INTERNATIONAL
Every year 2,70,000 Pedestrains
are died in the World
On May 2 , World Health Organization (WHO)
announced that every year 2,70,000 pedestrains are died in road accidents. In
case of pedestrains protection is ignored by goverments.So,every week 5 thousands
of pedestrains are died.
Maryland became the First
southern US state to Abolish Death Penalty
Maryland, the U.S. state located in the
Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, on 2 May 2013 became the first
southern US state to abolish the death penalty.The measure on it was signed by
Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley on 2 May 2013.The person who was attended
was former Maryland death row inmate Kirk Bloodsworth.He will be the first
person in the country freed from death penalty because of DNA evidence after
being convicted in a death penalty case.On the global level, Maryland is the
18th state to abolish the death penalty.
UN Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) Released Somalia Famine Conditions Report
On 3 May According to the UN Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) study report, nearly 260,000 people died during the famine
that hit Somalia from 2010 to 2012.Half of them were children under the age of
five.The number of deaths was higher than the estimated 220,000 people who died
during the 1992 famine.An estimated 4.6% of the total population and 10% of
children under five died in southern and central Somalia.In Lower Shabelle, 18%
of children under five died and in Mogadishu 17%.Somalia was worst hit by the
extreme drought in 2011 that affected more than 13 million people across the
Horn of Africa.Tens of thousands of people fled their homes in search of food.
Japan – UAE signed Nuclear
Agreement
On 3 May Japan and the United Arab Emirates signed
on the transfer of nuclear cooperation agreement .It was the first bilateral
nuclear agreement signed by Japan since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis
triggered by the devastating earthquake and tsunami.The agreements was signed
by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and UAE Vice President and Prime Minister
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Amazonian Countries Signed
Strengthen Regional Cooperation Agreement
On 4 May The representatives of the member
countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) agreed to widen
and strengthen regional cooperation to promote the integral development of
those territories.Foreign ministers and representatives of Colombia, Peru,
Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam and Ecuador signed the Coca
Declaration, by which they agreed to support initiatives as that presented by
Ecuador and the establishment of the Regional Observatory for the Amazon.The
countries that signed the document also intend to facilitate the coordination
between OTCA, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), the
Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Andean Community (CAN), the
Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional wins
parliamentary election
The National Front coalition or Barisan Nasional
(BN) led by Prime Minister Najib Razak triumphed in Malaysia’s general
parliamentary election on 05 May 2013. The BN won 133 seats in the 222-seat
parliament, taking 60% of the votes, while the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR)
party secured 89 seats.80% of Malaysia’s 13.3 million voters cast their ballots
in what is being called the closest race ever in Malaysia.
Russia and U.S. Agreed on Syria
Peace Process
On 7 May Russia and the United States agreed to
work together to bring the warring sides in Syria to the negotiating table
raising hopes for an end to carnage in the war-torn country and a thaw in
frosty relations between Moscow and Washington.U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry met Russian President Vladimir Putin and bid to narrow the differences
between Moscow and Washington on the conflict.
73 Million Youth Will Be
Unemployed By 2013
On 8 May According to the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) ‘Global Unemployment Trends 2007-13 ‘ report , more than 73
million young people are unemployed around the world .The situation is
particularly grim in the European Union, West Asia and North Africa.73.4
million people aged between 15 and 24 would be out of work at the end of the
year an increase of 3.5 million since 2007.The youth unemployment rate in South
Asia decreased in 2011 by 0.4 percentage points to reach 9.2 per cent, but
increased to 9.3 per cent in 2012.The current jobless rate for the young of
12.6% was expected to keep swelling to 12.8% by 2018, when more than two
million more youths would likely be out of work
Brazil, Argentina Signed
Agreement To Build Nuclear Reactors
On 8 May Brazil and Argentina have agreed to extend
their nuclear cooperation by jointly commission will jointly build two research
reactors.The agreement, signed by the Brazilian National Commission for Nuclear
Energy (CNEN) and the National Commission of Atomic Energy (CNEA), is centred
on the construction of two reactors.
Argentine Passed Judicial Reform
Bill
On 8 May Argentina’s Senate passed a Judicial
Reform Law, by 38 votes in favor to 30.According to Argentine President
Cristina Fernandez it aims at democratizing the judiciary.
Nawaz Sharif Re-elected for Third
term as Pakistan PM
On 14 May Two time former Prime Minister of
Pakistan Nawaz Sharif re-elected as Pakistan Prime Minister for the third
time after won the general elections with a thumping majority.The
Election Commission of Pakistan 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.The Sharif, belongs to
Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (N) party. Pakistan Muslim League-N attained an
overpowering lead with 130 seats. The first runner up is Imran Khan`s Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with 37 seats and the last is Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) with 31 seats.Nawaz Sharif previously having been Pakistan’s 12th and 14th
Prime Minister for two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993
and from February 1997 to October 1999. Sharif is the President of Pakistan
Muslim League-N, one of Pakistan’s largest political parties.
France became the 14th Country in
the World to legalise Gay Marriage
In France now onwards allow same-sex couples to
marry. France’s President Francois Hollande on 17 May 2013 signed into law a
controversial bill to legalise gay marriage. It makes France the ninth in
Europe and 14th in the world to do so.
Zimbabwe’s President Signed New
Constitution Into Law
On 22 Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe signed
Zimbabwe’s new constitution into law. The new constitution was approved
overwhelmingly in a referendum in March 2013.The constitution cut short the
powers of the president, limits presidential tenures to two five-year terms and
does away with the post of prime minister.
Afghanistan Parliament Approved
new Election Law
On 22 May The Lower House of the Afghan Parliament
approved two new Election laws , that will take effect in the elections
next spring. The law contains 79 articles and 16 chapters.
EU Lifted Arms Embargo on Syrian
Rebels
On 27 May European foreign ministers have lifted an
arms embargo on Syria,, paving the way for individual EU member states to
provide weapons to the Syrian rebels.After long and continuous hour of talk EU
governments failed to agree on extending the arms embargo, which effectively
ends the EU’s ban on supplying arms to the rebels.Some other restrictive
measures against Syria , which include financing restrictions, travel bans and
asset freezes is also supposed to be extended for a year, as there is a fear
that the entire sanctions regime could fall over a failure to agree on the arms
issue.
Australia the world’s happiest
nation: OECD
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development released its Better Life Index, which ranks the world’s most
developed economies on jobs, income environment and health. Australia got first
place for the third consecutive year.Sweden, Canada, Norway ,
Switzerland,United States, Denmark, The Netherland Iceland and United Kingdom
were also in the top ten.In Australia 84 percent of the people accepted that
their life is happy.So,Australia got the first place in Better Life Index.
