
up to seven years. Te bill also sought to ban a
range of practices including black magic, animal
sacrifce and magical remedies to cure ailments.
Govt extends CGHS facilities
T
he Government has extended the Central
Government Health Scheme (CGHS)
facilities to permanently disabled (with
40% disability) dependent but unmarried
brother of a CGHS benefciary without any age
limit. Te disability includes blindness, low-
vision, leprosy cured, hearing impairment, loco-
motor, mental retardation and mental illness.
Retired judge to probe Kishtwar
riots
T
he former judge of the Jammu
and Kashmir High Court, Justice
R.C. Gandhi, will hold a time-
bound judicial inquiry into the communal
riots that rocked the Kishtwar district in
Jammu province on August 9. Te State
government announced the appointment
of Justice Gandhi while issuing a special
notifcation under the Jammu and Kashmir
Commission of Inquiry Act, 1962. He has
to submit a report within one month.
5 new IIITs start functioning
F
ive new Indian Institutes of
Information Technology have started
functioning from this academic
session. Te institutes at Chittoor in Andhra
Pradesh, Kota in Rajasthan, Tiruchirapalli
in Tamil Nadu, Guwahati in Assam and
Vadodara in Gujarat have been set up under
the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) mode.
India is now worlds third largest
Internet user afer U.S., China
I
ndia has bypassed Japan to become the
worlds third largest Internet user afer
China and the United States, and its
users are signifcantly younger than those
of other emerging economies, global digital
measurement and analytics frm comScore
has said in a report. India now has nearly
74 million Internet users, a 31 per cent
increase over March 2012.
NATIONAL
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
8
West Bengal to launch
Kanyashri project
W
est Bengal Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjees dream
project Kanyashri would be
launched on October 1. Ms. Banerjee
said the project would empower women
through improved health services and
education of girls. Te project will target
18.5 lakh benefciaries.
Aap ki Rasoi scheme to be
expanded
T
he Aap ki Rasoi scheme through
which one full meal is being provided
to about 6,000 destitute people across
Delhi would soon be expanded to reach out
to more people in need, Chief Minister Sheila
Dikshit said. Te Government has been
implementing various social sector schemes
with a view to ensure proper food for all.
ONGC adopts Taj Mahal under
Tourism Ministrys Clean India
campaign
W
ith an aim of attracting more
tourists in the country by
improving cleanliness and hygiene
conditions at tourist destinations, Tourism
Minister K. Chiranjeevi has launched the
Clean India Campaign at world heritage
site, Taj Mahal. Te 17th Century marble
mausoleum, which has been adopted by
State public sector undertaking ONGC, is the
second site to be covered under this project.
Te frst Qutub Minar in New Delhi was
adopted by the India Tourism Development
Corporation in June 2012.
My Stamp launched
I
ndia Post has now made it possible to print
personal photographs on postage stamps.
Te Philatelic Bureau in Madurai will now
ofer the My Stamp facility where pictures of
people, historical places, wildlife and famous
tourist places can be printed as commemorative
postage stamps. Te My Stamp facility was frst
showcased in the World Philatelic Exhibition
2011 in New Delhi where there was a huge
demand for it. Afer repeated requests, the
Postal Department decided to introduce it and
make it available to the public.
Goa bans plaster of Paris
Ganesha idols
T
he Goa government has prohibited
the sale, manufacture, transportation
and use of Ganesh idols made out
of Plaster of Paris (PoP) including their
entry in the State of Goa. Te PoP idols are
made from semihydrated calcium sulphate
manufactured by calcination process and
when immersed in water, do not dissolve
or disintegrate easily, thereby causing
irreversible environmental efects on the
riverine/coastal ecology.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
9
Q
1. Which among the following is the frst defence
satellite of India?
a. GSAT 4 b. GSAT 9
c. GSAT 7 d. GSAT 11
Ans. c
2. Which among the following states ofers free tests
at primary health centres?
a Madhya Pradesh b. Rajasthan
c. Haryana d. Chattisgarh
Ans. b
3. Which state has started an employment generation scheme named Rajiv Chaitanya
Scheme?
a. Andhra Pradesh b. Tamil Nadu
c. Gujarat d. Karnataka
Ans. d
4. Who among the following heads the recently appointed committee to assess status
of tribals?
