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Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
Current affairs for Nov 11 2013
Current Affairs
November 11, 2013
International Affairs
1. Maldivian President Mohammed Waheed today defied international calls for an interim government until a new president is elected, saying he will stay in office until his successor is sworn in on Novemeber 16.
2. Greece’s Conservative-Socialist coalition government survived a no-confidence motion tabled by the main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) party early on Monday, following an often heated three-day parliamentary debate.
3. Bangladesh's cabinet ministers today tendered their resignations to pave the way for an all-party government to oversee general elections, with the BNP-led opposition adamant on the demand for a neutral non-party government amid a violent political standoff.
4. The son of the chief of the Haqqani terror network, blamed for attacks on US forces and the Indian Embassy in Kabul, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen near the Pakistani capital, leaders of the group said today. The United States, Australia and the United Nations are mobilising emergency aid to the Philippines as the scale of the devastation unleashed by Super Typhoon Haiyan emerges.
5. Greece's coalition government won a confidence vote Monday called by the left-wing opposition but saw its parliamentary majority cut by one seat.
6. The two-day International Conference on Comprehensive Cleft Care concluded in Assam.The theme of the conference was Think Big.
National Affairs
7. The Central Bureau of Investigation's three-day international conference on "evolving common strategies to combat corruption and crime" inaugurated on Monday by Prime Minister Manomohan Singh. He also released a special commemorative stamp on this occasion.
8. National Education Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of 1st Education Minister of India Maulana Abul Kalam Azad being observed today.
9. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 40th Jawaharlal Nehru National Science, Mathematics and Environment Exhibition in Gangtok.
10. Minister for Minority Affairs K Rahman Khan to launch The National Portal on “Maulana Azad” on his 125th Birth Anniversary in Delhi.
11. Finance Minister Chidambaram released Commemorative Coins to mark the culmination of 125th Anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in Delhi.
12. To spread awareness on Nobel laureates from India, a ‘Nobel Memorial Wall’ was inaugurated at the Rajiv Chowk Metro station.
13. Winter Session of Parliament will be held from December 5 to December 20.
14. Prasar Bharati will soon launch a television channel for Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim to help promote the rich art and culture of these two northeastern states.
15. Two senior leaders Gopal Singh Shekhawat and Jugal Kabra were today made Working Presidents of Congress in poll-bound Rajasthan.
16. Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2013 was launched in Sydney, Australia today. It was officially launched in Sydney, Australia by New South Wales, Premier Barry O’Farrell and Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi. The convention’s objective is to link the vast Indian diaspora and other parts of the Asia-Pacific region with India.
17. Union Minister of Minority Affairs K Rahman Khan on 11 November 2013 launched a National Portal on Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. The portal was inaugurated to mark 125th birth anniversary of the great national leader- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
Science and Technology
18. NASA's Astronomers have for the first time seen an asteroid with six comet-like tails of dust radiating from it like spokes on a wheel.
19. Assam govt to set up Community Radio Stations (CRS) across the state; Dept of Information and Public Relations (IPRD) to fund project
Business and Economy
20. Global beverages and snacks major PepsiCo today said it will invest Rs 33,000 crore in India by 2020 to ramp up operations.
21. The Reserve Bank today waived the requirement of No Objection Certificate (NoC) with regard to share transfer from residents to non-residents where the investee company is in the financial services domain.
Sports
22. Woman shooter Heena Sidhu created history by becoming the first pistol exponent from India to win a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup finals in Munich, Germany. She won the gold medal yesterday by beating double Olympic Champion GuoWenjun from China, world champion Arunovic Zorana from Serbia and multiple Olympic medallist Olena Kostevych of Ukraine in a stiff competition.
23. West Indies batting great Brian Lara today said Sachin Tendulkar is to cricket what Michael Jordan is to basketball and Mohammad Ali to boxing and suggested that the Indian batsman should try scoring 400 in his last Test match.
24. Mumbai Cricket Association honours SachinTendulker ahead of his 200th and final Test by naming its Kandivili Ground after him.
25. Indian men’s hockey team finished fifth at the 3rd Asian Champions Trophy held in Japan. In a fifth-sixth place match, India defeated Oman by 6-1 to secure fifth place.
Award
26. The V.C. Padmanabhan Memorial Award 2013 for Ecology and Environment Conservation was presented to eminent ecologist and environmental scientist Madhav Gadgil in Thrissur. The award carries a cash prize of Rs1 lakh, a bronze plaque and a citation.
27. Noted Rajasthani writer Vijaydan Detha passed away yesterday at Borunda in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. He was 87. Popularlly known as Bijji, Vijaydan Detha wrote more than 800 short stories. He was a recipient of Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi Award.