INDIA & WORLD
US, India and Japan hold
trilateral cooperation talks
On May 2 ,India, the United States and Japan held
their fourth trilateral dialogue at the State Department in Washington,
exchanging views on a wide range of regional and global issues of mutual
interest.These discussions focused on the prospect of greater Indo-Pacific
commercial connectivity and regional and maritime security, and cooperation in
multilateral fora.The Indian delegation was headed by External Affairs Ministry
joint secretaries D.B. Venkatesh Varma and Vikram Doraiswami.The group agreed
to meet again in autumn in Tokyo to continue their deliberations.
17th India-Iran Joint Commission
Meeting
The 17th Session of the India-Iran Joint Commission
was held in Tehran on May 4, 2013.The Session was co-chaired by Dr. Ali Akbar
Salehi, Foreign Minister of Islamic Republic of Iran and by Salman Khurshid,
External Affairs Minister of India.The two sides discussed bilateral and
regional issues of mutual interest.Both countries agreed to study the prospects
of joint investment in both countries.The two sides also signed on MOU between
the Government of India and the Government of Iran on cooperation in the field
of water resources management.
India Tops ‘Born to Die same Day’
List
On 7 May According to the humanitarian organization
Save the Children charity in an annual report entitled “State of the World’s
Mothers ,India tops the list of babies that die on the day they are born.India
has the dubious distinction of recording the most first-day deaths of
children.Every year, 3,09,000 children die on the day they are born in India.
It accounts for 29% of all the first-day deaths globally, the highest for any country.India
is followed on this grim list by Nigeria (89,700 deaths, or 9 percent);
Pakistan (59,800, or 6 percent); China (50,600, or 5 percent); and Democratic
Republic of Congo (48,400, or 5 percent).
Finland Top Ranked in World To Be
a Mother
On 8 May According to the annual report called
‘State of World’s Mothers 2013′ was issued by an international NGO “Save the
Children” , Finland has topped the list of countries where mothers enjoy the
best conditions in the world, while India ranks a low 142nd, below China and
Pakistan.The US places 30th this year while Pakistan was 139th on the list.
China ranked at the 68th place.The top ten countries attained very high scores
for mothers’ and children’s health, educational, economic and political
status.The report was featured by a ranking list of Mothers’ index, showing the
conditions of mothers in 176 countries .Among the reviewed countries, Finland
was ranked the best country for being mothers followed by Sweden, Norway,
Iceland while Democratic Republic of Congo was considered to be the toughest
place.
Karnataka, Israel Signed
Bilateral Agreement
On 8 May Israel and the Indian state of Karnataka
have signed an R&D cooperation agreement. This is the first-ever such
agreement between Israel and an Indian state. The agreement aims to further
bilateral business, technology, and economic relations and sees Israel
benefiting from Karnataka’s human resources and the Indian state benefitting
from Israel’s innovations.
India Tops Cervical Cancer Deaths
On 10 May According to the Cervical Cancer Global
Crisis Card report released by the Cervical Cancer-Free Coalition, with nearly
73,000 women dying every year, India now tops the world in cervical cancer
deaths .India represents 26.4 per cent of all women dying of cervical cancer
globally, with China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand also showing
high death incidence.The cervical cancer kills an estimated 275,000 women every
year .Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) report in 2009 the number of cervical
cancer cases were 101938 which has increased to 107690 in 2012.It is being
estimated that the number of cervical cancer cases and deaths are estimated to
increase by 2025 to 203,757 and 115,171, respectively.
Britain launched Super Priority
Visa Service for Travellers from India
On 12 May 2013, Britain launched super
priority same-day visa service for urgent travellers from India. Britain
launched this kind of service first time for India only . The super priority
visa service was announced by British Prime Minister David Cameron during his
visit to India in February 2013.
Google signs MoU to train
engineering students in Andhra Pradesh
On May 14,Google India Private Limited signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to train
engineering students of Jawahar Knowledge Centres (JKC) in latest technologies
like mobile and cloud computing.The MoU was signed between the IT minister and
Nelson Mattos, vice president (Europe & Emerging Markets), Google
Hyderabad. Google will also train the trainers/mentors of AP Society for
Knowledge Networks (APSFKNW) and provide required software, services and
training material free of cost.
India and Netherlands Signed MoU
on Urban Planning
On 14 May India and Netherlands signed on a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Technical Cooperation in the field of
Spatial Planning, Water Management, and Mobility Management .The agreement was
signed by Kamal Nath, Minister for Urban Development & Parliamentary
Affairs, and Ms Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Minister for Infrastructure and
Environment, Netherlands
UN General Assembly Approved
Syria Resolution
On 15 May The U.N. General Assembly approved an
Arab-backed resolution calling for a political transition in Syria and
condemning President Bashar al-Assad Government for its increasing use of heavy
weapons. A majority of 107 states voted to adopt the resolution. There were 12
votes against and 59 abstentions.Russia was fiercely opposed to the resolution,
termed it as unbalanced and inadequate to address adequately atrocities
allegedly committed by rebel groups.The resolution was drafted by Arab states
who have supported the rebels.India abstained from voting on the non-binding
resolution on Syria.Pakistan voted in favour of the resolution.
India Granted Observer Status in
Arctic Council
On 15 May India granted observer status in the
Arctic Council was successful along with that of five other countries, China,
Italy, Japan, South Korea and Singapore at a meeting in Kiruna, Sweden.The
council is made up of the eight Arctic nations are Canada, Denmark, Finland,
Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.This membership will give
India chances of navigation and oil and gas exploration.The European Union also
applied as an observer, but its final status remained unresolved pending
resolution of a dispute with Canada over trade in seal products.
India, UK Signed Agreement on
Health Sector
On 19 May India and Britain have signed an
agreement for cooperation in the health sector with specific focus on
strengthening primary health care and technological development.The agreement
was signed by Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare India, Ghulam Nabi
Azad and Secretary of State for Health, UK, Jeremy Richard Hunt.
Indians Largest Foreign Born
Group in London
On 20 May According to the Oxford University’s
Migration Observatory latest study report , Indians have become the largest
foreign-born group in London, followed by residents born in Poland and
Ireland.Migration Observatory, 262,247 persons born in India were living in
London in 2011, which represents 8.8 per cent of all foreign-born residents in
London.This accounts for 37.8 per cent of all residents that had been born in
India resident in England and Wales in 2011.Other important foreign-born groups
in London, with more than 100,000 residents, include those born in Ireland
(129,807), Nigeria (114,718), Pakistan (112,457) and Bangladesh (109,948).
India – China Signed 8 Agreements
On 20 May India and Chine signed eight important
agreements covering a wide range of issues like trade, culture and water
resources. The agreements were finalised after delegation-level talks between
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese counterpart Le Keqiang.
The list of eight agreements/memoranda of
undrstanding (MoUs):-
(i) Protocol between India’s external affairs
ministry and China’s foreign affairs ministry on Indian Official Pilgrimage
(the Kailash Mansoarovar Yatra) to the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
(ii) Work Programmes of the Three Working Groups
under Joint Economic Group (JEG) between India’s commerce and industry ministry
and China’s commerce ministry.