a. Nandini Sundar b. Samant Bhattacharya
c. Virginius Xaxa c. Patricia Uberoi
Ans. c
5. Which state has launched a scheme named Kanyashree for women empowerment?
a. West Bengal b. Punjab
c. Kerala d. Tamil Nadu
Ans. a
6. Which public sector company has adopted Taj Mahal under Clean India Campaign ?
a. SAIL b. ONGC
c. BHEL d. NTPC
Ans. b
7. Zero hour , the one hour discussion is scheduled in Rajya Sabha on -
a. Alternate days b. Monday and Friday
c. Monday d. All working days
Ans. d
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
10
INTERNATIONAL
El Baradei resigns
E
gyptian Vice-
President
Mohammed El
Baradei resigned saying his
conscience was troubled
by loss of lives when
security forces cracked
down on supporters of ousted President
Mohammed Morsi. His resignation came
afer nearly 149 people were killed when
security forces stormed two camps.
Obama cancels military
exercises, condemns violence in
Egypt
P
resident Barack Obama announced
that the United States is cancelling
joint military exercises with Egypt
saying normal U.S. cooperation cannot
continue in light of the armed forces
bloody crackdown. The United States
strongly condemns the steps that have been
taken by Egypts interim government and
security forces, Obama said.
Washington provides $1.3 billion in
military aid and about $250 million in
economic aid to Egypt every year, which it
has been reluctant to cut off for fear of losing
leverage there and in the broader region.
Stopping military exercises in Egypt was one
clear way the White House could show its
displeasure. It was the rst signicant U.S.
move to penalize Egypts military rulers.
Chinese military tests heavy
pontoon bridge on Brahmaputra
C
hinese army has tested a new-type of
heavy-duty pontoon bridge on the
Brahmaputra river in Tibet during
a military exercise. Te bridge was tested
at a wartime river-crossing support drill
organised by an engineer regiment of the
Chinese Peoples Liberation Army this month
on the Yarlung Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra).
Te new-type heavy bridge equipment adopts
modular confguration and its structure can
be changed at any time.
Rebel leader sworn in as CAR
President
F
ormer rebel leader, Michel Djotodia,
was sworn in as president of the
Central African Republic, fve
months
afer seizing
power in the
violence-
wracked
country.
Djotodia
swore the oath of of ce on the Transition
Charter, which has substituted the
constitution since the ouster of Francois
Bozize, who himself came to power on
the back of a military coup in 2003. Te
former French colonys sixth president
is tasked with restoring security in the
impoverished state and steering the nation
through a transition period leading to
fresh polls within 18 months.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
11
Nepal to open fve new peaks to
mountaineers
N
epal will open fve peaks of over
8,000 metres in height to expeditions
when the autumn climbing season
begins, taking the total number of such
mountains to 13. Te new peaks Lhotse
Middle, Lhotse Shar, Kanchenjunga South,
Kanchenjunga Central and Kanchenjunga
West all measure over 8,400 metres (27,559
feet). Te move is yet to be approved by the
International Mountaineering and Climbing
Federation, of cials said. Nepal currently
allows expeditions to scale eight mountains of
over 8,000 metres, including Mount Everest.
Bradley Manning sentenced to
35 years in prison
B
radley Manning,
the U.S. soldier
convicted of the
biggest breach of classifed
data in the nations history
by providing fles to
WikiLeaks, was sentenced
to 35 years in prison. He was found guilty
of 20 charges including espionage and
thef. In 2010, Manning turned over more
than 700,000 classifed fles, battlefeld
videos and diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks,
the pro transparency website, in a case that
has commanded international attention.
US sanctions Pak madrassa for
aiding LeT
T
he US has imposed sanctions on a
Pakistani madrassa being used for
training bomb makers and suicide
attackers for the LeT and Al Qaeda. It is for
the frst time that such an action has been
taken against a seminary. Ganj Madrassa in
the northwestern city of Peshawar, of cially
known as Jamia Taleem-Ul-Quran-Wal-
Hadith Madrassa, is the frst seminary to be
designated a terrorist organisation by the
US. Te sanctions forbid Americans from
having any business interaction with it.
Indians now third largest
immigrant group in the US
I
ndians have emerged as the third largest
immigrant group in the United States
afer Mexicans and Chinese, with their
numbers touching 1.9 million as of 2011.