28. The 19th Kolkata International Film Festival was inaugurated yesterday with the screening of Rituparna Ghosh’s Taak Jhaank. The festival was inaugurated by legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan along with West Bengal Chief Minister Manata Banerjee, actors Shah Rukh Khan and Kamal Haasan. The 19th Kolkata International Film Festival is an 8-day film festival during which 189 films from 63 countries will be screened. The focus of this year’s festival is on South-East Asian films.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Current affairs for Nov 10 2013
Current affairs
November 10, 2013
1. A 25-year-old Venezuelan television presenter, Gabriela Isler, on Saturday was crowned Miss Universe in Moscow in a glittering ceremony.
2. 19th eight day long Kolkata International Film Festival begins today. 189 films from 63 countries will be screened at 13 venues. The focus of this year’s festival is on South-East Asian films. Besides screening of films, noted Actress Sharmila Tagore will deliver the Satyajit Ray memorial lecture during the festival.
3. Noted Rajasthani writer Vijaydan Detha passed away on 10 november 2013 at Borunda in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. He was 87. Popularlly known as Bijji, Vijaydan Detha wrote more than 800 short stories. He was a recipient of Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi Award.
4. An Indian-origin doctor, Rahul Jindal has been selected for prestigious “Outstanding American by Choice” award for his valuable contribution to US heatlh sector. He is a transplant surgeon and philanthropist. The initiative recognises naturalised citizens who have made significant contributions to both their community and their adopted country.
5. Parvinder Sohi Behuria, a Senior 1977 batch IRS officer was appointed as the Secretary General of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on 8 November 2013. Behuria was appointed in the rank and pay of the secretary. She is the successor of Ashok Sahu, a 1975 batch officer of Indian Economic Service, following his retirement.
6. An English book on the introduction to Urdu poetry by Hyderabad-based writer Anees Ayesha was launched at the Singapore
Writers Festival on 8 November 2013. Zafar Anjum translated the book into English.
7. UNESCO on 8 November 2013 suspended the voting rights of the United States (US) and Israel. The suspension happened as the two countries stopped paying the dues to the United Nations (UN’s) cultural arm from two years in the protest over the grant of full membership to the Palestinians. The funding to UNESCO started in October 2011 because of the laws of US, which prohibits it to pay the dues to any UN agencies giving recognition of the Palestinians demand for their own state. The fund from Israel was pulled out because it objected the one-sided attempts of Palestinians to be recognized of its statehood.
8. India and Kuwait agreed to expand cooperation in key areas including energy and investment. In delegation level talks between Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh PM of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al- Mubarak Al- Hamad Al- Sabah five pacts were signed to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
9. The 7th India-Republic of Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was held in New Delhi on 8 November 2013. The two nations conducted a comprehensive review of bilateral relations, which have been upgraded to a Strategic Partnership and have acquired range and depth over the past few years.
10. India and Japan on 9 November 2013 decided to further strengthen their cooperation in the maritime sector as a part of the overall robust bilateral relations. The two countries agreed to enhance their interaction through the existing forums and through port-to-port exchanges. This was decided during the visit of Union Minister of Shipping G.K. Vasan, to Japan.
11. The three-day talks between six world powers (P5 nations plus Germany) and Iran held in Geneva failed to reach an agreement on latter’s nuclear programme. The talks ended on 8 November 2013. The divisions emerged among the USA and European allies on the final day of the talks as France implied that the proposal under discussion failed to sufficiently neutralize the threat of an Iranian nuclear bomb.
12. Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamic party of Bangladesh is no longer a registered political party and its registration with the Election Commission, has been cancelled. Move came after the High Court on August 1 had declared the registration of Jammat, illegal on the grounds that some of the provisions in its Charter ran counter to the country’s Constitution and the Representation of People Order.
13. Nigeria lifts FIFA Under-17 Football World Cup; defeats defending champions Mexico by 3-0.
14. Indian women’s hockey team bags silver in Asian Champions Trophy tournament at Kakamigahara, Japan.
15. ICC Test Cricket Rankings: R. Ashwin tops ICC test cricket All-rounders’ rankings. Ashwin leap-frogged Shakib Al Hassan of Bangladesh and Jacques Kallis of South Africa with 81 rating points. South Africa’s A.B.Devilliers and Dale Steyn lead the ranking list among the batsmen and the bowlers respectively. In the overall team ranking, India is in third place behind South Africa and England.
16. Himachal Pradesh sets up first bird ringing station. A bird ringing station, where a ring will be put on birds’ legs to study their migration pattern in the western Himalayas, has been set up by the state wildlife wing in the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in the Kullu Valley.
17. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been listed as the world’s most powerful, influential and contemporary Sikh, according to the first edition of the annual ‘Sikh 100’ published here.
18. Spaniard Marc Marquez at 20 years of age became the youngest rider to ever win the MotoGP world championship as he finished third at the Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday.