(iii) MoU on Buffalo meat, fishery products and
Agreement on feed and feed ingredients between Indis’s Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority and The Marine Products
Export Development Authority and Export Inspection Council and China’s General
Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).
(iv) MoU between India’s urban development ministry
and China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on cooperation in
sewage treatment.
(v) MoU between India’s water resources ministry
and NDRC on cooperation in water-efficient irrigation.
(vi) MoU between the external affairs ministry and
China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television
(SAPPRFT) on cooperation in mutual translation and publication of works, both
classic and contemporary.
(vii) MoU between the water resources ministries of
both countries for provision of hydrological information by China to india on
the Yaluzangbu/Brahmaputra River during the flood season.
(viii) MoU between the foreign ministries of both
countries to promote cooperation and linkages between the cities and
states/provinces of the two countries.
Visa on Arrival facility to
passengers travelling through RGIA
The central government has extended Visa-On-Arrival
facility to international passengers travelling through Rajiv Gandhi International
Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad managed by the GMR Group.Visitors from 11 countries
will be eligible to get a VoA from May 31 at RGIA.The Centre had introduced an
Indian tourist VoA scheme on January 1, 2010 at certain airports which was
initiated for citizens of five countries. Subsequently, a year later, the
facility was extended to a total of 11 countries viz Finland, Japan,
Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines,
Myanmar and Indonesia.
US Senate Committee Approves Immigration
Reform Bill
On 22 May The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has
approved a massive immigration reform bill that grants 11 million undocumented
immigrants currently living in the country an earned path to citizenship.The
legislation was passed by a vote of 13 to 5 with three Republicans joining 10
Democrats to approve it.The bill, which requires major advances in border
security and expansion of a comprehensive e-verify system for employers before
any undocumented worker is allowed to pursue citizenship, will need 60 votes to
pass the 100-seat Senate.
US and India Pledge To
Collaborate on Combating Terrorism
On 22 May The US has pledged to collaborate with
India on developing global approach to combat increasing terror threats and
asked international community to take effective steps to eliminate sanctuaries
and infrastructure that support terrorism.After talks between Home Minister
Sushilkumar Shinde and US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, a
joint communique said the two countries also agreed to enhance bilateral
co-operation to combat terror financing and currency counterfeiting.
India, Japan to speed up talks on
civil nuclear deal
On 29 May 2013,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe decided to speed up talks on a civil
nuclear deal to allow Japan to export nuclear reactors to India and to bolster
maritime security cooperation at a time when China’s postures in the seas of
the regional have caused concerns.A joint statement issued at the end of exhaustive
talks between Singh and Abe said the two Prime Ministers reaffirmed the
importance of civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries, while
recognising that nuclear safety is a priority for both governments.In this
context, they directed their officials to accelerate the negotiations of an
Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy towards an
early conclusion
India and Thailand sign
extradition treaty
On 30 May 2013,in a major boost to bilateral
security cooperation, India and Thailand signed the much awaited extradition
treaty after 20 years of negotiations.The MoU was signed by External Affairs
Minister Salman Khurshid and Thai Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Surapong
Tovichakchaikul.The treaty was signed in the presence of Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra.The treaty provides
the legal framework for seeking extradition of fugitive offenders, including
those involved in terrorism, transnational crimes and economic offences among
others.The two countries totally signed on seven pacts. They are extradition,
education,financial intelligence mapping , geospatial technology applications ,
investigation of persons suspected of money laundering and criminal activity
related to money laundering and terrorism financing.
UNESCO Declares Nicobar Islands
as World Biosphere Reserve
On 31 May The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has declared and designated the
Nicobar Islands in India as a world biosphere reserve .The International
Coordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme added the
Nicobar Islands to the list of eleven other sites which are designated as world
biosphere reserves.Great Nicobar now 9th Indian reserve in Unesco world network.Member
countries establish such reserves. UNESCO recognizes them under the programme
to promote sustainable development based on local community efforts and sound
science.
NATIONAL
National Urban Health Mission Approved
By Cabinet
On 1 May The Union Cabinet approved the launch of
the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) to reduce rates of infant mortality,
maternal mortality and for universal access to reproductive health care.The
cost of the National Urban Health Mission for 5 years is 22507 crore rupees
and the Central government will share 16955 crore rupees.The mission will
be implemented in 779 cities and towns each with the population of more than
50,000 has expected to cover about 7.75 crore people.The Cabinet also gave its
nod to a bill which provides for confiscating property illegally acquired by
corrupt public servants.
19.57 lakh Hectares of Forest
Land Encroached
On 1 May According to the latest figures compiled
by the Ministry of Environment and Forests reveal that unchecked encroachment
on forest land is on the rise.According to the figures, over 19.57 lakh
hectares of forest land is under encroachment in various parts of the
country.Madhya Pradesh tops the list with 4.87 lakh hectares under encroachment.
Followed by Assam (3.30 lakh ha), Andhra Pradesh (2.57 lakh ha) and Maharashtra
(1.83 lakh ha).
Mobile subscribers largest in
Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
The country’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh,
accounts for the largest number of mobile subscribers in the country followed
by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, which together account
for almost half of the total wireless connections.India, which is the world’s
second largest mobile phone market in terms of subscribers, had a total of
861.66 million mobile connections as on February 2013, data from telecom
regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) showed.Uttar Pradesh has
a total of 121.60 million mobile phone connections, while, Tamil Nadu has 71.81
million subscribers, according to the TRAI data.Maharashtra is at the third
position, with a subscriber base of 67.73 million followed by Andhra Pradesh
and Bihar at 64.12 million and 60.73 million, respectively.
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
got Approval for Operations by the Supreme Court of India
On 06 May, the Supreme Court of India directed that
the Kudankulam nuclear plant situated in Tamil Nadu could start its operations
now. A bench of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra issued the
directions to the government on safety as well as security of the plant, along
with its operations.
Govt Sets Up 39 Special NIA
Courts Across The Country
On 7 May Minister of State for Home R P N Singh
announced in the Parliament that under the National Investigation Agency (NIA)
Act, the central government has set up the 39 special courts to take up
terror-related cases.
Cabinet Approved Gandhi Heritage
Sites Mission
On 16 May The Union Cabinet approved the
establishment of the Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission with the objective of
conserving and restoring the heritage sites associated with ‘Father of the
Nation’.Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission will be assigned with the identification,
collation and assessment of the information on Gandhi Heritage material, its
management and deployment.
India’s First Yoga University in
Gujarat
On 23 May Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi
inaugurated the country’s first yoga university in Ahmedabad.Lakulish Yoga
University, established by Life Mission Trust of Gujarat, is claimed to be the
first ever such private sector self-financed institution in the country.