Te Indian-born population in America has
grown by over 150 times in size since 1960.
Germanys ex-president to face
trial over favours scandal
G
ermanys former President Christian
Wulf, who resigned amid a scandal
in 2012, will face court on charges
of accepting a favour while in of ce. Wulf,
54, who was Germanys youngest president
and served less than two years in the largely
ceremonial job, will become the countrys
frst former head of state to answer charges
in court.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
12
Q
1. Who has been elected as the new president of
Central African Republic?
a. Michel Djotodia
b. Uhuru Kenyatta
c. Yahya Jammeh
d. Dawda Jawara
Ans. a
2. Te Pakistani madrassa upon which America
imposed sanction is-
a. Haji madrassa
b. Ganj madrassa
c. Abu madrassa
d. Harem madrassa
Ans. b
3. Which community forms the largest immigrant
group of US?
a. Chinese
b. Indian
c. Canadian
d. Mexican
Ans. d
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
13
ECONOMIC
RBI eases Statutory Liquidity
Ratio
T
he Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
has further relaxed the Statutory
Liquidity Ratio (SLR), to provide
more funds to banks for lending. It is the
amount which a bank has to maintain in the
form of cash, gold or approved securities.
Te move was in view of the losses sufered
by banks in their investment portfolio. RBI
has decided to retain the SLR at 24.5 per
cent, to help banks reduce MTM (Market
to Market) losses resulting from abnormal
market condition.
First ever penalty against foreign
Government entity by CCI
C
ompetition Commission of
India (CCI) has fned Singapore
government investment arm,
Temasek Rs 50 lakh in the fair trade
regulators frst ever penalty against a
foreign government entity for late fling of
application seeking anti-trust approval for
an M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) deal.
Te fne has been imposed on Temasek
Holdings and its two units for delay in
submitting a mandatory notice to CCI with
regard to proposed acquisition of shares
from banking major DBS Group.
FMC nod for NSEL settlement
plan
C
ommodity markets regulator
Forward Markets Commission
(FMC) has asked crisis-ridden
National Spot Exchange Ltd. (NSEL) to go
ahead for the time being with its plan to
settle Rs.5,600 crore of dues to investors and
questioned the credibility of the accounts
and information provided by the exchange.
NSEL had submitted the plan to FMC to
clear dues of 13,000 investors over a period
of seven months. Te FMC came down
heavily on NSEL for not taking guarantees
for the fnancial settlement and providing
diferent sets of information at diferent
times.
RBI to open forex swap window
for OMCs
T
he Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
decided to open a forex (foreign
exchange) swap window to meet the
entire daily dollar requirements of three
public sector oil marketing companies:
IOC, HPCL and BPCL. Te RBI said that
this decision had been taken on the basis of
assessment of current market conditions.
Under the swap facility, RBI will undertake
selling/buying of U.S. dollar-Indian rupee
forex swaps for fxed tenor with the oil
marketing companies through a designated
bank.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
14
Germany recognises bitcoin as
currency
B
itcoin, a
popular
online
currency, has
been recognized
for legal and
tax purposes
in Germany, making it the frst country
to take an of cial stance on the status
of using the online currency as money.
Berlin has acknowledged the virtual
tender as acurrency unitandprivate
money,according to German newspaper
Die Welt. Bitcoin has been a popular form
of payment around the globe since it was
frst introduced in 2009, as people became
dissatisfed with the conventional banking
system. Meanwhile, the currencys viability
has been questioned because Bitcoins are
backed by neither a government nor a
central bank. Currently, 1 bitcoin is valued at
about $110.
Ban on Duty-free import of fat
TVs
T
he government banned duty-free
import of high-end fat screen plasma
television, which will now attract a
levy of 36.05 per cent. Earlier, air travellers
could bring a fat screen television for
personal use without paying any duty. Te
Revenue Department issued a notifcation
that amended rules to disallow import of
fat panel [LCD/LED/Plasma] television as
part of free baggage allowance. In an earlier
move to contain the Current Account Defcit
(CAD) and arrest declining value of rupee,
the government has raised duty on gold,
platinum and silver to 10 per cent.