19. Chief Minister Raman Singh and his three ministers are among the candidates whose fate will be decided on Monday when 18 assembly constituencies in the worst Naxal-hit regions of Bastar and Rajnandgaon go to polls amid heavy security in the first phase in Chhattisgarh.
20. Defending champion Viswanathan Anand was caught off guard by a surprise opening from Magnus Carlsen of Norway as he played out a tame draw against his challenger with white pieces in the second game of the World Chess Championship here today.
21. India will convey to Pakistan on the margins of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM on November 12 New Delhi’s serious concern on repeated violations of the Line of Control (LoC) by Pakistani troops.
22. 25-year-old Venezuelan TV presenter, Gabriela Isler crowned Miss Universe in Moscow. She emerges the winner from a total of 86 contestants at the show. Last year’s winner Olivia Culpo of the United States placed a diamond crown on the head of Isler. Isler’s triumph was the seventh Miss Universe win for Venezuela. Manasi Moghe from India had been shortlisted for the top 10 finalists of Miss Universe 2013 but failed to win the crown.
Now it’s the time to answer the following Quiz…
Quiz:
1. The government on Saturday, 9th Nov 2013, decided Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will not attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) after succumbing to domestic political pressures. Instead of PM, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid will lead the Indian delegation. Where is CHOGM will be held?
[A] Colombo, Sri Lanka
[B] Islamabad, Pakistan
[C] Dhaka, Bangladesh
[D] Kathmandu, Nepal
2. On 9th November 2013, who launched the Ranbaxy Diabetes Care program at annual conference of the Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI) being held at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida?
[A] Sachin Tendulkar
[B] Milkha Singh
[C] P T Usha
[D] Amitabh Bachchan
3. Aam Aadmi Party launches Jhadu Chalao Yatra from 10th Nov 2013 to protest against inflation and corruption. What slogan AAP has given for the yatra to seek support of people for cleansing of the country's political system and get rid of not just the corrupt but corruption too?
[A] Jhadu Chalao Bhrastachar Bhagao
[B] Jhadu Chalao Congress Bhagao
[C] Jhadu Chalao Beiman Bhagao
[D] Jhadu Chalao Haivan Bhagao
4. Ex-Army chief V K Singh targets PMO over Tatra scam, age controversy in his autobiography. What is the name of his autobiography released recently?
[A] Courage Matters
[B] Firm Conviction
[C] Stand against Corruption
[D] Courage And Conviction
5. The CBI, in a limbo since Wednesday's Gauhati high court verdict declared it "unconstitutional" and stripped it of all policing powers, was 'revived' on Saturday, 9th Nov 2013, after the Supreme Court stayed the high court order following an appeal by the Centre. A bench of justices ___________ and ________________ noticed the promptness with which accused in many cases involving serious offences, including the 2G spectrum scam, moved trial courts seeking a stay on the cases against them following the HC verdict.
[A] G E Vahanvati, Ranjana P Desai
[B] Sathasivam, G E Vahanvati
[C] Sathasivam, Ranjana P Desai
[D] I A Ansari, Indira Shah
Select the following space to see answers::
Answers:
1. [A] Colombo, Sri Lanka
2. [B] Milkha Singh
3. [C] Jhadu Chalao Beiman Bhagao
4. [D] Courage And Conviction
5. [C] Sathasivam, Ranjana P Desai
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Current Affairs - November 09 2013
Current Affairs
November 09 2013
International Affairs
1. U.S. automatically lost voting rights at UNESCO, after missing a crucial deadline to repay its debt to the world’s cultural agency.
2. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today asked dissident Baloch leaders to lay down arms and support his government's efforts to develop the restive and quake-hit Balochistan province.
3. Opposition parties in Bangladesh Friday announced a 72-hour nationwide strike from Sunday, demanding restoration of a neutral caretaker regime to oversee the next general election, after enforcing two back to back 60-hour shutdowns since October 27 on the same issue.
4. Iranian Defence Minister Gen Hossein Dehghan inaugurates missile production plant aimed at improving the country's air defence capabilities.
5. Women representing 86 countries will vie for the Miss Universe crown Saturday at the final of the 61-year-old beauty contest, which is being held in Russia for the first time.
6. Bhutan's main opposition party Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) won a byelection for a parliamentary seat on November 9, which had been vacated by its leader and former Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley.
7. President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama has cancelled his three-day India visit from tomorrow due to "pressing" domestic developments.
8. Jordan will replace Saudi Arabia on the Security Council for a two-year term starting in January after the Saudis’ unprecedented rejection of the seat hours after they were elected, a UN diplomat has said.
9. A kind of new grass has been developed under joint efforts of scientists from Japan and Colombia to help curb emissions of greenhouse gas caused by chemical fertilizers, according to local media.
10. Nuclear Deal: The talks between the six major world powers - US, UK, France, Russia, China plus Germany and Iran have entered in its third day in Geneva.