STATES
Congress Won in Karnataka
Assembly Elections
On 8 May Congress has won 121 seats of the 223
seats on which polls were contested in Karnataka Assembly Elections , the
elections were held on 5 May 2013. The ruling BJP and the JD-S won 40 seats
each.The Karnataka Janata Party led by former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa
bagged a mere six seats.The assembly has 224 elected and one nominated members.
The election took place for 223 seats.
Tamil Nadu Bans Gutka Products
On 8 May The Tamil Nadu government banned the
production, possession, distribution and sale of tobacco products such as pan
masala and gutka in the state.Tamilnadu Government had constituted a separate
department ‘Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Medical Administration,’ after the
Centre announced the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Cabinet Approved 2 Major Ports in
West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh
On 9 May the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
approved the proposal of the Ministry of Shipping for setting up of two major
ports.The ports will come up in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh each, through a
Public-Private-Partnership mode. As per the proposal, one port will be
developed at Dugarajapatnam, Nellore district, in Andhra Pradesh and second
port will come up at Sagar Island in West Bengal.
CONFERENCES
ADB’s 46th Annual Meeting Held in
New Delhi
46th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) Board of Governors, held in Delhi, India, from 2 to 5 May 2013.Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh , Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and ADB member board
of directors and related financial institutions were attended the meeting.Asian
Development Bank (ADB) announced that it is going to provide about 6 billion
dollars loan to India over the next three years which was decided at the
concluding day of the 46th annual meeting of the funding agency.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Indian Wildlife Biologist
Aparajita Datta Honoured with the Whitley Award 2013
On 2 May An Indian wildlife biologist Dr. Aparajita
Datta was honoured with the Whitley award, also known as Green Oscar, in London
. Aparajita Datta, the Indian wildlife biologist was conferred with the award
by Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth, at the Royal Geographical
Society in London for her efforts in order to save the endangered hornbills in
Eastern Himalayas.Aparajita Datta is the head of the program for conservation
of the hornbills in dense tropical forests of Arunachal Pradesh, at Nature
Conservation Foundation. The tropical forests of Arunachal Pradesh are an abode
to five hornbill species.
Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi Awarded with
‘ Judy Wilkenfeld ‘
On 2 May An Indian doctor of Mumbai’s Tata Memorial
Hospital has been awarded with the prestigious Judy Wilkenfeld Award for
International Tobacco Control Excellence for his innovative efforts in reducing
tobacco consumption in India.He received the award by the ‘Campaign for Tobacco
Free Kids’ on at a function in Washington.
Indian Police Unit in Congo Gets
UN medal
On 17 May An Indian police unit in the Democratic
Republic of Congo has received the United Nations Peacekeeping Medal.The 135
Indian Formed Police Unit-2 (FPU) was honoured with the medal as an
appreciation for their service in Goma/North Kivu.
Malala Yousufzai Selected For
Prestigious Global Leadership Award
On 20 May Teenager Pakistani activist Malala
Yousafzai, who was shot at last year by the Taliban for advocating education of
girls, has been selected for the prestigious Global Leadership Award this
year.Malala will receive the award for her role as a global activist in
advocating for educating and empowering girls worldwide.She was targeted for
her outspoken views and advocacy on behalf of girls’ education.
Indian-American Girl Won
America’s Top Young Scientist Award
On 20 May An Indian-American girl has invented a
super-capacitor device that could potentially charge a cellphone in less than
20 seconds. The California teen has attracted the attention of tech giants
Google for her potentially revolutionary invention which charges a phone in 20
seconds flat.The super-fast charging device has been dubbed a supercapacitor by
18-year-old Esha Khare, of Saratoga – as she took home $50,000 from the Intel
International Science and Engineering Fair.
American Writer Lydia Davis won ”
2013 Man Booker International Prize “
On 22 May American writer Lydia Davis won 2013 Man
Booker International Prize for her innovative and influential writing.This was
the fifth Man Booker International Prize.Lydia Davis is a professor of creative
writing at the University of Albany. She is also an accomplished translator.
Her works include ‘The End of the Story’ and ‘Varieties of Disturbance’.The Man
Booker International Prize recognises one writer for his or her achievement in
fiction.Worth 60000 ponds, the prize is awarded every two years to a living
author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is
generally available in translation in the English language.
Carole King Became the First
Woman to Receive Gershwin Prize
US singer-songwriter Carole King became the first
woman to receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.The
President of America, Barack Obama conferred upon her, the Gershwin Prize that
is given as a lifetime achievement in popular music.
APJ Abdul Kalam Received “Wernher
Von Braun” Memorial Award
On 24 May United States based National Space
Society’s (NSS) has conferred “Wrenher von Braun” Memorial Award upon former
president APJ Abdul Kalam in San Diego .The award was conferred upon Kalam at
International Space Development Conference. It was instituted by NSS, a
non-profit organization and is dedicated to the creation of spacefaring
civilization.The honour is given to recognize excellence in management and
leadership in a space-related project, where the project holds significance.
Biological clock scientists share
Shaw Prize
On 28 May ,three scientists whose groundbreaking
studies using fruit flies helped to uncover the workings of the human
biological clock were named the winners of the $1 million Shaw Prize .US
scientists Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young received the award
“for their discovery of molecular mechanisms underlying circadian
rhythms”.Biological rhythms govern behaviour in plants, animals and humans,
from flowers opening during the day and closing at night, to sleep patterns and
the effect of jet lag.
SPORTS & GAMES
PV Sindhu won Malaysian Badminton
Grand Prix Title
On 4 May,India’s shuttler PV Sindhu won Malaysian
Badminton Grand Prix title after winning Malaysia Open women’s final
match.In the final, top seed Sindhu defeated lower seed, Gu Juan of
Singapore.This is the first Grand Prix title in her Career.
Aamir Won Asian Squash
Championship Title
On 5 May Pakistan`s top seeded player, Aamir Atlas
Khan won the Asian Squash individual championship for the first time in 14
years after he defeated Kuwait`s Abdullah Al Mezayan in straight sets in
Islamabad.Pakistan had last won the Asian individual title in 1998, but since
then has only been able to win the Asian team title in the last Asiad.
Ronnie O’Sullivan Won World
Snooker Championship
On 7 May Ronnie O’Sullivan claimed his fifth World
Snooker Championship crown after defeated Barry Hawkins at the Crucible in
Sheffield.O’Sullivan is now a five-time Crucible champion after his wins in
2001, 2004, 2008 and 2012 to move within one of Steve Davis and Ray Reardon and
two behind Stephen Hendry in the all-time list.
India Bagged 2 Silver and 7
Bronze Medals in Commonwealth Championship
India on 10 May 2013 finished their candidature in
the tournament with a record haul of 2 Silver and 7 Bronze in the 19th
Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships that concluded in New Delhi.