CRISIL predicts rupee to settle
at 60 by March
I
n a sharp departure from current
speculation, rating agency CRISIL said
that it expects the rupee to recover from
its current level and end at 60 against the
dollar by March 2014. Te two factors that
will lead to this result, according to a report
put out by the agency, are a lower Current
Account Defcit (CAD) and a pick-up in
foreign capital infows in the second-half
of the current fnancial year. Te forecast of
60 per dollar, however, is still a signifcant
downward revision from the agencys
earlier forecast of 56 a dollar.
Portfolio investment scheme for
NRIs relaxed
T
he Reserve Bank of India simplifed
rules governing portfolio investments
such as, equity and debt by non-
resident Indians (NRIs) to attract infow
of foreign currency. Under the Portfolio
Investment scheme (PIS) for NRIs, banks
were given a unique code for each branch,
making it cumbersome for them to administer
the scheme. Te RBI has now dispensed
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
15
ECONOMIC
with the unique code for branches and said
banks shall be free to permit their branches
to administer the PIS scheme for NRI. Te
designated branch of the bank will grant a
one-time permission to the NRI applicant for
the purchase and sale of shares or convertible
debentures of an Indian company, the RBI
said in a notifcation.
India urges U.S. to renew GSP
scheme
I
ndia has taken up with United States
the issue of immediate renewal of the
US Generalised System of Preferences
(GSP) programme, which expired on
July 31. Any delay or failure to renew
the programme will result in an adverse
impact on trade exchanges between the
two countries. Te GSP programme
helps developing countries expand their
economies by increasing exports to the
U.S. It also aids U.S. businesses by lowering
the cost of imported goods that are used as
inputs in value-added US production.
IRDA slaps fne of Rs 3.10 crore
on Bajaj Allianz Life
I
nsurance Regulatory and Development
Authority (IRDA) has imposed a
hefy penalty of Rs 3.10 crore on Bajaj
Allianz Life Insurance for violation of
various norms, including those related to
early-death claims and group insurance.
Te regulator imposed a fne of Rs 78 lakh
for rejecting certain early-death claims
as unconcluded contracts. Tese relate to
cases where insured persons died afer the
date of commencement of risk but before
receiving the policy document.
Tata Steel adjudged Best
Performing Integrated Steel
Plant
T
ata Steel has been adjudged the Best
Performing Integrated Steel Plant
in the country for the year 2011-12,
based on the recommendations made by a
panel of judges that selected companies for
the Prime Minister`s Trophy awards for the
year 2011-12. Tata Steel has scored maximum
marks in overall performance for the fourth
consecutive year. Te Prime Ministers
Trophy was instituted in 1992 by former
Prime Minister Late P V Narsimha Rao for
excellence in the performance of integrated
steel companies. Tis was done with an
objective to give recognition to outstanding
performance in the vital sector of the national
economy which draws heavily on national
resources of capital and skilled manpower.
Bajaj Corp acquires Ozones
Nomarks brand
B
ajaj Corp. has announced the
acquisition of Ozone Ayurvedics
Nomarks brands for an undisclosed
amount. Bajaj has acquired the entire
intangible assets of Nomarks, including
trademarks. Nomarks product range
includes face wash, facial cream, facial
scrub and lotion.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
16
RIL, BP make new gas discovery
in Cauvery basin
R
eliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and its
partner BP (British Petroleum) has
announced a new gas condensate
discovery of the east coast in the Cauvery
basin. Te discovery, in the deepwater block,
is situated 62 kilometers from the coast in
the Cauvery Basin and is the second gas
discovery in the block. RIL is the operator
of the block with 70 per cent interest and
BP has a 30 per cent share.
Penalty on 6 banks for violating
KYC norms
T
he Reserve Bank of India has
imposed a fne of Rs.6.50 crore on
six public sector banks, including
IDBI Bank, Dena Bank and Indian Bank,
for violating customer identifcation or
KYC (Know Your Customer) norms and
anti-money laundering guidelines. Te
other three banks fned for violations are:
Allahabad Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and
Corporation Bank.
Banks ofer higher rates on NRI
deposits
N
on-resident Indians are being wooed
with higher rates of interest by
several banks afer the Reserve Bank
of India allowed lenders to ofer NRIs a better
return than local depositors and relaxed
reserve requirements on these deposits. Many
private and public sector banks, including
Axis Bank, Federal Bank and IDBI Bank,
have raised their NRI deposit ratesfollowing
the recent liberalisation of the same by the
Reserve Bank.