11. What was the name given to the most powerful cyclone in three decades to batter the Philippines, which hit the country on 8 November, 2013 forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, and cutting power and communication? – “Typhoon Haiyan” (This typhoon, with speeds over 250 kph, made landfall over Guiuan town in Eastern Samar province, 650 kilometres south-east of Manila. Over 100 persons died due to this typhoon)
12. Imomali Rakhmon was re-elected as the President of Tajikistan on 6 November, 2013. This will be his third term as country’s President and he has been the head of the state since 1992. What is the term of office of the President in Tajikistan? – 7 years (In addition to this there is also a provision that no President can run for a third term but a constitutional amendment passed in 2003 allows President Imomali Rakhmon to run for a third term which, if he prevails, would keep him in office until 2020)
National Affairs
13. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will head the Indian delegation at the CHOGM Summit to be held in Sri Lanka next week with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh deciding against undertaking the visit in view of the opposition by parties in Tamil Nadu as well as a section in Congress.
14. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today held extensive talks with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on issues including cooperation in energy and investments as well as labour laws after which the two sides inked five pacts.
15. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that over 900,000 youth would be trained for job placements during the 12th Five Year Plan period in the state.
16. Investing in education of girls, especially the most marginalized, is required to make progress on most social indicators in India, according to UNICEF.
17. Three-day BSF Mela begins; PM's wife Gursharan Kaur inaugrates the event.
18. A Boeing team of experts would be flying to India to assess the situation arising out of a series of faults in Air India's Dreamliner aircraft, even as the airline insisted that the aircraft is safe.
19. In an effort to rejuvenate the floriculture sector in the Valley, Jammu and Kashmir government has planned to set up a new Tulip garden in the Anantnag district, a second in the state.
20. I & B Minister ManishTewari inaugurates Public Information Campaign in Ludhiana.
21. The 44th International Film Festival of India in Panaji, will run from November 20-30, named "Focus: North East" for the 1st time.
22. An FM Gold Studio which will air local programmes for two hours every day will be launched by Union Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari tomorrow.
23. Odisha government today set a target of planting more than 12 crore trees during 2014-15 following the loss of above 26 lakh trees in Cyclone Phailin.
24. The Theme of 33rd edition of the India International Trade Fair is inclusive growth. The fair will begin from 14th of this month and continue till 27th at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
25. India and Japan are to strengthen their cooperation in the maritime sector. The two countries agreed to increase their interaction through the existing forums.
26. What is the name of a special award instituted by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry to commemorate the 100 years of Indian Cinema, which would be given every year to an outstanding Indian film personality at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI)? – Centenary Award or Shatabdi Puraskar (The Information & Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari gave information about this newly instituted award on 7 November, 2013)
Science and Technology
27. A national portal to commemorate 125th birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, country’s first Education Minister, will be launched on Monday.
28. India on Friday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Agni-I ballistic missile with a strike range of 700 km from a test range off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the Army.
Business and Economy
29. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has today anounced that the unlisted companies can directly list on stock exchanges abroad to raise funds for acquisitions or retiring overseas debts, a move which may help India containing high current account deficit.
30. Sending a stern message to tax offenders, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said government was having enough information on economic wrongdoers and warned them of tough action, including arrest.
Sports
31. Russia sends Sochi winter Olympic torch into space. Two cosmonauts took the Olympic torch for an historic spacewalk aimed at showcasing Moscow's prowess in science and sport.
32. Billed as the most high-profile clash in chess history in more than 40 years between defending champion Viswanathan Anand and challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway, the World Chess Championship match begins from Saturday with the experts divided over who will walk away with the coveted title.
33. A US based popular basketball team Sacramento King has launched Hindi version of its website as part of its effort to reach out to the large Hindi-speaking audience in India and in turn popularise the game in the country.
34. The Indian women's hockey team had to be content with a silver medal in third Asian Champions Trophy after losing to hosts Japan by a solitary goal in the summit clash of the event at Kakamigahara, Japan on Saturday.
35. India's Ravichandran Ashwin has jumped to the numero uno position in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders by virtue of his stellar show in the first cricket Test against the West Indies at Kolkata.
36. On 7 November, 2013 which country was awarded the hosting of 2018 Men Hockey World Cup? – India (India was awarded the 2018 World Cup in an announcement by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). 2014 Women Hockey World Cup was awarded to England. Men World Cup is planned for planned between 1 to16 December, 2018 whereas Women World Cup between 7 to 21 July. India had hosted the 2010 Men Hockey World Cup)
Banking
37. The third largest public sector lender by branches Central Bank of India today said it has opened a representative office in Hong Kong.
38. Easing procedures, the Reserve Bank of India, RBI, has allowed third-party payment for export and import transactions.
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