Men’s Singles :- Zhan Jian (Singapore) won the
title after defeated Li Hu from Singapore in the final at New Delhi
Women’s Singles :- Mo Zhang (Canada) won the
Women’s Singles title after defeated Yu Mengyu (Singapore) in the final.
Alonso Won Spanish Grand Prix
Title
On 12 May Fernando Alonso of Spain won the Spanish
Grand Prix in Barcelona .Kimi Raikkonen second, Felipe Massa secured third
position.It was Alonso’s second win in Barcelona ,the first coming in 2006 and
his seventh career podium on the Circuit de Catalunya.
Madrid Open Tennis Tournament
2013 Winners
Women’s Singles :- On 12 May Serena Williams of the
United States bagged her 50th career Singles title.In the final She defeated
Russian Maria Sharapova and got the title .
Men’s Singles :-Rafael Nadal from Spain won the
Men’s Singles title after defeated Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the final.
Women’s Doubles:-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova ,Lucie
Safarova won the Women’s Doubles title.
Men’s Doubles : Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan won their
fifth Mutua Madrid Open doubles title . It was their 87th career trophy and
fifth crown of the 2013 ATP World Tour season.
Barcelona Won Spanish League
Title
On 12 May Barcelona won the Spanish league title
(football) for the 22nd time after closest rivals Real Madrid could only manage
a 1-1 draw with Espanyol.The title is Barca’s fourth in five seasons and the
22nd of their history. The last team other than Barcelona or Madrid to win the
title was Valencia in 2004.Barcelona’s Lionel Messi finished the Spanish League
as the top-scorer.He has already 46 goals, 12 clear of Cristiano Ronaldo, who
finished second.
Rome Masters Tennis Tournament
2013 Winners
Women’s Singles :- On 19 May Serena Williams (USA)
won her fourth consecutive title of the year after defeated Victoria Azarenka
from Belarus in the Rome Masters final.This is the second Rome Open title won
by Serena, before this Serena won the Rome title 11 years ago in 2002.
Men’s Singles :- Rafael Nadal from spain claimed
his seventh Rome Masters title after defeated Roger Federar (Switzerland ) in
the final
Mumbai Indians Won 2013 IPL Title
On 26 May Mumbai Indians won the Indian Premier
League title for the first time , after defeated Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs
in the final at Eden Gardens.
* Man-of-the-Match – Kieron Pollard (Mumbai
Indians)
* Most Valuable Player – Shane Watson (Rajasthan
Royals)
* Orange Cap ( (Highest Run Getters) – Michael
Hussey (Chennai) : 733 Runs
* Purple Cap (Highest Wicket Takers) – Dwayne Bravo
(Chennai) : 32 Wickets
* Best Youngest Player – Sanju Samson (Rajasthan
Royals)
* Fair Play Award – Chennai Super Kings
* Best catch of the season – Gurkeerat Mann Singh
(Kings Eleven Punjab)
Rosberg Won Monaco Grand Prix
Title
On 26 May The Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg won the
Monaco Grand Prix title.Rosberg’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton dropped from second
to fourth after losing out through the safety car.Force India’s Adrian Sutil
took fifth from McLaren’s Jenson Button.
China Won Sudirman Cup In
Badminton
On 26 May China won their fifth consecutive
Sudirman Cup and ninth overall, after defeated South Korea.At the Putra Stadium
China’s World No. 1 Xu Chen and Ma Jin defeated their South Korean opponents Ko
Sung Hyun and Kim Ha Na in straight games in the mixed doubles.In men’s
singles, China’s Chen Long defeated South Korean Lee Dong Keun .In men’s
doubles Chinese Liu Xiaolong and Qiu Zihan defeated South Korean players
Ko Sung Hyun and Lee Yong Dae.Huser Ayla, of Switzerland won the Women’s
Singles after defeated Rankin Anna, from New Zealand Sudirman Cup is the world
mixed team badminton championship which takes place every two years.
ECONOMY
RBI Cuts Repo Rate By 25 Basis
Points
On 3 May The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced
the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis
points, from 7.5 percent to 7.25 per cent with immediate effect as part of its
annual monetary policy statement 2013-14.The reverse repo rate under the LAF
also stands adjusted to 6.25 per cent. The RBI took this step to boost flagging
economic growth.The cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks has however
been retained at 4 per cent of their net demand and time liabilities.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) to
provide about 6 billion dollars loan to India
Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 5 May 2013
announced that it is going to provide about 6 billion dollars loan to India
over the next three years which was decided at the concluding day of the 46th
annual meeting of the funding agency. The bank is working on partnership
strategy and is planning to maintain the level of lending to India.It is
important here to note that India is the biggest borrower of ADB and ADB had
extended a 2.4 billion dollars loan to India in 2012 across sectors like
transport, energy, commerce, industry, trade and finance.
Delhi Tops in the Creative Index
Report 2013
On 6 May According to the Creative Index Report
2013 report ,Delhi has been ranked as the most creative state in India with the
greatest potential for success in today’s creative economy. The ranking is
based on the population of creative class. This class is of individuals are
often engaged in either complex problem solving or in the generation of new
ideas, new technology, and new creative content.Chandigarh, Punjab, Kerala,
Goa, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and Maharashtra round
out the top nine.
Mobile Phones To Out Number Human
Population By 2014
On 12 May According to the International Telecoms
Union’s (ITU) report ,The number of mobile phone subscriptions are set to
outnumber the world’s population by the end of 2014.Mobile phone subscriptions
will pass a whopping seven billion early in 2014.Currently, there are 6.8
billion mobile phone subscriptions while the world’s population is 7.1 billion.
More than a third of the global population are online, the ITU World in 2013
report also found. The Commonwealth of Independent States, the alliance of
countries formerly in the Soviet Union, is believed to have the highest mobile
penetration with 1.7 subscriptions for every person.Africa has the least, with
63 subscriptions per 100 people.The report also found that 2.7 billion people,
almost 40 per cent of the world’s population, are online.
Government Raises OBC Creamy
Layer Income Limit to Rs 6 Lakh
On 16 May The Union Cabinet gave its approval for
increase in the present income criterion of Rs. 4.5 lakh per annum for applying
the Creamy Layer restriction throughout the country, to avail benefits of
reservations in government jobs and admissions to central educational
institutions.The decision came up in a view to increase the income limits in
tune with the increase of the consumer price index. This would enable more
people to take an advantage of reservation benefits that are extended to OBCs.
Creamy layer is the income limit beyond which OBCs are not eligible for quotas
Gujarat Tops in Port Development
Projects
On 24 May According to the Associated Chambers of
Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) “”Ports Development in India “”
report ,While 21 PPP projects in the port sector worth over Rs.43,000 crore are
under construction, eight projects worth about Rs.14,000 crore are under
bidding.Gujarat gets first place , accounting for more than 50 per cent of the
port projects completed in India during the last Plan. It has wrapped up 12
projects valued at Rs 12,453 crore, consolidating its presence in the Indian
maritime map.Gujarat is followed by Odisha (2nd place) and Maharashtra (3rd
place ), which account for a share of 16.9 per cent and 15.3 per cent
respectively in the completed projects.Odisha saw two projects worth Rs 4,169
crore getting completed, while Maharashtra finished five projects worth Rs
3,772 crore.Andhra Pradesh (4th place) and Tamil Nadu (5th place) each with
three projects under operation have garnered a share between 5-6 percent
followed by Kerala (2.8 percent).