Government sets up TARC
under Shome
T
he Government
has set up a
high level panel
under chairmanship of
Parthasarathi Shome
(Director, Indian Council for
Research on International
Economic Relations) to review tax laws
and suggest ways for a stable and non-
adversarial tax administration. Te seven
member Tax Administration Reform
Commission (TARC) will have 18 months
tenure to suggest various measures including
appropriate organisational structure for tax
governance, an of cial statement said.
Small investors to be paid
T
he National Spot Exchange Limited
(NSEL) said that it would be clearing
pay-out of Rs. 177.23 crore to small
investors, while the total payout would be
about Rs. 190 crore. It has availed a bridge
loan from Financial Technologies India Ltd.
(FTIL), the promoter company, to make
these payment. NSEL is a Commodities
exchangeinIndia and is a joint venture of
FTIL andNational Agricultural Cooperative
Marketing Federation of India(NAFED).
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
17
Q
1. Which of the following foreign government
entities have been penalized by Competition
Commission of India?
a. Samsung
b. Temasek Holdings
c. Nokia
d. Sony Erricson
Ans. b
2. Te name of currency recently recognised by
Germany for legal and tax purposes is
a. Bitcoin
b. Kira
c. Streek
d. Betacoin
Ans. a
3. Who, among the following, heads the recently
setup Tax Administration Reform Commission?
a. Abhijit Sen
b. Pulok Chatterjee
c. Parthasarathi Shome
d. C.Rangarajan
Ans. c
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
18
APPOINTMENTS
Tree new ASGs appointed
T
hree senior advocates: L. Nageswara
Rao, Santosh Kumar Bagaria
and K.V. Viswanathan have been
appointed as Additional Solicitors General
in the Supreme Court for a period of
three years. Tey will be in addition to the
existing ASGs and handle various cases
assigned to them and would also assist
the Attorney General G.E., Vahanvati and
Solicitor General, Mohan Parasaran.
Salehi appointed as the head of
atomic body
T
he Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani has
reportedly made the
outgoing Foreign Minister
Ali Akbar Salehi as the
head of the Atomic Energy
Organisation, replacing
a hardliner with a pragmatist to take
charge of Tehrans nuclear programme.
Rouhanis appointment of Salehi indicates
the presidents intention to pursue a
more fexible approach to Irans nuclear
dispute with the West than his predecessor
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Pak general appointed as UN
military adviser
U
N Secretary General Ban Ki-
moon has appointed a Pakistani
army general as the Military
Adviser for United Nations Peacekeeping
Operations. Lt Gen Maqsood Ahmed,
who replaces Senegals Lt Gen Babacar
Gaye, recently completed his duties as a
Corps Commander in the Pakistan Army,
an appointment that he had held since
February 2013. Ahmed has held a number
of senior appointments including serving
as an Infantry Commander. His military
appointments comprised a combination
of command and staf appointments and
include a United Nations peacekeeping
tour of duty in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo in 2005-2006.
Deepak Sandhu named Chief
Information commissioner
F
ormer Media advisor
to the Prime Minister
and Information
Commissioner, Deepak
Sandhu has been appointed
as the Chief Information
Commissioner. She will
succeed Satyananda Mishra. Sandhu is
an Information of cer (1971 batch) who
has been Principal Director General in
the Press Information Bureau and has
been media advisor to the PM. She joined
the Chief Information Commission in
September 2009.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
19
Agrawal, Ramana to be Chief
Justices of Madras, Delhi HCs
T
he Supreme Court collegium has
recommended that the acting
Chief Justice of the Madras High
Court, Rajesh Kumar Agrawal, be made
its Chief Justice. Justice Agrawal assumed
of ce as acting Chief Justice on February
7 this year. Te seniormost judge of the
High Court, Justice R. Banumathi has
been recommended to be appointed as the
Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
Justice N.V. Ramana, acting Chief Justice
of Andhra Pradesh High Court, will be the
new Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
Dilip Trivedi is new CRPF
Director-General
D
ilip Trivedi, a 1978 batch IPS of cer
of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has
taken over as the new chief of the
Central Reserve Police Force. Mr. Trivedi
was till now serving as Special Director-
General of the Border Security Force.