Biocon Chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
in Forbes Philanthropy List
On 30 May According to the Forbes Asia magazine’s
list of Asia-Pacific’s most remarkable “”givers”" , Biocon chief Kiran
Mazumdar-Shaw, P N C Menon, Vineet Nayar and Ronnie Screwvala named in 2013
year list of Asia-Pacific’s most remarkable givers.The annual list of Heroes of
Philanthropy is compiled by Forbes Asia magazine. It features a total of 48
persons from the Asia-Pacific region which includes countries like China,
Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia.Keeping into view Kiran Mazumdar’s work on
improving cancer care and her pledge to give away 75 per cent of wealth she was
listed as one of the major Philanthropist.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
China Launched Zhongxing-11
Satellite
On 2 May China successfully launched a
communications satellite called Zhongxing-11 from Xichang Satellite Launch
Center in southwest Sichuan province. The satellite was launched into its
present orbit from Long March-3B rocket.
World’s First 3D Printed Gun
Successfully Fired
On 4 May The world’s first gun made with 3D printer
technology has been successfully fired in the US.The anti-gun campaigners
criticised this project, while the law enforcement of Europe is monitoring the
developments of this project.All 16 parts of the controversial gun, called the
Liberator, are made from a tough, heat-resistant plastic used in products such
as musical instruments, kitchen appliances and vehicle bumper bars.
The new Navy patrol ship
Rani Avantibayi
Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Rani Avantibai’, the
second Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) built by the Hindustan Shipyard Ltd for the
Coast Guard. This was commissioned into Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam on 9 May
2013 by Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh in the presence of
Director-General of Indian Coast Guard Vice-Admiral Anurag G. ”Viranari
Rani Avantibayi” is the inshore patrol vessels (IPV) in Madhya Pradesh for
Ramgadh Coast Guard.This is used in Tracking thieves, coastal conservation,
marine disaster relief efforts.This is the first in the series of five inshore
patrol vessels (IPV) built by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited for the Coast
Guard.
MiG-29K fighter planes
commissions into Navy
On May 11,Defence Minister AK Antony
commissioned warfare aircraft MiG-29K Black Panther squadron into the
Indian Navy.The commissioning was held at INS Hansa which would be the base for
Black Panther squadron along with other fighter aircraft squadrons of Indian
Navy. The squadron initially comprising 16 aircraft would be known as IANS 303.
U.S. Launched First Unmanned
Aircraft From Carrier Flight Deck
The United States Navy launched an unmanned
aircraft from a modern carrier flight deck for the first time ever on 14
May.The unmanned aircraft was the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System
demonstrator, and its first-ever launch from a modern aircraft carrier
represents how manned and unmanned aircraft on carrier flight decks will be
merged in the future.A mission operator aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN
77) controlled X-47B, showing off how well it works within a carrier
environment. It landed back at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland.
Rotavirus Vaccine Developed in
India
India developed a Rotavac Vaccine to eradicate the
Rotavirus diarrhoea in infants.The Government of India’s Department of
Biotechnology (DBT) and Bharat Biotech announced positive results from a Phase
III clinical trial of a rotavirus vaccine.
First Boeing P-8I Aircraft joins
Indian Navy
Indian Naval Aviation received a major fillip with
the arrival of the first of eight Boeing P-8I Long Range Maritime
Reconnaissance and Anti Submarine Warfare aircraft at Naval Air Station Rajali,
Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu on 15 May 13. The P-8I aircraft, based on the Boeing
737-800(NG) airframe, is the Indian Naval variant of the P-8A Poseidon of the
US Navy. The aircraft is equipped with both foreign as well as indigenous
sensors for Maritime Reconnaissance, Anti Submarine operations and for
Electronic Intelligence missions.
Scientists Converted Human Skin
Cells Into Embryonic Stem Cells
On 15 May In a major medical breakthrough,
researchers at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) have for the
first time ever successfully converted human skin cells into embryonic stem
cells , via a technique called nuclear transfer.Scientists for the first time
converted human skin cells into embryonic stem cells.These embryonic stem cells
are capable of transforming into any other cell type in the human body.This
technique involves transplanting the nucleus of one cell, containing an
individual’s DNA, into an egg cell that has had its genetic material removed.
BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile
Successfully Test Fired
On 22 May India successfully test fired the 290-km
range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from Russian-built INS Tarkash off the
coast of Goa.The launch was carried out by the Navy as part of Acceptance Test
Firing (ATF) of the ship.INS Tarkash, which is an advanced Talwar Class
frigate, was commissioned on 9th November, last year.The BrahMos missile
jointly developed by India and Russia.
Indian Air Force Inducted Trainer
AirCraft Pilatus PC-7
On 31 May Pilatus, PC 7 Mk II aircraft was formally
inducted into the IAF by Jitendra Singh MoS, Defence at IAF’s premier Academy
located at Dundigal, Hyderabad.This marked the first formal flight of the Basic
Trainer Aircraft over the skies at the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad.The
induction of PC-7Mk II as Basic Trainer Aircraft in Indian Air Force is a very
important landmark in our nation’s quest to modernise its Armed Forces.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
Sheikh Salman is New AFC
President
On 2 May Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman Ebrahim Al-Khalifa
was elected as the new president of Asian Football Confederation (AFC). He
replaced disgraced ex-leader Mohamed Hammam.
Najib sworn in Malaysia’s PM
Najib Razak was sworn in as Malaysia’s Prime
Minister for a second term on 06 May 2013 after his Barisan Nasional (BN,
National Front) coalition won 133 of the 222 Parliament seats in 2013
election.Najib Razak became the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia in year 2009.
Roberto Azevedo Appointed as WTO
new Director General
On 8 May Brazil’s Roberto Azevedo has been named as
the new Director General of the World Trade Organisation, the first Latin
American to hold the post.He will take charge of his office from Pascal Lamy of
France in the Geneva-based Body in September 2013.
Siddaramaiah Sworn in as Chief
Minister of Karnataka
On 13 May Congress leader Siddaramaiah was sworn in
as the 22nd chief minister of Karnataka by the Governor H R Bharadwaj.In year
1992 Siddaramaiah was appointed as Secretary General of Janata Dal.In Year 1994
became the Minister for Finance in the Janata Dal government headed by Deve
Gowda.He served as a Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka twice, first in 1996
when JH Patel became Chief Minister and again in 2004 when JDS formed a
coalition government with Dharam Singh.