Narayana Murthy quits as
chairman of NPCI
N
R Narayana Murthy has stepped
down as chairman of the National
Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI) afer taking charge as Executive
chairman of Infosys. NPCI has been
promoted under the aegis of Reserve Bank
of India by various banks as a not-for-proft
organization. It is known for providing
the IT backbone that connects ATMs of
all banks. NPCI is also the promoter of
Rupay, the Indian alternative to Visa and
MasterCard.
Indian-origin Professor to head
S African varsity
A
n Indian-origin
professor has been
appointed as Vice-
Chancellor of one of South
Africas internationally-
renowned academic
institutions. Prof Adam
Habib is named as Vice-Chancellor of the
University of the Witwatersrand.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
20
Q
1. Who has been appointed as the new Chief
Information Commissioner of India?
a. Satyanand Mishra
b. Deepak Sandhu
c. Ranjan Matthai
d. Shyam Saran
Ans. b
2. Who has been recently appointed as military
chief for UN Peacekeeping Operations?
a. Lt General Babacar Gaye
b. Lt General Parvez Kayani
c. Lt general Maqsood Ahmed
d. Lt General Manssor Khan
Ans. c
3. Who has been appointed as the new CRPF
Director General?
a. Dilip Trivedi
b. N.K Sondhi
c. Sachin Srivastava
d. Rajeev Vohra
Ans. a
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
21
OBITUARY
Olympian passes away
F
ormer athlete Henry
Rebello, who had
represented India
in the 1948 Olympic
Games in London, died
in Gurgaon afer a long
illness. He was 84. An avid
sports lover till the very end, Rebello was a
triple jumper of the highest quality.
Gujarat DGP dies in Tailand
G
ujarats Director-
General of Police,
Amitabh Pathak,
died on August 23, 2013 in
Phuket, Tailand. Pathak,
58, who was appointed
to the top police post in
February 2013, was swimming when he
sufered a massive cardiac arrest. Te 1977
batch IPS of cial was in Tailand with his
family on a vacation.
Neelkanth Kalyani passes away
I
ndustrialist and agriculturist Neelkanth
A. Kalyani, the founder and chairman
of the over $2.5 billion Kalyani Group,
passed away in Pune. Te pioneer of the
Indian forging industry, Mr. Kalyani , was
87. He was honoured with the Padmashri
in 1991 for his outstanding contribution to
the industry and agricultural sectors.
Vocalist Raghunath Panigrahi
passes away
E
minent classical
singer and music
director, Padmashri
Raghunath Panigrahi,
passed away afer illness for
a few months. He was 82.
Recipient of many awards,
the maestro, was awarded Padmashri in
2010 for his outstanding contribution to
Indian art and culture.
First woman member of the
NYSE
T
he frst woman to become a member
of the New York Stock Exchange,
Muriel Mickie Siebert, has died
at age 80. Siebert became the frst woman
member of the New York Stock Exchange
in 1967.
Maldives Foreign Minister
passed away
M
aldives Foreign Minister, Abdul
Samad Abdulla, who was under
treatment for heart disease, has
passed away in Singapore. He was named
the Foreign Minister in March 2012.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
22
Q
1. Who was the frst woman member of New York
Stock Exchange?
a. Helena Schidmt
b. Rosa Parkers
c. Muriel Siebert
d. Vanessa Alcott
Ans. c
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
23
AWARDS
Childrens Peace Prize for
Malala
P
akistani teenager
Malala Yousafzai
(16), an outspoken
proponent of girls
education who survived
a Taliban assassination
attempt in 2012, has been
awarded a top Dutch childrens honour for
her activism. Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize
laureate Tawakkol Karman will do the
honours. It carries a cash value of 100,000
($133,000) that is invested in projects
relating to the winners cause.
Rajiv Taranath gets Basavaraj
Rajguru award
E
minent Sarod
player Rajiv
Taranath of
Mysore has been
selected for this years
Pandit Basavaraj
Rajguru National
Award, instituted by the Pandit Basavaraj
Rajguru National Memorial Trust.
SP Yadav bags Rajiv Gandhi
Wildlife Award
T
he Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife
Conservation Award has been given
to SP Yadav, DIG, National Tiger
Conservation Authority, by Environment
Ministry while the Amrita Devi Bishnoi
Wildlife Protection Award-2010 in
individual category was conferred upon
Saurabh Gupta and Gaurav Gupta for their
contribution in protection of Wildlife.
RINL gets award for cost
management
R
INL (Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd)
has bagged second position in the
10th National Award for Excellence
in Cost Management 2012 conducted by
the Institute of Cost Accountants of India
(ICAI). For the frst time ICAI has included
external professionals for the evolution
of the performance of organisations for
presenting these prestigious awards.
Patna professor bags Fulbright
Fellowship
S
hailendra Kumar Mandal, Assistant
Professor in the Department of
Architecture at National Institute
of Technology Patna, has bagged the
prestigious Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship
sponsored by the United StatesIndia
Education Foundation (USIEF). Te
Fulbright Program is the fagship
international educational exchange
programme sponsored by the US
Government.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
24
Award for flm-maker
S
ohan Roy, director of DAM 999,
was awarded the 69th Rajiv Gandhi
Shiromani Award for his outstanding
contribution to the industry by Tripura
Governor Devanand Konwar in New Delhi
recently. Te award is in memory of the Late
Rajiv Gandhi and instituted by the Citizens
Integration Peace Society.
Guru Kelucharan awards
T
he 19
th
annual Guru Kelucharan
Mohapatra Award function will
be held at Rabindra Bhavan in
Bhubaneswar from September 5 to 9. Guru
Shankar Behera will be presented the award
for his contribution to Odissi dance and
Guru Ghanasyam Panda will be given the
award for his contribution to Odissi music.
Saahard Samman
R
ecognising Paaranandi Nirmala for
her literary contributions, Uttar
Pradesh Hindi Sansthan is awarding
her with Saahard Samman (Telugu) for the
year 2012 with a cash prize of Rs.2.02 lakh
on September 14 at Lucknow. She has so far
translated some 103 books from Hindi to
Telugu and from Telugu to Hindi and also
from English to Hindi.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
25
Q
1. Who has been awarded the Rajiv Gandhi
Wildlife Award recently?
a. N.K Malhotra
b. S.P Singh
c. K. Chandrashekhran
d. S.P Yadav
Ans. d
2. National Award for Excellence in Cost
Management was awarded recently to -
a. Infosys
b. TCS
c. RINL
d. LIC
Ans. c
3. Guru Kelucharan award is related to the feld of-
a. Science and Technology
b. Sports
c. Dance
d. Fine Arts
Ans. c
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
26
SPORTS
PV Sindhu enters top 10 in
world rankings
B
acked by her bronze medal-
winning performance at the World
Championships, PV Sindhu entered
the top-10 of the womens singles rankings
for the frst time in her career. In the latest
Badminton World Federation (BWF)
rankings released, the 18-year-old jumped
two places to No.10 while Saina Nehwal
retained her No.4 position.
Nadal clinches Cincinnati
Masters title
R
afael Nadal
won the ATP
Cincinnati
Masters for the frst
time , his ninth title
of 2013 lifing him to
No. 2 in the world and
stamping him as a U.S. Open favourite.
Te fourth-seeded Spaniard, proved again
that the eight-time French Open champion
is back in peak form afer his shocking
frst round exit at Wimbledon.
Sania-Zheng pair lifs title
I
ndian tennis ace Sania Mirza notched
up her third title of the season and
17th overall as she lifed the womens
doubles trophy at the WTA New Haven
Open along with new partner Jie Zheng
in New Haven. Playing just their fourth
event together, third seeded Sania and Jie
defeated the second seeded pair of Anabel
Medina Garrigues and Katarina Srebotnik
in the summit clash.
Ganguly to head CAB coaching
committee
F
ormer India
captain Sourav
Ganguly was
named the chairman
of the coaching sub-
committee of the
Cricket Association
of Bengal. Ganguly led the cricket
development committee of CAB for the
past few years but was moved into a more
important role as the state body sought to
utilise its most-prized cricketer in a bigger
way.