Nirbhay Sharma Appointed Governor
of Arunachal Pradesh
On 16 May Lieutenant General (retd) Nirbhay Sharma
has been appointed as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh as the term of present
incumbent Gen (retd) J J Singh ended in January 2013. He was appointed as
Member of UPSC in May 2008 and after completion of his five year stint .He was
also a part of the Airborne Assault Group, the first Indian Army Unit to enter
Dacca (Dhaka) during 1971 war.
Shashi Kant Sharma is the new CAG
On 21 May Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma was
appointed as the new Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) ,replaced outgoing
Vinod Rai.Sharma, an IAS officer from 1976 batch of Bihar cadre, has earlier
assumed various important offices during his tenure as Secretary in the
Department of Financial Services and has spent over 10 years in the Defence
Ministry in various capacities.The CAG is appointed for a term of six years or
till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
Indian Origin Srinivasan
Appointed as Top US Court Judge
On 23 May The United States Senate voted 97-0 to
appoint Srikanth Srinivasan as a Judge of the prestigious US Court of
Appeals.It is the highest judicial appointment to an Indian -American .
Srinivasan has become the first Indian-American to be appointed to the court.He
is the Principle Deputy Solicitor General and defends the policies of US
President Barack Obama before the Supreme Court
Radha Krishna Mathur is new
Defence Secretary
On 25 May Senior IAS officer Radha Krishna Mathur
has been appointed as new Defence Secretary.He succeeds Shashikant Sharma who
has taken over as Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). A 1977-batch IAS
officer of Manipur-Tripura cadre, Mathur was serving as Secretary (Defence
Production) in the Defence Ministry.
Justice Raveendran is new NBSA
Chief
On 25 May Former Supreme Court judge Justice R V
Raveendran has been appointed as the new Chairman of the News
Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) , the self regulatory initiative of the
News Broadcasters Association (NBA).He succeeds justice (Retd.) J.S. Verma,
chairperson of the NBSA, who passed away on 2013 April.NBSA is an independent
redressal body set up by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and has
leading TV news channels as its members.
Kushal Singh Appointed as the
Chairperson of NCPCR
On 27 May Mrs. Kushal Singh has been appointed as
the Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR),
by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.Mrs. Kushal Singh has held
several high level posts in the Government of Rajasthan and the Central
Government.She was the Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan.
PM Manmohan Singh elected to
Rajya Sabha
On 30 May 2013 ,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was
elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam for fifth consecutive term.Dr Singh got 49
first preference votes, while the second Congress candidate bagged 45 votes and
All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)’s Aminul Islam, who polled 18 votes,
lost in the 126-member state Assembly.
B)RESIGNS
Union Railway Minister and Law
Minister of India Resigned
On 10 May Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal
and Union Law Minister of India Ashwani Kumar resigned from their posts.Railway
Minister PK Bansal resigned from his office since his nephew Vijay Singla was
arrested for his alleged involvement of bribery of 90 lakh rupees from the
Railway Board Member, with a promise of promotion. Ashwani Kumar the Union Law
Minister submitted his resignation after being into attack by the opposition
and the CBI affidavit submitted to Supreme Court for vetting up the CBI report
in the Coal Block allocation scam.
C)DEATHS
ATP chairman Brad Drewett died
Brad Drewett(54), the former tour player who led
the ATP as executive chairman and president since January 2012 died on 3 May
2013 . He helped in increasing the prize money at Grand Slam tournaments.
Giulio Andreotti, the former
Italian Prime Minister died
On 6th May, the former Italian Prime Minister
,Giulio Andreott(94) was dies in Rome.He was one of the most powerful figures
in the politics of the country after World War II.
Islamic scholar Asghar Ali
Engineer Died
On May 14,Leading Islamic scholar, author and
activist Asghar Ali Engineer, 74, died at his Santacruz home in Mumbai.
He was born in 1940 and completed his BSc in civil engineering from Vikram
University.From 1980, he edited the journal named the Islamic Perspective and
during 1980s he published a series of books on Islam and communal violence in
India. His books were based on his investigations in the post-independent
India. The USA International Student Assembly and the USA Indian Student
Assembly honoured him with Distinguished Service Award in 1987.
Bengali filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh
dead
On 30 May 2013,Award-winning Indian film director
Rituparno Ghosh was died from a heart attack in the city of Calcutta.Ghosh
directed 18 films in that 12 films got national awards.Ghosh began his
remarkable journey by directing a children’s film “Hirer Angti” (“Diamond
Ring”) in 1994, which won him an immediate recognition. He shot to fame after
his next film “Unishe April” (“19 April”) won the national award in 1995.His
other award-winning films include “Dahan”, “Asukh”, “Chokher Bali”, “Raincoat”,
“Bariwali”, “Antarmahal”, “Noukadubi”, “Abohoman”, “Chitrangada” and Amitabh
Bachchan starrer “The Last Lear”.
Academic Vina Mazumdar Dead
On 30 May 2013,Noted academic and a leading figure
of India’s women’s movement, Dr Vina Mazumdar, died in New Delhi.Born in 1927
in a middle-class Bengali household in Kolkata, she did her schooling in the
city and studied in Banaras Hindu University and Calcutta University, before
going to Oxford in 1947, soon after independence. She went back to Oxford
University later and received her D.Phil in 1962.
D)VISITORS
China Prime Minister Li Keqiang
Visited India
China’s new Prime Minister Li Keqiang’s visited
India on his first foreign trip to India from 19th to 21st May 2013 since
taking his office in March 2013. During the visit he met Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and discussed India-China border issues , bilateral, regional
and global issues of common interest.After the both countries signed on 8
agreements.The Chinese have also agreed to provide greater facilitation to
Indian pilgrims on the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.
Afghanistan President Hamid
Karzai Visited India
Hamid Karzai , President of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan visited India from 20-22 May, 2013.During the visit Hamid Karzai
was on 20 May conferred an honorary doctorate degree by President Pranab
Mukherjee at a professional university in Phagwara.He met Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh at New Delhi and discussed on various key bilateral and
regional issues , the situation in the region in the backdrop of Afghanistan’s
keenness to enhance defence cooperation with India and get supply of lethal and
non-lethal weapons.
E)MISCELLANEOUS
First Woman Named To FBI’s Most
Wanted Terrorist List
On 3 May Joanne Chesimard (also known as Assata
Shakur), a member of the Black Liberation Army who killed a New Jersey state
trooper 40 years ago and has since fled to Cuba,has been named as one of the
FBI’s most wanted terrorists, making her the first woman ever to make the
list.Chesimard was convicted for killing Foerster and sentenced to life in
prison. In 1979 she escaped with the help of the Black Army Liberation and has
been on the run ever since.The U.S. Justice Department announced a doubling of
the reward for her capture to $2 million.
Ritankar Das is Century’s
Youngest California University Topper
On 10 May An 18-year-old Indian-American has become
the youngest graduate topper of the prestigious University of California in
more than a century.Kolkata-born Ritankar Das, has been named as the University
Medalist, the prize which is given to the year’s top graduating senior.Das has
taken just three years to complete his studies with a double major in
bioengineering and chemical biology and a minor in creative writing from the
University of California, Berkeley.Further he is the first student from the
College of Chemistry in 58 years, and the first ever from the Department of
Bioengineering.
Sreesanth,Ajit Chandila and
Ankeet Chavan were arrested
S Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan Royals
teammates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by the Delhi police on
charges of spot fixing in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
First Saudi Woman Ever Climbs
Mount Everest
On 18 May Raha Moharrak has become the first Saudi
Arabian woman to climb Mount Everest. Moharrak also became the youngest Arab to
reach the 8,850-meter peak (29,035 feet). She was part of a group that included
the first Qatari man and the first Palestinian man to reach the summit.
Indian Sisters First Twins To
Climb Mount Everest
On 19 May Two Indian girls have scripted history by
becoming the first twins ever to climb Mount Everest together.Tashi and Nancy
Malik from Dehra Dun achieved this feat by successfully reaching the world’s
highest mountain peak at 8,848 meters.The duo were among other record-makers
including the first women from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan who climbed the
Everest on 18 May.
Arunima Becomes First Indian
Amputee To Scale Mt Everest
On 21 May Arunima Sinha, a former national level
volleyball player who had lost one of her legs after being thrown off a moving
train by, created history by becoming the first Indian amputee to conquer Mount
Everest. Sinha reached the 8,848 metre-high summit of the world’s highest peak
as a member of the Eco Everest Expedition from the Tata Group.Sinha, a resident
of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.Arunima successfully scaled the
6,622-metre-high Mount Chhamser Kangri of Ladakh last year, but her ultimate
goal was to climb Mount Everest.
Yuichiro Miura, Became Oldest Man
to Climb Mount Everest
Yuichiro Miura, the 80-year old mountaineer from
Japan reached Mount Everest’s summit on 23 May 2013. With this, he became the
oldest man to climb the highest mountain peak of the world. Yuichiro Miura
climbed the Everest at the age of 70 and 75 as well.
Indian-origin Boy Won National
Geographic Bee Contest
On 23 May Sathwik Karnik, a 12-year-old
Indian-American boy, has won the prestigious National Geographic Bee 2013 after
gruelling rounds testing his geographic knowledge about lions in Botswana,
mountain ranges in Asia and port cities in England.To clinch the title, Karnik,
12, correctly named Chimborazo as the mountain in Ecuador that represents the
farthest point from the Earth’s center.US.Karnik took home the spoils of the
Bee prize that include a USD 25,000 college scholarship, an all-expenses paid
trip to the Galapagos Islands, and a lifetime membership to the National
Geographic Society.
Jiroemon Kimura Becomes ‘Last
Living Man Born in 19th Century’
The oldest person in the world, Japanese Jiroemon
Kimura,116 years Japanese man became the last male of the 19th century in the
world. Jiroemon Kimura was given the title of last male alive to be born in the
19th century after the death of Barbados in the month of May 2013 at the age of
113 years and 90 days.Gerontolgy Research Group at University of California,
Los Angeles found out that as far as female were concerned, there are in all 21
women born before 1 January 1901 and they are still alive.But amongst the male,
Jiroemon Kimura is the only alive person of 19th century.Jiroemon Kimura was
born on 19 April 1897.
Premlata becomes the first Indian
woman to complete seven summits
Asian woman mountaineer Premlata Agrawal has become
the first Indian woman mountaineer to scale the seven continental peaks after
climbing Alaska’s McKinley Peak.With this, she became the first Indian woman
mountaineer to step on the highest peak of North America.
Arvind Mahankali Won National
Spelling Bee 2013
On 31 May Arvind Mahankali, a 13-year old
Indian-American won the Scripps National Spelling Bee contest, as children from
the community scripted history by dominating the prestigious competition for
the sixth year in a row, grabbing top three slots this year.Arvind, from New
York, won the contest by correctly spelling the German word ‘knaidel’ which
means a small mass of leavened dough, overcoming his fear of German-derived
words during his past four appearances at the contest.This is the sixth
consecutive year that an Indian-American has won the contest, which was watched
live by millions of people in the United States.
PLACES IN NEWS
Cyclonic Storm ‘Mahasen’ Hits
Bangladesh
On 16 May The cyclonic storm ‘Mahasen’ hit
Bangladesh’s southern Patuakhali coast with wind speed up to 90 kilometers per
hour.More than 48 persons were killed as inflated waters coupled with gusts
started ravaging parts of Patuakhali alongside the other areas adjacent to the
Bay of Bengal in the region.The system is now located in the west-central bay
and is likely to intensify further, move in northeast direction and cross the
Bangladesh coast close to Chittagong.
ABBREVIATIONS
NESAC ——- North Eastern Space Applications
Centre
ACTO ——– Amazon Cooperation Treaty
Organization
ILO ——–
International Labour Organization
CNEN ——— National Commission for
Nuclear Energy
CNEA ———- National Commission of Atomic
Energy
IPV ———– Inshore Patrol Vessel
BWF ———- Badminton World Federation
BOOKS IN NEWS
Understanding Bhagat Singh ”
by Prof. Chamanlal released
Understanding Bhagat Singh a book by Prof.
Chamanlal was released in the on 3 May 2013.Professor Randhir Singh, Eminent
Thinker released the book at School of Social Sciences (SSS- I) Auditorium, JNU
in New Delhi.The book Understanding Bhagat Singh has tried to explain the soul
or spirit of Bhagat Singh like his principle of achieving objectives with
dignity, honesty and fearlessness.
Gandhi’s Outstanding Leadership’
Book Released
On 27 May “Gandhi’s Outstanding Leadership “,
written by former Indian diplomat-turned-Gandhian Pascal Alan Nazareth, was
released at the Peking University’s Centre.Prof Shang Quanyu, a history
professor with the South China Normal University, translated the book into
Madarin.
COMMITTEES
G Padmanabhan Committee on
Services for the Exporters
On 6 May A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) committee
recommended setting up of the Indian Bill Payment System (IBPS) in the
country.The committee chaired by G. Padmanabhan, Executive Director, RBI, has
recommended a cap on interest margins charged by banks lending to exporters.The
committee also recommended that export credit be allowed to be a part of
priority sector lending (PSL) for all commercial banks, including foreign
banks, for a period of three to five years.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
National Technology Day was
Observed on 11 May 2013
National Technology Day was celebrated on 11 May
2013 as a symbol of quest for scientific inquiry, technological creativity and
the translation of that quest in the integration of Science, Society and
Industry. This day is also celebrated to honour technological innovations and
their successful commercialization which makes fruits of research reach people
at large.
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