Australia joins ASEAN Football
Federation
A
ustralia became a full member of
south-east Asias ASEAN Football
Federation (AFF) with the backing of
all members of the regional organisation.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
27
Q
1. Who has won ATP Cincinnati Masters title of
2013?
a. Roger Federer
b. Andy Murray
c. Rafael Nadal
d. Serena Williams
Ans. c
2. Which country has recently joined ASEAN
Football Federation?
a. Phillipines
b. Australia
c. Malaysia
d. New Zealand
Ans. b
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
28
MISCELLANEOUS
Indian-origin woman to help
build worlds fastest car
2
9-year-old Indian-
origin woman from
South Africa is set to
join the team of specialist
engineers building the
worlds fastest car in the UK
Beverly Singh, a mechanical
engineer from Port
Elizabeth, will help design the Bloodhound
supersonic car, currently being built by a
team of about 30 engineers in a high-tech
centre near Bristol, South Africa.
Madonna tops Forbes rich
celebrities list
P
op singer Madonna
has topped Forbes
magazines highest
earning celebrities list for
2013. Her MDNA tour
boosted her estimated
earnings to $125 million
between June 2012 and June 2013.
Ranking second at $100 million is director,
Steven Spielberg.
Worlds smallest autopilot
aircraf developed
T
he Micro Aerial Vehicle Laboratory
at Delf University of Technology,
Netherlands, hasdesigned and
builtthe worlds
smallest unmanned
aircraf. TeMicro
Aerial Vehicle
(MAV), called Lisa/S,
weighs only 1.9 grams
and measures 2 cm
by 2 cm. It was designed to ft into narrow
spaces or carry a camera, making it ftting
for potential rescue missions in the future.
Juno at halfway milestone in
Jupiter journey
N
ASAs Juno
spacecraf
has reached
halfway to Jupiter,
touching a milestone
in its fve-year voyage
to our solar systems
largest planet. Te $1.1 billion Juno
mission, which was launched on August
5, 2011, reached halfway to Jupiter. Te
spacecraf will arrive at Jupiter on July 4,
2016. Once in orbit around Jupiter, the
spacecraf will circle the planet 33 times,
from pole to pole, and use its collection
of eight science instruments to probe
beneath the gas giants obscuring cloud
cover. Junos science team will learn about
Jupiters origins, structure, atmosphere and
magnetosphere and look for a potential
solid planetary core.
Current Aairs Vol I | Issue II | 16 to 31 August, 2013
29
New mammal species
olinguito discovered
R
esearchers
announced
a rare
discovery of a
new species of
mammal called
the Olinguito. Te raccoon-sized creature
leaps through the trees of mountainous
forests of Ecuador and Colombia at night,
according to researchers. One of them
lived in a National Zoo in Washington for
a year in a case of mistaken identity.
New super-heavy element
discovered
S
cientists have confrmed the discovery
of a new super-heavy element with
atomic number 115 and it may soon
join the periodic table. An international
team of researchers conducted an
experiment at the GSI research facility
in Germany to confrm earlier works by
research groups in Russia. Te new super-
heavy element is yet to be named.
NASA detects water on moon
surface
B
ased on
valuable data
collected by
Indias Chandrayan
mission, a National
Aeronautics and
Space Administration
(NASA) funded lunar research has yielded
evidence of water locked in mineral
grains on the surface of the moon from
an unknown source deep beneath the
surface. Te fndings represent the frst
remote detection of this form of water that
originates from deep within the Moons
interior, NASA researchers said.
Current Aairs Vol 3 Issue 7 July 16-31, 2013
30

Q
1. Juno mission is related which of the following
planets?
a. Mercury
b. Mars
c. Saturn
d. Jupiter
Ans. d
2. Which, among the following countries, has built
worlds smallest autopilot spacecraf?
a. Netherlands
b. United States of America
c. China
d. Japan
Ans. a
3. New mammal species discovered recently is
a. Solenodon
b. Mustela Nigripes
c. Equus Burchellii
d. Olinguito
Ans. d
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
31 31
Common Recruitment Process
For
Recruitment in Clerical cadre
in
Participating Organisations (CWE Clerks-III)
Events Tentative Dates
Online Registration August, 19-September, 07, 2013
Payment of Application Fees - Online August, 19-September, 07, 2013
Payment of Application Fees - Of ine August, 21-September, 21, 2013
Online Examination
(Tentative dates)-some/all/additional
days as the need arises
November, 30-December, 01, 2013
December, 07-08, 2013
December, 14-15, 2013
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